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Time of Iron #2
All Hail Chaos
All Hail Chaos is Sarah Rees Brennan’s wicked, unmissable sequel to Long Live Evil (“delicious, subversive” –Leigh Bardugo), one of the New York Times “Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2024.”
THE EMPEROR IS HERE. AND SHE MADE HIM WORSE.
Rae is a fantasy reader who’s been transported to her favorite fictional world of swords and sorcery, castles and monsters. Playing the villainess, she thought she could change the narrative, but this version of the plot is far more deadly than the one she knew.
Her friends are on the run: the Cobra shelters in an eerie manor haunted by dark secrets, while Emer and Lia stoke a revolution in the gutters. Undead armies roam the kingdom, raiders camp at the city gates, and the all-powerful Emperor – Rae’s favorite character ever, now possibly the greatest monster in the land – wants her to be his evil queen.
Romantic in fiction, complicated in reality. What’s a villainess to do? Time for wicked bargains and fake engagements, in a fantasy where the most dangerous thing you can do is believe in someone.
THE EMPEROR IS HERE. AND SHE MADE HIM WORSE.
Rae is a fantasy reader who’s been transported to her favorite fictional world of swords and sorcery, castles and monsters. Playing the villainess, she thought she could change the narrative, but this version of the plot is far more deadly than the one she knew.
Her friends are on the run: the Cobra shelters in an eerie manor haunted by dark secrets, while Emer and Lia stoke a revolution in the gutters. Undead armies roam the kingdom, raiders camp at the city gates, and the all-powerful Emperor – Rae’s favorite character ever, now possibly the greatest monster in the land – wants her to be his evil queen.
Romantic in fiction, complicated in reality. What’s a villainess to do? Time for wicked bargains and fake engagements, in a fantasy where the most dangerous thing you can do is believe in someone.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2026
About the author
Sarah Rees Brennan
74 books6,087 followersSarah Rees Brennan is Irish and currently lives in Dublin. She's been writing YA books for more than ten years, which is terrifying to contemplate! She hopes you (yes you!) find at least one of them to be the kind of book you remember.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
Currently Reading
June 17, 2025I told the author on instagram that her book made me cry and SHE LAUGHED
Want to Read
October 31, 2024me checking everyday for this sequel release date has paid off. Cannot wait WOOP
Want to Read
October 29, 2025October 28, 2025
FYI, release is now showing May 12, 2026 on retail sites…
Sept 9, 2025
Release date got pushed back to April 2026 😵
May 22, 2025
Not all of us waiting for September to come just to see the release date get pushed back to Feb 2026 😭
But hoping Sarah's surgery goes well and she makes a full recovery!
FYI, release is now showing May 12, 2026 on retail sites…
Sept 9, 2025
Release date got pushed back to April 2026 😵
May 22, 2025
Not all of us waiting for September to come just to see the release date get pushed back to Feb 2026 😭
But hoping Sarah's surgery goes well and she makes a full recovery!
Want to Read
March 21, 2025Gimme this book, I need to know what next for my wicked boy (it's Key, okey, he's my wicked, murderous boyfriend and I will fight everyone for him) 😭😭
Currently Reading
May 14, 2026~* currently reading *~
i'm rooting for the bad guy!!!! 📣 📣 📣 📣
i'm rooting for the bad guy!!!! 📣 📣 📣 📣
April 23, 2026
“I CAN FIX HIM!!” I scream as they take me out the back and shoot me.
this was delightfully wicked and deliciously chaotic. I love these characters so much through all their terrible decision-making and unhinged dysfunction.
we pick up with Rae following the events of the last book: she has accidentally brought about the rise of the Emperor a bit too soon in the story, and also she may have egregiously messed up his character development a bit (or a lot.) however she quickly hatches a new plan to fix the story. will she be successful? if the last book is anything to go by, probably not.
I love Rae in all of her scheming and plotting, despite how misguided some of her decisions might be. she’s learned from the lessons of the last book but at the same time still making similar mistakes. she still thinks she can use her knowledge of tropes to “gameify” the story, just this time with the intention of fixing it. she realised how much of a mistake she made last time in not seeing Key as a person, however this time around she’s still not really thinking of him as a person, just as a character that matters rather than one that doesn’t. BUT. I still adore her. characters who make an absolute shitty mess of things with the best of intentions >>>>
Key is as entertaining as ever, but even more unhinged and insane this time around. his yandere tendencies are on full display now and he’s quite terrifying with his newfound godlike powers, but at his core he’s still just as desperate to be loved and eager to please. to say that his and Rae’s relationship is complicated would be an understatement. however I am rooting for them despite it all!! please give them a happy ending sarah 😭
I also loved following the adventures of Marius and the Cobra. Marius is so desperate to serve it’s insane!! honestly this whole book is filled with characters whose love language is acts of service. sarah rees brennan clearly knows what’s up because it is the SEXIEST love language.
will be forever mad about that cliffhanger ending and the emotional devastation I have been left with.
thank you to netgalley for the arc!
this was delightfully wicked and deliciously chaotic. I love these characters so much through all their terrible decision-making and unhinged dysfunction.
we pick up with Rae following the events of the last book: she has accidentally brought about the rise of the Emperor a bit too soon in the story, and also she may have egregiously messed up his character development a bit (or a lot.) however she quickly hatches a new plan to fix the story. will she be successful? if the last book is anything to go by, probably not.
