First off, I'm going to get some quick negatives out of the way before raving about this book. There are a few parts of this book that are a bit confusing. The magic system mechanics went a bit over my head, especially when they were doing the training. However, once the book gets going and characters are just using the magic without too much explanation, it works really well. The entire concept of the magic in this world is that it revolves around emotions, the idea that the first battlefield is in the mind, and it really works well when it isn't getting a bit too system-driven. Secondly, there are some aspects surrounding a character's family and culture that I struggled understanding. These are introduced without a ton of exposition, and though we eventually learn more about them, it does end up creating confusion when it could have been explained a bit through exposition. Initially, I felt like I had missed a chapter or another book, and I ended up not fully understanding some of the schemes in the book because of this aspect.

With those out of the way, let me tell you, I devoured this book. I have been on a run of books that I felt ranged from bad to just good, nothing that really excited me. With this book, I couldn't wait to read it every night, and I ended up devouring all 900 pages. It expands from the prior book a lot, widening the world and being significantly longer. Yet, it still ends up feeling a lot more intimate as well. Our characters are cooped up together on a ship as time progresses and circumstances and challenges become more and more dire. As the tension ratchets up, it almost feels like a pressure cooker, with them each being pushed to their breaking points. My favorite moments were not these though, they were the more serene moments as the characters just interacted with each other during training or sailing. While Rahelu is still the main focus, Delilah Waan does give us more perspectives from other characters, and I really liked some of these new POVs. In particular, I think she does one dynamic and character relationship so well throughout the book that I genuinely loved where it ended up at the end and felt like it was a very unique arc. The book is split into 3 Acts, each feeling like a separate adventure/part of the journey. In terms of plot, there is a lot going on, many different factions both within the Dominion and outside, and while it could be overwhelming at times, it also did create a genuine sense of mystery because I had no idea where this book was going. The explosive ending feels like it wraps up this story while leaving an opening for the third book. Second books often struggle because they do not want to defer consequences and meaningful character arcs, but not here. It's an improvement across the board from one of my favorite recent self-published fantasy books, and I cannot wait for the next one!