Light Wielder

Fire & Metal #2

by Rachel Schneider, Andi Eloise (Narrator), Anthony Palmini (Narrator)

The highly anticipated sequel to Metal Slinger —the breakout romantasy sensation by Rachel Schneider.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Magic

Audible Audio

First published June 9, 2026

About the author

Rachel Schneider lives in South Louisiana with her husband and daughter. She loves curse words, crawfish, and all things romance.

Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Damn, this kind of made me want to drink bleach.

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best sequel that’s been released in the last year, I was HOOKED. Every question I had after book 1 was answered and the book was still full of surprises. The ending has me completely GAGGED but I’m afraid I will never get over this magic system and how genius it is. Dual POV in fantasy isn’t my favourite but Acker and his yearning…I’m done for!!!! Had such high expectations and this book completely met every single one of them!!!!!!!!!!! And the ENDING?!!!! Yeah, I’m sat.

[Kaila.Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t care enough to write a review. Mid plus.

But don’t give an ending like book one and skip 4 years and have them not be enemies. Lame.

[Esta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dang rabbits!

Without spoilers, a lot of things get resolved in Light Wielder, and I was along for the ride and the twists. My personal favourite reveal is possibly the origin of the phrase dang rabbits.

Although poor Irina, for real, that girl deserves peace and rest and happiness. I’m thankful the author didn’t pit a women against each other given the situation, over a dude, because I’m sure we all would've hated that.

Also, if you thought the whisky glass scene was… fascinating, then I can say that there is another… interesting scene or two in Light Wielder.

This is a fairly different vibe and aesthetic to Metal Slinger, a lot more action and war and political manoeuvering and manipulation (I’m calling GRRM would be proud), plus a thread of social commentary.

Pretty sure after reading the epilogue that we can deduce whose story gets told next and ofc I’m here for it.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Happy Light Wielder publish day!

About to find out if Metal Slinger foreshadowed everything and I missed every single clue?

[Rachel Louise ☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 45%
⭐️/5

*taps mic*

Strap yourselves in, because this isn't going to be pretty.

I thought Acker's yearning could save this for me, but unfortunately Light Wielder made me yearn for the urn. ⚱️🪦



I don't even know where to start with this review. It's going to be a long one so I'll just leave some main points here for those who don't have the patience for my ranting:

✧ This was the most anticlimactic sequel to Metal Slinger's ending you could've imagined
✧ There is little change from the first book despite this being set a whole 4 YEARS LATER
✧ Both the fmc and mmc still lack any sort of personality
✧ The world building is lacklustre
✧ There is almost no humour or lightness
✧ Incredibly over descriptive of pointless things that add nothing to the plot
✧ An insane lack of acknowledgment to the ending of book 1 for the first 40%
✧ Also still the most boring and underdeveloped writing style I've ever read
✧ THE ENDING TO METAL SLINGER STILL DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE

Ok, now let's get into it. ☕️

As mentioned above, the first 20% of this was probably the most anticlimactic thing I've ever read. HOW CAN YOU START THE SEQUEL TO METAL SLINGER 4 YEARS LATER???????!!!!!! Maybe, just maybe, if there was a prologue at the beginning that detailed some of what had gone on in the last 4 years or a brief recap of some sort, I wouldn't have found this beginning so diabolical. Alas, we are thrown into this book in the middle of a war where I had no clue what was going on, and there was no mention of how it came to be. Bearing in mind, I literally only read Metal Slinger 2 months ago. I could not for the life of me recall anything about that book aside from the abysmal plot twist at the end, so I was desperate for a crumb of context. Did I get that? Ha. No. It took until around 40% in to get any kind of solid understanding of what truly transpired after Jovie's betrayal. Not only that, but it felt impossible to pick up where we left off because there were no small refreshers on the plot devices or the magic systems. Any potential room for explanation was ignored. I can't imagine how hard it must be to reacquaint yourself with the world and the characters if you read Metal Slinger when it came out years ago, if I struggled this much after only a couple of months. For a fantasy book, usually I would say it should take only a couple of chapters or so to be able to reacquaint yourself.

The plot for the first 45% was boring. There is no way to beat around the bush with this. I started to wish I could travel back in time to 3 year old me and prevent her from learning how to read so I wouldn't be subjected to this in the future.

Like I said with Metal Slinger, there was so much potential. It was wasted as soon as the '4 years later' idea came into play with nothing to show for it. Jovie's betrayal is even more confusing to me after starting this, especially because both her and Acker are still saying how in love they are with each other and the stretch of time is completely ignored as soon as the book starts.

There was a quote from Acker very early on that just bamboozled me.

"And I realize... that even after everything she's done...
I'll never abandon her.
I can't.
I won't."

Like are we ignoring the betrayal or not? Also, it's been 4 years of war against her without seeing or speaking to each other whatsoever, so why is that realisation only just coming now? Literally nothing has changed or happened within the plot when he says this. It's just not thought out well at all.

We also have to get over 1/3 of the way through to have any idea of what our FMC Jovie has been up to in that mystical time jump (surprise, she's queen now! And not only that, but no one knew!! Despite it being a year since she was crowned!!!)

Considering this is a pretty big plot point, it boggles my mind that for the first part of this book all we're doing is being subjected to descriptions of Jovie's washing and sleeping habits. I thought maybe there would be an improvement on the unnecessary descriptions after Metal Slinger, but I was wrong. It is so, so overly descriptive of the most mundane things. It kind of reads like a student trying to boost their essay word count.

