"No. He was not here to wreak revenge. 
 For revenge was trifling and hollow. 
 No. He was not here to retrieve his wife. 
 For his wife was not a thing to be retrieved. 
 No. He was not here to negotiate a truce. 
 For a truce suggested he wished to compromise. 
 He was here to burn something to the ground." 
 It's 6am and I just turned the last page after reading all night. I mean, who needs sleep anyway!!! 
 It was a beautifully written, fast paced sequel and (almost) everything I hoped for. 
 Once again we are reunited with these intriguing characters and intense story full of betrayals, intrigue, action, romance and so much more. 
 Khalid and Shazi are truly wonderful characters to read about, both so strong and determined in their own way. I cheered for them more than ever and they might be among my favorite fictional couples out there. I love how they respect and trust each other, there is no doubt or unnecessary drama between them, which is truly refreshing in a YA novel. 
 The development of Shazi's sister Irsa was wonderful to read about and I loved the twists and turns involving the ever-sassy and plotting Despina. 
 Learning more about the magic system as well as meeting some new characters involved with it was so much fun to read about and easily one of my favorite parts of the novel. 
 However, there were a couple of things that I didn't like that much. 
 First of all, I was quite annoyed with Tariq for most of the book, his actions were petty and fueled with rage and jealousy. He does redeem himself slightly later on, but for the most part I couldn't stand him. 
 The issue of Khalid's curse felt oddly anticlimactic. I wish it could have been handled better and with more focus on that particular plotline, especially since it was such a big focus of the story for a long time. 
 Another thing that has been bothering me since book one is the age of the characters - I'd much prefer if they were at least a couple of years older, but since this is set in a world where teenagers were considered adults with full responsibilities, I am willing to let it slide. 
 Other than that, this book was a perfect sequel and took me on a rollercoaster ride of feels. 
 I'm sad to see the characters go, though I'll without a doubt revisit them again soon. 
 "It was because they were two parts of a whole. He did not belong to her. And she did not belong to him. It was never about belonging to someone. It was about belonging together."