No Safe Haven: Malitu Book Two

If you've seen my review for No Heart for a Thief, than you know this sequel was up against some strong competition. 
The author has yet again managed to set up an incredible ending—where not only are threads being tied, questions being fulfilled, and harrowing escapes taking place, but also we receive another gut-wrenching kick of emotional damage. The author ups the trauma, for Kaylo and Tayen, and especially us readers. 
As I did with the first, I'd again liken this to The Last of Us. Tayen is bereaved of all those in her life, she's jaded, and she wants revenge. So when she finally lets someone in, Kaylo, she has such a hard time accepting his mistakes. Much like older Ellie and Joel. That is where the similarities end of course, as Dulin has offered us a rich world with lore, magic, culture. And of course the darker enthocentlrism, war, colonialism, and racism. I love the deep message of the story, and I really appreciate that you can also just read and enjoy it as a fantasy, too. It's powerful stuff. 
The characters remain the stars for me. Kaylo, Tayen, and even the smorgasbord of side characters. They have dimension, they're fleshed out, and they read as real with personality that jumps off the page. The action is brutal as if you're really there, and it makes you see the characters in the moment even more. 
Personally a 5/5*, I literally cannot wait for more. Also I think I found an author that says the F word more than me...