4 stars

I was very excited to read this book, and while I believe it was very well written, I can’t help but be a little disappointed.The thing I hated about the first book was the whole beginning was so slow. But once it got going, I was hooked. This one was much better in that it was fast-paced with constant action. Very motivating to read.But the thing I hated was that Lyra, who was such a powerful character in the first book, took the back seat to Will in this book. Most of the book really just focuses on Will. He completely hijacked the book. And not only that, after Lyra messes things up, she swears to do nothing without his permission. Seriously? What happened to the strong, capable girl of the first book? She really got replaced with another male protagonist? So while I liked the development of the upcoming war and finding out more about the pasts of the various worlds, I really felt like the book was missing the true protagonist. Lyra really lost her independence in this book which was a horrible letdown.