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Witch Hall #2
Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom
Not yet published
Expected 24 Feb 26Two girls, bound by magic, must work together to stop an oncoming war, while grappling with unresolved feelings and terrible secrets in Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom, the thrilling conclusion to Jasmine Skye's queernormative romantasy duology.
“If I ask you to walk into danger with me, Rosamund Holt, will you do it?”
Born a bone witch, with the power to raise the dead, Shaw has spent her life preparing to take her place as Death's Heir, so she can lead her people to victory in an unavoidable, prophesied war. But then she met Rosy, sweet, stubborn Rosy, the most powerful bone familiar she's ever known, and the only person Shaw has never been able to predict. Rosy, who doesn’t believe in the prophesied war that has consumed Shaw’s entire life.
“I won't be their weapon, but I will be yours.”
Shaw has won Rosy's loyalty, but Rosy has made it very clear she's not willing to share her heart, a fact that Shaw is determined to respect... no matter how much it hurts. But now, as tensions with Vinland rise and secrets about the Witch King’s motivations are revealed, Shaw needs Rosy and her entourage more than ever. Will Shaw become the conquering warlord she was prophesized to be, or will she be strong enough to find a new path forward?
“If I ask you to walk into danger with me, Rosamund Holt, will you do it?”
Born a bone witch, with the power to raise the dead, Shaw has spent her life preparing to take her place as Death's Heir, so she can lead her people to victory in an unavoidable, prophesied war. But then she met Rosy, sweet, stubborn Rosy, the most powerful bone familiar she's ever known, and the only person Shaw has never been able to predict. Rosy, who doesn’t believe in the prophesied war that has consumed Shaw’s entire life.
“I won't be their weapon, but I will be yours.”
Shaw has won Rosy's loyalty, but Rosy has made it very clear she's not willing to share her heart, a fact that Shaw is determined to respect... no matter how much it hurts. But now, as tensions with Vinland rise and secrets about the Witch King’s motivations are revealed, Shaw needs Rosy and her entourage more than ever. Will Shaw become the conquering warlord she was prophesized to be, or will she be strong enough to find a new path forward?
480 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 24, 2026
5 people are currently reading
923 people want to read
About the author
Jasmine Skye
2 books150 followersJasmine Skye is a queer-romantic, grey-ace, bigender fantasy author who earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast Program. S/he especially loves to create magical worlds where LGBTQIA+ heroes persevere through hardships to claim their own happy endings.
Jasmine has a small menagerie of pets and a collection of hobbies including cosplay and figure skating. When s/he’s not writing, Jasmine does STEM outreach work with high schoolers across Texas.
Jasmine has a small menagerie of pets and a collection of hobbies including cosplay and figure skating. When s/he’s not writing, Jasmine does STEM outreach work with high schoolers across Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Want to read
June 10, 2025we don't even have a cover yet, I'm guessing you want me to kill myself
edit many months (a year) later: we have a cover and it's hot.
edit many months (a year) later: we have a cover and it's hot.
June 25, 2025
pls just gimme it already
edit 1/20/25
2026 WHAT THE HELL KILL ME ALREADY
6/24/25
i feel like the date keeps getting further away...
edit 1/20/25
2026 WHAT THE HELL KILL ME ALREADY
6/24/25
i feel like the date keeps getting further away...
February 9, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.
Disappointed to say I wasn't a huge fan of the way this duology concluded. In my review of the series opener, Daughter of the Bone Forest , I said that, while there were some problems I had with the book, it ultimately kept me entertained; and while some of the problems with book one were expanded upon in book two in a satisfying way, unfortunately, Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom just lacked the same aspect of entertainment.
First, the positive: the world of this duology is extremely creative and the second book expands upon that by showing us even more of the world and deepening our knowledge of the magic systems within it. The romance, which I felt was somewhat stilted in the first book (though it had potential), was also given room to breathe, and I had a much better sense in this book of the deep romantic love the two characters had for each other. The stakes, too, have been raised in a way that felt realistic and interesting--war is coming, and war means casualties and sacrifice--and this, in my opinion, sets the stage for the strongest part of the novel: the generational divide between the king and his cohort, who are determined to plunge the land into war, and Shaw and her classmates, who are determined to stop it and seek peace at all costs. It's a compelling setup with real-world allegories--it's always the young who suffer the most in war--and I thought that the author handled it nicely.
