The War Beyond

The Hollow Covenant #2

by Andrea Stewart

In this thrilling sequel to the Sunday Times bestseller The Gods Below, loyalties will be tested, long-lost secrets will be revealed, and two sisters will face each other on the battlefield as the war between the gods ignites

Hakara risked her life to find her long-lost sister Rasha, only to lose her all over again. Now she and her Unanointed rebels hunt for the shapeshifter Lithuas, knowing that defeating her would strike a blow to the plans of the tyrant god Kluehnn.

Rasha once longed to be reunited with Hakara. No longer. Now she is a Godkiller and proud to serve Kluehnn's divine will. Yet she also harbours doubts about Kluehnn's teachings. When she is sent to destroy Hakara and her allies, Rasha will have to decide where her loyalty truly lies.

As the two sisters hurtle towards a bloody reunion, Sheuan continues her shadowy games of intrigue to uncover the secret that killed her father, while her cousin Mullayne seeks the tomb of Tolemne. There, Mull believes he'll find the answers he desires.

Answers that could shatter the history of the world.

Praise for the series

'An epic and heart rending struggle between gods and mortals, lovers and siblings . . . Stewart is a writer of genius and brilliance' Hannah Kaner

'Stewart's worlds are some of the most exceptionally inventive in modern fantasy. A must read!'
Shannon Chakraborty

'An outstanding read' Fantasy Hive

'Fast and furious' British Fantasy Society

The Hollow Covenant
The Gods Below
The War Beyond

Other books by Andrea

The Drowning Empire series
The Bone Shard Daughter
The Bone Shard Emperor
The Bone Shard War

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, LGBT, Science Fiction Fantasy, Queer, High Fantasy

513 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

Andrea Stewart is the Chinese American daughter of immigrants, and was raised in a number of places across the United States. Her parents always emphasized science and education, so she spent her childhood immersed in Star Trek and odd-smelling library books. When her (admittedly ambitious) dreams of becoming a dragon slayer didn't pan out, she instead turned to writing books. She now lives in sunny California, and in addition to writing, can be found herding cats, looking at birds, and falling down research rabbit holes.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a book for all the people who look at precious gems and go: forbidden snack

genuinely shook by that final twist, seeing the threads finally come together left me floored. ANDREA STEWART DID THAT

also f*ck [redacted] all my homies hate redacted

thassir cat daddy (never to be upstaged)

Andrea Stewart’s Hollow Covenant trilogy bridges the gap between climate fiction and high fantasy in a climate ravaged world where humanity is at the whim of a vengeful god who promises restoration with a price. In her sequel to The Gods Below, Stewart demonstrates her breadth of both plotting and storytelling as she amplifies her godly war and the history of centuries past to plunge ever deeper into revenge and the cost of excess on generations. As her four characters face down a restoration event, Hakara and Rasha, sisters separated by circumstance, find themselves on opposite sides of a war over the future of their world. Sheuan plots and Mullayne continues to pick at the threads of the past. Loyalties are tenuous at best and Stewart proves just how much in a sequel that questions the cost of vengeance and whether transformation is the true catalyst of change. Four perspectives, all concerning some aspect of the truth, are split apart on a shattered landscape, and as time runs out they will piece together the past behind the stories they've been taught to believe. Vengeance, grief, loyalty, and love coalesce in The War Beyond and it’s nothing short of world altering. With countless perspectives and a wealth of history to get lost in, the Hollow Covenant speaks to the best of the fantasy genre, and something tremendously human captured within a fantasy setting: consumption with no thought for consequence.

Read my review

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing the advance review copy.

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[Maeghan 🦋 HIATUS on & off · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am being SERVED 🥹 thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for this ARC! Seeing as book 1 was a 5 stars read for me - I’m super excited!!

The recap at the beginning was such a great addition! I wish every author did this.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of this sequel. Where the first book had some noble bright fantasy vibe going on that I was loving - the second instalment was darker and stalled, quite a lot. This will be a long review.

The plot fumbled right from the start, and the pacing was exceedingly slow. We’re following more characters in this sequel and the plot was lost to all of them. Where in the first one I had wrongly guessed some plot twists - this one didn’t surprise me. I was underwhelmed, to say the least. I was 84% in and the plot still hadn’t progressed. Some of the characters spend the whole book looking for someone, the others spend the whole book looking for answers and some are whining the whole time.

