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The Cursed Crown #2
The Lure of Their Graves: Book Two of The Cursed Crown series
In the heart-wrenching sequel to The Sins on Their Bones, The Lure of Their Graves forces Dimitri and Vasily to confront old ghosts and a new political enemies-turned-suitors, all coveting Dimitri’s throne and his hand in marriage.
Dimitri Abramovich may have won back the throne of Novo-Svitsevo, but even after defeating his former husband, the usurper Alexey Balakin, he seems no closer to securing lasting peace for his people. Enemies are closing in on all sides, and pressure is mounting for Dimitri to play the one card he has left in a bid for stability—offering his hand in marriage for a second time.
But Dimitri is still healing from the tragedies of the war, his return to the throne, and Alexey's years of torment. Vasily Sokolov is the only person with whom he feels safe, and giving up the comfort of their budding relationship feels unfathomable, even if it's the only way to sever the alliances being formed among the countries surrounding Novo-Svitsevo. So as Dimitri and Vasily reckon with political treachery, the lasting consequences of Dimitri's resurrection, and the sinister legacy of Alexey’s use of the Holy Science, they must also work to understand what it means to love each other even as they prepare to let each other go—which might prove the most difficult of all.
Dimitri Abramovich may have won back the throne of Novo-Svitsevo, but even after defeating his former husband, the usurper Alexey Balakin, he seems no closer to securing lasting peace for his people. Enemies are closing in on all sides, and pressure is mounting for Dimitri to play the one card he has left in a bid for stability—offering his hand in marriage for a second time.
But Dimitri is still healing from the tragedies of the war, his return to the throne, and Alexey's years of torment. Vasily Sokolov is the only person with whom he feels safe, and giving up the comfort of their budding relationship feels unfathomable, even if it's the only way to sever the alliances being formed among the countries surrounding Novo-Svitsevo. So as Dimitri and Vasily reckon with political treachery, the lasting consequences of Dimitri's resurrection, and the sinister legacy of Alexey’s use of the Holy Science, they must also work to understand what it means to love each other even as they prepare to let each other go—which might prove the most difficult of all.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2024
19 people are currently reading
4412 people want to read
About the author
Laura R. Samotin
5 books180 followersLAURA R. SAMOTIN and her spouse live with two enormously large felines. When she’s not pursuing her academic research on military tactics, power politics, and leadership, she relishes her role as a full-time cat servant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
April 12, 2025
There was a moment while reading this book when I was so distressed—so unbearably miserable—that I had to put it down for a while, out of fear that if things got any worse, I would vomit. That was a real, genuine fear of mine—and the first time I've ever had that kind of reaction to a book.
This is a compliment.
The Sins on Their Bones was undeniably one of my favorite reads from 2024. I've spent the time since finishing it (exactly one year and one week ago, actually) desperately waiting to get my greedy, grubby little hands on this book. The Lure of Their Graves was a distant promise—something to look forward to, something small and exciting on the horizon.
Now that I’ve finished and reached the conclusion of this story, I can happily declare that it was well worth the wait. I’m glad I didn’t have to wait any longer, obviously—but that, too, would have been worth it.
I’ve seen the polarizing response to The Sins on Their Bones. While my love for that book is infinite, I understand and appreciate where the story and structure might fall flat for others. But for those who enjoyed it? This is beautiful. It is more of the same, only improved upon. The Lure of Their Graves is a stunning conclusion—a brilliant end for both the story and the characters within it.
Laura R. Samotin continues to impress me with their writing. She crafts a dark and brooding world, teeming with loss and the unbreakable light of a distant, nearly unattainable hope.
This book is beautiful. That cannot be stressed enough. It is magnificent and sweet and sorrowful and every magic thing I hope for when I pick up something new to read. I can’t recall ever feeling so beaten down, so brought to anguish by a story and yet still excited to turn each page. It hurts. God, The Lure of Their Graves fucking hurts—but by the end, my wounds felt kissed and lovingly mended.
This is a compliment.
The Sins on Their Bones was undeniably one of my favorite reads from 2024. I've spent the time since finishing it (exactly one year and one week ago, actually) desperately waiting to get my greedy, grubby little hands on this book. The Lure of Their Graves was a distant promise—something to look forward to, something small and exciting on the horizon.
Now that I’ve finished and reached the conclusion of this story, I can happily declare that it was well worth the wait. I’m glad I didn’t have to wait any longer, obviously—but that, too, would have been worth it.
I’ve seen the polarizing response to The Sins on Their Bones. While my love for that book is infinite, I understand and appreciate where the story and structure might fall flat for others. But for those who enjoyed it? This is beautiful. It is more of the same, only improved upon. The Lure of Their Graves is a stunning conclusion—a brilliant end for both the story and the characters within it.
Laura R. Samotin continues to impress me with their writing. She crafts a dark and brooding world, teeming with loss and the unbreakable light of a distant, nearly unattainable hope.
This book is beautiful. That cannot be stressed enough. It is magnificent and sweet and sorrowful and every magic thing I hope for when I pick up something new to read. I can’t recall ever feeling so beaten down, so brought to anguish by a story and yet still excited to turn each page. It hurts. God, The Lure of Their Graves fucking hurts—but by the end, my wounds felt kissed and lovingly mended.
July 3, 2025
my heart hurts
December 3, 2025
I need this book like I need air.
Update:
The goods have been acquired. Cue maniacal laughter.
Update:
The goods have been acquired. Cue maniacal laughter.
June 3, 2025
OMG. THIS BOOK.
Laura broke my heart and put it back together again and I absolutely LOVE her writing and her storytelling. This is dark, angsty, painful, but also has such quiet and impactful moments of humor and camaraderie between everyone.
