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Meet Me in the Ether #2
Find Me Between the Stars
THERE IS NO LINE THEY WON'T CROSS.
After Neira Aroya strikes a bargain with the enigmatic Herald of Death, Orion Kallistar, she slowly discovers that the secrets he’s been keeping are far more dangerous and life-altering than anything she could have ever imagined. The more she navigates the alluring Lunar Realm and experiences the full extent of her etherwalking abilities, the closer she comes to the unseen force that has been pulling their strings all along.
On the other side of the Cosmos, the city of Chethra has fallen into autocratic chaos. With the gangs rising to do Oberon’s bidding, Riona is left with no choice but to run for her life while Aramis, Orpheus, and Eirene follow Zephyr on the dark and bloody path to retribution.
Find Me Between the Stars is a character-driven dark romantasy about the unremitting chase between fate and agency and a love that transcends them both.
After Neira Aroya strikes a bargain with the enigmatic Herald of Death, Orion Kallistar, she slowly discovers that the secrets he’s been keeping are far more dangerous and life-altering than anything she could have ever imagined. The more she navigates the alluring Lunar Realm and experiences the full extent of her etherwalking abilities, the closer she comes to the unseen force that has been pulling their strings all along.
On the other side of the Cosmos, the city of Chethra has fallen into autocratic chaos. With the gangs rising to do Oberon’s bidding, Riona is left with no choice but to run for her life while Aramis, Orpheus, and Eirene follow Zephyr on the dark and bloody path to retribution.
Find Me Between the Stars is a character-driven dark romantasy about the unremitting chase between fate and agency and a love that transcends them both.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2024
31 people are currently reading
3779 people want to read
About the author
Iris Lake
7 books184 followersIris Lake is the pen name of a girl lost in daydreams. She loves art, poetry, and writing stories full of stardust, magic, and unapologetically romantic characters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
February 28, 2024
oh my god! This is my undoing.
January 23, 2024
Iris Lake is BRILLIANT. Every single sentence she writes is a beautiful song to my soul. This book was written with so much complexity and plot lines of a lot of main characters that somehow find their desires aligned. The multiple perspectives were impressive because they were so unique. Each character fights their own battles within and you can see the perspective of all of them in how they interact with each other and themselves.
The storyline itself follows Neira finally training her powers, but with the agony of being so near to Orion, who won’t tell her what he knows, why they can’t be together. But why are their feelings burning up for each other? And we still have Zephyr trying to dismantle the Fae Royalty, but at what cost? Riona displays some spectacular magic and the chemistry forming between different characters leaves you feeling on edge for what is to come, without a lot of spice either. That, to me, displays how brilliant the writing is that I don’t even need the spice scenes to have my heart pounding.
There are some secrets revealed at the end with a cliffhanger and needless to say I’m anxiously awaiting the next book!!!
The storyline itself follows Neira finally training her powers, but with the agony of being so near to Orion, who won’t tell her what he knows, why they can’t be together. But why are their feelings burning up for each other? And we still have Zephyr trying to dismantle the Fae Royalty, but at what cost? Riona displays some spectacular magic and the chemistry forming between different characters leaves you feeling on edge for what is to come, without a lot of spice either. That, to me, displays how brilliant the writing is that I don’t even need the spice scenes to have my heart pounding.
There are some secrets revealed at the end with a cliffhanger and needless to say I’m anxiously awaiting the next book!!!
January 3, 2024
Loved it! I was really looking forward to it and it didn’t disappoint! Meet me in the ether was great but this book put the whole story in perspective and everything that felt slightly off in the first book finally made sense. The plot twists and Zephyr’s storyline had me gasping!!! It wasn’t at all what I had expected. Orion’s and Neira’s story was absolutely beautiful and the little storyline of Orpheus and Eirene was unexpected but really sweet. Aramis was one of my favorite characters once again and he grew so much in this book so I cant wait to see his and Riona’s relationship develop.
I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite series of all time!
I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite series of all time!
