A very satisfying follow up to Red Rising, avoiding shallow waters and heading directly into the riptides of politics Darrow can't just stab to conquer (he still stabs lots of things, don't worry). The lessons of book 1 provide interesting set ups for book 2, both where Darrow learned from his mistakes, and where the conflict between his friendships and his origins means he repeats them.
Warning: the ending is a real kick in the teeth.