~~Thank you to Edelweiss and Abrams for the ARC!~~

3.5/5 stars rounded up.

I went into this book thinking I would have the same feelings I had about its predecessor That Self-Same Metal, but I actually found myself enjoying it more than I expected.

Don't get me wrong, there are still elements I found annoying, like the one chapter POVs from random characters as a world-building tool, or lacking, like the romance, but I could see Williams has improved on other things.

One aspect I liked was the fish out of water situation Joan found herself in for this installment. She has to navigate court politics, and she fumbles quite a bit doing so. I felt like I got a better grasp on her as a character through her failures, as well as the strong desire she has in protecting her family and community. Plus, her antagonism with Cecil was so good. He's obviously such a pathetic guy who's threatened by a much stronger Black teenage girl, but he gets ahold of some info on Joan that makes him a big threat. I really enjoyed them two at each other's throats, especially whenever Joan got the upper hand.

Again, I must bring up the admiration I have for Williams and all the devotion she had dedicated to her research. She has such a way of making a long past world feel so alive with the amount of tiny details she pinpoints and naturally integrates into the story. It's my favorite thing about her writing and these books.

Overall, this was a good read! I definitely want to pick up the next (And final, I believe) book, because the story ends with so much left for Joan and gang that they need to do - and I really want to see it through.