How good is Brian McClellan's "Gods of Blood and Powder" relative to "Powder Mage"?

I finished Brian McClellan's Powder Mage Trilogy last year and really enjoyed it. What I didn't know was that there was a sequel trilogy out there in the wild waiting to be read!

So, to those who've experienced both, how does the 2nd trilogy stack up to the 1st? Is it better? Worse? About the same? Maybe more importantly, will I need to refresh myself on the plot/worldbuilding in Powder Mage to enjoy Gods of Blood and Powder?