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The Unseen World #2
A Sleight of Shadows
Return to Kat Howard’s Alex Award–winning world begun in An Unkindness of Magicians, a secret society of power-hungry magicians in New York City.
After taking down the source of the corruption of the Unseen World, Sydney is left with almost no magical ability. Feeling estranged from herself, she is determined to find a way back to her status as one of the world’s most dangerous magicians. Unfortunately, she needs to do this quickly: the House of Shadows, the hell on earth that shaped her into who she was, the place she sacrificed everything to destroy, is rebuilding itself.
“The House of shadows sits on bones. All of the sacrifices, all of the magicians who died in Shadows, they’re buried beneath the foundations. Bones hold magic.”
The magic of the Unseen World is acting strangely, faltering, bleeding out from the edges. Determined to keep the House of Shadows from returning to power and to defeat the magicians who want nothing more than to have it back, Sydney turns to extremes in a desperate attempt to regain her sacrificed magic. She is forced to decide what she will give up and what she will lose and whether what must be destroyed is not only the House of Shadows, but the Unseen World itself.
World Fantasy Award finalist Kat Howard has written a sequel that asks how you have a happily ever in a world that doesn’t want it, where the cost of that happiness may be too much to bear.
After taking down the source of the corruption of the Unseen World, Sydney is left with almost no magical ability. Feeling estranged from herself, she is determined to find a way back to her status as one of the world’s most dangerous magicians. Unfortunately, she needs to do this quickly: the House of Shadows, the hell on earth that shaped her into who she was, the place she sacrificed everything to destroy, is rebuilding itself.
“The House of shadows sits on bones. All of the sacrifices, all of the magicians who died in Shadows, they’re buried beneath the foundations. Bones hold magic.”
The magic of the Unseen World is acting strangely, faltering, bleeding out from the edges. Determined to keep the House of Shadows from returning to power and to defeat the magicians who want nothing more than to have it back, Sydney turns to extremes in a desperate attempt to regain her sacrificed magic. She is forced to decide what she will give up and what she will lose and whether what must be destroyed is not only the House of Shadows, but the Unseen World itself.
World Fantasy Award finalist Kat Howard has written a sequel that asks how you have a happily ever in a world that doesn’t want it, where the cost of that happiness may be too much to bear.
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First published April 25, 2023
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About the author
Kat Howard
114 books808 followersKat Howard is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror who lives and writes in Minnesota.
Her novella, The End of the Sentence, co-written with Maria Dahvana Headley, was one of NPR's best books of 2014, and her debut novel, Roses and Rot was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel. An Unkindness of Magicians was named a best book of 2017 by NPR, and won a 2018 Alex Award. Her short fiction collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, collects work that has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, performed as part of Selected Shorts, and anthologized in year’s best and best of volumes, as well as new pieces original to the collection. She was the writer for the first 18 issues of The Books of Magic, part of DC Comics' Sandman Universe. Her next novel, A Sleight of Shadows, the sequel to An Unkindness of Magicians, is coming April 25, 2023. In the past, she’s been a competitive fencer and a college professor.
You can find her @KatwithSword on Twitter and on Instagram. She talks about books at Epigraph to Epilogue.
Her novella, The End of the Sentence, co-written with Maria Dahvana Headley, was one of NPR's best books of 2014, and her debut novel, Roses and Rot was a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel. An Unkindness of Magicians was named a best book of 2017 by NPR, and won a 2018 Alex Award. Her short fiction collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, collects work that has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, performed as part of Selected Shorts, and anthologized in year’s best and best of volumes, as well as new pieces original to the collection. She was the writer for the first 18 issues of The Books of Magic, part of DC Comics' Sandman Universe. Her next novel, A Sleight of Shadows, the sequel to An Unkindness of Magicians, is coming April 25, 2023. In the past, she’s been a competitive fencer and a college professor.
You can find her @KatwithSword on Twitter and on Instagram. She talks about books at Epigraph to Epilogue.
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August 10, 2022There’s a sequel to my favorite book of all time?!?!
I’m not crying, you’re crying!!
I’m not crying, you’re crying!!
April 27, 2023
Another book for the “I badly wanted a sequel and then I got the sequel and now I kind of regret it” pile.
I really loved the first book in this series, and this one was…okay I guess, but mostly it made it clear that there really wasn’t any more story to tell after one book. I think this suffered in part because it has been more than five years since the first book came out, and while I liked it very much, it wasn’t exactly memorable with the kind of timelessness and specificity required to hold the interest of a reader after such a long lag between books.