I love Rae in all of her scheming and plotting, despite how misguided some of her decisions might be. she’s learned from the lessons of the last book but at the same time still making similar mistakes. she still thinks she can use her knowledge of tropes to “gameify” the story, just this time with the intention of fixing it. she realised how much of a mistake she made last time in not seeing Key as a person, however this time around she’s still not really thinking of him as a person, just as a character that matters rather than one that doesn’t. BUT. I still adore her. characters who make an absolute shitty mess of things with the best of intentions >>>>
Key is as entertaining as ever, but even more unhinged and insane this time around. his yandere tendencies are on full display now and he’s quite terrifying with his newfound godlike powers, but at his core he’s still just as desperate to be loved and eager to please. to say that his and Rae’s relationship is complicated would be an understatement. however I am rooting for them despite it all!! please give them a happy ending sarah 😭
I also loved following the adventures of Marius and the Cobra. Marius is so desperate to serve it’s insane!! honestly this whole book is filled with characters whose love language is acts of service. sarah rees brennan clearly knows what’s up because it is the SEXIEST love language.
will be forever mad about that cliffhanger ending and the emotional devastation I have been left with.
thank you to netgalley for the arc!
Currently Reading
May 13, 2026almost done with this... and have come to the conclusion that I still need more portal fantasy 🙂↕️
____________
Thank you to Orbit Books for the ARC.
____________
Thank you to Orbit Books for the ARC.
May 13, 2026
All Hail Chaos
by Sarah Rees Brennan
Time of Iron #2
Fantasy
NetGalley Audio
Narrated by Moira Quirk/Shane East
Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Hachette Audio/Orbit
Ages: 18+
After being transported into a fictional world, Rae played the villainess character of the story, thinking she could change the book for the better, but it did the opposite, and now the 'fictional' friends she made are on the run from the new, powerful Emperor, who can control the dead, and wants her to be his evil queen.
To save her 'fictional' friends and herself, along with getting back to her world, Rae is going to have to stay by her betrothed's side until she can set things right, or make her escape.
As this is the second book of a series, I don't want to give too much away. The story was ok. There was a lot of what felt like circular rambling that didn't do anything to move the story along, so it was a very slow listen, one where I had to speed up the narrator because I wanted to get the book done. (Did take a break from this to listen and finish another book!)
Another thing that made this a slow and irritating read is the number of characters! There are too many!!! And that took away from the central idea: a girl transported into a book. I feel for the narrator, Moira Quirk, who did a good job, because she had to portray all of these characters, male and female, but the second narrator, Shane East, only had to do one, and I believe it was only one little segment, so I can't give a complete opinion on his talent. I get why it was thought to be a good idea, but pointless in my opinion. Should have had East do all the male and Quirk the female.
Even though it is a major cliff hanger and I'm curious what is going to happen, I don't know if I'll find out. It's started to get lame, repetitive, left the intended plot, and feels like it was written for a young audience, even though there's adult content and violence, some on the graphic side (mostly due to Rae changing the story).
2 Stars
by Sarah Rees Brennan
Time of Iron #2
Fantasy
NetGalley Audio
Narrated by Moira Quirk/Shane East
Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Hachette Audio/Orbit
Ages: 18+
After being transported into a fictional world, Rae played the villainess character of the story, thinking she could change the book for the better, but it did the opposite, and now the 'fictional' friends she made are on the run from the new, powerful Emperor, who can control the dead, and wants her to be his evil queen.
To save her 'fictional' friends and herself, along with getting back to her world, Rae is going to have to stay by her betrothed's side until she can set things right, or make her escape.
As this is the second book of a series, I don't want to give too much away. The story was ok. There was a lot of what felt like circular rambling that didn't do anything to move the story along, so it was a very slow listen, one where I had to speed up the narrator because I wanted to get the book done. (Did take a break from this to listen and finish another book!)
Another thing that made this a slow and irritating read is the number of characters! There are too many!!! And that took away from the central idea: a girl transported into a book. I feel for the narrator, Moira Quirk, who did a good job, because she had to portray all of these characters, male and female, but the second narrator, Shane East, only had to do one, and I believe it was only one little segment, so I can't give a complete opinion on his talent. I get why it was thought to be a good idea, but pointless in my opinion. Should have had East do all the male and Quirk the female.
Even though it is a major cliff hanger and I'm curious what is going to happen, I don't know if I'll find out. It's started to get lame, repetitive, left the intended plot, and feels like it was written for a young audience, even though there's adult content and violence, some on the graphic side (mostly due to Rae changing the story).
2 Stars
February 5, 2026
Huge thanks to Orbit for the advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!
If Long Live Evil (which I loved with my whole heart) was a campy, sparkling piece of costume jewelry, All Hail Chaos is a darkly glimmering black diamond. This picks up right where LLE left off, and Rae (and the reader) is deeply unsure how darling murderous puppy Key feels about her after she feigned nonchalance during his murder to save herself. This uncertainty — and the knowledge that her misunderstanding of the original novel led to this predicament — mean that Rae is on edge throughout the book, constantly trying to figure Key out and stay one step ahead of everyone else, and she can't exuberantly play with the story the way she did in LLE.
One thing that hasn’t changed is Rae’s metafictional awareness: heroines have demurely sized breasts, fake engagements lead to falling in love for real, readers will forgive all sorts of villainous deeds if committed by someone attractive. Sarah Rees Brennan is also clearly marvelously well-read, and sprinkles paraphrases of famous lines from classic literature — from Kerouac to Tennyson to Marvell — throughout the story. You’d have to have been an English major to catch all the references, but they (and Rae’s gimlet awareness of romantasy tropes) are delightful Easter eggs.
