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karen_hallam's review against another edition
5.0
Jessika’s such a fantastic writer, and this book brings you right back to heart-thumping and into Veda’s POV — and Nico’s this time. Gripping emotions in a dystopian world ravaged by civil war. Such a fun reading escape!
acidmeringue's review against another edition
3.0
The most mid book I've read all year.
It sucks because this story had so much promise and I was so excited to read it. I loved the premise. I loved the two male main characters.
Nothing was fleshed out enough to be interesting. It was trying so hard to do everything that it ended up not doing much at all. I joked it had a similar starting point to the hunger games, but this entire book was like an eerie shadow to that series.
I couldn't get over the writing style, either. All the ellipses...
And veda's pov was annoying. And Nico's plotline had basically no reason to exist.
Not that I care, but I'm upset she didn't end up with Dorian. Anyway.
It sucks because this story had so much promise and I was so excited to read it. I loved the premise. I loved the two male main characters.
Nothing was fleshed out enough to be interesting. It was trying so hard to do everything that it ended up not doing much at all. I joked it had a similar starting point to the hunger games, but this entire book was like an eerie shadow to that series.
I couldn't get over the writing style, either. All the ellipses...
And veda's pov was annoying. And Nico's plotline had basically no reason to exist.
Not that I care, but I'm upset she didn't end up with Dorian. Anyway.
daniella84's review against another edition
2.0
*spoilers*
This one for some reason hit a lot worse than the first one. The story overall is basically a Walmart hunger games but less edgy, with a girl meant to lead the poor to revolution stuck in a love triangle between emo boy and hot childhood friend. I didn’t really have a problem with this in the first book because cliche as it was, it was still enjoyable. But this sequel read like it had not seen an editor; it was not smooth at all and the style felt really casual which I don’t remember being a feature of the first one. The relationships between characters kind of grew off screen so people would be close or trusted without a base really being established for this which made the banter just annoying more than anything. Also Dorian never had a chance and of course he had to be a moody ho when he got rejected :/ I did like the element of fixing the war by bringing the two heirs together, but it also never really felt like there was a war? We saw one battle that the main characters kind of observed from the side but every time the war was mentioned it seemed like it was a really big deal. Also a volcano?? Sis
I think the absolute worst part was when they were in nicos room and they heard footprints so they just ?? Turn off the lamps?? And STAND IN A BEAM OF MOONLIGHT PRETENDING TO BE A STATUE AND HOPING NO ONE WOULD NOTICE and it was just a convoluted way to get them to make out? Also Sindaco went crazy for absolutely no reason he was like a mad scientist?? Also things were described very vaguely at times like Bronwyn smiled and it was something like ‘her smile was so warm and so bronwyn’ like what does that even mean?
I get the impression that the first book had time to be refined and have better character and plot development, whereas the sequel was more rushed and so lacked a lot of detail. The first one set up some interesting things, and provided a pretty solid base for the characters and the plot, but this one fell really short :/ maybe it would have been better as a single book?
This one for some reason hit a lot worse than the first one. The story overall is basically a Walmart hunger games but less edgy, with a girl meant to lead the poor to revolution stuck in a love triangle between emo boy and hot childhood friend. I didn’t really have a problem with this in the first book because cliche as it was, it was still enjoyable. But this sequel read like it had not seen an editor; it was not smooth at all and the style felt really casual which I don’t remember being a feature of the first one. The relationships between characters kind of grew off screen so people would be close or trusted without a base really being established for this which made the banter just annoying more than anything. Also Dorian never had a chance and of course he had to be a moody ho when he got rejected :/ I did like the element of fixing the war by bringing the two heirs together, but it also never really felt like there was a war? We saw one battle that the main characters kind of observed from the side but every time the war was mentioned it seemed like it was a really big deal. Also a volcano?? Sis
I think the absolute worst part was when they were in nicos room and they heard footprints so they just ?? Turn off the lamps?? And STAND IN A BEAM OF MOONLIGHT PRETENDING TO BE A STATUE AND HOPING NO ONE WOULD NOTICE and it was just a convoluted way to get them to make out? Also Sindaco went crazy for absolutely no reason he was like a mad scientist?? Also things were described very vaguely at times like Bronwyn smiled and it was something like ‘her smile was so warm and so bronwyn’ like what does that even mean?