A lot of the problem is that this isn’t really an expansion of the first book into some sort of greater, overarching plot. It was essentially just the same plot as the first book with some tweaks of who plays what role and what the exact circumstances are. And I’m not sure there’s much benefit in a sequel that is just a retelling of its predecessor.
I still love the way Howard writes her magical system, and I’m always up for things written from a house’s perspective in Fantasy. But should An Unkindness of Magicians have stayed a Standalone? Probably.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I really loved the first book in this series, and this one was…okay I guess, but mostly it made it clear that there really wasn’t any more story to tell after one book. I think this suffered in part because it has been more than five years since the first book came out, and while I liked it very much, it wasn’t exactly memorable with the kind of timelessness and specificity required to hold the interest of a reader after such a long lag between books.
A lot of the problem is that this isn’t really an expansion of the first book into some sort of greater, overarching plot. It was essentially just the same plot as the first book with some tweaks of who plays what role and what the exact circumstances are. And I’m not sure there’s much benefit in a sequel that is just a retelling of its predecessor.
I still love the way Howard writes her magical system, and I’m always up for things written from a house’s perspective in Fantasy. But should An Unkindness of Magicians have stayed a Standalone? Probably.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
June 27, 2023
In Central Park, the bone trees were speaking. Each tree told its own story, each in its own voice, the sound of who the tree had been in life. Some simply wept, sorrow given root and growth. Others spoke their names over and over, as if that one thing was all they had left to cling to. Some spoke longer - bits and pieces of lives, and of deaths. They spoke even when no one was there to listen, like the telling itself was the key to a ritual. Their voices filled the park like fog, haunting everyone who passed within its bounds.
This is Kat Howard, so regardless of how much I enjoyed it there is a standard of writing that means, bare minimum, it'll be gorgeous. But despite having loved book one, this just didn't hit the same.
It's hard with books like this, where I liked it, but it was simultaneously too much and not enough. There were parts of this that could have been added to the first in the series, but on its own it didn't feel like it trod enough new ground. Again, we're watching the system that preys on the young and non-established being dismantled by those with too much conscience to stand by and let history continue to repeat (and that allegory isn't particularly subtle, but until something happens I'm starting to believe things need to be a little less hint-y so no dings for that). A message I can get behind, but not enough change to feel distinct from the first book; Sydney's disadvantages felt like hobbles added to keep her from being too accomplished and ending the book in a couple of places by being too good at magic.
But - there's just some gorgeous writing. And it's an excuse to get more of this really intriguing world and Kat Howard's particularly beautifully described magical homes that want to wrap you up in their cozy, personalised rooms. It may not have been everything I wanted from the sequel, but it was very much worth the time.
This is Kat Howard, so regardless of how much I enjoyed it there is a standard of writing that means, bare minimum, it'll be gorgeous. But despite having loved book one, this just didn't hit the same.
It's hard with books like this, where I liked it, but it was simultaneously too much and not enough. There were parts of this that could have been added to the first in the series, but on its own it didn't feel like it trod enough new ground. Again, we're watching the system that preys on the young and non-established being dismantled by those with too much conscience to stand by and let history continue to repeat (and that allegory isn't particularly subtle, but until something happens I'm starting to believe things need to be a little less hint-y so no dings for that). A message I can get behind, but not enough change to feel distinct from the first book; Sydney's disadvantages felt like hobbles added to keep her from being too accomplished and ending the book in a couple of places by being too good at magic.
But - there's just some gorgeous writing. And it's an excuse to get more of this really intriguing world and Kat Howard's particularly beautifully described magical homes that want to wrap you up in their cozy, personalised rooms. It may not have been everything I wanted from the sequel, but it was very much worth the time.
May 1, 2023
The first novel in the series was about, as its title suggested, the world founded on unkindness and about one person's struggle - and success - to dismantle it. The sequel explores how naïve it is to assume that such a win can be quick and clean and follows the old and new characters as they navigate the shifting status quo. It shows that people who are used to power and comfort would be unwilling to obediently fall in line - not because they are all evil (only some of them) but because it requires strong character to go against the current - and that there are no simple solutions to complex problems. It also shows how the hero who made the great sacrifice has to live with its consequences.
In other words, the series continues in its previous vein of sometimes bleak realism, even though the subject is magic.
It was easy to for me to re-connect with the characters as they continued to be three-dimensional and very human. I could always understand their drive and emotional core, whether I agreed with them or not, whether their actions were selfless or selfish.
