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Branches of Past and Future #2
Two Who Live On
Going into the second semester, all Dorian wants to do is explore his relationship with Milo and prepare his students for the upcoming academy showcase. But Enchanter Evergreen’s fame makes Dorian question his place in Milo’s world. His fear of going public is complicated when he notices a shift in his telepathy that strengthens his bond to Milo in a way it never has before. Dorian finds himself forced to simultaneously navigate his work life and Milo’s enchanter cases.
This amplification in his magic puts a strain on Dorian’s mind, making it difficult to prioritize his students while they struggle to rank into the showcase. Dorian wants to ensure their magics are mastered in time for the event, help them deal with trauma from the warlock incursion last semester, and teach them to handle class bullies this semester. But finding a balance is out of the question when Dorian’s mind is reeled toward dangerous threats lurking in the city.
Demons. Haunting and deadly, they stalk citizens, picking off witches and warlocks alike, while Milo investigates their motives. It’s a terrifying reminder for Dorian about why he wasn’t cut out for life as an industry professional. He lost Finn to demons, and now, just as he’s finally gotten some semblance of his life back, Dorian worries he’ll lose Milo to the same fate.
This amplification in his magic puts a strain on Dorian’s mind, making it difficult to prioritize his students while they struggle to rank into the showcase. Dorian wants to ensure their magics are mastered in time for the event, help them deal with trauma from the warlock incursion last semester, and teach them to handle class bullies this semester. But finding a balance is out of the question when Dorian’s mind is reeled toward dangerous threats lurking in the city.
Demons. Haunting and deadly, they stalk citizens, picking off witches and warlocks alike, while Milo investigates their motives. It’s a terrifying reminder for Dorian about why he wasn’t cut out for life as an industry professional. He lost Finn to demons, and now, just as he’s finally gotten some semblance of his life back, Dorian worries he’ll lose Milo to the same fate.
414 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2024
39 people are currently reading
2552 people want to read
About the author
M.N. Bennet
11 books355 followersMN Bennet is a high school teacher, writer, and reader. He lives in the Midwest, still adjusting to the cold after being born and raised in the South.
He enjoys writing paranormal and fantasy stories with huge worlds (sometimes too big), loveable romances (with so much angst and banter), and Happily Ever Afters (once he’s dragged his characters through some emotional turmoil).
When he’s not balancing classes, writing, or reading, he can be found binge watching anime or replaying Baldur's Gate 3 for the millionth time.
He enjoys writing paranormal and fantasy stories with huge worlds (sometimes too big), loveable romances (with so much angst and banter), and Happily Ever Afters (once he’s dragged his characters through some emotional turmoil).
When he’s not balancing classes, writing, or reading, he can be found binge watching anime or replaying Baldur's Gate 3 for the millionth time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
March 11, 2024
Happy publication day 🥹💛🎉
YEAH SO. WHAT THE FUCK. FIVE STARS
Review later
So I’ve read two who live on. It was an arc given by the author. All unhinged thoughts are mine.
PLEASE ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR TBR, ADD THIS SERIES, READ BOOK ONE COME JOIN THE FUN.
With that said, Three meant to be was one of my favourite books from last year, I knew I would like this one but damn it was even better than the first one. I literally had to put the book down because I was making dying whale noise while reading. My coworkers looked at me like I was weird ( they not wrong).
I laughed, I cried, I cooed and I cursed.
Dorian was his usual grumpy self, and I loved him so much. Please give me all the grumpy teacher.
This instalment was more about he and Milo navigating their blossoming relationship and less about saving his students life. Well he still had to help them because he is a great teacher ! And he care about them. I really liked his dynamic with Kenzo, they’re both assholes who can’t talk about their feelings.
Milo. Damn. I’m mostly attracted to women but Milo. HE’s so good. Literal sunshine. You can’t help but smile when he’s around.
I loved the domesticity between Milo and Dorian, like all their mundane moments gave me years of life. Give me all the fluff and the cute stuff.
The coven, all of the students are babies, must protect the babies at all cost. Caleb and Gael are still my favourite but I love them all. Special shoutout to Kenzo. He’s still an ass but damn, he’s hilarious.
I cried so much, and that last chapter made me want to eat sand, in the best way.
YEAH SO. WHAT THE FUCK. FIVE STARS
Review later
So I’ve read two who live on. It was an arc given by the author. All unhinged thoughts are mine.
PLEASE ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR TBR, ADD THIS SERIES, READ BOOK ONE COME JOIN THE FUN.
With that said, Three meant to be was one of my favourite books from last year, I knew I would like this one but damn it was even better than the first one. I literally had to put the book down because I was making dying whale noise while reading. My coworkers looked at me like I was weird ( they not wrong).
I laughed, I cried, I cooed and I cursed.
Dorian was his usual grumpy self, and I loved him so much. Please give me all the grumpy teacher.
This instalment was more about he and Milo navigating their blossoming relationship and less about saving his students life. Well he still had to help them because he is a great teacher ! And he care about them. I really liked his dynamic with Kenzo, they’re both assholes who can’t talk about their feelings.
Milo. Damn. I’m mostly attracted to women but Milo. HE’s so good. Literal sunshine. You can’t help but smile when he’s around.
I loved the domesticity between Milo and Dorian, like all their mundane moments gave me years of life. Give me all the fluff and the cute stuff.
The coven, all of the students are babies, must protect the babies at all cost. Caleb and Gael are still my favourite but I love them all. Special shoutout to Kenzo. He’s still an ass but damn, he’s hilarious.
I cried so much, and that last chapter made me want to eat sand, in the best way.
March 3, 2024
The second book in the Branches of Past and Future series follows magical highschool teacher Dorian into the second semester with his ragtag homeroom coven. After the intense events of the previous semester, everyone is coping with some trauma but determined to grow, Dorian included. Naturally, things take a sinister turn when demons start to attack the city and Dorian is torn between his past mistakes and the future he wants to build now.
This book is incredible. The first book was amazing, and this story proves there is so much more to be told here. Overarching through the whole story is an amazing magic system in a brilliant urban fantasy world, and we learn more about how the magic works as Dorian’s telepathy grows and changes. This also allows for the story narrative to be expanded and told in a really fresh way. MN Bennet’s world takes full advantage of the vast magic system, and we see even more cool magic powers as well as exploring what can be told with a telepath as our narrator.
There is just enough foreshadowing to make some guesses, but there are twists that caught me off guard, yet they were perfectly layered into the plot from even the first book. The story also displays such amazing character work, it’s easy to see the motivation of both good and bad choices. This series is my favorite type of book: the story focuses on the realistic and personal lives of characters I love while the story weaves in deeper concepts to explore flaws in society and the system. Dorian dealing with the unbalanced privilege of an academic system mirrors the flaws in the enchanter industry and reflects our own world’s shortcomings, and shows the darkness that is born from systemic oppression. Milo’s fight to get the guilds to work together is relatable and inspiring, as is Dorian’s commitment to his students.
The banter is hilarious, and watching the characters grow from their experiences and choices is rewarding. Milo and Dorian’s relationship really feels like two people who belong together, and while I’m decidedly scared for what they may have to battle the in the next book, I cannot wait to read more of their story.
This book is incredible. The first book was amazing, and this story proves there is so much more to be told here. Overarching through the whole story is an amazing magic system in a brilliant urban fantasy world, and we learn more about how the magic works as Dorian’s telepathy grows and changes. This also allows for the story narrative to be expanded and told in a really fresh way. MN Bennet’s world takes full advantage of the vast magic system, and we see even more cool magic powers as well as exploring what can be told with a telepath as our narrator.
There is just enough foreshadowing to make some guesses, but there are twists that caught me off guard, yet they were perfectly layered into the plot from even the first book. The story also displays such amazing character work, it’s easy to see the motivation of both good and bad choices. This series is my favorite type of book: the story focuses on the realistic and personal lives of characters I love while the story weaves in deeper concepts to explore flaws in society and the system. Dorian dealing with the unbalanced privilege of an academic system mirrors the flaws in the enchanter industry and reflects our own world’s shortcomings, and shows the darkness that is born from systemic oppression. Milo’s fight to get the guilds to work together is relatable and inspiring, as is Dorian’s commitment to his students.
The banter is hilarious, and watching the characters grow from their experiences and choices is rewarding. Milo and Dorian’s relationship really feels like two people who belong together, and while I’m decidedly scared for what they may have to battle the in the next book, I cannot wait to read more of their story.
March 11, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
This is the second book in the Branches of the Past and Future series and it picks up not long after the first one ends. It took me a little bit to fall back into the world, as it’s been nearly a year since the last one released, but once I did, I was again absorbed in the complex world Bennet has created. The magic system is wonderfully complex and is part of everything that the characters do. Though once again told solely from Dorian’s POV, since he’s a telepath, we get to see other characters’ thoughts as well.