This one picks up several months after the first book ends - definitely read this duology in order. There is a lot that Dimitri, Vasily, and their inner circle must navigate now, and unfortunately, being the tzar of the kingdom, that does include political matchmaking. I gotta say, I absolutely loved the new characters that were introduced in here. Give me more of Yullyan, Laura!!! I loved them.
I'm a huge lover of found family, and I absolutely love these characters and the unwavering support and love they have for each other. I love the inclusion and demi rep (although not outright stated it's clearly defined as such) and I just...UGHHHHH I LOVE THIS BOOK.
This book is heavy. It's angsty. It's pain. It's brutal. And it's beautiful, hopeful, and the writing is just so perfect. And the ending!! I don't think I can ask for anything more. This was my most anticipated release of the year and it did not disappoint. I cannot wait for more from Laura because this duology just gets ALL the stars for me!
I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Laura broke my heart and put it back together again and I absolutely LOVE her writing and her storytelling. This is dark, angsty, painful, but also has such quiet and impactful moments of humor and camaraderie between everyone.
This one picks up several months after the first book ends - definitely read this duology in order. There is a lot that Dimitri, Vasily, and their inner circle must navigate now, and unfortunately, being the tzar of the kingdom, that does include political matchmaking. I gotta say, I absolutely loved the new characters that were introduced in here. Give me more of Yullyan, Laura!!! I loved them.
I'm a huge lover of found family, and I absolutely love these characters and the unwavering support and love they have for each other. I love the inclusion and demi rep (although not outright stated it's clearly defined as such) and I just...UGHHHHH I LOVE THIS BOOK.
This book is heavy. It's angsty. It's pain. It's brutal. And it's beautiful, hopeful, and the writing is just so perfect. And the ending!! I don't think I can ask for anything more. This was my most anticipated release of the year and it did not disappoint. I cannot wait for more from Laura because this duology just gets ALL the stars for me!
I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2025
Be so for real right now. I hope Aziza, Yullyan, and Lukas all get married to each other and then invade :)
I keep trying, and I keep being disappointed. My main issue continued to be Dimitri. I couldn't stand being in his head. Putting that aside, this book was useless, and The Sins on Their Bones (TSoTB) could easily he a standalone if you ignore the last chapter. Alexey is utterly uninvolved with the main plot until the last 25% and is defeated easily in like 10 pages, with no impact on anything, because Dimitri is mad. He could've died in TSoTB and the plot would've barely been affected. I quite liked Yullyan, Aziza, and Lukas, but their.... affection for Dimitri, coming from a certified hater, was completely non-sensical, especially considering their prior stated motives. We get it, everyone's the hottest hottie to ever hot, and this is a world afflicted with horny beast, but is that really enough to stop a war? You know, if I found out the enemy I wanted to declare war on was even more easily exploitable than thought before, I'd probably exploit that. Nothing felt resolved, and it does come in part from the fact that if Dimitri wasn't so self-hatey, he'd have no character. Also, get this man off the throne! Democracy! Communism! Anything but sad boy-toy monarchy.
I'm sure my mom could remind me of more things I ranted about...
I keep trying, and I keep being disappointed. My main issue continued to be Dimitri. I couldn't stand being in his head. Putting that aside, this book was useless, and The Sins on Their Bones (TSoTB) could easily he a standalone if you ignore the last chapter. Alexey is utterly uninvolved with the main plot until the last 25% and is defeated easily in like 10 pages, with no impact on anything, because Dimitri is mad. He could've died in TSoTB and the plot would've barely been affected. I quite liked Yullyan, Aziza, and Lukas, but their.... affection for Dimitri, coming from a certified hater, was completely non-sensical, especially considering their prior stated motives. We get it, everyone's the hottest hottie to ever hot, and this is a world afflicted with horny beast, but is that really enough to stop a war? You know, if I found out the enemy I wanted to declare war on was even more easily exploitable than thought before, I'd probably exploit that. Nothing felt resolved, and it does come in part from the fact that if Dimitri wasn't so self-hatey, he'd have no character. Also, get this man off the throne! Democracy! Communism! Anything but sad boy-toy monarchy.
I'm sure my mom could remind me of more things I ranted about...
July 1, 2025
Aziza should have declared war on them all, conquered the land and crowned herself Tzarina, actually
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2025
4.5
There are many reasons I love this duology, one of the main ones being that it takes place in a world that's fully Jewish. I also love LGBTQ+ representation. The story is so beautiful, and Dimitri and Vasily have my whole heart. This conclusion was both heartbreaking and stunning, and I couldn't believe it was over. I love the found family vibes, along with the role that each of the characters plays in the kingdom. I did think it took a little bit to get into the story, but watching the two MMCs grow together was lovely. I was also on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen with Alexey and that part of the story. I was pretty satisfied with the ending, and I think Laura wrapped up the story so well. These books are so good, and I'm so excited to see Jewish representation in fantasy books. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC to read and review!
There are many reasons I love this duology, one of the main ones being that it takes place in a world that's fully Jewish. I also love LGBTQ+ representation. The story is so beautiful, and Dimitri and Vasily have my whole heart. This conclusion was both heartbreaking and stunning, and I couldn't believe it was over. I love the found family vibes, along with the role that each of the characters plays in the kingdom. I did think it took a little bit to get into the story, but watching the two MMCs grow together was lovely. I was also on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen with Alexey and that part of the story. I was pretty satisfied with the ending, and I think Laura wrapped up the story so well. These books are so good, and I'm so excited to see Jewish representation in fantasy books. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC to read and review!
