Stranger Skies

Drowned Gods #2

by Pascale Lacelle

Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this riveting sequel to the New York Times bestselling dark academia fantasy Curious Tides, following Emory, Baz, Romie, and Kai on their desperate quests through space and time!Opening locked doors has a price—even for those who hold a key. After going through the door that called to them both in dreams, Emory and Romie find themselves in the the same verdant world written of in Song of the Drowned Gods, albeit a twisted, rotting version of it. A sinister force has awoken with their arrival, intent on destruction as it spills across realms, and now Emory and Romie must stop it before it reaches their own shores. Meanwhile, Baz and Kai are desperate to follow their friends through the door to other worlds, but a mishap pulls them back in time instead—where they come face to face with Cornus Clover himself, famed author of Song of the Drowned Gods. Stuck together in the past, they must navigate a very different Aldryn as they unravel the school’s darkest secrets. Across time and worlds, Emory, Romie, Baz, and Kai find their fates eerily interwoven with the heroes from Clover’s book. But when stories can’t be trusted, friendships are put to the test, and deadly enemies are not always as they seem, they must decide who gets to be a hero—and who is desperate enough to see themselves become a villain.

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Academia, Young Adult, Magic, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction

608 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2024

About the author

Pascale Lacelle is the New York Times bestselling author of Curious Tides and Stranger Skies. A longtime devourer of books, she started writing her own at the age of thirteen and quickly became enthralled by the magic of words in both French and English. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her loving dog and an ever-growing library of books waiting to be read. You can find her online at PascaleLacelle.com or on Instagram.

Reviews

[Clace]

OH MY GOD ITS BEEN AN HOUR AND I AM STILL STARING AT THAT COVER! IT SO BEAUTIFUL!
-I honestly can not wait for this because book one was so good....

[liz ౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

➸ 5 stars

this book was actually insane! i’ve never been more blown away by a book than i was with this one. it was beyond amazing and, dare i say, better than the first book!!

pascale lacelle’s writing is so utterly gripping; beautiful in a way that has me appreciating each and every word that is woven into this story. everything has a meaning, everything has a purpose. this world is so intricately crafted in an otherworldly way, my imagination went wild and i pictured everything in this so clearly in my mind. the worldbuilding went beyond anything i could’ve ever expected as well as the magic. it’s insane. i truly have no words.

the plot twists were absolutely insane and there were so many things i never would have seen coming that had my jaw drop every. single. time. the revelations, the executions!!!! genius. absolutely genius. down to the very last page.

the characters?! oh my god i am in love with how they are written and their stories and each of their dynamics with each other. the complexity, the growth, the friendships!! and the emotion?!!! oh my god don’t even get me started!! everything is amazing. i didn’t like emory in the first book (for obvious reasons) but she has grown so so much from the person she was in book one and it was amazing seeing her growth through this! i love her. her friendship with virgil is one of my absolute favorites! and baz!! he’s one of my favorite characters ever!! i feel so seen in his character and his development was an absolute joy to have been able to read about. baz and kai?! oh my gosh they are everything to me!! the new characters?! i can’t wait to see more! romie had me screaming at my kindle tho, i still don’t like her!

my ship happened in this and i am SOOOO HAPPYY!!!! i was literally jumping up and down from excitement when, after so long, it finally happened! tears were in my eyes! the slow burn burned so good and the wait was so worth it oh my god i will never shut up about how much i love them!!!

anyways, this book was EVERYTHING and i am absolutely amazed at what pascale has created. i am so beyond excited for book 3 and will be waiting patiently for the final book in this story; i’ll think about this book and everything that happened in the mean time because it’s simply something i will never forget!

(sidraeus is hot, had to say it heheehhehe)

-

thank you so much to simon & schuster for the advanced readers copy!

[Hassan Saeed]

Fine! Take it 🫳🏻💸

[⁠*⁠♡Lilac⁠*⁠♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It actually pisses me off how so many books get hyped and this series is getting slept on. It deserves every single star. I purposefully read it as slow as I can because the immersive journey that it takes me on is incomparable to anything that I have ever experienced. If you haven't started this series GO AND START IT!

[sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

let me just say right off the bat that I liked this book! it was fun! I think pascale lacelle is a talented author! but I cannot deny that this was one of the most convoluted books I've ever read. there was simply too much going on: too many povs, too many new random characters introduced, too many strange and unnecessary plot points, too many facts about the world randomly dropped to the point I was constantly going "wait what? who?" this needed more editing-- for example, a character has the exact same realization about their magic abilities 300 pages apart that was so jarring to me that I genuinely think the author forgot that the character already realized that. and I don't want to spoil so I'll keep it relatively vague but all the sudden withholding information from the reader in a situation where you have been getting the pov of both characters for the entire book just so you can have a gotcha moment just doesn't make any sense and honestly kinda pissed me off

all in all I did overall find this entertaining because I do like some of the characters and this certainly wasn't bad but it was very messy. I thought after finishing curious tides that this series could be new favorite ya fantasy series for me and that potential went away with this book-- but I will still definitely be reading the final book in the trilogy

[Maeghan 🦋 HIATUS on & off · Rating 5 out of 5]

« It’s always the quietest minds that hides the worst sort of violence. »

A masterpiece. Brilliant. This author’s writing is truly captivating and addicting. Curious tides was a 5 stars read and it was magnificent… so was this sequel. I’m in awe. 600 pages and I couldn’t get enough.

« People grow apart. That doesn’t mean they can’t find their way back to each other. »

The plot twists??? I’m sorry but I never saw most of them coming. Never meet your heroes… right? I gasped out loud a few times and I love this. I was glued to the book and had to force myself to put it down.

« You will never understand what it’s like for us because you’re not like us. »

The characters are so wonderful. Baz has my whole heart, he is just so relatable for me. I was on my KNEES for the slow burn and I’m so happy it went in that direction. Kai is my second favourite and I just want them to be happy!!

« I’ve been noticing every little thing about you since the first moment I saw you. »

Emory & Romie’s part took some wild turns too. Their animosity really grew in this one and I wonder if their friendship can really go back to the way it was. Emory changed a lot (for the better) and Romie is stuck in her ways. I’m rooting for all of these characters though, and I just want them to be happy in the end. Romie is the character I like the least but I get where she’s coming from.
I can’t wait for the next one!!

« You learn to live in the dark when you have no choice. Can you blame me for making the darkness mine? »

—-•
600 pages and I couldn’t get enough. Brilliant. RTC
(MY FIRST 5 STARS OF THE MONTH😭 what a relief)

[✮demi✮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE ONLY PERFECT DARK ACADEMIA YA FANTASY SERIES TO EVER EXIST
ughh it was so good and written so perfectly and amazingly
the writing is just GORGEOUS and the aesthetic is so whimsical, i had to make a pinterest board for it!!
ngl i kinda saw some of the plot twists coming and i swear pascale, if emory has a romance with the 5000-year-old-god-demon-sid-something-boy-dude in the next book i will be ranting about it
i was really rooting for emory and baz but the constant reminders of emory just using baz in the last book did NOT do her justice (she's lowkey annoying now 😭 but i still sort of love her)
the chapters were also short and perfect but i hated romie's POVs (not a fan of her personally)
the cliffhanger at the end was crazy
and now the next book probably won't come out until a yeeear
i need answers NOW
overall this was perfect
(there's got to be a buzzfeed quiz to see which lunar house im in 🙏)
-------------------------
pre-review
Rtc after exams 🫶

[patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“i have spent a millennia in the sleeping realm stewing in my rage and revenge. those feelings don’t go away so easily. you learn to live in the dark when you have no choice. can you blame me for making the darkness mine?”

curious tides walked so stranger skies could run and SOAR. talk about the ultimate step up from the first novel. i think pascale is someone to look out for — this is a master storyteller. the way everything just weaves together and locks into place — idk how she does it.

if curious tides felt self contained, then this was a door blown wide open, both literally and figuratively, opening the gateway to anything and everything possible — mythical creatures galore, time travel, ravenous gods, demonic possession, witches, dragons; you name it, you most probably got it. this was stuffed to the brim, but in the best way possible. i think there’s something in it for everyone because there was so much to enjoy. this is HIGH fantasy where the sky is the limit.