Overall, I found the pacing for this book a little better than the first and a really nice balance between the plotlines. I love the MCs and their complexities, and I love getting immersed in this world.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
This is the second book in the Branches of the Past and Future series and it picks up not long after the first one ends. It took me a little bit to fall back into the world, as it’s been nearly a year since the last one released, but once I did, I was again absorbed in the complex world Bennet has created. The magic system is wonderfully complex and is part of everything that the characters do. Though once again told solely from Dorian’s POV, since he’s a telepath, we get to see other characters’ thoughts as well.
Overall, I found the pacing for this book a little better than the first and a really nice balance between the plotlines. I love the MCs and their complexities, and I love getting immersed in this world.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
June 15, 2025
Ah, I’m loving these books! They’re so well planned, both with endings that had me itching to pick up the next two.
Book one was haunted by the ghost of Finn, while this book only gave us a little sprinkle of Finn, but it lead up to such a good cliffhanger of Dorian’s powers manifesting into basically their own separate sort of evil version of himself, one who finds a way to hold onto a part of Finn’s soul with the end goal of bringing him back. Except, as we learn in this book, this big bad recurring villain that originally killed Finn 12 years ago has basically fused himself to Finn’s soul, meaning unless Finn moves on he has a potential to weasel his own self alive.
Book one was haunted by the ghost of Finn, while this book only gave us a little sprinkle of Finn, but it lead up to such a good cliffhanger of Dorian’s powers manifesting into basically their own separate sort of evil version of himself, one who finds a way to hold onto a part of Finn’s soul with the end goal of bringing him back. Except, as we learn in this book, this big bad recurring villain that originally killed Finn 12 years ago has basically fused himself to Finn’s soul, meaning unless Finn moves on he has a potential to weasel his own self alive.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2024
Two Who Live On picks up the semester following the Warlock attack, Dorian and Milo are figuring out how to balance their relationship between crazy work schedules and Dorian trying to get his kids through the school year.
In between Dorian preparing his students for the Spring Showcase, a chance to show their talents to potential guilds, there’s also a Demon infestation hitting the city, keeping Milo very busy.
I’m going to come right out and say that initially, I thought that the actual reveal of what was happening came way too late in the book, and it felt a bit like it was dragging on. BUT it definitely made up for it with more of Dorian’s students. I really loved seeing how their relationships had changed between the first and second books. And the same with Milo and Dorian’s relationship.
There is just the right level of spice thrown into this book, and the way they use their magic during these intimate moments really sounds like a great time 😅
I’d love to talk about that last chapter and the cliffhanger, but that’s something you’ll have to discover yourself when you read this book when it’s released on 11 March 2024 😉
In between Dorian preparing his students for the Spring Showcase, a chance to show their talents to potential guilds, there’s also a Demon infestation hitting the city, keeping Milo very busy.
I’m going to come right out and say that initially, I thought that the actual reveal of what was happening came way too late in the book, and it felt a bit like it was dragging on. BUT it definitely made up for it with more of Dorian’s students. I really loved seeing how their relationships had changed between the first and second books. And the same with Milo and Dorian’s relationship.
There is just the right level of spice thrown into this book, and the way they use their magic during these intimate moments really sounds like a great time 😅
I’d love to talk about that last chapter and the cliffhanger, but that’s something you’ll have to discover yourself when you read this book when it’s released on 11 March 2024 😉
March 12, 2024
Two Who Live On
Exciting! A unique and interesting series that picks up from where the last book left off.
Not only is there Dorian’s perspective but we also get more of Milo’s and Dorian’s students as well.
Milo is an absolute sweetheart who’s so cute and protective not to mention kickbutt! He plays a larger role in this story and it was fun to see more of him.
I enjoy how flawed Dorian is. He has his struggles and it’s nice to see the growth his character has gone through not to mention so other exciting things that I don’t want to give away.
Now the ending… it was different and totally not what I was expecting. What a cliffhanger! (That’s all I’ll say on that lol)
Exciting! A unique and interesting series that picks up from where the last book left off.
Not only is there Dorian’s perspective but we also get more of Milo’s and Dorian’s students as well.
Milo is an absolute sweetheart who’s so cute and protective not to mention kickbutt! He plays a larger role in this story and it was fun to see more of him.
I enjoy how flawed Dorian is. He has his struggles and it’s nice to see the growth his character has gone through not to mention so other exciting things that I don’t want to give away.
Now the ending… it was different and totally not what I was expecting. What a cliffhanger! (That’s all I’ll say on that lol)
March 25, 2024
Haha ok I may be a little (a lot) obsessed with this series. No one tell my professors but I did possibly spend the entire afternoon finishing this book. This story just drags you in. I'm not sure I could ever be sick of reading about Dorian and Milo and their gaggle of surly teenagers. These books are a really fun mix of super powers, urban fantasy, and romance. Milo and Dorian's powers linking to each other all the time was so cute, like they have minds of their own and just wanna be wrapped up in each other 24/7. And then the ending! 😱 I was all prepared for a chill happy closing chapter but NO WE JUST HAD TO GET THE CLIFFHANGER OF ALL CLIFFHANGERS. I was so confused at first let me tell you, I was like going back and re reading being like "what????" But then I realized and the way my jaw DROPPED. Anyway i think I'm gonna try to get Garrett to read these, the perfection that is Milo and Dorian needs to be shared.
December 17, 2023
**I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review**
Listen, I’m rather stingy with my 5-star picks, and this series is GOLD. Five stars for this and the first book! The dramatic adventures, the diverse characters, the PERFECT grumpy/sunshine couple, the angst, the mystery, the teacher stress realness, the EMOTIONS, all of it! I just love it! This series is an underrated jewel that shows how amazing queer indie writing can be.
I’ve been hungrily waiting for this sequel and am thrilled it lived up to the hype. I cried *less* than in book one… but still cried. Totally loved the beautiful, emotional journey.
Now I’m at the edge of my seat and cannot wait for book three, because I need to know more about [REDACTED]!!
Spice: 3-4/5
Angst: 3-4/5
Listen, I’m rather stingy with my 5-star picks, and this series is GOLD. Five stars for this and the first book! The dramatic adventures, the diverse characters, the PERFECT grumpy/sunshine couple, the angst, the mystery, the teacher stress realness, the EMOTIONS, all of it! I just love it! This series is an underrated jewel that shows how amazing queer indie writing can be.
I’ve been hungrily waiting for this sequel and am thrilled it lived up to the hype. I cried *less* than in book one… but still cried. Totally loved the beautiful, emotional journey.
Now I’m at the edge of my seat and cannot wait for book three, because I need to know more about [REDACTED]!!
Spice: 3-4/5
Angst: 3-4/5
April 27, 2025
I have to say, the author truly outdid himself with this one. The wording issues I noticed in the first book were completely absent here. I loved the structure of the text and how we continued to dive deeper into both Dorian and his students. I absolutely adore Milo — his wit and clever planning made him such a standout character. The whole book felt so real and grounded.
You can really see how much Dorian has grown, and how much more he still has to learn. Throughout the story, one theme kept resonating with me: good intentions aren't enough. You can't improvise experience. I also appreciated how the author avoided the tired trope where an out-of-shape, inexperienced protagonist somehow manages to save the world while lifelong experts fail.
This book was incredibly refreshing and had me hooked from the very first page. I'm dying to find out what happens next, though I’m also a little scared for the final installment of this trilogy.
You can really see how much Dorian has grown, and how much more he still has to learn. Throughout the story, one theme kept resonating with me: good intentions aren't enough. You can't improvise experience. I also appreciated how the author avoided the tired trope where an out-of-shape, inexperienced protagonist somehow manages to save the world while lifelong experts fail.
This book was incredibly refreshing and had me hooked from the very first page. I'm dying to find out what happens next, though I’m also a little scared for the final installment of this trilogy.
October 9, 2024
I just love MN Bennet and I'm so glad I found him this year. Dorian and Milo are so great and my heart completely breaks for Dorian and how insecure he can be in his head and where he lands in Milo's world.
This is a great world and I can't wait for the final book!
This is a great world and I can't wait for the final book!
November 12, 2024
The first half lost a bit of the magic from the first book of the series. However, the ending made up for some of the slower parts. I am excited to see what will happen in book 3!
January 5, 2024
I received an ARC copy for free and am leaving my honest opinion!
After reading the first one and falling in love with the cast, of course I was gonna be back for more. While the students aren't as much in the forefront this time, Milo is and it was lovely to see Dorian and Milo navigate their relationship. The kids were still great and I loved the shounen anime-esque tournament they had. I was actually really engaged reading those chapters and cheering them on.
The continued world building was amazing, Dorian continues to be a grouch (but in a good way), and having way more Milo screen time was fun because I liked getting to know him. As for the plot, I kinda figured out SOMETHING was going on way earlier with a character than when it was revealed, but that's how it goes sometime. It was really intriguing and I liked the implications of it a lot.
