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The Siren Mage #2
In the Wake of the Ruined
The realm has a new queen… and a new monster.
Imogen can no longer hide. She has claimed her ancestral crown, and now the corrupted bond she shares with the ancient deity Eusia is stronger than ever. Though she is determined to sever it, doing so is no easy feat. The threat of war looms. Shifting alliances, a hunger for magic, and her feelings for Theodore, King of Varya, attempt to thwart her at every turn.
Meanwhile, Theodore is battling the strain of his own crown and commitments. When Imogen suddenly appears on his ship, every dutiful resolution he’s ever made threatens to snap. As they draw nearer to ending Eusia, lurking dangers and their perilous desire for one another prove more insurmountable than they could have imagined.
Will the chaos, ruin, and death that Imogen was prophesied to usher into the realm be the end of all things, or the beginning?
Imogen can no longer hide. She has claimed her ancestral crown, and now the corrupted bond she shares with the ancient deity Eusia is stronger than ever. Though she is determined to sever it, doing so is no easy feat. The threat of war looms. Shifting alliances, a hunger for magic, and her feelings for Theodore, King of Varya, attempt to thwart her at every turn.
Meanwhile, Theodore is battling the strain of his own crown and commitments. When Imogen suddenly appears on his ship, every dutiful resolution he’s ever made threatens to snap. As they draw nearer to ending Eusia, lurking dangers and their perilous desire for one another prove more insurmountable than they could have imagined.
Will the chaos, ruin, and death that Imogen was prophesied to usher into the realm be the end of all things, or the beginning?
578 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,423 reviews
July 21, 2026
Okay okay hear me out the beginning really had me but by 30% in I figured out what the “betrayal” and plot twist would be and then I just started to get agitated by none of the characters picking up on the obvious. I loveeeddddd book 1 and I adore Theo and the way he yearned in the first book, but I personally got so turned off by the the fact that he was married to someone else until the last chapter. If it was a series or even a trilogy I would have loved that but it was so unnecessary to drag it out for that long. I also love Imogen but so many of the problems she found herself in could have been avoided by trusting her instincts instead of constantly questioning herself. Don’t get me wrong she did demonstrate a lot of growth but again I think because the nature of it being a duology it just felt like she spent way too much time trying to piece a puzzle together that was so blatantly obvious it was hard to not feel disconnected. Now 3 stars for me means I did like the book it was just average and disappointed in some key areas that make me love a book!
July 31, 2026
The way Theo is so stoic and so utterly burdened with governing a kingdom yet so unequivocally down bad for Immy throughout the entirety of this duology has just gotta be one my favourite studies in how to yearn and yearn good.
The second book in this duology gives us chapters from his POV and it really adds so much more depth and tension to the storytelling to be able to climb inside his head and see his angst over duty vs desire and alternate between him and Imogen as they mutually pine for one another.
I think what I appreciated most is that the yearning-pining-conflict has no basis in Theo being unable to communicate his feelings. He’s an open book and I love that. I’m not sure about other readers but about 90% of my annotations and highlights are Theo’s declarations. I stand by that he gives Darcy.
Speaking of Immy, I remember reading somewhere that author Kalie Cassidy has spoken about navigating her own identity as someone who is biracial and her exploration of belonging (I found the source here, if anyone wants it), and I feel like it really came through beautifully and poignantly in Immy's character and her struggles of what it means to belong as a "monster", (plus other identities and duties she’s grappling with) and her feelings on acceptance and love.
That exploration of identity also flows on to the supporting characters, particularly Halla. I’m not saying I particularly “like” Halla as a character, but I will say that I find her characterisation quite fascinating and the way I even had empathy for her is something that I think Cassidy executed really well. I liked that Halla was afforded grace and complexity, motivations, history and her own complicated view of the world around her.
This is gothic fantasy romance with some mild horror elements done quite dare I say perfectly to my liking in terms of the balance of fantasy to romance to plot and characterisation. Keep in mind it also has some pretty heavy and gnarly themes so be mindful of content warnings such as: grief, trauma, abuse, really catastrophic parenting choices and more. (I’ll add a full list soon).
The way this duology concluded was beautifully wrapped up to my satisfaction and my heart was happy. A very good message and sentiment too.