And despite this reality being so bleak, I feel comforted as I sank again into the Unseen World, re-visited the known places and explored new ones. The world-building was just so sharply sketched and the prose that was somehow both sharp and lush certainly helped.
There was also no shortage of some hard-hitting moments that had me pause the audiobook and stare at my phone in astonishment.
The only thing I was disappointed with to the extent that I ended up deducting a star from the final rating was the finale. It was too abrupt and confusing.
In other words, the series continues in its previous vein of sometimes bleak realism, even though the subject is magic.
It was easy to for me to re-connect with the characters as they continued to be three-dimensional and very human. I could always understand their drive and emotional core, whether I agreed with them or not, whether their actions were selfless or selfish.
And despite this reality being so bleak, I feel comforted as I sank again into the Unseen World, re-visited the known places and explored new ones. The world-building was just so sharply sketched and the prose that was somehow both sharp and lush certainly helped.
There was also no shortage of some hard-hitting moments that had me pause the audiobook and stare at my phone in astonishment.
The only thing I was disappointed with to the extent that I ended up deducting a star from the final rating was the finale. It was too abrupt and confusing.
August 7, 2025
This was so unnecessary. There just wasn't much story left to tell after Unkindness. Even though I loved that one, and still think the world is so cool, I didn't need this book. I was so excited for a sequel when it was announced, but wanted a lot more from it.
March 17, 2023
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Hm.
I’m not sure where to start with this one, because while I really loved the general gist of the story, there were some glaring missing pieces of it for me. I love the first book in this duology — An Unkindness of Magicians. I love love love that one. It felt new, original, and fresh when I read it for the first time. When it comes to A Sleight of Shadows, however, it feels like it’s missing something. It’s almost but not quite a whole story, unfortunately.
So what’s it missing? Emotion. There is very little emotional connection in this book. Hardly any of the characters show any other emotion other than rage or fear. Several characters die — I won’t say who — and no one…seems to care? We don’t see anyone really mourning them, we don’t see the loss truly felt on page. It’s just something that happens and suddenly everyone is okay with it and moves on. Now, this might be because The Unseen World is built on death and everyone is used to people just dying, but c’mon. That feels ridiculous. A cop-out answer if there ever was one. Now, how on earth do you write a book where the main character has major, extreme, PTSD about something in her past and never include emotion? How does that even happen?
The meat of the story, the action-y bits were just as good as the first book in this series. The magic used isn’t as spectacular or mind-blowing, but it’s there and it is at the very least interesting. But just like in An Unkindness of Magicians, I’m missing the connection. You want Sydney to succeed in what she’s set out to do, you want her to win, but my god couldn’t we see her feel something? The only loss we see her mourn over is the loss of her magic. How on earth could that be it? There’s a lot of telling going on, and not a lot of showing, unfortunately.
The other characters — especially the villain — are great. The rage and entitlement felt there was nausea inducing. The ending, once again, comes too quick and without much build up. I only knew I was getting close to the book ending by the percentage complete climbing higher towards 100% on my Kindle. Without that, I would have thought I had a lot more book coming. I’m slightly disappointed by this one. It could have been great, it could have been something really unique, but instead we have a half-complete story. Three-and-a-half stars.
Hm.
I’m not sure where to start with this one, because while I really loved the general gist of the story, there were some glaring missing pieces of it for me. I love the first book in this duology — An Unkindness of Magicians. I love love love that one. It felt new, original, and fresh when I read it for the first time. When it comes to A Sleight of Shadows, however, it feels like it’s missing something. It’s almost but not quite a whole story, unfortunately.
So what’s it missing? Emotion. There is very little emotional connection in this book. Hardly any of the characters show any other emotion other than rage or fear. Several characters die — I won’t say who — and no one…seems to care? We don’t see anyone really mourning them, we don’t see the loss truly felt on page. It’s just something that happens and suddenly everyone is okay with it and moves on. Now, this might be because The Unseen World is built on death and everyone is used to people just dying, but c’mon. That feels ridiculous. A cop-out answer if there ever was one. Now, how on earth do you write a book where the main character has major, extreme, PTSD about something in her past and never include emotion? How does that even happen?
The meat of the story, the action-y bits were just as good as the first book in this series. The magic used isn’t as spectacular or mind-blowing, but it’s there and it is at the very least interesting. But just like in An Unkindness of Magicians, I’m missing the connection. You want Sydney to succeed in what she’s set out to do, you want her to win, but my god couldn’t we see her feel something? The only loss we see her mourn over is the loss of her magic. How on earth could that be it? There’s a lot of telling going on, and not a lot of showing, unfortunately.