June 29, 2025
Thank you to Random House Canada and MTMC for the finished review copy!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨
Minor spoilers ahead.
The sequel to The Sins on Our Bones introduces conflict between Dimitri and Vasily as three suitors vye for the Tsar's hand in marriage. The stability of the country hangs in the balance, and a demonic threat looms its head.
This is a tough one to rate and review because there are a few things that bothered me despite my overall impression of the book being enjoyable. It's one of those stories I'll remember fondly but probably wouldn't re-read.
I think one of my main issues was that death didn't really feel like it meant much in this book, there were so many characters dying all over the place then coming back that it just lost its impact. Similarly, Alexey's end didn't feel like it was the huge climax it should have been (I hope they burned the body this time...). The two stories didn't reslly mesh for me and I think it would've been better focusing on the marriage issue and maybe war with another country.
I did really enjoy the addition of Nina who brought some sass and more explanation of the rituals and demons that was sorely needed. In fact, I did like the new characters that were introduced and how they all brought something different to the table so that Dimitri was really torn between them. We also get a reappearance of someone from book one which was totally unexpected and had me reeling!
Dimitri's and Vasily's relationship was still the highlight for me. I do love a tragedy and there is a lot of hurt in this book but also beautiful moments between them that showcase how deeply in love they are with one another. Their soul bond and ability to communicate in dreams is beautiful and I'm just glad they got their happy ending.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨
Minor spoilers ahead.
The sequel to The Sins on Our Bones introduces conflict between Dimitri and Vasily as three suitors vye for the Tsar's hand in marriage. The stability of the country hangs in the balance, and a demonic threat looms its head.
This is a tough one to rate and review because there are a few things that bothered me despite my overall impression of the book being enjoyable. It's one of those stories I'll remember fondly but probably wouldn't re-read.
I think one of my main issues was that death didn't really feel like it meant much in this book, there were so many characters dying all over the place then coming back that it just lost its impact. Similarly, Alexey's end didn't feel like it was the huge climax it should have been (I hope they burned the body this time...). The two stories didn't reslly mesh for me and I think it would've been better focusing on the marriage issue and maybe war with another country.
I did really enjoy the addition of Nina who brought some sass and more explanation of the rituals and demons that was sorely needed. In fact, I did like the new characters that were introduced and how they all brought something different to the table so that Dimitri was really torn between them. We also get a reappearance of someone from book one which was totally unexpected and had me reeling!
Dimitri's and Vasily's relationship was still the highlight for me. I do love a tragedy and there is a lot of hurt in this book but also beautiful moments between them that showcase how deeply in love they are with one another. Their soul bond and ability to communicate in dreams is beautiful and I'm just glad they got their happy ending.
June 21, 2025
The first book in this duology was one of my favorite books of 2024 and sadly I must say this didn’t hit. Book one had this stunning grim atmosphere and that felt entirely absent in this book. I’m constantly thinking of that scene where Dimitri has the name of god carved into his bone by an angel, it’s so gorey and perfect. I think the greatest misstep was having Alexey be the big bad villain of this book. It made everything feel like a less compelling retread of book one. Book one has such good tension running between the different POVs, while in this book Alexey’s POV felt like the evil villain plotting in an 80’s cartoon. Just pointless evil gloating.
Theoretically I think a sequel could have worked if we got rid of Alexey and the plot instead focused on Dimitri’s PTSD and possibly had like an uprising of the people plot. There were seeds planted about the still existing Holy Science practitioners and I would have loved a plot about them turning against Dimitri. I have to wonder if this was initially intended as a duology because book one ends in a really perfect way. The ominous ending of Alexey still being alive works so well as a conclusion to book one but him sticking around just feels pointless.
Overall this was a bit of a bummer, hopefully it’s just a bit of sophomore slump. If you’re planning to pick up book two I would say it’s not painful because Laura is a good writer but it’s not gonna bring anything new and you should just enjoy the high of book one.
Theoretically I think a sequel could have worked if we got rid of Alexey and the plot instead focused on Dimitri’s PTSD and possibly had like an uprising of the people plot. There were seeds planted about the still existing Holy Science practitioners and I would have loved a plot about them turning against Dimitri. I have to wonder if this was initially intended as a duology because book one ends in a really perfect way. The ominous ending of Alexey still being alive works so well as a conclusion to book one but him sticking around just feels pointless.
Overall this was a bit of a bummer, hopefully it’s just a bit of sophomore slump. If you’re planning to pick up book two I would say it’s not painful because Laura is a good writer but it’s not gonna bring anything new and you should just enjoy the high of book one.
August 6, 2025
Tragic and tender and crackling with magic, The Lure of Their Graves is a stellar conclusion to an exceptional duology. As Dimitri and Vasily are torn between duty and desire, Samotin reminds us that that cruelty has lasting consequences–and that love may be the only thing that can save us. Readers will leave Novo-Svitsevo enchanted.
June 23, 2025
My thoughts on this sequel can be summed up like this: there was too much relationship drama (to the detriment of plot, world and meaningful character development) and, somehow, not enough Alexey.
June 9, 2025
This sequel, OH MY HEART. I didn’t realize how much I missed these characters until I was back with them. No one writes a tragic man quite like Laura Samotin. Once again, she proves her ability to craft psychologically complex characters and deliver an emotional impact that shreds your heart.
While the first book focuses on grief, trauma, and the journey of rebuilding oneself and finding fulfillment, this installment dives deep into the ever-heart-wrenching theme of choosing between love and duty. At the same time, the book continues to deliver everything that made the first part so powerful – the rich inspiration from Jewish and Eastern European folklore, the dark, almost gothic atmosphere, the found family trope, and beautifully done LGBTQ representation.