The characters lost their cleverness - and Hakara never had any plans. She was making it up as she went along, and no one seemed to have a smarter input. Their whole plot was to chase after the God and it was tedious. Rasha went back and forth with her emotions the whole book. Sheuran was in way over her head… there were no indications that she would succeed where her father hadn’t. Mull was grieving and lost. Thassir lost his whole personality and faded to the background.

Most of what I had loved in book 1 was notably absent in this one. I don’t think I expected it to be this different and that definitely had a part in my overall enjoyment. Some parts actually disturbed me and I didn’t expect that… the first instalment hadn’t went in those directions. With its slow pacing and stalling plot, this sequel did feel like a filler book. Some things were revealed that are needed for the continuity but I don’t think it needed to be 530 pages long. I was eager to be done with it.

The world building and magic system are definitely this series strong suit. It’s very unique and I’ve never read anything like this. Even if this sequel was a let down for me, I’m still invested in this series and I can’t wait to see how it ends.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I see a summary at the start of an epic fantasy book, I rejoice.
When the older sister complex gets extreme and leads to a secret uprising.

Two orphaned sisters who find their paths diverged. One a godkiller. One the leader of the Unannointed, a rebel group trying to bring down the god her younger sister has pledged her loyalty to.

There are always points in history where people feel stuck, the forward progress of society a wheel with a stick caught in the spokes. But if enough pressure is applied, if even one person is forceful enough, the stick can be broken and momentum restored.

We learn more about the history of this world where knowledge is scarce to begin with. As a result, I can’t discuss much without risk of spoilers. Just know that I was turning the pages like it wasn’t almost midnight.

We have reunions, clashes, and, of course, more cats. It makes sense that Thassir, a large, winged altered man, also a god, collects strays like Hakara hoards guilt and responsibility and Rasha harbours questions.

Admittedly, the numerous POVs kept throwing me off. Once I got my footing and remembered who was who, I still agree with my critique of book one that there may have been too many. There are only five, but I think one of them could have easily been subsumed into others. It meant that there were some pacing issues where exciting chapters will end of a cliffhanger (fair enough) only to go to a slower perspective to force you to push on. Clever, but also frustrating.

I still don’t truly understand the magic system, but I don’t tend to get hung up on that unless there are clear fallacies.

Whilst we get some big revelations, the pace was so fast, we never had chance to sit and reflect on them.
Whilst book one showed us characters who relied on their smarts and planning over their brawn, spur-of-the-moment decisions seemed to have taken over.

Overall, I had a good time reading this and am (per usual) impressed by Stewart’s imagination and unique world-building. I just hope the plot doesn’t overtake the character arcs (which I felt happened with her debut series).

Physical arc gifted by Orbit.

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[Svea · Rating 3 out of 5]

First things first: I absolutely love it when authors put an actual summary of the previous book at the beginning of a sequel, because it's been a while and my brain is just not big enough to save all that information. Even though I really enjoyed the first book in the Hollow Covenant series - yes, I really needed the reminder. I wish more authors would do this, honestly.

But back to the book itself: I really do love the world Stewart so expertly builds in this series once again. It's at times a little confusing but not in a frustrating way, more in a "I want to learn more" way. Her writing is masterful as is expected, no surprise there.

I did struggle a little with the pacing this time around, mostly because some of the povs didn't really manage to captivate me enough to not get just a little bored whenever they came up. All of the pov characters were interesting and complex in their own right, don't get me wrong, but Mull especially felt like his part of the story could have easily been told in the pov chapters of other characters.
I was hoping for more development for the sister story between Hakara and Rasha. I liked what we got but it never really delved as deep as I wanted it too, though I do understand why Stewart might keep that for the final book. I do love both of the sisters and have a very soft spot for Sheuan, and they are really the characters I'm fully invested in. I didn't enjoy Thassir much in this book, he felt weirdly sidelined and. to be honest, pretty dull this time around. Which is why I didn't really root much for the romance between Hakara and him. Nor did I root for the other central romance despite loving both characters, so really, the romances as a whole in this series aren't its biggest draw at all.
It is also, admittedly, a little funny that both of the sisters happen to have two closest allies/friends which just happen to be a guy and a gal which just happen to be romantically involved which just happens to be a little uncreative, but I sadly didn't really care that much for any of them so I didn't mind too much.

This sounds like quite some criticism, but I did really enjoy my time with The War Beyond. It's an overall interesting, exciting plot with an actually terrifying antagonist, it has some amazing and relevant themes (be it personal ones of grief, forgiveness, responsibility, guilt or broader ones of religion and you know, the destruction of a world by stripping it of its resources right up to its breaking point if that sounds familiar to you) and the world as such is just really intriguing and well-crafted. I do feel like there's a bit of a pattern emerging with Stewart insofar that the first books in her series' are absolute bangers but the sequels just can't quite keep up that level of quality. They're still good, just not as good as they could be. I'll still devour the third book though.

Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the second book in the Hollow Covenant series, The War Beyond expands the world of The Gods Below, still focusing on the broken relationship between sisters Hakara and Rasha as they become central figures in a cosmic struggle among the gods, balancing their personal desires with massive consequences for humanity. Hakara is now a rebel leader fighting Kluehnn, searching for the shapeshifter Lithuas to strike back, while dealing with a powerful corestone she swallowed. Rasha is a loyal Godkiller, with growing doubts about Kluehnn’s agenda (to reform the world by eliminating elder gods and mortals) and her eventual assignment to kill her sister. Meanwhile, cousins Sheuan and Mullayne are involved in political intrigue with Sheuan inveigling herself in the Sovereign's court to uncover family secrets, while the explorer Mullayne seeks dangerous truths in the tomb of Tolemne in the gods' underground realm, Unterra, using his proprietary mask technology.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, the summary of book one at the beginning was genius. Thank you Andrea Stewart for that!

It was so great to catch up with all of these characters and get further and further into this story. The way the characters are written is incredible. The vision she paints in my head of each character is so vivid! I loved getting some more backstory for the gods in this book. It really thickened the plot for book three! I love this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC!

[Angela *ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⤷ 4✩

Thanks to publishers for providing me with this E-ARC via NetGalley.

Stewart does phenomenal world building. In this book we get revealed more and more of the world, at the same time as the MCs discover the secrets the world holds. I am amazed by all the small hints dropped throughout that together form a tapestry showing a bigger picture. It is so unique and so entertaining to see.

I do think the characters can sometimes fall a bit flat. They are powered in the same way to reach their goals, even though the reasons have changed drastically. You can argue that Rasha simply is very stubborn, but Hikara’s belief system has basically turned upside down, role changed completely, and she keeps going just like she was. Nuance would be nice here.

I am very much looking forward to the conclusion in this series and hope I can also get the arc for that one!

[Ariel (ariel_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up. The summary of book one at the start was superb and allowed me to jump right back into the story with ease. while the end of book 1 left me feeling like I had very little grasp of the bigger picture, this book does an excellent job at filling in several gaps while setting the stage for book 3. There's a final twist at the end that made me even more excited to see how this trilogy concludes. Just like book one, there's our four main POVs, and one POV that is from a god's POV that is 572 years prior. For a story and world this grand and epic, all POVs are necessary and an important part of the narrative as a whole.

A huge thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the eARC of the book!

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good sequel! I read the first book, The Gods Below, a little over a year ago and loved it, but was a little nervous going into the second book because I couldn’t remember everything that had happened. Luckily this book did a great job of reminding me of how the first book ended and who everyone was. I was able to get right back into the story easily.

There are multiple POVs in this book and I really enjoyed all of them, which is rare because I usually have at least one POV I don’t love as much. Every character is enjoyable and I loved each of their plots. I loved that this book brought certain people together that had never interacted with each other yet. The characters in this series are all great and I don’t know if I can pick a favorite.

The world created in this series is so unique and I loved learning more about it. This book flew by for me and I think the pacing was perfect, especially for a second book in a series. I also thought the end reveals were great and some of them I didn’t see coming!

I love this series and cannot wait for the next book! I definitely recommend this book to any fantasy lovers looking for a unique world with an interesting magic system.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[ellora · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

y'all are SLEEPING on andrea stewart!!! her writing is SO GOOD, and so are her books!!

this was an exceptional sequel. stewart balances 5 POVs so seamlessly and effortlessly, and she blends all plots together so well by the end of the book. i cannot wait for the finale hopefully in 2026!

(thassir i'd die for u)

[chi]

The Gods Below ★★★.5
------------------

WE HAVE A SEQUEL!!!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The War Beyond by Andrea Stewart is the second book in The Hollow Covenant trilogy, and I absolutely devoured it. I couldn’t put it down. It picks up right where the first book left off and moves at a breakneck pace—fast, intense, and packed with action. We get so many answers this time around, which I loved, and a few characters really shine in unexpected ways. There are also a couple of twists I did not see coming.