This writing style just isn't for me. It's very plain, and lacks any sort of uniqueness that imo fantasy books require to grasp your attention and keep it. There are a LOT of bland, stilted sentences, for example:

'The young boy’s face is familiar. I’ve seen him around camp. Son of a farmer, I believe. He would often turn his gaze away in my presence.'

You cannot tell me this doesn't read like one of those AI generated voice-over story videos you see on Facebook. How are you supposed to immerse yourself in a book this bland? There is no feeling behind any of it. It's robotic, and there is too much telling and not enough showing, especially when it comes to the actions of each character. What I find odd with this writing style is that for a large part of the book, there is little to no dialogue whether it be with other characters or internally. It's incredibly hard to build a connection to the main characters when inner thoughts are this sparse. But sure, tell me for the 700th time that Jovie is covered in mud and blood from head to toe, and how she 'smells like war'.

Now, moving onto the characters...

Jovie, go girl give us nothing!!! 🤪 Could not tell you a single thing about this fmc other than she's traitorous and has as much personality as a plant pot. This character is a walking contradiction. Nothing about her makes sense or aligns in any way.

'I’ve spent years guilt-ridden and ashamed of my decisions, hating myself for breaking his heart, and it’s obvious he is nothing of the sort.'

How can she say this in regard to Acker but for the first half of the book her and Beau have 0 remorse/extreme hostility towards him? And she repeatedly says how she hates him. I literally couldn't care less about her character. How on earth do you immerse yourself in a book where you have no interest in the fmc?


Seriously though, what the fuck happened to Acker's character in this. The author deserves jail time for how they massacred my boy. He could've been in the yearning man hall of fame, but instead his character was turned into a whiny little simp with daddy issues and teenage boy-esque fantasies. He also needs to grow a goddamn spine, because genuinely what happened to this supposedly fearsome warrior we were introduced to in book 1? Am I really supposed to believe that the character we were first introduced to has been in a state of perpetual emotional stasis for 4 years while there is a whole ass war going on and Jovie was swanning about the kingdoms getting shit done? Sorry, did I mention I hated this weird time jump? 🥰

He also appears to have fallen victim to the dual personality disorder Jovie did, and there were far too many conflicting statements from him to count.

When discussing Jovie, there's this quote:

'Seduce her if you have to, is what he’d said. I’m not above it. It’s basically what she did to me, letting me fall more and more in love with her all the while having every intention of stabbing me in the back.'

So one minute you're saying you'd happily die over not being matched to her, and then the next you're fantasising over ways to get your revenge. Make it make sense.

I thought we'd reached a turning point when we were heading towards the reunion between Acker & Jovie. This is what I was holding out for. Surprise, surprise... immediate disappointment. There was such a long build up to this (HALF THE FUCKING BOOK) for it to just be the most boring thing ever. Everyone was just skirting around the matching bond they have, and literally everything could've been resolved if they'd just had a basic conversation.

Whatever measly spark they had previously was clearly unsalvageable at this point, and the chemistry was non-existent. So you can imagine my surprise when after a whole 40% of PG ✨nothingness✨, it turns into some weird spice fest as they reunite with a very descriptive imaginary sex scene that comes out of nowhere. Like you're telling me after everything Acker has said about how he's felt regarding Jovie's betrayal up until this point that the first thought he has when being reunited after 4 years is 'And fuck me if I’m not struggling to stave off an erection.'. Like what in the frat boy?????????????? Get a grip my dude.

I will say, the one redeeming quality in terms of characters is Messer. I liked him in the first book, and he definitely adds so much where the main characters are lacking in this. He actually has personality! Every scene with him felt so much more interesting and bearable. Unfortunately the same can't be said about the other side characters, I literally still can't tell them apart. I just so wish the author had spent more time fleshing out each character's backstories and giving them depth so we were able to develop some sort of connection to them.

Here's some other random quotes that made me laugh:

'She chose war over killing your father because you asked her not to. If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is.' - urm idk, maybe not betraying your soul mate and having him tied to a chair?

'Eyes closed, one arm folded behind his head, he’s a picture of calm and relaxation as he lies within arm’s reach beside me. Almost as if we were on holiday instead of hiding in enemy territory.' - oooh they have holidays in fantasy realms now? well I guess nothing beats Jet2

'It’s freezing and I will die on this hill. Pun intended.' - get your goddamn TikTok slang out of my goddamn fantasy novels



'My eyes drop to the glass in his hand. It���s never concerned me before, but the thought of the glass I possibly used to pleasure my Match being in his hands has me seeing red.' - forgot how diabolical this was in book 1 so bringing this to your attention again 🤭 also how has it took him 4 years to have this thought?

'Up to this point he’s demonstrated as much personality as a dead fish, but now he’s acting like he’s made of sunshine and happiness. Get the fuck—' - contrary to popular belief, this is not a quote from me

'“Men think they know everything.”' - highlight of the book for me ngl

'After all, she conspired behind my back and chained me to a chair. But as angry as I’ve been with her for her treason, she’s still my little sister.' - this is probably the worst thing I've ever read in a fantasy book, but after all she's still my little sister 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

To conclude, because I fear this review is now as long as the boat scene from Metal Slinger..

If this really is a duo-logy, then fuck me I guess. Ultimately, Metal Slinger as a book failed to tie together, and Light Wielder fails to tie back to the first book to an interesting amount. Y'know when you really believe in the potential of a book that you're genuinely disappointed in how much it fails to deliver? That is this. The world, the magic system, the political aspects all could have been really entertaining and immersive but overall the writing and lack of depth let the whole thing down. Do I think this would've been 100x better if the King was killed at the end of book 1? Absolutely. I could understand that direction so much more. Things would've made sense. But unfortunately, the desperation for shock factor overshadowed the need for a comprehensive plot.

