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spellboundbybooks's review against another edition
I normally give a book longer but I just couldn't read more of Esmae. Due to events in book one (which I thoroughly enjoyed by the way) Esmae is on a path or rage and revenge.
She's filled with self loathing over choosing the path of war and makes sure everyone around her knows it. I'm sorry but she went too far into whining territory for me. She could literally stop at any time, yet she chooses not to. That's fine, but stop whining about it.
I love Titania (the sentient ship) and I always enjoy when the gods interfere directly with the world. However it's Esmae herself that has put me right off. Lonh story short, I just don't have the patience to watch her work through her shit lol.
She's filled with self loathing over choosing the path of war and makes sure everyone around her knows it. I'm sorry but she went too far into whining territory for me. She could literally stop at any time, yet she chooses not to. That's fine, but stop whining about it.
I love Titania (the sentient ship) and I always enjoy when the gods interfere directly with the world. However it's Esmae herself that has put me right off. Lonh story short, I just don't have the patience to watch her work through her shit lol.
niccith's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Initially, I had problems with the major characters in this book. Esma and Alexi, my goodness. Beyond the sibling rivalry, which borders on destruction, this installment is filled with distrust, craziness, and revenge. I had to remember this is a YA book. However, I kept reading and discovered gems. There is compassion, huge sacrifices, an understanding of the past, and love that will soften the negative emotions.
The character I love best is Titania, and she is a sentient spaceship.
The character I love best is Titania, and she is a sentient spaceship.
deah's review
5.0
sorry but I love when blood-lust isn't frightening to a lover I love when anger is supported in spite of and because of love I love when people write their own doom in the stars I love when siblings and parents make impossible choices I love when the hatred is spoken aloud I love when enemies know they're in a cycle they're not responsible for I love when it's the mums fault I love when the rage is all consuming I love when love transcends consciousness
lilyphoenixx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
fairytales's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It’s difficult to comprehend the level of hurt Esmae has towards her family. And it’s hard to watch them betray each other time and again but it also makes sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and War
vidhi26p's review against another edition
4.0
“And there’s a roar, from somewhere deep inside the world, a cry of terror and agony that makes my bones tremble.
It’s the sound of a god falling.”
What an amazing sequel, so much is packed into these pages! Everything the first novel was, this was just ten times more. From cover to cover, this is a haunting melody, illustrating the depths of human despair and grief and the havoc that can wreck on a galaxy. Mandana blends magic with fantasy and horror in this action-packed novel, a must-read for any lover of the old stories.
It’s the sound of a god falling.”
What an amazing sequel, so much is packed into these pages! Everything the first novel was, this was just ten times more. From cover to cover, this is a haunting melody, illustrating the depths of human despair and grief and the havoc that can wreck on a galaxy. Mandana blends magic with fantasy and horror in this action-packed novel, a must-read for any lover of the old stories.
ryrichard28's review
5.0
This book was so beautifully heartbreaking. I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed with a sequel. I couldn’t sleep until it was done, and now I’m in a funky fuzzy haze trying to recover from an overload of feelings.
Esmae is becoming more of a tragic heroine as the story progresses. I’ve never felt that she’s gotten anything too easily. She’s paid the price for every one of her defiant choices. And yet her defiant, stubborn choices don’t make me frustrated with her because I can empathize with her completely. She’s so angry, and so unwilling to let go of the people who have betrayed her; she wants a justice that will burn the world down. I love that strength. I love watching her punish people. But I also hope that she’ll survive the fire she’s fueling without losing the people who matter. She’s a natural disaster, and I don’t know if a happy ending can come out of so much destruction.
I hope happiness is at the end. I want Esmae to get her revenge and still be ok after it’s all done. She hasn’t done anything irredeemable, so it’s possible.. Here’s hoping. *fingers crossed*
Esmae is becoming more of a tragic heroine as the story progresses. I’ve never felt that she’s gotten anything too easily. She’s paid the price for every one of her defiant choices. And yet her defiant, stubborn choices don’t make me frustrated with her because I can empathize with her completely. She’s so angry, and so unwilling to let go of the people who have betrayed her; she wants a justice that will burn the world down. I love that strength. I love watching her punish people. But I also hope that she’ll survive the fire she’s fueling without losing the people who matter. She’s a natural disaster, and I don’t know if a happy ending can come out of so much destruction.
