Whoa. I think this is an extremely strong sequel. The characters and setting introduced in book one are chiseled and refined by Maas in such an admirable way that I found myself deeply caring for characters whom I felt completely apathetic toward in book one (*ahem*Dorian*ahem). The plot twists and turns, and even though I guessed a lot, there were many things that surprised me in the end. There's also a very sweet, and very heart breaking romance introduced, and even though watching it unfold had me on the edge of my seat, I really think Maas did every character justice in the way it played out. 
 All in all, a great read. I wasn't sure about this series after reading Throne of Glass. But now, after reading Crown of Midnight, I'm hooked!