Better than the first book. The romance is more believable, the arch of healing and the magic are better integrated into the story, the pacing is more equally distributed and does not feel jarring after the second half...

It's also such a wholesome story! No room for bittersweetness whatsoever. And you know what? Man, was I in need for something like this in the genre. It's very sweet and it's executed quite well. So yes, I enjoyed it. A lot. It's not the deepest story ever told, but if I've got room to accept action packed novels that do not try to live up to such ideals, I don't see where the issue is with accepting a story this well built.

If you like Robin Hobb, Marillier... give it a try.