Our intrepid cast of secondary characters spend most of the novel away from all but their love interests: Emer and Lia are hiding in the Cauldron, the Golden Cobra and Lord Marius are off to the Valerius estate to save Marius' little sister, and Rae of course is at the Palace on the Edge with Key. The Cobra and Rae exchange letters, though, as they piece together how the original story has changed and figure out what does and does not work to as they try to fix it.
The romance that had me kicking my feet the most (to my surprise!) was Eric / Marius. We got just a hint at the end of LLE that Marius might have caught feelings, and those feelings have put down deep roots at this point. He doesn't yet seem to have admitted his feelings to himself, however, despite Eric doing his best to nudge him in that direction.
Lia… Lia I have thoughts about! Really intrigued to see where her character goes in Book 3.
Speaking of book 3… Sarah Rees Brennan has once again ended the book on a MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER (immediately following a pretty big unexpected reveal), and I am simply beside myself at how long I'll have to wait for it 😭
***
“Book boyfriends: you get older, they stay the same age. It gets awkward.”
“some readers defined “morally grey” as “a remorseless murderer who is good-looking”.
“It’s nice in a way, how books change. If the magic and illumination isn’t in the story any more, the magic and illumination was always in you. The story caught a reflection of you at the right time.”
“Treating everybody in the world as if they mattered would be disastrous for the economy.”
“Despite the horrors, people fell back into living their lives in the same old way. They wanted to talk about change but remain comfortable. Surely a true king or a just god would come soon, but tomorrow, not today. The enemy might be at the gates, but they surely wouldn’t get inside. No matter who sat the throne, surely those in charge had everything under control.”
“She loved the wolf-souled, who saw everything except for reason, who knew the only thing to do in a senseless world is start a howl of defiance echoing through the sky. The only ones for Rae were the wild ones, burning with a fire that would light up or burn down a world, but never go out.” (This is a paraphrase of Kerouac!)
“This type of heroine was never like the other girls. Ironically, this made them all very similar.”
“Heroines were always showing an anachronistic disregard for social class!”
“She held her brother’s sword as close as a childhood toy, and whispered, “I am half sick of waiting, Marius.” (Tennyson!)
“Mention of small breasts was perfectly acceptable and overlooked in books, while any character who happened to have a large chest was regarded as obtrusively pneumatic. Heroines didn’t get their tits out.”
“Half agony, half hope” (Austen!)
“That was the problem with a villain who would kill anybody, Rae thought with terrible clarity. You could pretend this was a video game, with every victim a faceless nonentity, but a villain who would kill anybody would eventually kill somebody you cared about. Someone brave and beloved, and that death would cast a light on all the other deaths and show their horror.”
“Listen, I wanted to make one thing clear. I know how fake engagements usually go, but please do not fall in love with me. I don’t mean that as a fun challenge. I have enough to deal with.”
“Had we but world enough and time” (Marvell!)
“I saw the red flags and I said red’s my favourite colour.”
“What a generous heart this woman had. Affection to spare for all the countless men to whom she was betrothed.”
If Long Live Evil (which I loved with my whole heart) was a campy, sparkling piece of costume jewelry, All Hail Chaos is a darkly glimmering black diamond. This picks up right where LLE left off, and Rae (and the reader) is deeply unsure how darling murderous puppy Key feels about her after she feigned nonchalance during his murder to save herself. This uncertainty — and the knowledge that her misunderstanding of the original novel led to this predicament — mean that Rae is on edge throughout the book, constantly trying to figure Key out and stay one step ahead of everyone else, and she can't exuberantly play with the story the way she did in LLE.
One thing that hasn’t changed is Rae’s metafictional awareness: heroines have demurely sized breasts, fake engagements lead to falling in love for real, readers will forgive all sorts of villainous deeds if committed by someone attractive. Sarah Rees Brennan is also clearly marvelously well-read, and sprinkles paraphrases of famous lines from classic literature — from Kerouac to Tennyson to Marvell — throughout the story. You’d have to have been an English major to catch all the references, but they (and Rae’s gimlet awareness of romantasy tropes) are delightful Easter eggs.
Our intrepid cast of secondary characters spend most of the novel away from all but their love interests: Emer and Lia are hiding in the Cauldron, the Golden Cobra and Lord Marius are off to the Valerius estate to save Marius' little sister, and Rae of course is at the Palace on the Edge with Key. The Cobra and Rae exchange letters, though, as they piece together how the original story has changed and figure out what does and does not work to as they try to fix it.
The romance that had me kicking my feet the most (to my surprise!) was Eric / Marius. We got just a hint at the end of LLE that Marius might have caught feelings, and those feelings have put down deep roots at this point. He doesn't yet seem to have admitted his feelings to himself, however, despite Eric doing his best to nudge him in that direction.
Lia… Lia I have thoughts about! Really intrigued to see where her character goes in Book 3.
Speaking of book 3… Sarah Rees Brennan has once again ended the book on a MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER (immediately following a pretty big unexpected reveal), and I am simply beside myself at how long I'll have to wait for it 😭
***
“Book boyfriends: you get older, they stay the same age. It gets awkward.”
“some readers defined “morally grey” as “a remorseless murderer who is good-looking”.
