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Shadows and Crowns #2
A Twist of the Blade
Mercenary. Survivor. Queen.
Who is Casia Greythorne?
Still reeling from an unimaginable loss and the revelation of an identity she isn’t sure she wants to embrace, Casia has one plan: Try to control something. Something like the strange magic awakening inside of her. Mastering that magic will take her and her friends on a quest through cursed lands, into the dwellings of old gods, and deep into a southern empire filled with deadly foes and unlikely allies.
Meanwhile, the foundations of the Kethran Empire continue to crumble. The king-emperor clings to his crown with increasingly bloodied hands. Monsters and soldiers alike stalk Casia's every step, determined not to let her return to claim a throne that is rightfully hers. Still, the greatest threat to her possible rule may not lie in the king-emperor, but in a former captain of his army—a man that she came dangerously close to falling in love with.
Elander Revenmar thought he knew who he was. He had a mission, a plan, a god he was content to serve. Then came Casia. A woman as mysterious as she is dangerous. One he should have stayed away from, and whose life he never should have saved.
Because salvation always comes with a cost.
And some debts can only be paid for in blood.
Who is Casia Greythorne?
Still reeling from an unimaginable loss and the revelation of an identity she isn’t sure she wants to embrace, Casia has one plan: Try to control something. Something like the strange magic awakening inside of her. Mastering that magic will take her and her friends on a quest through cursed lands, into the dwellings of old gods, and deep into a southern empire filled with deadly foes and unlikely allies.
Meanwhile, the foundations of the Kethran Empire continue to crumble. The king-emperor clings to his crown with increasingly bloodied hands. Monsters and soldiers alike stalk Casia's every step, determined not to let her return to claim a throne that is rightfully hers. Still, the greatest threat to her possible rule may not lie in the king-emperor, but in a former captain of his army—a man that she came dangerously close to falling in love with.
Elander Revenmar thought he knew who he was. He had a mission, a plan, a god he was content to serve. Then came Casia. A woman as mysterious as she is dangerous. One he should have stayed away from, and whose life he never should have saved.
Because salvation always comes with a cost.
And some debts can only be paid for in blood.
622 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2021
1725 people are currently reading
15288 people want to read
About the author
S.M. Gaither
27 books2,094 followersI don't check Goodreads regularly, but you're welcome to send me an email (smgaitherbooks@gmail.com) or reach out to my PA, Rachel (rachel@smgaitherbooks.com) anytime!
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As a kid, S.M. Gaither spent way too much time playing video games like Final Fantasy and reading every book she could get her hands on instead of doing silly things like her assigned homework. As an adult…Well, not much has changed. Her goal is to write books that distract others from their life’s obligations, too, thus creating an army of fellow procrastinators over which she can reign supreme. These days, her personal favorite places to procrastinate are in the mountains near her North Carolina home, in the company of her husband, their daughter, and their very spoiled dog.
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As a kid, S.M. Gaither spent way too much time playing video games like Final Fantasy and reading every book she could get her hands on instead of doing silly things like her assigned homework. As an adult…Well, not much has changed. Her goal is to write books that distract others from their life’s obligations, too, thus creating an army of fellow procrastinators over which she can reign supreme. These days, her personal favorite places to procrastinate are in the mountains near her North Carolina home, in the company of her husband, their daughter, and their very spoiled dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,072 reviews
May 18, 2021
I am a little disappointed with book two as it fell short of the first one. I found myself frustrated with the pacing and the characters as none of it felt up to parr with the writing and action in the first one. The events just didn't flow as smoothly and the characters had lost their intelligence. Especially with Casia, there were moments where I was yelling at her because truly Casia, where did your quick- wittedness from book one go?!
There's a scene where she's conferring with the king and queen, trying to make an alliance/deal. She doesn't even have a plan, first and foremost. All she has is a goal: defeat her brother. Okay andd??? Casia, honey, you need to have more if you're going to propose such a huge deal with a king and queen!! The side characters didn't get the same attention as they did in the first one. They felt cast aside and irrelevant to the entire story (or up to the end).
In addition to characters self-destructing, the pacing was also so weird. The bulk of the action happens during the last thirty pages. I shit you not. Thirty pages. This book was over 500 pages long. Don't even ask me what happened in the middle, because I don't think I could tell you.
Also, all the buildup at the end of the first book just led to an extremely anti-climatic beginning in book two. There was so much Gaither could've done, but it felt incredibly lackluster. Elander and Cas don't even stay mad at each other for very long even though Elander completely betrayed her. It takes two pages for them to kiss and makeup and I almost couldn't believe how all of Gaither's great plot buildup and plot twist in book one went to waste in book two.
Overall, I didn't hate this book. It was still an entertaining read, albeit the ending a little predictable. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll read book three, but I truly did enjoy book one a ton.
There's a scene where she's conferring with the king and queen, trying to make an alliance/deal. She doesn't even have a plan, first and foremost. All she has is a goal: defeat her brother. Okay andd??? Casia, honey, you need to have more if you're going to propose such a huge deal with a king and queen!! The side characters didn't get the same attention as they did in the first one. They felt cast aside and irrelevant to the entire story (or up to the end).
