Amazing. The best Realm of the Elderlings book so far. Of course, as a second book in a trilogy a lot of threads are still up in the air, but without, in my opinion, stupid cliffhangers. I am left wanting to read more because the universe is so fascinating and I want to know how things develop.

Characters are all more fascinating than when we met them again at the beginning of the book, and they have grown so much compared to the first book already!

Audiobook has a good narrator but still has the problem of not taking any break from one sentences from a POV and another from a different POV, so be aware.

I need to reread it. Started as something, then became something else, got more and more confusing, brought forward more and more anxiety, THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME OUT OF THE BLUE (100% recommend the audiobook by the way), gave some clarity at the end, then shouted to start again. I'm going to do it, for sure. It sticks with you. It's also pretty short so not big commitment needed.

Wonderful book for young teenagers, dealing with oppression and rebellion, brotherly love, sickness, death, courage and fear. Simple in its narration and story, but well made and powerfully emotional. The ending left me heartbroken. I will definitely read more Lindgren.

I am not sure how I feel about the colloquial spelling of words in Swedish, for example sej/mej instead of sig/mig, morron instead or morgon, lessen instead of ledsen and similar. While it conveys the colloquial and a bit childish style of the child narrator, I am unsure of the effects of such spelling to the young kids it's aimed at. I wouldn't think it's a good idea, but I am also an old curmudgeon, so...