I get the impression that the first book had time to be refined and have better character and plot development, whereas the sequel was more rushed and so lacked a lot of detail. The first one set up some interesting things, and provided a pretty solid base for the characters and the plot, but this one fell really short :/ maybe it would have been better as a single book?
yassica's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars
Sigh. I was so looking forward to the book, especially after having enjoyed Beware the Night and giving it 4 (edit: 3) stars. However, I quickly found myself disappointed in basically all aspects of the story and ended up just wanting to finish and get it done with it, rather than actually enjoying it.
To start off with some pros, I think the cover of Defy the Sun, much like Beware the Night, is absolutely gorgeous. Hats off to whoever designed it. I also enjoyed the switching perspectives of Veda and Nico as they navigated through their different worlds, though I did feel like because of this, I already knew from the beginning who Veda was going to end up choosing as her partner.
Now onto the cons. I really did not like the love triangle in this duology. It took up so much focus and energy of the series that the actual rebellion and war that was happening felt like background noise and almost insignificant in comparison. Adding onto that, the way the war was talked about and how it concluded was all so meh. I think this was the biggest problem for me since I had gone into this series hoping for some actual action and was severely disappointed. The small "battle" Veda goes through felt so boring to me and for a rebellion that has supposedly gone on for decades, it didn't make sense to me for that to have been the last straw. The small moments of action were unsatisfying and over way too quick for a book about rebellion. Basically, I really wished the book focused more on the rebellion plot and let the relationship/love triangle trope take a backseat.
I thought Raevald, this supposedly insanely-cunning villain, was also such a flat character. I really wished we had a chance to understand and hear from him more. The way he went out too felt so out of character and unsatisfying.
Veda was alright/meh. My problem is that we don't see much of her capabilities and it felt like she was taking a backseat in the book, despite being the main character. In other words, I felt like she was just reacting to the things happening around her rather than being the one driving the plot forward.
About 60% of the way through this book, I really had to start forcing myself to sit down and read. Everything felt slow and the climax was incredibly unsatisfying and left me bummed out. All in all, I liked the original concept of this duology, but the lack of focus on the apparently huge and important rebellion made it (and I cannot stress this enough) incredibly boring and disappointing.
Sigh. I was so looking forward to the book, especially after having enjoyed Beware the Night and giving it 4 (edit: 3) stars. However, I quickly found myself disappointed in basically all aspects of the story and ended up just wanting to finish and get it done with it, rather than actually enjoying it.
To start off with some pros, I think the cover of Defy the Sun, much like Beware the Night, is absolutely gorgeous. Hats off to whoever designed it. I also enjoyed the switching perspectives of Veda and Nico as they navigated through their different worlds, though I did feel like because of this, I already knew from the beginning who Veda was going to end up choosing as her partner.
Now onto the cons. I really did not like the love triangle in this duology. It took up so much focus and energy of the series that the actual rebellion and war that was happening felt like background noise and almost insignificant in comparison. Adding onto that, the way the war was talked about and how it concluded was all so meh. I think this was the biggest problem for me since I had gone into this series hoping for some actual action and was severely disappointed. The small "battle" Veda goes through felt so boring to me and for a rebellion that has supposedly gone on for decades, it didn't make sense to me for that to have been the last straw. The small moments of action were unsatisfying and over way too quick for a book about rebellion. Basically, I really wished the book focused more on the rebellion plot and let the relationship/love triangle trope take a backseat.
I thought Raevald, this supposedly insanely-cunning villain, was also such a flat character. I really wished we had a chance to understand and hear from him more. The way he went out too felt so out of character and unsatisfying.
Veda was alright/meh. My problem is that we don't see much of her capabilities and it felt like she was taking a backseat in the book, despite being the main character. In other words, I felt like she was just reacting to the things happening around her rather than being the one driving the plot forward.
About 60% of the way through this book, I really had to start forcing myself to sit down and read. Everything felt slow and the climax was incredibly unsatisfying and left me bummed out. All in all, I liked the original concept of this duology, but the lack of focus on the apparently huge and important rebellion made it (and I cannot stress this enough) incredibly boring and disappointing.
books_over_everything's review against another edition
4.0
**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book of the below in exchange for an honest review as part of a tour hosted by Xpresso Tours via NetGalley.**
Title Defy the Sun (The Offering Series #2)
Author Jessika Fleck
Release Date March 10, 2020
Publisher Swoon Reads
Description from Amazon
Civil war has come to the island of Bellona. Veda Adeline believes in the Night. She’s joined the underground revolutionaries, led by Dorian Winters, and they’re determined to overthrow the ruling Imperi and find justice for her people.