Andddddddddd SCENE









Disclaimer: Usually I wouldn't rate/mark a dnf as read but out of sheer boredom, I ended up skipping ahead to see how it ended etc so I could give it a fair review.




pre-read
update: IT'S HAPPENING 🤪 I gave into the fomo!!! stay so fucking tuned

I saw this was on KU and I'm intrigued after the abysmal ending of Metal Slinger 👀 I absolutely hated the first book and rated it 2 stars 🫢 do I read it??? 👀 will it revive the series for me?? you guys know I have no willpower when it comes to fomo 🫠

[Kaitlyn]

Completely sat waiting for book two release dates

I fear I am unwell from book one

[èvieane · Rating 2 out of 5]

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍✦ . 　⁺ 　 . 2.1 - 2.3 ☆ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ Maybe I might sound a bit harsh when rating this, but I very clearly have to rate it lower than the first book, and sadly there isn't much I can do about that. The book was disappointing enough that I'm not even feeling that guilty about it, which is probably saying something.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ I'm not entirely sure how long this review is going to end up being, but judging by the amount of notes I took while reading, there will probably be quite a few complaints along the way. So buckle up, I guess. The rant train has officially left the station and you are all getting a free ticket for the ride 🥳


ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ “ . . . . ” - literally had no quote to add here


ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⋅ ☾ My first issue was the writing errors. I am usually not the type of person to complain about them because, let's be honest, everyone makes mistakes and a typo here and there is hardly the end of the world. But when I keep noticing them over and over again? Yeah, that's when it starts getting on my nerves. And unfortunately, once I start noticing them, I can't stop noticing them.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⋅ ☾ I felt like things were actually happening for a while, and then the plot suddenly decided it needed a holiday for about 40% of the book. We got a few revelations that felt more like common sense than actual revelations and a lot of pages where it felt like we were just existing.
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ And then, just when I had fully accepted my fate, the last part of the book showed up, shook me awake, and immediately annoyed me because it was so rushed. We went from absolutely taking our time to SPEEDRUNNING THE PLOT?????

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⋅ ☾ Now, since we're already on the subject of the plot, shall we discuss some of the creative decisions that were made here?

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ 1. The whole plotline with Fredrich was absolutely stupid and completely unnecessary. It served no purpose other than annoying me and creating what I assume the author believed would be a very hot smut scene idea (it was not).
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ Instead, it gave us forced tension, forced drama, forced misunderstandings, and some truly frustrating dialogues. The entire thing felt like it existed solely to manufacture conflict where none was needed. And then, to make it even worse, we later find out that Acker didn't actually do anything that night????? So all that drama and "revenge" for absolutely nothing. It all just made me dislike the FMC even more.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ 2. Don't worry, you don't need to feel too bad for Acker either because what even was that marriage thing????
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ That entire marriage plotline felt like it existed for almost nothing. It was clearly meant to deliver angst, create misery for both characters, and add emotional weight, but it was so poorly developed that it ultimately brought very little to the book. Instead of enhancing the tension, it mostly made me feel bad for the poor girl caught in the middle, and at times it even pushed me toward disliking the main characters and their relationship.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ 3. At one point, I genuinely felt like the book was trying to convince me there were conflicts between the two main characters, because I couldn’t even figure out what they were actually supposed to be upset about anymore.
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ Maybe it’s on me, maybe I missed something, or maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace, but everything felt unnecessarily complicated for no reason. So many of these “issues” could have been solved in half a page of actual, genuine dialogue.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⋅ ☾ On this note, I really hated the FMC. It was like watching a little girl trying to play the part of an empowering woman.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⋅ ☾ Don't worry; I also don't like the MMC. It was like he lost all the personality he had in the first book, decided to become....something...and then proceeded to annoy me.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⋅ ☾ The romance? No. Hell no. I’m not even going to fully unpack it because of how unnatural, forced, and frustrating it was. The author had some genuinely interesting premises and characters with potential and then decided to actively sabotage both of them through the romance plotline.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⋅ ☾ All that build-up just for the conflict to be resolved with what can only be described as a *check notes* magic light trick. Are you kidding me? The battle basically started, blinked once, and then immediately ended. Everything in that ending felt like it was sprinting toward the finish line with no intention of explaining itself properly.
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ And honestly, if you ever feel useless, just remember the villains in this book. Instant perspective shift.


ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⊹ Jovie — I hope she gives up her title....there is no way in hell this woman is competent enough to lead a kingdom. That's all I want to say.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⊹ Acker — I will mourn the potential of him as a character daily. Sadly, I will also have to forget about 70% of his chapters in this book to still be able to respect him.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⊹ Messer — MY FREAKING GOAT. ISTG THIS MAN JUST CANNOT DISAPPOINT, Loved him in the first book and adored him in the second one. The best and only consistent thing to come out of this series.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⊹ Fredrich — No.


ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ I mean, if you’ve already read the first book and you actually enjoyed it, then sure, go ahead and pick this one up as well. You might end up having a completely different perspective from mine and genuinely enjoy it a lot more.
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ There are interesting ideas and intriguing plot threads here, but for me, they were unfortunately so underdeveloped and strangely woven into the story that I just couldn’t fully enjoy the book.