I hope happiness is at the end. I want Esmae to get her revenge and still be ok after it’s all done. She hasn’t done anything irredeemable, so it’s possible.. Here’s hoping. *fingers crossed*
wildfaeriecaps's review
5.0
This book has left me entirely too emotional for a coherent review. But know this: it is perfection - everything I could have hoped for. Sangu Mandanna is one hell of a writer and at this point I'll buy anything with her name on it.
emieinspace's review against another edition
5.0
A big thank you to Caffeine Blog Tours for allowing me to take part in this blog tour, and to Edelweiss and Sky Pony Press for this free e-ARC of the novel. This did not affect my opinion of this book and the content of my review in any way.
After the ending of A Spark of White Fire, the title of the sequel, A House of Rage and Sorrow, came to no surprise. It encompasses the ending of A Spark of White Fire while also setting the tone of the sequel flawlessly. Reading this sequel was an emotional experience, and page after page, the title made sense, sometimes obviously and sometimes in a very subtle manner. A House of Rage and Sorrow was honestly one of the best novels I’ve ever read.
A House of Rage and Sorrow picks up a few months after the ending of A Spark of White Fire, From the start, it is obvious the events of the first novel have had a long and lasting impact on Esmae and the world that surrounds her. But Esmae is determined, focused on this one goal.
From the first page, the writing is soft and fluid but is like a punch to the gut. It is deeply emotional in its softness, and almost quietness. Through it, Esmae’s voice resonates deeply, and I could feel every heartbeat and every heartbreaking emotions she was feeling. Grief is explored is a very thoughtful and honest way. The way Sangu Mandanna writes it touched me personally, and throughout the whole novel, I related to Esmae so much. The writing is masterfully-crafted: Esmae expresses her own sadness with words in her point of view, but the writing also shows you how deep it runs within her actions, how much it changed her as a person. I appreciated how Esmae was honest and acknowledged her pain and grief. The writing also has truly wonderful metaphors, creating an added layer to the world-building.
The plot was a bit slow to fall into place, but when it did, it was intense and with high stakes. The setup before it was perfect. It was an unexpected event that made complete sense. And that one act, that one moment has every thread of the story unraveling, almost like fate, while holding many twists and surprises. You have a general idea of the things that will be important down the line, but never how they will be important. I loved how everything was intertwined but nothing was as it seemed, which kept me on my toes for the whole story. Every action had its consequences, and every secret had a point. The story-telling was magnificent.
The fast pace in A House of Rage and Sorrow did not betray the character development or the emotional toll of the story in the slightest. It was the perfect balance of deeply emotional moments but with also some relief at times and humour in the dialogues. To me , it felt like a brilliant representation of depression and grief: sometimes, you’re able to smile and laugh in those moments when the pain is just a dull noise in the background, there, but muted. Maybe that is why it touched me so much, because I could see myself in the story.
And the characters are, of course, one of the best part of the story. You all know now how much I love Esmae, but Titania really shines through in this installment. Of course, she always had a special place in the story, the spaceship that started it all. Her personality grows even more, and so does her place in the story-telling. A few chapters are in her point of view, where she pulls us into the story and talks to us as if we were the spectators of an unraveling tragedy. It makes everything more intense. Her point of view also allows us a look into the other side of the story and of the conflict, building the other characters and builds suspense wonderfully. She really has her own, unique voice, at the heart of the story. Sybilla is, of course, a legend (as if she could be anything less), and her stubbornness and loyalty to Esmae and Max felt like a balm to the soul. Radha was an incredible character, and I loved that she was introduced, and her place in the story. I adored Max’s character development, we truly got to know him better in A House of Rage and Sorrow, it was beautiful.
A House of Rage and Sorrow was a phenomenal sequel to A Spark of White Fire, full of emotions, wonderful character development and an expanding world-building. I absolutely fell in love with this novel, and it is one that will stay with me for a very long time.
After the ending of A Spark of White Fire, the title of the sequel, A House of Rage and Sorrow, came to no surprise. It encompasses the ending of A Spark of White Fire while also setting the tone of the sequel flawlessly. Reading this sequel was an emotional experience, and page after page, the title made sense, sometimes obviously and sometimes in a very subtle manner. A House of Rage and Sorrow was honestly one of the best novels I’ve ever read.
A House of Rage and Sorrow picks up a few months after the ending of A Spark of White Fire,
Spoiler
with Esmae determined to destroy her twin brother Alexi.From the first page, the writing is soft and fluid but is like a punch to the gut. It is deeply emotional in its softness, and almost quietness. Through it, Esmae’s voice resonates deeply, and I could feel every heartbeat and every heartbreaking emotions she was feeling. Grief is explored is a very thoughtful and honest way. The way Sangu Mandanna writes it touched me personally, and throughout the whole novel, I related to Esmae so much. The writing is masterfully-crafted: Esmae expresses her own sadness with words in her point of view, but the writing also shows you how deep it runs within her actions, how much it changed her as a person. I appreciated how Esmae was honest and acknowledged her pain and grief. The writing also has truly wonderful metaphors, creating an added layer to the world-building.
