I think I liked this book better than the first, but not enough better to move it to five stars.

The character development is well done, particularly Davey, and I liked the addition of more female characters. That said, there are really only two female characters that are more than flat or temporary, Viola and Mistress Coyle.

The two dominant motifs throughout the book are manipulation and survival. The two intertwine and readers can create a variety of themes and lessons from both motifs. The story has clear connections to any time in history involving freedom fighters and tyrants, as well as the moral ambiguity caused by war. War challenges and compromises the morals and ethics of everyone. No person’s character can be unscathed. Even choosing to work only to save others is questionable.

I struggled with the separation of the two main characters for such a long time in the story, and the entry of a possible love triangle was tiresome. However, that triangle was handled in a satisfying manner in the end.

My favorite part of this story is the manipulation and weaponizing of The Noise. I saw this coming pretty early in the story, but not at the first reference. Ness does a nice job slowly developing this element in a manner that doesn’t dominate the plot or the characters.

Like the previous novel, the ending is… well… the ending is “something.” It’s not the shock of the last ending, and honestly, it seems a bit contrived to bring all factions together at one time, but I’m sure it leads into an interesting story.

Of course, I’ll have to read the third novel to see where it goes. I want to know how things end for Todd and Viola.