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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Severin, Laila, Enrique, Zofia and Hypnos are all struggling after the events of the past month. All dealing with the death of one of their own in their own ways. When Severin sends them all a note with a meeting place and time they all arrive to find he has the clue, the clue they need to find the Fallen House’s lost treasure pile. To find it they have to travel to Russia and along the way they pick up alliances both old and new. Their journey will come at a cost though, with multiple attempts on their lives, forgotten romances being reignited and secrets being shared, it will take all of their strength as a team to pay the toll.
For those who fear second book syndrome, you needn’t worry. I loved Gilded Wolves but this book was soooo much better. It’s darker and grittier than the first, which is understandable when you think that the team struggling after the loss of Tristain. All of the team are dealing with it in their own way but Severin, my poor sweet boy, is unable to forgive himself. He cannot forgive that he chose to save Laila over his only brother, even after he finds out the true Tristain, the one who did everything in his power to keep them together. His behaviour in this book is significantly darker than the first and there were times when I will admit to wanting to give him a good slap, but he bears the weight of the whole crew on his shoulders, whether they ask him to do it or not.
We see Laila deal more with her impending doom, counting down the days to her ‘unmaking.’ She wants so desperately to live, even if it means living without the boy she loves, and she believes that finding the Divine Lyrics is her only chance. Acting as Severin’s Mistress takes a toll on her she never expected, this boy isn’t the one she fell in love with, he is harsher and unwilling to admit and act on his emotions, she just hopes that the true Severin is still in there somewhere, and that she can bring him back.
Enrique is still determined to enter the illusive ‘Illustrados’ but answers Severin’s call non the less. His relationship with Hypnos is not what he expected and he finds himself unable to assuage the doubts in his head that his feelings are somewhat unrequited. His friendships with both Laila and Zofia get explored more in this book and, honestly, the scenes with the three of them together were some of my favourite.
Zofia wants nothing more than to stay by her sisters side until she recovers, she doesn’t want to become a burden to anyone else and so keeps her illness a secret. When Severin promises to ensure contact between the two she agrees to the job, knowing that the extra money could fund them both for a significant amount of time. What she doesn’t realise though is she has somehow become the glue that holds the team together, she is the sounding board, and though sometimes she doesn’t quite grasp what is truly being said or happening her, somewhat, naivete helps bring the team closer together.
Hypnos, my little cinnamon roll, plays a larger part in this book than the first. He desperatly wants to become a member of the gang, unable to see it unravelling before his eyes. He tries to step in and fill needed rolls but Severin is not willing to trust him fully and that, more than anything, weighs on him. We get insights from some characters in the first book as well as some new ones, and the authors makes it extremely hard to know who to trust.
Chokshi’s lyrical and lush writing style truly bring the world and characters to life. You effortlessly dive into the pages, feeling as though you are right there alongside the characters. I feel like, where the first book dragged slightly in parts, this one took hold from the get go and didn’t let go until the last line. I easily flew through the pages and polished this one off in a matter of hours. Everything about this book was amazing, the tension, the plot twist, the character arcs, the banter. It made for a fun filled, but also emotional and tense read and now my only problem is how long I will have to wait for the final book.
That ending! What is it with authors and giving us the biggest cliffhangers for book two? First Aurora Burning and now this, you’re killing me guys. I need to know what happens next. I need to know that everyone is safe. This is easily going to be one of my favourite reads of 2020, even if I might not forgive the author for the ending.
For those who fear second book syndrome, you needn’t worry. I loved Gilded Wolves but this book was soooo much better. It’s darker and grittier than the first, which is understandable when you think that the team struggling after the loss of Tristain. All of the team are dealing with it in their own way but Severin, my poor sweet boy, is unable to forgive himself. He cannot forgive that he chose to save Laila over his only brother, even after he finds out the true Tristain, the one who did everything in his power to keep them together. His behaviour in this book is significantly darker than the first and there were times when I will admit to wanting to give him a good slap, but he bears the weight of the whole crew on his shoulders, whether they ask him to do it or not.
We see Laila deal more with her impending doom, counting down the days to her ‘unmaking.’ She wants so desperately to live, even if it means living without the boy she loves, and she believes that finding the Divine Lyrics is her only chance. Acting as Severin’s Mistress takes a toll on her she never expected, this boy isn’t the one she fell in love with, he is harsher and unwilling to admit and act on his emotions, she just hopes that the true Severin is still in there somewhere, and that she can bring him back.
Enrique is still determined to enter the illusive ‘Illustrados’ but answers Severin’s call non the less. His relationship with Hypnos is not what he expected and he finds himself unable to assuage the doubts in his head that his feelings are somewhat unrequited. His friendships with both Laila and Zofia get explored more in this book and, honestly, the scenes with the three of them together were some of my favourite.
Zofia wants nothing more than to stay by her sisters side until she recovers, she doesn’t want to become a burden to anyone else and so keeps her illness a secret. When Severin promises to ensure contact between the two she agrees to the job, knowing that the extra money could fund them both for a significant amount of time. What she doesn’t realise though is she has somehow become the glue that holds the team together, she is the sounding board, and though sometimes she doesn’t quite grasp what is truly being said or happening her, somewhat, naivete helps bring the team closer together.