January 20, 2024
my best friend and i buddy read the first one, so naturally we had to read this one together as well !!! WE HAD A GREAT TIME YET AGAIN HIGHLY RECOMMEND
i loved how already existing relationships got more detail and new ones were being weaved all at the same time ! i really enjoy how the author describes settings so intricately, and takes the time to flesh out each and every character with their own motivations and reasonings. most of their personalities clash— and it is very entertaining— but in the end, they’re all still on the same side of things ( for the most part ) for all existing characters from the last book, we are still seeing new parts to them interacting with new circumstances.
i also really liked introducing a new character with the last chapter pov !! AND THE EPILOGUE ARE YOU KIDDINGGGGG DONT MIND ME ILL JUST BE ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT TIL 2025
i loved how already existing relationships got more detail and new ones were being weaved all at the same time ! i really enjoy how the author describes settings so intricately, and takes the time to flesh out each and every character with their own motivations and reasonings. most of their personalities clash— and it is very entertaining— but in the end, they’re all still on the same side of things ( for the most part ) for all existing characters from the last book, we are still seeing new parts to them interacting with new circumstances.
i also really liked introducing a new character with the last chapter pov !! AND THE EPILOGUE ARE YOU KIDDINGGGGG DONT MIND ME ILL JUST BE ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT TIL 2025
February 5, 2024
Loved, loved, loved this book, just like the first book, the writing it's sooooo beautiful, the plot kept me interested. The pacing was really good, not to rushed and not too dragged out.
The reveals throughout the book were unexpected and the ending left me so curious. Usually second books tend to be a hit-or-miss but this book achieved to be a splendid sequel. Loved the relationships between the characters and how it evolved in the end.
Cannot wait for the next book, surely will deliver just like the previous two.
"I'd asked him to make me a weapon, and that was how I felt in his hands; an iron girl, a bullet, a blade. He was fire and he was smelting me."
The reveals throughout the book were unexpected and the ending left me so curious. Usually second books tend to be a hit-or-miss but this book achieved to be a splendid sequel. Loved the relationships between the characters and how it evolved in the end.
"We're stronger in this life. Are you watching because you're scared we'll outrun you? I asked the Fate with the same kind of boyish hubris that had once made me chase after demons in the dark.
The stars flickered. The night was laughing at me."
Cannot wait for the next book, surely will deliver just like the previous two.
January 3, 2024
Even better than the first! This book is written so beautifully and I don’t for the life of me understand how this isn’t as popular as other fantasy romances. I’ll likely reread this series again this year…it was that good.
January 28, 2024
I absolutely LOVE iris lake and I’ve been struggling to get into another series since I read these books because they were so good!
February 23, 2024
Was I a little lost in the beginning? Yes. But it's my fault. I read the first book in September 2023. I loved this book. There are some typos but I don't care HOFAS had typos. This author writes some of the most beautiful descriptions. The multiple POV makes it very dynamic. I love all the women in this book.
January 19, 2024
wow!!!☀️🌙🤍🖤
I loved the first book of this series and I love that the second book is just developing even more of the tale!! Iris you have a gift and I am so glad you shared this story of broken but whole characters you have written. 🤍🖤✨
I loved the first book of this series and I love that the second book is just developing even more of the tale!! Iris you have a gift and I am so glad you shared this story of broken but whole characters you have written. 🤍🖤✨
January 20, 2024
HELLO???
READ THIS BOOK. That ending had me hanging on by a THREAD. This book does not suffer form second book syndrome. AT ALL. I loved all the different POVs yet again, Amaris the sass ass. Orion the Hopelessly in love that doesn't think he deserves it.
AND ORPHEUS AND EIRENE SAY LESS MY BABIES MY DARLINGS. They deserve the WORLD.
I just finished and can't say enough about this series. Read. It.
February 2025 I'm looking at youuuuuu.
READ THIS BOOK. That ending had me hanging on by a THREAD. This book does not suffer form second book syndrome. AT ALL. I loved all the different POVs yet again, Amaris the sass ass. Orion the Hopelessly in love that doesn't think he deserves it.