Recommend for people who like gothic fantasy romance/romantasy with zombie sirens, siren lore inspired by Greek mythology and something like mild mermaid-adjacent horror.
Going on my fave duologies list!
1. In the Veins of the Drowning: ★★★★★
2. In the Wake of the Ruined: ★★★★★
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Tiny update: I am now reading three books at once.
Anyway, happy publish day to my favourite siren Immy and broody king of angst Theo.
The second book in this duology gives us chapters from his POV and it really adds so much more depth and tension to the storytelling to be able to climb inside his head and see his angst over duty vs desire and alternate between him and Imogen as they mutually pine for one another.
I think what I appreciated most is that the yearning-pining-conflict has no basis in Theo being unable to communicate his feelings. He’s an open book and I love that. I’m not sure about other readers but about 90% of my annotations and highlights are Theo’s declarations. I stand by that he gives Darcy.
Speaking of Immy, I remember reading somewhere that author Kalie Cassidy has spoken about navigating her own identity as someone who is biracial and her exploration of belonging (I found the source here, if anyone wants it), and I feel like it really came through beautifully and poignantly in Immy's character and her struggles of what it means to belong as a "monster", (plus other identities and duties she’s grappling with) and her feelings on acceptance and love.
That exploration of identity also flows on to the supporting characters, particularly Halla. I’m not saying I particularly “like” Halla as a character, but I will say that I find her characterisation quite fascinating and the way I even had empathy for her is something that I think Cassidy executed really well. I liked that Halla was afforded grace and complexity, motivations, history and her own complicated view of the world around her.
This is gothic fantasy romance with some mild horror elements done quite dare I say perfectly to my liking in terms of the balance of fantasy to romance to plot and characterisation. Keep in mind it also has some pretty heavy and gnarly themes so be mindful of content warnings such as: grief, trauma, abuse, really catastrophic parenting choices and more. (I’ll add a full list soon).
The way this duology concluded was beautifully wrapped up to my satisfaction and my heart was happy. A very good message and sentiment too.
Recommend for people who like gothic fantasy romance/romantasy with zombie sirens, siren lore inspired by Greek mythology and something like mild mermaid-adjacent horror.
Going on my fave duologies list!
1. In the Veins of the Drowning: ★★★★★
2. In the Wake of the Ruined: ★★★★★
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Tiny update: I am now reading three books at once.
Anyway, happy publish day to my favourite siren Immy and broody king of angst Theo.
July 10, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
You know that feeling when a sequel spends 400 pages convincing you two people would burn kingdoms, rewrite fate and quite literally die for each other....only to end before you really get to watch them live?
Yeah.
That's where I'm at.
This duology had me in a chokehold from the very first page and while this finale gave me some of the most beautiful declarations of love I've read in a long time, it also left me desperately wishing the story had lingered just a little longer once all the suffering was over.
What worked for me
(aka: This section is sponsored by Theodore Ariti's dialogue)
King behaviour
Forget morally grey men for a second. Give me the king who chooses you over and over again. The man who never stops fighting. The man who looks at all your broken pieces and says, "I would happily spend my life trying."
Every time this man opened his mouth, I was highlighting something.
"Loving you is not the end, it's the beginning of everything."
Sir....be serious.
His devotion never once felt performative. It lived in his choices, his sacrifices and his relentless hope when Imogen had none left. Even when everyone else accepted defeat, Theodore simply....didn't. He loved actively and I ate it up every single time.
The yearning was yearning
The mutual pining? Exceptional.
The longing, the stolen moments, the quiet conversations, the way these two found home in each other despite impossible circumstances....that emotional thread carried this entire book for me.
One of my favourite lines perfectly captures why their relationship worked so well:
"He'd given me the short but altering privilege of knowing what it felt like to belong somewhere."
That wasn't just romance. That was healing.
Beautiful prose and compelling themes
The writing continues to be gorgeous. It's lyrical without becoming inaccessible and there were so many passages I had to stop and reread because they hit that hard.
I also loved the thematic contrast between love and power. Watching Imogen reject the very thing Eusia devoted centuries to chasing made for a satisfying emotional payoff and I appreciated that the story never lost sight of what it was trying to say beneath all the politics, Gods and magic.
Where it lost me
(aka: The Mutual Misery Olympics)
The marriage subplot overstayed its welcome
I understood exactly why the political marriage existed. It created tension, raised the stakes and kept Theodore and Imogen apart in a believable way.
