I read this book immediately after the first in the series, The Alchemists' Council, and found it improved by having more clearly cut distinctions between the characters. There was a good deal more character depth, and individual history, and so it was easier to keep track of who's who. Some of the more mysterious aspects of alchemy described in the first book were explored in more depth here, and the interwoven character arcs much more developed. There are still a couple of issues with the basic world-building that bother me, however, despite the obvious political allegories applying to real world events and movements. I still found it hard to buy into anyone's general acceptance of conjunction, more so when there were apparently at least two "pairs" who wound up doing something else with it. Self-sacrifice is a human phenomenon, but there seemed to be rather little faith involved it, and not much logical reason to do it either. In addition, neither the rebels nor the Alchemists' Council seemed to have solved the inherent problems of hierarchy being dominated by semi-tyrannical male figures of authority, and neither really seemed to understand what balance actually means in a dual system of what amounts to theology. Hoping that side of things gets more attention in the books to follow because I am much intrigued by the whole concept of "alchemical children" and they affect and are affected by all this. ( )