Endless Water, Starless Sky

Bright Smoke, Cold Fire #2

by Rosamund Hodge, Lisa Larsen (Reading)

In the last days of the world, the walls of Viyara are still falling, and the dead are rising faster than ever.

Juliet is trapped—ordered by Lord Ineo of the Mahyanai to sacrifice the remaining members of her family, the Catresou, to stave off the end of the world. Though they’re certain his plan is useless, Juliet and her former friend Runajo must comply with Lord Ineo’s wishes—unless they can discover a different, darker path to protecting Viyara.

Romeo is tortured: finally aware that his true love is alive, he is at once elated and devastated, for his actions led directly to the destruction of her clan. The only way to redemption is to offer his life to the Catresou to protect and support them . . . even if it means dying to do so.

When Romeo’s and Juliet’s paths converge once again, only a journey into Death will offer answers and the key to saving them all—but is it a journey either of them will survive?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy

448 pages, Hardcover

First published July 24, 2018

About the author

Catholic. Writer. Lay Dominican. I write books about gods & death & girls with knives. Next: WHAT MONSTROUS GODS, coming 03/05/2024.

Goodreads policies: I do read messages. I seldom friend people. I never comment on reviews of my own work.

Reviews

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top Five Reasons Endless Water, Starless Sky is For You:

1. You love a good YA fantasy riddled with treachery and darkness
2. You love a retelling with so many twists it is almost unrecognizable
3. Zombies! Or are they?
4. Beautiful almost lyrical writing that will suck you in
5. You love to expect the unexpected

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 Stars.

The first thing I noticed about 'Bright Smoke, Cold Fire' was the cover, I was completley mesmerized by it which lead me adding the book to my tbr shelf. If there were an award competition to which book has the most detailed, captivating and beautiful cover this duology's would win without a doubt, at least in my opinion.

Anyway, I always heard that Rosamund Hodge writes the beste retellings, there's so much rave about her book more pecifically her first two books. But Bright Smoke, Cold Fire's synopsis intrigued me the most, because a) I love Shakespeare b) it's a retelling c) the cover. (honstly I can't talk enugh about it).
Sure I love most of Shakespeare's works, and Romeo and Juliet has been his famous one for centuries, however it has never been my favorite (because there's too much romance and it and the main star-crossed are too young and the story overall is extremely melodramatic) but it also didn't stop me from reading this duology, also I've never read R&J retelling before.

In the first book I wasn't a fan of the characters, I couldn't connect to neither of them, they were all dull and flat in their own ways and had only one goal. But the vivid expansion of the world building and the writing was both beautiful and captivating, I really couldn't put these down therefore I finished both of these books in just two days.

As the plot progresses and I started reading the second book, I was already used to the characters and the main four protagonists developed not a lot but still.

Overall, this duology wasn't bad, I quite liked it. They're fast-paced, complex and interesting. One of the things I noticed about this duology is that it's not very liked by the readers, and it's because they loved the author's first two books, their dissappointtement is very understandable, I would've felt the same if one of my favorite authors first works were incredible but not the next ones. I honestly can't say anything about her previous books, because this duology was my first read by this author. But these book weren't as bad.

[✨faith✨trust✨pixiedust✨ Dead Account; Not Coming Back · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really felt more like 3 stars but I rated the first book 3 stars and this was way better than it so I guess a 3.5 is more accurate. So for official reasons, 4 stars will do.

I definitely liked the premise and atmosphere more than the story itself. The characters improved a ton from the first book (considering the fact that I either didn’t care about them or lowkey hated them before). Like, Runajo was completely ridiculous in the first book and Juliet was a stupid robot, while Romeo was sweet but boring and Paris was an inconsistent wimp. But I really felt for all of them in this, and liked Juliet and Romeo together. Paris was a bit less than I wanted but that would have been fixed with just a few more scenes with him, and what I got was perfectly fine. Their struggles really moved me in this. I legit shed a few tears, which even books I thought were good sometimes don’t do. So it earned that, at least.

The atmosphere and scene setting were fantastic, and I loved the lore. Everything with the land of the dead was iconic and awesome and felt like something I’d write. It really had a mythical/folkloristic vibe that I loved. And the aesthetic was just on point. If it weren’t for some pacing issues, I would have rated the worldbuilding 5 solid stars.