In addition to characters self-destructing, the pacing was also so weird. The bulk of the action happens during the last thirty pages. I shit you not. Thirty pages. This book was over 500 pages long. Don't even ask me what happened in the middle, because I don't think I could tell you.
Also, all the buildup at the end of the first book just led to an extremely anti-climatic beginning in book two. There was so much Gaither could've done, but it felt incredibly lackluster. Elander and Cas don't even stay mad at each other for very long even though Elander completely betrayed her. It takes two pages for them to kiss and makeup and I almost couldn't believe how all of Gaither's great plot buildup and plot twist in book one went to waste in book two.
Overall, I didn't hate this book. It was still an entertaining read, albeit the ending a little predictable. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll read book three, but I truly did enjoy book one a ton.
May 24, 2022
The first book was so good but this sequel was definitely a disappointment 😓
❌ I LIKED CAS & ELIANDER as a couple in the first book - they had a lot of fun and witty banter. Everything about Eliander changed so much, which is fair considering the secrets that were revealed, but I just don't like this version of Eliander as much.
❌ I SKIMMED SOOO much of this book... probably at least 25% of it. I really don't like plotlines where the characters are running from something the entire time and never really have a plan, and that's definitely what this felt like.
🆗 IT'S QUITE A FAST-PACED book and there was always something exciting happening. But that was also kind of the book's downfall because it became a little chaotic and like the characters had no idea what they were actually doing.
✅ SIMILARLY TO BOOK ONE, the steam level was okay for a fantasy romance. The scenes weren't overly descriptive but things did happen on-page.
❌ CAS REALLY BOTHERED me because she went from a badass and snarky heroine in the previous book to a complete fool. Seriously, she lost all of her brain cells. I had so much secondhand embarrassment from her interactions with Varen and the King/Queen. I also don't like when characters are overly self-destructive and Cas just wasn't making any logical choices.
Ehh, this will probably be the end of this series for me. I've had it on my list for so long and I had such high hopes, especially after how much I liked the first one, but I'd rather try another series than continue down this path.
❌ I LIKED CAS & ELIANDER as a couple in the first book - they had a lot of fun and witty banter. Everything about Eliander changed so much, which is fair considering the secrets that were revealed, but I just don't like this version of Eliander as much.
❌ I SKIMMED SOOO much of this book... probably at least 25% of it. I really don't like plotlines where the characters are running from something the entire time and never really have a plan, and that's definitely what this felt like.
🆗 IT'S QUITE A FAST-PACED book and there was always something exciting happening. But that was also kind of the book's downfall because it became a little chaotic and like the characters had no idea what they were actually doing.
✅ SIMILARLY TO BOOK ONE, the steam level was okay for a fantasy romance. The scenes weren't overly descriptive but things did happen on-page.
❌ CAS REALLY BOTHERED me because she went from a badass and snarky heroine in the previous book to a complete fool. Seriously, she lost all of her brain cells. I had so much secondhand embarrassment from her interactions with Varen and the King/Queen. I also don't like when characters are overly self-destructive and Cas just wasn't making any logical choices.
Ehh, this will probably be the end of this series for me. I've had it on my list for so long and I had such high hopes, especially after how much I liked the first one, but I'd rather try another series than continue down this path.
May 10, 2022
5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What sort of woman offered a dagger to the God of Death and encouraged him to stab her with it?
“Go on,” she said.
This woman. Damn this woman.
What a splendid sequel! I could not put this book down since I started it. The plot in A Twist of the Blade takes a darker turn and I could not be more thrilled—although I am dreading for what's coming after that nerve-wrecking cliffhanger. This book crackles with magic and action.
Vengeful Gods
Warring Kingdoms
Divine Magic
Political Schemes
Shocking revelations
And a doomed love story...
They're all pawns in a dangerous game played by cruel gods and corrupt rulers.
Nothing so bright and powerful as you simply fades away…
Casia's arc was fantastic and I enjoyed seeing her growth from the person who rather kept to the shadows to someone that finally embraced who she is.
The found family dynamic continues to shine through this book and reinforces the powerful bond between Casia and her friends.
The romance between Casia and Elander took a new route and that was natural considering the secrets that surfaced and I liked that none of it was swept under the rag, they had to confront it. The banter is as fun and the chemistry is sizzling!
“I don’t know what happens next, either. But I am certain of one thing: If you are going to war, then I am going with you.”
What sort of woman offered a dagger to the God of Death and encouraged him to stab her with it?
“Go on,” she said.
This woman. Damn this woman.
What a splendid sequel! I could not put this book down since I started it. The plot in A Twist of the Blade takes a darker turn and I could not be more thrilled—although I am dreading for what's coming after that nerve-wrecking cliffhanger. This book crackles with magic and action.
Vengeful Gods
Warring Kingdoms
Divine Magic
Political Schemes
Shocking revelations
And a doomed love story...
They're all pawns in a dangerous game played by cruel gods and corrupt rulers.
Nothing so bright and powerful as you simply fades away…
Casia's arc was fantastic and I enjoyed seeing her growth from the person who rather kept to the shadows to someone that finally embraced who she is.
The found family dynamic continues to shine through this book and reinforces the powerful bond between Casia and her friends.