The main reason I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I'd hoped, however, was the characters: there are so many of them, and, regrettably, most are completely flat. Many, many people are named in this novel, and I couldn't tell you two things about most of them apart from who their friends are and what kind of magic they were capable of. Scenes that ought to be tense and emotional, such as a conversation between Shaw and her confidant Aklemin, fall flat because I just have no sense of who Aklemin is. Or, for that matter, much of who Shaw is: one of the strengths of the previous novel is that its POV character, Rosy, had a familiar and compelling character arc from farm girl hiding her powers so she doesn't get dragged into a war to being thrust into the totally unfamiliar world of Witch Hall and growing and changing. Her motivations are clear and make sense. Shaw's motivations in this book are to stop a war from happening, but I didn't feel there was a clear sense of why that would be so important to her. Especially since the driving force behind inciting war is her only parent--why do her feelings differ from his? How did that come about? What else does she wish for, apart from preventing a war and to win back Rosy's affections?
This is an interesting book with some interesting things to say, but I personally wished for more.
Disappointed to say I wasn't a huge fan of the way this duology concluded. In my review of the series opener, Daughter of the Bone Forest , I said that, while there were some problems I had with the book, it ultimately kept me entertained; and while some of the problems with book one were expanded upon in book two in a satisfying way, unfortunately, Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom just lacked the same aspect of entertainment.
First, the positive: the world of this duology is extremely creative and the second book expands upon that by showing us even more of the world and deepening our knowledge of the magic systems within it. The romance, which I felt was somewhat stilted in the first book (though it had potential), was also given room to breathe, and I had a much better sense in this book of the deep romantic love the two characters had for each other. The stakes, too, have been raised in a way that felt realistic and interesting--war is coming, and war means casualties and sacrifice--and this, in my opinion, sets the stage for the strongest part of the novel: the generational divide between the king and his cohort, who are determined to plunge the land into war, and Shaw and her classmates, who are determined to stop it and seek peace at all costs. It's a compelling setup with real-world allegories--it's always the young who suffer the most in war--and I thought that the author handled it nicely.
The main reason I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I'd hoped, however, was the characters: there are so many of them, and, regrettably, most are completely flat. Many, many people are named in this novel, and I couldn't tell you two things about most of them apart from who their friends are and what kind of magic they were capable of. Scenes that ought to be tense and emotional, such as a conversation between Shaw and her confidant Aklemin, fall flat because I just have no sense of who Aklemin is. Or, for that matter, much of who Shaw is: one of the strengths of the previous novel is that its POV character, Rosy, had a familiar and compelling character arc from farm girl hiding her powers so she doesn't get dragged into a war to being thrust into the totally unfamiliar world of Witch Hall and growing and changing. Her motivations are clear and make sense. Shaw's motivations in this book are to stop a war from happening, but I didn't feel there was a clear sense of why that would be so important to her. Especially since the driving force behind inciting war is her only parent--why do her feelings differ from his? How did that come about? What else does she wish for, apart from preventing a war and to win back Rosy's affections?
This is an interesting book with some interesting things to say, but I personally wished for more.
Want to read
April 25, 2025The first book is so so so so good. I’m so sad I have to wait until 2026 to read the second.
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.25 ⭐
The Witch Hall duology takes place in a queernormative fantasy world where witches and familiars coexist. Familiars can shapeshift into animals, while witches specialize in necromancy and other magical arts. The story follows Rosamund, a bone familiar from a peasant family, and Shaw, Death’s Heir and the future queen of the kingdom. As war approaches and secrets unravel, their growing connection is put to the test, can it become something truly real?
First of all, thank you so much to the author for gifting me an eARC, I’m incredibly grateful!
