Pope's narrative is rich with historical detail, immersing readers in the era's complexities. The novel's strength lies in its well-developed characters, each contributing to the story's depth and authenticity. From the ambitious Dan Strickland to the competing granite producers and the diverse townsfolk, Pope creates a dynamic and believable world.

Judd Winick took the characters' danger in the first one and set the bar hiring to create a unique sense of risk that the main characters had to face.

This goes more into depth about Hilo’s backstory while giving the main supporting characters more growth.  Because of this, there are more impactful decisions that are made by the children that appear to ripple into other books.