The problem wasn't the marriage. It was how long we had to sit in the misery it created.
For a huge portion of the book, every interaction between them felt stolen or interrupted because Theodore was technically married. Instead of giving me the forced proximity I'd been excited for, it became secret meetings, hurried conversations and constant reminders that another obstacle had appeared just as they were about to breathe.
The emotions never got to breathe
There were several moments where I found myself thinking, "Okay....now talk."
Instead, we'd get an emotional revelation....and then immediately move on to the next crisis.
The romance was never lacking in intensity but sometimes it felt like the physical moments arrived before the emotional conversations had fully settled. I wanted them to unpack the hurt, the fear and the impossible choices before jumping into the next intimate scene or plot twist. It left parts of their emotional journey feeling just a little unresolved.
By the final act, the mutual yearning I'd loved so much had slowly become mutual misery. I never doubted that these two loved each other - I just wanted the story to stop making them prove it for five consecutive minutes.
The ending needed more happiness
This is ultimately what kept it from being a four-star read.
After everything these two endured, I didn't need another declaration of love. I believed them already.
I needed peace.
Not pages of domestic fluff. Just enough time to actually experience what all that suffering had earned them.
The one-year-later epilogue tells me they're happy.
I wanted to feel it.
I wanted to sit in it for a while.
The ratio between suffering and payoff just felt slightly off. The story asked me to sit with their pain for hundreds of pages but only gave me a fleeting glimpse of the happiness they'd fought so hard to earn.
Final thoughts
Despite my frustrations, I was completely invested from beginning to end. Theodore Ariti is easily the standout of this series and one of the most memorable romance heroes I've read in a long time. His unwavering devotion, the gorgeous writing, the emotional themes and the aching romance made this a finale I won't forget.
I just wish the story had trusted itself enough to let happiness linger as long as it let heartbreak.
Final verdict
A beautifully written, emotionally intense conclusion that gave me one of my favourite fictional kings, exquisite mutual yearning, and enough quotes to wallpaper my Kindle. Theodore Ariti loved with every fibre of his being and I believed every single word that came out of his mouth.
Unfortunately, after asking me to survive 400 pages of emotional damage, near-death experiences and enough self-sacrifice to last several lifetimes, the ending wrapped everything up just a little too quickly for me. I wanted to spend more time watching Theodore and Imogen live for each other instead of constantly being willing to die for one another.
Consider this my official apology to every MMC I'm about to unfairly compare to Theodore.
Tropes and Vibes:
• Siren Queen × Protective King
• Mutual pining (the painful kind)
• "I'd burn the world for you" energy
• Touch her and perish
• Political marriage complications
• Secret meetings & stolen moments
• Love vs. power
• Beautiful lyrical prose
• Protective hero supremacy
• One fictional king permanently raising my standards
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Pre-read:
Siren Queen. Protective king. Mutual pining.
Please let this sequel be all payoff and emotional devastation. Amen 🤞🏻✨️
You know that feeling when a sequel spends 400 pages convincing you two people would burn kingdoms, rewrite fate and quite literally die for each other....only to end before you really get to watch them live?
Yeah.
That's where I'm at.
This duology had me in a chokehold from the very first page and while this finale gave me some of the most beautiful declarations of love I've read in a long time, it also left me desperately wishing the story had lingered just a little longer once all the suffering was over.
What worked for me
(aka: This section is sponsored by Theodore Ariti's dialogue)
King behaviour
Forget morally grey men for a second. Give me the king who chooses you over and over again. The man who never stops fighting. The man who looks at all your broken pieces and says, "I would happily spend my life trying."
Every time this man opened his mouth, I was highlighting something.
"Loving you is not the end, it's the beginning of everything."
Sir....be serious.
His devotion never once felt performative. It lived in his choices, his sacrifices and his relentless hope when Imogen had none left. Even when everyone else accepted defeat, Theodore simply....didn't. He loved actively and I ate it up every single time.
The yearning was yearning
The mutual pining? Exceptional.
The longing, the stolen moments, the quiet conversations, the way these two found home in each other despite impossible circumstances....that emotional thread carried this entire book for me.