The plot was a bit slow to fall into place, but when it did, it was intense and with high stakes. The setup before it was perfect. It was an unexpected event that made complete sense. And that one act, that one moment has every thread of the story unraveling, almost like fate, while holding many twists and surprises. You have a general idea of the things that will be important down the line, but never how they will be important. I loved how everything was intertwined but nothing was as it seemed, which kept me on my toes for the whole story. Every action had its consequences, and every secret had a point. The story-telling was magnificent.
The fast pace in A House of Rage and Sorrow did not betray the character development or the emotional toll of the story in the slightest. It was the perfect balance of deeply emotional moments but with also some relief at times and humour in the dialogues. To me , it felt like a brilliant representation of depression and grief: sometimes, you’re able to smile and laugh in those moments when the pain is just a dull noise in the background, there, but muted. Maybe that is why it touched me so much, because I could see myself in the story.
And the characters are, of course, one of the best part of the story. You all know now how much I love Esmae, but Titania really shines through in this installment. Of course, she always had a special place in the story, the spaceship that started it all. Her personality grows even more, and so does her place in the story-telling. A few chapters are in her point of view, where she pulls us into the story and talks to us as if we were the spectators of an unraveling tragedy. It makes everything more intense. Her point of view also allows us a look into the other side of the story and of the conflict, building the other characters and builds suspense wonderfully. She really has her own, unique voice, at the heart of the story. Sybilla is, of course, a legend (as if she could be anything less), and her stubbornness and loyalty to Esmae and Max felt like a balm to the soul. Radha was an incredible character, and I loved that she was introduced, and her place in the story. I adored Max’s character development, we truly got to know him better in A House of Rage and Sorrow, it was beautiful.
A House of Rage and Sorrow was a phenomenal sequel to A Spark of White Fire, full of emotions, wonderful character development and an expanding world-building. I absolutely fell in love with this novel, and it is one that will stay with me for a very long time.
charvi_not_just_fiction's review against another edition
5.0
FULL REVIEW ON THE BLOG
I JUST LOVED THIS BRILLIANT MASTERPIECE SO FREAKING MUCH!!!
Sangu Mandanna has a beautiful writing style that is very simple and elegant and pulls the reader into the story. I especially love how she ends each chapter and draws on various metaphors throughout the story.
This was definitely a blockbuster hit for me even though I’m numb and emotionally compromised right now. It’s okay, sacrifices were made and in the end, I regret nothing. This was a beautifully plotted book with great descriptions and breathtaking interpretations of Mahabharata. I’m not going to stop recommending it anytime soon so if you don’t want me breathing down your neck every moment just go pick A House Of Rage And Sorrow in Sept when it releases. Meanwhile, I’m just going to be staring in space now as I wait for the third book to be released. Just kidding, I wanted to make a space reference, in actuality I’m just gonna cry and pine after the third book in this series.
19/05/2021
How the hell did I write a review? I'm in shock and pain after the re-read despite expecting the plot twists. Oof. You'll all see me die when I read the next book.
16/06/2023
Why doesn't it hurt less when I re read?
I JUST LOVED THIS BRILLIANT MASTERPIECE SO FREAKING MUCH!!!
Sangu Mandanna has a beautiful writing style that is very simple and elegant and pulls the reader into the story. I especially love how she ends each chapter and draws on various metaphors throughout the story.
This was definitely a blockbuster hit for me even though I’m numb and emotionally compromised right now. It’s okay, sacrifices were made and in the end, I regret nothing. This was a beautifully plotted book with great descriptions and breathtaking interpretations of Mahabharata. I’m not going to stop recommending it anytime soon so if you don’t want me breathing down your neck every moment just go pick A House Of Rage And Sorrow in Sept when it releases. Meanwhile, I’m just going to be staring in space now as I wait for the third book to be released. Just kidding, I wanted to make a space reference, in actuality I’m just gonna cry and pine after the third book in this series.
19/05/2021
How the hell did I write a review? I'm in shock and pain after the re-read despite expecting the plot twists. Oof. You'll all see me die when I read the next book.
16/06/2023
Why doesn't it hurt less when I re read?