The other characters — especially the villain — are great. The rage and entitlement felt there was nausea inducing. The ending, once again, comes too quick and without much build up. I only knew I was getting close to the book ending by the percentage complete climbing higher towards 100% on my Kindle. Without that, I would have thought I had a lot more book coming. I’m slightly disappointed by this one. It could have been great, it could have been something really unique, but instead we have a half-complete story. Three-and-a-half stars.
July 20, 2024
Hmm......... 3,5 stars but rounding up.
This one wasn't as spellbinding as An Unkindness of Magicians. A bit too short for its plot, making it feel a bit lacking. Some characters didn't feel like their POV brought enough to the book. The writing is still on point and I adore Sydney.
This one wasn't as spellbinding as An Unkindness of Magicians. A bit too short for its plot, making it feel a bit lacking. Some characters didn't feel like their POV brought enough to the book. The writing is still on point and I adore Sydney.
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August 29, 2022is this real??? is it finally happening?????
May 8, 2023
Usually when I wish a book was longer it is because I was enjoying it so much I didn't want to leave, not because I think it would be a better book if it was longer. But this book just needs to have more stuff in it. The Unseen World in An Unkindness of Magicians was bursting with flavor; serious characters with silly names, ancient arcane Houses named after famous historical sorcerers, a deeply complicated and interwoven mythology that we only got peeks of, awe-inspiring magical competitions. This book has like five characters and three locations. Its like a show got renewed but their budget got slashed for season 2. I wanted this world to be bigger and grander, not smaller and meaner.
Maybe that's what Howard was going for. The theme supports that, austerity is a watchword of this book in a way that, in hindsight, decadence was a watchword of the first. If it was, she did a good job of conveying the threadbare nature of the setting. But the plot is ALSO too thin; there are too many balls in the air and not enough people keeping them up, so the story ended up feeling rushed, especially at the end.
Maybe that's what Howard was going for. The theme supports that, austerity is a watchword of this book in a way that, in hindsight, decadence was a watchword of the first. If it was, she did a good job of conveying the threadbare nature of the setting. But the plot is ALSO too thin; there are too many balls in the air and not enough people keeping them up, so the story ended up feeling rushed, especially at the end.
March 11, 2023
I don't know if my tastes have changed since I read the first book or if that one was significantly better. This book was not it for me though, which is a bummer because I was excited when I heard about it.
This book felt like the bare bones of a story. If it had been fleshed out, I think I would have liked it a lot more. But there was a lack of description and emotion. I couldn't feel what the characters were feeling, and so many things were quickly summed up.
There were so many characters whose POVs were introduced at the beginning and who all felt like each other. A big part of this is again the lack of emotion for the reader to connect with.
I also found the writing style confusing as it made use of so many fragments that muddied the meaning of the narrative. It also frequently broke dialogue into new paragraphs when I don't think that was necessary (this also made things hard to follow at times).
The pacing picked up near the end, but this book felt like it was mostly dialogue exploring the world's magic system. It needed so much more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book felt like the bare bones of a story. If it had been fleshed out, I think I would have liked it a lot more. But there was a lack of description and emotion. I couldn't feel what the characters were feeling, and so many things were quickly summed up.
There were so many characters whose POVs were introduced at the beginning and who all felt like each other. A big part of this is again the lack of emotion for the reader to connect with.
I also found the writing style confusing as it made use of so many fragments that muddied the meaning of the narrative. It also frequently broke dialogue into new paragraphs when I don't think that was necessary (this also made things hard to follow at times).
The pacing picked up near the end, but this book felt like it was mostly dialogue exploring the world's magic system. It needed so much more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2023
I really loved this but it needed to be longer!
So many cool ideas that we only got a taste of and lots of characters that I would have liked to have spent more time with.
So many cool ideas that we only got a taste of and lots of characters that I would have liked to have spent more time with.
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November 22, 2020I had no idea this was getting a sequel, I'm so excited
October 3, 2023
3.5 to 4 stars
I liked this but didn't love it nearly as much as the first book. It's been a while since I've read An Unkindness of Magicians, so I couldn't entirely remember what had happened leading up to this book, but there were pieces throughout this book that helped me remember. It felt like the plot was a bit sparse here, and I couldn't connect to the characters as much as I did in the first book. However, I still enjoyed this overall and found it satisfying.