on paper, it might feel overwhelming to juggle all of that, but pascale does it so well, showing how seasoned she is as a storyteller. baz may weave the threads of time, but pascale weaves every story together, past and present, and does it in a way that feels cohesive and engaging all through its 600 page length. i think altogether i burned through 1000 pages with both the first and second book within a week and never even felt it. i think i’ve gone through seven lives in the span of two books. i literally sat down for ten hours straight just reading because i was so immersed.

the sequel delivered everything i wanted and so much more. i’m really satisfied with the choices pascale makes in the sequel, particularly involving the romance between certain characters. if you’re worried about certain characters getting together, don’t worry. pascale knows these characters best. trust that your favorite ship will come thru 🫡 i was foaming at the mouth and giggling like a school girl at all the interactions.

i came for sidraeus — man lived up to the hype and the build up was DELICIOUS, a full banquet laid out 🤌🏻🤌🏻 — but genuinely stayed for everyone else including sidraeus because all of them are just so fleshed out and their growth really shows across both books, emory’s particularly. I didn't expect to get so attached. i’m literally sweating for everyone rn. they’ve gone through so much hell i’m genuinely going to crash out if they’re all doomed in the end.

but shoutout to virgil, the best comic relief out there.

and the villain? yeah, i was sick. i didn’t see the twist coming, but when i did, i didn’t expect it would be so bad, and oh boy… actually sickening. i am disgusted. i love me a good morally gray villain, but this was just jet-black-heart cruel and i need [redacted] to suffer the worst fate possible.

this book also feels so meta and relevant with a lot of authors coming off as controversial in this day and age. there’s something about the way pascale writes that’s just hypnotic and meticulous too. even the small little details she adds when the characters travel back in time make it feel more convincing, adding to the immersion. no stones are left unturned and i need the final book like yesterday.

[lina ! · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ★

First off, the cover is really pretty! Although I found the first book mediocre (rated it 3 stars), I was still somewhat invested in the story and wanted to see what happens next after the cliffhanger ending in book 1.

Chapters were short, which I love because I read this really slowly (took like 3ish weeks on and off) and they make it easier to get through (the book length was intimidating too, almost 600 pages). The author did well in smoothly dropping some information of the important events that happened in the first book without appearing info-dumpy, which personally helped me a lot because I didn’t really remember much about what happened previously, and these little tidbits helped in jogging my memory.

New POVs were introduced— Romie and Kai! They did help me gain more insight on their characters, however, I liked reading about Kai more than Romie (the reason I’ll get into next).

The book is dual structured, with two plotlines running parallel to each, eventually intersecting at the end. Emory and Romie’s chapters were about them travelling across the different worlds of Clover’s story Song of the Drowned Gods, while Baz and Kai’s chapters were about them ending up 200 years back in time. Like the previous book, I found this one to be slow moving as well— Emory and Romie’s chapters were boring at times. I was more interested in Baz and Kai’s storyline, and part of it has to be because the author did an amazing job writing the romantic tension between the two.

The romance subplot between Baz and Kai was so good! The slowburn was burning, and I ship them so hard (I hope they’re end game and nothing happens to them), they’re my OTP of this series. I feel they have more chemistry than Baz and Emory— something about the way how Baz and Kai’s friendship slowly transforms into a romance just gets me. I stand by that the transformation of their relationship was really well written, and I might not remember much from book 1, but I do recall feeling the tension between them then as well (though it was more subtle).

Clover lowkey reminded me of Professor Slughorn from Harry Potter; they’re both a “collector” who surround themselves with individuals they deemed talented or interesting and host parties to gain the connections.

The backstories of the main characters for each tale from Clover’s Song of the Drowned Gods were an interesting touch and are good in gaining some context, but I did find them to be boring because it took me out of the story. Especially at the beginning when I just wanted to continue from where we left off in book 1. I mainly skimmed these parts a little, but they were a fun addition alongside the story.

Regardless, I’m excited to see how the story will conclude in book 3!

🌅 I won a print ARC of this from Simon & Schuster and still decided to leave a review out of my own volition! <3

———

just received an arc of this in the mail!! (can't believe I won another giveaway from simon & schuster *insert keyboard smash*)

[Brend]

A boy with a very public birth chart who would turn back time for you. A girlboss who flew too close to the moon and can't swim...

Excited to see them again!