I have zero complaints about this novel. I adore the series and will recommend it to anyone as one of my all time favorites.
While the first book focuses on grief, trauma, and the journey of rebuilding oneself and finding fulfillment, this installment dives deep into the ever-heart-wrenching theme of choosing between love and duty. At the same time, the book continues to deliver everything that made the first part so powerful – the rich inspiration from Jewish and Eastern European folklore, the dark, almost gothic atmosphere, the found family trope, and beautifully done LGBTQ representation.
I have zero complaints about this novel. I adore the series and will recommend it to anyone as one of my all time favorites.
June 16, 2025
Intense, imaginative, and thrilling!
The Lure of Their Graves is an angsty, gripping tale that takes us back to Novo-Svitsevo and into the life of Dimitri Abramovich who, after believing his vicious ex-husband is finally dead, struggles to come to grips with the loss of a man he loved but also despised, the expectations of his country versus the desires of his heart, and the resurrection of a man driven by evil and consumed with power and control.
The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are multilayered, fearless, and dependable. And the plot is a sinister, passionate tale full of twists, turns, anxiety, loyalty, duty, heartbreak, grief, guilt, danger, family, trauma, demonic violence, and enduring love.
Overall, The Lure of Their Graves is a suspenseful, heart-wrenching, satisfying conclusion to The Cursed Crown duology by Samotin that gave the characters I couldn’t help but root for the heartwarming, happy-ever-after ending I really hoped they get.
The Lure of Their Graves is an angsty, gripping tale that takes us back to Novo-Svitsevo and into the life of Dimitri Abramovich who, after believing his vicious ex-husband is finally dead, struggles to come to grips with the loss of a man he loved but also despised, the expectations of his country versus the desires of his heart, and the resurrection of a man driven by evil and consumed with power and control.
The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are multilayered, fearless, and dependable. And the plot is a sinister, passionate tale full of twists, turns, anxiety, loyalty, duty, heartbreak, grief, guilt, danger, family, trauma, demonic violence, and enduring love.
Overall, The Lure of Their Graves is a suspenseful, heart-wrenching, satisfying conclusion to The Cursed Crown duology by Samotin that gave the characters I couldn’t help but root for the heartwarming, happy-ever-after ending I really hoped they get.
June 7, 2025
2 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.
Dimitri Abramovich may have won back the throne of Novo-Svitsevo, but even after defeating his former husband, the usurper Alexey Balakin, he seems no closer to securing lasting peace for his people. Enemies are closing in on all sides, and pressure is mounting for Dimitri to play the one card he has left in a bid for stability—offering his hand in marriage for a second time. But Dimitri is still healing from the tragedies of the war, his return to the throne, and Alexey's years of torment. Vasily Sokolov is the only person with whom he feels safe, and giving up the comfort of their budding relationship feels unfathomable, even if it's the only way to sever the alliances being formed among the countries surrounding Novo-Svitsevo.
I'm DNFing after about 30% because I just can't get over how slowly this book is moving. I'll try it again when I don't have other pressing book reviews waiting on me. I get that this was about abuse and coming back from horrific instances of it, but not once did I feel like Dimitri had a grasp on himself enough to come back even the slightest. There is no blueprint for how abuse recovery goes, so I'm not going to fault that characterization. But god. He's supposed to be the hero and the one we're rooting for and I just couldn't find it in me to do so.
Also, I get that it's a story of recovery and learning to love afterwards, but using erotic art in promo for this book feels kinda icky.
Dimitri Abramovich may have won back the throne of Novo-Svitsevo, but even after defeating his former husband, the usurper Alexey Balakin, he seems no closer to securing lasting peace for his people. Enemies are closing in on all sides, and pressure is mounting for Dimitri to play the one card he has left in a bid for stability—offering his hand in marriage for a second time. But Dimitri is still healing from the tragedies of the war, his return to the throne, and Alexey's years of torment. Vasily Sokolov is the only person with whom he feels safe, and giving up the comfort of their budding relationship feels unfathomable, even if it's the only way to sever the alliances being formed among the countries surrounding Novo-Svitsevo.
I'm DNFing after about 30% because I just can't get over how slowly this book is moving. I'll try it again when I don't have other pressing book reviews waiting on me. I get that this was about abuse and coming back from horrific instances of it, but not once did I feel like Dimitri had a grasp on himself enough to come back even the slightest. There is no blueprint for how abuse recovery goes, so I'm not going to fault that characterization. But god. He's supposed to be the hero and the one we're rooting for and I just couldn't find it in me to do so.
Also, I get that it's a story of recovery and learning to love afterwards, but using erotic art in promo for this book feels kinda icky.
June 14, 2025
DNF'd at 49%, which KILLS me.
I wanted to like this. I really, really did. The first novel of this series RUINED me. It was a novel that, when I finished, I immediately went back to page 1 for a re-read. It was stark and ugly and the TENSION...UGH! The TENSION made it impossible to put the book down. I genuinely dreaded what was going to happen to the protagonists; (). I loved the ending, and when I learned there would be a sequel, I got so excited.
And the sequel? Almost nothing like the first book.
The first quarter is spent re-hashing the same superficial relationship drama of "Dmitri is forced to marry someone other than his true love, and they're both heartbroken and ravished by anticipatory grief over it." The pacing was horrible and I'm not even sure if the premise makes sense, because the logical solution to me--if I were in Dmitri's or Vasily's position--would be to find another way to strengthen Novo-Svitsevo's position in the region. The fact that there was never any mention that anyone had tried to find a different solution--the fact that at no point do we see Dmitri or his court brainstorming other options--felt unnatural. It made the plot feel very contrived, a "this is where the author needs the plot to go, so the author is going to force it in that direction." Dmitri's obligation to marry a politically advantageous person was treated as immutable fact without ever really laying out the groundwork for why The threat of the other nations was explained, but it was an abstract threat, and it never felt truly dire (unlike the threat of Alexey in the first novel). The only stakes are "other countries are making alliances of their own and they might seek to overthrow Novo-Svitsevo after they do."