I liked this but didn't love it nearly as much as the first book. It's been a while since I've read An Unkindness of Magicians, so I couldn't entirely remember what had happened leading up to this book, but there were pieces throughout this book that helped me remember. It felt like the plot was a bit sparse here, and I couldn't connect to the characters as much as I did in the first book. However, I still enjoyed this overall and found it satisfying.
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January 27, 2023Wait, this is finally happening????
March 7, 2023
A Sleight of Shadows is the sequel to a book the was originally a standalone, An Unkindness of Magicians. This book takes place shortly after the events of the first book.
I loved the first book and didn’t think it needed a sequel. How often do we get fully realized, average sized, standalone fantasy books? The first book was one of the first adult fantasy books I read that I really loved.
This sequel is perfectly fine. I can see people really loving it but to me, it just felt forced. The problems that happened felt like they were just there for the sake of a sequel. The intrigue and mystery from the first book wasn’t there for me. Granted, it’s been years since I read the first book so a lot of this could just be my taste in reading has changed
This book is getting a three star instead of anything lower because I do think it is well written. I love Kat Howard’s writing style. I just wish this would have been a new story instead of a sequel that wasn’t needed. I would actually be more interested in a prequel novel to this world.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
I loved the first book and didn’t think it needed a sequel. How often do we get fully realized, average sized, standalone fantasy books? The first book was one of the first adult fantasy books I read that I really loved.
This sequel is perfectly fine. I can see people really loving it but to me, it just felt forced. The problems that happened felt like they were just there for the sake of a sequel. The intrigue and mystery from the first book wasn’t there for me. Granted, it’s been years since I read the first book so a lot of this could just be my taste in reading has changed
This book is getting a three star instead of anything lower because I do think it is well written. I love Kat Howard’s writing style. I just wish this would have been a new story instead of a sequel that wasn’t needed. I would actually be more interested in a prequel novel to this world.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts and feelings are my own.
Want to read
April 13, 2019I enjoyed the first book -just- enough to think about picking this up. Really crossing my fingers that this sequel will pick up the slack and fill in the blanks left behind by the first book.
Want to read
February 2, 2020Looks like I picked a good time to read An Unkindess of Magicians and become slightly obsessed. Bring on book two!
November 20, 2023
I absolutely loved the first book in this duology, An Unkindness of Magicians, so I had high hopes for this sequel. Reviews are very mixed, which is understandable. It is not the tidy resolution we usually expect of a series. For me, I was left wanting a little more.
This time, disaster dawns slowly, heralded by eerie trees that grow in Central Park from the bones of magicians long dead. They bloom only bone flowers and whisper fragments of sorrowful stories full of tragedy and regret, susurrations at the edge of hearing. Like those skeletal trees, this story feels like a series of stripped down glimpses into a larger narrative. The writing is so tight and the narrative pace so compelling that the heart of story is over almost before it starts. It leaves a sense of lack, a longing for more, and a sense of devastation that is no doubt intentional and fitting but I still hope the author returns to this world and especially to Sydney one day.
Having sacrificed her own magic to stop the horror of magic harvesting in the hidden House of Shadows, Sydney is appalled but not surprised to find out that Shadows is trying to come back. The spells are too strong and the need for a source of magic too great for it to ever be fully destroyed. Not to mention all the hereditary magicians who miss the ease of drawing from a full well of magic they never have to personally pay for. But Sydney is stymied - without her own power, how can she hope to fight Shadows again?
Overall, I highly recommend this duology. It is one of the most thoughtful, nuanced explorations of what having magical power might mean, and how that cost could be paid. It is a wonderful urban fantasy, in which the city of New York and its Houses is as much a character as the people. I especially love how the Angel of the Bethesda Fountain was incorporated.
Howard's writing is stark and gorgeous, cinematic in its scope. This story, like the first, would translate amazingly to the screen.
However, some of the plot points this time - especially those around the young outsider magicians Laurent is attempting to mentor - are obvious. They are skillfully wrought but still predictable and I would have liked to see more characterization, especially for Mia. I also hoped for more regarding the foundation of the Houses and their new realities as well.
I do hope she returns to this world again someday, and in the meantime I will happily read anything Kat Howard writes. With this duology, she has cemented her place as one of my all-time favourite authors!
This time, disaster dawns slowly, heralded by eerie trees that grow in Central Park from the bones of magicians long dead. They bloom only bone flowers and whisper fragments of sorrowful stories full of tragedy and regret, susurrations at the edge of hearing. Like those skeletal trees, this story feels like a series of stripped down glimpses into a larger narrative. The writing is so tight and the narrative pace so compelling that the heart of story is over almost before it starts. It leaves a sense of lack, a longing for more, and a sense of devastation that is no doubt intentional and fitting but I still hope the author returns to this world and especially to Sydney one day.