[Sotiria Lazaridou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stranger Skies is a thrilling continuation of The Drowned Gods series, picking up the intense and emotional threads woven in the first book. this second book delves deeper into the lives of the main characters, while the world around them becomes even more dangerous and complex.

Emory continues to be a captivating protagonist, her inner turmoil and growth central to the story’s emotional core. the author does an excellent job of portraying her as both strong and vulnerable, a character who struggles with her own identity, desires and the shifting world she’s navigating. her relationship with the other characters, particularly with Baz, is filled with tension and emotional depth, as their bond evolves throughout the book. Baz himself is a complex and layered character, whose loyalty and hidden struggles make him a standout. his connection to Emory is one of the most compelling elements of the book and their dynamic feels authentic and earned.

Romie and Kai also get more screen time in this book and their personal arcs add much-needed balance to the group. Romie’s journey is one of self-discovery and her interactions with the group reveal different sides to her that weren’t as apparent in the first book. Kai, too, is more fleshed out with his motivations and backstory becoming more integral to the unfolding plot. the way their relationships evolve over time contributes significantly to the emotional stakes of the story.

I found that the plot of deepens the series’ mythos, introducing more complex layers of the world’s lore. the narrative is driven by a sense of looming danger, as the group faces both internal and external threats. there’s a strong focus on the political and mystical elements of the universe, with the consequences of past decisions coming to a head.

generally, one of the more notable aspects of this book is the author’s attention to the emotional growth of the characters. their personal struggles and relationships are never overshadowed by the plot, making this not just an action-packed fantasy book, but also a heartfelt exploration of trust, loyalty and self-discovery.

that said, the book does suffer a lot from its length. at over 600 pages, it definitely felt drawn out at times. there are some sections where the plot meanders and I found myself wishing for a quicker pace. while the world-building and character development are extensive, the book could have been more concise in some areas without losing its emotional depth.

[Kalena ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋆.˚✮ 3.5 stars ✮˚.⋆

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back again... and ✨️WOW✨️(again)

Stranger Skies was (and I hate this word but....) unputdownable.

While some of us are back at Aldryn College, some of us are somewhere we still can't believe is real, on the other side of the door in the Wychwood.

Following the call, Romie has made it to the other side of the door, the same door from Song of The Drowned Gods, and surprise! Emory has made it too! But while they paid a steep price to get here, there is still more demanded.

Baz and Kai, are determined to reopen the door and find the girls, and with things getting bad back at Aldryn, they don't have much time. They need to save their friends, but they also need to get justice for Eclipse born, and fast. But when they do find a way, things don't go exactly as planned, and they find themselves not in another world, but another time.

This absolutely stunning sequel to Curious Tides takes place again over multiple points of view, allowing us to follow our full cast through time and worlds as they race against the clock, and darkness, to save their worlds and magic.

I absolutely love the depth to this series, taking complex concepts and tackling them in an honest and real way, even in a world so clearly beyond ours. The absolutely stunning weight of grief and fear faced in the sleepscape and the portrayal of it's toll on both those whom the experience belongs to and those who support them and pull them out. The equal parts pain and joy of a growing and evolving friendship as new experiences illicit feelings of not just joy and pride, but shame, jealousy, and hurt. And the raw truth of falling in love, not just the butterflies, but the fear, uncertainty, missed and misread emotions and rejection.

This book was so much more than I anticipated. We knew the story Song of The Drowned Gods was going to be a main plot line, but the absolute thrill (as a story lover) to see our characters fates intertwined with their own story's characters was incredible. What I was not anticipating was that our most unreliable characters would be the messengers of the Gods themselves, and how torn we would be at what truly is "Dark" and what is "Good".