HOWEVER, that ending chapter. >:( >:( >:( Excuse me!! That was just rude to leave it there!
That being said, I am totally ready for the third book!
After reading the first one and falling in love with the cast, of course I was gonna be back for more. While the students aren't as much in the forefront this time, Milo is and it was lovely to see Dorian and Milo navigate their relationship. The kids were still great and I loved the shounen anime-esque tournament they had. I was actually really engaged reading those chapters and cheering them on.
The continued world building was amazing, Dorian continues to be a grouch (but in a good way), and having way more Milo screen time was fun because I liked getting to know him. As for the plot, I kinda figured out SOMETHING was going on way earlier with a character than when it was revealed, but that's how it goes sometime. It was really intriguing and I liked the implications of it a lot.
HOWEVER, that ending chapter. >:( >:( >:( Excuse me!! That was just rude to leave it there!
That being said, I am totally ready for the third book!
March 29, 2024
Just as Dorian is starting to get over losing Finn an unexpectedly strong connection to Milo's mind has him fearing losing him too. This was a roller-coaster and that cliffhanger ending 😳. I'm counting the days until book three.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by BookSirens*
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by BookSirens*
April 3, 2024
(ARC REVIEW)
3.5
Two Who Live On picked up on the points left open by the first book and moves forward with them. M.N. Bennet is really good at writing cosy fantasy for queer adults with a lovely queer heart at play at every word.
As for critique, the story keeps me engaged. However, as of book 2, it made me realise that despite liking the students, the school bits started to drag the story for me. I love reading the parts about Dorian and Milo as well as their past, but the students don't always keep me up.
But the story and the beats of it were much much better than book 1, and despite all, I am still engaged for what will happen next.
3.5
Two Who Live On picked up on the points left open by the first book and moves forward with them. M.N. Bennet is really good at writing cosy fantasy for queer adults with a lovely queer heart at play at every word.
As for critique, the story keeps me engaged. However, as of book 2, it made me realise that despite liking the students, the school bits started to drag the story for me. I love reading the parts about Dorian and Milo as well as their past, but the students don't always keep me up.
But the story and the beats of it were much much better than book 1, and despite all, I am still engaged for what will happen next.
September 18, 2024
Okay, so Two Who Live On was such a good read. I liked that we got to see so much more of Dorian and Milo settling into their rekindled relationship. They may be a bit of a hot mess sometimes, but they work so well together! I also loved that we got to see Dorian’s students flourishing and growing into their powers. And the magic competition/showcase was so much fun! I really like that Dorian is really trying to push these kids to study and train their powers so that they can have the best possible futures. I also really liked that Dorian was more present and focused on all of his students, even with his magic going sort of wonky at times. And!! The cliffhanger ending, oh my god. I was not expecting that. Anyway! This was such a great read and it’s getting four stars.
September 21, 2025
Sequel review here! If you want to learn more about a fun, but perhaps not terribly deep, urban fantasy about a teacher of magic at a high school, see my review of Three Meant to Be. I was a little unsure of where I sat with Book 1. I enjoyed it certainly, but found it wasn’t quite giving me the depth or grittiness I was looking for in an adult magic school story, nor the sense of mystery from magic schools of my childhood, nor even the epic fight scenes of progression fantasy schools. About 50 pages into this book though, I shifted my brain fully into popcorn romance urban fantasy mode, and it really clicked. This series isn’t cracking my all time favorites, but I’m having a really wonderful time.
Read if Looking for: Magic School Teacher protagonist, escapist fantasy, bad puns, romance/fantasy elements balanced well
Avoid if Looking for: deep themes, unpredictable twists, realistic portrayals of teaching
Elevator Pitch:
This book picks up right where book 1 left off. At the start of second semester, without the threat of one student being brutally murdered, Dorian is able to focus a bit more on himself and his relationship with his celebrity boyfriend (and childhood ex) Milo. He also needs to keep his students on track for a talent showcase, which might open doors for many of their future prospects. Of course, what would a semester of Dorian’s life be without the threat of constant demon attacks?
What Worked For Me
While this book isn’t a straightforward tropey romance, I really like the dynamic between Milo and Dorian. At first glance it’s a classic grumpy/sunshine pairing, and Dorian very much fits the mold of an archetypical grumpy romance narrator. He’s fun, but expected. Milo, however, is really the star of this book. His happy and exuberant personality is balanced by the fact that he's manipulative out of a sense of benevolence. To a certain extent he can’t control the futures he sees, which will inevitably affect his decisions. However, he often leans into using powers to manipulate Dorian’s moods, just as Dorian is constantly linked to his mind with telepathy. The relationship isn’t a paragon of healthy boundaries, but I think it's a much more realistic view of romances than we typically get, especially thinking about how a romantic relationships would be affected when both parties have slightly uncontrollable psychic powers. There’s enough overly idealized romances out there (which is great! I love them!) but this feels so refreshing to read, and the dynamics between them carry the book for me.
Otherwise, this is a book I turn my brain off for and enjoy. As soon as I stopped hunting for deep themes or nuanced takes on how classism manifests in private schools, it became a lot smoother of a read for me. This book was like a warm blanket: I knew what was coming, and was happy to go along.
What Didn’t Work For Me
My biggest complaint with the original book was the inauthenticity of the role of Dorian as teacher. It wasn’t bad, it just felt like every other workaholic teacher I’d ever seen. There was a little bit of work life balance in this story, but I would love to see Dorian be less idealized. Teachers make mistakes; we get grumpy, and we snap at kids when we’re having a bad day. Teachers are humans, and despite Dorian having ‘errors’ he feels a bit like a teacher robot who memorized textbooks on how to teach well. It’s a cool ideal, but typically not realistic in terms of the amount of time it takes outside of the work day to reach the level of teaching that always gets represented here and elsewhere.
Finally, I think the way the students are handled is a little bit clunky. 14 is simultaneously too many students to get deep characterization from any of them while simultaneously smaller than typical class sizes. In manga, large class sizes are typically handled by highlighted 1-3 students consistently as main characters. Aside from those few students, side characters typically fade entirely into the background or have a short arc where they become a main character in their own right before fading away. And while Bennet does pick a few students to get more attention (with suitably tragic backstories), he spreads his attention too evenly overall, meaning that all students are consistently on screen and mentioned, but never enough to go past anything but a caricature. It’s an approach that’s accurate to how teachers actually teach, but doesn’t lend itself well to storytelling.
In Conclusion: an enjoyable, if rather mindless, urban fantasy with a great central relationship but a poorly realized school setting.
Want more Reviews like This? try my blog
Read if Looking for: Magic School Teacher protagonist, escapist fantasy, bad puns, romance/fantasy elements balanced well
Avoid if Looking for: deep themes, unpredictable twists, realistic portrayals of teaching
Elevator Pitch:
This book picks up right where book 1 left off. At the start of second semester, without the threat of one student being brutally murdered, Dorian is able to focus a bit more on himself and his relationship with his celebrity boyfriend (and childhood ex) Milo. He also needs to keep his students on track for a talent showcase, which might open doors for many of their future prospects. Of course, what would a semester of Dorian’s life be without the threat of constant demon attacks?
What Worked For Me
While this book isn’t a straightforward tropey romance, I really like the dynamic between Milo and Dorian. At first glance it’s a classic grumpy/sunshine pairing, and Dorian very much fits the mold of an archetypical grumpy romance narrator. He’s fun, but expected. Milo, however, is really the star of this book. His happy and exuberant personality is balanced by the fact that he's manipulative out of a sense of benevolence. To a certain extent he can’t control the futures he sees, which will inevitably affect his decisions. However, he often leans into using powers to manipulate Dorian’s moods, just as Dorian is constantly linked to his mind with telepathy. The relationship isn’t a paragon of healthy boundaries, but I think it's a much more realistic view of romances than we typically get, especially thinking about how a romantic relationships would be affected when both parties have slightly uncontrollable psychic powers. There’s enough overly idealized romances out there (which is great! I love them!) but this feels so refreshing to read, and the dynamics between them carry the book for me.
Otherwise, this is a book I turn my brain off for and enjoy. As soon as I stopped hunting for deep themes or nuanced takes on how classism manifests in private schools, it became a lot smoother of a read for me. This book was like a warm blanket: I knew what was coming, and was happy to go along.
What Didn’t Work For Me
My biggest complaint with the original book was the inauthenticity of the role of Dorian as teacher. It wasn’t bad, it just felt like every other workaholic teacher I’d ever seen. There was a little bit of work life balance in this story, but I would love to see Dorian be less idealized. Teachers make mistakes; we get grumpy, and we snap at kids when we’re having a bad day. Teachers are humans, and despite Dorian having ‘errors’ he feels a bit like a teacher robot who memorized textbooks on how to teach well. It’s a cool ideal, but typically not realistic in terms of the amount of time it takes outside of the work day to reach the level of teaching that always gets represented here and elsewhere.
