First storygraph review, actually going to try and keep up with what I read this year! Still following the Goodreads star system though I like it.

Loved this book, maybe more than the first. The character work is amazing here and Hilo really feels like a person who has grown so much with the responsibility placed on him from the first book. I love the politics in this, and the effects of allowing this mega powerful drug (jade to be clear, not SN1) into the outside world and the morality of it's use in conflicts outside of the island is super interesting. 

I do miss the starker look at lower class life in Kekon, sticking with the Kauls so much makes them a bit too sympathetic and almost heroic and I think Bero if anything had a bit of character reduction. We mostly see big events from the perspective of the Kauls and its easy to forget they're just crimelords essentially, the first book really benefitted from having that reflection of each major point shown effecting the normal people of the city and showing the harmful effects the Kauls have.