The romance between Casia and Elander took a new route and that was natural considering the secrets that surfaced and I liked that none of it was swept under the rag, they had to confront it. The banter is as fun and the chemistry is sizzling!
“I don’t know what happens next, either. But I am certain of one thing: If you are going to war, then I am going with you.”
November 22, 2023
he’s another shadow daddy - need i say more?
January 6, 2025
Go girl give us nothinggg
December 29, 2021
Nearly as good as the first one...
While I really enjoyed A Twist of the Blade, I admit that this one didn't have my heart pumping as hard as the first one. The narrator was still AMAZING and the storyline was interesting, with plenty of twists and turns. It just felt like they needed a bit more of a 'win' in this one. It's still so doom and gloom. Sure, some could say that they gleaned a little bit of hope, but all I felt was that there was still an end that seemed inevitable. Someone needs to put a few Gods in their place.
The romance did take a slight step forward, then a few back ... forward ... back ... forward ...
I will definitely be going on with the series and will keep enjoying it (hopefully) via audiobook. This author writes well and I have been captivated from the start.
While I really enjoyed A Twist of the Blade, I admit that this one didn't have my heart pumping as hard as the first one. The narrator was still AMAZING and the storyline was interesting, with plenty of twists and turns. It just felt like they needed a bit more of a 'win' in this one. It's still so doom and gloom. Sure, some could say that they gleaned a little bit of hope, but all I felt was that there was still an end that seemed inevitable. Someone needs to put a few Gods in their place.
The romance did take a slight step forward, then a few back ... forward ... back ... forward ...
I will definitely be going on with the series and will keep enjoying it (hopefully) via audiobook. This author writes well and I have been captivated from the start.
October 18, 2024
I feel like this is another book where I’ll do more of a group rating for the whole series once I’m done. I will say tho Cas annoyed me in this one but not the whole time? The book does a good job in not forgetting about its side characters either.
May 20, 2022
This is how I felt with Empire of Storms. I am unwell.
May 6, 2023
**Edited review**
What a sequel! 😍 idk what the author put in this but I am officially addicted 🙈
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Angst/tension: 🔥🔥🔥/5
Spice: 🌶🌶️/5
What to expect:
✔️ Enchanting world-building
✔️ Enemies-to-lovers 😩🤌🏻
✔️ Soulmates 💖
✔️ Gods/goddesses 🏔
✔️ Unique magic system 🔮
✔️ Political intrigue
✔️ So. Much. Tension and angst it hurts 🙈
✔️ Incredible spice payoff that had me screaming 🌶 (I would class this as NA for sure, same spice level as ACOMAF imo)
✔️ The most beautiful found family
✔️ Secrets and betrayals 🙃
✔️ Protective MMC with a bucket-load of wit and sarcasm ⚔️
✔️ A determined and feisty FMC who will do anything to protect the ones she loves
Ummmmm wtf. How was this even better than the first book?! Also as I said in my last review, I would definitely consider this book NA for sure due to the spice content, but dude this was some immaculate spice. And I thought the last book ended on a cliffhanger? 🙃 boyyyyyy this was way worse 🙈😩. My sleep is ruined because I started this next book at like 2am right after I finished this one, but I have no regrets. Not one.
“What type of woman offered a dagger to the God of Death and encouraged him to stab her with it?
“Go on” she said.
This woman. Damn this woman.”
My lordddd, this woman is just insane in the best possible way! 😂 Casia’s character has endured so much and undone so much growth throughout this book. She has been betrayed, had secrets kept from her about her true identity, and had her heart broken. This girl keeps on fighting though! She is so strong willed and I just adore her for it 🥺. Her beautiful found family add so much to this story, and the support they give her is just unparalleled.
Elander is struggling between a rock and a hard place throughout this book. No matter what choice he makes, someone he cares about will get hurt. But my god, this man 😩🤌🏻. He is just everything and more 😭💖 (even though I wanted to smack him after the ending of the previous book 🙃)
I am rooting for my babies Cas and Elander to end up together, IDGAF if it’s supposed to be a doomed romance or love. They will get a HEA after everything they’ve endured if I have anything to say about it! 😂🙃
See my review -⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 on Song of The Marked 💖
What a sequel! 😍 idk what the author put in this but I am officially addicted 🙈
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Angst/tension: 🔥🔥🔥/5
Spice: 🌶🌶️/5
What to expect:
✔️ Enchanting world-building
✔️ Enemies-to-lovers 😩🤌🏻
✔️ Soulmates 💖
✔️ Gods/goddesses 🏔
✔️ Unique magic system 🔮
✔️ Political intrigue
✔️ So. Much. Tension and angst it hurts 🙈
✔️ Incredible spice payoff that had me screaming 🌶 (I would class this as NA for sure, same spice level as ACOMAF imo)
✔️ The most beautiful found family
✔️ Secrets and betrayals 🙃
✔️ Protective MMC with a bucket-load of wit and sarcasm ⚔️
✔️ A determined and feisty FMC who will do anything to protect the ones she loves
Ummmmm wtf. How was this even better than the first book?! Also as I said in my last review, I would definitely consider this book NA for sure due to the spice content, but dude this was some immaculate spice. And I thought the last book ended on a cliffhanger? 🙃 boyyyyyy this was way worse 🙈😩. My sleep is ruined because I started this next book at like 2am right after I finished this one, but I have no regrets. Not one.