Before starting book two, I reread Daughter of the Bone Forest since it’s been almost two years since its release. I wanted to refresh my understanding of the world and magic system, and honestly, I’m so glad I did. Jumping straight into the sequel without that reread would’ve made things much harder to follow.
From the moment I discovered this duology, I’ve been captivated by the world Jasmine Skye created. It’s wildly imaginative and feels so fresh. Book one drew me in with its magical school setting, the exploration of powers, and the deep bonds between witches and familiars. In this sequel, though, the tone shifts significantly. The story leans heavily into the upcoming war and political intrigue, which isn’t usually my favorite focus, and that might be why I struggled more. At times, it felt like too much was happening all at once, and I wish the execution had been a bit more streamlined.
One thing this book absolutely delivered on was Shaw’s character development. With more of her POV, we really get to see her growth; stepping into leadership, challenging her father, and showing how fiercely she cares for her people. This book completely changed how I saw her, and I ended up loving her arc. Rosy, on the other hand, didn’t quite work for me here. With less insight into her thoughts, it was hard to fully connect, and her indecisiveness—especially toward Shaw—often frustrated me. By the time she finally confronted her insecurities, the emotional payoff just didn’t land for me.
Because of that, the romance didn’t feel as convincing as I’d hoped. The conflict lasted too long, and real communication only happened toward the end, which made it hard to fully invest in their relationship.
Still, the found family aspect was a highlight. Shaw and Rosy’s friends were incredibly loyal, and I especially loved seeing Rosy and Tokey’s bond grow into something genuine and heartfelt.
In the end, I’m happy with how the duology wrapped up. After all the angst, we do get the HEA, and the story ties up its loose ends nicely. If you love queernormative fantasy with emotional stakes and political tension, this duology is worth checking out!
The Witch Hall duology takes place in a queernormative fantasy world where witches and familiars coexist. Familiars can shapeshift into animals, while witches specialize in necromancy and other magical arts. The story follows Rosamund, a bone familiar from a peasant family, and Shaw, Death’s Heir and the future queen of the kingdom. As war approaches and secrets unravel, their growing connection is put to the test, can it become something truly real?
First of all, thank you so much to the author for gifting me an eARC, I’m incredibly grateful!
Before starting book two, I reread Daughter of the Bone Forest since it’s been almost two years since its release. I wanted to refresh my understanding of the world and magic system, and honestly, I’m so glad I did. Jumping straight into the sequel without that reread would’ve made things much harder to follow.
From the moment I discovered this duology, I’ve been captivated by the world Jasmine Skye created. It’s wildly imaginative and feels so fresh. Book one drew me in with its magical school setting, the exploration of powers, and the deep bonds between witches and familiars. In this sequel, though, the tone shifts significantly. The story leans heavily into the upcoming war and political intrigue, which isn’t usually my favorite focus, and that might be why I struggled more. At times, it felt like too much was happening all at once, and I wish the execution had been a bit more streamlined.
One thing this book absolutely delivered on was Shaw’s character development. With more of her POV, we really get to see her growth; stepping into leadership, challenging her father, and showing how fiercely she cares for her people. This book completely changed how I saw her, and I ended up loving her arc. Rosy, on the other hand, didn’t quite work for me here. With less insight into her thoughts, it was hard to fully connect, and her indecisiveness—especially toward Shaw—often frustrated me. By the time she finally confronted her insecurities, the emotional payoff just didn’t land for me.
Because of that, the romance didn’t feel as convincing as I’d hoped. The conflict lasted too long, and real communication only happened toward the end, which made it hard to fully invest in their relationship.
Still, the found family aspect was a highlight. Shaw and Rosy’s friends were incredibly loyal, and I especially loved seeing Rosy and Tokey’s bond grow into something genuine and heartfelt.
In the end, I’m happy with how the duology wrapped up. After all the angst, we do get the HEA, and the story ties up its loose ends nicely. If you love queernormative fantasy with emotional stakes and political tension, this duology is worth checking out!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom. The duology as a whole are books that I solidly think I would have absolutely adored when I was a middle grade or YA reader: the queernormative world, the unique magic system of witches and their animal shifting familiars, and a world brimming with wild, chaotic magic—at the right age, I would have absolutely loved this book. It’s something I sincerely wish had been around when I was younger.
