After the ho-hum disappointment of Caliban's War, it was pleasing for the authors Corey to head straight back to what the first book really excelled at: the exploration of a bizarre alien technology that keeps throwing curveballs mixed with non-stop suspense and political intrigue. Unfortunately, the little reveals we get into the nature of the Ring are just all too fleeting (I imagine it's more fuel for the next book) and the great big battle at the end feels just a tad contrived. The farther we get from the first book, the harder it is to capture that initial magic, it seems. I'll keep reading, only if just to get another taste.