And related to that, the plot and execution of it really faltered in this. By the middle of the book, it felt like it should have been ending, and I guess the main conflict just wasn’t as intense as this kind of story needed. Like, the world was literally going to end and it felt like a mild inconvenience because it had already almost ended 150 pages before. I liked the necromancer as a villain WAY more than what I ultimately got and felt like he was taken out of the picture just way too soon to hold any narrative tension. If it hadn’t happened this way, I probably would have loved this. As it was, this book was boring and awkward and felt like it was tripping over itself. This duology was a huge disappointment from this author.

[Cesar (Inactive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Endless Water, Starless Sky was an overall decent finale to this duology. Not the best one out there, but it at least ended on a good note. That being said, my issues with this finale have to do more with what happened in the middle rather than the end.

Being that EW,SS is a sequel, I won't go in-depth with the plot to avoid spoilers, but I will point out some structure issues.

Endless Water, Starless Sky is supposed to be the solution to the problems that were presented in Bright Smoke, Cold Fire. Was there a solution to the problem? Yes. Was it done well? Kind of... sort of... it's really hard to say.

Pros.
We get to see Juliet's POV and that was one of the best selling points of the story. Juliet in both books is an enigma because of her upbringing while challenging moral dilemmas in regards to her being a weapon. What she deems guilty vs. what isn't. Not to mention she gets shit done instead of waiting around.

Runajo is still trying to find an answer to stopping the Ruining from killing the entire city. Personality wise, she still is determined to find an answer. But in EW,SS she does wonder if she is even helping at all. She has wronged Juliet and wants to seek some form of resolution to her sense of justice and if she can be helpful to Juliet, her clan, and her city. Her no-nonsense attitude is still my favorite aspect of her. She and Juliet were the best parts of the book.

Cons.
The book has two story arcs. The first arc being stopping the Master Necromancer. The second is finding a way to stop the ruining. The final parts of the first arc were rushed. I had to look back on a few pages in case I missed something but that wasn't it. Everything about the last parts of the first arc happened so quickly.

Then comes the second arc and while it wasn't bad or rushed like the first arc, I did find the placement of it weird. Sometimes I would see story arcs blended in together so that there is always something going on in both arcs. This one, it just felt weird in how they were placed. The first arc was done and then we quickly move on to the second.

Romeo here is still a complete idiot. I know he and Juliet in the original Romeo & Juliet were dumbstruck idiots in love, but the Romeo in the Bright Smoke, Cold Fire duology is just an idiot. Plain and simple. I figured that maybe he'll get smarter in EW,SS, but nope. He's still an idiot.

Verict

Endless Water, Starless Sky is a decent ending to a decent duology. I haven't read Cruel Beauty yet, and with seeing that Bright Smoke, Cold Fire had mixed reviews, I went into this duology with low expectations. And it was because of those expectations that I found myself liking the duology.

Thanks for reading my review!

-Cesar

[CatholicBibliophagist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of Endless Water, Starless Sky, the second half of the story begun in Rosamund Hodge's previous novel, Bright Smoke, Cold Fire. And after practically swallowing it whole, I can report that it does not disappoint. It is, however, very hard to discuss without giving away spoilers to anyone who hasn't read the first book. Therefore, my remarks will be general.

As usual, Hodge's prose is beautifully written, and her background in mythology and folklore continues to inform her work. Which is the best way I know to add verisimilitude to such elements as a journey through the underworld. As always, she brings to her Y.A. novel a level of complexity and depth which I appreciate and do not always find in this genre.

If you love fantasy world building, true love against all odds, swordplay, zombies, romance, loyalty, and friendship, (not to mention humor despite grim circumstances) Endless Water, Starless Sky will meet or exceed your expectations. But if you also want something more, you'll find that too.

One element which particularly struck me was the importance of individual choices even when you cannot see how anything you can do will make any difference. Another was the validity of beauty, even when everything seems meaningless. I was also interested in seeing how the four protagonists confronted the religious or philosophical assumptions which they had absorbed from their individual clans or prior experiences.

Can I also say that I really loved Paris? And by the end of the book, I was even fond of Romeo.

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romeo had looked at a Catresou girl and loved her. He had believed that Juliet was more than a weapon, and that it was worthwhile to love her, however little time they might have. He had died believing it.

Juliet had believed that once too.

She couldn't free her people. She couldn't free herself. And she couldn't save the city from its doom.