The lore of this world and its gods was one of my favorite parts of book one, and it continues to captivate me here—I’m completely hooked. There are still plenty of mysteries left to unravel in the final book, but this one deepened the world beautifully. Where the author hides some of the answers and plot points so well within these other stories and you don't even realize it until the plot point is revealed or you're thinking about it after the fact—so good!

Hakara is hunting down Lithuas, Rasha has become a Godkiller while wrestling with her faith, Sheuan dives even deeper into politics, and Mull uncovers some of the biggest secrets of all. It’s a really fun ride, and there are some amazing quotes that had me giggling and kicking my feet.

That said, while the story was incredible, it wasn’t perfect. The fast pacing and action meant the character focus sometimes suffered. There’s plenty of angst (SO much angst), but not always enough time spent sitting with the characters and their emotions. Communication definitely isn’t anyone’s strong suit here, and that lack of emotional clarity made a few moments feel abrupt or confusing. There are some fantastic relationships here, and I'd love to see more of them in the final book.

If you can look past that, this is absolutely worth the read. It’s thrilling, imaginative, and full of heart—even when the characters can’t quite articulate theirs. I already cannot wait until the final book.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt slower than the previous one. I kept putting it down and letting myself get distracted even though I was curious about where things would end up (usually a sign that I didn’t jive with the pacing).

There was a lot of important stuff happening, but Hakara and Rasha especially felt like they weren’t really accomplishing anything with their travel (important things happened once they got to those places, kind of, but there was a lot of filler). Mull once again surprised me with how interesting his contributions to the story and the world were - though I think we left him in a really weird spot that feels kind of like an accidental cliffhanger (not very deliberate). Sheuen was much less interesting this time as well because she couldn’t “cleverly manipulate” her way out of anything, and that made her pretty impotent.

Probably should have just waited and listened to the audiobook for this one, but the worldbuilding continues to amaze and the characters are so REAL (even as most of the gods are kind of eye roll-worthy caricatures)

{Thank you Orbit Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}

[Amanda Blazina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really appreciated that there was a summary in the front of this book about the last one. It was a nice concise way to delve back into this world. I enjoyed this story, but I definitely thinks it suffers a little from second book syndrome. The first book had a lot more action and the political moves were more cunning. In this installment the action is put on the back burner and the world building and lore is all brought to the front. With such a large cast of characters, I think Stewart does an excellent job of character building and keeping their voices separate. You can pick up any chapter not knowing who it is and immediately be able to tell who the pov is about. I really enjoy the inner turmoil both of these sisters are experiencing and hope for a resolution that keeps them both alive. The ending reveal about the gods was very interesting and not something I guessed! That was a pleasant surprise! Overall I liked this book and liked the heavy world building and large cast, but I did find myself having to push through the middle section and let go of my expectations of an action packed story.

[Meredith || heymeremere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The War Beyond by Andrea Stewart.

I enjoyed the first book, but this one was even better. The first introduced a complex world of gods, magic, and shifting POVs—but now that I know the lay of the land, I’m completely invested.

This is a story about war, change, and how people try to fix what they’ve broken. It’s found family, love in all its forms, and choosing to care no matter what happens.

“The elder gods made a blood promise to one another long ago…”
“Maybe you don’t owe me anything, but I owed you more.”

Andrea Stewart’s storytelling just keeps getting better.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Andrea Stewart so much. The War Beyond is a great middle book, I just didn't love it as much as The Gods Below. I think she handled the middle book way better in her previous trilogy. That being said, it's still a solid 4 stars. My only critic really is that I didn't love it as much as I loved her previous books.

[so’ *ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

if book 1 was refreshing and incredible, book 2 slayed. i had high hopes for this one and omg it did not disappoint!! the reveals!! the action scenes!! more reveals and plot twists!! oh, and that ending, leading us to an ultimate battle… very very excited for what’s to come.

ps: thassir continues to be my little fav

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book, but much like the first one, I feel like it took a while to get to the point. I kind of found the characters not super interesting, a lot of repetition, and no real character growth or progress, which is hard when you have a split narration.

I didn't feel like it took too long for me to get back into this book after reading book 1 a while ago.

I did eventually enjoy it, and even though developments took a while, I was happy when they happened.

[Cayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little torn, the pacing was slow and dragged on at points, but it felt like this was intentional..
Let me explain,..

Stewart did what all of us fantasy readers desire, a recap of the first book to help us get oriented again. We immediately find ourselves back in an amazing world and get introduced to new "friends".
Plenty of the book focuses on interpersonal and internal struggles the characters find themselves experiencing, and it makes you feel their dread and despair. Which makes me believe that the slower pacing of the book was a tool used to make us readers empathize.

