Pros: There’s more backstory about the other cultures of the world of the book in this one. I feel like I understand the rules of the setting better. Xaden and Violet learn to communicate much better, so their relationship feels less toxic (until the end). The twist at the end was totally unexpected, and the battle scenes are intense but not overly drawn out. 
Cons: The Cat storyline is lame—I hate that she made us watch Violet stoop so low as to fight over a man. The book is extremely dense. So much information is revealed that it’s honestly hard to keep track of everything that’s going on. I was left with almost too many questions. I don’t fully understand what ended up happening with Jack, or why Xaden and Violet are dreaming about the Sage.