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adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Easiest five stars I've given since, well, the most recent V. E. Schwab book I read 😅 SHE IS SO GOOD WTF. The first book in the series was great, super fun intro to this world and characters, but this one developed them in a way I wasn't expecting but I am totally loving. Lila as a pirate and magician?? I knew she was a badass and was going to prove she was a badass but DAYUM. I think I'm in love with her as much as Kell is . But, like, I'm also afraid of her—her setting her bindings on fine and exploding out of that crate and then slitting the throats of the men who did it?? Bad. Ass. Bitch. Respectfully.
Speaking of, loving how their relationship is developing and how Schwab kept teasing that their reunion was obviously going to happen, they just kept dancing around each other and finally confronted in such a 🤌 fantastic way.
THE TOURNAMENT?? So much fun, loved every bit, WHY is no one turning this series into a show? That part alone would go so hard.
Alucard's character is fascinating to me, I'm excited to get more of him in the next book. The darkness lurking in Kell......ahhh yeah the next book is gonna be a banger and keep me on the edge of my seat like the last 1/3 or so of this book did. I devoured the last half because it was just so good.
Okay, okay, last thing I'll say, THAT ENDING?? V. E. SCHWAB, HOW DARE YOU. I love you to the ends of all the worlds you've created and back, but DAMN YOU. I'm so grateful I came to this series late so I don't have to wait to read it 😅
Speaking of, loving how their relationship is developing and how Schwab kept teasing that their reunion was obviously going to happen, they just kept dancing around each other and finally confronted in such a 🤌 fantastic way.
THE TOURNAMENT?? So much fun, loved every bit, WHY is no one turning this series into a show? That part alone would go so hard.
Alucard's character is fascinating to me, I'm excited to get more of him in the next book. The darkness lurking in Kell......ahhh yeah the next book is gonna be a banger and keep me on the edge of my seat like the last 1/3 or so of this book did. I devoured the last half because it was just so good.
Okay, okay, last thing I'll say, THAT ENDING?? V. E. SCHWAB, HOW DARE YOU. I love you to the ends of all the worlds you've created and back, but DAMN YOU. I'm so grateful I came to this series late so I don't have to wait to read it 😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Boy am I glad that the next boo is already available haha
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a character focused slow burn.
i really enjoyed this one. it’s so interesting to see lila in this world and her growth. i enjoyed the edition of alucard, but i hope we get more in depth in book 3. he sometimes felt fleshed out but he really did come across as a performance.
the white london droplets throughout the book were well placed and just enough to keep attention but not distract.
that cliffhanger tho 😭😭
book three is a 26 week wait. no thanks!!
i really enjoyed this one. it’s so interesting to see lila in this world and her growth. i enjoyed the edition of alucard, but i hope we get more in depth in book 3. he sometimes felt fleshed out but he really did come across as a performance.
the white london droplets throughout the book were well placed and just enough to keep attention but not distract.
that cliffhanger tho 😭😭
book three is a 26 week wait. no thanks!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Violence, Gaslighting
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I firstly just wanted to preface by saying I was not in the best place emotionally whilst reading this book and I read it for longer then I usually read a book so this possibly has impacted on my review and ratings.
This was a decently good follow up/middle book. I’m a sucker for magical trials and I love the way the scenes were written. The magic and world building is still immaculate: Alcuard has now become my second favourite character and I’m really hoping we see more of him and I loved the secondary romance that developed.
Kell my boy, oh my god you really go through it in this book. It was a whirlwind reading how affected he was by the events of the first book and adding more depth into his characterisation. The romance, the pining & longing oh boy slow burns is how it’s done. I really wish we had more Kell chapters to be honest.
Lila … Lila Bard I have such confusing feelings about the character. Most of the time I admire and like the character a lot in her personality and the way she handles herself. Especially her chemistry with Kell but oh boy did some of her actions and decisions had me stressing. I really was pleased though to see more of the intentions and thinking/reflective process behind why she is the way she is. I really appreciated also this having a bit more of a new adult feel to it.
I adored the writing even more in this one. Some of the quotes/lines really got to me. I enjoyed the illusion and villainous energy of the white London chapters and the pacing/setting of the chapters.
Personally why it wasn’t a five star for me was probably my mood during reading it I would have been more captivated/impacted. I thought the plot focused a little too much on Lila plot and I wanted more of a balance between the other characters plots. I felt personally the ending just rushed a bit so much happened in such a short time. But the cliff hanger and final line got me hooked !!. I also felt it took a bit too long to get to the actual magical trials part.
But other than that such a solid, worthwhile and delightful second follow up. Personally for me does not follow within middle book syndrome and I’m very excited to see how the last one in the trilogy plays out.
3.75/5 Stars ⭐️
This was a decently good follow up/middle book. I’m a sucker for magical trials and I love the way the scenes were written. The magic and world building is still immaculate: Alcuard has now become my second favourite character and I’m really hoping we see more of him and I loved the secondary romance that developed.
Kell my boy, oh my god you really go through it in this book. It was a whirlwind reading how affected he was by the events of the first book and adding more depth into his characterisation. The romance, the pining & longing oh boy slow burns is how it’s done. I really wish we had more Kell chapters to be honest.
Lila … Lila Bard I have such confusing feelings about the character. Most of the time I admire and like the character a lot in her personality and the way she handles herself. Especially her chemistry with Kell but oh boy did some of her actions and decisions had me stressing. I really was pleased though to see more of the intentions and thinking/reflective process behind why she is the way she is. I really appreciated also this having a bit more of a new adult feel to it.
I adored the writing even more in this one. Some of the quotes/lines really got to me. I enjoyed the illusion and villainous energy of the white London chapters and the pacing/setting of the chapters.
Personally why it wasn’t a five star for me was probably my mood during reading it I would have been more captivated/impacted. I thought the plot focused a little too much on Lila plot and I wanted more of a balance between the other characters plots. I felt personally the ending just rushed a bit so much happened in such a short time. But the cliff hanger and final line got me hooked !!. I also felt it took a bit too long to get to the actual magical trials part.
But other than that such a solid, worthwhile and delightful second follow up. Personally for me does not follow within middle book syndrome and I’m very excited to see how the last one in the trilogy plays out.
3.75/5 Stars ⭐️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Confinement, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
On round two, we think we know this world, but there is much to continue to explore and unearth. Again, Schwab is truly great at World building in a satisfying way that does reward readers for paying attention to detail. That being said, this book really does feel like that middle chapter in a story, whether that be due to the sudden cliffhanger at the end or the fact of how long it takes for the main event of the book "The Essen Tasch" to begin roughly 340 pages into the story. Don't get me wrong, I like all the subtle drama and back and forth viewpoints of events (which works out really well in some chapters where the event picks up from different POV seamlessly), but for how much the event is talked up, it's a relatively short-lived part of this story. I'm genuinely more intrigued by Lila as we keep going forward, albeit sometimes ya just wanna yell when she makes some choices. Rhy seems like a more well rounded character in this outing and the brotherly conflict and care seems much more genuine. Now to seek out book 3 to find out what Osaron, White/Red London, and Kell/Lila/Rhy have in store!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Self harm, Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Stalking, Alcohol, Classism
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love everything about the Essen Tasch and getting to explore the culture that is entwined with the magic systems in this world. A riveting continuation of what is proving to be a memorable story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Blood
Moderate: Violence, Murder
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Sexual content