Anya i Słowik

The pacing picks up right where the first book left off, and I loved how the dragon’s magic still feels central without rehashing old plot beats. The village of Zmeyreka comes alive again with details that made me feel like I was walking through the mud and market stalls.

I was nervous a sequel would lose the charm of the first book, but the way Anya’s growth is handled here feels so natural, and the wintery village setting is just as vivid as before. The dragon’s presence is still wonderfully woven into the plot without overshadowing the human stakes.

The pacing picks up beautifully once Anya and Ivan head back into the forest, and that final twist with the dragon’s magic genuinely caught me off guard. I stayed up way too late finishing it, but the way the village’s fear and hope are woven together made it worth it.