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fuzaila's review
5.0
What can I possibly say about this book without ending up screaming to space until Sangu Mandanna releases her sequel to end my anguish? Nevertheless, I'm going to try, because this book has taken a lot of me with it when it ended and I'll have to put the pieces back.
Esmae's openly declared war with Alexi for murdering her best friend. She has the indestructible warship Titania with her. But Alexi isn't sitting still either. Any moment, Amba the war of Goddess is away, he plans to unleash Sorsha the only living Great Beast, who can match the power of Titania. Being the most skilled warriors of the universe, the siblings believe they're evenly matched. So they're doing everything in their power to make their troops better. But when more secrets are revealed and hopes of her childhood are horribly crushed, Esmae can only wonder if she is doing it to avenge her friend, or if she hiding a monster inside.
This book started out a bit slow, but then it quickly perked up, throwing secrets and plot-twists all around and keeping me at the edge of my seat, biting my tongue in anticipation and terror because I realized just how terrible and horribly good this book is going to be. There is no matter of convenience here, the author makes everything fall into chaos and cleanly sweeps her mess by answering all the questions right. The characters have all developed so wonderfully and I'm so glad to see that they are all back to being the lovely people I knew them to be in the first book. Esmae though. Esmae is just brilliant. She's ruthless and daring and lovely and evil sometimes, but I can't stop loving her or taking her side. I can't stop questioning her morality but I'm on her side anyway.
The only grudge I have against this book is that it isn't even released yet and I have to wait indefinitely long for the sequel.
Esmae's openly declared war with Alexi for murdering her best friend. She has the indestructible warship Titania with her. But Alexi isn't sitting still either. Any moment, Amba the war of Goddess is away, he plans to unleash Sorsha the only living Great Beast, who can match the power of Titania. Being the most skilled warriors of the universe, the siblings believe they're evenly matched. So they're doing everything in their power to make their troops better. But when more secrets are revealed and hopes of her childhood are horribly crushed, Esmae can only wonder if she is doing it to avenge her friend, or if she hiding a monster inside.
This book started out a bit slow, but then it quickly perked up, throwing secrets and plot-twists all around and keeping me at the edge of my seat, biting my tongue in anticipation and terror because I realized just how terrible and horribly good this book is going to be. There is no matter of convenience here, the author makes everything fall into chaos and cleanly sweeps her mess by answering all the questions right. The characters have all developed so wonderfully and I'm so glad to see that they are all back to being the lovely people I knew them to be in the first book. Esmae though. Esmae is just brilliant. She's ruthless and daring and lovely and evil sometimes, but I can't stop loving her or taking her side. I can't stop questioning her morality but I'm on her side anyway.
The only grudge I have against this book is that it isn't even released yet and I have to wait indefinitely long for the sequel.
jayati's review against another edition
5.0
This is an #OwnVoices review
I did not think that any sequel could live up to A Spark of White Fire but somehow Sangu Mandanna was able to come up with one that did.
We were left at an unsure footing at the end of A Spark of White Fire and there was a lot to deal with and we went into this book.
There were uncertainty and apprehension in my mind and through the first 25% of this book Sangu was able to reassure me and I felt I could believe everything would be okay, even if a little disastrous.
As expected after the ending of A Spark of White Fire, there was quite a turn in Esmae’s personality. She is hurt and raging and she displays those emotions with such intensity that they grip you. The prophecy is finally coming true and as much as she did not want to accept it in the first book, she is coming to term with it now.
Esmae isolated herself and as she continues to wage a war, she has many things to deal with.
Just like in the first book, many new characters and plots are being revealed to us by Sangu at the appropriate times and we are holding our breath to see how it is going to turn out.
Different truths are revealed to us and as they put all the characters into perspective for us, we see how everything has come a full circle from where it started.
We get to see things from Titania’s perspective as well in this book and we see how she loves and protects Esmae, and despite just being a mechanical warship, she is a full-fledged character whose presence in the book makes it feel wholesome.
I also loved the banter between Sybilla and Radha and in particular, Radha’s character development. She is no longer the shy girl who was in the background like we saw in A Spark of White Fire, but now she comes to the forefront and we learn more of her and her backstory, which integrates her into my heart more than I had expected!
The ending of this book was very explosive as well and I can not wait to see how the author deals with everything and wraps it in the next book for there are so many storylines bonded together in this book, just like they are in the Mahabharata, and it could end up going anywhere.
I did not think that any sequel could live up to A Spark of White Fire but somehow Sangu Mandanna was able to come up with one that did.
We were left at an unsure footing at the end of A Spark of White Fire and there was a lot to deal with and we went into this book.