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ Maybe my expectations were off to begin with and that’s what led to such a big disappointment, but at the end of the day, the book is just not as good as I hoped, and I still stand by that.
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍendㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹

[amandathebookworm 📚🪱 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this follow-up! Probs 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for yours truly. I inhaled it in like a day & just had a solid time.

Also thank you to St. Martins Press & Podium Entertainment for sending me both physical & audio copies!


PLOT
This takes place 4 years after the events of Metal Slinger. A war is under way & our characters have been dealing with the betrayals as well as their lingering feelings.
- lovers to enemies-ish to lovers again (more like really bitter but not over each other)
- politics & war
- shifters, light magic, metal magic
- denied bonds
- lower spice
- duet audiobook


PROS
- I don’t care how mad they were at each other Jovie & Acker’s tension was top notch & THICK.
- There was a particular scene that had me sweatin’. Rachel really said “I can’t do the whiskey glass again but I can do this”.
- Both of our leads were messy in dealing with their feelings/regrets/etc. & it was kind of refreshing.
- I particularly appreciated Acker feeling like a fully established MMC. Sometimes the farther you get into a romantasy series the more the men lose any backbone & seemingly don’t exist as a person anymore. So I actually quite liked that Acker pushed her & challenged her. Even if he was being an ass sometimes I appreciated that he was always his own person. And he was PROPERLY morally gray this book IMO.
- REALLY good audiobook! Great narration.
- Action-packed, no real lulls.
- Solid side characters. Big Messer fan still.
- Genuinely laughed out loud at “you don’t even know how to whistle” — that whole thing added a fun little mess that I actually ate tf up.
- Some fun reveals!


MIDS
- I felt so bad for Irina basically the whole book & I hope she gets her time in the sun in book 3. I’m not sure she will, it was just a bummer & I genuinely just felt bad for her.


CONS
- Something about the expansion of the world in this felt a little harder to follow? I’m not sure if it had just been so long since I read book 1, or because I read it so quickly, but I kept being like “well shit where is this? Who is that?” more than I typically do in a sequel.
- I almost maybe wanted MORE romance from our leads? We dealt with so much re: their dynamic/betrayals/etc. & yes we got our ending but maybe I wanted a lil more?


Book 3 will be fun from you-know-who’s perspective! & yes, this is book 2 in a duet but there will be more in the series to come from another POV.

[⋆˚dak ✿˖° · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟 “𝙻𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔”

𝟺 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 … 🌀✨

this was one of my most anticipated reads. i’m telling you my cheeks were clenched for weeks just in anticipation and well……. this did not meet my expectations sadly. and yes i will admit they were high but how could they not be after book 1 with that ending??? LIKE.

i’m genuinely so invested in these characters, this plot, and this world and i just felt so mixed throughout the whole book… ughhh and i hate to say it but the romance just fell soo flat for me. also there was a lot of build up for things that got resolved just way too quick, or just things don’t get resolved… and yeah it left me feeling meh and bored.

𝘑𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘦𝒜𝒸𝓀𝑒𝓇 no matter what i love these characters 💘🦋 i just wish this book did them more justice. i NEEDED more. more tension, more yearning, more of them. it just felt too rushed…

one thing i will say is 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙧 my love!!! 😚🫶🏻 i enjoyed every single thing that came flying out of this man’s mouth lmao

overall i did not hate this by any means i was just expecting/wanting more and found it very mid compared to book 1. there were some really good moments and im definitely going to miss 𝙅𝙤 and 𝘼𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 but not my fav.

won’t lie though, i am excited with where 𝚁𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚕 is taking us next 🤭😉

[katie ୨୧]

i need this book neowww

or i might combust

edit: all i can think about is that viral audio of a woman saying "Show it to me please Rachel please send it to me 🥹" and it fits so perfectly with most of booktok right now in relation to this sequel hhahagha

[Gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Choosing sides is the same as choosing conflict”

This is one of those series that absolutely sucked me in first with the hype, and then with the ending to the first book. One of those “excuse me?” moments. Admittedly it wasn’t my favorite romantasy I read last year, but I think extreme popularity can make any book feel slightly underwhelming. No fault to the story itself. And obviously I came back for the second so the hype did its job.

Now the reviews for this sequel seem to be quite polarizing, many skewing toward negative from what I’ve seen. And honestly? I’m a bit ambivalent. I wasn't even sure I was going to read this until I saw Anthony Palmini listed as a narrator, so I went in without any specific expectations.

At the beginning of Light Wielder I really did have that initial rush, that feeling that the story was going to take some interesting turns. I thought the writing was a bit more polished, and I enjoyed the addition of not only Acker’s POV, but getting some insight to the twist at the end of Metal Slinger that didn’t seem to have any foreshadowing. But said twist also made me cautious of trusting anyone’s POV, and I’m honestly not sure how I feel about that.

Then the middle got bogged down by some toxic relationship shenanigans and revenge tactics that felt stale after going around and around in circles. I can certainly be petty enough to enjoy some playful vengeance, but this went a smidge too far to be so easily forgiven. Although if we’re going for “an eye for an eye,” then by all means, I suppose this served the purpose.

I also have some mixed thoughts on the plot and politics. I think the author was trying to avoid labeling a particular side as either good or evil, and point out that any person or group that gets too obsessed with power is likely to use oppression and violence to achieve their goals. And I absolutely applaud that observation. However, the shifting loyalties between kingdoms became so convoluted that I felt like the message got muddled in the chaos. And as a true high fantasy lover, the ending felt just a little too easy. I would have loved a little bit more commentary on the true cost of such an extensive war.

