I was really looking forward to this book after reading An Ember In The Ashes last year, and it didn't disappoint! I really wish I had read the first book again, just because I could not remember anything from the first book, and I had a little bit of a hard time getting back into this world. 
 Like An Ember In The Ashes, I didn't particularly care for Laia's story, and for me, Elias was much more interesting, especially with how his story went. His narration went in a direction I wasn't expecting- though the same thing happened with Laia, but not to the same degree as Elias. I also liked the addition of Helene, and her narration gave perspective on the what things were like for the Empire. I liked seeing both sides, and the obstacles that Laia and Elias had to face. I also liked seeing how hard it was for Helene, and the horrible position she was put in. She went through quite a change by the end of the book, and I'm curious to see if she'll ever go back to the character we see at the beginning of the book. 
 My Rating: 4 stars. I really liked it, and I'm glad that there are more books in the series. I wish I remembered more from the first book, and while Laia's story was a little more interesting, I thought Elias and Helene were much more interesting.