While not as sweeping and completely captivating as the first, I do think this one was an incredibly readable middle book. The first third or so felt a little slog-y, it seemed a bit repetitive and very much focused on military strategy (which is not really my thing, personally). However, part 3 really knocked my socks off, I felt I finally understood Rin’s character development and what Kuang was doing throughout the book. That last chapter (especially the last page or so)??! Talk about being on the edge of my seat for the next one! I was kind of feeling over it for the first bit, but now I can’t wait to see where this goes. Masterful storytelling, character building, and structure, excited to keep going!