Overall, this was still a fairly fun read. Maybe because my expectations weren’t too high. Maybe because I will listen to just about anything Palmini narrates.

3⭐️’s kindle, 3.5⭐️’s for the audiobook

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pre: The addition of Anthony Palmini to the audiobook may have influenced my decision to pick this up. And I also want answers after the ending from the first book.

[Seda ✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should’ve just DNFed this and saved myself from all this nonsense.

I really don’t want to be unfair; the book and the characters had so much potential. It was a good idea in theory, but I wish it had never been written.

As if ending the first book with a completely illogical twist wasn’t bad enough, the second book opens with a four-year time jump. There’s no proper explanation for the ending of book one, no explanation for what happened during those four years, no answers to the questions, no communication between the characters, no confrontation. Characters disappear out of nowhere and then suddenly come back. It’s impossible to tell who’s fighting whom, and it’s impossible to tell who’s friends with whom.

This was genuinely a painful journey. I just want to erase it from my memory.

[Maddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

That kind of disappointment almost feels like betrayal when you've spent months waiting for a sequel.
And yes, there's a particular kind of frustration when characters you loved suddenly start making decisions that seem cruel and sensless. Instead of feeling flawed and human, they come across as irrational, and you're left thinking, "There is no way the person from Book 1 would do this."

The worst part is that Book 1 remains brilliant, so you keep reading hoping the magic will return—only to become more disappointed with every chapter.

[𝘫𝘢𝘴 ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️

All this book did was piss me the fuck off. When I wasn’t angry, I was insanely bored. Needless to say, I deeply regret ever picking it up.

You know when a book has so much fucking potential, but instead of living up to it, it grabs that potential and chucks it off a fucking cliff? That is this duology.

First of all, get a fucking editor. This book has more typos than I have ever seen in any other, and that includes ARCs.

Second of all, square the fuck up.

The fact that the whole first half of this book was Jovie and Beau treating Acker with so much hostility—as if he’s the guilty party in any way, shape, or form—when they should be groveling and begging for his forgiveness was genuinely insane to me. And Acker needs to grow a goddamn spine, because genuinely what the fuck.

The latter half was much more tolerable and is the reason for the extra half star. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it enjoyable, but at least I wasn’t raging as I read. It wasn’t great by any means—hell, I don’t even know if I would call it good—but one of my biggest problems was how much I just didn’t like Jovie. If she was a better character, I might have had a decent (ish) time.

I don’t even care enough to actually review this shitshow of a book. I don’t want to waste any more time than I already have on it, so this is just going to be a compilation of a bunch of random quotes that I pasted here because they pissed me off.

Note: this is a non-exhaustive list.

After leaving Alaha with Acker, I should have said fuck Kai and the rebellion when we arrived on land. Instead of going to the palace in Kenta, I should have begged Acker to come to Maile with me. Then he could have seen how different things can be without hindering magic underneath his father’s tyrannical rule. Maybe things would be different.

Wow, what a good idea four years too late. Dumb bitch.

I try to give myself grace, remind myself that I was young and naive and distrustful of … nearly everyone, Acker included. And it’s not as if he’s ever come for me, or sent a single message with a bird. I vacillate between being angry at him as much as at myself. If he truly loved me the way I thought he did, then he would have never married Irina.

…

Please stop giving yourself grace.

I need to give Acker the same grace I would ask in return. Not that I have or ever will ask him for forgiveness for my betrayal, but that’s irrelevant.

I truly, honest to God, hate her. And the way she made Acker kneel at her feet when he got to Maile? I almost DNF’ed on the spot.

“And what was I? Collateral damage?”
“Yes.”

This is Acker talking to Beau. What a sister, everybody.

The remorse I’ve been carrying for my actions in Kenta dissolves into nothing, and all it leaves behind is burning resentment.

Bitch what remorse? Like genuinely what the actual fuck are you talking about?

Anyway, I’ll probably read Messer’s book because I actually don’t hate him, and I’d like to see him get his girl. But thank God I’m done with Jovie’s story dude.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

I’m already annoyed and I haven’t even started yet.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book description 😭 4 year time jump! Acker is married 😭😵‍💫😭 I’m going to throw up

[emmy; fire breathing kitty queen]

staring into the corner of my room because my brain is literally broken after book 1, and somehow I have to get up for work tomorrow with no possibility of book 2 nearby

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

"There's no other place I'd rather be. In Maile, with you, serving as your right hand."
"And if I refuse?"
"If you deny me, the only mercy you could offer would be death."

2.5 ⭐

I don't know who lobotomized Acker, but can we get the version of him from Metal Slinger back? This book did not have the Acker that I read about. He was such a yearner in book one and this time around he and Jovie were missing both chemistry and tension. It was such a letdown after how much I loved Metal Slinger, but Light Wielder really fell flat for me.

The beginning was too slow for me to get hooked on. It was filled with logistics about the brewing war, with little action or romance. Then what romance we did get was Jovie and Acker with other people while skirting around their Match Bond. I knew that Acker was going to be with Irina, but I didn't like how long that dragged on. A simple conversation with Jovie could've salvaged some of the slow pacing. And then the whole thing with Frederich was insanity. While I did come to like his character, that scene was not fun to read. Even the really long buildup for Acker and Jovie's reunion failed to capture my interest.

When it came to the actual war, it was all boring. Now my lack of investment in that plot could be due to the fact I didn't reread Metal Slinger before Light Wielder (highly recommend doing so). If you were really into the politics and world-building of the first book, maybe you'll enjoy it much more than I did, but I was struggling to get through it, especially the first half. Then when the action and fighting finally arrived, it was over swiftly and in such a neat fashion. I believe it started and ended within one or two chapters. All that buildup for nothing.