(In the first novel, the fate of Novo-Svitsevo was one of the most visceral conflicts of the novel. I was genuinely worried about the fate of this country. In this novel, those stakes were absent.)
The other aspect that made these pages wearying was how Dmitri's court was written. The three supporting characters are extremely interesting people, and yet we never see any aspect of their personalities or emotions or lives outside of Dmitri's own drama. Based on the pages, their entire existences are meant solely to advance the Vasily/Dmitri drama. If there were a Bechdel test variation in which we look for instances in which Ladushka, Mischa, and Annika talk about anything other than Dmitri/Vasily, this book would fail it. These three characters weren't super fleshed out in the first book, but the central conflict there--returning to their home and wresting the country away from Alexey--involved all of them. They all had a vested personal interest in that conflict. Now that they can go about their own lives, I would have loved to see who they were outside the sphere of Dmitri/Vasily drama.
Also, the conflicts in general stayed superficial and never achieved that ragged, ugly complexity that we saw in the first book. The few times there was anything other than saccharine interactions between the characters, they quickly reconciled without any real lasting fall-out of emotional turmoil.
The love interests and the summit in general also felt two-dimensional and flat. The summit would have been an excellent chance for interesting world-building and tension, but the three potential love interests seemed to know exactly that they had come to the summit purely for a contrived Dating Game™. And no one else who came to the summit may as well have existed. It might as well have been just Dmitri, his court, and the three love interests for all we saw of the actual summit. Again, the entire concept felt two-dimensional and it didn't feel realistic. It made the main cast, which are men and women who are at the political top of their respective nations, feel like high schoolers. This was something that occasionally occurred in the first novel: Dmitri and his court felt so young and immature. But, at the time, it worked because it was for that very reason that Alexey ousted them and won the war. In this novel, I kept asking myself, "Would real, adults, who are heads-of-states, act like this?" Sure, romance for political gain is a good motivation, but there was no overt political machination beyond that that I could see, no threats to Dmitri or his country outside of the hypothetical concern over the countries around Dmitri's forming alliances. In addition, all three of the love interests seemed very "what you see is what you get." Lullyan, for instance, poured their heart out to Dmitri after knowing him for less than a day, and Lukas pretty much got to second base in that same time period.
(In fact, Dmitri's entire, "I'm going to spend one-on-one time with each of the marriage prospects to see what they're like" was painfully contrived. The fact that each of the three characters seemed to know what he was doing, and to respond as if they were, in fact, on a first date, was where I almost put the book down. Also, the fact that all three of them seemed to know what Dmitri was after, and that they were each other's competition--and not a single other person at the summit acted like them--felt extremely unnatural.)
Lastly, the Alexey plot also felt a bit unnatural. Alexey is smart (it's what made him such a wonderful and terrifying antagonist in Book 1), but to return to life and not immediately scope out the situation in Rav-Mikhailburg? He had loyalists still--it's who he to open the portal--so he could have learned that Dmitri had been resurrected and was the leader of the country super early on. Again, the fact that he didn't try to gather as much intelligence as he could felt very out of character for Alexey. Also, the fact that he could all of a sudden? Why didn't he do that in Book 1?
In short, I really, really wanted to devour this book. I tried to push through, more than I usually do with the books I DNF. But this one lagged and lacked the spark of the first novel, so I eventually put it down and found it very easy not to pick it back up.
I wanted to like this. I really, really did. The first novel of this series RUINED me. It was a novel that, when I finished, I immediately went back to page 1 for a re-read. It was stark and ugly and the TENSION...UGH! The TENSION made it impossible to put the book down. I genuinely dreaded what was going to happen to the protagonists; (). I loved the ending, and when I learned there would be a sequel, I got so excited.
And the sequel? Almost nothing like the first book.
The first quarter is spent re-hashing the same superficial relationship drama of "Dmitri is forced to marry someone other than his true love, and they're both heartbroken and ravished by anticipatory grief over it." The pacing was horrible and I'm not even sure if the premise makes sense, because the logical solution to me--if I were in Dmitri's or Vasily's position--would be to find another way to strengthen Novo-Svitsevo's position in the region. The fact that there was never any mention that anyone had tried to find a different solution--the fact that at no point do we see Dmitri or his court brainstorming other options--felt unnatural. It made the plot feel very contrived, a "this is where the author needs the plot to go, so the author is going to force it in that direction." Dmitri's obligation to marry a politically advantageous person was treated as immutable fact without ever really laying out the groundwork for why The threat of the other nations was explained, but it was an abstract threat, and it never felt truly dire (unlike the threat of Alexey in the first novel). The only stakes are "other countries are making alliances of their own and they might seek to overthrow Novo-Svitsevo after they do."
(In the first novel, the fate of Novo-Svitsevo was one of the most visceral conflicts of the novel. I was genuinely worried about the fate of this country. In this novel, those stakes were absent.)
The other aspect that made these pages wearying was how Dmitri's court was written. The three supporting characters are extremely interesting people, and yet we never see any aspect of their personalities or emotions or lives outside of Dmitri's own drama. Based on the pages, their entire existences are meant solely to advance the Vasily/Dmitri drama. If there were a Bechdel test variation in which we look for instances in which Ladushka, Mischa, and Annika talk about anything other than Dmitri/Vasily, this book would fail it. These three characters weren't super fleshed out in the first book, but the central conflict there--returning to their home and wresting the country away from Alexey--involved all of them. They all had a vested personal interest in that conflict. Now that they can go about their own lives, I would have loved to see who they were outside the sphere of Dmitri/Vasily drama.