Having sacrificed her own magic to stop the horror of magic harvesting in the hidden House of Shadows, Sydney is appalled but not surprised to find out that Shadows is trying to come back. The spells are too strong and the need for a source of magic too great for it to ever be fully destroyed. Not to mention all the hereditary magicians who miss the ease of drawing from a full well of magic they never have to personally pay for. But Sydney is stymied - without her own power, how can she hope to fight Shadows again?
Overall, I highly recommend this duology. It is one of the most thoughtful, nuanced explorations of what having magical power might mean, and how that cost could be paid. It is a wonderful urban fantasy, in which the city of New York and its Houses is as much a character as the people. I especially love how the Angel of the Bethesda Fountain was incorporated.
Howard's writing is stark and gorgeous, cinematic in its scope. This story, like the first, would translate amazingly to the screen.
However, some of the plot points this time - especially those around the young outsider magicians Laurent is attempting to mentor - are obvious. They are skillfully wrought but still predictable and I would have liked to see more characterization, especially for Mia. I also hoped for more regarding the foundation of the Houses and their new realities as well.
I do hope she returns to this world again someday, and in the meantime I will happily read anything Kat Howard writes. With this duology, she has cemented her place as one of my all-time favourite authors!
August 7, 2024
Le tome précédent censé être un one-shot nous à laisser avec beaucoup de questions sur l'avenir du monde invisible et de ses occupants. Loin de faire l'unanimité, le sacrifice de Sydney a rendu l'univers de nos sorciers contemporains chaotique et surtout a rendu la pratique de la magie moins aisé. Malgré les horreurs nécessaires pour garantir des sacrifices humains et ramener une magie plus stable, la société magique est encline à renouveler ses erreurs afin de récupérer une vie plus confortable. Ce qui semble ahurissant mais au vue de l'histoire humaine, assez réaliste.
Dans ce tome, on découvre une Sydney dévastée par la perte de sa magie, de cette nouvelle vulnérabilité et surtout de son inefficacité à détruire la maison des Ombres pour de bon. Le personnage de Tenebrae gagne en point de vue au détriment de la mère de Sydney complètement absente de ce livre. Mais cette décision est à mes yeux logiques puisque Sydney n'a aucune intention de pardonner à une mère qui a continué à utiliser une magie torturant les enfants sacrifiés à la maison des Ombres, dont elle-même.
Dans cette course contre la montre, le lecteur découvre les origines de la fondation des treize maisons originels ayant créées cette société parallèle au monde moderne. À travers secrets, révélations et réflexions données par différentes maisons, Sydney se livre à une dernière bataille pour empêcher l'horreur de renaître de ses cendres. Ces révélations sont bienvenus pour clôturer cette duologie malgré des décisions scénaristiques trop simple à mon goût et la mort soudaine et inutile d'un personnage secondaire important. Toutefois, même si je reste dubitative face à un tel choix, il faut reconnaître que le style de l'auteur reste proche de la dure réalité de la vie, de la société et des réactions humaines. Et dans la vie, la mort frappe sans prévenir de façon totalement injuste et illogique parfois. De plus, après ce que Sydney à traversé, ce serait trop facile d'espérer que l'amour puisse la guérir de ses traumatismes. Il lui faudra du temps pour se reconstruire, s'accepter et surtout apprendre à vivre pour elle-même. Et il s'agit d'un long chemin qu'elle doit entreprendre seule...
En conclusion, même s'il ne s'agit de la fin que j'avais espéré, je reste très attaché est cette histoire réaliste, humaine et cinglante d'un monde magique sanglant mais merveilleux à la fois.
Dans ce tome, on découvre une Sydney dévastée par la perte de sa magie, de cette nouvelle vulnérabilité et surtout de son inefficacité à détruire la maison des Ombres pour de bon. Le personnage de Tenebrae gagne en point de vue au détriment de la mère de Sydney complètement absente de ce livre. Mais cette décision est à mes yeux logiques puisque Sydney n'a aucune intention de pardonner à une mère qui a continué à utiliser une magie torturant les enfants sacrifiés à la maison des Ombres, dont elle-même.