Despite all these flaws, there were some redeeming qualities to Light Wielder. The biggest one was Messer. There were many moments when I was laughing at his interjections, and I adored his friendship with Jovie. I also did find the inner machinations of the Match Bond intriguing. And I do think that when the whole slatstone business is fleshed out, it could be very interesting. Like book one, there were many twists and turns, though to a lesser degree. But while Jovie and Acker's story is technically complete, it unfortunately did not meet my expectations.

[Shannon Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so confused with this. I ate up the first 50% and then it seemed to really fall off in the last half.

At first I was ok with the 4 year time jump from book 1 because I didn't really remember all the details from the first book so I thought we would get a lot of back story into the years that we missed and it would kind of refresh my memory. However, as the story progressed things were not explained or giving the right amount of lead up or detail like I hoped. There was a lot just thrown at you rather then having it flow with the story progression. The world building and pacing was really lacking. It all started to feel rushed toward the end which really pulled me out of the story.

The yearning from the betrayal was the highlight for me in this. I did feel all the romantic pain and tension the characters went though which was really enjoyable. I was hoping for a bigger reconciliation after all the trauma that the relationship had though. Acker become a bit annoying with his lack of accountability. It seem all lust forward. IDK?🤷‍♀️

The story just didn't progress like I hoped it would. The more I think about it there was a lot of story development holes that need filled.

[Gyula · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise

4.25⭐️
2/5🌶️
Dual/first person POV
Book 2 in a duet within a trilogy
Format: hardcover

Spoiler free… vaguely

I am shocked with myself at how much I like this considering my take on book 1🙈 This is so unexpectedly different from what I imagined it would be but in a good way.

Starting off strong: the author’s writing has immensely improved. It’s still far from perfect but it’s most certainly come a long way. I could feel it straight away with the pacing; so much better paced than the previous book. It’s slow & steady from the start as we get to learn what went down over these years. Ending with an unexpected mini twist😅

The originality is still there too. I am obsessed with how this book opens 4 years later. When do we ever see that in romantasy?! The first person POV works loads better this time around too. I personally think all the new characters blend in so well.

I love the addition of Acker’s POV. He’s a great yin to her yang. Even though he was way too dense for my liking in the beginning🤦‍♀️ I loved being in Jovie’s POV in this book more. She actually feels older now; wiser even. What went down still weighs on her heavily but at the same time, she is stubborn about what happened. They both are just so stubborn but in such a human way where they feel a lot more real this time around. There’s so much more vibrancy to them both; kinda like they’re more 3D. They’re written in a way where they’re more alive with their emotions & even their actions. They both feel anger & yearning & regret while balancing pain & honesty & all the things. I just love how vicious they are to each other but also so tender & raw. Their tension is unreal!

The romance really got to shine here alongside a plot that had consistency & organization (plot holes at a bare minimum.) Some questions were answered & some we will have to wait for…. again

& how can I forget Messer. He pulled a Carrion by outshining pretty much everyone! He’s one of my new favorite side characters.

BUT listen, I still have gripes though because how can I not 🤔

the first spicy moment between them may not be everyone’s cup of tea because it was not mine. I still get the ick just writing this. But I do understand the plot device in terms of their overall relationship. What I don’t get was the constant need to keep bringing it back up again over & over, making her feel some type of way about it! I found that disrespectful to Jovie’s character but what do I know 😒

Which brings me to, I wish certain plot devices were better utilized. (Can’t say which though.) there were just certain concepts that could have been better executed because a few points fell flat for me.

The ending was a bit too simple for me when it’s in regard to book 1’s ending. Compared to the first plot twist, this seemed a bit anticlimactic & almost boring.

The moral of the story is: if you enjoyed book 1, you’ll like this. If you were on the fence with book 1, then you will probably enjoy book 2🤣

[ciana · Rating 3 out of 5]

disappointed is an understatement. this was one of my most anticipated releases after reading metal slinger over a year ago and giving it six stars.

there are so many reasons why this book fell flat. the time jump was unnecessary. it should’ve been six months to a year MAX. okay, if we’re going with the four years, fine, but we saw virtually nothing that happened within that period, which gave us barely any context for the present.

talk about a missed opportunity when enemies to lovers back to enemies was RIGHT there. why did we go with this random resentment that was mainly one-sided? make them hate each other after that!!

i have never disliked an fmc… like ever. but jovie is going down as my first. she was literally the cause of everything, yet somehow played the victim? sitting here saying, “acker never loved me.” GIRL, bye. are you blind?? and then it took ages for her to admit she might have been wrong, but even then she said she would never apologize… yet she admits to kind of feeling bad? talk about an insanely unreliable narrator.

my baby acker. his pov was the best thing this book did. however, this man should never have had to beg for her love. jovie does NOT deserve this man. he was manipulated and then betrayed, yet still would’ve gotten on his knees for her (and did). he absolutely did nothing wrong. in fact, he can do no wrong in my eyes. thank you. i couldn’t even enjoy the romance when it happened because she didn’t deserve this man’s love and devotion.

overall, this made me so sad. i had such high hopes for this sequel, and it was miss after miss. the most interesting part was genuinely the epilogue. i’ll probably pick up the next book to see how that plays out, but i really hope the writing and structure get better because even the pacing of this made it hard to get through.