“What type of woman offered a dagger to the God of Death and encouraged him to stab her with it?
“Go on” she said.
This woman. Damn this woman.”
My lordddd, this woman is just insane in the best possible way! 😂 Casia’s character has endured so much and undone so much growth throughout this book. She has been betrayed, had secrets kept from her about her true identity, and had her heart broken. This girl keeps on fighting though! She is so strong willed and I just adore her for it 🥺. Her beautiful found family add so much to this story, and the support they give her is just unparalleled.
Elander is struggling between a rock and a hard place throughout this book. No matter what choice he makes, someone he cares about will get hurt. But my god, this man 😩🤌🏻. He is just everything and more 😭💖 (even though I wanted to smack him after the ending of the previous book 🙃)
I am rooting for my babies Cas and Elander to end up together, IDGAF if it’s supposed to be a doomed romance or love. They will get a HEA after everything they’ve endured if I have anything to say about it! 😂🙃
See my review -⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 on Song of The Marked 💖
June 5, 2023
~5⭐️~
Slay💅🏻
In tears but slay💅🏻 nonetheless
Slay💅🏻
In tears but slay💅🏻 nonetheless
April 30, 2021
Are you freaking kidding me?!
Y’all! Wait! What?!
I gave up a whole night of sleep for the author to do me like that?! Man, if I wasn’t obsessed with Elander then I would take away a star just for that ending! Rude.
That cliffhanger actually hurts me...
Y’all! Wait! What?!
I gave up a whole night of sleep for the author to do me like that?! Man, if I wasn’t obsessed with Elander then I would take away a star just for that ending! Rude.
That cliffhanger actually hurts me...
November 13, 2022
4/5
The sequel suffers a bit from pacing issues and some romance issues (the development sucks). I also think the politics were boring. That being said I enjoyed it for the most part
The sequel suffers a bit from pacing issues and some romance issues (the development sucks). I also think the politics were boring. That being said I enjoyed it for the most part
October 18, 2023
These cliffies 😭😭😭😭 bless that all the books are out in this series
Enjoyment level: 5⭐️
I do wish that Cas’s friends played more of an active role in the story.. they’re really just side characters she’s dragging around from place to place. But they support her and the dynamics are sweet.
The TEAAAA we got about Elander and Cas 😱 AND THE FEATHER SCENE IN THE LIBRARYYYYYY
Enjoyment level: 5⭐️
I do wish that Cas’s friends played more of an active role in the story.. they’re really just side characters she’s dragging around from place to place. But they support her and the dynamics are sweet.
The TEAAAA we got about Elander and Cas 😱 AND THE FEATHER SCENE IN THE LIBRARYYYYYY
October 27, 2021
As I said with the first book, this series is perfect for fans of Throne of Glass. I was obsessed with the story and character and the narrator for the audiobook was epically amassing. Can’t wait for the next book because the ending was a massive cliffhanger!
May 16, 2022
I was highly anticipating this.😢
The first book was on fire, I was constantly on the edge of my seat. Whereas, Its sequel fell a little flat for me.
Casia didn't have the development I was hoping for and was naïve in this kings and queens game. She was acting without thinking. And our entire set of characters spent the duration of the book on the run and/or trying to survive. Her founded family weren't as impactful as I hoped they would be. They were just there.
The only redeeming quality was Elander. How he became a falling god was an interesting bit in the book. And would've loved if we got to see his pov more. And the fact that they're reincarnated lovers was a great way to solidify their relationship.
Still haven't decided if I'll be continuing on with the series.
The first book was on fire, I was constantly on the edge of my seat. Whereas, Its sequel fell a little flat for me.
Casia didn't have the development I was hoping for and was naïve in this kings and queens game. She was acting without thinking. And our entire set of characters spent the duration of the book on the run and/or trying to survive. Her founded family weren't as impactful as I hoped they would be. They were just there.
The only redeeming quality was Elander. How he became a falling god was an interesting bit in the book. And would've loved if we got to see his pov more. And the fact that they're reincarnated lovers was a great way to solidify their relationship.
Still haven't decided if I'll be continuing on with the series.
May 10, 2022
Enjoying this series quite a bit! Epic fantasy with spicy romance? Secret royals? A death God bound to a destructive duty? Great banter and found family? Yes please, to all of the above!
Definitely recommend for fans of SJM, JLA, and the like.
Definitely recommend for fans of SJM, JLA, and the like.
June 8, 2022
4 1/2 stars
October 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this book as I read the first book earlier in the year however I felt like it did suffer from second book syndrome a little but I’m excited to see where the story goes as I was surprised by the direction it took!
October 2, 2021
DNF65%
I'm just bored. There were a lot of issues I had in the previous book that compounded and made up the entirety of this book.
First off, whatever tension was established at the end of the first book immediately vanished in this one and the previous book may as well have never ended the way it did.
