Rating: 4.5/5 
 ***Minor spoilers, spoilers for book 1*** 
 This book picks up right where the previous book left off. Elias and Laia are on the run, trying to find a way to break Darin out of Kauf, while also avoiding the Empire soldiers who are searching for them. It is told in alternating perspectives between Laia, Elias, and Helene. After Elias is injured by the Commandant, he and Laia struggle to find a way to Kauf, especially when unseen circumstances take place. Meanwhile, Helene is now Blood Shrike to Emperor Marcus, who is still struggling to be seen as powerful, and some Gens are revolting against him. To show the people how powerful he is, he orders Helene to find Elias, and bring him back to be executed. If she can't her family may be in danger. 
 This is my second high rated sequel I've read in only a short period of time. For me, that's pretty amazing because I usually don't like 2nd books in series more than the first, but I thought this one was much more interesting. I actually planned on rating this 4 stars for the content, but upped my rating since I found myself so hooked on it, and always enjoyed reading it (except for some things). There was a lot of character development in this book. Laia learns to better stand up for herself, Elias discovers more about life outside of Blackcliff, and Helene struggles with what the right thing to do is - capture her best friend and have him executed, or risk the safety of her family? 
 While I found pretty much all of this book enjoyable, one thing seemed to not be as interesting to me. In my opinion, Helene's perspective around the middle of the book after the initial search and before the events of the end of the book were pretty boring to me. There were some highlights, but it seemed a bit repetitive. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoiler everything, but it got a bit tiring before some actual stuff happened. That's my only negative point though. 
 Overall, this was a fantastic sequel which I thought was better than the first book. I was pretty impressed by the pacing of the book which kept me intrigued the entire time, but made sure not to move ahead too fast. The characters had some good growth, and we're introduced to new characters who prove to be interesting and may have a bigger role in the next novel. I'd definitely recommend reading it if you haven't already and have read book one. If you haven't read the series at all, it really is worth it.