[Amanda Weigel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldve gone for a more fulfilling walk with a tiger trying to eat me than waste my time with this book

[lia]

We have a title 🥳


But based off what I’ve read/heard… I refuse to dive into book 1 until this is released, no matter how much I want to. Cause I do. But I can’t go through another Onyx Storm situation all over again 😩

[AshReadThis · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Light Wielder was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and somehow Rachel Schneider still exceeded my expectations.

I’ll admit, the time jump at the beginning caught me off guard. Jumping several years ahead from the ending of Metal Slinger and straight into an ongoing war was not what I expected, and it felt a little jarring at first. But the further I read, the more I trusted Rachel’s storytelling. She knew exactly where she was taking us, and it worked.

The angst between Acker and Jovie was EVERYTHING. The tension, history, hurt, longing was delectable. I had secretly hoped Jovie would make Acker suffer just a little bit more because I’m petty like that, but there was one particular scene that gave me some of the satisfaction I needed (looking at you chapter 25 LOL).

Speaking of satisfaction, my favorite scene in the entire book was when Jovie makes Acker kneel in front of her army after he arrives in Maile. The callback to Metal Slinger was perfection. Watching that moment come full circle after everything that happened between them was chef’s kiss.

I continued to fall in love with Messer. His sass, banter, and general chaos brought so much life to every scene he was in. The dynamic between him and Acker was one of my favorite parts of the book. The constant smack talk paired with their reluctant alliance made for some genuinely hilarious moments.

One thing Rachel Schneider does exceptionally well is keep readers suspicious. After the ending of Metal Slinger, I spent this entire book waiting for someone to betray everyone. I trusted absolutely no one. Rachel has proven she isn’t afraid to pull the rug out from under her readers, and it keeps you on edge in the best way.

The pacing was fantastic. One of the biggest reasons I DNF books is when they drag, and Light Wielder never did. Between Rachel’s writing style, the constant tension, the twists, and the momentum of the story, I was completely invested from beginning to end. I finished this book in a single day because I just could not put it down.

The romance was another highlight. Like Metal Slinger, the spice felt purposeful and well written. It enhanced the story and relationship rather than overwhelming it, which I always appreciate.

Beyond the romance, there is so much substance packed into this story: war, betrayals, secret identities, unique magic, Matches, incredible worldbuilding, and high emotional stakes. Somehow Rachel balances all of that while never sacrificing the romantic tension at the heart of the story.

I also have to give a special shoutout to the audiobook. I am not an audiobook person. Ever. My brain usually refuses to process the story, and I end up missing half of what’s happening. But I ended up doing a blend of reading and listening for Light Wielder, and the audiobook was phenomenal. The narrators were absolutely fantastic, and for one of the first times ever, I was able to fully retain and enjoy the story in audio format. That alone is a glowing recommendation coming from me.

My only real criticism is that I wanted more. I would have loved additional story surrounding Jovie’s mom and even Acker’s mom, and I do think the ending after the war wrapped up a bit quickly. I would have happily read another hundred pages just living in the aftermath with these characters.

And finally, I desperately need more Beau and Hallis. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Every interaction had me wanting more.

Light Wielder delivered everything I hoped for in a sequel, incredible tension, emotional payoff, addictive pacing, memorable side characters, and a story that kept me guessing until the very end. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year, kicking all the other Romantasy sequels much farther down the list.

What to expect:
⚔️ Romantasy sequel
⚔️ Matches (similar to fated mates)
⚔️ Lovers to enemies
⚔️ Unique magic system
⚔️ Political intrigue and war
⚔️ Tension and yearning
⚔️ Dual POV
⚔️ Lovable side characters

[Athena 💗 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oof… I don’t know if I’ll even finish. As of right now, time of death is page 293.

First off, literally NOBODY feels bad for you, Jovie. You suck.

Irina, I’m sorry you deserve better.

Overall this entire book teetered between boring and cringey AF.

I attempted to do a reread of book one and had to stop 1/3 of the way in. Knowing the plot twist and then hearing Jovie’s every thought solidified that the author had no idea what she was doing. The one thing I did really enjoy about the first book was how ruthless Acker became after the big reveal. The slap across the face had my jaw on the floor and then the scene 4 years later had me jumping out of my seat and rooting for the poor bastard. Those two things alone were the ONLY things about the entire book that had me dying to jump into book two.

I went into this A.) Excited to see the dynamic between Jo and Acker and B.) Hoping that the author would somehow be able to make the plot holes in book one work themselves out. I’m just going to be honest, if the author did manage to work everything out I sure as hell didn’t pick up on it. This book felt long, boring and repetitive and I found my brain wandering a lot. I was so excited for the brutality from Acker to continue on in book two but instead we get explanations about how he never even touched the other woman and bla bla bla. I’m sorry, but no! You cannot give us those scandalous moments and then back peddle saying “psych! It was just a misunderstanding”. Acker was nothing more than a pathetic simp and when he was being a giant ass he was directing his cruelty at the wrong freaking woman!!! Ohhh! And then what just pushed me over the edge is that Jo would get angry and jealous at Irina when the girl was innocent in all of this.

Last summer I finished Metal Slinger thinking, “ok, either this was a giant shit show or the author is a mastermind and book two will reveal that this series is actually epic.” I was really holding out for the latter but unfortunately, it was a disaster. I can’t even bring myself to give this slop 2⭐️s.

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok i loved this one!!! i am SO excited after that epilogue too 🤭

[Ashley Catelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Utterly disappointing. All this book really did was make me dislike all the characters I adored in book one.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the plot twist of all plot twists in Metal Slinger, I was incredibly nervous to read Light Wielder. Was it going to live up to my expectations? How were things going to be resolved in a satisfying way?