Towards the end the pacing picks up and we start "cooking with gas", so to speak. If you aren't afraid of a story that doesn't serve instant gratification, but gives you a detailed world and characters - this is for you.

Thank you to Andrea Stewart for taking the "War Beyond" what I could have imagined! Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for sending me on yet another adventure!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a summary at the beginning of this book for book 1 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 and a great twist at the end. I’ll be needing book 3. Thank you.

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

*ARC generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley*

I don't think this series is for me. I'm through 2/3 of this trilogy and I really have no desire to see it through.

Hakara spends 3/4 of the book running wherever she wants to catch Lithuas for revenge despite her comrades telling her to turn back now that she's the de facto leader of the Unannointed.
Rasha goes down the "my religion is actually bad/evil route," starts questioning everything and gets in a lot of trouble for it. It's all very uninteresting as her path crosses with Mull's as he was determined to sneak into a Den to find the secrets of Tolomne's journey.
Any and all romances feel very forced and no real chemistry between any of the pairs. I will sadly not be returning for book 3

[Dima · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book follows neatly after the previous one, with an introduction that efficiently reminds the reader of the context and main characters—better than many comparable sequels manage.

I remain torn about this book. I genuinely love the worldbuilding—what the author has created here is astounding and easily ranks in the top 5% of all fantasy fiction I’ve read. While there are similarities to Mistborn: The Final Empire, the overall narrative is far more nuanced and complex. This world is populated by flawed characters and gods who struggle to live up to their own mythic expectations, while fate and history are manipulated to construct narratives serving a clear agenda. This element, in particular, forms an excellent critique of religion and totalitarian control of history as a means to redefine people’s priorities and mindsets. It’s executed so well that this alone makes the book worth reading—and the mystery at the heart of this manipulation keeps the pages turning.

That said, the book is deeply flawed. The greatest weakness lies in its characters and their interactions. They all come across as juvenile and one-dimensional—each driven by a single idée fixe, unable or unwilling to grasp nuance or control their emotions. It’s as if every protagonist is a hormonal teenager, floundering through life and relationships. Some of the dialogue is downright cringeworthy, and the character development feels forced and shallow, lacking any real understanding of human nature. By contrast, in Scott Lynch’s work, the worldbuilding may be less intricate, but the characterisation and emotional depth are exemplary.

Still, this book remains worth reading for its worldbuilding and meta-narrative alone. The imagination underpinning these elements is extraordinary and almost compensates for the poor character work.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2.5/5

I'm sorry if this comes out rude as I am trying to say this in the absolute nicest way possible, but...

What happened here?

Like seriously, please someone catch me up on the memo because I feel like I lost some form of really important communication between the first and the second book....

Because much like The Gods Below, I was enthralled... my mind racing with questions, answers, and then more questions... of wanting to know more about Andrea's world and more about the characters within...And things just fell flat from there. What could've been such a bedazzling sequel... felt more like a hastily clumped together filler of information, random plot points, and spontaneous decisions... all done with almost no thought or actual meaningful contribution to the plot...

Throughout The War Beyond, it seems as though the concept of using a sequel to further grow your characters and be able to show their unique personalities and traits off is also tossed to the side, as there is really no distinct thoughts, no ideas, no true feelings that are conveyed... and this is especially more noticeable towards the ends, as it seems emotions and anything deep is just thrown out the window for a way to quickly wrap up the plot.

Although I am still very curious about this complex world, its gods, its secrets, and the way of life.... I'm hesitant about picking up the finale that this filler of a sequel (aka a literal disaster to some degree) builds up to. The War Beyond just seems rushed in a way that I don't think I can forgive... Not easily, anyway.

This review was held till 30 days in advanced of publishing per the request of the publisher. Thank you to Orbit Books, to Hachette Book Group, and to Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and the rest of my reviews can be found at: https://littlereapling.wixsite.com/fa....

[Brittney Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: 5 stars
Date: 12/6/25 – 12/12/25

Note: This is the 2nd book in the Hollow Covenant so this will not be an in-depth review.

After hearing about Andrea Stewart on Booktube and finding her books on my local public library shelves, I quickly read through them, which allowed me to pick up her newest release, The War Beyond, the 2nd book in the Hollow Covenant series relatively quickly after it came out. This series tells of a post-apocalyptic world once ruled over by gods from Unterra or the hollow center of this world. However, at some point in the past, there was an event called the Shattering, and the surface world was divided into countries separated by magical boundaries, the gods came to the surface, and the countries started to be transformed one by one. It is in this world that our characters Hakara, Rasha, Mullayne, and Sheuan and their associates enter. Can they find a way to survive in this harsh, complicated world, especially after hidden history and religious cracks start to be revealed?

