Sanctifier

The Shattered City #2

by Meg Smitherman

Ru Delara, archaeologist, has finally proven that magic exists. Fen Verrill has vanished in the wake of his dark revelation, leaving Ru with a shattered heart. The cruelly handsome Lord D’Luc now holds Ru and her volatile artifact captive.

Meanwhile, conspiracy brews in the city of Mirith, its court overtaken and infatuated with the worship of a vengeful god. Ru and Fen are drawn inevitably to the heart of it. But everything in the palace is not as it seems, and Ru soon finds herself at a terrible crossroads: the future of the entire kingdom is hers to decide.

Ancient gods, subtle magic, and smoldering romance form a tangled web in this tantalizing and addictive conclusion to Ru Delara’s story.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Fiction

415 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2024

About the author

Meg Smitherman writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror books (all of which involve kissing). She studied Creative Writing at Brunel University London, where she obtained both her MA and a staggering amount of student loan debt. When not writing, Meg spends her time playing video games, reading fan fiction, and couch rotting. Based in Los Angeles, she shares her life with a chihuahua, a cat, and a handsome Englishman.

Follow Meg on social media!

Instagram: @megsmitherman
TikTok: @megsmitherman
Twitter: @megsauce

Reviews

[kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

april 8th: that was.. the ending????!????? of there SERIES????!?!?!? 😀 TELL ME UR LYING.

april 17: okay i have had time to ruminate on this book and i just have to say that while i really enjoyed it the ending had my eye twitching because there were SO many unanswered questions😭

that being said this was a really well written fantasy sequel, the worldbuilding was great and the characters were all multifaceted and interesting. would recommend!!

[Rowan Redfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tantalizing, romantic, and highly addictive, Sanctifier is the heart stopping conclusion to the Shattered City duology. It will leave you satisfied with its twists, exploration of religious corruption and the story of one girl that can save them all.

Was granted the privilege to read an early copy of this, and it was literally everything to me! Meg is a genius!

[Talia Devereaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

beware! spoilers ahead!

Ruellian Delara is back at the Tower with Lord Hugon D’Luc and her magical eviscerating heart. Fenn or Taryel, aka the Destroyer, dipped on her after something that I forgot happened. The first few chapters are basically Rue telling us how cruel Hugon is to her, but he tosses some casual insults her way, which made me chortle. Then he’s like, FINE, I’m gonna kill one of my brainless puppets to scare you into doing what I want, which I don’t understand. He does it one time, then doesn’t ever do it again. He chokes Rue out one time, too, then never does it again. The whole beginning portion of this book was just weird to me, tbh. It felt like it was really struggling to find its footing.

Then they’re summoned to the castle where we learn that the queen is also under some mind puppetry, and all of it actually being led by this Lady Bellenet. If she was in the first book I don’t remember at all. So, they’re trying to make this court out to be like a religious cult for this god Festra, who is meant to be Taryel reincarnated? But how it’s explained that the cult came about is that Festra was treated like a fad. And since courtiers are vain they all jumped on the fad and now are unknowingly in a cult???? Tbh, that…doesn’t add up for me. There are people who had their minds altered so that they’d be blindly devoted to this cult, and then these courtiers who are just pretending to be into the cult because it’s the hot new thing to do? I was hoping for some freaky religious fanatics, but I got this instead, lol.

I'm just gonna summarize the last half of this book because I was wildly disappointed with it. They find out Lady Bellenet can take away everyone's emotions because she prayed to Festra for her daughter's passage to paradise in the after life? And then she's given this power as a way to absolve him but for some reason she thinks the way to do that is to make Ru use her magic rock to eviscerate literally everyone while they're mindless puppets? I don't understand why, at all but okay. Ru is told there's no way to restore the puppet people back to their former selves and she instantly accepts it even though she is literally a scientist. Hugon keeps having weird moments of being nice to her, it seems like the author wasn't quite sure if she wanted him to be an actual good guy or just a dude full of man pain. Either way it's never clarified because he apparently kills himself by jumping off a balcony. That's also never 100% clarified, btw. If he killed himself or if he was murdered. No one bothers to investigate they're just like dope, and move on to the next day where Ru is supposed to eviscerate everyone.

It takes Ru's besties getting their personalities wiped away before she finally is able to use the magic rock. Her reactions to watching all her friends get their personalities removed is so bizarre. She literally just sits there and is like no wait plz no don't do that.