But she could be like Romeo, and learn to love her enemies. She could protect these people around her for whatever time they had left.

It wasn't exactly hope, but maybe it could be enough.

This is the second half of the tale begun in Bright Smoke, Cold Fire which I enjoyed a lot.

The city walls are not holding despite increasingly large blood sacrifices. The dead continue to rise, mindlessly hungry. (Yep. Zombies and the end of the world.)

The Juliet has been trapped into protecting Romeo's family at great cost to her own. Meanwhile, Romeo is attempting redemption by protecting Juliet's family. (Oh the irony! And the romantic gestures!)

Paris is still dead but alive enough to obey the necromancer's spell. Runajo is still trying to find a way to protect her city while tortured by her betrayal of her friend Juliet.

So we've got the perfect setup for the conclusion of Rosamund Hodge's riff on Shakespeare.

The story is complex enough that I'd forgotten important details from the first part and had to reread it before I could launch properly into Endless Water, Starless Sky. We still have all the big themes and literary devices that gave the first part depth and complexity. Here the story has everyone running as fast as they can to try to avert disaster, both of civilization and of their personal lives. There is a lot of fighting and a lot of talking in the first half — we did mention this is a riff on Romeo and Juliet, right? But it all works.

As engrossing as most of the book was, it really entered new territory in the last fourth where it becomes an otherworldly, Dante-esque journey. This part was wildly inventive and yet delicately balanced to guide the reader to the ultimately satisfying conclusion.

I really loved it and will definitely be rereading it, sooner rather than later. If you liked the first half, you'll like this. If you haven't read either, then you've got a treat in store.

[Suzannah Rowntree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the followup to Hodge's previous book Bright Smoke, Cold Fire. To recap: Romeo and Juliet, where Juliet is a clan assassin in a last city beseiged by zombies and protected only by the blood sacrifices of a creepy sisterhood. Also, there are necromancers, and Paris and Rosaline Runajo are viewpoint characters, and however you think this book is going to go, you're probably wrong (unless you guessed that it would turn into a surreal and totally evocative fairytale reminiscent of Dante's Inferno and CS Lewis's The Great Divorce, but from a woman's point of view, in which case I take my hat off to you and would like to consult you about the stockmarket).

This duology hasn't been my favourite Hodge story (that would be Crimson Bound), but Endless Water, Starless Sky delivers an ending that is deeply satisfying while still being equal parts weird and profound. It didn't deliver some of the things I would have expected to get from a story like this, but it did provide some things I didn't expect at all. Beyond the final quarter of the book, which I loved, there's also the character of Juliet herself. With her intense sense of justice and righteousness, with her persistent attempts to reconcile the duty and obedience she believes in with the fact that her authorities are morally bankrupt, self-interested murderers, Juliet is a YA heroine with a difference. In a genre populated by predictably edgy rebels, Juliet is an unpredictably edgy loyalist. And she is awesome at it.

Endless Water, Starless Sky is a YA novel with all the action, suspense, and romance you're looking for, featuring a Romeo and Juliet who are just as keen on getting themselves killed for each other as you would hope for, plus plenty of deeper meaning to keep you thinking long after finishing the story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to see what Rosamund Hodge writes next!

(I received an advance review copy of this book under no obligation to write a positive review. Endless Water, Starless Sky is on preorder right now at Amazon!)

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think the break between books helped me or Hodge's audience. She did recap a good portion of the first book's events so I wasn't completely lost, but the story wasn't as interesting here. There were several climaxes that felt like we were approaching the end of the book as opposed to ends of arcs. It threw me off that when the last event in the blurb comes around, I didn't really care enough to power through another 100 pages. The pacing was also a bit iffy, which I'm not sure is due to how fast I read this or how the parts were drawn out, but it could have moved faster so scenes didn't feel like they dragged.

That being said, I still liked the characters, Hodge's writing, and where the plot went (the ending might have been a bit too saccharine, though). Hopefully her next book is stronger.

6/17/16 (Before Reading)

The ending for the first one pained me. And it's going to be a long wait until this one comes out
(or if I get an ARC of this, then maybe not so long).

But I want to know what happens with the characters. They're getting into some deep treachery now, and I don't want it to end. I HAVE A MIGHTY NEED!