Metal Slinger is one of my favourite books of all time and to me, Light Wielder was the perfect continuation of Jovie and Acker’s story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the conflicting balance of yearning, betrayal and mistrust between characters. Seeing how powerful Jovie truly was, especially after revelations made in the first book, was incredible.
I loved the journey that these characters went on together and how they navigated the complex relationships within the group. This was an exciting and fulfilling conclusion that not only answered each and every question that I had following Metal Slinger but had me sat on the edge of my seat throughout.

The Fire & Metal series is one that I will reread again and again for years to come! I love these characters so much and I can’t believe the journey is (almost) over!

Thank you so much Gollancz for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and thank you to Rachel for writing these wonderful books!

[Karly Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5/5)I've been DYING to get my hands on this sequel after reading Metal Slinger for the first time in 2024, then rereading it in 2025 after its trad pub release. How is Acker & Jovie's duet already over?! I miss them already 😭😭😭😭

For transparency, I was gifted a hardcover edition of this book by St. Martin's Press & Saturday Books. I immersive read this along with the audiobook, which I purchased with my monies.

What to expect from Light Wielder:
⚔️ Fantasy romance
⚔️ 1st person POV
⚔️ Political intrigue
⚔️ Healing & betrayal
⚔️ Elemental magic

Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️

What a roller coaster of emotions this book put me through. My heart sank when we jumped 4 years ahead from the ending of Metal Slinger, and then my stomach dropped to my feet when I read page 18.

This length of a time jump was a somewhat unexpected choice from Rachel. Rather than having the characters meet again with fresh wounds, she separated them long enough for some of those wounds to become scars. Ultimately, that decision created a very different tone from Metal Slinger, and I know that's going to divide readers.

Acker and Jovie will forever have a piece of my heart. I wholeheartedly love these characters, believe in their chemistry, and loved watching them grow both separately and together throughout Light Wielder.

As I mentioned above, their chemistry & tension had a different feel in this sequel, which can make the reading experience feel a bit disjointed. In Metal Slinger, their dynamic was more lust-forward with a hint of forbidden (yum). In Light Wielder, their dynamic is something I can compare more to a second chance romance. There's a layer of hurt and yearning beneath the surface both are trying to move past, and, as a reader, you're not sure if they'll be able to overcome the damage. Given the number of years that have passed, their dynamic is realistic even if it is different from Metal Slinger.

Side note: there's a spice scene in this book that is absolutely going to divide readers lol. Rachel chose violence with that one.

Rachel Schneider received a lot of praise and negative backlash from the way she ended Metal Slinger, and I think that was both a good and bad thing for the execution of Light Wielder.

It's a good thing because Metal Slinger's ending left Rachel with endless possibilities. I think there were more predictable routes she could've gone with Light Wielder. Instead, she chose (in my opinion) the unexpected. Again, naturally that will divide readers.

On the other hand, there were moments where I felt information was being spoon-fed to me. At times, I could clearly see Rachel trying to address claims that Metal Slinger had plot holes by providing explicit explanations in Light Wielder—creating moments where it felt like she was speaking more to her critics than to her fans. THAT BEING SAID, page 279 was necessarily on-the-nose.

Now, I'm guilty of having EXTREMELY high expectations going into Light Wielder, which I think affected my reading experience. If I could give one piece of advice to fellow Metal Slinger fans, it would be this: ditch your preconceived notions of where you think this story should go. After waiting 2 years since reading Metal Slinger, I had to let go of my expectations and just enjoy the ride Rachel was taking me on in Light Wielder. Just because it didn't go the way I expected doesn't make this a bad book or storyline.

My biggest reason for not giving Light Wielder the full 5 stars comes down to the progression of Jovie & Acker's dynamic/relationship and Irina's character arc. Ultimately, I was left wanting more from Jovie and Acker at the end given all of the build up. Also, I felt like Irina's character was tossed around throughout this entire book—I wish a bit more care had been put into the outcome of this character because she didn't do anything wrong. I'm hoping she'll get some justice in book 3.

While this is the end of Jovie and Acker's duet, I'm very much look forward to continuing this series in book 3!

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/2.75 stars

This book was so frustrating.

It started off great. There was a lot of tension, and I was enjoying seeing the difference between the two charatcers and where they ended up 4 years after the first book.

But the rest of the book was a hot mess. Acker is just waste of a good MMC. He was solid in the first book, not the best not the worst, and he was absolutely assassinated in this book. He refused to listen to any reason, he had no idea what respect means when it comes to the apparent love of his life, and he is incapable of communication.

The romance here, if that's what we're calling it, was a huge miss. I liked Jo's side of it for a lot of the book and it seemed like she was gonna make him work for it, but all of that flies out the window due to lust and then we just move on like Acker didn't completely disregard, disrespect, and emotionally torture her for most of the book.

Not to mention all the shit that happened in the book out of nowhere and for seemingly no reason. Plot holes everywhere, and shit happening that seemed to be there just to provide shock value or tension and then the story moves on and never mentions it again.

If you were shaky on the first book, I would not recommend reading this one 💔

[Ceacea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am on my knees begging Romantacy authors to reread their material and ask themselves if they truly like the FMC they've written. I am so tired of female main characters in this genre being the worst. But then Acker isn't great either.

I liked Metal Slinger. But this book, what even is this? The continuity issues alone, but also is every character bi-polar? If you didn't like book 1 or were even just iffy on it then definitely skip book 2.