That being said, I do think that I enjoyed the first book in this duology more than the second. I found this book much more difficult to follow—something I can attribute both to this book and the fact that it’s been a while since I read the first book. Regarding the latter, I do think that the world is somewhat unintuitive in a way that made it harder for me to recall the events of the first book: I could never really get a hand on the size of the kingdom, the complexities of the magic system, the specificity of courtship as described in this book, the inheritance of royal governance, etc. Part of that was certainly on me, but I anticipate other readers returning to this series might struggle with it; it’s the kind of book that really makes me wish that there was a short summary chapter at the beginning of the book to help get me refreshed on the events of the first book.
That being said, on a whole I do think that this book was more difficult to follow due to a larger focus on politics, something that also made me less enthusiastic about the story as a whole. This book really is about Shaw and her attempts to stop the prophesied war before it starts; as such, it’s not really about Rosamund. Yes, their relationship is still a key point of the book, but Rosamund feels much more distant in this book in a way that made the emotional payoff of their relationship a bit diminished for me. Instead, this book really does focus on politics and Shaw learning what it means to lead—which is interesting, but I personally found the politics as a whole a bit difficult to follow and much harder to get invested in. I found myself wishing for more Rosamund just to see a different side of what was happening in the plot; one less focused on the weight of leadership and the specifics of governance.
All in all, I do recommend this series to someone interested in a unique queernormative fantasy suitable for an older middle grade or younger YA audience. I’m glad I read it, and glad I finished the series, even if I recall enjoying the first book more.
That being said, I do think that I enjoyed the first book in this duology more than the second. I found this book much more difficult to follow—something I can attribute both to this book and the fact that it’s been a while since I read the first book. Regarding the latter, I do think that the world is somewhat unintuitive in a way that made it harder for me to recall the events of the first book: I could never really get a hand on the size of the kingdom, the complexities of the magic system, the specificity of courtship as described in this book, the inheritance of royal governance, etc. Part of that was certainly on me, but I anticipate other readers returning to this series might struggle with it; it’s the kind of book that really makes me wish that there was a short summary chapter at the beginning of the book to help get me refreshed on the events of the first book.
That being said, on a whole I do think that this book was more difficult to follow due to a larger focus on politics, something that also made me less enthusiastic about the story as a whole. This book really is about Shaw and her attempts to stop the prophesied war before it starts; as such, it’s not really about Rosamund. Yes, their relationship is still a key point of the book, but Rosamund feels much more distant in this book in a way that made the emotional payoff of their relationship a bit diminished for me. Instead, this book really does focus on politics and Shaw learning what it means to lead—which is interesting, but I personally found the politics as a whole a bit difficult to follow and much harder to get invested in. I found myself wishing for more Rosamund just to see a different side of what was happening in the plot; one less focused on the weight of leadership and the specifics of governance.
All in all, I do recommend this series to someone interested in a unique queernormative fantasy suitable for an older middle grade or younger YA audience. I’m glad I read it, and glad I finished the series, even if I recall enjoying the first book more.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC!~~
3.5/5 stars rounded up!
This is very much a sequel that requires you to remember the lore and events of its predecessor. If I hadn't reread the first book last month, I would've been much more lost. That being said, the story overall was really good, if not for the rushed ending.
This book switches its POVs, with Shaw as the main/first-person POV and Rosy as the secondary/third-person POV. I did like the deeper insight into Shaw. Her struggles with leadership and navigating what was right and wrong in regards to war were interesting. She is a much different character from Rosy, as she played the game of politics with much more practiced grace and finesse. I also really liked seeing her embrace her relationships, particularly those within her entourage and their partners, closely rather than using them as means to harness political influence. Her romance with Rosy was challenged much more in depth, as well; these two were just really cute together. I did miss Rosy as the main character, though.