My favorite part about this book, with no surprise to anyone, is the themes discussed. In this one, we discuss many themes, but the two main ones are the deconstruction of religion and the admittance/acceptance of hidden history. I believe that I have mentioned it in previous reviews, but if I haven’t, I was raised in a Southern Baptist household located in a small predominantly white town square in the Bible Belt; although, I will admit my upbringing wasn’t as strict as a lot of my friends. Therefore, my journey to realizing the discrepancies and toxicity within most religious communities wasn’t as dramatic as a lot of other people’s probably was, but it was enough that I could relate to the elements of it in this book well, especially Rasha’s point of view when she starts questioning and her fear and turmoil associated with that. When it comes to the other theme of admittance/acceptance of hidden history, this is common theme for books in this genre, however, I particularly liked how this one handled the aspect of not only admitting the history, but also apologizing and trying to atone for it as it includes not only characters that are discovering the history for the first time but also ones who lived it, which allows for some interesting and complex commentary.

One of the things I love most about Stewart is how she structures her reveals in her books. She opens every chapter with fragments of history or literature for this world, and you must use that information as well as the information that is revealed by the characters exploring and flashback chapters to slowly figure out the secrets of this world alongside your characters. This adds an element of fun and at one point, I realized something and ran to info dump to my mom about it😊. (AuDHD things!!!!) I read non-stop and a lot of books struggle with the structure of reveals; they either make it too obvious or not obvious enough so when a book hits that sweet spot, I get excited! Stewart also crafts really unique worlds that don’t pull on the same elements as other books in this genre and this makes them fun and refreshing to read, and that combined with the pace of reveals keep me turning pages way faster and longer than I should be!!

All in all, this was a great addition to the series, and I am excited to see how she wraps it up because I think I like this series even more than her first one. It is so unique and well-structured that I can’t help getting sucked into the narrative, which as I mentioned before doesn’t happen very often anymore with how much I read. 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kristine Gift · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Disclaimer:* A digital ARC of this book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In the sequel to The Gods Below, Andrea Stewart leads us back into her tangled web of loyalties and deceptions; gods and godkillers; and the history and mysteries of this world she's built. And much like its predecessor, The War Beyond had me hooked with the questions, answers and MORE questions it presented. I absolutely love Andrea Stewart's world building; I collect all the little "hmm that's odd" moments and hints and clues, and I try to predict where we're headed or where the truth lies.

However I found that I was pulled through The War Beyond almost entirely by these world mysteries alone. The magic of the characters seemed to have gone flat in this second installment. Perhaps it was the hop-skip nature of the plot where every character was bopping from one thing to the next without any real time to think or plan. Most chapters skipped over growth moments and went right to every confrontation, fight or dangerous moment, which made each feel less important because they were so plentiful. It was as if the only way to move the plot forward was to literally force the characters to bop from place to place; and that kind of storytelling does not appeal to me.

For a lot of this book, the characters also seemed to just make split-second decisions to force the plot along, and their motivations were unclear or inconsistent. At one point, Hakara thinks that a certain plot tangent was worthless, and I found myself agreeing with her which I don't think Stewart intended. But it felt like we were rushing toward an ending that I couldn't foresee for much of the book, nor could the characters think far enough ahead to plan for an ending either.

Additionally, many of the conclusions the characters reached in the last 10-15% felt like very convenient logical jumps that seemed to come out of nowhere. These weren't feelings, ideas or suspicions that they nursed over many chapters. It just occurred to them in the spur of the moment, and they happened to be right. And even at that, the characters didn't seem to react all that much to them which made each one fall flat.

The only exception to this was Mull, who is a nerd driven by a need to know things (relatable), and who is frequently sitting back and going "Oh nooooo" (also relatable). He was the consistent through line in a book full of characters who felt like plot puppets instead of real people. And considering his POV was my least favorite in The Gods Below, this is really saying something that he is now my favorite.

Overall, The War Beyond felt like a lot of filler to get us in place for a finale book. It exists to move the characters around and make them realize things we need to know, all to set up the third book and the war we've been moving toward for ~1000 pages now. But despite my gripes about The War Beyond, I'll still be picking up the next installment because I want to see the secrets of this world revealed. Even if I may not care much about the characters, I do want to know if and how this world survives and the secrets of its gods.