Also, the conflicts in general stayed superficial and never achieved that ragged, ugly complexity that we saw in the first book. The few times there was anything other than saccharine interactions between the characters, they quickly reconciled without any real lasting fall-out of emotional turmoil.
The love interests and the summit in general also felt two-dimensional and flat. The summit would have been an excellent chance for interesting world-building and tension, but the three potential love interests seemed to know exactly that they had come to the summit purely for a contrived Dating Game™. And no one else who came to the summit may as well have existed. It might as well have been just Dmitri, his court, and the three love interests for all we saw of the actual summit. Again, the entire concept felt two-dimensional and it didn't feel realistic. It made the main cast, which are men and women who are at the political top of their respective nations, feel like high schoolers. This was something that occasionally occurred in the first novel: Dmitri and his court felt so young and immature. But, at the time, it worked because it was for that very reason that Alexey ousted them and won the war. In this novel, I kept asking myself, "Would real, adults, who are heads-of-states, act like this?" Sure, romance for political gain is a good motivation, but there was no overt political machination beyond that that I could see, no threats to Dmitri or his country outside of the hypothetical concern over the countries around Dmitri's forming alliances. In addition, all three of the love interests seemed very "what you see is what you get." Lullyan, for instance, poured their heart out to Dmitri after knowing him for less than a day, and Lukas pretty much got to second base in that same time period.
(In fact, Dmitri's entire, "I'm going to spend one-on-one time with each of the marriage prospects to see what they're like" was painfully contrived. The fact that each of the three characters seemed to know what he was doing, and to respond as if they were, in fact, on a first date, was where I almost put the book down. Also, the fact that all three of them seemed to know what Dmitri was after, and that they were each other's competition--and not a single other person at the summit acted like them--felt extremely unnatural.)
Lastly, the Alexey plot also felt a bit unnatural. Alexey is smart (it's what made him such a wonderful and terrifying antagonist in Book 1), but to return to life and not immediately scope out the situation in Rav-Mikhailburg? He had loyalists still--it's who he to open the portal--so he could have learned that Dmitri had been resurrected and was the leader of the country super early on. Again, the fact that he didn't try to gather as much intelligence as he could felt very out of character for Alexey. Also, the fact that he could all of a sudden? Why didn't he do that in Book 1?
In short, I really, really wanted to devour this book. I tried to push through, more than I usually do with the books I DNF. But this one lagged and lacked the spark of the first novel, so I eventually put it down and found it very easy not to pick it back up.
November 21, 2024
I cried (formal blurb coming soon)
August 9, 2025
Spoilers ahead I'm sure..
The ending we deserved after that ride was NOT the ending we got.
We deserved :
Vasya laughing in Dimitri's face and saying "Sorry you fucked up your political career. You had your chance, missed it, and I've moved on." I think he and Ivan would have made a good match.
After all, Ivan had the better character arc. He didn't need a man to tell him his worth. He figured that out on his own, after going through the same thing Dimitri had gone through. And people heal in different ways. Nothing wrong with that, but Ivan had better messaging and in the end I liked him way more for it.
Instead we got :
Dimitri humiliating Annika while making a really poor political choice. Maybe I could have stomached that but he sure did a lot of waffling about and using his position as an excuse to hurt Vasya again and again. Also HOW DARE his friends ask him to be there for Dimitri on his wedding night after the way he ended things. What an inconsiderate ass, across the board. Vasya needed and new boyfriend and better friends.
In the end, it is just a series of choices that make me dislike Dimitri more and more. And then I disliked Vasya for taking him back.
The pacing was strange in this book.
The sex scenes are jarring and placed at odd times for what are usually all the wrong reasons.
The tone was off.
The dialogue was bad and emersion breaking.
His words to Alexey felt baseline and juvenile.
In the final stretch, they were making quips.
"Sorry to be a cockblock, but.." Vasily to Morozov.
Another one I highlighted..
"Fuck you!" - Alexey "You wish." - Dimitri in response, while grinning. Like this is some funtime rival he's finally challenging and not the bane of his existence and long time life ruiner/abuser.
It really pulled me out of the story. We spent two books leading up to this moment and that was what we got? Again, Ivan had the much better moment and dialogue in this. In the first book you could feel Dimitri's pain leeching off the pages and everything left unsaid that I hoped would be said in this.
Kinda respected Dimitri at the start for standing by his country. But then he didn't, so there's that.
I don't know what the introduction of the 3 marriage potentials really were in this, because they didn't serve any real purpose? We just spent a lot of time getting to know them for Dimitri to finally commit to what really didn't need to be a book two at all. Not in this way.
A political marriage where they both could discreetly see who they wanted made a much better solution to me, and it seemed as if there were two options for that. Dimitri took neither of those options and I was really confused when the author made us read about all of them and then deliberately NOT take that path. I didn't enjoy the ending after spending hundreds of pages wanting the MCs to end up together. The ending with Alexey fell so short I was speechless for a few moments (not long, as is evidence of this review.)
TLDR; how to go from an autobuy author to I don't know if I'll try another book by this author in the last 20% by stacking poor decisions (I could have lived with some of these decisions separately, but all of them one after the other. OOF I wanted off this ride.)
I loved book one. Book one should have been a standalone, and my main critique of book one was that it felt like a second book and I actually wanted more of it. I am sad this was the conclusion.