There were uncertainty and apprehension in my mind and through the first 25% of this book Sangu was able to reassure me and I felt I could believe everything would be okay, even if a little disastrous.
As expected after the ending of A Spark of White Fire, there was quite a turn in Esmae’s personality. She is hurt and raging and she displays those emotions with such intensity that they grip you. The prophecy is finally coming true and as much as she did not want to accept it in the first book, she is coming to term with it now.
Esmae isolated herself and as she continues to wage a war, she has many things to deal with.
Just like in the first book, many new characters and plots are being revealed to us by Sangu at the appropriate times and we are holding our breath to see how it is going to turn out.
Different truths are revealed to us and as they put all the characters into perspective for us, we see how everything has come a full circle from where it started.
We get to see things from Titania’s perspective as well in this book and we see how she loves and protects Esmae, and despite just being a mechanical warship, she is a full-fledged character whose presence in the book makes it feel wholesome.
I also loved the banter between Sybilla and Radha and in particular, Radha’s character development. She is no longer the shy girl who was in the background like we saw in A Spark of White Fire, but now she comes to the forefront and we learn more of her and her backstory, which integrates her into my heart more than I had expected!
The ending of this book was very explosive as well and I can not wait to see how the author deals with everything and wraps it in the next book for there are so many storylines bonded together in this book, just like they are in the Mahabharata, and it could end up going anywhere.
jayati's review
4.0
I did not think that any sequel could live up to A Spark of White Fire but somehow Sangu Mandanna was able to come up with one that did.
We were left at an unsure footing at the end of A Spark of White Fire and there was a lot to deal with and we went into this book.
There were uncertainty and apprehension in my mind and through the first 25% of this book Sangu was able to reassure me and I felt I could believe everything would be okay, even if a little disastrous.
As expected after the ending of A Spark of White Fire, there was quite a turn in Esmae's personality. She is hurt and raging and she displays those emotions with such intensity that they grip you. The prophecy is finally coming true and as much as she did not want to accept it in the first book, she is coming to term with it now.
Esmae isolated herself and as she continues to wage a war, she has many things to deal with.
Just like in the first book, many new characters and plots are being revealed to us by Sangu at the appropriate times and we are holding our breath to see how it is going to turn out.
Different truths are revealed to us and as they put all the characters into perspective for us, we see how everything has come a full circle from where it started.
We get to see things from Titania's perspective as well in this book and we see how she loves and protects Esmae, and despite just being a mechanical warship, she is a full-fledged character whose presence in the book makes it feel wholesome.
I also loved the banter between Sybilla and Radha and in particular, Radha's character development. She is no longer the shy girl who was in the background like we saw in A Spark of White Fire, but now she comes to the forefront and we learn more of her and her backstory, which integrates her into my heart more than I had expected!
The ending of this book was very explosive as well and I can not wait to see how the author deals with everything and wraps it in the next book for there are so many storylines bonded together in this book, just like they are in the Mahabharata, and it could end up going anywhere.
We were left at an unsure footing at the end of A Spark of White Fire and there was a lot to deal with and we went into this book.
There were uncertainty and apprehension in my mind and through the first 25% of this book Sangu was able to reassure me and I felt I could believe everything would be okay, even if a little disastrous.
As expected after the ending of A Spark of White Fire, there was quite a turn in Esmae's personality. She is hurt and raging and she displays those emotions with such intensity that they grip you. The prophecy is finally coming true and as much as she did not want to accept it in the first book, she is coming to term with it now.
Esmae isolated herself and as she continues to wage a war, she has many things to deal with.
Just like in the first book, many new characters and plots are being revealed to us by Sangu at the appropriate times and we are holding our breath to see how it is going to turn out.
Different truths are revealed to us and as they put all the characters into perspective for us, we see how everything has come a full circle from where it started.
We get to see things from Titania's perspective as well in this book and we see how she loves and protects Esmae, and despite just being a mechanical warship, she is a full-fledged character whose presence in the book makes it feel wholesome.
I also loved the banter between Sybilla and Radha and in particular, Radha's character development. She is no longer the shy girl who was in the background like we saw in A Spark of White Fire, but now she comes to the forefront and we learn more of her and her backstory, which integrates her into my heart more than I had expected!
The ending of this book was very explosive as well and I can not wait to see how the author deals with everything and wraps it in the next book for there are so many storylines bonded together in this book, just like they are in the Mahabharata, and it could end up going anywhere.
bibliophilicjester's review against another edition
4.0
I hate how long I put off reading this. I am the worst. SIGH.
This series is so absurdly underrated. As I'm writing this, I can see there are 230 ratings on Goodreads for this book. HOW?! How have more people not discovered this series?! It makes me so angry, and it makes me want to hold these two books even closer. I'm going with 4.5 stars because this was even better than a spark of white fire, which I loved!