[Reza Qalandari · Rating 2 out of 5]

اولش سه ستاره دادم بودم ولی نظرم عوض شد. نسبت به جلد قبلیش پس‌رفت داشت به‌نظرم. احساسات و رفتارها و کارهای شخصیت‌ها خیلی شعاری و بچگانه شده بود. حیفش کرد واقعاً. امید زیادی داشتم براش. بازگویی جالبی از داستان رومئو و ژولیت بود، رمنسشم خیلی امیدوارکننده بود و تا نصف همین جلد هم می‌گفتم که خیلی کتاب‌ آندرریتدیه (جلد اولش رو هنوز می‌گم هست.) ولی خب، ناامیدم کرد.

[Theresa Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book finishes the latest duology by author Rosamund Hodge. On the surface, this duology could be described in the briefest sense as "Romeo and Juliet with zombies in a fantasy universe", but that description does no justice to the complex and interesting world of the novels. It would tempt comparisons with such recent works as "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" which was a funny mashup of a classic with the recent zombie fad. Hodge's book is nothing of the sort. It isn't funny, and unlike P&P&Z, her book is entirely original. The characters and parts of the plot from Shakespeare are certainly referenced, but what she has done with them stands on its own.

As the city of Viyara struggles to keep a remnant of humanity alive in the face of a terrible curse, the main characters' struggle to save the city leads them to ask hard questions about the course of their lives, their identities, and that ultimate question, meaning.
Endless Water, Starless Sky pursues these questions relentlessly, not shirking, even when they lead the characters to face danger and death. This book remains true to the dark fairytale style that Hodge has become known for, and the cleverness of her narrative. EWSS surprised me throughout, with unexpected plot turns and an ending I didn't expect.

I need to read this again! Highly recommend.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Undoubtedly a step up from Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, Endless Water, Starless Sky still suffers by being bogged down by the factors that made the first instalment a weak read, but it also delivers with beautiful worldbuilding, a dark and rich atmosphere and ornate prose. These are the redeeming factors, undoubtedly, and things that Hodge has always impressed me with.

On the flip-side, I struggled with staying invested. Whilst the second half of the book is better than the first, the slower pacing did have me listlessly flicking through chapters like it was a chore. I was also never overly attached to the characters, though I can't pin-point why, because they were substantially built.

All in all, the fact that this duology was a let-down is just a small annoyance, but I still have faith in Rosamund Hodge as a writer and I'm SO hyped for her next book WHAT MONSTROUS GODS which has heretic sorcerer ghosts. Which sounds lit.

[Anna Mussmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plunging back into the world of this duology required a little will-power. After all, part one had ended not just with tragedy all around but with darkness and a stench of blood that made me cringe. I had forgotten much of the plot, and at first I struggled to reconnect with the characters. Then Hodge’s Romeo walked across the page, and I was in. I cared.

Naturally, everything got even worse. Naturally, everything was a overwrought and melodramatic--this is Romeo and Juliet with zombies, after all. Furthermore, it is an unflinching portrayal of the hopelessness of a world bereft of hope, grace, and the bare concept of divine mercy.

I know Ms. Hodge’s worldview is different from that of the bloodbathed city she created, and I found myself wondering how she could possibly end this story properly. The ostensibly obvious solution--bringing in some kind of Christ-figure whose sacrifice would redeem the world--wouldn’t work. The point was clearly made that no one was righteous. No one was innocent. Not even the good characters. When the ending finally came, it involved scenes I will remember for a long time. I’m still thinking about them.

Do I recommend this book? In order to be appreciated, it must be looked at in its overall context. Ms. Hodge has a habit of taking YA conventions that are annoying or even unhealthy and then subverting them. They become a vehicle for a story that acknowledges the brokenness of the world and offers hope. It’s quite a remarkable thing to accomplish and I will absolutely be picking up her next title. If you aren’t quite ready for a bunch of pagan human sacrifice, though, start with Crimson Bound, my favorite Hodge title, instead.

[Brendan Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the second half of a duology, it's harder to review this one by describing the plot, because Endless Water, Starless Sky really does follow so tightly upon Bright Smoke, Cold Fire. If you haven't read the first half, go read it right now and be glad that you haven't been like the rest of us waiting for more than a year to find out how the cliff hanger would resolve!

Overall, the duolgy re-imagines the story of Romeo & Juliet in a fantasy world which has been reduced to one city by the Ruining, a magical catastrophe which drove warring clans into the blood-protected walls of an ancient citadel which remains as the one hold out against the undead Revenants.