The ending we deserved after that ride was NOT the ending we got.
We deserved :
Vasya laughing in Dimitri's face and saying "Sorry you fucked up your political career. You had your chance, missed it, and I've moved on." I think he and Ivan would have made a good match.
After all, Ivan had the better character arc. He didn't need a man to tell him his worth. He figured that out on his own, after going through the same thing Dimitri had gone through. And people heal in different ways. Nothing wrong with that, but Ivan had better messaging and in the end I liked him way more for it.
Instead we got :
Dimitri humiliating Annika while making a really poor political choice. Maybe I could have stomached that but he sure did a lot of waffling about and using his position as an excuse to hurt Vasya again and again. Also HOW DARE his friends ask him to be there for Dimitri on his wedding night after the way he ended things. What an inconsiderate ass, across the board. Vasya needed and new boyfriend and better friends.
In the end, it is just a series of choices that make me dislike Dimitri more and more. And then I disliked Vasya for taking him back.
The pacing was strange in this book.
The sex scenes are jarring and placed at odd times for what are usually all the wrong reasons.
The tone was off.
The dialogue was bad and emersion breaking.
His words to Alexey felt baseline and juvenile.
In the final stretch, they were making quips.
"Sorry to be a cockblock, but.." Vasily to Morozov.
Another one I highlighted..
"Fuck you!" - Alexey "You wish." - Dimitri in response, while grinning. Like this is some funtime rival he's finally challenging and not the bane of his existence and long time life ruiner/abuser.
It really pulled me out of the story. We spent two books leading up to this moment and that was what we got? Again, Ivan had the much better moment and dialogue in this. In the first book you could feel Dimitri's pain leeching off the pages and everything left unsaid that I hoped would be said in this.
Kinda respected Dimitri at the start for standing by his country. But then he didn't, so there's that.
I don't know what the introduction of the 3 marriage potentials really were in this, because they didn't serve any real purpose? We just spent a lot of time getting to know them for Dimitri to finally commit to what really didn't need to be a book two at all. Not in this way.
A political marriage where they both could discreetly see who they wanted made a much better solution to me, and it seemed as if there were two options for that. Dimitri took neither of those options and I was really confused when the author made us read about all of them and then deliberately NOT take that path. I didn't enjoy the ending after spending hundreds of pages wanting the MCs to end up together. The ending with Alexey fell so short I was speechless for a few moments (not long, as is evidence of this review.)
TLDR; how to go from an autobuy author to I don't know if I'll try another book by this author in the last 20% by stacking poor decisions (I could have lived with some of these decisions separately, but all of them one after the other. OOF I wanted off this ride.)
I loved book one. Book one should have been a standalone, and my main critique of book one was that it felt like a second book and I actually wanted more of it. I am sad this was the conclusion.
June 15, 2025
I’ll try to keep this spoiler free as possible since this was the sequel to The Sins on Their Bones (which I can’t recommend enough). The Lure of Their Graves picks up shortly after Sins and throws some unexpected challenges for our main characters. Lure felt a lot more character driven than Sins was, but I was all for it, because I loved getting to better know the other members of Dima’s court. There was a bit more political maneuvering in this book as well and I loved seeing this world expanded. We meet four major characters, three of whom I was prepared to hate, because they were set to get between Vasya and Dima. But of course, Laura made me love them and I would be all for another book focused on their adventures.
For those who have already read Sins, go into Lure expecting to feel a rollercoaster of emotions with our fav characters being put through the wringer again, but for the suffering to ultimately pay off! Trust me guys, there are some epic moments in this book, both in terms of villains getting what is coming to them as well as some dramatic romantic gestures.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review
For those who have already read Sins, go into Lure expecting to feel a rollercoaster of emotions with our fav characters being put through the wringer again, but for the suffering to ultimately pay off! Trust me guys, there are some epic moments in this book, both in terms of villains getting what is coming to them as well as some dramatic romantic gestures.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review
June 1, 2025
5/28/2025
It is a week before D-Day, and boy, am I preparing. I made it no secret as to how I felt about the first entry in this series (tl;dr awfully paced, weird about abuse victims, and coddles Dimitri way too much), but to prove the hater in me right, I will forge on ahead with this book with my beloved besties by my side.
I've also made bingo cards because I have low expectations, so once I finish this book, I'll show you guys the card, and if any of them got bingo! yay!
See you guys on the other side.
EDIT: 5/31/2025
Laura blocked me on Instagram because I pointed out the hypocrisy of using erotic art of her abuser/victim couple to promote her book about a "sensitive portrayal of abuse thats pro victim." That tells me exactly the type of person she is.
Im officially one staring this review because I dont have high hopes for it. If this is what the author thinks is tasteful then im terrified of what's next.
It is a week before D-Day, and boy, am I preparing. I made it no secret as to how I felt about the first entry in this series (tl;dr awfully paced, weird about abuse victims, and coddles Dimitri way too much), but to prove the hater in me right, I will forge on ahead with this book with my beloved besties by my side.
I've also made bingo cards because I have low expectations, so once I finish this book, I'll show you guys the card, and if any of them got bingo! yay!
See you guys on the other side.
EDIT: 5/31/2025
Laura blocked me on Instagram because I pointed out the hypocrisy of using erotic art of her abuser/victim couple to promote her book about a "sensitive portrayal of abuse thats pro victim." That tells me exactly the type of person she is.
Im officially one staring this review because I dont have high hopes for it. If this is what the author thinks is tasteful then im terrified of what's next.