Despite this, there's a lot of side characters. I kinda lost track of who was who sometimes, especially when it was people outside Shaw and Rosy's immediate entourage and the council heirs like Charles. It added to the expansiveness of the world, but trying to go over every side character's backstory in vivid detail with little time felt very overwhelming for me.
The worldbuilding covers far more in this book. We learn more about the other nations, the creation of the Cursed Kingdom, and, through Shaw, how politic power is distributed and handled between the royals and the jarls. Very interesting stuff. I especially liked the parts about Shaw's many-great grandmother, for she plays an important role sometime in the latter half on the story.
As for the ending, there's a huge climatic battle that spans for a few chapters before wrapping it all up quite soon after. It felt kinda jarring; everything felt too neatly wrapped in a bow after everything Shaw and co. struggled through. I'm kinda hoping Skye goes back to this world, whether with Rosy back as the main character or an entirely new, unrelated one, so we could see where the kingdom goes after its ending, but I would also understand if the author would want to move onto something else after this one.
Overall, despite its flaws, I liked this. The first one holds a warmer place in my heart, but this book was good for what it set out to do.
3.5/5 stars rounded up!
This is very much a sequel that requires you to remember the lore and events of its predecessor. If I hadn't reread the first book last month, I would've been much more lost. That being said, the story overall was really good, if not for the rushed ending.
This book switches its POVs, with Shaw as the main/first-person POV and Rosy as the secondary/third-person POV. I did like the deeper insight into Shaw. Her struggles with leadership and navigating what was right and wrong in regards to war were interesting. She is a much different character from Rosy, as she played the game of politics with much more practiced grace and finesse. I also really liked seeing her embrace her relationships, particularly those within her entourage and their partners, closely rather than using them as means to harness political influence. Her romance with Rosy was challenged much more in depth, as well; these two were just really cute together. I did miss Rosy as the main character, though.
Despite this, there's a lot of side characters. I kinda lost track of who was who sometimes, especially when it was people outside Shaw and Rosy's immediate entourage and the council heirs like Charles. It added to the expansiveness of the world, but trying to go over every side character's backstory in vivid detail with little time felt very overwhelming for me.
The worldbuilding covers far more in this book. We learn more about the other nations, the creation of the Cursed Kingdom, and, through Shaw, how politic power is distributed and handled between the royals and the jarls. Very interesting stuff. I especially liked the parts about Shaw's many-great grandmother, for she plays an important role sometime in the latter half on the story.
As for the ending, there's a huge climatic battle that spans for a few chapters before wrapping it all up quite soon after. It felt kinda jarring; everything felt too neatly wrapped in a bow after everything Shaw and co. struggled through. I'm kinda hoping Skye goes back to this world, whether with Rosy back as the main character or an entirely new, unrelated one, so we could see where the kingdom goes after its ending, but I would also understand if the author would want to move onto something else after this one.
Overall, despite its flaws, I liked this. The first one holds a warmer place in my heart, but this book was good for what it set out to do.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom is a satisfying, thought-provoking conclusion to the rich story of Rosy, Shaw, and Witch Hall. As with Daughter of the Bone Forest, Skye's skill in handling nuance is on full display. Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom forgoes the heavy strokes of typical YA fare and grapples with complex themes in an actually complex way. Most characters are quite layered, their motivations are mixed and believable, and the results are messy and imperfect. It's not new ground by any means - Leadership is hard! War sucks! Most people involved in both are not purely good or bad! - but the ground is getting trodden in a meaningful way, well beyond lip service, and that feels noteworthy.
More typical is the heavy dose of politics we get in this sequel, far more than in the first installment (why is this a thing?). It's not quite as gripping as the action scenes or elements of relationship development, and I felt the flow of information sometimes stalled the momentum - one character learns something, then has to tell another, who then has to tell the whole group, and then they all have to talk about it. Still, if you found all the maneuvering in, say, Mages of the Wheel compelling (I did...not), you'll likely have no issue with this.
