Without a doubt, this is, by far, the best book I have ever read in my entire life. As someone who has read over 780 books in 20 years, that's saying something. I fell in love with this series right from page 1 of book 1, and I knew that book 2 would not disappoint. What I wasn't prepared for was the multitude of emotions I would run while reading it. The fact that it takes place 6 years after book 1 had me a little worried that something would be missing in the history of those 6 years, but Valerie did a phenomenal job of giving history of those 6 years and background story in the first part of the book. There was so much detail given that the first few chapters were a little slowing going for me, because I was reading very carefully so I didn't miss anything super important. Once I got through the background, I was thrown into an immediate action packed event that set the fast pace for the rest of the book. Absolutely hands down, this book contains everything. Humor, Betrayal, Love, Duty, Choices, Magic, Good, Evil, Battle, Friendship...everything a person could want in a book! If you haven't read book 1 yet, you MUST read that book first before this one, and trust me, you will NOT be disappointed! This book deserves more than 5 stars, it is that good. I cannot wait for book 3!! Well done Valerie, you are a phenomenal writer.