Nico Denali, Veda’s childhood friend and maybe-something-more, is one of those ruling Imperi, and he’s just been named heir to the most powerful man above ground.
As the war intensifies, Veda and Nico are leveraged against each other: Veda is above as a hostage of the Imperi and Nico is below, taken by the Night. There’s no way Dorian is letting such a valuable hostage go.
The island will burn unless Veda and Nico can come together to rip everything apart. But Nico and Dorian will never trust each other, and Veda’s heart might be the biggest casualty.
Initial Thoughts
Beware the Night had such an epic (cliffhanger-filled) ending – I literally started Defy the Sun immediately. Needless to say, I was really excited to read this book.
Some Things I Liked
No magic. I know, what am I saying? I love magic in books. However, I absolutely loved that this was a story that didn’t have any magic. Normally, no magic = sci-fi but, that wasn’t the case at all here and I can’t praise it any more highly. I thought the political plots were the stars here.
Dystopian vibes without being sci-fi. I loved that this book had a non-specified time frame. I didn’t overthink it and I didn’t dwell on it. I loved that the society felt dystopian, but there weren’t unexplainable elements (like the technology featured in The Hunger Games).
Two-book series. I loved that this was a duology. Two books perfectly captured this story and it’s been a while since I read a good duology.
One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
That love triangle. I know, I know, I said that was my core issue with Beware the Night, but I just feel so bad for all of them. Poor Veda is torn, and poor Dorian and Nico both think they’re going to get the girl. *Spoiler Alert*, only one of them gets the girl. I just felt so bad for the disappointed party in this love triangle, it broke my heart.
Series Value
Swoon Reads and Jessika Fleck, please give me a spin-off / sequel / novella (whatever you want) about that character I mentioned above! I’d love to revisit this setting and see how this society is doing.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this duology and particularly, this book. My only issue was the resolution of the love triangle, but other than that, this was a solid four-star read for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – if you liked the revolutionary vibes as well as the concept of “the offering” in Beware the Night, definitely check out The Hunger Games trilogy.
Frostblood by Elly Blake – if you liked the love triangle as well as the idea of a persecuted group of people that leads to the main character smack in the middle of a revolution, try this trilogy by Elly Blake.
Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan – if you liked the mysterious, revolution vibes as well as the day / night duology, check out this series. The sequel, Ruthless Gods, is coming out in April.
Title Defy the Sun (The Offering Series #2)
Author Jessika Fleck
Release Date March 10, 2020
Publisher Swoon Reads
Description from Amazon
Civil war has come to the island of Bellona. Veda Adeline believes in the Night. She’s joined the underground revolutionaries, led by Dorian Winters, and they’re determined to overthrow the ruling Imperi and find justice for her people.
Nico Denali, Veda’s childhood friend and maybe-something-more, is one of those ruling Imperi, and he’s just been named heir to the most powerful man above ground.
As the war intensifies, Veda and Nico are leveraged against each other: Veda is above as a hostage of the Imperi and Nico is below, taken by the Night. There’s no way Dorian is letting such a valuable hostage go.
The island will burn unless Veda and Nico can come together to rip everything apart. But Nico and Dorian will never trust each other, and Veda’s heart might be the biggest casualty.
Initial Thoughts
Beware the Night had such an epic (cliffhanger-filled) ending – I literally started Defy the Sun immediately. Needless to say, I was really excited to read this book.
Some Things I Liked
No magic. I know, what am I saying? I love magic in books. However, I absolutely loved that this was a story that didn’t have any magic. Normally, no magic = sci-fi but, that wasn’t the case at all here and I can’t praise it any more highly. I thought the political plots were the stars here.
Dystopian vibes without being sci-fi. I loved that this book had a non-specified time frame. I didn’t overthink it and I didn’t dwell on it. I loved that the society felt dystopian, but there weren’t unexplainable elements (like the technology featured in The Hunger Games).
Two-book series. I loved that this was a duology. Two books perfectly captured this story and it’s been a while since I read a good duology.
One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
That love triangle. I know, I know, I said that was my core issue with Beware the Night, but I just feel so bad for all of them. Poor Veda is torn, and poor Dorian and Nico both think they’re going to get the girl. *Spoiler Alert*, only one of them gets the girl. I just felt so bad for the disappointed party in this love triangle, it broke my heart.
