*3.5

Still not INCREDIBLE, but honestly? Pretty good, and a CONSIDERABLE step up in quality from the first book in the trilogy. I love Nikolai and also I want Tamar to step on me. The first third is especially good, even if things do slow down somewhat

Spoiler

when Nikolai's identity is revealed and Alina returns to the Little Palace

, and though the book does follow down a predictable path in places, I'm genuinely quite excited to see how the trilogy wraps up.