not a stand alone

I guess I didn't get much out of this. I didn't read the first book beforehand, and the story is one of those where you really should read the books in order, so that you can pick up the second book and already know who the characters are. I felt lost and like I was continually struggling to catch up with people and past events I had no understanding of. My fault. Be ware: this isn't a stand alone story.

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