8/10. while this book was still great, the first book was a tough act to follow. i found the middle of this book a tad slow personally and it took me a lot longer to get through it (compared to reading divine rivals in one day). nonetheless, i think the plot was continued perfectly and enjoyed the small twists and turns this book took. the pace definitely starts to pick up again near the end of the book, so have no fear. i really appreciated one of the near end chapters giving a glimpse into the pov of each of the main characters and where they stood in the high stakes situation of the city!! a good completion to the duology with not one but three different epilogues. thank you booktok for recommending this duology!!