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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
adventurous
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:
No
adventurous
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:
No
I’m not sure if I just love these characters, or the plot, but I honestly enjoyed this sequel so much!! I love watching these characters grow together and keep kicking butt to save the entire realm. Honestly I don’t know who will come out on top but I’m enjoying the ride!
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
WOOF this book really started cooking by the end (literally). It didn’t hold my attention as easily as the first book, but that could also be because I was reading a hard copy (I read faster with eBooks).
I still continue to really enjoy the multiple POVs.
I still continue to really enjoy the multiple POVs.
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
Complicated
I went through so many stages of grief with this book. This book was so good and the ending left me speechless. This book put me through a roller coaster of emotions. Getting to know each character’s thoughts and feelings makes the book a little more devastating but so much more intriguing. This book was so good, I truly have no complaints.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
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:
No
adventurous
dark
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
This was an enjoyable read and a good follow-up to the first book. This felt a lot more political to me, which I enjoy in my fantasy, so that was a big positive, and although some may find it slow, I never really felt like things were dragging. This could be because it definitely feels like a middle book in that our characters are travelling, attempting to create alliances, and doing some internal growth, but I tend to like second books so that’s not a problem for me. I also enjoyed seeing more of the world in this and being introduced to some new characters/allies, as it makes the world feel more expansive and relevant to the plot.
I continued to like the characters, especially the Companions and all their eccentricities, and although Andry is probably the weakest for me just because I find him boring, I was invested in them. The two standouts for me continue to be Sorasa and Dom - I really enjoy their dynamic, banter, and the way they seem to understand and see each other, and the progression in their relationship in this book was really fun. Personally, they feel like better main characters than Corayne - while she’s the chosen one/hero, I think she takes more of a backseat, which isn’t necessarily a problem for me. However, I do like her and think she’s had quite a bit of growth from the first book. For those into romance, these books do have it (mostly of the slow burn variety) but it’s not the focus of the novels if that’s not something you’re into.
I find Erida’s POV to be interesting and she’s pretty badass, although I don’t find myself rooting for her and Taristan. However, I did think she had too many chapters in this one - I find she’s better in small doses. On the other hand, I wish Ridha had had another chapter or two in her POV, as I felt she was underused and the events near the end involving her felt a tad rushed. Although I like Valtik, I hope her magic is explained more in the next book as it definitely feels very convenient when she can just use her magic to get them out of sticky situations and save them.
This didn’t necessarily wow me, but I felt like was a strong second book that fleshed out the world and characters and progressed the plot well. If you’re not into quest-based fantasies, you probably won’t love this, but I’m excited to see where the last book lands, especially after this cliffhanger.