Loved this one, could not put it down. While I did not like Amsterdam as much as the original Island at the Center of the World, this book was a return to all of the things that made the original so brilliant. I find it amazing he is able to uncover so much new history in this telling of so closely related stories to the last books, which were already dense with history. The story introduces all new characters who are equally as colorful as the original telling including kings of England and the Duke of York, William of Orange and of course Peter Stuyvesant. The story telling is great, you are able to follow along with events and keep track of the important players and there is tension and drama as the story comes to crescendo. I feel like it is even better than the Island at the Center of the World, but the two stand together to present an even more compelling story when paired with each other.