Another notable change is Shaw's POV - we spend much more time with her, and it's to the story's benefit, as it spares us having to suspend even more disbelief to get on board with an unconvincing decision made by Rosy in the prior book. And sapphic yearning is always fun! Shaw's POV also gives us more insight into her entourage and the larger world, and I really enjoyed all of those details.
Skye's inventive, complex world-building and nuanced, thought-provoking writing continues to impress, and I will absolutely be putting him/her on my to-read list. More, please!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC :)
More typical is the heavy dose of politics we get in this sequel, far more than in the first installment (why is this a thing?). It's not quite as gripping as the action scenes or elements of relationship development, and I felt the flow of information sometimes stalled the momentum - one character learns something, then has to tell another, who then has to tell the whole group, and then they all have to talk about it. Still, if you found all the maneuvering in, say, Mages of the Wheel compelling (I did...not), you'll likely have no issue with this.
Another notable change is Shaw's POV - we spend much more time with her, and it's to the story's benefit, as it spares us having to suspend even more disbelief to get on board with an unconvincing decision made by Rosy in the prior book. And sapphic yearning is always fun! Shaw's POV also gives us more insight into her entourage and the larger world, and I really enjoyed all of those details.
Skye's inventive, complex world-building and nuanced, thought-provoking writing continues to impress, and I will absolutely be putting him/her on my to-read list. More, please!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC :)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
THIS IS ME SCREAMING.
Daughter of the Bone Forest was my favorite book of 2024. I read it in the first week of January that year and went "this is the book to beat" and then nothing did because I loved it that much. And then I spent the year telling all of my friends to buy it. And then I got annoyed with them taking too long and bought them all copies of it. And then annoyed them until they read it.
So when I saw that Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom was available to request I went running. And luckily my request was approved before I had to embarrass myself in a publisher's inbox. And I'm sure you're looking at this review going, okay, but all of this is about the first book, how is it relevant? It's relevant because I need you to understand what my expectations were going into this.
My expectations were that this book would make me kick my feet. That it would make me sob. That it would make me giggle. That I would not be able to stop talking about it from the second I put it down.
AND GUESS WHAT.
GUESS.
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. It was everything I could have wanted from a sequel to my favorite book. Rosy and Shaw continue to be so incredibly bad at talking to each other to the point where I wanted to grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and then lock them in a room until they ki**ed each other. I kicked my feet. I giggled. I sobbed. I singlehandedly launched smear campaigns against REDACTED because they are the absolute most garbage person to ever exist. And then I cried some more because this perfect amazing wonderful duology was over and now I have to just keep living my life.
Thank you so, so much Feiwel & Friends for the advanced copy of Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom. I am very, very normal about this series.
Daughter of the Bone Forest was my favorite book of 2024. I read it in the first week of January that year and went "this is the book to beat" and then nothing did because I loved it that much. And then I spent the year telling all of my friends to buy it. And then I got annoyed with them taking too long and bought them all copies of it. And then annoyed them until they read it.
So when I saw that Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom was available to request I went running. And luckily my request was approved before I had to embarrass myself in a publisher's inbox. And I'm sure you're looking at this review going, okay, but all of this is about the first book, how is it relevant? It's relevant because I need you to understand what my expectations were going into this.
My expectations were that this book would make me kick my feet. That it would make me sob. That it would make me giggle. That I would not be able to stop talking about it from the second I put it down.
AND GUESS WHAT.
GUESS.
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. It was everything I could have wanted from a sequel to my favorite book. Rosy and Shaw continue to be so incredibly bad at talking to each other to the point where I wanted to grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and then lock them in a room until they ki**ed each other. I kicked my feet. I giggled. I sobbed. I singlehandedly launched smear campaigns against REDACTED because they are the absolute most garbage person to ever exist. And then I cried some more because this perfect amazing wonderful duology was over and now I have to just keep living my life.
Thank you so, so much Feiwel & Friends for the advanced copy of Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom. I am very, very normal about this series.
