I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first one. For some reason, moving from the circus into a theatre of magic felt...not gimmicky, but I hope that the third book takes place in the same setting and we're not moved into another realm. This felt repetitive: something bad happens, Micah runs, Micah manages to find somewhere to stay, Micah is brought into a new/different setting and has to learn new skills and there's a show, etc. Sure, the magic was different from the circus stuff, but there was a love story (which I really didn't like;

Spoiler

not because I have any problem with Micah falling in love with a guy, but Drystan felt so much like an older brother to me in the first one that making him a love interest felt weird. And also too convenient

) and a test of skills. I loved the addition of Cyan; she was smart and fascinating and strong. The end of the book got really interesting and set up the third book nicely, but it took too long to get there.