Read it.
Not as good as the first series, but certainly not "bad," by any stretch of the imagination.
I feel like there are too many flashbacks, and I think the whole "rehabilitation of Val" is not just dumb, but honestly unnecessary; not that it isn't useful, and not that I have some kind of moral qualms against it... it just relies on the "Oh, I had poopy-times in my life, so feel bad for me" trope to allow his character massive leeway; as if he didn't commit several felonies to land himself in slavery/prison.
It just seems gross, to me.
But whatever; it's a story, and a mostly good story, at that.
Yay for continuation!