Right, so let's go ahead and get the inevitable praise out of the way. 
 Leigh Bardugo is not of this world- her gift of storytelling is that spectacular. 
 This was a brilliant continuation of the series; with intriguing plot twists, curious new characters, and the tension between Alina and the Darkling finally approaching the ultimate boiling point, I was absolutely immersed. 
 My one thing about this book that I could've done without was the constant yearning and the whole "does he still love me" thing coming from Alina toward Mal. I understand the purpose, but for me it just got old. I didn't want more of the heartsick puppy stuff. What made up for it was the awesomeness of the action that was absolutely PACKED into these 400-some pages. Of course, I would've loved to have seen more of the Darkling in this book (I can't help but be in love with him, I'm SORRY), but something tells me I'll be seeing plenty of him in Ruin and Rising, which I am going to begin now. I AM SO EXCITED/SCARED!!