It's just a whole bunch of move point a to b to c, Cas gets yet another power up, Cas and Elander googoo at each other while he has zero personality and just exists to validate Cas at every step.
Yes, lots of validation is good and healthy but god is it boring to read about and even worse when the character constantly validating has no personality or drive.
So the romance got really boring and cloying and took up too much screentime and there's not really an interesting plot to speak of going on so Im done!
5/5 on the sexiness scale probably. I have to imagine the 40% I didnt read is the 2 characters validating each other and having vanilla sex
I'm just bored. There were a lot of issues I had in the previous book that compounded and made up the entirety of this book.
First off, whatever tension was established at the end of the first book immediately vanished in this one and the previous book may as well have never ended the way it did.
It's just a whole bunch of move point a to b to c, Cas gets yet another power up, Cas and Elander googoo at each other while he has zero personality and just exists to validate Cas at every step.
Yes, lots of validation is good and healthy but god is it boring to read about and even worse when the character constantly validating has no personality or drive.
So the romance got really boring and cloying and took up too much screentime and there's not really an interesting plot to speak of going on so Im done!
5/5 on the sexiness scale probably. I have to imagine the 40% I didnt read is the 2 characters validating each other and having vanilla sex
May 30, 2022
Ugh, this series has me in a chokehold. This book in the series was a master class in how to write tension. Every INCH of the book was stressful, but in the best of ways. The "will they/won't they" enemies to lovers tension drove me absolutely mad. The underlying mystery of who Cassia is and why she has the magic has, was so well done. The banter continues to be masterfully written and I found myself grinning like a fool most of the time, just living for the sarcasm.
I guessed one twist but the root of her magic was so left field, I LOVE being surprised.
Again, the voice actor was fantastic and has proven herself to be brilliant with character voices.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Story
🌶️🌶️ Spice (the tension was amazing though)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Audio
I guessed one twist but the root of her magic was so left field, I LOVE being surprised.
Again, the voice actor was fantastic and has proven herself to be brilliant with character voices.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Story
🌶️🌶️ Spice (the tension was amazing though)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Audio
April 26, 2022
Wow what an emotional ride and what a CLIFFHANGER! I ordered the next book already and amazon says it is supposed to be delivered in the next 2 hours and I am literally just peering out my window waiting for it to get here.
This is my new favorite series and I am HOOKED. I can't wait for the 4th and 5th books to be released I am so invested at this point. If I didn't have work obligations I would have read this in one sitting I felt like I tore through it.
This one was a 12/10 for me and It is also so beautiful the cover is sensational and it has become one of my beloved. I kissed it when I was done. This book is chefs kiss I am so in love. There was just the right amount of spice and action and emotion it was just perfection.
This is my new favorite series and I am HOOKED. I can't wait for the 4th and 5th books to be released I am so invested at this point. If I didn't have work obligations I would have read this in one sitting I felt like I tore through it.
This one was a 12/10 for me and It is also so beautiful the cover is sensational and it has become one of my beloved. I kissed it when I was done. This book is chefs kiss I am so in love. There was just the right amount of spice and action and emotion it was just perfection.
April 21, 2025
i finished this a week ago i think? i won’t lie, i was not as drawn by this one as the first book. a lot of the chemistry i feel was lost between the mmc’s (understandably, but i feel like the TENSION should have remained). but BUT that ending pulled me right back in. so of course i’m on to book three. 👀🫶🏼
January 18, 2025
I really enjoyed this book but the pacing was a little off still really interested in the plot and I'm loving the banter between casia and elander I really am looking forward to seeing where this story goes but so far the first book was the better read
January 27, 2021
I really wish I weren’t disappointed, but I am. I was so excited for this book, especially after how The Song of the Marked ended and I had such high hopes for the continuation. While A Twist of the Blade was a good read I sadly didn’t fall into the adventure, romance and suspense as I did in the first book.
The story started well enough, Casia being a prisoner and betrayed by Elander. Her escape and the new twists the story took was great on their own for the most part, however as soon as Casia reunited with her friends the excitement and intrigue kind of fell apart for me. It took me a while to actually understand why I wasn’t that invested in the story but it dawned on me throughout as I kept reading. That emotional and suspenseful build up every book needs weren’t there for me to keep me fully on board. The whole story felt very plot-driven, being so focused on the travel, overly detailed fights, gods and magic that it left little room for the characters either to interact with each other or have any deeper development. This in turn hurt the characterization.
The friends, Zev, Laurent, Rhea and Nessa, who were so important and such a big part of Casia’s life felt sort of swept to the side which completely contradicted their supposed importance to her. I mean, sure, they were there through the whole book, but at the same time often came and went and gave very little impact to the plot or decisions made in the journey. They all kind of felt slumped together behind Casia and made it difficult to differentiate between them since none of them stood out on their own. This along with the story being so focused on the plot it blindsided me a bit when Zev suddenly had a problem with Casia, or Nessa was described as suffering. It implied that it had build up to it which surprised me since I did not notice that build up, to me it just happened then and there. Also those sadder moments or when tragedy hit one of those characters it left too little impact or build up, mainly because the story was so hurried to move on with the plot.