I never thought I was a big fan of Romeo & Juliette, because it's usually presented as a romance, and I don't think much of the relationship between the two teens in the original play. However, this book sets the key stakes around loyalty to clan, and the necessity of ending the war between clans which is destroying the city, and also around the deep friendship and loyalty between the four main characters.

Hodge balances those four main characters well, and in this second half they go to strange and deeply evocative lengths to save each other and their world, culminating in a terrible and beautiful journey through the underworld.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* Publisher via Edelweiss
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5

*Thoughts*

Endless Water, Starless Sky is the second and apparent finale to author Rosamund Hodge's Bright Smoke, Cold Fire duology. With its heartbreaking and shocking finale, Bright Smoke, Cold Fire left readers wanting more—and anxiously awaiting the release of this conclusion to the series. This is Romeo & Juliet like you’ve never seen it before. This new series reimagines Shakespeare’s story of feuding families and doomed lovers in a city threatened by necromancers and protected by “the Juliet,” a girl born in every generation with powerful magic.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endless Water Starless Sky is the sequel to Rosamund Hodge’s Bright Smoke Cold Fire. This duology (I hate that term, but there’s not a great word for a pair of books) is a sort of postapocalyptic adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. The world is broken, and has been for a hundred years since the “Ruining”. The city of Viayara is a small island in a sea of death and to leave the city’s walls is to be killed by either the white fog or the “revenants”, the zombie living dead. The city’s walls, which alone keep the populace alive, can only be maintained by blood sacrifice. Some of the blood is willingly shed by the family of the Exaulted, the Old Viayarans who believe themselves to be the descendants of the gods, and some by the Sisterhood of Thorn, who spin the spells which maintain the walls. But that blood is not enough. There must also be human sacrifice, “willing” victims who give their life so that others must live. And the walls are failing, the magic is fading, sacrifices are required more and more often. Runajo, one of the novel’s protagonists, knows that eventually the monstrous sacrifices will be almost continuous and then they will not be enough and everyone will die.

Against this backdrop plays out the story of the two feuding households, the star-crossed lovers, who will perhaps have to die to save the world. It’s loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, but take heart those who do not love the play, there is probably something for you here after all. Do not despair, those who love Shakespeare, there is also something for you. The novel uses the play as a launching point, but then takes off for a strange new world where the stakes are much, much higher than those in Shakespeare’s Verona.

The first novel was very dark, but rich and beautiful as well. It ended on a very dark note with many threads left loose. When I closed the cover I had no idea how the second half of the novel could possible resolve everything satisfactorily. And yet the sequel was more than satisfactory.

“You live in a charnel house, and you’re all guilty and dripping red.”

In this second novel things go from bad to worse to horrifically worse. Murder, betrayal, necromancy, sacrilege, death, all the dark elements that are present in the first volume are there in the second but more so. But so are friendships, love, courage, honor, and hope. And one of the things I appreciate the most is that there are characters who are able to see clearly the horrors that everyone else in their world take for granted and who identify them as evil and resolve to try to set things right.

What I love about Endless Water Starless Sky is that is portrays a broken world, a world whose foundational reality is horror, and characters who realize they probably do not have the power to set everything right and yet do their utmost to try to at least make better the small things that they can.


“It was monstrous to cut down an unarmed woman, no matter how desperate you were.

It was monstrous to order an entire clan destroyed, just because the leaser had been practicing necromancy in secret, against the laws of the clan itself.

It was monstrous to live in a city whose walls were maintained by human sacrifice. ”


One of my favorite sequences of the novel is right at the middle when Runajo finally admits that she has been wrong, that she has made terrible choices and betrayed her friend. She is almost crushed when she realizes that she cannot make it right. She is powerless to fix it.

But then she has a moment of grace. She steps outside into the garden and sees something beautiful, a dragonfly. And the simple beauty of it takes her back to a similar moment long ago when she had a sort of revelation of beauty. 

“Something fathomless and inexhaustible welled up through the cracks of the world, drenching it with glory and making it more than she could ever destroy or create or even, perhaps, comprehend.

She could believe that any least, little thing she might do to amend the breaking was worth it.”


She determines that even if she is powerless to fix the brokenness of her world, she will at least do what she can to do the right thing now, even if it means her own destruction: she will try her best to make at least one thing right.

