4.28 AVERAGE

emotional
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

gbrajee's review

2.0

Let me say…I have not finished. I am 76% in, but I have also been trying to read this since March 2024? It’s Jan 2025. Verrrrry slow…loved the first book and the building of life as an immortal, however Anna has not done anything. Has not learned languages or a skill past gardening and basic first aid. She could have done anything, studied anything…gone anywhere and yet she chooses to be homely waiting for kirhan to return. It’s boring.

tedichh's profile picture

tedichh's review

4.5

This sequel was so much better than the first book. I must say that Khiran and Anna have one of the healthiest relationships I've ever had the pleasure to read. An absolute delight to witness. I loved literally everything about it. 

The characters in this part were so well-written, so full of growth and reflection. I believe the author really stepped up her game this time around. I honestly loved everything about them. From the way they were so distinct and had their own mysteries, to the way Anna loved Khiran in every one of his versions. I loved the personal anguish of each character, I loved how they struggled to adjust to
mortality
, I loved the reflections on change, on loss, I loved that in this book they did grow attached to places and people and they did go back to them. 

I also quite liked the way immortality and powers were portrayed. Each of the characters had their strengths and weaknesses, and nobody was invincible, unlike how immortality is usually portrayed. I liked that their powers had to be
discovered as opposed to being immediately known
. I liked that there was suffering and obstacles even for the immortals. I liked that there was so much empathy and forgiveness in some, and not in others, showing that different people use their immortality differently and it matters how you spend your time. 

Honestly, I am giving only 4.5⭐ because the
final battle
was kind of strange to me. I thought
The First would be more powerful - if this was the way to overcome him all along, why hadn't they done it earlier? In my view, all Anna did was give Cassian an opportunity to influence Marcia. However, Kaia was always capable of drowning him. Everyone had always been capable of attacking all at once. Anna's role didn't seem pivotal, and the fight itself was underwhelming and a bit of a waste of immortal means, in my opinion
. But that's my only gripe with this book. 

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this duology. 

I sit here trying to find the right words to describe my love for Pits & Poison: These Godly Lies, the second and final book in the duology R. Raeta has gifted us.

Peaches & Honey: These Immortal Truths, Book 1 introduces a unique and refreshing concept: a girl from the 12th century is bestowed with a magical peach that grants her immortality, a divine gift in recognition of her inherent goodness. Anna's character is a living testament to this goodness as she traverses through centuries of history, always selflessly giving and burying her trauma and needs. The presence of Khiran, her god, is a constant, weaving a love story that defies the boundaries of time. This intriguing blend of fantasy and romance is a must-read for any lover of the genre.

Pits & Poison continues the story of a love that transcends time. It is the story of Anna and Kieran trying to find their peace while on the run from the First One, the one god ruling them all mercilessly and without any love or care. In Book 2, we get more information and details, as well as some old and some new characters.

I am in awe of Rachelle's writing style; it is truly enchanting and deserves to be savored.

"Love is too small a word", he murmurs, "but I suppose it will do".

The book evoked a range of emotions in me, from tears to laughter, and I found myself rooting for the characters to discover beauty in a world scarred by tragedy, to protect their love with unwavering strength, and yet find the compassion to aid those in need. Each scene was meticulously crafted, stirring my heart to break and heal repeatedly.

The sacrifices Kieran makes to have more time with Anna, to show her the world, and to just be with her are so special.

"He can see it in her eyes - a last, wordless appeal to leave her behind and save himself. To run. As if he could ever find peace on a path she didn't share".

With all the love, the devotion, the pain, the heartbreak, I was counting the pages till the end. And it was so bittersweet; I love the way the story ended for Anna and Kieran, but I was devastated I had to say goodbye to them.

Rachelle has crafted a world and emotions like no other, and I am so honored to have been a part of the ARC team. This book has truly touched my heart, and I can't wait for you to experience the same emotions and journey that I did.

This duology was so beautifully written
adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
adventurous emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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 emotional 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: Complicated

I have thoughts. Most of which are not positive. I really really wanted to love this book as much as the first but I don’t know it just felt lacking in certain areas. For example, the ending felt kind of anticlimactic. I get the tone of the book is more introspective and slow but the way
The First died didn’t make sense like I get the metaphor of bees turning on their queen and killing her being a parallel to his inevitable demise. But the way they’d been running made me feel like the conclusion would take more than like 20 pages to resolve.
It just fell flat for me. Yeah… disappointed to be completely honest. 
cejerioski's profile picture

cejerioski's review

4.75
adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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