September 15, 2025
After reading Daughter of the Bone Forest, I couldn't wait for the sequel. When I found out it wasn't coming out until 2026, I almost cried (seriously). Well, it turns out this book was worth every second of the wait, and the time I spent to read it early! I loved the continuation of Rosy and Shaw's beautiful world. Magic, love, and the characters' humanity are balanced perfectly. This sequel is when everything gets real: We move from the world of Rosy, scared for her family and afraid of the looming war, to Shaw's world, where she tries to do right by her kingdom, her people, and Rosy. I know how hard it can be to write characters that are relatable and lovable in their imperfections. Shaw and Rosy's growth, both together and as individuals, was my favorite aspect. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Feiwel & Friends, for letting me read this book before its release, and most of all thank you to Jasmine Skye for writing this incredible story!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars
This was such a solid sequel. The characters are as well-developed as they were in Book 1. I enjoyed the way the story progressed. It was nice to get more of Shaw's perspective. That added to my enjoyment of this book. I did feel that something was off with this book. I'm not sure what makes me feel that way, but that's why I gave it a lower rating. I will say there was a lot to get through in a short amount of time. The ending did feel a little rushed. I guess I felt a little less connected to Shaw and Rosy in this book. While I felt more for the side characters, whom I loved in Book 1, they stood out in Book 2. There was something special about Book 1 that will always be my favorite. I look forward to reading Jasmine Skye's next book. I highly recommend this duology!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jasmine Skye, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a solid sequel. The characters are as well-developed as they were in Book 1. I enjoyed the way the story progressed. It was nice to get more of Shaw's perspective. That added to my enjoyment of this book. I did feel that something was off with this book. I'm not sure what makes me feel that way, but that's why I gave it a lower rating. I will say there was a lot to get through in a short amount of time. The ending did feel a little rushed. I guess I felt a little less connected to Shaw and Rosy in this book. While I felt more for the side characters, whom I loved in Book 1, they stood out in Book 2. There was something special about Book 1 that will always be my favorite. I look forward to reading Jasmine Skye's next book. I highly recommend this duology!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jasmine Skye, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2025
The first book in this series, Daughter of a Bone Forest, was one of my favorite books of 2024. So I was ecstatic to get an advanced copy to review from Net Galley.
The first book was tons of action, some intense stuff, trauma, and tons of cool magic systems. It was an epic fantasy with a hint of romance.
Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom picks up right away after the last book. It focuses a little less on the world building, and a little more on the romance and relationship building and pushing the story along. Shaw has realized that she has free will and is able to make her own choices and doesn't have to follow her "destiny". I think there's a ton of really important themes; friendship building, boundaries, found family, and dealing with toxic family. While the story is a hair less intense than the last book, it's got a nice cozy vibe ending.
The first book was tons of action, some intense stuff, trauma, and tons of cool magic systems. It was an epic fantasy with a hint of romance.
Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom picks up right away after the last book. It focuses a little less on the world building, and a little more on the romance and relationship building and pushing the story along. Shaw has realized that she has free will and is able to make her own choices and doesn't have to follow her "destiny". I think there's a ton of really important themes; friendship building, boundaries, found family, and dealing with toxic family. While the story is a hair less intense than the last book, it's got a nice cozy vibe ending.
August 20, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️ An exhilarating second book in this sapphic, magical, YA duology. When I finished the first book I was so impatient and was overjoyed when I saw I could read this book early! This book was fun, faced paced with small bits of more deep emotional moments. I found the characters relatable and engaging and the plot kept me hooked. The only thing I will say is at times the book felt a bit too slow or too fast. Overall I got through this book relatively fast and would definitely recommend checking this out (and the first book if you haven’t read that yet) THANK YOU NET GALLEY AND PUBLISHER FOR LETTING ME READ THIS ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An amazing duology, as the title suggests this is more of Shaw’s book than Rosy’s. We get more of Shaw’s perspective on her relationship with Rosy and her personal growth since book 1. If you loved the first one then you’ll love this one as well, the angst dragged on a little too long for my taste but overall satisfying conclusion.
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June 10, 20252026...someone wake me up when this book comes out
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