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A review by callmepipes_
The Deck of Omens by C.L. Herman
5.0
“And it’s as true as most stories are, which is to say that it is and it isn’t.”
This book is an incredible sequel- one that I loved just as much as the book that came before it! I would HIGHLY recommend this series.
“May was deeply private in a way even Isaac wasn’t. Maybe at first Violet had mistaken that for disinterest and even disdain. But she knew by now that it was a defense mechanism against a world that she did not trust.”
This book follows the events of its predecessor, where the four protagonists (Violet, Isaac, Harper, and Justin) along with Justin’s sister May must pick up the pieces of what has happened. But a corruption is spreading throughout Four Paths, and these teenagers might be the only people who could stop it.
“He thought he could beat you down until you’d follow him anywhere. But that’s not what happened, is it?”
One thing I loved in this book is more May Hawthorne!!! She becomes more crucial in the story as she can read the Deck of Omens- and she brings in her father (who is hated by the rest of her family) to help her solve her problems. She brings a unique perspective to the story you didn’t get to see as much in the first book so I was thrilled to see her more often.
“Justin made our family look good, and she kept all our secrets hidden. I never really understood what she wanted from me, but I knew that if I wanted her to care about me I’d have to be an asset, too”
One important thing you get from May’s perspective is hearing about her relationship with her family, more importantly her mother. May and Augusta have a very strained relationship, where both are too stubborn to try to work on their issues. This is something I don’t always see in books, ESPECIALLY fantasy, and I’m thrilled it was included as it is the kind of thing I’m sure many teenagers can relate to at times.
“Friends ask each other for help. Don’t apologize for that.”
Both books in this series focus on the friendship of the protagonists- especially because they have been through so much, they have to support each other, and the author does a great job showing that.
“Do you ever worry that maybe you’re sad because it’s easy? Because you’re good at it?”
“I feel guilty when I’m happy, too,” he said. “And then I feel guilty about feeling guilty.”
“healing did not mean going back to the way things had been before. It meant transforming into someone new and accepting that person, sharp edges and all.”
This book also touches on mental health in a fantastic way. Every teenager in this book is struggling with a serious issue, especially Violet and Isaac. Violet has lost her sister, and Isaac is dealing with a horrible family (they’re really just a cult). This book does a good job of showing how they work through their struggles while, you know, battling a forest monster and all the rest of it. It shows that if these teenagers could heal themselves through what they have been through, you could too.
“A world he could not access. Powers he could not reach.”
This book also does a great job of building on what was established in the first book- it turns what you thought you knew into something even bigger, and gets you excited for everything that’s to come.
“Because it was not ash falling from the sky. It was snow.”
This book also does a great job of ending itself- wrapping up every loose end from both books in a way you WILL NOT expect.
“He would heal, and he would grow, and he would live.”
If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book, and if you like fantasy, or adventures, or honestly if you’re just bored, you’ll like it too. I would rate this book 5/5 stars.
This book is an incredible sequel- one that I loved just as much as the book that came before it! I would HIGHLY recommend this series.
“May was deeply private in a way even Isaac wasn’t. Maybe at first Violet had mistaken that for disinterest and even disdain. But she knew by now that it was a defense mechanism against a world that she did not trust.”
This book follows the events of its predecessor, where the four protagonists (Violet, Isaac, Harper, and Justin) along with Justin’s sister May must pick up the pieces of what has happened. But a corruption is spreading throughout Four Paths, and these teenagers might be the only people who could stop it.
“He thought he could beat you down until you’d follow him anywhere. But that’s not what happened, is it?”
One thing I loved in this book is more May Hawthorne!!! She becomes more crucial in the story as she can read the Deck of Omens- and she brings in her father (who is hated by the rest of her family) to help her solve her problems. She brings a unique perspective to the story you didn’t get to see as much in the first book so I was thrilled to see her more often.
“Justin made our family look good, and she kept all our secrets hidden. I never really understood what she wanted from me, but I knew that if I wanted her to care about me I’d have to be an asset, too”
One important thing you get from May’s perspective is hearing about her relationship with her family, more importantly her mother. May and Augusta have a very strained relationship, where both are too stubborn to try to work on their issues. This is something I don’t always see in books, ESPECIALLY fantasy, and I’m thrilled it was included as it is the kind of thing I’m sure many teenagers can relate to at times.
“Friends ask each other for help. Don’t apologize for that.”
Both books in this series focus on the friendship of the protagonists- especially because they have been through so much, they have to support each other, and the author does a great job showing that.
“Do you ever worry that maybe you’re sad because it’s easy? Because you’re good at it?”
“I feel guilty when I’m happy, too,” he said. “And then I feel guilty about feeling guilty.”
“healing did not mean going back to the way things had been before. It meant transforming into someone new and accepting that person, sharp edges and all.”
This book also touches on mental health in a fantastic way. Every teenager in this book is struggling with a serious issue, especially Violet and Isaac. Violet has lost her sister, and Isaac is dealing with a horrible family (they’re really just a cult). This book does a good job of showing how they work through their struggles while, you know, battling a forest monster and all the rest of it. It shows that if these teenagers could heal themselves through what they have been through, you could too.
“A world he could not access. Powers he could not reach.”
This book also does a great job of building on what was established in the first book- it turns what you thought you knew into something even bigger, and gets you excited for everything that’s to come.
“Because it was not ash falling from the sky. It was snow.”
This book also does a great job of ending itself- wrapping up every loose end from both books in a way you WILL NOT expect.
“He would heal, and he would grow, and he would live.”
If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book, and if you like fantasy, or adventures, or honestly if you’re just bored, you’ll like it too. I would rate this book 5/5 stars.