Definitely much better than the first book and the story is much sturdier too. The issue of things being solved conveniently is still present but not as much as before as well as the characters being there but not speaking. New characters are introduced and the prospect of romance being in the next book thrills me. One thing I can’t forgive in this book is how stupid Mare was in dealing with Esme and the water.

The beginning of the book starts with Esme going back to Picton and I loved the suspense with dealing with her father and his new wife. I honestly enjoyed the few pages of this whole ordeal sometimes more than the first half of when she was in Aeolia.

Overall, I loved every adventure they went to and every entry of the compendium as well as the school setting. The characters have more depth to them and I can’t wait for what the next book will be about! I’m very interested to see how the author will deal with the whole reveal of how the wars happened in the past.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy for an honest review.

After reading book one, I instantly started book two. It isn't often I can say a sequel is as good as the first part, but in this case I can do one better and assure you not only is it just as good, it exceeds the first part. As much as I enjoyed book one that was no small feat. There are loads of small things that add to greater story, making this a truly deep reading experience.

In this installment Esme's inner growth is painted remarkably. The pacing is fast and encourages you read just one page until you find yourself at the end. As with part one, in this one the setting envelops you in magic, making it feel as if you there in the wonder of it all, that alone is priceless.

I really hope there will be another part soon. While this was a fully satisfying read there are things I'd love to see explored, characters I'd love to hear more about and frankly, I'd just adore escaping into this world again.