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angstifies's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
better than the previous book, in this sequel we get to explore more of the islands and the types of magic which was something i really enjoyed, however i found the main character and the narration very irritating at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Alcohol, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexism
Minor: Physical abuse and Sexual content
rachrreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Adalyn Grace where can I send my therapy bill?!
**SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 ALL THE STARS AND TEETH. BACK AWAY IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED**
After taking down Kraven the Kingdom of Visidia is doing it’s best to rebuild with Amora as it’s Queen. Amora is doing everything she can to win the trust of her people and to set the wrongdoings of the Montara’s right. They have sent aid to Kerost to help them rebuild and they’ve reestablished Zudoh in the Kingdom after their wrongful banishment by her father.
Amora is dealing with the stress of her father’s death and the loss of half her soul— the part that holds her magic. Without it she’s broken and she will do anything to get it back. Her people do not fully believe in her and her advisors urge her to set off to the islands to take a husband. Amora balks at the idea initially. When presented with the possibility of restoring her soul and getting rid of the Montara curse, Amora sets off on a journey across the Kingdom. No one can know the truth, so she uses the ruse of finding a husband to search the different islands. Through it all, Amora puts Bastian at a distance— she doesn’t know if her feelings are because she loves him or if it’s due to him being cursed to hold the other half of her soul.
Amora really comes into herself during this book and I love how much of a girl boss she is! She is the movement!! When being mansplained to and looked down upon, Amora responds beautifully.
“…[My father’s] no longer the one who sits on the throne; I am. I'm not sure if you felt it was okay to condescend to me because I'm a woman, because of my age, or simply because I'm new to this position and you felt the need to establish some sort of dominance you do not and will never have. But the next time you open your mouth to speak to me, remember that you're talking to your queen. Do you understand?"
I also love how Amora’s mental health is dealt with in this book. Amora suffers from anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and immense grief through this book. She’s constantly blaming herself and shutting others out— trying to take everything on herself. Adalyn does a great job of representing Amora’s feelings, as well as having an accurate representation of how one might such a traumatic event such as watching your father die in front of you.
THE ANGST between Amora and Bastian through this book is absolutely golden. I don’t want to give too much away but I felt the pain and the longing though out the whole book. Amora is so confused as to how she feels about Bastian and she’s constantly resisting against her instincts to lean into him.
“I very well might be in love with Bastian Altair. But until our curse is broken, I cannot trust myself to make that decision.”
But, Bastian makes his feelings clear to her time and time again.
“’Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it,’ he urges. ‘I would move mountains for you. I would chase down the stars just so you could hold one.’”
The ending is bittersweet — I was broken and crying at one moment, but peaceful and full of happiness the next. This was an absolutely fabulous conclusion to the story and I’m so glad Adalyn Grace made this a duology rather than a trilogy.
Thanks again, Adalyn for the free personalized and signed copies!
**SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 ALL THE STARS AND TEETH. BACK AWAY IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED**
After taking down Kraven the Kingdom of Visidia is doing it’s best to rebuild with Amora as it’s Queen. Amora is doing everything she can to win the trust of her people and to set the wrongdoings of the Montara’s right. They have sent aid to Kerost to help them rebuild and they’ve reestablished Zudoh in the Kingdom after their wrongful banishment by her father.
Amora is dealing with the stress of her father’s death and the loss of half her soul— the part that holds her magic. Without it she’s broken and she will do anything to get it back. Her people do not fully believe in her and her advisors urge her to set off to the islands to take a husband. Amora balks at the idea initially. When presented with the possibility of restoring her soul and getting rid of the Montara curse, Amora sets off on a journey across the Kingdom. No one can know the truth, so she uses the ruse of finding a husband to search the different islands. Through it all, Amora puts Bastian at a distance— she doesn’t know if her feelings are because she loves him or if it’s due to him being cursed to hold the other half of her soul.
Amora really comes into herself during this book and I love how much of a girl boss she is! She is the movement!! When being mansplained to and looked down upon, Amora responds beautifully.
“…[My father’s] no longer the one who sits on the throne; I am. I'm not sure if you felt it was okay to condescend to me because I'm a woman, because of my age, or simply because I'm new to this position and you felt the need to establish some sort of dominance you do not and will never have. But the next time you open your mouth to speak to me, remember that you're talking to your queen. Do you understand?"
I also love how Amora’s mental health is dealt with in this book. Amora suffers from anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and immense grief through this book. She’s constantly blaming herself and shutting others out— trying to take everything on herself. Adalyn does a great job of representing Amora’s feelings, as well as having an accurate representation of how one might such a traumatic event such as watching your father die in front of you.
THE ANGST between Amora and Bastian through this book is absolutely golden. I don’t want to give too much away but I felt the pain and the longing though out the whole book. Amora is so confused as to how she feels about Bastian and she’s constantly resisting against her instincts to lean into him.
“I very well might be in love with Bastian Altair. But until our curse is broken, I cannot trust myself to make that decision.”
But, Bastian makes his feelings clear to her time and time again.
“’Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it,’ he urges. ‘I would move mountains for you. I would chase down the stars just so you could hold one.’”
The ending is bittersweet — I was broken and crying at one moment, but peaceful and full of happiness the next. This was an absolutely fabulous conclusion to the story and I’m so glad Adalyn Grace made this a duology rather than a trilogy.
Thanks again, Adalyn for the free personalized and signed copies!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
stormywolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
3.0
Audiobook Read by Natalie Naudus
Unabridged Length: 10.5 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, a fine production that'll serve to get you through the story. As with most fantasy books, I always find it handy to have an audio pronouncing the foreign words, and this time is no different. No huge changes in the text, just a word added or dropped a couple times, probably in service to the flow. Still wish there were musical bits when its relevant to the story (like humming a shanty), but it's more uncommon to have them than not. So, maybe not one to hold up as a shining example of all that audiobooks could be, but a serviceable production that gets the job done and concludes the duology well.
Unabridged Length: 10.5 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, a fine production that'll serve to get you through the story. As with most fantasy books, I always find it handy to have an audio pronouncing the foreign words, and this time is no different. No huge changes in the text, just a word added or dropped a couple times, probably in service to the flow. Still wish there were musical bits when its relevant to the story (like humming a shanty), but it's more uncommon to have them than not. So, maybe not one to hold up as a shining example of all that audiobooks could be, but a serviceable production that gets the job done and concludes the duology well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Dementia, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
dorianlecter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
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