“It’s nice in a way, how books change. If the magic and illumination isn’t in the story any more, the magic and illumination was always in you. The story caught a reflection of you at the right time.”
“Treating everybody in the world as if they mattered would be disastrous for the economy.”
“Despite the horrors, people fell back into living their lives in the same old way. They wanted to talk about change but remain comfortable. Surely a true king or a just god would come soon, but tomorrow, not today. The enemy might be at the gates, but they surely wouldn’t get inside. No matter who sat the throne, surely those in charge had everything under control.”
“She loved the wolf-souled, who saw everything except for reason, who knew the only thing to do in a senseless world is start a howl of defiance echoing through the sky. The only ones for Rae were the wild ones, burning with a fire that would light up or burn down a world, but never go out.” (This is a paraphrase of Kerouac!)
“This type of heroine was never like the other girls. Ironically, this made them all very similar.”
“Heroines were always showing an anachronistic disregard for social class!”
“She held her brother’s sword as close as a childhood toy, and whispered, “I am half sick of waiting, Marius.” (Tennyson!)
“Mention of small breasts was perfectly acceptable and overlooked in books, while any character who happened to have a large chest was regarded as obtrusively pneumatic. Heroines didn’t get their tits out.”
“Half agony, half hope” (Austen!)
“That was the problem with a villain who would kill anybody, Rae thought with terrible clarity. You could pretend this was a video game, with every victim a faceless nonentity, but a villain who would kill anybody would eventually kill somebody you cared about. Someone brave and beloved, and that death would cast a light on all the other deaths and show their horror.”
“Listen, I wanted to make one thing clear. I know how fake engagements usually go, but please do not fall in love with me. I don’t mean that as a fun challenge. I have enough to deal with.”
“Had we but world enough and time” (Marvell!)
“I saw the red flags and I said red’s my favourite colour.”
“What a generous heart this woman had. Affection to spare for all the countless men to whom she was betrothed.”
Want to Read
October 31, 2024I AM READY. SEPTEMBER CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH!!
Currently Reading
January 1, 2025I crave this. Give me fresh villainy. Give me more sly references to Shakespeare, Taylor Swift and memes.
Want to Read
August 14, 2025i legit can’t stop staring at the cover and i NEED this NOWWWW
March 10, 2026
A four if I'm thinking with my head, a five if I'm thinking with my heart.
This definitely feels like a second book, in that it's laying a lot (a lot) of groundwork that will see its pay off in a future instalment. It felt a little like Rae lost track of her braincells for a second there, in order to rally them all in the final third. I'm not trying to critique her for being stupid or acting unideally, it more just felt the book had to keep her in a plateaued state for longer in order to achieve its plot goals. I missed the genre savviness of Book 1, but that's bc genre savviness is my favourite thing.
But the character work still shone through so hard. And.... the good news is that this must mean there's a third book. Goodreads doesn't know that yet, but I do 💕✨️
This definitely feels like a second book, in that it's laying a lot (a lot) of groundwork that will see its pay off in a future instalment. It felt a little like Rae lost track of her braincells for a second there, in order to rally them all in the final third. I'm not trying to critique her for being stupid or acting unideally, it more just felt the book had to keep her in a plateaued state for longer in order to achieve its plot goals. I missed the genre savviness of Book 1, but that's bc genre savviness is my favourite thing.
But the character work still shone through so hard. And.... the good news is that this must mean there's a third book. Goodreads doesn't know that yet, but I do 💕✨️
Want to Read
May 13, 2026My motivation to survive until September 2025 tbh
upd: now it’s February 2026?? Girl, I’m already tired of surviving
upd2: well, now the book comes out in May 2026, and I’m not sure I can keep holding up, but that’s fine, no rush
upd3: I can’t wait to finally read it!!! But work makes it impossible for the next two weeks 😭
upd: now it’s February 2026?? Girl, I’m already tired of surviving
upd2: well, now the book comes out in May 2026, and I’m not sure I can keep holding up, but that’s fine, no rush
upd3: I can’t wait to finally read it!!! But work makes it impossible for the next two weeks 😭
Want to Read
December 29, 2025I sort of love this cover.
April 23, 2026
I really wish this would’ve just been a duology. This book felt very much like a filler. The first half half was very drawn out and repetitive and the second one very convoluted. I still had fun, but honestly mostly cared about Eric and Marius. Still looking forward to the last book in this series.
Want to Read
December 10, 2024WAHHHH I'm waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 8, 2026
Yeah it had issues but idgaf, five outta five I love my vipers so bad.
Thank you, SRB, for another banger cast of characters. As usual they’re so loveable they basically sit beside you as you read, poking fun at themselves and laughing along. I hope book three is stuffed with deeply unserious reunions and a horde of disgusting, sickeningly happy endings.
Thank you, SRB, for another banger cast of characters. As usual they’re so loveable they basically sit beside you as you read, poking fun at themselves and laughing along. I hope book three is stuffed with deeply unserious reunions and a horde of disgusting, sickeningly happy endings.
May 6, 2026
After being transported into her favorite book series, Rae thought it would be easy to complete one task and reclaim her life in the real world before the cancer that's been ravaging her body for years finally kills her. Instead, Rae was alarmed to find that the characters she knew as fictional were painfully real people.
Now Rae has to deal with the catastrophic consequences of her own actions.