Dans cette course contre la montre, le lecteur découvre les origines de la fondation des treize maisons originels ayant créées cette société parallèle au monde moderne. À travers secrets, révélations et réflexions données par différentes maisons, Sydney se livre à une dernière bataille pour empêcher l'horreur de renaître de ses cendres. Ces révélations sont bienvenus pour clôturer cette duologie malgré des décisions scénaristiques trop simple à mon goût et la mort soudaine et inutile d'un personnage secondaire important. Toutefois, même si je reste dubitative face à un tel choix, il faut reconnaître que le style de l'auteur reste proche de la dure réalité de la vie, de la société et des réactions humaines. Et dans la vie, la mort frappe sans prévenir de façon totalement injuste et illogique parfois. De plus, après ce que Sydney à traversé, ce serait trop facile d'espérer que l'amour puisse la guérir de ses traumatismes. Il lui faudra du temps pour se reconstruire, s'accepter et surtout apprendre à vivre pour elle-même. Et il s'agit d'un long chemin qu'elle doit entreprendre seule...
En conclusion, même s'il ne s'agit de la fin que j'avais espéré, je reste très attaché est cette histoire réaliste, humaine et cinglante d'un monde magique sanglant mais merveilleux à la fois.
July 5, 2023
Brief review follows:
2.5 stars
I feel bad for this book because I suspect it was victim to the terrible month I was having at work. Or it wasn't a good book - take your pick. I'll probably say it was a combination of both.
Even though I got through this book very quickly - the audio helped with that - this felt more of the same old same old. Perhaps I read this too quickly after book 1. IRL this book came out years after so I can see people enjoying this more after a break. Since I pretty much read it back to back - this felt like the same story - just not as fun or as focused.
Sydney was fine but this time there were no compelling b-plot or side character which caught my attention. This plot and book could have been avoided without much difference.
Still - I liked the main plot with Sydney and there were some nice moment with her which kept me reading. A better villain would likely helped with the book IMO.
2.5 stars
I feel bad for this book because I suspect it was victim to the terrible month I was having at work. Or it wasn't a good book - take your pick. I'll probably say it was a combination of both.
Even though I got through this book very quickly - the audio helped with that - this felt more of the same old same old. Perhaps I read this too quickly after book 1. IRL this book came out years after so I can see people enjoying this more after a break. Since I pretty much read it back to back - this felt like the same story - just not as fun or as focused.
Sydney was fine but this time there were no compelling b-plot or side character which caught my attention. This plot and book could have been avoided without much difference.
Still - I liked the main plot with Sydney and there were some nice moment with her which kept me reading. A better villain would likely helped with the book IMO.
May 18, 2023
2.5/5
so I wasnt too sure about this sequel. the description made is seem like it was just a rehash of the antagonist that was defeated in the first book…and that's exactly what it was.
if you're going to bring back the same antagonistic force, it has to be very cool, or else it doesn’t work. it didn’t work here. it kind of felt like the first book was for nothing. especially since it was only 30 DAYS since the end of the first book. I wasn’t opposed to shadows being brought back (it's not my favorite thing ever but I could live with it) but it should have been more time after the events of the first book. like at LEAST a year.
I think this also takes away from sydney's struggle/loss from the ending of book #1. I am not a fan of the "woman loses power at the end" trope, so im glad she got her powers back….but it all happened very quickly. again, what was the first book even for? I think having a time skip between books 1 and 2 would have helped with this, as it would have given us a new sydney. instead, she just feels the same.
also, I feel like a lot of things were very plot convenient ex: archives being helpful and wanting to die. explanations felt like they were thrown in my face 5 seconds before an event happened. like a bit more foreshadowing would have helped.
other minor points:
ian dying was so random and definitely felt like it was used to get him (and lara) out of the plot's way. like at the beginning of the book I was like where's ian. he appeared, and 2 chapters later he died. I think his douche move was made so we could accept his death and not be hung about it, but damn I was disappointed when he died! I think his nand sydney's relationship was really interesting in the first book. ian I will avenge you
is there no other magic other than NY? like the 13 houses and that's it? I think a bit of more info from magic outside of the 13 would have been very nice bc all I could think about was damn there's not one else?
why didn't they have something/someone monitor the shadows at all times after they realize it was rebuilding? like idk maybe some surveillance could have stopped a lot of problems
this wasnt horrible, but it also wasnt very good
so I wasnt too sure about this sequel. the description made is seem like it was just a rehash of the antagonist that was defeated in the first book…and that's exactly what it was.
if you're going to bring back the same antagonistic force, it has to be very cool, or else it doesn’t work. it didn’t work here. it kind of felt like the first book was for nothing. especially since it was only 30 DAYS since the end of the first book. I wasn’t opposed to shadows being brought back (it's not my favorite thing ever but I could live with it) but it should have been more time after the events of the first book. like at LEAST a year.