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This rating feels a little unfair - if I had remembered more of the first book, maybe I would rate it higher. But this is what I'm landing with.

It was a good ending, except for Vai. I wish Vai had been a trans man, or an enby in some way. The choice to go back to being a woman, for Paris, felt cheap. And the story of her grandfather doesn't lessen the awful impact.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for a chance to review this title.

I apologize for the late review as I just read the first installment of the Bright Smoke, Cold Fire series. Endless Water, Starless Sky so I could read this one. This book was amazing, just as the first and I could not put it down. Every character had heart and I felt for them. This book actually made me cry a little!

This would be awesome or the teens to read and anyone looking for fantasy lovers. Five stars!!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an advanced readers copy and have read the first installment of the Bright Smoke, Cold Fire series. Endless Water, Star less Sky is a continuation of the adventure of Romeo and Juliet and how they found eachother. This book was filled with adventure and suspense that all you want to do is read on. The introduction to the supporting characters in each chapter had an easy transition for the reader to follow and relate to the story. This would be wonderful for the teens to read because of the wordplay and the use of sophisticated vocabulary . 5 stars!

[Bethany Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

MINOR SPOILERS kinda. At last!
The previous book left off at a bleak place--friends turned against each other, and terrible things done for seemingly good reasons. I was curious how it could possibly be turned around, and whether it was in the cards to get a happy-ever-after....
I'm happy to say this story picks up with all our beloved characters and gives them the chance they're looking for to make things right.
More in-depth review to come after I re-read!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books, that while I enjoy them, I have no issue putting them aside to go and do other things. This book made me late for work one morning; and it made me about 15 minutes late coming back from lunch because I was nearly done and I knew that I would not be able to face the afternoon without knowing what happened. It is beautiful and harrowing ending to the first book of the duology, Bright Smoke, Cold Fire.

[Ruthsic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel raises the stakes in a world built on bloodshed and death, and if you think things were dire at the end of Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, well, this one is going to hit you hard. So, at the end of book 1, Runajo had parted with the Sisters to save Juliet from execution, Paris was killed by the Master Necromancer (who was also revealed, but I can't discuss it here because !spoilers!), Romeo is a fugitive, and the Catresou were implicated in having necromancers in their clan. This book starts off with an upheaval in the city's delicate balance - Lord Ineo, now having the Juliet in his custody, uses her to gain power, which comes at the cost of Catresou lives and Romeo - earnest, guilty Romeo - helps Juliet's and Paris' clansmen. But aside from all this infighting, the city is on the brink on collapse thanks to necromancers loosening the barriers that keep the living out, so Runajo also has to figure out how to save maximum lives, while also having to end the Ruining (which was her original goal).

In this book, we get additional character POV from Romeo and Juliet; we already had Runajo and Paris from book 1. It then became an exploration of which character could suffer most. Runajo, to save Juliet, has made terrible bargains - with Ineo, with the Sisters, with Inyaan - and the weight of all that responsibility is wearing her thin. Her saving Juliet meant also condemning her to commit murders that Juliet blames her for, which is why their relationship is at a breaking point (turns out making your friend into an assassin slave is not the best way to keep her as a friend, who knew?) and you know, I feel for Runajo but GDI girl, how could you do that to Juliet? Her role gets progressively lesser towards the end, as Juliet's character gains a prominent arc - for a third of the book, she doesn't even know Romeo is alive, so she has been trying to make the best of a bad situation with the Mahyanai (who are also incidentally her masters and her in-laws, yikes!) while grieving over having to kill her own kinsmen. She hates the city and the laws of their world, but also wants to save it. Her journey to bargain with Death is an emotional one - she has to overcome all the guilt placed on her, all the blood she has shed, and finally claim what she wants.

On the boys' side, Romeo is sad over Paris' death but when he finds him as a puppet revenant, he keeps trying to save him. It isn't immediately apparent, but he loves Paris as much as he loves Juliet, even if the type of love for both may not be the same. Paris' POV is mostly him trying to surface from under the compulsion he is under - he can feel Something around Romeo, but he doesn't know why. Meanwhile, we get the Master Necromancer's story, as well as the whole deal around the Little Lady, and it calls back somewhat to the original tale too, with a little twist. Even after he is defeated, the bigger problem is the Ruining, and his story arc is mostly to resolve that problem, and parts of the clues lie with Romeo-Paris and parts with Runajo-Juliet, which is why it takes some time for the story and the solution to come together.