AND ORPHEUS AND EIRENE SAY LESS MY BABIES MY DARLINGS. They deserve the WORLD.
I just finished and can't say enough about this series. Read. It.
February 2025 I'm looking at youuuuuu.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2024
Loved it!!
WOW, great sequel to the first book!! I love all the different POVs, Neira is so badass and Orion is *chefs kiss* and the ending??? I need the next one ASAP
WOW, great sequel to the first book!! I love all the different POVs, Neira is so badass and Orion is *chefs kiss* and the ending??? I need the next one ASAP
March 14, 2025
ok revisiting my review after i had a few days to calm down. 10/10 big love.
March 3, 2024
i really felt that this book was made with a lot of love. i enjoyed how the characters were developed. yes, they were flawed, but at the same time, they were also hopeful, which made them so human despite not being one.
February 7, 2024
4.5 stars
this book was even better than the first. neira and orion’s relationship and them being soulmates who had found each other in other lives is so timeless coded its insane.
and neira herself is a badass female character that i now love. i can’t wait for the third book.
this book was even better than the first. neira and orion’s relationship and them being soulmates who had found each other in other lives is so timeless coded its insane.
and neira herself is a badass female character that i now love. i can’t wait for the third book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2025
AGAIN, I LOVE.
‘The crowd below was stunned by her performance, the entire room brought to a hush of admiration. Even the musicians seemed to pluck the strings of their instruments a little softer, hit the keys on the piano a little gentler.And then, she dropped.Her leg disentangled from the ribbons, and her waist skipped between the silks like a pebble on water as she expeditiously unraveled into a downward spiral.The room lurched into a frenzy. Gods, she’s going to fall!—Someone, get help!—Quick, the ribbons will rip!But I knew it was a trick, for she smiled as she fell.’
‘I was weightless and throbbing with immortality. For a long, perfect moment, I was as free as a soul could ever be, a girl fully unbound from her tedious humanity. A feral, faithless creature. A nymph who would not get caught.And although I could not hear him behind me, I felt him. I felt him everywhere. He was in every shadow, in every dark shape, every unseen creature of the forest. He was between the sturdy trees, the snowed pine needles. He was the black sky above, the damp soil below.I slowed down, laughing, breathless from too much life. “Stop hiding in the darkness!”“My girl,” his voice came, eerie and sudden. It ravaged the whole world. “I’m the darkness itself.”When he spoke like this, I knew it was the demon talking. The Herald of Death, who delighted in any primitive practice. A taste of blood, a fight, a chase.What was so wrong with me to love him like this, I didn’t know, nor did I particularly care to find out.’
also, i’m a sucker for zephyr. like, come on.
‘A boy of a million second chances. A boy who spoke better with his cruelty than with his perfectly sculpted mouth. A boy who broke hearts faster than he broke promises.Zephyr Rafandra stood in the middle of Ascian’s study at the Castle, both irreversibly altered and eerily unchanged. He looked the same—apart from his clothing which to my astonishment were not his typical Fae silken garments, but a gangster’s three-piece suit. An elegant face stricken by a thundery flash of boyish arrogance. A night sky for hair. The turbulent ocean below for eyes. And a Fae body, too tall and too strong for a prince, more suited to a warrior.And yet, right there, you could see it clearly; a fresh, lethal sharpness had taken over the smooth lines of his face, the brilliant lucidity of unbridled power.’
