This book was an excellent continuation of the series. It aligns with the quest style, the magic system, and the tone. Great known characters are back and new characters are integrated somewhat seemingly. The 400 pages felt like 200 and I couldn't put it down until I finished reading it.

Overall, it was a nice read, and I would definitely recommend it.

Pros:
* The puzzles in this book are more satisfying than the ones from the previous book. They made me feel like I was a part of the discovery because everything clicked when they were solved. At least for most of them.
* The characters are vivid and make sense of what they were built to be. They seem like real people coming out of a page. Zofia is a highlight to me, and even Séverin's annoying emo personality goes along with his grief and stubbornness.
* One of the predictable plot twists was so well crafted that even though I knew it was probably what it was, the author made it so convincing that I believed it and wanted to yell when it turned out the way it did. So good.
* The ending was so emotional that it made me tear up. That is always a good sign.

Cons:
* In the first chapters, there are too many explanations about things from the previous book, as if the audience hasn't read any of it. It is not integrated seemingly and feels sloppy.
* Some of the puzzles were way too simple and not polished enough. I loved that they were easier to understand and more logic-based than the ones from the previous book, but I hated that sometimes they didn't even feel like puzzles, just a lucky guess.
* The descriptions are way too detailed at some points, making it hard to get through some sentences without getting distracted.
* A lot of the character growth is forced and doesn't feel justified. One moment a character thinks something, the other they don't think that anymore and we don't know why. But we're supposed to pretend like we do.
* Some plot twists are very predictable and have way less impact than what it seems like they're supposed to have.