I was concerned that the story was running too fast after the first book and just the first few chapters of this book. I worried Sanderson wouldn't be able to keep me interested at the pace the story was taking, or that things would go in a crazy different direction and disappoint me.

But this was masterfully done. Great characters, great story, great narration. I enjoyed Shalan's story much more than the original book, she's still a frustrating character, but much more enjoyable. I was impressed with the inclusion of new characters and how well they fit in. There's also some serious news about how each character is related to one another, and this makes the next book even more intriguing.

If I had to knock one thing in the book. The interludes are still confusing and provide little to no payoff for the reader. Some of them I can agree they are introducing new characters that we might see in later books, but others are simply confusing and made me question why was my time spent learning about this person. There's no immediate benefit and in some cases nor is there a future with that character.

Overall, great!