Rae's favorite character the Once and Future Emperor is here. But he's come into his power too early and he is far too angry--especially at Rae. As she keeps trying to fix him and get him the happy ending he deserves, Rae is forced to admit that she made him worse. Which makes things worse for everyone else in the kingdom.
Rae's friend The Golden Cobra is in hiding with Marius Valerius, the Last Hope. The Cobra hopes to change things for the tragic Valerius line. But all Marius wants is for someone else to take charge instead of forcing him to acknowledge uncomfortable feelings he can't even name. Emer and Lia hide in the poorest parts of the city but although they are together they have very different goals with Emer struggling to help their friends while Lia grasps at the power that keeps eluding her.
In a world where the dead walk and lies travel through the court faster than beasts can take to the skies, the truth is a very dangerous thing. Especially when telling the truth means revealing your heart in All Hail Chaos (2026) by Sarah Rees Brennan.
All Hail Chaos is the second book in Rees Brennan's Time of Iron trilogy, picking up moments after the dramatic conclusion of book one, Long Live Evil. The story shifts perspectives between the main players as they are scattered throughout the kingdom dealing with the aftermath of the emperor's return. Epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter once again highlight the differences between the narrative before Rae's arrival began to shape the story into something new.
Dismayed to find herself still within the pages of her favorite book, Rae observes "Great sequels took risks and got complicated. Great sequels did everything great first books did, backwards and in high heels. Great sequels upped the stakes, the tension and especially the body count." Which All Hail Chaos does admirably with a repeat of the Queen's Trials from book one but this time in a bloodier form all while the Emperor runs riot through a court that knows they need his power as much as they despise his presence.
With a cast bumbling through their interpersonal relationships with mixed results, All Hail Chaos continues to explore themes of agency and feminism within a fantasy framework. The story also asks, repeatedly, what it means when a reader is changed by a story and, given the magic system at play, what it means when those same readers try to change the story in turn. With sky high stakes and danger at every turn, Rae has her worked cut out for her as she tries to save her favorite character and herself. Rae continues to lean into her villainess persona even as she works heroically to get the narrative back on track reminding readers that even the blackest hearts can sometimes change with the right plot devices at play.
All Hail Chaos is everything a reader could want in a sequel. Come for the beloved characters, stay to see everything blow up in their faces and anxiously wait for the sequel. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: The Witch Who Trades With Death by CM Alongi, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, The Empress by Kristin Cast, Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson, Mistress of Lies by KM Enright, The Deathless One by Emma Hamm, Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz, The Half King by Melissa Landers, The Scarlet Throne by Amy Leow, Assitant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam, The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis, Starter Villain by John Scalzi, Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
Now Rae has to deal with the catastrophic consequences of her own actions.
Rae's favorite character the Once and Future Emperor is here. But he's come into his power too early and he is far too angry--especially at Rae. As she keeps trying to fix him and get him the happy ending he deserves, Rae is forced to admit that she made him worse. Which makes things worse for everyone else in the kingdom.
Rae's friend The Golden Cobra is in hiding with Marius Valerius, the Last Hope. The Cobra hopes to change things for the tragic Valerius line. But all Marius wants is for someone else to take charge instead of forcing him to acknowledge uncomfortable feelings he can't even name. Emer and Lia hide in the poorest parts of the city but although they are together they have very different goals with Emer struggling to help their friends while Lia grasps at the power that keeps eluding her.
In a world where the dead walk and lies travel through the court faster than beasts can take to the skies, the truth is a very dangerous thing. Especially when telling the truth means revealing your heart in All Hail Chaos (2026) by Sarah Rees Brennan.
All Hail Chaos is the second book in Rees Brennan's Time of Iron trilogy, picking up moments after the dramatic conclusion of book one, Long Live Evil. The story shifts perspectives between the main players as they are scattered throughout the kingdom dealing with the aftermath of the emperor's return. Epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter once again highlight the differences between the narrative before Rae's arrival began to shape the story into something new.
Dismayed to find herself still within the pages of her favorite book, Rae observes "Great sequels took risks and got complicated. Great sequels did everything great first books did, backwards and in high heels. Great sequels upped the stakes, the tension and especially the body count." Which All Hail Chaos does admirably with a repeat of the Queen's Trials from book one but this time in a bloodier form all while the Emperor runs riot through a court that knows they need his power as much as they despise his presence.
With a cast bumbling through their interpersonal relationships with mixed results, All Hail Chaos continues to explore themes of agency and feminism within a fantasy framework. The story also asks, repeatedly, what it means when a reader is changed by a story and, given the magic system at play, what it means when those same readers try to change the story in turn. With sky high stakes and danger at every turn, Rae has her worked cut out for her as she tries to save her favorite character and herself. Rae continues to lean into her villainess persona even as she works heroically to get the narrative back on track reminding readers that even the blackest hearts can sometimes change with the right plot devices at play.
All Hail Chaos is everything a reader could want in a sequel. Come for the beloved characters, stay to see everything blow up in their faces and anxiously wait for the sequel. Highly recommended.
Possible Pairings: The Witch Who Trades With Death by CM Alongi, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, The Empress by Kristin Cast, Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson, Mistress of Lies by KM Enright, The Deathless One by Emma Hamm, Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz, The Half King by Melissa Landers, The Scarlet Throne by Amy Leow, Assitant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam, The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis, Starter Villain by John Scalzi, Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler
*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
Want to Read
February 15, 2025September cannot come soon enough 😭 (KEY MY BELOVED I MISS U ALREADY)
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
that man is in leopard print armor you cannot change my mind.
