I liked it better than the first in the series (Ilse Witch) ... the plot lines were more consistent with what I'd expected of the characters, and the story itself read more like a single volume than like part 2 of a 3-part series (except for the very end, of course: something has to lead into the final part).

There were definitely some surprises, both things that happened and things that didn't happen. Looking forward to reading the final book.