One of my favourite lines perfectly captures why their relationship worked so well:
"He'd given me the short but altering privilege of knowing what it felt like to belong somewhere."
That wasn't just romance. That was healing.
Beautiful prose and compelling themes
The writing continues to be gorgeous. It's lyrical without becoming inaccessible and there were so many passages I had to stop and reread because they hit that hard.
I also loved the thematic contrast between love and power. Watching Imogen reject the very thing Eusia devoted centuries to chasing made for a satisfying emotional payoff and I appreciated that the story never lost sight of what it was trying to say beneath all the politics, Gods and magic.
Where it lost me
(aka: The Mutual Misery Olympics)
The marriage subplot overstayed its welcome
I understood exactly why the political marriage existed. It created tension, raised the stakes and kept Theodore and Imogen apart in a believable way.
The problem wasn't the marriage. It was how long we had to sit in the misery it created.
For a huge portion of the book, every interaction between them felt stolen or interrupted because Theodore was technically married. Instead of giving me the forced proximity I'd been excited for, it became secret meetings, hurried conversations and constant reminders that another obstacle had appeared just as they were about to breathe.
The emotions never got to breathe
There were several moments where I found myself thinking, "Okay....now talk."
Instead, we'd get an emotional revelation....and then immediately move on to the next crisis.
The romance was never lacking in intensity but sometimes it felt like the physical moments arrived before the emotional conversations had fully settled. I wanted them to unpack the hurt, the fear and the impossible choices before jumping into the next intimate scene or plot twist. It left parts of their emotional journey feeling just a little unresolved.
By the final act, the mutual yearning I'd loved so much had slowly become mutual misery. I never doubted that these two loved each other - I just wanted the story to stop making them prove it for five consecutive minutes.
The ending needed more happiness
This is ultimately what kept it from being a four-star read.
After everything these two endured, I didn't need another declaration of love. I believed them already.
I needed peace.
Not pages of domestic fluff. Just enough time to actually experience what all that suffering had earned them.
The one-year-later epilogue tells me they're happy.
I wanted to feel it.
I wanted to sit in it for a while.
The ratio between suffering and payoff just felt slightly off. The story asked me to sit with their pain for hundreds of pages but only gave me a fleeting glimpse of the happiness they'd fought so hard to earn.
Final thoughts
Despite my frustrations, I was completely invested from beginning to end. Theodore Ariti is easily the standout of this series and one of the most memorable romance heroes I've read in a long time. His unwavering devotion, the gorgeous writing, the emotional themes and the aching romance made this a finale I won't forget.
I just wish the story had trusted itself enough to let happiness linger as long as it let heartbreak.
Final verdict
A beautifully written, emotionally intense conclusion that gave me one of my favourite fictional kings, exquisite mutual yearning, and enough quotes to wallpaper my Kindle. Theodore Ariti loved with every fibre of his being and I believed every single word that came out of his mouth.
Unfortunately, after asking me to survive 400 pages of emotional damage, near-death experiences and enough self-sacrifice to last several lifetimes, the ending wrapped everything up just a little too quickly for me. I wanted to spend more time watching Theodore and Imogen live for each other instead of constantly being willing to die for one another.
Consider this my official apology to every MMC I'm about to unfairly compare to Theodore.
Tropes and Vibes:
• Siren Queen × Protective King
• Mutual pining (the painful kind)
• "I'd burn the world for you" energy
• Touch her and perish
• Political marriage complications
• Secret meetings & stolen moments
• Love vs. power
• Beautiful lyrical prose
• Protective hero supremacy
• One fictional king permanently raising my standards
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Pre-read:
Siren Queen. Protective king. Mutual pining.
Please let this sequel be all payoff and emotional devastation. Amen 🤞🏻✨️
August 10, 2026
⭐️ 2 ⭐️ And ruined it was.
As someone who absolutely loved the first book, this was painfully dull and utterly boring. The sequel expands on the siren mythology and world building but it sways away from book one tremendously. Where as In the Veins of the Drowning was fun, thrilling and alluring, In the Wake of the Ruined was darker, more complex and overall heavy in multiple conflicts that in my opinion felt heavy, unevenly paced and truthfully with a climax that was underwhelming after such grandiose build up.