Pascale Lacelle has done it again and I will 100% be here again day 0 for book 3 if the publisher will have me again! Thank you so much Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

[Casey Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved book one and became obsessed with the magic system, so I was not expecting book two to be even better, but I think it was! I rated both five stars though. New magic system components and new characters are introduced, weaving seamlessly into that which we already had exposure to. Emory and Romie find themselves in the world of Song of The Drowned Gods after going through a door in their dreams. They must stop a destructive force that awakens after their arrival, if they wish to save their own world. Baz and Kai, wishing to follow them to this other world, attempt to follow through the door but get pulled back in time instead. They come into contact with the writer of Song of The Drowned Gods himself, Cornus Clover. So we have different realms, as well as time travel going on!  Fates are intertwined, friendships are tested, and heroes and villains are made. I am, once again, completely blown away by both the writing and the world. Lacalle is an incredibly gifted writer, able to deliver a captivating story in such beautiful and descriptive prose. I just adore the way she writes! And on top of that, the world and magic is unique. It's a dark, lush, magical world that is original and compelling. I think it's hard to come up with something new these days and I feel like Lacalle totally delivers that. I am entranced entirely by this series so far and cannot wait for the next installment!

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

[isbah ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg wtf.....i think i just found my first 6 star read of the year. infinite stars actually.
rtc when I gather my thoughts 😭😭

[Dotti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5 stars ⭐️

Once again, I sit reading a book in the Drowned Gods trilogy, lamenting that the character development lived up to the excellence of the magic system.

The story follows two different sets of characters through four different perspectives: Romie and Emory, as they go through the Realms within the sleepscape, and Baz and Kai, as they are thrust in time and are face-to-face with their idol. The story switches between the two timelines and the four perspectives without much clarity, and it makes the pacing of the book difficult. It felt hard to engage in the book, because any momentum that builds gets taken away by changing perspectives.

The Baz and Kai storyline is much better done, with the characters growing and communicating and unraveling the secrets of the past; the Romie and Emory storyline is defined by the girls’ miscommunication and petty behavior. Our main female characters are written very poorly, feeling immature in the worst YA stereotypes. The male characters, on the other hand, feel interesting and nuanced.

I think the magic system in this book is so interesting, and I’m really fascinated by where the story could go. But honestly, after reading the second book, I don’t think I can continue onto the third. I’m curious what will happen in the third book, especially with the cliffhangers that our characters were left on! But I surely won’t remember the story by the time the next one comes out, and the book wasn’t good enough to justify a reread to prepare.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so badly want to love this series. But I have to face facts; it just isn’t for me.

The good stuff: The world building and magic system are well done and fascinating.

Now the other stuff:

The book felt too long. We have an excess of POVs, plus a complex plot and time jumps and… well, it was all a bit much.

In book 1, Romie and Emory were best friends. But here in book 2, they’re inexplicably at odds with each other. Both of their POVs bordered on intolerable. Neither one was the least bit likable in this book.

I listened to the audiobook, which has four narrators. Overall, it’s quite well done, but I do have to mention one thing that was an issue for me. One of the female narrators has a distinctly older voice, and it kept throwing me off when she was narrating a teenage girl’s POV. But this is my perception, and might not be a problem for anyone else.

*Thanks to Simon Audio for the free audiobook download!*

[megs ☪︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am speechless about the ending and you best believe a review is coming soon, prolly tomorrow !!!! i was screaming “no no NO NO” at that ending like 😭 this book was incredible

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

yawnnnnnnnnnnnnn until the last 100 pages again😭😭😭

[Angela Gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled getting through this one, especially the second part. I felt like there was a lot going on, but it progressed slowly. I'm not sure all the elements were needed for this story. The author added an element of time travel while exploring new worlds. I'm wondering if it would have been better to push some of the elements from this novel into the first one. I think there was a better starting off point. I like the characters, but I'm not completely won over by them. I'm not sure how much I'll actually get to see of my favorite character based on where they end up at the end of this one. I didn't love this one, and I'm not sure I'll continue the series.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark fantasy god tier!!!
Dark fantasy + portals + time travel + original story + a unique magic system + gods + ghosts + monsters = a 5 star read!

The cliffhanger!!!
More people need to pick up this series.