[Caitlin Barnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a copy of The War Beyond by Andrea Stewart. Stewart is an author I always look to for interesting, engaging and exciting fantasy.

I will admit that I found myself more torn about this sequel than I was anticipating. The War Beyond picks up about a year after the conclusion of The Gods Below. We were left with so many questions and hints and clues left waiting to be followed. What we found in The War Beyond are more and more questions! I love the element of mystery that leaves, but I don’t think that’s enough to carry the book on its own. The magic system and world building are super intriguing and original. This is something that Stewart excels at without a doubt. However, some of the other elements seem to have fallen by the wayside as we delve in.

The recap definitely helps make the multiple POVs easier to handle. I think it would take a solid amount of time to settle back into those characters without that. So, thanks to Stewart for providing that relief! Unfortunately, settling back into those characters made me realize that it doesn’t seem as though any of the characters have really developed since we started.

Oftentimes, a second book already has the groundwork so readers can get further into character growth and development. However, it seems like Stewart’s characters are all just careening along every random path without really knowing what they’re doing or why..

Mull appears to be the only character that stops to think about what comes after Step One of a crazy new scheme, actually considering the reasons behind those decisions before acting. Basically the complete opposite of Hakara, who just kind of wings it with everything and then wracks herself with guilt when it goes poorly.

This frustration was exacerbated by the pacing, which felt off for me. We go from running and fighting at breakneck speed to lulls that seem to stretch on for an exceedingly long time. It creates a real start-stop reading experience that makes it tough to fully immerse yourself into the story.

I did enjoy seeing the seeds of doubt starting to take root for each of the characters. Whether it’s regarding their own abilities and feelings, religion, political structure or the reliability of the knowledge they have been taught to take at face value. All of these internal struggles are starting to show and those cracks can only grow from here on out.

While I did think that this book had more of a filler feel than I would have liked, I do look forward to seeing how this all comes together. I have high hopes that the finale will provide satisfying answers and bring all of these threads together for a great conclusion.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The War Beyond by Andrea Stewart continued to build upon the unique world and magic system that was introduced in the first book. It was just as satisfying this time around and I as quite enthralled by the Gods, the gems that bring out abilities in people, and the mysterious aeroclines that causes humans to lose their minds if they inhale it too much.

I hate to say this sequel fell a bit flatter for me than the first book in the series, The Gods Below. I had such high hopes for it with how much I loved the first book, but The War Beyond felt like it dragged and like the story/characters had lost the purpose they were so full of in the first book. Though the characters continued to have goals, it no longer felt like the story was really moving in a meaningful manner. Instead, they were on endless chases that never seemed to go anywhere, and the book felt longer than it really needed to be.

The greatest disappointment for me in The War Beyond was the fact that Thassir, my favourite character in the first book, seemed to lose all personality and in Hakara’s chapters he was just a presence in the background, solely there to cart Hakara around and little else. He was a mopey figure in every scene and I’m so sad he lost the vitality and spirit that made me love him so much.

However, it isn’t all negative. As previously stated, the world itself and all it entails are fascinating, and I enjoyed the moments where more information was provided, and it felt like the story was moving along as things were discovered. Though slow, the plot does move forward at times, and these were the moments that kept me reading.

I’m still looking forward to the third book in the series as I really hope it will pick back up the thread of the first one and draw me back into this story I started out loving. With any luck the pace will get back on track and there will be plenty of answers going forward. And honestly, the last bit of the book helped to make up for the moments that felt slow to me because the pace absolutely got back on track and the last few chapters were the kind of chaos that has you desperately turning the pages to find out what is coming next. This definitely gave me more hope going into the third book and has me very much looking forward to what might come next, especially with reveals that occurred and the way certain storylines were left at super pivotal moments. I will definitely be back for more!

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WAR BEYOND by Andrea Stewart
The Hollow Covenant Book 2 | Adult Epic Fantasy

✨ A sharp, expansive sequel that raises the emotional and political stakes while pulling two sisters toward a collision neither can escape.

After the events of The Gods Below, Hakara continues her search, not for reunion, but for survival. Fighting alongside the Unanointed rebels, she tracks the shapeshifter Lithuas, hoping to unravel the threads of Kluehnn’s divine tyranny. Meanwhile, Rasha has become a Godkiller, reshaped by devotion and doctrine, even as doubt grows beneath her loyalty. Their paths, once bound by love, now align toward war.