May 14, 2026
I. Am. Devastated.
Don't mind me, I'm off to stare at the wall for a few hours.
“Some readers defined 'morally grey' as 'a remorseless murderer who is good-looking.”
"Rae was evil, not stupid"
“You lie so sweetly." The words cut off any possibility of reply, cold as his blade to her throat.
Don't mind me, I'm off to stare at the wall for a few hours.
“Some readers defined 'morally grey' as 'a remorseless murderer who is good-looking.”
"Rae was evil, not stupid"
“You lie so sweetly." The words cut off any possibility of reply, cold as his blade to her throat.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
One thing about me is I am actually god's favorite etch a sketch so you better beliiiiiieeevvveee I don't recall that much from the first book. Luckily, for me at least, this book spent a bit of time rehashing events from the first book. I don't know how others who remember things better than I do or recently read the first book would feel about this, but for me and my memory, I was grateful.
I ended up liking this book way more than the first book, it felt like a really funny satire of high fantasy novels. So for me, I knew enough to know what was a good hearted ribbing of typical fantasy tropes and also probably simultaneously not enough of fantasy tropes to still be entertained by anything that wasn't satirical.
I guess what stopped this for being a five star read for me is I didn't really care enough about Emer's and Lia's side plot. (Though the twist about Emer was BONKERSSSS!) Similarly I wasn't into Caracalla's chapters either. I liked her enough, like she was perfectly funny, but I really just wanted to flip between my four favorite characters: Eric, Marius, Rae, and Key. Plus I sort of feel like flipping to certain character's POVs that didn't exactly further the plot which led to a lot of pacing issues and bloating of the story. Like, sorry, but I didn't need Pio's POV. All his chapters could have been cut and the story would have been absolutely fine. But I can't deny the worldbuilding in this book absolutely rocked, we see a lot more in this book than the first and that really worked in its favor. And man, can the author end on an absolute CLIFF HANGER that keeps me coming back to this series every. single. time!
Currently sitting outside Sarah Rees Brennan's house, silently crying and waiting for the third book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I ended up liking this book way more than the first book, it felt like a really funny satire of high fantasy novels. So for me, I knew enough to know what was a good hearted ribbing of typical fantasy tropes and also probably simultaneously not enough of fantasy tropes to still be entertained by anything that wasn't satirical.
I guess what stopped this for being a five star read for me is I didn't really care enough about Emer's and Lia's side plot. (Though the twist about Emer was BONKERSSSS!) Similarly I wasn't into Caracalla's chapters either. I liked her enough, like she was perfectly funny, but I really just wanted to flip between my four favorite characters: Eric, Marius, Rae, and Key. Plus I sort of feel like flipping to certain character's POVs that didn't exactly further the plot which led to a lot of pacing issues and bloating of the story. Like, sorry, but I didn't need Pio's POV. All his chapters could have been cut and the story would have been absolutely fine. But I can't deny the worldbuilding in this book absolutely rocked, we see a lot more in this book than the first and that really worked in its favor. And man, can the author end on an absolute CLIFF HANGER that keeps me coming back to this series every. single. time!
Currently sitting outside Sarah Rees Brennan's house, silently crying and waiting for the third book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2026
This series is my guilty pleasure. I need more key all the time, yes I’m the problem and I don’t care. I can fix him
May 12, 2026
A huge thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown & Sarah Rees Brennan for providing me with an e-ARC for my honest review.
I went into All Hail Chaos with dramatically lowered expectations compared to how overly exited I was for Long Live Evil and honestly? That may have been the best thing I could’ve done for myself. Because look… me and Long Live Evil had a complicated relationship. I was so painfully overhyped for that book (which I fully take the blame for), that it fell flat. The dialogue often felt clunky, the modern references pulled me out of the fantasy setting constantly, and the Minions mentions became such an infamous part of my reading experience that they triggered a full collective crashout during my bookclub discussion… But despite all that, Sarah Rees Brennan somehow managed to sink her claws into me with the side characters and those final twists. By the time I reached the ending I was emotionally invested enough to immediately want the sequel.
And somehow, against all odds, All Hail Chaos completely turned me around. What really worked for me this time was how much more emotionally invested I became in Rae and the Emperor. Their chapters absolutely carried this book for me. The tension, the manipulation both ways, the vulnerability hiding underneath all the sharp edges… inject it directly into my bloodstream please and thank you. Meanwhile, whenever the story shifted away from them, I did notice my attention drifting a bit more than I wanted it to. I still cared about the overall plot, but those chapters had such a strong grip on me that everything else occasionally felt like an interruption.
The overall tone of the sequel also worked much better for me. The story leans harder into the chaos, the political maneuvering, the emotional messiness, and the absolute theatricality of these characters. The plot twists genuinely surprised me, the action scenes had me flying through chapters, and I found myself way more willing to embrace the ridiculousness of this world instead of getting stuck on the things that frustrated me in book one.
Ironically, some of the pop culture references landed far better for me this time around too. The line “Somehow, the Emperor returned” absolutely sent me because I immediately understood the reference and honestly? Any opportunity to throw shade at the Grandpa Palpatine situation deserves respect. Meanwhile Rae wanting to swim through piles of gold like Scrooge McDuck felt deeply relatable. Because truly, if I got transported into a fantasy kingdom and stumbled across a giant treasure hoard, I too would immediately lose all dignity. Also, perhaps most importantly (especially for my bookclub girlies): there is only ONE Minions mention this time. Character growth. Healing. Miracles do happen.