On to better things though. One thing that I really loved was the romance. Sure, I did have the same issue with Elander coming and going and the plot spotlighting other things over the romance, however here I was a bit more lenient since there was much more depth and deeper dives into their interactions and moments unlike with the friend group. It also really helped to have Elander’s POV from time to time to get to understand him better and strengthen the relationship as well as conflict between him and Casia. It built up to a reveal and a finish I could not have expected and while it didn’t fully make up for the other issues I had, it sure have made me invested enough and curious enough to want to read book three.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story started well enough, Casia being a prisoner and betrayed by Elander. Her escape and the new twists the story took was great on their own for the most part, however as soon as Casia reunited with her friends the excitement and intrigue kind of fell apart for me. It took me a while to actually understand why I wasn’t that invested in the story but it dawned on me throughout as I kept reading. That emotional and suspenseful build up every book needs weren’t there for me to keep me fully on board. The whole story felt very plot-driven, being so focused on the travel, overly detailed fights, gods and magic that it left little room for the characters either to interact with each other or have any deeper development. This in turn hurt the characterization.
The friends, Zev, Laurent, Rhea and Nessa, who were so important and such a big part of Casia’s life felt sort of swept to the side which completely contradicted their supposed importance to her. I mean, sure, they were there through the whole book, but at the same time often came and went and gave very little impact to the plot or decisions made in the journey. They all kind of felt slumped together behind Casia and made it difficult to differentiate between them since none of them stood out on their own. This along with the story being so focused on the plot it blindsided me a bit when Zev suddenly had a problem with Casia, or Nessa was described as suffering. It implied that it had build up to it which surprised me since I did not notice that build up, to me it just happened then and there. Also those sadder moments or when tragedy hit one of those characters it left too little impact or build up, mainly because the story was so hurried to move on with the plot.
On to better things though. One thing that I really loved was the romance. Sure, I did have the same issue with Elander coming and going and the plot spotlighting other things over the romance, however here I was a bit more lenient since there was much more depth and deeper dives into their interactions and moments unlike with the friend group. It also really helped to have Elander’s POV from time to time to get to understand him better and strengthen the relationship as well as conflict between him and Casia. It built up to a reveal and a finish I could not have expected and while it didn’t fully make up for the other issues I had, it sure have made me invested enough and curious enough to want to read book three.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 14, 2023
This was a bit of a disappointment. It didn't feel written by the same author who wrote book #1. It felt hurried with holes everywhere. And the dialogue felt thrown together. It was hard to take in.
And the MC, for being the heroine, was mostly a damsel in distress...for every single moment. And there should be a limit to how many times one character can blackout. Two max. This should never be put on a repeating loop. So 2 stars.
And the MC, for being the heroine, was mostly a damsel in distress...for every single moment. And there should be a limit to how many times one character can blackout. Two max. This should never be put on a repeating loop. So 2 stars.
May 22, 2023
5 stars
So, while I was reading all of my notes on this book I decided to give it five stars. I was going to give it four but after all of my notes and highlights I remembered I enjoyed this book very much and had zero complains about it other than Casia making poor life choices every other page –but now that my frustration is down I can understand that she made those decision because she was trying to give other people second chances or because she obviously doesn’t have the experience to lead at the moment- so yeah, that was my reason for four stars but I can smile now and give the book the five it deserves.
I have so many highlights in this book that I just want to share them and let you see a glimpse of how amazing this book is. One of the things that I noticed in the first book but didn’t really made me stop and think was the anxiety Casia constantly has. I took it as part of her and I LOVED how it was presented and how the people around her knew about it and didn’t treat her differently and how Elander helped and accepted that part of her but in this book it made me stop and think “I don’t remember another book that has a character with this level of anxiety or anxiety as a part of their daily life” like yes, we sometimes get characters that are anxious for something but not like Casia and that was a surprise, then I proceeded to love it because this is a real thing affecting people and in Casia we have a real and vulnerable heroin.
She was not a warrior. Not a queen.
Why was she even here?
Her head dipped toward her chest, unbearably heavy all of a sudden. No, she was none of those things. What she was…was heavy. And tired.
But she was also a survivor.
She had walked through countless storms before, and she would walk through this one, too.
“So much of what I did was about her surviving, and it was a relatively small thing that I could focus on. Now we have bigger problems. And I feel like every tiny decision I make will have much bigger consequences, for far more people, and my mind won’t stop cycling through all of those people, through all of the horrible things that might happen to them. It never quiets.”
There are some books that have a great plot, an amazing world, perfect magic system, perfect villains, incredible pace, but the upmost highlight of the books or book are the characters. This is one of those books, it has all of the previous mentioned things but the best it has are the characters and by them being perfect everything else seems to be even better. I could go on and on with how amazing this group is, even the villains, and of course the new characters are not the exception, things just keep getting better with the new characters. So yes, ALL perfect. And the writing style here is amazing as well because it allowed me to connect the dots, it allowed me to understand everything –I love it when I have to figure things out- and it didn’t pull me out of the story, everything here is just effortless.
I suppose I’ve never told this to you either. So listen very closely, now: Pain is not a competition. Everyone has their own battles. Their different hells. Different demons. And you don’t have to apologize for the things that hurt you, as I said, or for what you have to do to survive these things—not to me or to anyone else.”