While this story mainly is about survival in another apocalyptic scenario, the days counting down until life will be difficult within Viyara, the acceleration of sacrificial schedules and the increased tensions among the families, it is also very much a story about how much could and should be forgiven for survival. Juliet, especially, has no reason to love Viyara, or her kinsmen, but she chooses to. Runajo could let the whole world collapse, but no matter how much she thinks her heart is stone, she won't let life collapse. Romeo will even ally and charm with his enemies to save lives. Whatever they do, they know the toll of it, they know not everything is right - it is a question of finding good in a bad situation, but also realizing when the bad has outweighed the good. On an emotional level, also, this story is about friendship and found families, and recognizing that love as equal to romantic love. Romeo in book 1 was a lovesick fool, and he remains a fool in this book 2, but he also gains a family, fights for things other than Juliet. Heck, for most of this series, they aren't even together! There are some epic scenes between the two, though which are again too spoilery to discuss here. Finally, I just wanna scream about this quartet of love - who would do anything, pay any price for each other.

There were certain things that I do not know what to think of - like Vai's entire development, which on the reread of the first book had me a bit on the fence about its depiction of trans identity, if that is what it is. (Vai is a girl, but has to live as a boy because of family stuff, and she identifies as both on different occasions, but it is not clear if she's genderfluid, and it is more of a choice than what she is, so I am not really sure of anything regarding Vai at this point and it's not my lane anyway) Another thing about the whole 'bargain with Death' has me questioning why she accepts Juliet's bargain but not any from the Sisters (remember that they too offered life), and the whole nature of that land from the two viewpoints of Juliet and Romeo make me think the experience is subjective but also not? It is confusing. The ending, however, is satisfactory enough and a good conclusion to the series.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Balzer & Bray, via Edelweiss.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this since "Bright Smoke, Cold Fire" - Hodge set up a masterful cliffhanger in the first volume of this series! - and was not disappointed. The story picks up immediately, with a reimagined Romeo and Juliet both trying to find a way to be together without killing each other or their families, all while striving to save their post-apocalyptic city from a Master Necromancer and from the Realm of Death itself.

I was caught up in the surprising yet authentic development of each character and each relationship - and I loved that the supporting characters felt as real as the main ones. The vivid expansion of the world and cultures in it captivated me. I especially loved the climactic sequence, a dream-like journey, especially built on foundations ranging from Homer to C.S. Lewis to Blue Oyster Cult, but in unexpected and profound ways. Loved it!

[Teresa Mary Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the ending to Bright Smoke, Cold Fire I had been dying to get my hands on this one and this turned out to be a solid conclusion. This book has a great cast of characters with so many intertwined relationships.

The angst in this book is real! Romeo and Juliet are both fighting on opposite sides of a war and neither ever seems to realize what the other is up to. Waiting for them to run into one another was torture. But I kinda loved that push and pull. I also love how complicated and intertwined the relationships are and that the friendships are just as important (if not more so) than the romantic ones. Nothing is ever easy and things always have to be earned. It would help if they would work together instead of constantly trying to protect one another, but at the same time you can really see how much these characters care for one another.

My favorite of them all is definitely Juliet. She is so strong and determined and she will protect those she cares for at all costs. She’s also willing to sacrifice a lot to save those she cares for. I also love that she can be a bit unlikable at times. Her flaws make her great. Honestly every single character in this book is flawed and I love them all more because of that.

Rosamund Hodge really knows how to take a story we know and add that fantasy twist. She creates a bloody world here but the writing is so good and immerses you in their weird and bloody world. This book is definitely a slow build, but it builds to something great.

All in all, this was a good conclusion to Bright Smoke, Cold Fire and even though it took me a while to get through, I really savored this one.

[Regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was boring, repetitive, and the magic system is all over the place. I don't know why this book has to be so long and the interesting female characters can't save everything. Also, the book had the chance to be very diverse, but doesn't make enough of it, rather the opposite.

[Ali]

Edit 21/6/17

Endless Water, Starless Sky is the new title of the book and I am LOVING IT!

[Nara · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the ending of Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, I was very curious as to what direction Rosamund Hodge would be taking the sequel.

