My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. After book 1 was so good, how is the sequel so bad?

Now, I've very aware that this is going to be an unpopular opinion. The main difference between book 1 and 2 is that while book 1 was very character-led, this one is more focused on exploring the ideological war of knowledge thru yanking the characters around. You can see the emphasis in other people's reviews on praising the brain-breaking worldbuilding and thematic depth. That is not going to be in this one.

I think a microcosm for why I hated this book is in our new POV character: Celcha. She is a slave (with a new fantasy race) who is put to work in the library. There is supposed to be a mystery with her but the book blatantly gives too many hints and spoils itself. No more intrigue. Can you root for her? Also no, because she doesn't do anything but react. Oh no, slavery is bad! She gets manipulated, and none of her decisions mean anything because she isn't really making any informed decisions. Celcha's plotline is consistently boring, and adds nothing to the narrative except thematic depth and worldbuilding.

I need some actual character development and compelling plot to enjoy something, and this book gave me nothing. In the end, it felt like we were in the same spot as the beginning of the book. Except I care much less about all of the characters.

This book also tried to pull off not one but two romances. Not enough really given for me to believe in them or be invested.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ace for a copy to review. All opinions are my own.