My biggest criticism is definitely the ending. Not because I disliked where the story went, quite the opposite actually, but because the final stretch felt rushed compared to the rest of the book. Several emotional moments barely had time to land before the narrative sprinted onward at full speed like it had an appointment to keep in another kingdom. I genuinely think the last part could have benefited from more breathing room because the material itself was strong enough to support it. I just wanted more time to sit with the emotional fallout before being shoved into the next dramatic reveal.
Overall though, this sequel surprised me in the best possible way. What started as “well… let’s see if this works better for me” slowly turned into me counting down the days until I can read Kill Your Darlings, the conclusion to this absolutely original series.
I went into All Hail Chaos with dramatically lowered expectations compared to how overly exited I was for Long Live Evil and honestly? That may have been the best thing I could’ve done for myself. Because look… me and Long Live Evil had a complicated relationship. I was so painfully overhyped for that book (which I fully take the blame for), that it fell flat. The dialogue often felt clunky, the modern references pulled me out of the fantasy setting constantly, and the Minions mentions became such an infamous part of my reading experience that they triggered a full collective crashout during my bookclub discussion… But despite all that, Sarah Rees Brennan somehow managed to sink her claws into me with the side characters and those final twists. By the time I reached the ending I was emotionally invested enough to immediately want the sequel.
And somehow, against all odds, All Hail Chaos completely turned me around. What really worked for me this time was how much more emotionally invested I became in Rae and the Emperor. Their chapters absolutely carried this book for me. The tension, the manipulation both ways, the vulnerability hiding underneath all the sharp edges… inject it directly into my bloodstream please and thank you. Meanwhile, whenever the story shifted away from them, I did notice my attention drifting a bit more than I wanted it to. I still cared about the overall plot, but those chapters had such a strong grip on me that everything else occasionally felt like an interruption.
The overall tone of the sequel also worked much better for me. The story leans harder into the chaos, the political maneuvering, the emotional messiness, and the absolute theatricality of these characters. The plot twists genuinely surprised me, the action scenes had me flying through chapters, and I found myself way more willing to embrace the ridiculousness of this world instead of getting stuck on the things that frustrated me in book one.
Ironically, some of the pop culture references landed far better for me this time around too. The line “Somehow, the Emperor returned” absolutely sent me because I immediately understood the reference and honestly? Any opportunity to throw shade at the Grandpa Palpatine situation deserves respect. Meanwhile Rae wanting to swim through piles of gold like Scrooge McDuck felt deeply relatable. Because truly, if I got transported into a fantasy kingdom and stumbled across a giant treasure hoard, I too would immediately lose all dignity. Also, perhaps most importantly (especially for my bookclub girlies): there is only ONE Minions mention this time. Character growth. Healing. Miracles do happen.
My biggest criticism is definitely the ending. Not because I disliked where the story went, quite the opposite actually, but because the final stretch felt rushed compared to the rest of the book. Several emotional moments barely had time to land before the narrative sprinted onward at full speed like it had an appointment to keep in another kingdom. I genuinely think the last part could have benefited from more breathing room because the material itself was strong enough to support it. I just wanted more time to sit with the emotional fallout before being shoved into the next dramatic reveal.
Overall though, this sequel surprised me in the best possible way. What started as “well… let’s see if this works better for me” slowly turned into me counting down the days until I can read Kill Your Darlings, the conclusion to this absolutely original series.
May 9, 2026
I really enjoyed Long Live Evil so I was excited for All Hail Chaos. This is a portal fantasy and this book continues wher the first left off. We still have Rae doing Rae things. I will say I love her dialogue still. She will say things that no one will know what they should mean and are more pop culture type references at time and while that happen with the first book it still happens in this one. It usually gives me a chuckle when I heard them. All Hail Chaos delivered exactly what the titles states. There is more world building. More characters to get to know. And the pacing consistently fast. It is never a dull moment. I will say usually at the beginning of the chapters sometimes I would get a little confused I do wish that I had an ecopy to keep things straight. While the beginning of the chapters of the first book were more shorter excerpts these tended to get a little long and at times I had to really think more about what I was listening to. I think it would have been better for me if especially for those parts I had it as more of an immersion read.
The narrators for this are Moira Quirk and Shane East. Moira continues to deliver the same type of performance we got as she did for book 1, Long Live Evil. From the pacing, to her changing of voice she really made everything from the first book and now to All Hail Chaos very enjoyable to listen to and really added more depth to the book. Shane East is always a favorite. You can’t go wrong with him. I wish there were more parts and Shane and Moira really matched each other in this.
I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book.
Thank you to Hachette Audio for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The narrators for this are Moira Quirk and Shane East. Moira continues to deliver the same type of performance we got as she did for book 1, Long Live Evil. From the pacing, to her changing of voice she really made everything from the first book and now to All Hail Chaos very enjoyable to listen to and really added more depth to the book. Shane East is always a favorite. You can’t go wrong with him. I wish there were more parts and Shane and Moira really matched each other in this.
I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book.
Thank you to Hachette Audio for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 7, 2026
4/5 ⭐️
I had such a fun time with All Hail Chaos. This is book two in the Time of Iron series and it continues Rae’s journey as she desperately tries to escape the fantasy world she’s trapped in while also trying to keep herself alive long enough to do it.
