4.5/5
It's odd. There were times where I thought I didn't like this book as much as the first book and other times when I decided it was much better.

Overall I think The Tropic of Serpents is the superior Lady Trent novel. Be prepared to not always like Isabella though, there's a tad bit more of the 'through the lens of a colonist' especially in the beginning. Marie Brennan did this purposely though, its more truthful in my opinion and there are some stark admissions by the characters.
The indigenous people, especially the Moulish, are brilliantly written. I loved how their culture was contrasted to that of the Scirling.

I also really loved that Isabella's trauma and the effects of it were present. I mentioned hating the trope of 'man dies but luckily his partner is pregnant'. I was worried that it would be handled poorly, especially as Isabella comes across as a (wanted to be)childfree character. I was pleasantly surprised that it was written realistically with Isabella needing to go through a form of therapy before even wanting to connect with her son.