I adore Esmae, and even though my world is so different from hers, I feel her pain and anger so fiercely. Not knowing who to trust or believe or believe in. Feeling completely alone and like we have no one to turn to even while surrounded by love. Needing to push everyone away because we know we're monsters who destroy everything in our path. Screaming endlessly in our heads and feeling like no one can hear or understand. I felt this book so much.
I didn't have a Max when I was her age and feeling all these things. I'm not a lover of romance in books in general because they tend to slow everything down. Max and Esmae are tied together in so many ways, it would be impossible to tell the story without him, and they'd be less interesting characters without their complicated relationship. They have exceptional chemistry, and I can honestly say I ship them.
I've very carefully avoided the story (poem? Epic?) this is inspired by, but I'm fully prepared for a tragic ending that makes me actually feel things in my cold heart, haha. There have been so many twists and betrayals and secrets and lies already...I have no idea how this will all end. Please, book gods, give me this conclusion on time haha I'm off to preorder the third book immediately
This series is so absurdly underrated. As I'm writing this, I can see there are 230 ratings on Goodreads for this book. HOW?! How have more people not discovered this series?! It makes me so angry, and it makes me want to hold these two books even closer. I'm going with 4.5 stars because this was even better than a spark of white fire, which I loved!
I adore Esmae, and even though my world is so different from hers, I feel her pain and anger so fiercely. Not knowing who to trust or believe or believe in. Feeling completely alone and like we have no one to turn to even while surrounded by love. Needing to push everyone away because we know we're monsters who destroy everything in our path. Screaming endlessly in our heads and feeling like no one can hear or understand. I felt this book so much.
I didn't have a Max when I was her age and feeling all these things. I'm not a lover of romance in books in general because they tend to slow everything down. Max and Esmae are tied together in so many ways, it would be impossible to tell the story without him, and they'd be less interesting characters without their complicated relationship. They have exceptional chemistry, and I can honestly say I ship them.
I've very carefully avoided the story (poem? Epic?) this is inspired by, but I'm fully prepared for a tragic ending that makes me actually feel things in my cold heart, haha. There have been so many twists and betrayals and secrets and lies already...I have no idea how this will all end. Please, book gods, give me this conclusion on time haha I'm off to preorder the third book immediately
priyastoric's review
4.0
I love it when second books are even better than expected. A House of Rage and Sorrow pushes Esmae to the brink as she deals with repercussions from the events of A Spark of White Fire. In beautiful prose we watch as the decisions made by Gods change the fate of worlds, and as Esmae learns more about the people she trusts the ground shifts beneath her feet even more.
This is part of a year where I've worked to read books by South Asian authors (especially since I seem to be stumbling upon them everywhere I look, which is wonderful) and I am so glad I did. I am not well versed in the Mahabarata, but I know enough to appreciate the inspirations they gave Mandanna for this book.
This is part of a year where I've worked to read books by South Asian authors (especially since I seem to be stumbling upon them everywhere I look, which is wonderful) and I am so glad I did. I am not well versed in the Mahabarata, but I know enough to appreciate the inspirations they gave Mandanna for this book.
absorbedinbooks's review
5.0
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I thought I loved the first one, but this one is so much better! I will die if I don't get the next book right now. I can't wait for 6 months
unabridgedchick's review
5.0
Gutting second book in this trilogy. Mandanna makes good use of the trilogy format, which I normally resent; but in their hands, this rich mythological story becomes more than a retelling or a space opera. It's an intensely human story of belonging, love, yearning for parents. Mandanna effortlessly incorporates a diversity of identities in this book, too, in a manner that shows it is easy to make an inclusive world naturally. I'm going to try to write a real review soon -- but omg, this book is perfection.
ninetalevixen's review
4.5
content warnings: major character death(s), war, blood, non-graphic violence, murder & attempted murder, amputation
rep: Indian mythology & worldbuilding; F/F secondary romance, diverse secondary & minor characters including M/M, genderfluid/ nonbinary, PoC
A more-than-solid middle installment of the trilogy, building on the first book with further plot and character complications, reveals, heartbreaking and heartwarming moments alike. FRTC
-----------
CONVERSION: 11.6 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 3 / 5
-----------
[2020 original rating]
CONVERSION: 12.2 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
rep:
A more-than-solid middle installment of the trilogy, building on the first book with further plot and character complications, reveals, heartbreaking and heartwarming moments alike. FRTC
-----------
CONVERSION: 11.6 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 3 / 5
-----------
[2020 original rating]
CONVERSION: 12.2 / 15 = 4.5 stars
Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
parisakamali's review
1.0
wanted to give this 2 stars but there's nothing i liked abt it.