Why has no one thought to just attack Lady Bellenet? Stab her in the back? Ru is sneaking around the castle at all hours of the night why does she never consider just assassinating the lady? she's robbing people of their souls and intending to commit genocide. I think that's a good enough reason but she never even considers it. Even when Taryel is being threatened she's like but nOOOO just let him die and kill her dude who cares?

When he finally does die, with 20 pages left in the book she finally realizes that maybe everyone can be saved with the power of love. And then she does that and resurrects Taryel and the book ends. Lady Bellenet's body literally vanishes, everyone is apparently restored and the book literally ends immediately afterward. I hated it.

[Shannon | readingwithmarlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

carried me through the pain cave of a half marathon and that alone deserves the world

story also slapped and I loved seeing more from our MCs, especially the spice 🥵🥵🥵🥵

highly recommend this duology to fantasy romance fans everywhere, esp those who are into the mummy 🤌🏼

[Nikki Jeske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meg continues to outshine herself in this sequel to DESTROYER. She has the ability to take my breath away with the simplest of lines and smallest of details. It reminds me of how Miyazaki puts in the tiniest details of humanity in his movies - putting on shoes in a quirky way or folding clothes carefully. Overall it doesn't add to the bigger picture, but in the moment, in the intelligent and subtle actions of the character descriptions, it makes everything more alive. More real. Meg is a masterful storyteller and SANCTIFIER is a masterclass in heartbreakingly beautiful storytelling. By the end I was curled into a ball crying and if that doesn't tell you how good a book is, I don't know what does.

[Ariel Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I finished Destroyer (book 1) I NEEDED to read this book. The level of investment I had for all of the characters from Destroyer was significantly amplified in Sanctifier.

A true rollercoaster of emotions start to finish, with twists and turns just as heartbreaking as before (actually probably more so).

I feel so beyond lucky that I was able to read this early - Meg’s writing is truly phenomenal, and I cannot recommend this book enough!!

[Madison C · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a shame that the only long reviews I do are for books I didn’t end up liking very much.
I’ll give the author credit, you literally have no idea what’s going to happen next because it all feels pretty random. Revelations are made abruptly and too easily and then ignored for chapters on end??? We’re clueless one moment and then it all makes sense the next??? She’s supposed to be an academic but doesn’t question a whole lot???? She’s supposed to wield this great power but we see her do the same thing with it like three times and there is no progress made with this power until the very end and it just works out??? She can’t stand up for herself and her friends and we don’t get a great explanation as to why??? Was this on purpose???
Her relationship with the main love interest just seems so forced and the emotions are so dramatic and feel entirely unrealistic. The relationships she develops with everyone else feel far more authentic. Even if they are, on occasion, one dimensional. There’s little lines and things that these side characters do and say that develop the relationships nicely, but then the relationships go nowhere. AND THEN her friends play this pivotal role in her figuring it out the end, just like randomly?? And with the main guy, he makes her mad, she pushes him away, and it feels like they’ve barely interacted or said two words to each other since the first book when he betrays her and yet she goes on and on about how his presence makes her horny???? It’s not till she finally (with no real explanation or redeeming action from him) decides “ok yeah, I do love you I guess” and that’s when the relationship actually starts to develop (after 300 pages). Except for the parts where he says dumb things like: “I’d genuinely love to unalive myself for Ru if she asked me to” (I’m paraphrasing). 🙄 THEY DONT EVEN HAVE THAT MUCH IN COMMON, BUT THEYRE SUPPOSED TO BE KINDRED SOULS? and don’t get me started on the hella awkward timing of the sex scenes??? She’s like falling deeper and deeper into this hopelessness and he like “you’ll figure it out girly, I love you” and guess what she does, I guess. Ugh, book one drew my interest, book two didn’t deliver. Oh well. Sorry for the rant.

[Taiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe more like 3.5 rounded up to 4. I LIKED this book, and the writing style was captivating...but there were so many loose threads and such an abrupt ending that it sorta jarred me. There was a moment that I flipped the last page a few times thinking "wheres the rest??"

