The second entry in the series was a bit better than the first book.

In this one we get to see the team go through some serious training and coming up with a battle plan to take back the throne & defeat the evil sorcerer. The growth of Tris and his powers was well done, and for once it wasn't something that happened overnight, which was a great touch.

The author continues with some amazing world building, and the final battle, while rushed, was something else.
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Pros: quick read, variety of action, good pay off, complex plans

Cons: some unnecessary repetition

Tris and his friends have made it to Principality City and gained several powerful allies, but if Tris wants to claim the Margolan throne and right his half-brother’s wrongs, he’ll have to assemble an army and master his summoner abilities.

As with the first book, there’s a good variety to the action: fight scenes, mage training, diplomacy, and a touch of romance. It keeps things feeling fresh and helps with the quick turning of pages.

The plan for taking back Margolan has an appropriate complexity that relies on more than just Tris and his training. I appreciated that the efforts of displaced farmers and deserting soldiers helped with the overthrow.

You learn more about the vayash moru (vampires), and how they operate and survive. I also liked the introduction of new blood magic formed ‘creatures’, though wished they had been given more page time as they’re quite terrifying.

There were some times when the author repeated herself in giving information but it wasn’t as distracting as in the first book.

It’s a great conclusion to Martin’s duology, with a pay off that feels hard earned for the characters. ( )

I love this for the magic and the kingdom and the whole trek to overthrow the usurper. I have always enjoyed books set in a certain age where both magic and minstrals fight side by side with the renaissance. ( )

This book actually concludes a story arc started in the previous book. Prince Martris "Tris" Drayke has to learn how to control his abilities with the dead, raise an army and try to wrest control from his brother, Jared, and his co-conspirator Foor Arontala, a dark mage.

I found myself drawn in by the story and eagerly awaiting time I could read more of it, there were times when it lagged a bit and sometimes it was a bit predictable but I cared about the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen next. Knowing that there were more books in the sequence I was surprised that this arc concluded fairly quickly, now I'm curious as to what is going to happen next with the characters and their lives.

Tris is a good character, but I really loved Kiara, who kicked ass and took names very successfully throughout, and has a miniature dragon, how cool is that?

I'm looking forward to more in this series, it isn't earth-shatteringly good but it's very readable. ( )

Second in the trilogy. The drama and anticipation built up nicely, but I thought the conclusion itself was kind of abrupt. We'll see if the third book picks up speed or meanders... Even with the pacing, I enjoyed the story and new plot entanglements. ( )