Just as amusing as the first book with a much tighter plot. There's plenty of believable character development and moments that either kept me on edge or had me laughing out loud after midnight. Regardless of how intrigued I am by the history of the order of Magi or how much I like Logen, Glokta is the one who continues to steal the show for me so far consistently, way more than anyone else. Unfortunately, I can't say if I enjoyed this as much as its its predecessor ( I had spoiled the ending accidentally which did take away some emotional impact ), but I think it's an improvement over the first book when you consider the overall structure and writing. Without delving into details, you may either love or hate the ending depending on your preferences, I personally found it hilarious.