But first, a short recap of the book:
We pick up right after Imogen claims the ancestral crown and the magical bond she shares with the ancient sea diety, Eusia, strengthened and threatening to consume her. She washes up ashore heavily injured after killing her father, King Nemea. Her magic is damaged but Eusia's presence inside her is stronger than it's ever been. This scares Imogen as she is afraid it might consume her and she might hurt Theo unintentionally. She discovers that her closest ally and friend, Agatha, has been taken by Empress Nivala. She promises Lachlan to find Agatha and so their search begins. Meanwhile, Theodore, the King of Varya, is struggling between his duty to his people and the love he has for Imogen. He thinks that Imogen is dead and decides to proceed with political obligations where he has to marry princess Halla. He obviously doesn't love her but he marries her regardless for political reasons. War is on the horizon and Imogen is in dire need to break the bond or see it destroy everything she loves, including Theo. When Imogen finally finds Theo, they go after Eusia.
And its at that point when the story started to lose me with its world-building and magic/siren mythology that felt like it was smothered layer on layer, leaving absolutely no room to breathe for all other elements--romance and romantic tension, character development (side characters included), emotional connection between Imogen and Theo. There is nothing and I mean absolutely nothing that was particularly thrilling about this journey. I kept turning the pages and hoped for it to end but the direction never changed and after a while it started to feel like a chore to get through. The book lacked the emotional depth that book one had between romantic interests, Theo and Imogen. I was also looking for more Agatha and Lachlan but even supporting characters lacked excitement. I felt very disconnected from the story simply because it was very drawn out. If not for the audiobook… I would have given this 1 star.
Things that made the book quite boring:
1. Too much conflict:
First is the conflict that Imogen has with herself and with Eusia. It goes on and on and it never stops. She has self loathing views of herself as a monster. She is afraid that her dark magic will be unleashed and she will hurt the ones she loves.
Secondly, there is too much of Eusia, their bond and divine complexities around her character. There needed to be a book on Eusia herself; a mini-novella perhaps to make it easier for the readers to follow through. Because Eusia is a character all on her own and it's a grand one, Cassidy was too ambition when she started weaving all the pieces together. The constant info-dump has made the book feel heavier than it should have been. From book one, we know that their bond can't be severed as easily as Imogen and Theo's was. Eusia somehow is embedded into Imogen's magic and Imogen needs a draught to sever it. Understanding all of that made me very confused and it didn't help that the writing was extremely dry.
Lastly, the plot thickens with betrayals, prophecies, truths and a major revelation. The pacing of all of these events was all over. Not to give away details, all I will say is that it was too much all at once.
2. Theo and his marriage to Halla, duty and Imogen:
Why is he married throughout the entire book?? And where is the yearning hero? Sure there were moments and some verbal confessions but honestly...I wasn't feeling their romance at all. I read a few reviews that said he had very 'intense yearning' for Imogen. Where, please show me? There is a lot of TELL and NO SHOW. His marriage situation adds more fuel to the fire and the fact that he stays legally married for like 90% of the book...I looked at that as an obstacle and a complication that required resolution. I found this conflict to be overly prolonged when there were times where ties could have been severed earlier. By the time we reach that part of marriage dissolution, I was completely over it. I lost all the interest because things just became too complicated and moving at such a fast pace. I was not a fan.
When I think of siren fantasy books the allure lies in the deadly temptation, darker romance and tension as well as the siren lore and emotional stakes. I think that the appeal usually comes from danger and power and great exploration of forbidden love. If writing spice, I think it's fair to say that it needs to explore the lethal seduction and its danger that is wrapped in its beauty. It needs to be more sensual, leaving the readers breathless. I honestly thought that the spice in this book, in comparison to book one, severely lacked the magnetism surrounding the siren lore.
This book was quite the disappointment.
As someone who absolutely loved the first book, this was painfully dull and utterly boring. The sequel expands on the siren mythology and world building but it sways away from book one tremendously. Where as In the Veins of the Drowning was fun, thrilling and alluring, In the Wake of the Ruined was darker, more complex and overall heavy in multiple conflicts that in my opinion felt heavy, unevenly paced and truthfully with a climax that was underwhelming after such grandiose build up.