I felt that initially events crawled at a snail's pace overall, meaning there were unfortunately a lot of points, at least in the first half, where I felt quite bored. However, Hodge really turns it around in the latter half, with a lot of major events occurring quite early and then snowballing forward into subsequent rather unexpected events.

Her writing is still as gorgeous as ever, really giving the novel that fairy tale feel. There was a section where lots of small short stories were included, which I really enjoyed reading. Hodge's short stories/novellas are definitely one of her strengths, and if you enjoy her writing I would say that you should definitely seek out some of the ones she's written (they're free online).

Overall, a solid conclusion to the duology. I still think that the Cruel Beauty duology was probably better, but I would recommend this series too.

Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 3.5/5
Romance: 2.5/5
Writing: 4/5
World Building: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 4/5

[Mary Garceau · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't as good as the first book. I feel like the character development was really fun in the first book. This one was still amusing though.

[Lucy Buller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on That Book Gal.
So I was reading this earlier and I finished it and promptly forgot I had finished it. I just sat down to finish it and realized I had already finished up but I hadn’t written my review yet. So this review won’t be as good due to me not writing it right away.
When I’m thinking about this book, it really feels like 2 or 3 books. The reason for that, I think, is Juliet. Early on in the book she feels different as a character, for specific reasons, and that changes the feel of her parts in the book. Later in the book she feels even more different due to her setting, actually, and that, again, changes the feel of the book.
I will say, I do not like this one as much as BRIGHT SMOKE COLD FIRE. I think the emotional stakes in this are set up so well, but I loved the aspect of omition in the first book, where Juliet thinks Romeo is dead, and Romeo thinks Juliet is dead, and it just adds so much tension to the story, to where you want to just yell at them and tell them to stop being stupid.
I also think this focuses more on backstory and whatnot, whereas in BRIGHT SMOKE COLD FIRE, spew know absolutely nothing which just, again, adds amazing tension to the story. So I did find this a little lacking in that wonderful tension that we got to experience in BRIGHT SMOKE COLD FIRE.
The beginning of this book is painful in the best ways. BRIGHT SMOKE COLD FIRE leaves off on such a cliffhanger and this book brings in the ramifications of that, and our babies are all just suffering so so much.
I think that this book, at least in parts, is a tad bit darker than BRIGHT SMOKE COLD FIRE, which adds that amazing edge to the story. I think the concept of the story itself is dark, so it suits.
I WILL FOREVER YELL ABOUT VAI AND PARIS. OKAY OKAY?
there’s a ton I want to unpack and talk about! But spoilers y’all. So I’m not going to dive into everything, sadly, I will talk vaguely and hope y’all just give in and read these books!
The romance(s) in this are extremely well done. Rosamund is taking a story that carries a romance that is extremely instalove-y and childish, and she somehow makes that childish relationship into an actual marriage that is actually a very mature relationship.
I think overall this is an extremely well crafted story, with a mature relationship, and lots of spoilers think I’d very much like to yell about.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The walls of Viyara are still falling and Juliet is trapped doing Lord Ineo’s bidding unless she can find another way to protect Viyara from the dead who are rising. Romeo on the other hand, has found out that the love of his life is alive, but his actions are what killed her family. Now he must face death in order to redeem himself. This novel was fast-paced and had a lot going on, much like the first novel. Again, this left the reader a little confused as to what was going on because there was just so much going on. There were plots everywhere that it was hard for the reader to keep straight. It also didn’t help that there felt like there were all these characters and sometimes they went by one name, sometimes another and that left the reader disoriented as to who was who. This was still an interesting novel and the ending was really good, it ended things nicely and on a good note. Overall, it was a nice retelling of Romeo and Juliet, if only the plot hadn’t been so cluttered, this could have been a great retelling.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this even more than the first one. What a fucking rollercoaster. I love every single one of these characters and I want to give them all of the hugs, except that all of the girls would probably stab me if I did. Good times.

And with one notable exception, I thought the series played with gender in very interesting ways--each house has its own idea of appropriate gender roles, and it was super interesting to watch our characters transgress their own house's gender roles and the way that was perceived both within the house and with everyone else.

Also, A+ Land of the Dead-ing, I am always here for an interesting afterlife sequence, and this one did not disappoint at all. It almost made up for the first book not having more supernatural library exploration/hijinks.

Thoroughly recommended, especially to anybody who wants more in the vein of Six of Crows and/or likes Shakespeare.