There's no slump in sight for the second book in this series. A marked improvement over the first installment, I greatly enjoyed Crown of Midnight. This was actually much more enjoyable than I remember it being from the last time I read it. The plot really opens up and expands here and without the distraction of the contest from book #1 we can start to see the scope of the conflict we're heading towards. Caelana is a joy to follow and the exception to most of the "typical" modern fantasy characters in my mind. Yes, she's beautiful and small and brilliant and she thinks she's amazing, but knowing her roots and where she comes from, it feels natural and I like seeing her vulnerabilities as she struggles with her grief and her situation. Watching how she tries to protect herself and the people she loves while grappling with how that might make her a coward or make her less than what she should be is really interesting. I do feel that having read most of the series before, I'm enjoying this reread more than I did the first time. Having an overall idea of the story helps me get past some of the flaws in these early books and see how everything is working towards the larger picture and honestly, I'm not mad about that. 100% loving the reread. Can't wait to keep going! 

P.S. I still hate Chaol. Seriously, why is that man so insufferably WHINY?? Grow up, Chaol. Ugh!