But first, a short recap of the book:
We pick up right after Imogen claims the ancestral crown and the magical bond she shares with the ancient sea diety, Eusia, strengthened and threatening to consume her. She washes up ashore heavily injured after killing her father, King Nemea. Her magic is damaged but Eusia's presence inside her is stronger than it's ever been. This scares Imogen as she is afraid it might consume her and she might hurt Theo unintentionally. She discovers that her closest ally and friend, Agatha, has been taken by Empress Nivala. She promises Lachlan to find Agatha and so their search begins. Meanwhile, Theodore, the King of Varya, is struggling between his duty to his people and the love he has for Imogen. He thinks that Imogen is dead and decides to proceed with political obligations where he has to marry princess Halla. He obviously doesn't love her but he marries her regardless for political reasons. War is on the horizon and Imogen is in dire need to break the bond or see it destroy everything she loves, including Theo. When Imogen finally finds Theo, they go after Eusia.
And its at that point when the story started to lose me with its world-building and magic/siren mythology that felt like it was smothered layer on layer, leaving absolutely no room to breathe for all other elements--romance and romantic tension, character development (side characters included), emotional connection between Imogen and Theo. There is nothing and I mean absolutely nothing that was particularly thrilling about this journey. I kept turning the pages and hoped for it to end but the direction never changed and after a while it started to feel like a chore to get through. The book lacked the emotional depth that book one had between romantic interests, Theo and Imogen. I was also looking for more Agatha and Lachlan but even supporting characters lacked excitement. I felt very disconnected from the story simply because it was very drawn out. If not for the audiobook… I would have given this 1 star.
Things that made the book quite boring:
1. Too much conflict:
First is the conflict that Imogen has with herself and with Eusia. It goes on and on and it never stops. She has self loathing views of herself as a monster. She is afraid that her dark magic will be unleashed and she will hurt the ones she loves.
Secondly, there is too much of Eusia, their bond and divine complexities around her character. There needed to be a book on Eusia herself; a mini-novella perhaps to make it easier for the readers to follow through. Because Eusia is a character all on her own and it's a grand one, Cassidy was too ambition when she started weaving all the pieces together. The constant info-dump has made the book feel heavier than it should have been. From book one, we know that their bond can't be severed as easily as Imogen and Theo's was. Eusia somehow is embedded into Imogen's magic and Imogen needs a draught to sever it. Understanding all of that made me very confused and it didn't help that the writing was extremely dry.
Lastly, the plot thickens with betrayals, prophecies, truths and a major revelation. The pacing of all of these events was all over. Not to give away details, all I will say is that it was too much all at once.
2. Theo and his marriage to Halla, duty and Imogen:
Why is he married throughout the entire book?? And where is the yearning hero? Sure there were moments and some verbal confessions but honestly...I wasn't feeling their romance at all. I read a few reviews that said he had very 'intense yearning' for Imogen. Where, please show me? There is a lot of TELL and NO SHOW. His marriage situation adds more fuel to the fire and the fact that he stays legally married for like 90% of the book...I looked at that as an obstacle and a complication that required resolution. I found this conflict to be overly prolonged when there were times where ties could have been severed earlier. By the time we reach that part of marriage dissolution, I was completely over it. I lost all the interest because things just became too complicated and moving at such a fast pace. I was not a fan.
When I think of siren fantasy books the allure lies in the deadly temptation, darker romance and tension as well as the siren lore and emotional stakes. I think that the appeal usually comes from danger and power and great exploration of forbidden love. If writing spice, I think it's fair to say that it needs to explore the lethal seduction and its danger that is wrapped in its beauty. It needs to be more sensual, leaving the readers breathless. I honestly thought that the spice in this book, in comparison to book one, severely lacked the magnetism surrounding the siren lore.
This book was quite the disappointment.
July 21, 2026
“This is precisely how one should be loved. Boldly, madly, shoulder to shoulder against the world and all its dangers.”
Can you love a story for prose and yearning alone? Maybe. But that’s too simple an explanation for what I found so alluring about this duology.
As a romantasy regular, this is kind of like dessert. I’m not entirely sure it’s the most substantive, but it is undoubtedly rich. That’s not a negative, I’m talking flourless chocolate cake (or insert your favorite). There is stunning lyrical prose that makes me sigh in bliss, a haunting and macabre atmosphere, along with a sometimes meandering plot. But at its heart this is a journey of self acceptance, where the romance steals the spotlight over plot or world building.