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ a great duology! Would definitely recommend & both books are on kindle unlimited💫

[Juliette Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi friends! Here is my review/rec for Sanctifier! (spoiler free!) ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This was an ARC read of the second book in the Shattered City duology by @megsmitherman 📚
After devouring book one of the series, Destroyer, I could hardly wait for this book to come out & was lucky enough to receive an ARC! 🪨☀️
Furthering her efforts from the first book, Meg built on the existing world and characters, giving them much more depth and connectivity to the reader. 🔮
I genuinely enjoyed/loved this book and the feeling of impending doom that kept me holding on to hope as I rooted for Ru & Fen 🖤
Also: the scary religious cult intensifies from book one.
I was staying up until 1 am trying to figure out if everything was going to be okay. ⛪️😭
This was definitely a “what was I made for” book in terms of existential meaning in a fictional setting, which is so different and was like a breath of fresh air.
I definitely recommend reading the duology!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect ending to this incredible duology! I was one the edge of my seat the last half of the book and (as is typical with all Smitherman’s works) I was completely engrossed from start to finish! Truly a work of art and clear evidence of Meg Smitherman’s master craftsmanship as an author.

[Andrea Brado · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Reader.

This is a beautiful wrap up to the The Shattered City series. The last half of this duology poses an age old dilemma - What if your death could save the world? Would you fight to save everyone and yourself? Or make the ultimate sacrifice?

—- Spoilers —-

Ru and Taryel (Fen) team back up to research and protect the artifact. They are dragged in front of the kingdom and forced to prepare for another “cleansing”. We discover where Taryel has been and why. The answers are unsatisfactory and the abandonment he created for Ru is a consistent underlying theme in this story.

Their dynamic is adorable and frustrating. Their arguments a mixture of magic and science. I’m reality, they should be nowhere near each other for the sake of everyone but the artifact continues to draw them together.

The author gives us an imperfect heroine. Who fails to take action when her self made family is in danger. We learn more about our supporting characters and dive deeply into the back story of Lord D’Luc. There’s also a flawed approach from our heroine in that she believes every villain can be saved. Clinging to the idea that villains are human too and one corrected perspective away from regret / change. This leads to some poor decision making on her part.

—-

A few items I found confusing / didn’t like. Why does Taryel defer to Simon? No one else seems to defer to Simon in this way. While Simon has a lot of influence, his planning / decision making skills are proven time and time again to be insufficient. Taryel being who he is, should defer to really no one and I found the dynamic to be contradictory to his overall character.

At some point in this story, if the duo just left the kingdom, or if Ru killed herself, a mass destruction could be avoided. The only one who can wake the artifact is Ru. The only symbol of the old god, Festra, is Taryel. Remove them and the artifact is harmless. While this option was considered I felt that it should have been explored more or even taken as the plot path.

Now in the end, the artifact driven by love removes a curse and saves all. Which has a high level of unpredictability for our main characters but not as much for the reader.

A good read and well written.

— Quotes —-
“She merely blinked in response, her gaze glassy and faraway. As if she'd never seen
Simon before in her life.”

“He seemed determined to make Ru feel terrible. She often left their breakfasts with tears in her eyes, questioning her own motives, her intelligence, her place in the world.”

“ ‘Tell me, how does one differentiate between science and magic?’ ‘One doesn't‘ said Ru, unable to hide her exasperation… ‘as you know, my theories point to it being rooted in physics.’ “

“…every time Ru was alone, she thought about him. Every moment in solitude was a slow and subtle agony.”

“ ‘I’ve been miserable every… Every second of every day since you left.’ “

“ ‘If it's Taryel,’ Ru muttered, ‘would you mind stabbing him for me?’ Lyr glanced down. ‘This sword's more for slicing than stabbing, but…’ “

“ ‘Words alone can change the world.’ ‘Even the ignorant can speak,’ Ru said unable to stop herself.”

[Lauren Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanctifier has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I can confidently say it did not disappoint. Once I got my hands on the book I finished it within two nights gladly sacrificing sleep to get lost in Meg Smitherman’s magical world. After reading Destroyer, book one in this series, I spent a lot of time guessing possible scenarios Smitherman could use in the second book but none of my wildest imaginations lived up to what happened in the book. Even while I was reading I was guessing how the book would end and while I got close on some events I am so glad it wasn’t predictable. Sanctifier had themes of religious trauma and manipulation, love, loss, strength, redemption, and the science of magic. One of my favorite things about the book is how science, magic, and religion were all incorporated together and how it meant different things to different characters at different times. Another thing that made Sanctifier one of my top reads of the year was the love story element. I don’t want to say too much and spoil anything, but I will say the connection and growth between the FMC and MMC was well written and made me want more. The last thing I want to mention about the book is the ending. I had become really emotionally invested in the book and characters. I wasn’t ready to let the characters go and the only reason it took me two days to finish was because I didn’t want the book to end. By the time I got to the end of the epilogue I was completely satisfied with the ending. I will definitely be rereading the book just like I reread Destroyer. I highly recommend reading the series. Everything Meg Smitherman writes is fantastic.

[Arielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is delayed, but I knew I needed to come back and write one. Meg Smitherman does it again with this tantalizing sequel!!! I will admit, I am often wary of sequels by authors I’m still new to. I often fall in love with characters the first book only to be disappointed in their growth/development/relationships in the second, third, or fourth books.

Sanctifier does every single character justice. Ru continues to be a realistic protagonist, with development that felt raw and real. Sometimes it felt like we were getting a peek at sides of her we weren’t meant to see and I LOVED that. It made me relate with her all the more.

I won’t spoil anything in this review, but all protagonists and antagonists in this story have a very real and raw story that makes it all so wonderfully grey. Do I love them? Do I hate them? It depends on the page I’m reading in that moment. That juggling act is so hard to do correctly, and Meg does it wonderfully.

Her writing continues to be a favorite of mine, with lyrical and beautiful, poetic descriptions that often leave me pausing to reflect on the BEAUTY in the writing. I am, and will forever be, mesmerized and inspired by her craft.

I sobbed at the end of this book because it was over. I already can’t wait to reread this series again and experience the ride with fresh eyes to look for all the little Easter eggs hidden throughout. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[L.J. Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for giving me an ARC of this book to review.

It was great to be back in the world of the Shattered City. This instalment answered a lot of questions and unveiled some really unsettling aspects of what was going on. There was so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat, with each page something else to uncover. I loved the ending, even though it was very mean!

Ru in this book I found she wasn't herself, which I fully understood with the circumstances she was up against. Even though she seemed submissive and a player in the antagonists game, I liked her small acts of defiance that annoyed them to no end. And Taryel, he was awesome, it was nice to understand him better and what had actually happened. All the characters aiding Ru in her quest was a really nice touch given how much she had lost.

The book was slightly slower paced than Destroyer, but otherwise I really enjoyed my adventure. I really recommend this series if you want court intrigue, really creepy cults and multiple layers of lore to ingest in an awesome little package.

[Dayna | daynas.bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

the FEELINGS this book made me feel.

the shattered city duology will definitely be a duology i recommend time and time again! meg smitherman’s ability to fit so much detail into two books while not confusing the reader or muddying the plot is one of my favorite things about these books.

fen takes the cake for one of the most interesting mmc’s i’ve read lately. his backstory pulled me in immediately and his absolute PINING in sanctifier was so so lovely to experience.

ru is that girl and i love how she’s not afraid to feel her feelings. she may try to push them down at times (she’s just like me for real) but she sticks to her beliefs and i love her for that.

like i said in my IG review…. this duology is for the readers who read shadow & bone and wanted alina to choose the darkling 👀 you know the scene in lord of the rings where aragorn pushes open the doors at helms deep? yeAH?? if you like that scene, you'd definitely love Fen. if you watched pirates of the caribbean and wanted more romantic backstory from davy jones and calypso- BOY OH BOY YOU'D LOVE THIS BOOK.

[Amanda | romandasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the first book was pretty solid and was excited to see how book two would go. Why did neither of the main characters do anything? Ru never stood up for herself, and Fen/Taryel never helped the girl out? The keeper of “your heart” is being lowkey tortured everyday and you’re just out there playing god and meeting up with her at parties? where’s the appeal here? book one Fen was ~I’ll protect you through everything~ and this dude was like look away from your dead-eye friends so sad. And Ruuuuuu babe get a grip! you control an ancient artifact like zap some people! at the very least don’t let yourself be treated like a door mat and then just cry in bed everyyyy night? Maybe I’m just used to reading about different kinds of characters but these two drove me crazy. ending was so quick and just wrapped everything up in a perfect bow like why did I spend so much time in Ru’s depression for it to be solved in five minutes? I’m disappointed. It’s definitely not a bad duo and I enjoyed Meg’s style of writing but I think the main characters just weren’t for me.