‘I would recognize him anywhere. Even like this, banged up and broken. Even with the decades past altering my memory. Aras’ chosen, my almost king, my almost husband, the bane of my existence. The boy who carried his last name like a sin, all grown up now, ready to atone it.’
wait, just a little ick but i hate ‘my girl’. but maybe it’s just me. totally minor MINOR issue. entirely personal.
also, i loved the ending. not the epilogue. just this:
‘I veered back to Titania but I didn’t release him from my grip. Instead, I clutched his wrist with whatever strength I was left with knowing that in the chaos I was about to hail over them, I would have my one and only chance at freedom.What could I say? Evil always won. You could curse an Oberon, martyr a Zephyr, even try and kill a Titania, and soon after some new horror would arise. Some new king, some new god. Someone who would wake up one day and think they were entitled to the world. The only way to defeat evil was to become it. “They’re lying,” I said, and chaos hailed indeed.’
i actually hated the epilogue. i am not ready to part with aramis omg. i have not gotten enough of him noooooo. i cannot wait for the next book
‘The crowd below was stunned by her performance, the entire room brought to a hush of admiration. Even the musicians seemed to pluck the strings of their instruments a little softer, hit the keys on the piano a little gentler.And then, she dropped.Her leg disentangled from the ribbons, and her waist skipped between the silks like a pebble on water as she expeditiously unraveled into a downward spiral.The room lurched into a frenzy. Gods, she’s going to fall!—Someone, get help!—Quick, the ribbons will rip!But I knew it was a trick, for she smiled as she fell.’
‘I was weightless and throbbing with immortality. For a long, perfect moment, I was as free as a soul could ever be, a girl fully unbound from her tedious humanity. A feral, faithless creature. A nymph who would not get caught.And although I could not hear him behind me, I felt him. I felt him everywhere. He was in every shadow, in every dark shape, every unseen creature of the forest. He was between the sturdy trees, the snowed pine needles. He was the black sky above, the damp soil below.I slowed down, laughing, breathless from too much life. “Stop hiding in the darkness!”“My girl,” his voice came, eerie and sudden. It ravaged the whole world. “I’m the darkness itself.”When he spoke like this, I knew it was the demon talking. The Herald of Death, who delighted in any primitive practice. A taste of blood, a fight, a chase.What was so wrong with me to love him like this, I didn’t know, nor did I particularly care to find out.’
also, i’m a sucker for zephyr. like, come on.
‘A boy of a million second chances. A boy who spoke better with his cruelty than with his perfectly sculpted mouth. A boy who broke hearts faster than he broke promises.Zephyr Rafandra stood in the middle of Ascian’s study at the Castle, both irreversibly altered and eerily unchanged. He looked the same—apart from his clothing which to my astonishment were not his typical Fae silken garments, but a gangster’s three-piece suit. An elegant face stricken by a thundery flash of boyish arrogance. A night sky for hair. The turbulent ocean below for eyes. And a Fae body, too tall and too strong for a prince, more suited to a warrior.And yet, right there, you could see it clearly; a fresh, lethal sharpness had taken over the smooth lines of his face, the brilliant lucidity of unbridled power.’
‘I would recognize him anywhere. Even like this, banged up and broken. Even with the decades past altering my memory. Aras’ chosen, my almost king, my almost husband, the bane of my existence. The boy who carried his last name like a sin, all grown up now, ready to atone it.’
wait, just a little ick but i hate ‘my girl’. but maybe it’s just me. totally minor MINOR issue. entirely personal.
also, i loved the ending. not the epilogue. just this:
‘I veered back to Titania but I didn’t release him from my grip. Instead, I clutched his wrist with whatever strength I was left with knowing that in the chaos I was about to hail over them, I would have my one and only chance at freedom.What could I say? Evil always won. You could curse an Oberon, martyr a Zephyr, even try and kill a Titania, and soon after some new horror would arise. Some new king, some new god. Someone who would wake up one day and think they were entitled to the world. The only way to defeat evil was to become it. “They’re lying,” I said, and chaos hailed indeed.’
i actually hated the epilogue. i am not ready to part with aramis omg. i have not gotten enough of him noooooo. i cannot wait for the next book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2024
im so conflicted. this is a book i should hate. physically gag at. it has everything that i hate about fantasy romances these days. there are things that would normally dissuade me if i ever saw them mentioned in a review, but im still quite endeared to it. would i recommend it? to a certain audience, yes. am i that audience? no, but i still liked some parts of it.