Across the continent, Sheuan and Mullayne pick at the scars of history...one hunting for truth, the other chasing a tomb steeped in centuries-old secrets. Every POV pushes the world closer to a restoration event that could alter everything.

What I Loved:
🌑 A sequel that clarifies the world’s larger mythology and political structures
👭 Hakara and Rasha’s fractured sisterhood at the center of the emotional tension
🗝️ Multi-POV storytelling that feels necessary rather than overwhelming
🔥 An escalating god-war threaded with history, loss, and shifting loyalties
🌋 Climate fiction undertones explored through magic, consumption, and consequence
🌈 Continued queer representation woven into character and world in meaningful ways
🌀 A final twist that reframes the trilogy’s endgame

Tropes & Elements:
👭 Sisters on Opposite Sides of a War
🗡️ Rebellion vs. Divine Rule
🌍 Climate Fantasy / Resource Consequence
🧬 Godkillers & Divine Politics
🌈 Queer/LGBT Representation
🌀 Ancient Magic & Catastrophic Events
🔍 Hidden History / Lost Truths
🎭 Multiple POV Epic Fantasy

Vibe: vast, emotional, political, mythic
Spice: minimal; character-driven connections
For fans of: climate-inspired fantasy, god-war sagas, sibling-centered narratives, and worldbuilding with depth

💜 A strong second installment that broadens the scope, deepens the characters, and sets the trilogy on a path toward a high-stakes conclusion. I’m eager to see how it all converges in book three.

#TheWarBeyond #AndreaStewart #TheHollowCovenant #EpicFantasy #AdultFantasyBooks #QueerFantasy #GodWarSaga #MultiplePOV #ClimateFantasy #SiblingAgainstSibling #RebellionFantasy #Bookstagram #FantasyTropes #Kensington #Orbit #BTCInsiders

[Emily Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Andrea Stewart, Orbit, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of The War Beyond in exchange for my honest review.

The War Beyond is the second book in The Hollow Covenant series. This book picks up shortly after the conclusion of The Gods Below though I will say there is a "here is what has happened" section at the beginning which I really appreciated. In this book, Hakara and Rasha are once again separated, but this time by choice. Their beliefs have taken them on two different paths, that will intersect in the future, but likely not in the way you would expect. There are also two other POVS which I though added to the story nicely. You need those POVs to truly understand the grasp of the story. They are not to much, but they do provide vital information. I enjoyed Rasha's POV a lot in this book. I am a sucker for good character development, and watching her try to figure out what she believes for herself, rather than what she is told to believe was a pleasure. She questions what is right and what is wrong throughout the book, and does not truly understand why things are the way that they are.

The underlying themes of this book might just be my favorite part, including themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and questioning what people expect you to do/to believe. This book is fast-paced and I was gripped from the very beginning. I did not want to put it down. And that ending? I was shook. I need the next book. I have to know the reactions to what information was discovered. That plot twist is one where looking back it makes complete sense and seems obvious, but in the moment it did not seem that obvious. I HIGHLY recommend this book and think that everyone who read and even somewhat enjoyed The Gods Below should read this. The only reason it was not a 5 star read is because I love character development and would have liked to see a bit more from other characters (Rasha's was gold).

[Bethany J · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*

One of the things I like most about this series is the world-building and plot are so, so interesting. This book follows up pretty quickly after the first book left off. While book 1 was a lot of set up, book 2 starts to show more of that pay off. There were so many reveals that I really loved, opening up new doors for some interesting conclusions in the last book. There was also a new POV chapter, which I appreciated, because it added a lot more context both to the character and some of the wider mysteries surrounding the past.

Unfortunately, the weakest part of this series has and continues to be the romance. Hakara's romance with Thassir still makes zero sense. Part of that is because Thassir doesn't get a modern day POV, so I have no idea what he sees in Hakara. I like the girl, but she is a bit of a mess (affectionately). Plus, Thassir is just big and broody. He doesn't fully have much going for him in the romance department. As for Rasha and Sheuan, they maybe make a little more sense? But the way the book is building them up, they're supposed to be star-crossed lovers, when at best I could just see it as a jilted infatuation. Sheuan's feelings for Rasha, in particular, don't seem to make that much sense because they barely spent any significant time together. In both cases, there's nothing that connects me to these relationships and makes me believe that they deserve to exist on page.

I think whether I mark this series as one that I regularly re-read will largely depend on how the plot wraps up in the last book. The plot reveals in this one have me super psyched. I just don't care about any of the romances, which stinks because although they're not super plot relevant(?), they still take up page time that I'd rather spend elsewhere.