1. shallow plot + it's so predictable, and the way everything is executed feels so cheap + tatiana's pov is such a joke. i have never read such a terrible depiction of a talking AI spaceship
2. flat characters, horribly underdeveloped. their motivations are so shallow and their actions do not align with how they are described. an example would be bear, who was tricked into playing dice in enemy territory, and then before the end of the chapter it's said that he grew up for war. like ok, why would he go to the enemy's territory unarmed just to gamble? they're all so stupid actually.
3. simple prose, so it's easy to read and digest, but i found it to be juvenile + the dialogue is so stiff. it felt like i was reading the outline of what the characters are supposed to say and do
4. rough and inconsistent worldbuilding; it's even worse than i rmbr. an example off the top of my head is the description of the sea, which is said to be cold and salty. but then our main character goes into the sea and finds it oddly sweet, yet the word salt appears twice more after that ?? another inconsistency is that the wounds hurt sometimes, but then they're conveniently healed and it doesn't hurt anymore after a chapter.. i get plot armor, but this is just ridiculous. how did this even get past the editors
5. i am still against the romance. it's just romance for romance's sake, and it's so unnecessary. did not connect with them at all.
6. there's really no logic to anything. there are so many plot holes and the stakes are low. they throw around the word "war" so carelessly and it's so aggravating to see the senselessness of it.
reading this book felt like watching a low budget movie with bad actors, but you keep watching it anyway because it's so terrible and you want to see it try miserably.
1. shallow plot + it's so predictable, and the way everything is executed feels so cheap + tatiana's pov is such a joke. i have never read such a terrible depiction of a talking AI spaceship
2. flat characters, horribly underdeveloped. their motivations are so shallow and their actions do not align with how they are described. an example would be bear, who was tricked into playing dice in enemy territory, and then before the end of the chapter it's said that he grew up for war. like ok, why would he go to the enemy's territory unarmed just to gamble? they're all so stupid actually.
3. simple prose, so it's easy to read and digest, but i found it to be juvenile + the dialogue is so stiff. it felt like i was reading the outline of what the characters are supposed to say and do
4. rough and inconsistent worldbuilding; it's even worse than i rmbr. an example off the top of my head is the description of the sea, which is said to be cold and salty. but then our main character goes into the sea and finds it oddly sweet, yet the word salt appears twice more after that ?? another inconsistency is that the wounds hurt sometimes, but then they're conveniently healed and it doesn't hurt anymore after a chapter.. i get plot armor, but this is just ridiculous. how did this even get past the editors
5. i am still against the romance. it's just romance for romance's sake, and it's so unnecessary. did not connect with them at all.
6. there's really no logic to anything. there are so many plot holes and the stakes are low. they throw around the word "war" so carelessly and it's so aggravating to see the senselessness of it.
reading this book felt like watching a low budget movie with bad actors, but you keep watching it anyway because it's so terrible and you want to see it try miserably.
sometimesleelynnreads's review
5.0
Full review on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads
Long story short: I adored this novel almost as much as I adored the first book. Maybe even more!
•
The way that Mandanna reflects Esmae’s grief, depression, and rage was so poignant and strong. I could feel her rage from the pages as if I were there, witnessing just how hurt she was. I could see Titania, and how Esmae and her friends taught her what it means to be human, and whether or not that’s something she wants to have. I could feel the familial love between Esmae and Amba, the Goddess of War that was a better mother to Esmae than her own. I’m still reeling over the events of this novel, and almost dreading what the entire world will have to face from the tricks of a god and his favorite mortal. Will anyone survive? It is a trilogy after all, and the final book has destruction on its way.
•
Ooh wow I’m just really excited all over! And now that I shared some of my thoughts here, stay tuned for my full review on my blog. You know how I can get with those.
Long story short: I adored this novel almost as much as I adored the first book. Maybe even more!
•
The way that Mandanna reflects Esmae’s grief, depression, and rage was so poignant and strong. I could feel her rage from the pages as if I were there, witnessing just how hurt she was. I could see Titania, and how Esmae and her friends taught her what it means to be human, and whether or not that’s something she wants to have. I could feel the familial love between Esmae and Amba, the Goddess of War that was a better mother to Esmae than her own. I’m still reeling over the events of this novel, and almost dreading what the entire world will have to face from the tricks of a god and his favorite mortal. Will anyone survive? It is a trilogy after all, and the final book has destruction on its way.
•
Ooh wow I’m just really excited all over! And now that I shared some of my thoughts here, stay tuned for my full review on my blog. You know how I can get with those.