skipped all ori*n povs like god intended, and the neira ones in which he was with her. blegh, i can't stand them, sorry. neira is not what she used to be in the start of first book and not for the better too. she got outshone by everyone else. i don't think i missed much of the plot by skipping their chaps tbh. it all made sense
aramis... my fave character hands down. its the blonde dorky but ruthless characters for me. im so happy there was a lot of him! him and riona.. #1 ship. from book one! legit only picked this up for them. the way nothing happened btw them, they aren't 'official' pfft not by a longshot but the tension- only one rivalling them is aramis/zephyr like dang, I'd like to know more of their history. if i didn't like riona that much, I'd be rooting for them sheesh
it was the homely moments that did it for me. scenes with the trio: zephyr, aramis, and orpheus. scene at the end where everyone is coming up with the plan (bc ori*n wasn't there). scenes Before the action, planning and discussing. ate that up! also aramis and his newfound sister eirene. lovely new addition to the group. only one with a working brain too.
the most surprising thing was me not being bothered by the flowery prose. i didn't even notice it until i read some reviews. it wasn't in-your-face purple-y. yes, there was a lot of sentimental internal monologue that got a little tiring. see to that before picking it up i guess
the bad: well, one I've already mentioned. the girls were all super young, in early 20s, while the guys were in their hundreds. the girls were almost always mentioned in association with something carnal. 2/3 worked in brothels. always some level of nakedness. common in NA but sigh.... can we progress pls. riona does challenge that so i hope we see her step out of that world. im literally begging. couple of grammatical and spelling mistakes.
prediction: i have a feeling zephyr will d*e in book 3 bc he's the only one who doesn't have a partner lmao unless... he gets with his undead ex
skipped all ori*n povs like god intended, and the neira ones in which he was with her. blegh, i can't stand them, sorry. neira is not what she used to be in the start of first book and not for the better too. she got outshone by everyone else. i don't think i missed much of the plot by skipping their chaps tbh. it all made sense
aramis... my fave character hands down. its the blonde dorky but ruthless characters for me. im so happy there was a lot of him! him and riona.. #1 ship. from book one! legit only picked this up for them. the way nothing happened btw them, they aren't 'official' pfft not by a longshot but the tension- only one rivalling them is aramis/zephyr like dang, I'd like to know more of their history. if i didn't like riona that much, I'd be rooting for them sheesh
it was the homely moments that did it for me. scenes with the trio: zephyr, aramis, and orpheus. scene at the end where everyone is coming up with the plan (bc ori*n wasn't there). scenes Before the action, planning and discussing. ate that up! also aramis and his newfound sister eirene. lovely new addition to the group. only one with a working brain too.
the most surprising thing was me not being bothered by the flowery prose. i didn't even notice it until i read some reviews. it wasn't in-your-face purple-y. yes, there was a lot of sentimental internal monologue that got a little tiring. see to that before picking it up i guess
the bad: well, one I've already mentioned. the girls were all super young, in early 20s, while the guys were in their hundreds. the girls were almost always mentioned in association with something carnal. 2/3 worked in brothels. always some level of nakedness. common in NA but sigh.... can we progress pls. riona does challenge that so i hope we see her step out of that world. im literally begging. couple of grammatical and spelling mistakes.
prediction: i have a feeling zephyr will d*e in book 3 bc he's the only one who doesn't have a partner lmao unless... he gets with his undead ex
Read
March 31, 2024This series is giving fanfic but I’m still going to read every single book and enjoy doing it.
January 30, 2024
aramis and riona. send tweet
April 2, 2025
orphan street rat thief learns she is so much more! in this book she discovers her power, trains her magic, gets her man, and her friends all plot their master coup.
November 30, 2024
OHMYFUCKING GOD
FIRST OF ALL, THE MAN SLAUGHTER.
GETS ME EVERY FUCKING TIME
The way I've been shipping all these characters and if even one of them don't workout, I'm gonna BAWL.
