I quite like L. Penelope's writing style, so this book was definitely a good read. It didn't rely too heavily on information from book 1, but you definitely wouldn't fully understand the gravity of the situation or the relationships between the characters without reading Song of Blood and Stone first. This is a very Jack-centric story, and it explains his relationship with Darvyn. I'm assuming the information is necessary, but I don't understand how it ties into the rest of the story just yet. I wonder if the three of them will meet again...