Much better than the first. This was more like what I had expected when I picked up 
 Captive Prince 
 , though the romance element was still lacking in my opinion (but it at least exists now). I had the same issues with the narration as I had before (it's ambiguous and confusing at times), and I still found myself skimming every now and then. The other characters were still very background and felt lacking in depth, and I still haven't felt a real connection to any of the main characters. The plot is interesting though. 
 Still not getting all the hype, but it's improving. I'll probably read the next.