I think I set my bar so high for this series from the first book that this book was inevitably a letdown. I loved the first book. I loved being introduced to all the characters, I loved learning about Daine's "wild magic" and her journey into self-discovery. Even the lengthy and confusing battle at the end didn't ruin it for me. This book, however, just dragged on. Daine is traveling with her mentor, looking for a missing group of Riders and re-encountering the pack of wolves with whom she bonded and which came to her assistance when she needed it before we were introduced to her in the first book. They were a crucial part in her development, and it was disappointing to me that they were so lacking in character. 
 I found the plot boring and uninspired. Even if I didn't read the first few books in the series, I grew to like the characters from my introduction to them in the first book of the Immortals, and it was to my disappointment that they didn't make an appearance in this one. The mystery was boring, I didn't like the antagonists...before you say, well, no shit, Sherlock. They're supposed to be unlikeable. I mean that they were so...villainous, traditionally so. They were one-dimensional and boring. I also did not like the fact that Daine spends so much of her time interacting with animals. I like human interactions, I like it when Daine is out of her comfort zone. Animals are nice and good, but I'm not a furry. I'm really not into animals as characters. I prefer human interactions, and this book was lacking in that. I'm hoping book 3 will be better.