August 12, 2025
For those looking for action, adventure, and the like: this is not the sequel for you.*
For those looking for romance, heartache, and politics policing personal lives, this is the one for you.**
*There is some action, a few scenes that are very fast-paced page turners. But it’s certainly not the main focus.
**I don’t mean this as a slight. The writing is wonderful, the conversations and internal monologues are heart-wrenching, and the author really explains the word *love* better than I’ve seen in any other book.
Still very good overall, and personally enjoyed it better than the first.
For those looking for romance, heartache, and politics policing personal lives, this is the one for you.**
*There is some action, a few scenes that are very fast-paced page turners. But it’s certainly not the main focus.
**I don’t mean this as a slight. The writing is wonderful, the conversations and internal monologues are heart-wrenching, and the author really explains the word *love* better than I’ve seen in any other book.
Still very good overall, and personally enjoyed it better than the first.
May 29, 2025
Got an arc from the publisher!
Look, I love this series. It’s brutal and beautiful and so full of love. Yes it’s also about war and violence and abuse but it’s also about learning to be loved and love yourself and finding the people who care about you, and I adored this conclusion. The new characters added such a fun dynamic to the mix and it ended better than I could’ve thought possible, so if you can stomach the CWs I’m begging yall to read this duology
Look, I love this series. It’s brutal and beautiful and so full of love. Yes it’s also about war and violence and abuse but it’s also about learning to be loved and love yourself and finding the people who care about you, and I adored this conclusion. The new characters added such a fun dynamic to the mix and it ended better than I could’ve thought possible, so if you can stomach the CWs I’m begging yall to read this duology
August 20, 2025
2.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed the first book of this duology a lot, besides the shoe-in cliffhanger ending, and was looking forward to this sequel. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to the first one. The only reason I did not DNF this book is that I wanted to know what happened to the characters, and there wasn't a summary online that was available yet. I think I would have read that instead if it were available. The biggest flaw was that 50-60% of this book nothing happened. It was all angst back and forth between Dimitri and Vasily about how Dimitri might have to marry someone else. No other possibility was floated in their heads. It was just them not communicating their angst, which made the angst worse, and then sex. When the conflict finally happened, it seemed to be resolved a little too easily. Dimitri pissed me off because he was so useless. I understand he has been through a lot of trauma, but it felt like he did absolutely nothing but cry and be sad. I liked all the characters in the first book and wanted them to get their happy ending, but this book was a struggle to get through to see the glimpse of the brilliance of the first one.
July 11, 2025
What a wonderful end to such a beautiful story!! Found family, the overwhelming power of love and all its form. Such good messages and what a beautiful and rich queer love story!!! My heart is so full!!
June 5, 2025
I wasn't fully sure what to expect in a sequel to The Sins on Their Bones but this really hit the mark. It was an emotional rollercoaster for me, but I enjoyed the ride.
June 15, 2025
Oh wow. It starts off hurting, and it does not stop! I experienced every emotion possible, and loved every second of it. In depth review to come when I’ve collected my thoughts, but Laura R Samotin is now and forever will be an auto buy author!
July 6, 2025
Once again, I will follow Laura R. Samotin through hell and back. Any book with her name it - I will be buying and devouring. Thank yew.
October 4, 2025
4.5
Honestly reading this while not being able to remember anything from the first book made me like it more
Honestly reading this while not being able to remember anything from the first book made me like it more
June 14, 2025
I had first read the 1st book of this duology when it came out as an ALC so when this book first started, I felt I needed to go back and reread the first again to really refresh my memory and appreciate everything that happened in it. It was maybe not necessary but it made my enjoyment of the second 100% deeper to go directly from 1 to 2.
I found that this second book was similar in tone but where the first was darker and more high stakes this one was more emotionally fraught? Alexey was the main antagonist of the first book but this second book’s antagonist is more nebulous than “an evil they have to research and prepare to defeat”. The challenge here is that Dimitri has returned to his position as Tzar and after a period of time where they let him recover from the traumas of the previous book, he is going to need to face the reality that what he wants may not be the best thing for the country. Namely: his relationship with Vasily. It’s ironic that there is far more of a sense of hopelessness here in the second book after Dimitri has returned to his throne and things have more or less gone back to normal.
Vasily is my favorite character and I was not disappointed by how much of him we get here. Also the Emotions!!! This book hurts so good haha. I was very happy with where things went in the end, though I do feel like there was one climax that felt a little rushed and could have been a bit more fleshed out, and there are some side characters introduced that did not really meet their full potential but were more obviously used for plot points. I would have liked to see a little more of them to add some more depth to their characters. OVERALL though A+ this series is definitely one of my recent favorites, would definitely recommend for our collection.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the e-ARC to read and review!
I found that this second book was similar in tone but where the first was darker and more high stakes this one was more emotionally fraught? Alexey was the main antagonist of the first book but this second book’s antagonist is more nebulous than “an evil they have to research and prepare to defeat”. The challenge here is that Dimitri has returned to his position as Tzar and after a period of time where they let him recover from the traumas of the previous book, he is going to need to face the reality that what he wants may not be the best thing for the country. Namely: his relationship with Vasily. It’s ironic that there is far more of a sense of hopelessness here in the second book after Dimitri has returned to his throne and things have more or less gone back to normal.
Vasily is my favorite character and I was not disappointed by how much of him we get here. Also the Emotions!!! This book hurts so good haha. I was very happy with where things went in the end, though I do feel like there was one climax that felt a little rushed and could have been a bit more fleshed out, and there are some side characters introduced that did not really meet their full potential but were more obviously used for plot points. I would have liked to see a little more of them to add some more depth to their characters. OVERALL though A+ this series is definitely one of my recent favorites, would definitely recommend for our collection.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the e-ARC to read and review!
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