The five of them hesitated, until Nessa finally took a deep breath and trudged after him. “Afraid?” she muttered as she marched. “Who’s afraid?”
Zev raised his hand.
“Put your hand down, idiot,” said Laurent.
“What? She asked.”
So, that being said, one of the things that also helps this book and makes it perfect is the pace and the clever way the author wrote every event in it. I’m not going to spoil but Casia ended up in a bad spot -and a hurtful one- at the end of the first book so this one begins with all of the feelings and it just keeps giving you all the feelings. Usually we have a “normal” and easy start to a book and by the middle of it things begin to escalate and by the end we have the big climax that makes us eat our nails, this book doesn’t have that because things begin to escalate from the very beginning. Casia and her friends face situation after situation and the eating the nails is there pretty much the entire time and that was awesome. So I was at ease with some events and worried in others but there was always something happening –I think the Aurora cycle also does this in all three books- and that made me happy –sort of xD-
“It wasn’t all lies, was it? Everything that happened between us?”
He stared at her. Hesitated so long that the waiting caused an actual, physical pain in her chest. Then he finally said: “No, Thorn. It wasn’t.”
So, as I said, the focus here are the characters and I remember at some point thinking, “what is the “plot” of this book specifically?” because I hadn’t read the synopsis of the book and then realized there wasn’t like this mayor big plot like “defeat this enemy” that is what we usually encounter in a fantasy book but instead it gave us character growth, necessary information, world building and situations that placed the characters in the places they needed to be to move forward. In a way the book works as a liaison between where the characters begin and where they are going and because the journey of their growth is so amazing I didn’t really care they didn’t have a big enemy to defeat in this book because as I said, so many small things happen in the entire book that a big one was not necessary, and still, a big one was delivered at the end –which had me suffering but not at the same time because I have the third book with me-
So, to finish my review, I love this book and can’t wait to see where our characters are going.
P.s Elander and Casia are PERFECT here. I don’t want to make this review any longer but if I thought they were amazing in the first book they were perfect here, I love them they are definitely in my list of favorite couples.
She edged closer to him. His arm slipped around her waist without comment or hesitation, and she felt herself sinking into him, her eyes closing as she buried her face in the folds of his coat, his scent, his strength.
Why?
Why did it still feel as if she fit so perfectly against him?
He laughed again, and he pulled her to a stop, took hold of both of her hands and drew her close. She thought he was going to kiss her. Her heart fluttered hopefully at the thought. But he stopped as their noses just barely bumped one another’s, and he simply held her there, breathing in the same air for a moment before taking a step back.
“In this lifetime and in every other.” The words left her in a whisper as she realized what he’d been trying to say yesterday, before they’d been swept up into battle.
His voice was soft but certain: “And even beyond that.”
She moved to elbow him in the side, even though she couldn’t help grinning back. He caught her and held off her attack by wrapping her up in his arms. She put up a pretend struggle that lasted only a few seconds before she gave in and let her forehead rest against his chest.
So, while I was reading all of my notes on this book I decided to give it five stars. I was going to give it four but after all of my notes and highlights I remembered I enjoyed this book very much and had zero complains about it other than Casia making poor life choices every other page –but now that my frustration is down I can understand that she made those decision because she was trying to give other people second chances or because she obviously doesn’t have the experience to lead at the moment- so yeah, that was my reason for four stars but I can smile now and give the book the five it deserves.
I have so many highlights in this book that I just want to share them and let you see a glimpse of how amazing this book is. One of the things that I noticed in the first book but didn’t really made me stop and think was the anxiety Casia constantly has. I took it as part of her and I LOVED how it was presented and how the people around her knew about it and didn’t treat her differently and how Elander helped and accepted that part of her but in this book it made me stop and think “I don’t remember another book that has a character with this level of anxiety or anxiety as a part of their daily life” like yes, we sometimes get characters that are anxious for something but not like Casia and that was a surprise, then I proceeded to love it because this is a real thing affecting people and in Casia we have a real and vulnerable heroin.
She was not a warrior. Not a queen.
Why was she even here?
Her head dipped toward her chest, unbearably heavy all of a sudden. No, she was none of those things. What she was…was heavy. And tired.
But she was also a survivor.
She had walked through countless storms before, and she would walk through this one, too.
“So much of what I did was about her surviving, and it was a relatively small thing that I could focus on. Now we have bigger problems. And I feel like every tiny decision I make will have much bigger consequences, for far more people, and my mind won’t stop cycling through all of those people, through all of the horrible things that might happen to them. It never quiets.”
There are some books that have a great plot, an amazing world, perfect magic system, perfect villains, incredible pace, but the upmost highlight of the books or book are the characters. This is one of those books, it has all of the previous mentioned things but the best it has are the characters and by them being perfect everything else seems to be even better. I could go on and on with how amazing this group is, even the villains, and of course the new characters are not the exception, things just keep getting better with the new characters. So yes, ALL perfect. And the writing style here is amazing as well because it allowed me to connect the dots, it allowed me to understand everything –I love it when I have to figure things out- and it didn’t pull me out of the story, everything here is just effortless.