[Sowmya (bookishelflife) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok phew..let me catch my breath..that was an insane ride. If “don’t look away you will miss it” feeling is a book, it’d be this one! with a mad dash plot and twists constantly that constantly fire off before you could take a breather. If it isn’t apparent, I am saying I loved the book. I think I loved it more than the first book which is always a good sign, you better buckle up before you start this chunky adventure because it’s definitely worth it. Now if you are a patient person you’d reread Curios tides before jumping in(actually recommend it), but my fellow impatient readers like me fear not! The author did a great job of including key details from the first book smoothly without making it feel redundant to bring us up to the speed

The multiple POV- adding Kai and Romies’s made a world of difference for me, it expanded the world on itself allowing me to get perspective from these characters. That being said I thought the author did a brilliant job expanding the world even further, while it continues to be intricate I devoured it. It is narrated in two time lines which was super fun to read! the friction between Romie and Emory felt so realistic with how their friendship takes a hit after the events that take place in the previous book

Kai and Baz time go on a time traveling trip to 200 years the past meeting more wonderful characters(mostly) to fall in love with while Emory (my fav shade of grey) Romie traverse the different worlds mentioned in the previous books, there were more new characters introduced via them that I absolutely enjoyed reading about. The two timelines and the simultaneous plots happening in them would converge towards the end making sense of the plot as a whole. While undoubtedly it’s complex, I thought it’s pulled off quite well

There are quite a few twists and turns, you might see some while others might completely take you by surprise. There were times I felt pacing was off specifically with Romie/Emory's POV's.However, I really ended up enjoying the sequel and looking forward to the next book obviously but next time I think I’d have to reread this book in order to continue haha because it’s a lot to remember till then.

[Danielle | danielle.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am OBSESSED!

So glad I reread Curious Tides before jumping into this one because I needed a refresher. I was slightly worried how this one would be after it was announced that this series is turning into a trilogy vs a duology. This book is most definitely NOT a filler book, but so much more expansive in the world building and the magic!!!!

Even though it has not properly been released yet, I cannot WAIT for the third book to be announced!!!

Thank you Simon and Schuster for ending me an ARC! I am forever grateful for receiving one as this is one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2024! (And it absolutely lived up to my expectations!

[Sydney Fowble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Lacelle really went off with this one! I loved loved loved getting back into this world. I cannot wait for book three but I’ll be sad when this story is over. Pascale is a magnificent author and I can’t wait to follow along with her career.

[Kirika Loria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 en vrai

c'était trop cool contente d'avoir retrouvé l'univers

Le mot de la fin la boucle est bouclée

[Sarabelle ⚔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ 5.0 Stars for this absolute masterpiece!!!

Pascale Lacelle, you are a literary genius and I do not say that lightly.

I absolutely loved Curious Tides, but Stranger Skies far surpassed my every expectation. It's easy to see the amount of work that went into writing this book. The web alone spreads out so wide I could never anticipate the author's next move. Every chapter seemed to end in a cliffhanger that haunted me if I didn't start the next one immediately.

The magic system alone is absolutely fascinating, and yet Lacelle creates three more worlds, all complete with their own unique magics that rendered me speechless. I was just in awe throughout this entire narrative at her sheer creativity. How did she do that?? Did she sell her soul to the devil??? (Let me know, please????)

Never have I read a book where I've found split POVs so necessary, yet Lacelle uses these to her advantage, truly stretching the story and portraying every possible angle imaginable. It's just so smart, like a puzzle forming all around you. By the time the picture was on full display, I was blown away.

And the aesthetics!! Somehow, this still weeps dark academia, no matter the setting. It's gloomy, it's alluring, it's just so damn spellbinding.

Look. It's really hard for me to review this without spoilers, and I think it's important to go into this blind. Let the artist work. If you love a multifaceted fantasy with a multitude of perspectives and extremely high stakes with a literal dreamy atmosphere, you'll love this.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked "Curious Tides" for its balance between character development, an intruiging world and an exciting mystery. With "Stranger Skies" I had a few problems. It felt convuluted, too many new worlds and new things to discover and while I admit, travelling between worlds is not my favourite trope, it just felt info-dumpy at times. By door no. 3 I kinda stopped caring, and then time travel was added to the mix...
BUT! I really enjoyed the character dynamics, especially between Emory and Romie. Was hoping for a bit more of a corruption arc, but maybe we'll get there in part 3...

[ema mcwilliams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear to god if Kai and Baz don’t get to see each other again I will riot. Romie was pissing me off the whole book. She was just jealous and annoying. I don’t know how I am supposed to wait for the next book when it hasn’t even been technically announced.

[ellora · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

wild and intriguing from start to finish with so many reveals and twists. this was a fantastic sequel, and i can't wait for the final book (whenever that will be)