Finally, I think the way the students are handled is a little bit clunky. 14 is simultaneously too many students to get deep characterization from any of them while simultaneously smaller than typical class sizes. In manga, large class sizes are typically handled by highlighted 1-3 students consistently as main characters. Aside from those few students, side characters typically fade entirely into the background or have a short arc where they become a main character in their own right before fading away. And while Bennet does pick a few students to get more attention (with suitably tragic backstories), he spreads his attention too evenly overall, meaning that all students are consistently on screen and mentioned, but never enough to go past anything but a caricature. It’s an approach that’s accurate to how teachers actually teach, but doesn’t lend itself well to storytelling.
In Conclusion: an enjoyable, if rather mindless, urban fantasy with a great central relationship but a poorly realized school setting.
Want more Reviews like This? try my blog
December 12, 2023
Another excellent story from this talented writer.
As ever the relationship between Dorian and Milo does not disappoint, and the kids are fun and interesting too. I loved the ways in which this story differs from the one it reminds me of. It's like having a better version of that story. I loved Dorian's expanding ability to follow Milo throughout the day, and without a constant worry over his student's safety, this book allowed us a better glimpse of the everyday Dorian.
One of the little side things I love about this story in particular is the cats: Carlie and Charlie who not only have distinct personalities, but they also allow us to see a different side of Dorian than we see when he is with Milo, alone with his thoughts, or trying to guide his homeroom coven. They're also just really fun characters in their own right.
This book expands on the characters introduced in the first story and adds a few more. It also delves a bit deeper into what happened to Finn and why it left such a lasting scar on Dorian and even Milo (which we don't really find out until this book).
The mythologies of this world: demonic essence, wisps, fiends, demons and finally devils are delicately woven into the plot and the more you learn, the more interesting it becomes. It's this whole system of its own. I loved the idea of Tara needing support tools to help control her magic overlap and how angry Dorian became at the knowledge she wouldn't be able to use them in the showcase. The whole spring showcase arc to this story was amazing, as was how it wove into the greater overarching plot.
In the first book, Dorian had to let go of Finn (the past) to accept Milo (the future) and this story has him coming to grips with a newfound expansion of his powers and the feelings of suddenly being in the public eye where previously he had been able to live a quiet unassuming existence. It also deals with him trying to keep from getting too invested in Milo's work as he faces danger regularly, and the feelings of guilt that come with knowing he can't really help or protect Milo, as well as the all-consuming feeling of his own personality melding with Milo's and navigating that relationship. Near the start of the story, Dorian makes the decision to kiss Milo at a very public event in front of spectators in order to show Milo he doesn't want to hide their relationship despite his personal need for privacy and anonymity. It is a selfless act, and one Dorian immediately regrets when every eye in the city seems trained on him the next day and every thought he overhears is prying into his personal business. Despite having access to the surface thoughts of everyone in his immediate vicinity (not the blessing you'd think), Dorian has never had this kind of notoriety before. Milo, who is used to being in the public eye, tells him it will blow over, and it does...it doesn't stop people from constantly trying to use his position to gain favors from the famous Enchanter Evergreen, though.
I loved this new step in Dorian's journey. I loved seeing a different side to Milo, and I adored the two of them together. I also loved the journeys of the various kids, Kento and Caleb are my personal favorites and I want to see them resolve their past and be friends again. Loved how the showcase highlighted Kento's strategic mind since his dark and angry thoughts melded with Dorian's mood well and drew Dorian to them.
Can't wait to see what comes next for this world and the wonderful characters Bennet has created in it.
*added note, as someone who struggles with imposter syndrome, Caleb's struggle to prove himself as belonging in an industry that doesn't want to acknowledge him really hits home for me, but all the characters who struggle with feelings of inadequacy: Dorian, Tara, Caleb, Carson. I love that these books don't try to shy away from showing the reality of struggling with mental health issues.
As ever the relationship between Dorian and Milo does not disappoint, and the kids are fun and interesting too. I loved the ways in which this story differs from the one it reminds me of. It's like having a better version of that story. I loved Dorian's expanding ability to follow Milo throughout the day, and without a constant worry over his student's safety, this book allowed us a better glimpse of the everyday Dorian.
One of the little side things I love about this story in particular is the cats: Carlie and Charlie who not only have distinct personalities, but they also allow us to see a different side of Dorian than we see when he is with Milo, alone with his thoughts, or trying to guide his homeroom coven. They're also just really fun characters in their own right.
This book expands on the characters introduced in the first story and adds a few more. It also delves a bit deeper into what happened to Finn and why it left such a lasting scar on Dorian and even Milo (which we don't really find out until this book).
The mythologies of this world: demonic essence, wisps, fiends, demons and finally devils are delicately woven into the plot and the more you learn, the more interesting it becomes. It's this whole system of its own. I loved the idea of Tara needing support tools to help control her magic overlap and how angry Dorian became at the knowledge she wouldn't be able to use them in the showcase. The whole spring showcase arc to this story was amazing, as was how it wove into the greater overarching plot.
In the first book, Dorian had to let go of Finn (the past) to accept Milo (the future) and this story has him coming to grips with a newfound expansion of his powers and the feelings of suddenly being in the public eye where previously he had been able to live a quiet unassuming existence. It also deals with him trying to keep from getting too invested in Milo's work as he faces danger regularly, and the feelings of guilt that come with knowing he can't really help or protect Milo, as well as the all-consuming feeling of his own personality melding with Milo's and navigating that relationship. Near the start of the story, Dorian makes the decision to kiss Milo at a very public event in front of spectators in order to show Milo he doesn't want to hide their relationship despite his personal need for privacy and anonymity. It is a selfless act, and one Dorian immediately regrets when every eye in the city seems trained on him the next day and every thought he overhears is prying into his personal business. Despite having access to the surface thoughts of everyone in his immediate vicinity (not the blessing you'd think), Dorian has never had this kind of notoriety before. Milo, who is used to being in the public eye, tells him it will blow over, and it does...it doesn't stop people from constantly trying to use his position to gain favors from the famous Enchanter Evergreen, though.
I loved this new step in Dorian's journey. I loved seeing a different side to Milo, and I adored the two of them together. I also loved the journeys of the various kids, Kento and Caleb are my personal favorites and I want to see them resolve their past and be friends again. Loved how the showcase highlighted Kento's strategic mind since his dark and angry thoughts melded with Dorian's mood well and drew Dorian to them.
Can't wait to see what comes next for this world and the wonderful characters Bennet has created in it.
*added note, as someone who struggles with imposter syndrome, Caleb's struggle to prove himself as belonging in an industry that doesn't want to acknowledge him really hits home for me, but all the characters who struggle with feelings of inadequacy: Dorian, Tara, Caleb, Carson. I love that these books don't try to shy away from showing the reality of struggling with mental health issues.
September 26, 2025
Two Who Live On, (branches of the past and future, book 2 of 4)
by MN Bennett
Published by the author, 2023
Four stars
MN Bennett’s world of magic is both comfortably mundane and appalling. Appalling in a sort of good way. But I’ll explain. Set in an elite private secondary school in Chicago in the “present day” (not this world, mind you), our heroes are Dorian Frost, one of the teachers; and his sort-of-boyfriend, Milo Evergreen. This is only the second semester of the school year, and already Dorian has had to fight (with the help of both Milo and his students) against a murderous attack by a conspiracy of warlocks.
Ugh. Let’s set up a few facts: in this world, magic is everywhere and everyone has magic. Witches use magic for good (i.e. for normal things). Warlocks use magic selfishly for self-gain and don’t hesitate to harm others. But (and it’s a clever, bitter, irony here) only those who can afford to can actually use their magic. Because you need to have a license to cast spells; and to do that you need an education; and to use magic as a career you need to get into a guild. The world of magic is referred to as The Industry, and it is every bit as greedy and heartless as the corporate world of our own dear capitalist America.
Poor people can get scholarships into the elite academies, but only if they have exceptional skills. A very familiar sort of privilege rules society, except here it’s more related to one’s magical roots and branches than to race or ethnicity. The author provides a handy glossary (Codex) to explain all this.
So confusing. Oddly enough, one of the charms of MN Bennett’s book is that you have to paddle hard to keep up with this complicated and often violent world of magic in which Milo, Dorian, and Dorian’s first-year students all live. I was lost at first, but found myself becoming less and less puzzled as the story progressed and I began to understand what was going on. Sort of like Shakespeare.
Bennett has imagined a complex hierarchy of magic and how it all works, and he takes us every step of the way through the uses and abuses of this magic as Dorian tries to (1) teach his students, who are all hormone-soaked teenagers, and (2) keep tabs on his now-famous boyfriend, Enchanter Greenwood, one of the most powerful and successful defense witches in the Cerberus Guild.
