Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.41 AVERAGE
4.41 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
fast-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:
No
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went into this series completely blind, with zero expectations, and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the world pulled me in. The world-building and overall premise were captivating. I was totally engrossed.
Unlike the first book, this sequel shifts to a multi-perspective narrative, which made the story more dynamic. Interestingly, the main characters from book one, Elspeth and Ravyn, took a backseat in this installment. The focus instead shifted to the secondary characters, Elm and Ione—and honestly, they hijacked the story in the best way. I always found Elspeth and Ravyn a bit dull, so watching Elm and Ione take center stage added new life and depth to the plot. Elm’s pov was far more engaging, and the narrative truly found its stride when he became the focus. Also, reading the Nightmare’s story unfolding was amazing.
Overall, I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book.
Overall, I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book.
slow-paced
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
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
1st book was better but i loved elms and iones perspective the best and i still like the magic with the cards which is different!
this is a million star book. i'm so glad the last one ended on a cliffhanger and made me pick up this one because this is possibly one of my all time favorite books now.
elm is a dream. literally obsessed w him and ione, and it was so nice to have them to root for in this book. i felt like in the first one rayvn and elspeth's connection went from 0 to 100 too quick to be plausible (entirely) but the slow burn for ione and elm was perfect. I also liked the balance given that we didn't get a ton of E&R in this book, bc of the circumstances, which i understand tbh.
i also really loved the way gillig handled the shepherd king and elspeth's relationship. it was really nice. i loved learning more about him, too.
i honestly can't praise this book enough, i absolutely ATE it up. writing is beautiful, characters are lovely, it made me cry multiple times. 10/10. can't wait to read her future work. ione and elm forever!!!!
elm is a dream. literally obsessed w him and ione, and it was so nice to have them to root for in this book. i felt like in the first one rayvn and elspeth's connection went from 0 to 100 too quick to be plausible (entirely) but the slow burn for ione and elm was perfect. I also liked the balance given that we didn't get a ton of E&R in this book, bc of the circumstances, which i understand tbh.
i also really loved the way gillig handled the shepherd king and elspeth's relationship. it was really nice. i loved learning more about him, too.
i honestly can't praise this book enough, i absolutely ATE it up. writing is beautiful, characters are lovely, it made me cry multiple times. 10/10. can't wait to read her future work. ione and elm forever!!!!