ITS SOOO WELL WRITTEN, THE ANGST, THE STORY, THE PLOT, THE SEXUAL TENSION, THE THRILL UGHJSOWKSJDKK
PLUS THE ENDING??
clear 5/5
I pity the people who still haven't read this series 😔
FIRST OF ALL, THE MAN SLAUGHTER.
GETS ME EVERY FUCKING TIME
The way I've been shipping all these characters and if even one of them don't workout, I'm gonna BAWL.
ITS SOOO WELL WRITTEN, THE ANGST, THE STORY, THE PLOT, THE SEXUAL TENSION, THE THRILL UGHJSOWKSJDKK
PLUS THE ENDING??
clear 5/5
I pity the people who still haven't read this series 😔
January 10, 2024
The last chapter being a whole new character?! Brilliant! The twist and turns this took were wonderful, I’m excited and worried on how these cliffhangers will play out! Thank you Iris, keep up the good work!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2024
First of all, I loved Meet Me in the Ether, it was such a fresh, fun read, but I enjoyed the writing in this one more. The maturity and in-depth writing in this book was everything. A few spoiler-free examples:
“What a strange, jarring thing it was to be needed so vastly, to know that you could break someone irreversibly and that they would let you, because they’d rather be broken by your hands than not be touched by you at all.”
“It was uncanny how much he felt like my own self, angry and impetuous and flawed, as though he and I had been ignited by the same divine spark, suffered through the same transcendent injury, only to be united now and burn conjointly under the flame of this bargain.”
“The silence was perhaps the very definition of us. We would get enthralled in the clutches of an arbitrary, impalpable almost. An almost kiss. An almost truth. An almost surrender. We were never nothing, never something. We were ever stuck in a lethargic, amorphous in-between. Until all the unsaid things transformed into misshapen interpretations of ourselves. A severe interruption between who we were and who we could have been. Until the silence became an atrocity. Something unbeatable and grotesque. And we would have to turn away from it, so we didn’t have to look at what we’d done.”
I love the fantasy romance genre but a lot of times we don't see that sort of writing in it and when I find books like this I fall in love instantly.
The story developed so much as well, the plot twists were unexpected and the characters pushed themselves out of their comfort zones for all the right reasons (although Zephyr’s true character still remains a mystery of a sort but I think we will find out more in the next book since this one was mostly focused on Neira and Orion).
All in all a five star read, and a much needed contribution to the romantasy genre!
“What a strange, jarring thing it was to be needed so vastly, to know that you could break someone irreversibly and that they would let you, because they’d rather be broken by your hands than not be touched by you at all.”
“It was uncanny how much he felt like my own self, angry and impetuous and flawed, as though he and I had been ignited by the same divine spark, suffered through the same transcendent injury, only to be united now and burn conjointly under the flame of this bargain.”
“The silence was perhaps the very definition of us. We would get enthralled in the clutches of an arbitrary, impalpable almost. An almost kiss. An almost truth. An almost surrender. We were never nothing, never something. We were ever stuck in a lethargic, amorphous in-between. Until all the unsaid things transformed into misshapen interpretations of ourselves. A severe interruption between who we were and who we could have been. Until the silence became an atrocity. Something unbeatable and grotesque. And we would have to turn away from it, so we didn’t have to look at what we’d done.”
I love the fantasy romance genre but a lot of times we don't see that sort of writing in it and when I find books like this I fall in love instantly.
The story developed so much as well, the plot twists were unexpected and the characters pushed themselves out of their comfort zones for all the right reasons (although Zephyr’s true character still remains a mystery of a sort but I think we will find out more in the next book since this one was mostly focused on Neira and Orion).
All in all a five star read, and a much needed contribution to the romantasy genre!
May 6, 2025
5 ⭐ Again, this was fantastic. How is this series not more popular?!? It has everything I love in a romantasy: soulmates, reincarnation, VERY morally grey characters, multiple POVS, Gods and Fate... I was invested in all of our main characters, and this series feels like Crescent City meets Six of Crows meets Our Infinite Fates???
