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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
"I'm the Dreamwalker. My story isn't done with me."
"You've got it backwards," Kai's gruff voice snapped Miya our of her thoughts. "Your story doesn't own you. Write the damn thing yourself. Preferably in blood."
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Enjoyed the sequel more than the first book because I understood so much more. I did still spend the first half of the book slightly confused, but it all came together in the second half. The backstory of how they all got there was so interesting to me! I wish we had gotten more of that in the first book.
The folklore around the Dreamwalker and the wolf were my favourite parts. Seeing Miya and Kai working and being together was great. Ama and Crowbar were also a highlight.
As in the first book, I felt like Mason’s POV was irrelevant. I felt like he didn’t really bring much to the story and any information we learnt through him we could’ve learnt elsewhere and instead spent more time with our other two mains. I did have a theory of who he could’ve actually been for a second, but it didn’t pan out.
Thank you MTMC Tours and Parliament House Press for the digital copy for being a part of the cover reveal!
Thank you A.J. Vrana for reaching out to me and sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
The Echoed Realm is the last book of "The Chaos Cycle" duology and I'm not ready to let go this beautiful story (and my "baby" Kai).
It's been three years since we left Kai, Miya, and Mason and now we found them - again - in darkness.
Miya is in the dreamscape where all is timeless and death does not exist. She can travel between the world of dreams and reality. Kai is with Mia in their “idyllic” dream world, yet they come to the real world, though he cannot lose his connection to her or he could die. For Mason, on the other side, we see him having to confront the things he can’t explain, and having to find peace in that.
I felt more invested in the characters, they have grown and changed between the books.
Can we talk bout "side characters"? Crowbar, Dawn, Rusalka, Kali, and Velizar. I loved reading about them and discover their stories.
The Echoed Realm is not only a sequel. Flashbacks from the past let us better understand the whole story. I really liked them.
Vrana's writing is stunning! I don't have avy other words... maybe captivating. Vrana can slowly enter in your mind and let the tension rise on every page you read. The description of this world, the characters' development, the dark atmosphere, the folklore! (You know that I'm in love with Vrana's folklore and how she use it in her books)
The story is about forgiveness, grief, and confronting your past and not letting it define your worth or who you are. This book is darker than the first.
I can't wait to read other books written by this amazing author! I think only Vrana is able to make me love horror books.
Trigger warnings: lots of gore, self-inflicted stab wounds, murder by drowning, mentions of suicide, detailed description of ways to die.
The Echoed Realm is the last book of "The Chaos Cycle" duology and I'm not ready to let go this beautiful story (and my "baby" Kai).
It's been three years since we left Kai, Miya, and Mason and now we found them - again - in darkness.
Miya is in the dreamscape where all is timeless and death does not exist. She can travel between the world of dreams and reality. Kai is with Mia in their “idyllic” dream world, yet they come to the real world, though he cannot lose his connection to her or he could die. For Mason, on the other side, we see him having to confront the things he can’t explain, and having to find peace in that.
I felt more invested in the characters, they have grown and changed between the books.
Can we talk bout "side characters"? Crowbar, Dawn, Rusalka, Kali, and Velizar. I loved reading about them and discover their stories.
The Echoed Realm is not only a sequel. Flashbacks from the past let us better understand the whole story. I really liked them.
Vrana's writing is stunning! I don't have avy other words... maybe captivating. Vrana can slowly enter in your mind and let the tension rise on every page you read. The description of this world, the characters' development, the dark atmosphere, the folklore! (You know that I'm in love with Vrana's folklore and how she use it in her books)
The story is about forgiveness, grief, and confronting your past and not letting it define your worth or who you are. This book is darker than the first.
I can't wait to read other books written by this amazing author! I think only Vrana is able to make me love horror books.
Trigger warnings: lots of gore, self-inflicted stab wounds, murder by drowning, mentions of suicide, detailed description of ways to die.
10/08/2021
Happy publishing day to this one!! If you haven't read this duology, please pick it up. It's SO GOOD!
11/07/2021
Book 35/52
You've got it backwards (...) Your story doesn't own you. Write the damn thing yourself. Preferably in blood.
You can buy the duology here or on amazon via these links: The Hollow Gods and The Echoed Realm
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genre: Fantasy/horror
age: adult
Review: THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!! WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE READING THIS DUOLOGY.
All screaming aside, this book was even better than the first one. The pacing is the same as in The Hollow Gods, which means it doesn't go super fast, but not slow at all. The world that has been created is wonderful and dreamlike (literary). I'm so glad I preordered this one, and can't wait for it to arrive so I can put my annotations in there. I'm obsessed with this world, the characters and the writing. It suffices to say I have a new favorite author to add to my list!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the author for sending me an e-copy to review, this has been one of the best books I have read this year!
Trigger warnings: lots of gore, self-inflicted stab wounds (in the beginning and towards the end), murder by drowning, multiple mentions of suicide, detailed description of being burned at the stake, loss of a loved one by murder
25/10/2020
You have no idea how excited I am for this book!!
