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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the second book of the series! The Damned is still quite atmospheric and beautifully written but it packs a lot more punch than its predecessor. The forbidden love somehow becomes more forbidden, the bloody feuds become bloodier and the magical creatures expand exponentially.
I loved The Wrath and the Dawn duology so much. The writing was lush and beautiful and I was so looking forward to her take on Vampires.
The first book was difficult to get into but I did enjoy it. New Orleans as it's own character was fascinating. However, this book undid everything the first book had done. Again it was extremely difficult to get into. I felt no connection to the characters and the triangle was so unnecessary.
I tried to hard to get through the book but at 55%, I had to quit. I usually give up long before this point but I love her writing and wanted to like this book.
I'm not giving it a star rating but I am very disappointed.
The first book was difficult to get into but I did enjoy it. New Orleans as it's own character was fascinating. However, this book undid everything the first book had done. Again it was extremely difficult to get into. I felt no connection to the characters and the triangle was so unnecessary.
I tried to hard to get through the book but at 55%, I had to quit. I usually give up long before this point but I love her writing and wanted to like this book.
I'm not giving it a star rating but I am very disappointed.
3 stars. This was better than book one but that's not really saying much honestly. I still don't know any of the damn characters names because I don't care but at least this one was way more action packed and interesting. There was a lot going on and I was invested in the plot for sure. Ahdieh's writing is gorgeous and I think she did a much better job with the pacing in this one because I feel like I flew through this. I'll read book three but this series isn't anything spectacular. They're fun for what they are though.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t really care for the first book but since I already owned book 2, wanted to see if it would get better.
I simply do not care about any of these characters
I simply do not care about any of these characters
dark
emotional
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
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Bastien held her. He did not offer words of affection or promises to make the sun shine on her always. It was as if he knew what she needed. A place to feel safe. A place to call home. A place to be herself."
This was...not good. I didn't have super high expectations, but this was all over the place in so many ways.
Celine Rousseau has had her memories erased of the night she almost died, but Bastien and the rest of the Lions know exactly what happened: betrayal. And now that Bastien is a blood drinker, he has to stay away from Celine, no matter what, to keep her safe. He would do anything to be unmade, for a chance to be human once more, but the politics of the supernatural worlds and how they collide will challenge him at every turn.
I don't really even know where to start with this one. I did enjoy The Beautiful, quite a lot in fact; I found it harkened back to the Anne Rice vampire stories of my childhood and really nailed that lush, 1800's-New Orleans vibe. All I wanted really was more of that - more steamy scenes, more intriguing characters, more New Orleans fun - and I got none of it.
The first issue I have here is the perspectives. We get chapters from almost every single character's perspective, and boy, did that throw me at first. I had to remember who everyone was, why I cared, and then figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit together in this new story. But it removed all sense of mystery from the narrative. I never wondered what was going on once, because it was always just pre-explained. The drive of the story was completely zapped out of it all.
And on that note, the way that those perspectives are written is jarring. Everyone is in third person past tense, except Bastien. Why? Why switch not only to first person but also to present tense? I strongly disliked his chapters every time they cropped up because it was like reading a different book. It felt like this point got lost in the editing process, or I just don't understand why this choice was made.
Next, the pacing. Holy god was this inconsistent. The beginning feels like a leisurely stroll through the minds of these characters as they deal with the aftermath of Nigel's betrayal, but then, suddenly, shit starts flying - and then stops. And then we're going to different worlds, and nothing ultimately happens in those worlds, and then we're back for a rushed ending that does, admittedly, feel more like the first book.
I'm sorry, but what???
I've ranted a lot already, but I'll just make a final point of saying that there are too many supernatural creatures at play here. I signed up for a vampire novel/series, and sure, werewolves can factor in - those two always seem to balance each other out, and I'm here for it. But introducing fey, ethereals, goblins, other immortals...it was too much, and absolutely not what I read this series for.
This book misses the mark in almost every way. I have been disappointed by a few of my go-to authors recently, and this is definitely one of those cases. I enjoy the way Renee writes, how evocative her words are and how lush and beautiful her world-building can be, but this...this didn't work.
This was...not good. I didn't have super high expectations, but this was all over the place in so many ways.
Celine Rousseau has had her memories erased of the night she almost died, but Bastien and the rest of the Lions know exactly what happened: betrayal. And now that Bastien is a blood drinker, he has to stay away from Celine, no matter what, to keep her safe. He would do anything to be unmade, for a chance to be human once more, but the politics of the supernatural worlds and how they collide will challenge him at every turn.
I don't really even know where to start with this one. I did enjoy The Beautiful, quite a lot in fact; I found it harkened back to the Anne Rice vampire stories of my childhood and really nailed that lush, 1800's-New Orleans vibe. All I wanted really was more of that - more steamy scenes, more intriguing characters, more New Orleans fun - and I got none of it.
The first issue I have here is the perspectives. We get chapters from almost every single character's perspective, and boy, did that throw me at first. I had to remember who everyone was, why I cared, and then figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit together in this new story. But it removed all sense of mystery from the narrative. I never wondered what was going on once, because it was always just pre-explained. The drive of the story was completely zapped out of it all.
And on that note, the way that those perspectives are written is jarring. Everyone is in third person past tense, except Bastien. Why? Why switch not only to first person but also to present tense? I strongly disliked his chapters every time they cropped up because it was like reading a different book. It felt like this point got lost in the editing process, or I just don't understand why this choice was made.
Next, the pacing. Holy god was this inconsistent. The beginning feels like a leisurely stroll through the minds of these characters as they deal with the aftermath of Nigel's betrayal, but then, suddenly, shit starts flying - and then stops. And then we're going to different worlds, and nothing ultimately happens in those worlds, and then we're back for a rushed ending that does, admittedly, feel more like the first book.
I'm sorry, but what???
I've ranted a lot already, but I'll just make a final point of saying that there are too many supernatural creatures at play here. I signed up for a vampire novel/series, and sure, werewolves can factor in - those two always seem to balance each other out, and I'm here for it. But introducing fey, ethereals, goblins, other immortals...it was too much, and absolutely not what I read this series for.
This book misses the mark in almost every way. I have been disappointed by a few of my go-to authors recently, and this is definitely one of those cases. I enjoy the way Renee writes, how evocative her words are and how lush and beautiful her world-building can be, but this...this didn't work.
I am so incredibly surprised and glad to have happened upon this series. Renee has outdone herself with this second installment. I am hooked and I can’t wait for the third book! My inner twilight fan girl is beaming with satisfaction!
The story and character development was exactly what I was hoping for as the story continued from right where it left off with the first.
The story and character development was exactly what I was hoping for as the story continued from right where it left off with the first.