I loved every minute of it. I cannot WAIT for the third and final book in this trilogy to be released. I just know it's going to be a good one lol
Some of my favorite quotes-
"We had both spent our lives surviving, and now we had no idea who we were in stillness, in kindness, in love."
"How dangerous was it for people like us to love with no line too hard to cross, no price too high to pay? So much power between us and such willingness to give it all up for a bond as unfathomable as the dark between the stars."
"'I love you,” he said, and at once, the world went quiet, went still, went somewhere far, far away, and left us here all alone. “I love you so much I wish I had another soul to sell for you.'"
I loved every minute of it. I cannot WAIT for the third and final book in this trilogy to be released. I just know it's going to be a good one lol
Some of my favorite quotes-
"We had both spent our lives surviving, and now we had no idea who we were in stillness, in kindness, in love."
"How dangerous was it for people like us to love with no line too hard to cross, no price too high to pay? So much power between us and such willingness to give it all up for a bond as unfathomable as the dark between the stars."
"'I love you,” he said, and at once, the world went quiet, went still, went somewhere far, far away, and left us here all alone. “I love you so much I wish I had another soul to sell for you.'"
January 15, 2024
Okay, so anyone who knows me knows how much I obsessed over Meet me in the ether when I first read it, but this was so so so much better.
First of all, I’m in love with Orion. I just adore a male lead that can be both strong and sweet and not a complete alphahole. Orion was such a beautifully and thoughtfully built character that I was counting the pages to get to read his point of view again.
But aside Neira and Orion, I was so happy to see much more of the other characters as well. I’m already anxious to see Aramis and Riona in the third book, and I was definitely touched by Orpheus’s character and his overall storyline.
This is a character-driven book but the plot was thick too, taking us on a wild journey of many plot twists that brought even more sense and depth to the first book.
My advice is to read the two back to back so you can fully immerse yourself in this complex and beautifully broken world Lake created.
First of all, I’m in love with Orion. I just adore a male lead that can be both strong and sweet and not a complete alphahole. Orion was such a beautifully and thoughtfully built character that I was counting the pages to get to read his point of view again.
But aside Neira and Orion, I was so happy to see much more of the other characters as well. I’m already anxious to see Aramis and Riona in the third book, and I was definitely touched by Orpheus’s character and his overall storyline.
This is a character-driven book but the plot was thick too, taking us on a wild journey of many plot twists that brought even more sense and depth to the first book.
My advice is to read the two back to back so you can fully immerse yourself in this complex and beautifully broken world Lake created.
March 26, 2025
The writing is just immaculate, but I almost feel like this book was to devastating.
This book was ok it had its moments and those moments were always when it was Neiras or Orions pov. I started skimming all the other povs because I got so bored of them. There was a few good parts like Orpheus and his kinda side couple but everything else was just filler.
But freaking Orion was everything and more but he was just so depressed all the time because of the situation with Neira. His issue was that he loved Neira too much 🤪 Mans literally sold his soul for Neira 😭ughhh
Neira was such a badass tho like that one time she stabbed Orion and when she made the deal with the underworld guy🙂↔️ I love when the main character gets scary and makes everyone fear them. All I have to say is that if Orion and Neira don’t get a happy ending by book three I will be very upset.
I will be looking back on all my updates because these quotes are just to much for me 🫶
This book was ok it had its moments and those moments were always when it was Neiras or Orions pov. I started skimming all the other povs because I got so bored of them. There was a few good parts like Orpheus and his kinda side couple but everything else was just filler.
But freaking Orion was everything and more but he was just so depressed all the time because of the situation with Neira. His issue was that he loved Neira too much 🤪 Mans literally sold his soul for Neira 😭ughhh
Neira was such a badass tho like that one time she stabbed Orion and when she made the deal with the underworld guy🙂↔️ I love when the main character gets scary and makes everyone fear them. All I have to say is that if Orion and Neira don’t get a happy ending by book three I will be very upset.
I will be looking back on all my updates because these quotes are just to much for me 🫶
December 3, 2024
"Watching them all from across the room, I felt like I’d walked in the middle of a very complicated play. I had no idea what was going on, and it was giving me a headache."