Like a lot of fantasy series, SO much happens while somehow barely inching closer to the actual end goal. But honestly? I didn’t even mind because the journey is the fun part here. The world is chaotic in the best way: undead armies, revolutions, creepy manors, dangerous emperors, fake engagements, ridiculous fantasy politics… there’s always something happening.
What really makes this series stand out for me is Rae herself. She absolutely does not act like a traditional fantasy heroine. She still talks like a normal person from the real world, and her random one-liners and commentary completely catch you off guard. The author is so good at dropping quick little trope callouts that made me laugh out loud. The humor never feels forced because it sneaks up on you. I also continue to love the wildly over-the-top fantasy names throughout this series.
The audiobook is fantastic. Moira Quirk narrates almost the entire book again, and she is honestly perfect for this series. Every character has such a distinct voice and personality. And then we get a surprise chapter from Shane East as the Emperor which was an absolute treat. We always love a Shane East cameo.
Overall, this series continues to be weird, funny, chaotic fantasy fun and I’m definitely excited for the next book. Thanks to the author, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC.
I had such a fun time with All Hail Chaos. This is book two in the Time of Iron series and it continues Rae’s journey as she desperately tries to escape the fantasy world she’s trapped in while also trying to keep herself alive long enough to do it.
Like a lot of fantasy series, SO much happens while somehow barely inching closer to the actual end goal. But honestly? I didn’t even mind because the journey is the fun part here. The world is chaotic in the best way: undead armies, revolutions, creepy manors, dangerous emperors, fake engagements, ridiculous fantasy politics… there’s always something happening.
What really makes this series stand out for me is Rae herself. She absolutely does not act like a traditional fantasy heroine. She still talks like a normal person from the real world, and her random one-liners and commentary completely catch you off guard. The author is so good at dropping quick little trope callouts that made me laugh out loud. The humor never feels forced because it sneaks up on you. I also continue to love the wildly over-the-top fantasy names throughout this series.
The audiobook is fantastic. Moira Quirk narrates almost the entire book again, and she is honestly perfect for this series. Every character has such a distinct voice and personality. And then we get a surprise chapter from Shane East as the Emperor which was an absolute treat. We always love a Shane East cameo.
Overall, this series continues to be weird, funny, chaotic fantasy fun and I’m definitely excited for the next book. Thanks to the author, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC.
May 14, 2026
I find so much pressure to write a book review when I finish a book but I also find it difficult to remember when I need to write a review after the fact. So here is an attempt at a review.
One aspect I really enjoy about Time of Iron so far is that Rae's journey in Eyam references her time in her time on Earth. She doesn't only exist in one world, she exists in two. This is satisfying to me, as she is a more dynamic character because of this. And I love her stupid pop culture references. I laughed so much at Scrooge McDuck.
There was something I called early on in book 1 and while I was off on the details, I nailed the main event in reference. So glad I was picking up what SRB was putting down.
All the love stories in here are deliciously fucked up. We love to see toxic romances unfold in unique ways. I'm rooting for them but also rooting for couple's counseling.
The exerpts from the revised novel were .... interesting. The longer ones felt very disingenuous and more like scene ir chapter summaries. I preferred when there was only a few lines.
Reading this (and rereading Long Live Evil prior) made me crave reading Demon's Lexicon and The Lynburn Legacy. There are so many interesting character parallels I want to examine. Also, I just adore SRB's humor and characters. There is a reason I've read almost everything she has written.
One aspect I really enjoy about Time of Iron so far is that Rae's journey in Eyam references her time in her time on Earth. She doesn't only exist in one world, she exists in two. This is satisfying to me, as she is a more dynamic character because of this. And I love her stupid pop culture references. I laughed so much at Scrooge McDuck.
There was something I called early on in book 1 and while I was off on the details, I nailed the main event in reference. So glad I was picking up what SRB was putting down.
All the love stories in here are deliciously fucked up. We love to see toxic romances unfold in unique ways. I'm rooting for them but also rooting for couple's counseling.
The exerpts from the revised novel were .... interesting. The longer ones felt very disingenuous and more like scene ir chapter summaries. I preferred when there was only a few lines.
Reading this (and rereading Long Live Evil prior) made me crave reading Demon's Lexicon and The Lynburn Legacy. There are so many interesting character parallels I want to examine. Also, I just adore SRB's humor and characters. There is a reason I've read almost everything she has written.
May 14, 2026
Shut up. That was so good. I can’t even write a proper review.
Fun and witty and bloody and brilliant, each character a subverted caricature of heroes and villains, a story gone out of control but desperately fighting its way back to the necessary plot points. It’s unique and terrifying and absolutely mesmerizing.
That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. You just have to read it and understand. So freaking good!
Oh! And the audiobook is insane. Moira Quirk crushes this story. I don’t recommend you go the audiobook route, I demand it. The voices, cadence, humor and horror… she nails absolutely everything. Brava.
* I received a free copy from the publisher
Fun and witty and bloody and brilliant, each character a subverted caricature of heroes and villains, a story gone out of control but desperately fighting its way back to the necessary plot points. It’s unique and terrifying and absolutely mesmerizing.
That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. You just have to read it and understand. So freaking good!
Oh! And the audiobook is insane. Moira Quirk crushes this story. I don’t recommend you go the audiobook route, I demand it. The voices, cadence, humor and horror… she nails absolutely everything. Brava.
* I received a free copy from the publisher
May 14, 2026
sarah when i fucking GET you!!!
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