This is a really excellent ending to the duology.

I found the politics easier to follow than the first novel, but that may be because I was more familiar with the characters and political landscape. I appreciated the arcs that characters like Ouyang and Zhu go through, with Baoxaing being a significant surprise. This continued to be an excellent study on gender, how it does and does not define who we are, how important presentation can be, and so much more.

My biggest critique is very similar to the first. It's very slow paced. The beginning and middle of this book dragged significantly. While the ending was rushed beyond belief. There were at least another 100 pages that the ending act could have used. It left me feeling like I missed something or needed more (but not in a positive way).

I absolutely recommend this duology, even with the few criticisms I have!