Book two in this series begins exactly where the last one left off, a nice, smooth transition. Mal and Alina have crossed the True Sea and are now in hiding in Novyi Zem, the continent to the West of Ravka. They have only been in the city of Cofton for two weeks, trying to be as ordinary and unremarkable as possible. They have gotten jobs as laborers, saving money with the intent to travel even further inland where they hope to disappear. I was surprised that they were found immediately. But it makes for a very exciting opening to this book.
We know from the first book that Mal and Alina love each other very much, their friendship of many years turning into romantic feelings. But being on the run, Alina’s growing power, and the uncertainty of their lives has been putting a strain on these feelings that they have barely begun to explore. A lot of the book is Mal and Alina being angry and frustrated with each other and their situation. Alina in particular is struggling a great deal with accepting the expectations and responsibilities that are being thrown at her because of her immense power. She comes from poor and humble beginnings, she never imagined or even expected to have become one of the most powerful people in the entirety of Ravka. Growing up in an orphanage doesn’t exactly prepare one for rubbing shoulders with the nobility, training warriors, and sitting in on war councils.
I can’t wait to see how everything ties up in the last book in this trilogy. The situation is more bleak than ever, and I don’t see how Alina and her followers are going to defeat the Darkling. They have faced off so many times, I feel as though neither side can be surprised now. The Sun Summoner and the Darkling seem about equal in power and there is possibly only one thing that could give Alina an edge over him. I feel as though Alina will get that thing in the last book and the epic final battle will take place.
Nonfiction and Nonsense 