Part 2 of ACOWAR continues to move the pieces around the board, with Feyre and Rhys desperately trying to cement alliances to defend against the oncoming threat of Hybern. 

There are incredible moments of action in this part, including the battle of Adriata, which generally kick the narrative into a higher gear and are amazing to listen to. However, the overall pace continues to be fairly slow. It's not uncomfortable or boring - it's far too well written and acted for that - but it stretches the tension to almost breaking point. As a result, and because of the raging headache and cold I had while listening to it, I'll admit that a lot of the intricacies passed me by.

For me, it's the more intimate moments of quiet and understanding between Rhys and Feyre that mark this episode out. It's nicely bookended with small but perfectly formed moments between the two of them, and their stay in the Dawn Court in particular is beautifully done to illustrate both Rhys' vulnerability and his complete understanding and acceptance of his mate.

While it's not the calm before the storm, it's the first rumbles of thunder and drops of rain to lead into the climactic third act, and it does its job very well. I am grateful however that I could pick up the next episode straight away; I think if I'd had this one immediately upon release and had to wait for the next instalment, I'd have been left a bit disappointed. So that's my top tip: either wait until you have all three parts before you start listening, or buy the extra credit to make that wait a bit shorter.