I think this also takes away from sydney's struggle/loss from the ending of book #1. I am not a fan of the "woman loses power at the end" trope, so im glad she got her powers back….but it all happened very quickly. again, what was the first book even for? I think having a time skip between books 1 and 2 would have helped with this, as it would have given us a new sydney. instead, she just feels the same.
also, I feel like a lot of things were very plot convenient ex: archives being helpful and wanting to die. explanations felt like they were thrown in my face 5 seconds before an event happened. like a bit more foreshadowing would have helped.
other minor points:
ian dying was so random and definitely felt like it was used to get him (and lara) out of the plot's way. like at the beginning of the book I was like where's ian. he appeared, and 2 chapters later he died. I think his douche move was made so we could accept his death and not be hung about it, but damn I was disappointed when he died! I think his nand sydney's relationship was really interesting in the first book. ian I will avenge you
is there no other magic other than NY? like the 13 houses and that's it? I think a bit of more info from magic outside of the 13 would have been very nice bc all I could think about was damn there's not one else?
why didn't they have something/someone monitor the shadows at all times after they realize it was rebuilding? like idk maybe some surveillance could have stopped a lot of problems
this wasnt horrible, but it also wasnt very good
April 27, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.
This book took way too long to be published, but I’m happy to say it was worth the wait.
If you haven’t read the first book, An Unkindness of Magicians, please do so first as this book picks up from where it ended. We follow Sydney as she navigates a magical world without magic. At the same time, the House of Shadows is re-emerging—the House that Sydney sacrificed her magic to destroy. Other Houses are also seeing consequences. With the help of her friends, Sydney tries to figure out how the House of Shadows is rebuilding itself and how to stop it.
I love Kay Howard’s writing style—the way it’s so elegant yet simple at the same time. From the first page, I was hooked. Kat Howard expands upon this world a little more and answers questions that were previously left open for interpretation. We also get to see the Houses and their personalities, something that wasn’t as developed in the first book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this second installment and I’m sad that this is the last of the series!
Would I recommend this book? Yes!!!
This book took way too long to be published, but I’m happy to say it was worth the wait.
If you haven’t read the first book, An Unkindness of Magicians, please do so first as this book picks up from where it ended. We follow Sydney as she navigates a magical world without magic. At the same time, the House of Shadows is re-emerging—the House that Sydney sacrificed her magic to destroy. Other Houses are also seeing consequences. With the help of her friends, Sydney tries to figure out how the House of Shadows is rebuilding itself and how to stop it.
I love Kay Howard’s writing style—the way it’s so elegant yet simple at the same time. From the first page, I was hooked. Kat Howard expands upon this world a little more and answers questions that were previously left open for interpretation. We also get to see the Houses and their personalities, something that wasn’t as developed in the first book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this second installment and I’m sad that this is the last of the series!
Would I recommend this book? Yes!!!
June 27, 2023
Very interesting and dark take on magical realism set in a today-ish setting. Slight heads up for gore, death, and manipulation of children (teens). I liked that we got to go back to the characters we met in the first book and there is an open sort of end for potentially more books to come (the story itself wrapped up but there is more/later available). I enjoyed very much the solution to problems and the antagonist. Absolutely recommend if you like exploring the darker aspects that go alongside power and magical realism.
June 19, 2024
This should have stayed as a standalone book, this second book doesn’t really do anything. There were moments in the book that I felt like I read this already and didn’t mark it as having read it which makes me wonder if I’m clairvoyant or just goes to show this was more of a copy paste of the first book.
March 22, 2023
I enjoyed this second book of the Unseen World, but not as much as the first. The returning characters were developed more, but the action of the story dragged a bit sometimes. The ending was very satisfactory. I received this ARC as a Goodreads Giveaway.
March 11, 2025
A great follow up to the first book in the series. It still captured the magic of the first book (pun intended) while having a different challenge.
I really enjoyed this book, although it wasn’t quite as good as the first. I’d still recommend for anyone who read the first.
I really enjoyed this book, although it wasn’t quite as good as the first. I’d still recommend for anyone who read the first.
May 21, 2023
Good lord! I’m gonna get accused of plagiarism! And this is so much better than my writing!
June 2, 2023
Such a great sequel to the first book. Speaks volumes about what some people are okay with doing for the 'greater good'
July 14, 2023
2.5 ⭐
October 3, 2023
3.5 stars - not really the sequel I wanted 😕
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