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thedanguyen's review against another edition
4.0
Caitlin again did an excellent job making this world come to life. She took time to delve into each character. The ending had me holding my breath and there were plenty of surprises along the way. The only reason it's not 5 stars is just that it was a slower read than the first and it took a lot of piecing together to recall the details of the first book. However, I still loved it and can't wait for more!
agigliotti758's review
5.0
Rarely does a series hold me with the same amount of interest, love and desire to know what’s next. Caitlyn Sangster did all that and more with this series. It is one for the most tightly plotted, thoroughly developed series I’ve read and I’m sad to see it end. To watch each and every character grow from first introduction to end is truly a fantastic trip. And while most will focus on the mains, Anwei, Knox, Lia, and Matteo, I truly loved the growth and journey of Noa. She went from a wealthy, entitled, and flippant young woman, to a person with strength, able to stand on her own feet and strong enough to create a life without her father’s wealth and power (and his control). The final chapters, as the true plan was enacted, were tense and unputdownable.
I can’t wait to see what Sangster writes next.
I can’t wait to see what Sangster writes next.
nightsong0123's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was amazing. I cannot believe that this series doesn’t get more publicity! It has great characters, an interesting world, cool magic, an airtight storyline, amazing character arcs, and a great ending! What more could you ask for?
bonniegracebing's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
abby_ace_of_books's review against another edition
3.0
"Lia dumped Mateo to the floor, and he fell like the sack of potatoes he was."
I wasn't anticipating on reading this book so soon, but I'd seen a lot of reviews saying it's best to read the series close together, so I decided to read the sequel before I forgot what happened in the first one.
He Who Breaks the Earth is the sequel to She Who Rides the Storm, but I almost wish that they'd been combined into one book.
Did I read this book in less than 24 hours? Yes. Was it because I was on the edge of my seat? Not really. At about 20% into the book, the characters introduce a plan to kidnap another character and use him as a hostage...and I was very intrigued. I read the next 50% waiting for them to make a move, only to realize that this obviously was not going to happen. I think that's my main issue with this book: it felt like nothing happened. There was one "big goal," but it felt like there were no stepping stones to get there and the characters just took forever to get places and make decisions. I was excited for the end because the ending of the previous book was amazing, but this one felt a bit anticlimactic.
Honestly, the characters kind of fell a bit flat for me at times too. I've seen a lot of Anwei slander, and I can't disagree because the girl just didn't learn from her mistakes. I feel like Lia and Knox took a backseat in this one; obviously, Lia was still part of the action but I just didn't connect to her as much. And Knox...well, he spent most of the book unconscious or locked in a closet, so... I liked Mateo still, but he frustrated me with his obliviousness at times. I also have the unpopular opinion of liking Noa; I saw everyone else hating on her POV but honestly, I thought she was cool so I didn't mind. Aria was my favorite character, though.
While I think She Who Rides the Storm was much better than He Who Breaks the Earth, I did still enjoy parts of it and I'm glad I finished the series.
3.25/5
Link to Libby Annotations
I wasn't anticipating on reading this book so soon, but I'd seen a lot of reviews saying it's best to read the series close together, so I decided to read the sequel before I forgot what happened in the first one.
He Who Breaks the Earth is the sequel to She Who Rides the Storm, but I almost wish that they'd been combined into one book.
Did I read this book in less than 24 hours? Yes. Was it because I was on the edge of my seat? Not really. At about 20% into the book, the characters introduce a plan to kidnap another character and use him as a hostage...and I was very intrigued. I read the next 50% waiting for them to make a move, only to realize that this obviously was not going to happen. I think that's my main issue with this book: it felt like nothing happened. There was one "big goal," but it felt like there were no stepping stones to get there and the characters just took forever to get places and make decisions. I was excited for the end because the ending of the previous book was amazing, but this one felt a bit anticlimactic.
Honestly, the characters kind of fell a bit flat for me at times too. I've seen a lot of Anwei slander, and I can't disagree because the girl just didn't learn from her mistakes. I feel like Lia and Knox took a backseat in this one; obviously, Lia was still part of the action but I just didn't connect to her as much. And Knox...well, he spent most of the book unconscious or locked in a closet, so... I liked Mateo still, but he frustrated me with his obliviousness at times. I also have the unpopular opinion of liking Noa; I saw everyone else hating on her POV but honestly, I thought she was cool so I didn't mind. Aria was my favorite character, though.
While I think She Who Rides the Storm was much better than He Who Breaks the Earth, I did still enjoy parts of it and I'm glad I finished the series.
3.25/5
Link to Libby Annotations
claire_bear_the_bear's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-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
5.0
This book definitely surpassed my expectations! It was as good (if not better) as the first, and had plot twist after plot twist (I can’t even count the number of plot twists there was if I tried!). I couldn’t put down the book in the last 200 pages because it was that gripping! This book does not have as much attention as it deserves. I love the plot, characters, and world. Anwei got on my nerves a little because she kept making all the decisions without any input from others, but the author addressed that and used that as character growth for Anwei. I wasn’t as attached to Noa as the author was trying to go for, but by the end of the book I appreciated her more than I did in the beginning. I wish there could be another book in this series but at least both books are really long and I can always reread them.