I suppose I’ve never told this to you either. So listen very closely, now: Pain is not a competition. Everyone has their own battles. Their different hells. Different demons. And you don’t have to apologize for the things that hurt you, as I said, or for what you have to do to survive these things—not to me or to anyone else.”
The five of them hesitated, until Nessa finally took a deep breath and trudged after him. “Afraid?” she muttered as she marched. “Who’s afraid?”
Zev raised his hand.
“Put your hand down, idiot,” said Laurent.
“What? She asked.”
So, that being said, one of the things that also helps this book and makes it perfect is the pace and the clever way the author wrote every event in it. I’m not going to spoil but Casia ended up in a bad spot -and a hurtful one- at the end of the first book so this one begins with all of the feelings and it just keeps giving you all the feelings. Usually we have a “normal” and easy start to a book and by the middle of it things begin to escalate and by the end we have the big climax that makes us eat our nails, this book doesn’t have that because things begin to escalate from the very beginning. Casia and her friends face situation after situation and the eating the nails is there pretty much the entire time and that was awesome. So I was at ease with some events and worried in others but there was always something happening –I think the Aurora cycle also does this in all three books- and that made me happy –sort of xD-
“It wasn’t all lies, was it? Everything that happened between us?”
He stared at her. Hesitated so long that the waiting caused an actual, physical pain in her chest. Then he finally said: “No, Thorn. It wasn’t.”
So, as I said, the focus here are the characters and I remember at some point thinking, “what is the “plot” of this book specifically?” because I hadn’t read the synopsis of the book and then realized there wasn’t like this mayor big plot like “defeat this enemy” that is what we usually encounter in a fantasy book but instead it gave us character growth, necessary information, world building and situations that placed the characters in the places they needed to be to move forward. In a way the book works as a liaison between where the characters begin and where they are going and because the journey of their growth is so amazing I didn’t really care they didn’t have a big enemy to defeat in this book because as I said, so many small things happen in the entire book that a big one was not necessary, and still, a big one was delivered at the end –which had me suffering but not at the same time because I have the third book with me-
So, to finish my review, I love this book and can’t wait to see where our characters are going.
P.s Elander and Casia are PERFECT here. I don’t want to make this review any longer but if I thought they were amazing in the first book they were perfect here, I love them they are definitely in my list of favorite couples.
She edged closer to him. His arm slipped around her waist without comment or hesitation, and she felt herself sinking into him, her eyes closing as she buried her face in the folds of his coat, his scent, his strength.
Why?
Why did it still feel as if she fit so perfectly against him?
He laughed again, and he pulled her to a stop, took hold of both of her hands and drew her close. She thought he was going to kiss her. Her heart fluttered hopefully at the thought. But he stopped as their noses just barely bumped one another’s, and he simply held her there, breathing in the same air for a moment before taking a step back.
“In this lifetime and in every other.” The words left her in a whisper as she realized what he’d been trying to say yesterday, before they’d been swept up into battle.
His voice was soft but certain: “And even beyond that.”
She moved to elbow him in the side, even though she couldn’t help grinning back. He caught her and held off her attack by wrapping her up in his arms. She put up a pretend struggle that lasted only a few seconds before she gave in and let her forehead rest against his chest.
September 21, 2024
What a ride this book was! You think the first was amazing, (it absolutely is) well this book takes it up a notch! I could not put this down and rushed to get a chance to pick it up each day.
Cas is stronger and is dealing with a lot more especially the bomb that was dropped on her in the last book. I still love Elander and was glad to see him more and just get a better explanation of his choices. We did get to see the rest of her crew even more which was amazing. The world that was built was amazing and I really enjoyed getting to see more and learn more about the gods and goddesses. The action is phenomenal and the storyline just keeps you on your toes!
This has become a favorite series of mine and if you love epic fantasies then you need to grab this series ASAP!
Cas is stronger and is dealing with a lot more especially the bomb that was dropped on her in the last book. I still love Elander and was glad to see him more and just get a better explanation of his choices. We did get to see the rest of her crew even more which was amazing. The world that was built was amazing and I really enjoyed getting to see more and learn more about the gods and goddesses. The action is phenomenal and the storyline just keeps you on your toes!
This has become a favorite series of mine and if you love epic fantasies then you need to grab this series ASAP!
February 19, 2024
This wasn’t quite as good as the first book in the series.
I felt like the pacing suffered a lot from being book two in a series of five, meaning that the big revelations are still several books ahead. I’m still fascinated by the story overall, but I found there to be too much filler in this particular book. So it simply wasn’t as enjoyable to read.
Still not a bad book by any means - just more meh than wow.
I felt like the pacing suffered a lot from being book two in a series of five, meaning that the big revelations are still several books ahead. I’m still fascinated by the story overall, but I found there to be too much filler in this particular book. So it simply wasn’t as enjoyable to read.
Still not a bad book by any means - just more meh than wow.
July 4, 2023
4.5 stars. I enjoyed this second book do the series. There was a lot of information and I did figure out what was going to happen I’m some parts. I wish the romance didn’t take so long to pick up though. Undid find some of the pacing slow in the book. I really liked learning more about the gods and goddesses. And that ending! Can’t wait to start the next book.
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