[sunbeams.and.rainbows · Rating 5 out of 5]

If “Destroyer,” part one of “The Shattered City,” kept you wanting in any way, “Sanctifier” will leave you satisfied in all the best ways. I was immediately drawn back into the world of Ruellian Delara & Fen Verrill & was held there by each unfolding mystery. “Sanctifier” has intrigue, drama, romance, spice, multi-faceted characters (both heroes & villains), heartbreak, & heart-pounding twists. The only thing I wanted more of was for the book to continue on. The two parts of “The Shattered City” may be finished, but we want more, Meg! If you’re looking for a quick read that’s not just fluff & will make you think, look no further! But don’t worry, the spice is (very) good too & well worth the slow burn in “Destroyer.” I thoroughly enjoyed “Sanctifier,” &, fair warning, I will now be spamming your IG feed with all my annotated quotes. You’re welcome. Thanks for writing such a lovely book, Meg!

[Sierra Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC reader here! This was the most heart wrenchingly beautiful conclusion to a sweet couple’s story. I found myself trying to figure out the mystery of The Children along with Ru while reading, which is not something I usually do. I was hooked, invested, and could not pull myself away. If you’re here reading reviews to decide if you should try out this book, do yourself a favor and just read the series!

Quotes: (and so many more but I’m not gonna put spoilers in!)

And now, there was nothing she could do to stop her mind from wandering back to that feeling, watching Taryel’s deft hands, the curve of his neck, the way locks of his hair sometimes clung to the edges of his jaw. The agonizing taunt of his gaze locked on hers 😍🥰


“I won’t let them harm you,” Taryel said. “I would do anything for you… you know that. Anything to protect you and, what did I call it? Your little rock.” 🪨🩶


Taryel was, in that moment, enough. 😌🖤

[Kelsey Snook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg Smitherman is one of my more recently discovered authors and I have chewed through all of her books. This was a good followup to Destroyer, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes academic novels, archaeology, and fantasy. A big thing I appreciated in this story is that Ru actually talks to her friends about her situation, her problems, what's going on, etc. So often in books characters keep information from each other and it drives me nuts but they actually talk to each other here and I love it.

"He fit into the crevices of Ru's isolation, filling her up until she burned with him."

"Couldn't everyone leave her alone with her books?"

"You'll be lucky to leave here in one piece, let alone with a cookie. Talk."

"It's easy to turn a blind eye when you want something that badly."

"Please belive me when I say that however deeply you hate me, I've spent lifetimes hating myself more."

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was halfway through this book I was thinking it would be a 3 star, but THAT SECOND PART. Holy cow. Meg Smitherman does not hold back on this. No one is safe. What I really appreciated though was the thread that focused on the swing from science to religion and the way I could see parallels in our own world. The way that people choose to worship figures as gods who are just rich or tech moguls... *laughs in panic*

This book tore me up emotionally in ways that I had not experience in a long time and I think that's because Meg does such a fantastic job creating side characters you get invested in. Even the characters you hate end up breaking your heart in ways. I would have liked to see the ending drawn out a little more, but still enjoyed it because the 2nd part of this book was just hit after hit after hit. This book is the closest I've come to a book that actually comps to the 1999 Mummy movie and that's the highest compliment.

[Maggie Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it's because I am a total simp for her writing, or maybe it's because she's an absolute genius*, but Smitherman has done it again. Sanctifier is the heart-racing, pulse-stopping, breath-catching, finale to the Shattered City duology that will leave you sunken in your chair, devastated that it's over. The decadent world she's crafted is one you'll want to completely immerse yourself in and never want to leave and the characters she's crafted are so well developed I wish that they were real, even the villains. I could go on and on about this book and this series, but it would only turn into a long meandering proclamation of love for Taryel and Meg Smitherman's writing, so for the sake of sparing the world from that, I will say only this: READ THIS BOOK.








*It's the latter. She's a genius.

[mollyhawk · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so so so excited about Sanctifier coming out. After I finished Destroyer (which I adored), I put the Sanctifier release date on my calendar. In anticipation of that release, I reread Destroyer and was again so into the characters, how bright, dedicated, and thoughtful Ru was, the development and depiction of the relationships and friendships and world.