Happy publishing day to this one!! If you haven't read this duology, please pick it up. It's SO GOOD!
11/07/2021
Book 35/52
You've got it backwards (...) Your story doesn't own you. Write the damn thing yourself. Preferably in blood.
You can buy the duology here or on amazon via these links: The Hollow Gods and The Echoed Realm
------------------------------------------------------
genre: Fantasy/horror
age: adult
Review: THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!! WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE READING THIS DUOLOGY.
All screaming aside, this book was even better than the first one. The pacing is the same as in The Hollow Gods, which means it doesn't go super fast, but not slow at all. The world that has been created is wonderful and dreamlike (literary). I'm so glad I preordered this one, and can't wait for it to arrive so I can put my annotations in there. I'm obsessed with this world, the characters and the writing. It suffices to say I have a new favorite author to add to my list!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the author for sending me an e-copy to review, this has been one of the best books I have read this year!
Trigger warnings: lots of gore, self-inflicted stab wounds (in the beginning and towards the end), murder by drowning, multiple mentions of suicide, detailed description of being burned at the stake, loss of a loved one by murder
25/10/2020
You have no idea how excited I am for this book!!
I'm so sad it's over. If you like monsters, folklore, women controlling their own narratives, and/or bartenders named Crowbar, please read this book.
A.J. Vrana has a way with words and descriptions, making it seem like you're a character in the story. Her writing is so vivid and full of life. I really hope these characters show up again in the near future!
This sequel is amazing. Kai and Miya's love is strong and just reading about how strong their connection is in this book only solidifies love for them as a couple.
I loved how this book gave you the backgrounds of both Kai and the Dreamwalker’s pasts and how they became who they were. Their destiny of always finding each other was beautiful to learn about. I also enjoyed learning more about Garvan and Ama's past, as well and meeting Crowbar. She is a force to be reckoned with, which is always a pleasure to read about.
I'll say that Mason did redeem himself on this book, though his ego still irritated me. But, I know it was intentional, so claps to A.J. for doing her job well!
This duology is definitely something you DON'T want to miss!
This sequel is amazing. Kai and Miya's love is strong and just reading about how strong their connection is in this book only solidifies love for them as a couple.
I loved how this book gave you the backgrounds of both Kai and the Dreamwalker’s pasts and how they became who they were. Their destiny of always finding each other was beautiful to learn about. I also enjoyed learning more about Garvan and Ama's past, as well and meeting Crowbar. She is a force to be reckoned with, which is always a pleasure to read about.
I'll say that Mason did redeem himself on this book, though his ego still irritated me. But, I know it was intentional, so claps to A.J. for doing her job well!
This duology is definitely something you DON'T want to miss!
What can I say about Book 2? AJ has done it again! This book has more action and spice then book1 but it also has so much more beauty and insight! There was so much folklore and new and returning demons and gods! Will Kai and Miya save the day? Will they be ended and separated before they can win? It was a guessing game through the whole book! I absolutely loved this one more then the first! Please read!!!
Holy cats, if anything, this is better than Book 1 of the Chaos Cycle. Vrana has grown as a writer, and now that the characters are fully formed, it takes no time to get invested in their story. It is fun to follow this twisty-turny, super dark, super violent quest that links waking life and dream world and spirit realm. Kai does not disappoint with the crass and pithy one-liners, Mason gets a bit more nuanced, and Miya takes her place as the driver, in fact as the primary power and only possible savior of the entire story. It's full of horror and conflicted romance and dark magic and intense action right up to the very last chapter.
Thank you A.J. Vrana for reaching out to me and sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
What a fantastic way to sum up this duology. What originally drew me into A.J.'s book was the use of gritty dialogue, suspense, and plot's originality. This book continues using all those elements in great ways.
I really appreciated a more in-depth character development, as well as world building. Particularly in terms of character development, I loved that we not only get to know more about Kai, Mia, and Mason, but we also get to know more about the relationships between them. A lot of the relationships can get convoluted, and if you're like me and forget things super easily, it's best to keep notes.
This book is darker than the first, which I don't mind, but I know that some may appreciate knowing. Scenes can get a bit unsettling, some mention of gore, and sensitive themes.
All in all, great ending to the series. Im sad to see it end, but know that A.J. will create more amazing work in the future. Great work!
What a fantastic way to sum up this duology. What originally drew me into A.J.'s book was the use of gritty dialogue, suspense, and plot's originality. This book continues using all those elements in great ways.
I really appreciated a more in-depth character development, as well as world building. Particularly in terms of character development, I loved that we not only get to know more about Kai, Mia, and Mason, but we also get to know more about the relationships between them. A lot of the relationships can get convoluted, and if you're like me and forget things super easily, it's best to keep notes.
This book is darker than the first, which I don't mind, but I know that some may appreciate knowing. Scenes can get a bit unsettling, some mention of gore, and sensitive themes.
All in all, great ending to the series. Im sad to see it end, but know that A.J. will create more amazing work in the future. Great work!