Series Value
Swoon Reads and Jessika Fleck, please give me a spin-off / sequel / novella (whatever you want) about that character I mentioned above! I’d love to revisit this setting and see how this society is doing.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this duology and particularly, this book. My only issue was the resolution of the love triangle, but other than that, this was a solid four-star read for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – if you liked the revolutionary vibes as well as the concept of “the offering” in Beware the Night, definitely check out The Hunger Games trilogy.
Frostblood by Elly Blake – if you liked the love triangle as well as the idea of a persecuted group of people that leads to the main character smack in the middle of a revolution, try this trilogy by Elly Blake.
Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan – if you liked the mysterious, revolution vibes as well as the day / night duology, check out this series. The sequel, Ruthless Gods, is coming out in April.
lenoirleon's review against another edition
I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's been several weeks since I read the first book in this duology, Beware the Night. It was easy to pick back up with the characters and plot. Where the first book focused primarily on Veda's point of view, this one alternates between her and Nico as they return to their respective sides and work closely with those in charge. Both find that the respective leaders are not quite what they seem and through notes and some (luckly) well placed allies, they work together to unite the people of the island.
I enjoyed the book, though I found the love triangle reminded me of The Hunger Games (there's a war and we're supposed to be worried about which boy she'll choose?). In addition, until I decided to look for the sequel on Goodreads, when I was about two-thirds of the way through with this book, I assumed there would be a third book, as this second book seemed to lag up until the last third-which is when it picked up a bit too quickly, and ended things rather abruptly.
It's been several weeks since I read the first book in this duology, Beware the Night. It was easy to pick back up with the characters and plot. Where the first book focused primarily on Veda's point of view, this one alternates between her and Nico as they return to their respective sides and work closely with those in charge. Both find that the respective leaders are not quite what they seem and through notes and some (luckly) well placed allies, they work together to unite the people of the island.
I enjoyed the book, though I found the love triangle reminded me of The Hunger Games (there's a war and we're supposed to be worried about which boy she'll choose?). In addition, until I decided to look for the sequel on Goodreads, when I was about two-thirds of the way through with this book, I assumed there would be a third book, as this second book seemed to lag up until the last third-which is when it picked up a bit too quickly, and ended things rather abruptly.
hagsoup's review against another edition
2.0
felt a little disappointed with this book but nonetheless i did enjoy the whole series it was a fun read
rachell_kellyy's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, this book kind of disappointed me in a lot of ways. The first book swept me up in the story instantly, and I was hoping for the same effect from this one. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Did I still finish this book in one day? Yes. But I had to put it down multiple times because frankly, I got bored. I felt like Nico’s point of view was overbearing, and I could have done without it. Not to mention Veda totally should have picked Dorian, I have been his fan since the beginning. But additionally, the last 40 pages just weren’t enjoyable for me. I felt like nothing happened and they were slightly confusing to read because some parts felt out of order. However, it still was an enjoyable read and I did love the characters within the novel, and the plot was decent, so I gave it three stars.
pippersmoth's review against another edition
4.0
good book, i actually enjoyed a book as a sequel for once. the writing wasn’t the best, but, and the plot didn’t flow wonderfully. but i think all, in all it was pretty good. the plot at the end felt as if there were a few loose ends that should have been dealt with differently. for example, the sindaco’s death felt every loose, in the way where he suddenly went mad at the end, it just seemed a little odd at the end how he didn’t really have a true redemption. and also, the way a big war was avoided with a strange device that blew up half the island and set fire to the rest.
aeriefaeriee's review against another edition
2.0
The cliffhanger ending of the first book was so unsatisfying that I needed to read this one in a desperate attempt at gleaning some sort of goodness from this story.
This sequel is marginally better in terms of writing and it was nice to have Nico’s contrasting pov. But it felt like a two-book-long build up to a war that ends in two moments. Somehow everything ends wrapped up in a nice convenient little package but also simultaneously leaves a bunch of things unanswered.
Overall its not a bad story and the covers of both books are insanely gorgeous. But I personally didn’t vibe with it.
This sequel is marginally better in terms of writing and it was nice to have Nico’s contrasting pov. But it felt like a two-book-long build up to a war that ends in two moments. Somehow everything ends wrapped up in a nice convenient little package but also simultaneously leaves a bunch of things unanswered.
Overall its not a bad story and the covers of both books are insanely gorgeous. But I personally didn’t vibe with it.