This book, which is a compilation of four novellas, is the second (or fifth-eighth) book in the Elements of Kamdaria series. If you haven't read the first book, do that first.
There are some things about this book that are great, and others that could use some work.
What Worked
Talise's character has a nice arc. We get to see her grow and change throughout the story, from deciding to come forward as the princess to fighting for the amulet. She really puts the people first and I feel like her interest in helping and making positive changes is genuine.
The story itself progresses at a nice pace. Some sections were a bit long, but overall things moved nicely from the first page to the last.
Plenty of obstacles to go around that give Talise and her friends lots to have to navigate to reach their goals.
I liked the twist about the Guardian of the amulet appearing to Talise.
It was also a nice surprise to see all sides of the argument (about what's best for Kamdaria) be acknowledged. Talise can see how her actions will both positively and negatively impact everyone involved, so it's enjoyable to watch her weigh the consequences of doing or not doing something.
What Didn't Work
Aside from Talise, all the other characters feel very two-dimensional. They're the same at the beginning of the book as they are at the end. I like that they're distinctive from each other, but they don't have any real growth.
The out-of-nowhere romance with Claye felt forced to me. There's not hint in the first book that he has any feelings for Talise, then, once Aaden's out of the picture, he's all "I can't believe you didn't notice my feelings before now."
Some of the action scenes dragged on a bit too long. They're well written and it's easy to follow what happens, but I found myself skimming some of them because they went on for pages.
**Spoilers below**
Many of the actions in this book felt repetitive. She has a romance (kind of) with Aaden in the first book that ends in betrayal, then she has a romance with Claye in this book that also ends in betrayal. There's multiple breaking in to Kessoku bases, whether to rescue someone or to steal something. Many action scenes where Talise/her friends/her soldiers are fighting off Kessoku. Even some of Talise's thoughts feel very repetitive.
I was also super-excited when the amulet's Guardian, Eben, gets introduced. There were some really cool scenes with him and I feel like there was a lot of potential with him until he dies. I would've liked to see him live (even if he was unconscious or something for a while to delay his teaching of Talise) and get a chance to teach Talise about how to use the amulet. Scenes like that would be such a nice change from everything else that happens in this book. Also, it'd be nice to see Talise struggle, for once, with shaping.
**End spoilers**
There were also a fair number of typos or spelling errors in this book, including some with the characters' names.
Overall, this was a fun book to read with lots of things happening to keep you reading. If you enjoyed the first book or enjoy fantasy/adventure novels, you'll probably enjoy this series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.