Milo is like Superman, but he is also always trapped inside his own mind, calculating and foreseeing, attempting to keep every possible good outcome within his grasp. It is exhausting, both for our heroes and for us as readers.
A different sort of threat emerges in this book, one into which Dorian cannot help himself get drawn because of Milo’s deep involvement. There are parts of this story that read like a horror story, and the entire narrative is offered from Dorian’s point of view—except that his point of view is often from inside Milo’s brain. This is what happens when you are a hugely powerful clairvoyant and mind-reader. I’ll tell you, it did not make me want to have this as my superpower.
The finale is powerful and satisfying, but I warn you that the author throws in a final surprise that leads to a hugely annoying cliffhanger. Honestly, it sort of ruined the happy ending I thought we all deserved. But, of course, it made me anxious to read the next book in the series.
Consider yourself forewarned.
by MN Bennett
Published by the author, 2023
Four stars
MN Bennett’s world of magic is both comfortably mundane and appalling. Appalling in a sort of good way. But I’ll explain. Set in an elite private secondary school in Chicago in the “present day” (not this world, mind you), our heroes are Dorian Frost, one of the teachers; and his sort-of-boyfriend, Milo Evergreen. This is only the second semester of the school year, and already Dorian has had to fight (with the help of both Milo and his students) against a murderous attack by a conspiracy of warlocks.
Ugh. Let’s set up a few facts: in this world, magic is everywhere and everyone has magic. Witches use magic for good (i.e. for normal things). Warlocks use magic selfishly for self-gain and don’t hesitate to harm others. But (and it’s a clever, bitter, irony here) only those who can afford to can actually use their magic. Because you need to have a license to cast spells; and to do that you need an education; and to use magic as a career you need to get into a guild. The world of magic is referred to as The Industry, and it is every bit as greedy and heartless as the corporate world of our own dear capitalist America.
Poor people can get scholarships into the elite academies, but only if they have exceptional skills. A very familiar sort of privilege rules society, except here it’s more related to one’s magical roots and branches than to race or ethnicity. The author provides a handy glossary (Codex) to explain all this.
So confusing. Oddly enough, one of the charms of MN Bennett’s book is that you have to paddle hard to keep up with this complicated and often violent world of magic in which Milo, Dorian, and Dorian’s first-year students all live. I was lost at first, but found myself becoming less and less puzzled as the story progressed and I began to understand what was going on. Sort of like Shakespeare.
Bennett has imagined a complex hierarchy of magic and how it all works, and he takes us every step of the way through the uses and abuses of this magic as Dorian tries to (1) teach his students, who are all hormone-soaked teenagers, and (2) keep tabs on his now-famous boyfriend, Enchanter Greenwood, one of the most powerful and successful defense witches in the Cerberus Guild.
Milo is like Superman, but he is also always trapped inside his own mind, calculating and foreseeing, attempting to keep every possible good outcome within his grasp. It is exhausting, both for our heroes and for us as readers.
A different sort of threat emerges in this book, one into which Dorian cannot help himself get drawn because of Milo’s deep involvement. There are parts of this story that read like a horror story, and the entire narrative is offered from Dorian’s point of view—except that his point of view is often from inside Milo’s brain. This is what happens when you are a hugely powerful clairvoyant and mind-reader. I’ll tell you, it did not make me want to have this as my superpower.
The finale is powerful and satisfying, but I warn you that the author throws in a final surprise that leads to a hugely annoying cliffhanger. Honestly, it sort of ruined the happy ending I thought we all deserved. But, of course, it made me anxious to read the next book in the series.
Consider yourself forewarned.
December 6, 2023
5 ⭐️
3 🌶️
Gonna be honest, at this point, I don't even remember how I found M.N. Bennet but boy howdy am I glad that I did. I was in the middle of reading Three Meant to Be whenever I found out that he was asking for ARC readers for Two Who Live On and boy did I jump on that immediately. I loved Three Meant to Be, but I absolutely adore Two Who Live On.
I am weak to teacher tropes. I love Dorian so much, he's a grump, frumpy man who just wants to teach his kids and go home to his cats. A lifestyle that I can 100% get behind. This book he deals with a lot of his trauma that was touched upon in book one. He get's even grumpier (in the best way possible) and he would go to bat for all of his students, and I am OBSESSED with him.
Milo is still the perfect chaos angel. He cares so much but in such a Milo way. I think one of my favorite things he did was the "lock them in a room until they make up" but in a much more chaotic way. We love him, I will protect him with my life, despite the fact that he doesn't really need that.
All of his students are wonderful. I love the wide array of personalities and I will forever be obsessed with King Clucks, Peckfender of the Unhatched. I mean, come on, a chicken familar? Yeah, quite possibly the best thing I've ever read, and he get's so much better in this book. I'm starting a King Clucks fanclub at this point, who wants to join?
In all seriousness, this book touches on a lot of darker themes, but it's never too uncomfortable. Dorian is going through it, Milo is not helping but also helping. And there's a wonderful dash of secrets that could ruin, many, many things. Dorian's students are absolutely gem's who both want to be the best, but also protect Dorian. There's nothing like a previous life or death situation to get them caring, or a current life or death situation, because boy are there a few in this book.
Dorian's power growing is really interesting, I love the fact that he barely even know's how to work it, it's fun to read an adult character getting absolutely fucked because the power that he's had his entire life decided to evolve.
The end of this book shook me and I will be itching for book three until it comes out. Seriously though, this book is lovely and you should all read the first one and then preorder this one because it's great. It doesn't fall to second book syndrome, which is what we love to see.
Again, thank you so much to M.N. Bennet for the ARC copy of this book, I will forever be grateful.
Oh also Charlie and Carlie are probably trying to take over the world.
3 🌶️
Gonna be honest, at this point, I don't even remember how I found M.N. Bennet but boy howdy am I glad that I did. I was in the middle of reading Three Meant to Be whenever I found out that he was asking for ARC readers for Two Who Live On and boy did I jump on that immediately. I loved Three Meant to Be, but I absolutely adore Two Who Live On.
I am weak to teacher tropes. I love Dorian so much, he's a grump, frumpy man who just wants to teach his kids and go home to his cats. A lifestyle that I can 100% get behind. This book he deals with a lot of his trauma that was touched upon in book one. He get's even grumpier (in the best way possible) and he would go to bat for all of his students, and I am OBSESSED with him.
Milo is still the perfect chaos angel. He cares so much but in such a Milo way. I think one of my favorite things he did was the "lock them in a room until they make up" but in a much more chaotic way. We love him, I will protect him with my life, despite the fact that he doesn't really need that.
All of his students are wonderful. I love the wide array of personalities and I will forever be obsessed with King Clucks, Peckfender of the Unhatched. I mean, come on, a chicken familar? Yeah, quite possibly the best thing I've ever read, and he get's so much better in this book. I'm starting a King Clucks fanclub at this point, who wants to join?
In all seriousness, this book touches on a lot of darker themes, but it's never too uncomfortable. Dorian is going through it, Milo is not helping but also helping. And there's a wonderful dash of secrets that could ruin, many, many things. Dorian's students are absolutely gem's who both want to be the best, but also protect Dorian. There's nothing like a previous life or death situation to get them caring, or a current life or death situation, because boy are there a few in this book.
Dorian's power growing is really interesting, I love the fact that he barely even know's how to work it, it's fun to read an adult character getting absolutely fucked because the power that he's had his entire life decided to evolve.
The end of this book shook me and I will be itching for book three until it comes out. Seriously though, this book is lovely and you should all read the first one and then preorder this one because it's great. It doesn't fall to second book syndrome, which is what we love to see.
Again, thank you so much to M.N. Bennet for the ARC copy of this book, I will forever be grateful.
Oh also Charlie and Carlie are probably trying to take over the world.
February 9, 2025
3.5 stars
I finished this and went, out loud, "What the hell am I supposed to do with that?" referring to the ending but also the book as a whole package.
This book suffers mainly from, I would say, pacing issues. We have two separate plots, the A plot of the actual main demon threat and then the B plot of whatever is going on with Dorian's students' anime tournament arc. Which makes for a very rough ride, because the demon plot hinges on Dorian's now boyfriend keeping him in the dark (which, granted, typical for Milo as seen in book one, but even more infuriating now). So we get half a book where stuff just kinda happens for a bit. Dorian tries to help Milo twice in a row and messes up twice in a row, which I think was trying to establish a pattern and justify Milo keeping him at arm's length but would still have benefited from some space between the two? Stuff like that.
