Reviews

Honestly, the majority of this book was Alessa and Dante hiding things from each other, keeping secrets and doing whatever it takes for the other to not discover it. Pretty typical YA stuff I suppose, but I just found myself annoyed with them, pretty constantly. We also did a complete do-over from ThIs Vicious Grace, and Alessa's touch was once again dangerous to Dante. It's one of my pet peeves when authors default back to factory settings aka, use a plot point they've already written. Which is pretty much exactly what happened here.

I really liked the “game” aspect between the gods that this turned out to be. It was really reminiscent of the kids movie The Book Of Life. Just, with more war and magic powers I guess. I wish there was more of that in the heart of the book, rather than just thrown into the last couple chapters as an explanation of sorts because that's a plot that I could really dig my fingers into.

All in all, while maybe a bit YA typical, it was well done and quite enjoyable.

rumplled's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

While not as good as the first book, I still enjoyed this one.

The stakes are kind of ridiculous because they often juxtapose the end of the world with Alessa and Dante's relationship. It is all very YA and pretty silly. Plus, when main characters "die," they often don't stay dead for very long.

Yet, there is something cute and charming about this duology. Maybe it is the "Italian" setting.

iiashleigh's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

ashywoody's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

haileereads's review against another edition

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4.0

This book was okay in my opinion. At first it felt like a copycat of the first book, same overall problem to solve and same conflict with the main characters. It is easy to read and I enjoyed it for the most part.

dragonwriter's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Alessa’s work is not done, as much as she wants it to be. Dante is back, but his ghiotte powers are gone, making their relationship once again rough. To make matters worse, Dante returned from death with a warning. The gods have grown bored with their cycle of war, so they’re setting up for one final battle, and this time, the fate of the world will rest on the ghiotte. Cast out by the people in years past, Alessa, Dante, and the others have to find the hidden city of the ghiotte and convince them to put the past behind them and fight. But a choice looms on the horizon. Still suffering headaches and blackouts from touching a scarab, Alessa is slowly deteriorating, and Dante is unable to help her. Their only hope is that the gods fix the damage they’ve caused once Alessa and Dante win this final battle.

I positively adore this duology! The endless flirting and banter had me cackling! The innuendos and teasing are on point--and yes, there are several light spice scenes and a lot of longing. There was a moment I was worried there would be a miscommunication trope (hate those), but it was cleared up quite quickly. I loved Alessa and Dante’s relationship, with all the sweet pining and teasing--every time they were together, I was rolling with delight. I also really liked how Alessa and Adrick were able to repair their relationship, and how they grew together. The ending had me in tears! I had to remove my glasses, I was sobbing so hard! But the epilogue made me SO happy! I highly recommend this duology!

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