4.26 AVERAGE

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous dark emotional funny 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

this book very much felt like that second book in a longer series.

We get to know the characters a lot better, getting more insight on their past and present experiences and feelings. There's even a new pov! 
  That said the plot doesn't move very fast and there isn't that much going on in general. I personally didn't mind this at all! i still thought the pacing was much better than the first book. And, despite the majority of the book being very character focused, there are a few twists especially towards the end and in the last couple chapters EVERYTHING. GOES. TO. SHIT. 
  I still haven't recovered tbh... The cliffhanger is horrible, I NEED that third book! And if you have a problem with cliffhangers I would honestly wait until the third book comes out because this one is agonising. 

the way this book handled plot and characters reminded me a lot of "a gathering of shadows" by v.e. schwab. They're very different in many ways but just like "a cruel and fated light", "a gathering of shadows" is very character focused and has a huge event at the very end, ending in a cliffhanger. So if you've read that one i think that might give you an idea of whether or not you'll enjoy this one. I certainly did.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one for some reason. I personally really like character focused books so that might be why. But then again my favourite characters (vehan, aurelian, celadon) get a lot more on-page time too so that's something else I appreciated! 

+ We have an even more prominent genderfluid character (luck) in this book AND one of the main characters is questioning being nonbinary!
dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

3.75 STARS:

As much as I appreciate the characters in this series (and, really, they are fantastic!), I liked this one a bit less than the first.

I think the biggest thing that caused a lower rating was the lack of a goal. The first book, while incredibly character-driven, still had an endpoint that they were trying to reach: solve the mystery. This book didn't have an endpoint. It was one event after another that, while they were interesting, seemed to be a bit random in execution.

Still, I enjoyed this book because of how well it handles its characters. All of the main cast are great, the side characters have more than one layer, and the villains are actually humanized to the point that I.. kind of love them? It made the book endearing to me. Plus, the romances had a lovely, natural progression. I enjoyed seeing where they ended up!

The reason I am rounding this up a bit was the ending. While I predicted most of what would happen, it still was cinematic/climactic/expertly done. I enjoyed seeing the payoff (for as much as it ripped out my heart lol).

Overall, I still really like this series, and I am looking forward to when the next book comes out! I can definitely recommend this if you want complex characters and lots of LGBTQIA+ representation.
adventurous dark emotional 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

the fact that vehan lysterne is canonically a swiftie makes so much sense actually
adventurous dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
odysseyofcha's profile picture

odysseyofcha's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 3%

need to re-read the first one before (flemme)
adventurous dark emotional funny informative 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: Complicated

Hoy shit a lot has happened honestly

I would say though that this might be my new favorite series I’ve been having so much fun with it!

This book is interesting though, because I felt like a lot of things happen and at the same time not a lot, and what I mean by that is that there’s a LOT of information that was given to us in this book (but not in a info dump way) but not a lot has happened except towards the end


I honestly didn’t think that Vehan and Aurelian were going to get together in this book, I thought we might get that at least some moment here and there. I wanted them to have a bit more time because idk, even though I was happy that they got together finally I wasn’t excited? And that’s goes the same with Arlo and Nausicaä I just felt like it was too soon in my opinion. Especially knowing it’s a four book series so why not create tension and leave it around the end of the third book or the fourth? Again just my opinion. I DO love that theres a possibility that cel might be none-binary and asexual and I am excited to see more of that!
Another thing which we should talk about is Theo ngl I thought he wasn’t an important character when he first appeared so I didn’t imagine how he looks well and I regret that TT he’s so… interesting?like I want to not like him but there’s so much about him that I want to know and hopefully we’ll see more of that in the next book (based on the title of the third book we might) he’s also funny too I just CANT with him 😭😭


I still absolutely love this book and had so much fun with it expect towards the end where I slowed down I bit and if I had to admit I kinda just wanted it to finish TT

It also hard for me to think who’s my favorite character in this book 😭 I love them all so much and they all so interesting! Im kinda stuck between luck or cel idk lol

REREAD FEB 2025
this book almost finished me before i could finish it damn this book was 640 pages too long
its not like it was bad, i did enjoy reading it the first time but not great for a reread (maybe to reread a few parts here and there about not the whole book) i mainly reread so that I can remember what happened before reading the third book (but honestly i might take like a bit of a break before reading the third book? maybe reading something else before getting into it)
i mentioned Theo when i first read it and yeah I love him even more he's a really interesting character
however Arlo is really annoying in this book, i like her in the first book but in this one her chapter is my least favorite like she has gotten so many warning and was still shocked that the queen is evil. first from Aurelian and then from Cel and then from Nos AND SHE WAS STILL "its okay guys she's chill" i think it may have something to do with the queen controlling her? idk same thing with Vehan i need him to actually see how messed up her mom is please and i hope that doesn't happen with Cel idk these character cares about her 😭 she is a very interesting character but again idk how anyone cares about her