Then halfway through, after that second messing up, Milo goes "just focus on the kids" and we do. Tournament arc. Yay? Not really. It's kind of a shame that the first book managed to blend the two sides of Dorian's life so perfectly by the end while this flounders completely. The only thing the tournament arc adds to the A plot is establishing the character who is revealed as the main demon's host, and well, the law of conservation of character kicks in because as soon as you introduced the concept of a devil in your lore and also here's one kid who isn't in Dorian's class and is suddenly getting a lot of attention because he's acting evil, I kinda called that one my dude. (No, I wouldn't say the subversion that "he only acted evil because the kid is that way and the demon was trying to imitate it" really works lol) So the tournament is just a series of big red flags whose meaning I already figured out earlier in the book and that no one picks up on.
Which wouldn't be so bad if Dorian's kids had something to do with their tournament-induced growth, but not really. They're technically here when the climax kicks in, but only as damsels to be threatened then safely evacuated once we're ready to raise the stakes to be more personal for Dorian.
And then the final chapter comes, which is a sequel hook, and like. In concept I don't hate this. Maybe book three will be good because it is a really interesting setup. But…I don't know. Now it can't be a mystery what's going on, and I don't know if I want to deal with the characters floundering with figuring out information that I've already been given, you know? It just leaves me apprehensive and a little wary instead of excited.
I finished this and went, out loud, "What the hell am I supposed to do with that?" referring to the ending but also the book as a whole package.
This book suffers mainly from, I would say, pacing issues. We have two separate plots, the A plot of the actual main demon threat and then the B plot of whatever is going on with Dorian's students' anime tournament arc. Which makes for a very rough ride, because the demon plot hinges on Dorian's now boyfriend keeping him in the dark (which, granted, typical for Milo as seen in book one, but even more infuriating now). So we get half a book where stuff just kinda happens for a bit. Dorian tries to help Milo twice in a row and messes up twice in a row, which I think was trying to establish a pattern and justify Milo keeping him at arm's length but would still have benefited from some space between the two? Stuff like that.
Then halfway through, after that second messing up, Milo goes "just focus on the kids" and we do. Tournament arc. Yay? Not really. It's kind of a shame that the first book managed to blend the two sides of Dorian's life so perfectly by the end while this flounders completely. The only thing the tournament arc adds to the A plot is establishing the character who is revealed as the main demon's host, and well, the law of conservation of character kicks in because as soon as you introduced the concept of a devil in your lore and also here's one kid who isn't in Dorian's class and is suddenly getting a lot of attention because he's acting evil, I kinda called that one my dude. (No, I wouldn't say the subversion that "he only acted evil because the kid is that way and the demon was trying to imitate it" really works lol) So the tournament is just a series of big red flags whose meaning I already figured out earlier in the book and that no one picks up on.
Which wouldn't be so bad if Dorian's kids had something to do with their tournament-induced growth, but not really. They're technically here when the climax kicks in, but only as damsels to be threatened then safely evacuated once we're ready to raise the stakes to be more personal for Dorian.
And then the final chapter comes, which is a sequel hook, and like. In concept I don't hate this. Maybe book three will be good because it is a really interesting setup. But…I don't know. Now it can't be a mystery what's going on, and I don't know if I want to deal with the characters floundering with figuring out information that I've already been given, you know? It just leaves me apprehensive and a little wary instead of excited.
March 12, 2024
“I love you both so much. I’m glad you’re the two who live on, carrying our dream, our future”
Okay so hello trauma? Nice to see you here, repeatedly, at multiple points in the book 🫶🏻 Bennet I will be coming at you with a bill for my therapy after reading this one (and I’m pretty sure Dorian’s going to come for you as well)
I had the honourable pleasure of arc reading both the first instalment in this series (Three Meant To Be) and now this one and I absolutely adore these characters so much. *note, although I received a gifted copy of this book, all thoughts and feelings are my own & I am leaving this review voluntarily*
It was so nice to be back in the chaos and drama that is Gemini Academy alongside my grumpy Dorian and his hilarious homeroom coven🥺 this semester at the academy was full of action and training after the horrific events of last semester (no spoilers here, you’ll have to go read book one😚). We see the kiddos getting ready for the Spring Showcase which was so fun to read & a break from the serious danger that was happening outside the academy.
This brings me onto the main plot of this instalment. And let me tell you, I was gripped and panicked the whole way through. Milo plays a much bigger part in this instalment which I loved. Through Dorian’s telepathy, we get a bit more insight into his mind, his branch magic & his job investigating demonic energy that’s been building throughout Chicago. Urgh Milo and Dorian are just goals, and it warmed my heart to see their reconciled relationship blossom and see how linked they are, soulmates fr😪 speaking of soulmates, every single scene including the memory of Finn tore me apart just like in book 1 … Bennet pls stop doing this (carry on)
Bennet, your writing is truly out of this world and the thought & detail that goes into your stories is astounding. Thank you for creating some of my favourite characters, making me sob and allowing me to spam your inbox with my reactions to this story🥺🫶🏻
Both books of the Branches of Past and Future series are now available in paperback, ebook and on KU and I urge anyone who loves adult fantasy & dark academia to pick these up! Book 3 will be coming September 2024 and with the cliffhanger this instalment left us on? I can not wait🫶🏻
Okay so hello trauma? Nice to see you here, repeatedly, at multiple points in the book 🫶🏻 Bennet I will be coming at you with a bill for my therapy after reading this one (and I’m pretty sure Dorian’s going to come for you as well)
I had the honourable pleasure of arc reading both the first instalment in this series (Three Meant To Be) and now this one and I absolutely adore these characters so much. *note, although I received a gifted copy of this book, all thoughts and feelings are my own & I am leaving this review voluntarily*
It was so nice to be back in the chaos and drama that is Gemini Academy alongside my grumpy Dorian and his hilarious homeroom coven🥺 this semester at the academy was full of action and training after the horrific events of last semester (no spoilers here, you’ll have to go read book one😚). We see the kiddos getting ready for the Spring Showcase which was so fun to read & a break from the serious danger that was happening outside the academy.
This brings me onto the main plot of this instalment. And let me tell you, I was gripped and panicked the whole way through. Milo plays a much bigger part in this instalment which I loved. Through Dorian’s telepathy, we get a bit more insight into his mind, his branch magic & his job investigating demonic energy that’s been building throughout Chicago. Urgh Milo and Dorian are just goals, and it warmed my heart to see their reconciled relationship blossom and see how linked they are, soulmates fr😪 speaking of soulmates, every single scene including the memory of Finn tore me apart just like in book 1 … Bennet pls stop doing this (carry on)
Bennet, your writing is truly out of this world and the thought & detail that goes into your stories is astounding. Thank you for creating some of my favourite characters, making me sob and allowing me to spam your inbox with my reactions to this story🥺🫶🏻
Both books of the Branches of Past and Future series are now available in paperback, ebook and on KU and I urge anyone who loves adult fantasy & dark academia to pick these up! Book 3 will be coming September 2024 and with the cliffhanger this instalment left us on? I can not wait🫶🏻
March 10, 2024
This sequel shows everything that can be amazing about a second book in a series.
This book starts off after the happy ending of last book with a date between Milo and Dorian. These two men together, gosh I love them so much. I love how their relationship is portrayed as a real one where the flaws of each character causes friction, but then through good communication things get resolved. The way they care and are not perfect is one of the bigger reasons why I love this paring so much. Both of them try their best for the other and there is so much tenderness and sweetness it makes me swoon.
Outside of the romance though, there is a whole lotta plot to talk about. This book goes a bit more into the worldbuilding of how accumulation of whisps can create different kinds of beings and the lore was all so cool. The world feels simple at it's core and is easy to understand, but has a lot of layered magic rules that together make an amazing world to read about.
Now knowing more about the world a new problem presents itself around the fact there are more and more demons, that Milo has his hands full with. We see a lot more of Milo in his book and Dorian played more of a support role to Milo being the hero. And that might sound weird for a main character to feel like a support character, but if I'm honest I really enjoyed this and the way it was done. Partners of public heros are fun to follow and this book totally proves this.
There is also still a lot of school shenanigans and these teens get a more and more prominent spot in my heart. The jokes from these kids kept making me chuckle but in the same way these kids caring for each other gave me loads of sweet and gentle smiles. With Dorian teaching them it's clear how much he also cares for them and that care is highly contagious in a good way and made me enjoy the book all the more.
Concluding this book was a total gem and I cannot wait until the third will be here.
I received an eARC and this was my honest review.
This book starts off after the happy ending of last book with a date between Milo and Dorian. These two men together, gosh I love them so much. I love how their relationship is portrayed as a real one where the flaws of each character causes friction, but then through good communication things get resolved. The way they care and are not perfect is one of the bigger reasons why I love this paring so much. Both of them try their best for the other and there is so much tenderness and sweetness it makes me swoon.
Outside of the romance though, there is a whole lotta plot to talk about. This book goes a bit more into the worldbuilding of how accumulation of whisps can create different kinds of beings and the lore was all so cool. The world feels simple at it's core and is easy to understand, but has a lot of layered magic rules that together make an amazing world to read about.
