Gosh, I love how funny this series is! Tilla made me chuckle while reading, just as much as she did in Royal Bastards. And while this one didn't *quite* match the intensity of book one, it was still a solid sequel that leaves me excited for the third book!
What I Liked:
- Banter and humor on point. Oh, I love this in any book, but it's especially fun in this series. The author does a great job of mixing the humor with the more serious moments, and I quite enjoy it. It's a tough balance to get right, but he's managed in both books.
- The characters are so relatable. I loved that they all had their own blindspots and flaws, as well as their own strengths. They're so well fleshed out that it's quite easy to see why they make such a good team. And there are definitely a lot of morally grey decisions that the characters make, and I am always on board with those.
- Some of the romantic stuff seemed deliciously juicy. And I mean this in a very good way- it's the good kind of drama. I'll say no more for the sake of spoilers, but I actually kind of liken the series in general to a royal Jane the Virgin sometimes, in that sure it can be a little zany, but there's a lot of heart to this series.
- There are some wonderfully lovely friendships that develop during the course of the book. Some have progressed from where they started, some were new, but I loved that there was a focus on friendships. Sure, romance is a part of the book, but not the biggest part.
- The plot had some very good twists. Some things I did not see coming and was quite shocked at, yay! And, they set up the final book very well.
What I Didn't:
- There were a few slow points where I did kind of want things to move along a bit. Not terribly so, but enough that it merits mentioning.
- Since the characters were more or less in one general area, I felt like there were fewer questions answered in terms of world-building, and I'd found the world so fascinating in book one that I'd love more answers!
Bottom Line: Overall a very solid sequel with intensely likable- and realistic- characters. Humor mixes with high stakes in the best way possible to leave the reader excited for more!