Then I read Sanctifier and, well, talk about Shattered City.

This book was such a letdown for me that it literally drove me to write my first review on Goodreads. Everything I liked about the characters was just gone, they became utterly flat, their relationships made no sense, and the world building went from interesting to explore to tedious and predictable.

In the unlikely event Meg Smitherman reads this: I still think you're great! I believe in you and your ability to do better!

[ʚ leeza ɞ · Rating 2 out of 5]

HUH??? THATS IT? Wheres the rest??

This book did not do it for me which is extra disappointing since I really enjoyed the first book and just loves Megs writing in general. There were just.... so many things about this book that fell flat for me. The characters that I loved from the first book seemed to disappear and were replaced with these cardboard cutouts of them. The relationships in this book were all over the place and hard to get through and any of the plot progression just felt random and forced. Thats all without even begin to complain about that ending. What happened...? What do you mean it was just wrapped up with a big bow in 20 pages max with so many unanswered questions?

I am glad that so many people enjoyed this sequel but it was not for me. Regardless, I still enjoy this style of writing and I will continue to read the rest of Megs work!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got a bit of a pause with this book and had to start again a couple of times because was on a reading slump but let me tell you that when this picks up the pace it REALLY picks up the pace.

An absolutely stunning conclusion to the Shattered City duology.
Sanctifier is raw, haunting, and impossibly gripping—every page crackles with tension, emotion, and the weight of impossible choices.

Meg has this rare ability to craft worlds and characters that feel so real, so deeply human, that they carve themselves into you. Her writing is sharp, poetic, and devastating in the best way.

By the time I reached the end, I felt hollowed out and rebuilt at the same time. If Destroyer shattered me, Sanctifier buried the pieces in gold. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long, long time.

[Logan Karlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She was the goddess of light, and he was the god of death."

Heart-wrenchingly romantic and achingly beautiful; if you loved Destroyer, you will absolutely devour Sanctifier. This book will linger with you (or perhaps even haunt your dreams, like it did mine) for a long time after reading it.

Sanctifier takes place right after the events in Destroyer, immersing readers in the inner workings of Mirith and its twisted court politics. Nothing is as it seems, and Ru is once again tangled in a web that seeks to destroy her. But she must rise to overcome her circumstances . . . even if it causes her to question everything she's ever known.

An easy 5/5 stars.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

After enjoying the first book so greatly, book two did not measure up. It’s pain, torture and despair throughout, and there were many times when I felt so incredibly frustrated with the characters. Like, I get it. The FMC is not a violent person, and she’s not going to find some way to assassinate the villain in the night, but she wouldn’t even pick up a fire poker in the heat of the moment to save someone’s soul from being sucked out right in front of her. She never so much as angrily throws a cup of wine in the villain’s face. It makes you wonder if she even cares about her friends and loved ones at all. The book ends in a deus ex machina.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking conclusion to the duology!

I loved Destroyer. I reread Destroyer to prepare for Sanctifier and I loved it just as much as the first time. But Sanctifier is like Destroyer amplified- more tension, more intrigue, more balls and parties, more Simon.

Meg incorporates the smallest details in her stories that make it real, that make me pause and realize that I know that mundane little human action and now I have a connection to this character. Meg’s world building is beyond compare.

I couldn’t have asked for a better end for Ru’s story. These characters will live with me for a long time.

[Rachel (rache1reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible ending for this duology. Meg shows the nuances of humanity and how interpretations of the same thing can vary wildly from person to person.

This second book deals a lot more with court intrigue and religious trauma. There were a lot a twists and turns throughout, which made it hardly predictable. I really enjoyed the immersive writing and found myself fully invested in the fate of Ru and her friends. Overall Sanctifier is a story of perseverance, forgiveness, and optimism.

"There was, Ru believed, no such thing as an evil soul. Monsters were made, not born."

[Tara N Gabrys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oof. That one got me good. This story was absolutely heart wrenching. I felt for Hugon so much towards the end of the book despite my hatred towards him for nearly the entire series. I love a good reveal when the villain actually has a soul after all. The love connection between Ru and Taryel was so strong and I loved their journey.

The way the story played with science vs faith in a fantasy world was unmatched. So clever and well written. I think my favorite part of this book was the subtle similarities between Hugon and Draco Malfoy. LOVE!! So complex and unexpected.

A great read!