I can't help but be a little wary when heading into a second book of a series. They are notoriously rough, hard to follow, without a true beginning or end. As is too often the case, there is a large gap of time between books, and readers will find themselves forgetting all the details from the first book, so authors have to find a way to remind the reader without laying out pages of rehashed plot. It's a fine line. Having said all that, Julie Kagawa did an amazing job at walking that line! I was able to jump right back into the story without getting the least bit lost! And even though it was continuing on the story from Talon, it also held its own plot, with a clear beginning and ending, as well as offering more to come. 
 In one key aspect, I think the sequel was even stronger than book one. Julie's just hitting her stride! Now that Ember, Garret and Riley are brought together, the chemistry between the characters brought the whole plot together for me. Yes, it's true that love triangles are a little cliche at this point, but Kagawa has put a great twist on it! Ember, being both "human" AND dragon, has two very distinct personalities, both pulling her toward a different man. It creates a very unique sexual tension. I have some very clear ideas about who she belongs with, so don't even try to tell me I'm wrong. Regardless of all this sexual tension, and the fact that there are battles, weapons and death, it's still very clean. There is no graphic gore, and Ember never goes beyond first base. 
 I am truly loving the mystery and foreshadowing! I have no clue who the mastermind behind it all could be, but being in the dark has never been so much fun! The title of the third book is Soldier, so I can only imagine that we'll get more of Garret's story next time. Can't wait! 
 A copy of this book was provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.