Yep yep yep. Iris Lake has such a lovely writing style but this book needed some help. With way too many strings, way too many POVs, and way too many characters (whose names and voices are too similar) I spent my time untangling the story rather than enjoying it. And, frankly, I'm not sure I was even able to untangle it enough to tell you what I just read.
This is the type of book that could really benefit from a "previously on..." intro or at least a cast of characters page. And it certainly needed another pass or two from the editor.
I wish I enjoyed this as much as I have her other work, but unfortunately I was just counting down pages by the end.
Yep yep yep. Iris Lake has such a lovely writing style but this book needed some help. With way too many strings, way too many POVs, and way too many characters (whose names and voices are too similar) I spent my time untangling the story rather than enjoying it. And, frankly, I'm not sure I was even able to untangle it enough to tell you what I just read.
This is the type of book that could really benefit from a "previously on..." intro or at least a cast of characters page. And it certainly needed another pass or two from the editor.
I wish I enjoyed this as much as I have her other work, but unfortunately I was just counting down pages by the end.
August 20, 2024
While the angst in the first book had foundation, the inability of the two main characters to communicate in book 2 annoyed me. Did we really need the drama to last half the book when it could have been resolved in one conversation?
The cast of characters and their POVs grew and I kinda didn't care for any of them. I know the author wanted to make them morally grey but then they all turned out kinda same-y. At one point they're remorseful and then the next they are a-holes, rinse & repeat, been there done that in book 1 already. Even if they use different words (so tired of zephyr's "darling" and Orion's "my girl" btw. It's ok to use those sparingly but not litter the characters speech with those) they kinda blend together.
The cast of characters and their POVs grew and I kinda didn't care for any of them. I know the author wanted to make them morally grey but then they all turned out kinda same-y. At one point they're remorseful and then the next they are a-holes, rinse & repeat, been there done that in book 1 already. Even if they use different words (so tired of zephyr's "darling" and Orion's "my girl" btw. It's ok to use those sparingly but not litter the characters speech with those) they kinda blend together.
January 24, 2025
3.2 stars
Lost some starts for making it a trilogy. Why can’t authors just end things? Ahhh money, the root of all evil author trilogies, I suppose? Well……let’s review then. Um, can I call it a little Romeo and Juliet with the soulmate thing. Honestly, 1000 lives left in bitter endings….gah. I’d rather be single. Is it really better to have love and loss….not in this saga. We are truly wrapped up in a million sad love stories, are we not? Can I get one happy couple that doesn’t have a martyr syndrome. Guess not. Welp, will I continue reading? Guess it depends on how long before I forget this story waiting on the ether.
Lost some starts for making it a trilogy. Why can’t authors just end things? Ahhh money, the root of all evil author trilogies, I suppose? Well……let’s review then. Um, can I call it a little Romeo and Juliet with the soulmate thing. Honestly, 1000 lives left in bitter endings….gah. I’d rather be single. Is it really better to have love and loss….not in this saga. We are truly wrapped up in a million sad love stories, are we not? Can I get one happy couple that doesn’t have a martyr syndrome. Guess not. Welp, will I continue reading? Guess it depends on how long before I forget this story waiting on the ether.
January 31, 2025
Iris Lake is a fantastic author. Her riding style is unique. In the beginning of book one I had trouble understanding what she meant with her wording but once you get used to it, it completely captivates you.
I took a long reading break halfway through the book, so it was hard for me to get back into the story and knowing who's who. But even with the situation I put myself in, I think this book is just as good as the first one. I was definitely not disappointed and highly recommend everyone reading book one and two.
I can't wait for A fate so cruel to be published and to find out how Neira's story continues.
I took a long reading break halfway through the book, so it was hard for me to get back into the story and knowing who's who. But even with the situation I put myself in, I think this book is just as good as the first one. I was definitely not disappointed and highly recommend everyone reading book one and two.
I can't wait for A fate so cruel to be published and to find out how Neira's story continues.
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