Reviews with content warning for Torture - Etoile ardente

I really can not put into words how much I enjoyed this book. I loved Black Sun, and this book continued exploring what I found most interesting and compelling from the first book. I was glad to see other characters like Iktan, Okoa, and Balam get more time to expand their characters, and I enjoyed the growth that Serapio and Naranpa went through to lead to the ending. Not to mention the worldbuilding continues to be vibrant and excellently done. I could not recommend this series highly enough.

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yourfavavery's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

So this is the sequel to Black Sun, which I really enjoyed. This book gets five stars because it didn't really end on a cliffhanger, although Roanhorse has promised another book in the series. That book is set to be published later in 2023 so we won't have to wait too long.

In the meantime, if you like the indigenous-based world building here, I have suggestions! Read Mexican Gothic for a gothic horror set in Mexico, or read Gods of Jade and Shadow for another fantasy novel. Or read The Only Good Indians for a great horror novel set in the US!

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thoughtsontomes's review against another edition

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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? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this second installment. It's a little below the first book, since the first book has this big set up and something you are obviously moving towards, but I really enjoy how this book expanded on the political machinations and the gods.

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sohva's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

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roxy_reads_romance's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

A fantastic sequel. Lots of shifting alliances and political intrigue.

Okoa turned on Serapio.
Nara healed Serapio during their confrontation and left to find a mentor so he could unite Tova.
Xiala is back in Teek... I liked the friendship between Xiala, Iktan & Ziha.
I'm so sad Denaochi was murdered while protecting his sister. He was one of my faves.
I hope Serapio & Xiala reunite one day!

Can't wait for next book!

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sarah_speaks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.25

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Fevered Star was filled with a lot of information. So much that I actually struggled to keep up with it. [This entire review contains mild spoilers related to the relationships in the first book and how they affected the vibe of this sequel].

The pacing was much slower than in the first book, which is saying something considering how slow the first one was. Unfortunately, rather than picking up and staying interesting halfway through, I found myself losing some interest and noticing that my mind had wandered for half a chapter, not fully retaining what was going on.

There wasn't enough Serapio for me in this book. And I really missed the Serapio and Xiala dynamic. Since they were in two different places throughout the entire story, it made me a little sad. The new connections formed were fascinating, however. Iktan and Xiala traveling together and Naranpa and Serapio meeting... all of that was really cool. I was 100% uninterested in Balam and could've done without his point of view entirely.

As a whole, this felt a lot like second book syndrome to me. I wasn't as intrigued or dying to know what would come next. There were only a few moments that really piqued my interest. It was still written well and there were some thought-provoking elements, which is why it got a middle-ground rating from me. But I wouldn't want to read it again.

Here's hoping the next installation brings a bit more action!

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