Now knowing more about the world a new problem presents itself around the fact there are more and more demons, that Milo has his hands full with. We see a lot more of Milo in his book and Dorian played more of a support role to Milo being the hero. And that might sound weird for a main character to feel like a support character, but if I'm honest I really enjoyed this and the way it was done. Partners of public heros are fun to follow and this book totally proves this.
There is also still a lot of school shenanigans and these teens get a more and more prominent spot in my heart. The jokes from these kids kept making me chuckle but in the same way these kids caring for each other gave me loads of sweet and gentle smiles. With Dorian teaching them it's clear how much he also cares for them and that care is highly contagious in a good way and made me enjoy the book all the more.
Concluding this book was a total gem and I cannot wait until the third will be here.
I received an eARC and this was my honest review.
March 18, 2024
I was sent a copy of this book for review.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Dorian has begun processing the trauma of losing Finn and is ready to explore a future with Milo (though he is not sure he fits in with Milo’s Enchanter celebrity status). But life is never easy with frequent attacks on the city keeping Milo extremely busy at work and with Dorian knee-deep in preparing his students for the imminent Academy Showcase, the two barely have time to connect and talk things through. Adding to the ongoing complications to their rekindled relationship, Dorian’s telepathy abilities are growing in strength and evolving in power. This development inadvertently bonds him to Milo allowing him to overhear private enchanter meetings and witness Milo in action while out on cases.
Dorian finds balancing his teacher workload difficult enough but now he has to contend with his mind being pulled to Milo every time he gets into danger. When Dorian realises that Milo has been downplaying the recent attacks and that demons not warlocks have been killing people, it makes him worry that he could lose Milo the same way he lost Finn.
It was interesting to see how far Milo and Dorian’s relationship has come and how much further they need to go before they can resolve their issues and start creating a future together. I loved seeing how all the students in the Academy have grown and developed their abilities from semester 1 to semester 2 and I found the showcase trials intriguing, especially watching how the dynamics between Dorian’s students played out against the others in the school.
Dorian can be a taciturn and moody character, but he loves his students and Milo deeply and in essence is just a caring person who hides his feelings out of fear of being hurt stemming from his loss and grief over Finn. He is the type of character I will always root for. Dorian and Milo are the quintessential grumpy/sunshine couple and I can’t wait to see where their individual stories as well as their relationship goes in the future.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Dorian has begun processing the trauma of losing Finn and is ready to explore a future with Milo (though he is not sure he fits in with Milo’s Enchanter celebrity status). But life is never easy with frequent attacks on the city keeping Milo extremely busy at work and with Dorian knee-deep in preparing his students for the imminent Academy Showcase, the two barely have time to connect and talk things through. Adding to the ongoing complications to their rekindled relationship, Dorian’s telepathy abilities are growing in strength and evolving in power. This development inadvertently bonds him to Milo allowing him to overhear private enchanter meetings and witness Milo in action while out on cases.
Dorian finds balancing his teacher workload difficult enough but now he has to contend with his mind being pulled to Milo every time he gets into danger. When Dorian realises that Milo has been downplaying the recent attacks and that demons not warlocks have been killing people, it makes him worry that he could lose Milo the same way he lost Finn.
It was interesting to see how far Milo and Dorian’s relationship has come and how much further they need to go before they can resolve their issues and start creating a future together. I loved seeing how all the students in the Academy have grown and developed their abilities from semester 1 to semester 2 and I found the showcase trials intriguing, especially watching how the dynamics between Dorian’s students played out against the others in the school.
Dorian can be a taciturn and moody character, but he loves his students and Milo deeply and in essence is just a caring person who hides his feelings out of fear of being hurt stemming from his loss and grief over Finn. He is the type of character I will always root for. Dorian and Milo are the quintessential grumpy/sunshine couple and I can’t wait to see where their individual stories as well as their relationship goes in the future.
February 17, 2024
Two Who Lived On is the second book in MN Bennet’s queer fantasy series Branches of Past and Future. Telepathic high school teacher Dorian is back for the second semester teaching his freshman class of witches. He must help get them through the Spring Showcase while exploring his newly rekindled romance with clairvoyant Milo whose fame and power constantly takes him away. Meanwhile, demons are threatening their city of Chicago, and the main culprit may be closer than they think.
I enjoyed this sequel, but I do think it doesn’t quite reach the highs of the first book (especially with the spectacular climax it delivered). I am once again conflicted by Dorian who had already won me over, but now I am questioning him once again. It feels like he backslid a bit with his own issues and troubles getting in the way of what he should be doing. Milo is, of course, still the sunshiny delight that he was despite the enormous pressure he is under. Among the students, Caleb and Kenzo are emerging at the forefront and I really want to see where their friendship goes.
The book does deliver a story of its own, but adds a surprise twist at the final chapter (that really was more of an epilogue) that can be considered a massive cliffhanger/teaser for where the series is going. The rest of book felt a bit disjointed because of the two plotline with Dorian and his students and Dorian and Milo feeling entirely separate. I actually had no idea where either storylines were going, and it took maybe two-thirds of the way through for the main plot to solidify. It does have some pretty great moments, particularly for both Caleb and Milo. Also, I don’t know if I’ve been desensitized, but it wasn’t as spicy as I expected.
Two Who Lived On delivers a great sequel, but it does feel like a second book that is bridging book 1 to the ultimate endgame.
*Thank you to MN Bennet for providing me an eARC on exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this sequel, but I do think it doesn’t quite reach the highs of the first book (especially with the spectacular climax it delivered). I am once again conflicted by Dorian who had already won me over, but now I am questioning him once again. It feels like he backslid a bit with his own issues and troubles getting in the way of what he should be doing. Milo is, of course, still the sunshiny delight that he was despite the enormous pressure he is under. Among the students, Caleb and Kenzo are emerging at the forefront and I really want to see where their friendship goes.
The book does deliver a story of its own, but adds a surprise twist at the final chapter (that really was more of an epilogue) that can be considered a massive cliffhanger/teaser for where the series is going. The rest of book felt a bit disjointed because of the two plotline with Dorian and his students and Dorian and Milo feeling entirely separate. I actually had no idea where either storylines were going, and it took maybe two-thirds of the way through for the main plot to solidify. It does have some pretty great moments, particularly for both Caleb and Milo. Also, I don’t know if I’ve been desensitized, but it wasn’t as spicy as I expected.
Two Who Lived On delivers a great sequel, but it does feel like a second book that is bridging book 1 to the ultimate endgame.
*Thank you to MN Bennet for providing me an eARC on exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2023
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book and I’m writing my honest review after reading it.
“You barely banished it.”
“I was half dead. What’s your excuse?”
Dorian as a teacher might be my favorite part of this book and every book ever.
To say I loved Two Who Live On would be an understatement, easiest 5 ⭐️ ever.
The second installment in the Branches of Past and Future series did not disappoint!
I enjoyed the romance, obviously, Milo is sunshine at its best and Dorian is the grumpiest softie ever. I really liked how their relationship blossomed, they’ve got great communication and you can actually feel the love they have for each other in this book.
The banter, witty comments, jokes and innuendos were top notch, like in the first book.
And it was amazing that this book has even more scenes showing Dorian with his students! Kenzo is a big softie and I love when he defends Gael. And obviously the other Gael was hilarious, as usual, with King Clucks killing it. I was very proud of Tara’s and Carter’s evolution. Caleb is as impressive as ever and I love that Katherine is such a badass. And I liked that we could get to know more about Layla, Melanie, Jennifer, Yaritza and Jamius in this book as well! Basically this book made me feel like I was their teacher and I would love to see these kids succeed as much as I’d love to see my real life students succeed! That’s how real M.N. Bennet sets the classroom scenes, impressive.
Also, it was great to learn more about this world, how the industry works and even more magic branches! Chanelle’s branch was interesting and I hope we get to see her in action even more in the third book.
Finally: THAT ENDING. I won’t spoil anything but DAMN… that was a great way to end the book because now I NEED the third one!
I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoyed the first one, it was an amazing follow up!
“You barely banished it.”
“I was half dead. What’s your excuse?”
Dorian as a teacher might be my favorite part of this book and every book ever.
To say I loved Two Who Live On would be an understatement, easiest 5 ⭐️ ever.
The second installment in the Branches of Past and Future series did not disappoint!
I enjoyed the romance, obviously, Milo is sunshine at its best and Dorian is the grumpiest softie ever. I really liked how their relationship blossomed, they’ve got great communication and you can actually feel the love they have for each other in this book.
The banter, witty comments, jokes and innuendos were top notch, like in the first book.
