This was a good read overall. I continued to enjoy the storyline and all the characters, especially some of the new ones! The king was great and Jared was a really a really sweet addition. This new world (the King and everyone who lived with him) was intriguing and I'm very curious to learn more about his motives because, right now, they're still a bit sketchy. There were plenty of twists and turns and, even though not all were a surprise, they kept the story moving forward. I must admit, however, that I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the information in this book. It was good to find out more about Ember because she's so different but the background seemed to be presented all at once when she met the King and that slowed the book down too much for me. I realize that I'm definitely in the minority here but Eli didn't have the same pull for me as he had in the first story. I think it was simply because he wasn't as big a mystery anymore...so he didn't feel as ornery and sexy because of it. I think there's still much to learn about this world and these characters and the end certainly leaves the reader wanting more. We're left with so many questions about what has happened and what will happen next that the next book seems too far away!