Hypnos, my little cinnamon roll, plays a larger part in this book than the first. He desperatly wants to become a member of the gang, unable to see it unravelling before his eyes. He tries to step in and fill needed rolls but Severin is not willing to trust him fully and that, more than anything, weighs on him. We get insights from some characters in the first book as well as some new ones, and the authors makes it extremely hard to know who to trust.
Chokshi’s lyrical and lush writing style truly bring the world and characters to life. You effortlessly dive into the pages, feeling as though you are right there alongside the characters. I feel like, where the first book dragged slightly in parts, this one took hold from the get go and didn’t let go until the last line. I easily flew through the pages and polished this one off in a matter of hours. Everything about this book was amazing, the tension, the plot twist, the character arcs, the banter. It made for a fun filled, but also emotional and tense read and now my only problem is how long I will have to wait for the final book.
That ending! What is it with authors and giving us the biggest cliffhangers for book two? First Aurora Burning and now this, you’re killing me guys. I need to know what happens next. I need to know that everyone is safe. This is easily going to be one of my favourite reads of 2020, even if I might not forgive the author for the ending.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
slow-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
3.5 - most of the setup was in the first book so this one was easier to follow.
Basically, the group is looking for The Divine Lyrics, an ancient artifact that may save Laila’s life and which Severin hopes will turn them into gods, so he never has to lose them. Severin is haunted by Tristan’s loss and pushes the others away.
They find the Sleeping Palace (an ice mansion in Siberia) and the Divine Lyre (not lyrics and not a book as they thought.
It turns out you need to have blood of the Lost Muses (women who were exposed to Babel fragments) to use the Lyre. Everyone believes it is Laila since she was Forged, but it’s really Severin. When their new allies turn out to be agents of the Fallen House, Severin fakes Enrique and Zofia’s deaths and leaves with the Fallen House. He leaves Laila behind- who thinks Severin has killed their friends. Hypnos must help rescue them and get to Severin before the Fallen House get a chance to use him for their own agenda.
Plot threads:
- Will the Lyre save Laila or will it destroy her?
- What was the strange letter Zofia received near the end? Did something happen to her sister Hela, who was sick? Or is it a marriage invite since Hela met a man that she liked?
- we need Kahina’s backstory. How did Severin come to be? Is she really dead?
- also, Tristan was a serial killer? I thought Severin killed their foster fathers but it was apparently Tristan (who also had help from Delphine, matriarch of House Kore).
- Delphine has loved Severin as if he was her child this whole time, secretly supporting him as the original patron of L’Eden and watching over their terrible foster parents. She made sure he didn’t pass the House test because everyone would find out he was from the lineage of the Lost Muses. She had promised Kahina to look out for him. She sacrifices herself to save him in the end.
Basically, the group is looking for The Divine Lyrics, an ancient artifact that may save Laila’s life and which Severin hopes will turn them into gods, so he never has to lose them. Severin is haunted by Tristan’s loss and pushes the others away.
They find the Sleeping Palace (an ice mansion in Siberia) and the Divine Lyre (not lyrics and not a book as they thought.
It turns out you need to have blood of the Lost Muses (women who were exposed to Babel fragments) to use the Lyre. Everyone believes it is Laila since she was Forged, but it’s really Severin. When their new allies turn out to be agents of the Fallen House, Severin fakes Enrique and Zofia’s deaths and leaves with the Fallen House. He leaves Laila behind- who thinks Severin has killed their friends. Hypnos must help rescue them and get to Severin before the Fallen House get a chance to use him for their own agenda.
Plot threads:
- Will the Lyre save Laila or will it destroy her?
- What was the strange letter Zofia received near the end? Did something happen to her sister Hela, who was sick? Or is it a marriage invite since Hela met a man that she liked?
- we need Kahina’s backstory. How did Severin come to be? Is she really dead?
- also, Tristan was a serial killer? I thought Severin killed their foster fathers but it was apparently Tristan (who also had help from Delphine, matriarch of House Kore).
- Delphine has loved Severin as if he was her child this whole time, secretly supporting him as the original patron of L’Eden and watching over their terrible foster parents. She made sure he didn’t pass the House test because everyone would find out he was from the lineage of the Lost Muses. She had promised Kahina to look out for him. She sacrifices herself to save him in the end.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Love does not always wear the face we wish,” she said. “I wish my love had been more beautiful. I wish … I wish we had more time.
Head in hands, utterly distressed, breathing hard, gasping for breath, in complete awe, all over the place, heart aching- type of book.
I loved this so much and now the very fabric of my existence is breaking and I can't bring myself to read the next book. Lord, help.
Oh my god i would desperately like to shake every single character and then wrap them in blankets
I’m unable to form useful words at this point what was that ending? Help me.
I’m unable to form useful words at this point what was that ending? Help me.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Sexual assault, Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Slavery, Sexual harassment