And it was amazing that this book has even more scenes showing Dorian with his students! Kenzo is a big softie and I love when he defends Gael. And obviously the other Gael was hilarious, as usual, with King Clucks killing it. I was very proud of Tara’s and Carter’s evolution. Caleb is as impressive as ever and I love that Katherine is such a badass. And I liked that we could get to know more about Layla, Melanie, Jennifer, Yaritza and Jamius in this book as well! Basically this book made me feel like I was their teacher and I would love to see these kids succeed as much as I’d love to see my real life students succeed! That’s how real M.N. Bennet sets the classroom scenes, impressive.
Also, it was great to learn more about this world, how the industry works and even more magic branches! Chanelle’s branch was interesting and I hope we get to see her in action even more in the third book.
Finally: THAT ENDING. I won’t spoil anything but DAMN… that was a great way to end the book because now I NEED the third one!
I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoyed the first one, it was an amazing follow up!
August 25, 2024
Two Who Live On by M.N. Bennet is the second volume in his Branches of Past and Future series, a series that tells the story of Dorian, a teacher in a magical high school. It follows on directly from the first book, Three Meant to Be , and I would definitely recommend readers check out that book first, I don't think this book works as a stand alone. Dorian is still working with his class of students, and it was a great pleasure to get to spend more time with these quirky and interesting characters, in fact I wish that we had a little more time with them and the ranking tournament that they are participating in. However in this book more of the focus is on Dorian himself and his romance with the famous Enchanter Milo Evergreen which becomes public knowledge early in the book. Becoming closer to Milo is changing Dorian's telepathic abilities, and he is struggling to get to grips with his new skills, especially since his stronger bond to Milo means that his attention is often drawn away from his students, especially when Milo is in danger. While I like the relationship between Dorian and Milo, I was more invested in his relationships with his students and his determination to help them succeed, and while that is still part of his story, it felt side-lined in this book. The classroom and student scenes we did get were definitely the highlights of the book for me and I hope that we see more of them in the next book. All that being said I definitely did not see the end of this book coming and I love it when an author can truly surprise me. I am looking forward to seeing how things pan out for everyone, I have a feeling there is plenty of heartbreak and more than a little drama to come .
January 15, 2024
Two who live on is the second book in The Branches Of Past And Future. Dorian and Milo have become closer. Dorian is finally able to approach their relationship in a more active way, finally letting go of some of the pain he was holding over Finns death. Dorian now tries to focus on all his students and help them achieve their potential with their given magics. He struggles with his changing telepathy and his strong link to Milo's mind! While Milo deals with cases of Demons killing witches and warlocks, Dorians mind seamlessly links with his and has him worried for his partner and of what it all could mean.
Should Dorian intervene with Milo's cases?
M.N. Bennet does it again!! I loved this book and all the characters even more! I read this book slowly because I didn't want it to end! I love how we get to see the students become closer and their personalities evolve. Dorian is so caring when it comes to his students (its the best!)!
My favorite students are still Caleb, Kenzo and Gael & King Clucks! Theee punnnnsss 🤣☠️
I definitely cried at one part 😭 still think about it 😩
Cliffhanger makes me need the next book stat!!
That ending!!!!!
Over all this book was a great second installment and I cant wait to see how Dorian, Milo, and the students grow!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Should Dorian intervene with Milo's cases?
M.N. Bennet does it again!! I loved this book and all the characters even more! I read this book slowly because I didn't want it to end! I love how we get to see the students become closer and their personalities evolve. Dorian is so caring when it comes to his students (its the best!)!
My favorite students are still Caleb, Kenzo and Gael & King Clucks! Theee punnnnsss 🤣☠️
I definitely cried at one part 😭 still think about it 😩
Cliffhanger makes me need the next book stat!!
That ending!!!!!
Over all this book was a great second installment and I cant wait to see how Dorian, Milo, and the students grow!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
February 25, 2024
I read Three Meant to Be as an arc and enjoyed it even though I didn't think it really qualified as a romance. In Two Become One, the urban fantasy has much more romantic content and a HFN ending.
This urban fantasy centering around Dorian, who teaches at a magic academy, and Milo, who's a cross between Harry Potter and Tom Cruise's character in Minority Report, only gay. Dorian's students also feature prominently in the house of horrors meets a roller coaster ride of a plot, just as they did in the first book and they're every bit as interesting as Dorian and Milo are, if not more so.
In Three Meant to Be, the recently deceased third partner, Finn, interacted with Dorian and Milo quite a bit despite no longer being corporeal. He's in Two Who Go On, but it's obvious where the title of the book comes from. I won't go into more details because of spoilers, but it worked better for me as a romance than the first book.
I did feel like the book dragged a bit in places, but the students are so much fun to read that I didn't really mind it.
One thing, though. There is a total mind-f**k of a last chapter that ends in a cliffhanger. It's not an epilogue, it's Chapter 38, so if you don't want to go there until the next book is out, just stop after Chapter 37.
I enjoyed this author and will be checking out his other work.
This urban fantasy centering around Dorian, who teaches at a magic academy, and Milo, who's a cross between Harry Potter and Tom Cruise's character in Minority Report, only gay. Dorian's students also feature prominently in the house of horrors meets a roller coaster ride of a plot, just as they did in the first book and they're every bit as interesting as Dorian and Milo are, if not more so.
In Three Meant to Be, the recently deceased third partner, Finn, interacted with Dorian and Milo quite a bit despite no longer being corporeal. He's in Two Who Go On, but it's obvious where the title of the book comes from. I won't go into more details because of spoilers, but it worked better for me as a romance than the first book.
I did feel like the book dragged a bit in places, but the students are so much fun to read that I didn't really mind it.
One thing, though. There is a total mind-f**k of a last chapter that ends in a cliffhanger. It's not an epilogue, it's Chapter 38, so if you don't want to go there until the next book is out, just stop after Chapter 37.
I enjoyed this author and will be checking out his other work.
March 11, 2024
The second book in the Branches of Past and Future series finished out the school year for our teacher and students. The world-building continues to grow, with new challenges, new creatures, and new magic branches, along with more proficiency with ones we’ve already seen. I liked the growth of the students’ abilities and relationships and their belief in themselves. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the growth in the main characters I had hoped for after book one. I really don’t understand Milo, who doggedly pursued Dorian, but once he got him, he hardly spent any time with him, lied to him repeatedly, and did other things to treat him poorly. Chanelle, the “best friend”, appears to have a better relationship with Milo than Dorian, and again is mostly a biatch to him. Dorian himself ignores blatant bullying, accepts being treated badly by everyone, and continues to think the worst about himself while talking to no one about what he’s going through.
I truly enjoy this world. Most of the students are great, and I genuinely want to see Dorian and Milo happy together. For me, they just aren’t written in a way that makes me like them a whole lot, though with that cliffhanger ending, I will still likely read the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I truly enjoy this world. Most of the students are great, and I genuinely want to see Dorian and Milo happy together. For me, they just aren’t written in a way that makes me like them a whole lot, though with that cliffhanger ending, I will still likely read the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 27, 2023
The second book in the series picks up shortly after the first and wastes no time getting started.
◽Great World Building
◽Realistic MC
◽Magic school with annoying admins | Dark academia
◽Unique formatting
◽Queer representation in many forms
We pick up just a few months after the first, still dealing with the fallout of everything that happened. Dorian’s power is growing in a new, strange, way. We’re getting to learn more about the kids and see them grow into their powers as well.
And of course in the wake of the previous book Dorian and Milo’s relationship continues to grow.
Dorian has to balance helping the kids with the showcase, the growth of his powers, his relationship with Milo, and the new demon threat looming over Milo’s head.
I loved the kids’ growth in this book, and meeting more of the kids at the school was super fun - as was the showcase! The entire showcase was such a treat to read and I laughed out loud at some parts, Gael and Tiffany killed me.
Overall I loved this book as much as, if not more than, the first and I cannot recommend it more. It does end in a bit of a cliffhanger but I believe book 3 will be out the same year as book 2 so the wait won’t be too long!
I received an ARC for free and this is an honest review.
◽Great World Building
◽Realistic MC
◽Magic school with annoying admins | Dark academia
◽Unique formatting
◽Queer representation in many forms
We pick up just a few months after the first, still dealing with the fallout of everything that happened. Dorian’s power is growing in a new, strange, way. We’re getting to learn more about the kids and see them grow into their powers as well.
And of course in the wake of the previous book Dorian and Milo’s relationship continues to grow.
Dorian has to balance helping the kids with the showcase, the growth of his powers, his relationship with Milo, and the new demon threat looming over Milo’s head.
I loved the kids’ growth in this book, and meeting more of the kids at the school was super fun - as was the showcase! The entire showcase was such a treat to read and I laughed out loud at some parts, Gael and Tiffany killed me.
Overall I loved this book as much as, if not more than, the first and I cannot recommend it more. It does end in a bit of a cliffhanger but I believe book 3 will be out the same year as book 2 so the wait won’t be too long!
I received an ARC for free and this is an honest review.
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