I really enjoyed the first one but this one was aggressively mid and I can't fully put my finger on why. I think part of it is that not much really happened for most of the book, and some parts were predictable. The writing is still very beautiful and poetic at times but I just felt very detached from the plot for some reason. Also, the character deaths had no impact on me-- I didn't like one of them, and the other was a complete non-presence in the series. I'm tempted to say this is just a me problem but it seems this book has a lower average rating than book 1. I'd still recommend the series but maybe manage your expectations. (This is the second YA series I've been OBSESSED with and then majorly disappointed by... might need to reevaluate some of the others on my TBR.)