If anyone could convince me of the existence of practically instantaneous, inescapable love that is almost painful in its boundlessness, it would be Kalie Cassidy with Imogen and Theo. The way they fall in love feels almost accidental and inconvenient (yet also destined) in book 1, but here in Wake it feels impossible and undeniable. These two never seem to catch a break between the people and circumstances that aim to keep them apart.
At the top of the list, and I might be a little salty about this, is a political marriage. Partly my fault for reading so many romantasies lately, but I’m slightly bitter about the necessity for a marriage to come between the two main characters. This is one of those stories where the romance got me so good, I’d happily (and maybe guiltily) let the rest of the world burn. But not Imogen and Theo. His sense of duty and honor, along with her worries over monstrosity and corruption, keep them circling around the necessity of staying apart.
Although the lore and prose are beautiful, the plot seems to take a slightly scenic route. There were times I thought we’d lost sight of the destination, although I didn’t mind this too much. Because of course, every time I felt my focus waning Imogen and Theo seduced me with their tragic devotion and longing, with their sense of inevitability.
Initially I had this idea that there was going to be a searing revenge arc, with Imogen becoming the beautiful and fierce monster she was so afraid of. But that’s not exactly what this story is about. We are shown both the consequences of continuously choosing to pursue more power, or judiciously using what you have.
I also think the theme of self acceptance and self reconciliation runs deep here. Of figuring out what is most important in life, and choosing the simplicity of loving yourself even over epic romantic love.
If you loved the first book, if you love a romance forward fantasy full of yearning and angst dressed in beautiful prose, my guess is you’ll enjoy this one too.
4⭐️’s kindle & audio (Ell Potter is a stunning narrator, and Maxim Reston was good but didn’t quite match her intensity).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pre-read: here for the lush prose, decadent yearning, and to see Imogen go full siren in her revenge arc.
Can you love a story for prose and yearning alone? Maybe. But that’s too simple an explanation for what I found so alluring about this duology.
As a romantasy regular, this is kind of like dessert. I’m not entirely sure it’s the most substantive, but it is undoubtedly rich. That’s not a negative, I’m talking flourless chocolate cake (or insert your favorite). There is stunning lyrical prose that makes me sigh in bliss, a haunting and macabre atmosphere, along with a sometimes meandering plot. But at its heart this is a journey of self acceptance, where the romance steals the spotlight over plot or world building.
If anyone could convince me of the existence of practically instantaneous, inescapable love that is almost painful in its boundlessness, it would be Kalie Cassidy with Imogen and Theo. The way they fall in love feels almost accidental and inconvenient (yet also destined) in book 1, but here in Wake it feels impossible and undeniable. These two never seem to catch a break between the people and circumstances that aim to keep them apart.
At the top of the list, and I might be a little salty about this, is a political marriage. Partly my fault for reading so many romantasies lately, but I’m slightly bitter about the necessity for a marriage to come between the two main characters. This is one of those stories where the romance got me so good, I’d happily (and maybe guiltily) let the rest of the world burn. But not Imogen and Theo. His sense of duty and honor, along with her worries over monstrosity and corruption, keep them circling around the necessity of staying apart.
Although the lore and prose are beautiful, the plot seems to take a slightly scenic route. There were times I thought we’d lost sight of the destination, although I didn’t mind this too much. Because of course, every time I felt my focus waning Imogen and Theo seduced me with their tragic devotion and longing, with their sense of inevitability.
Initially I had this idea that there was going to be a searing revenge arc, with Imogen becoming the beautiful and fierce monster she was so afraid of. But that’s not exactly what this story is about. We are shown both the consequences of continuously choosing to pursue more power, or judiciously using what you have.
I also think the theme of self acceptance and self reconciliation runs deep here. Of figuring out what is most important in life, and choosing the simplicity of loving yourself even over epic romantic love.
If you loved the first book, if you love a romance forward fantasy full of yearning and angst dressed in beautiful prose, my guess is you’ll enjoy this one too.
4⭐️’s kindle & audio (Ell Potter is a stunning narrator, and Maxim Reston was good but didn’t quite match her intensity).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pre-read: here for the lush prose, decadent yearning, and to see Imogen go full siren in her revenge arc.
priority-tbr
August 8, 2026── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
ִֶָ. 𓂃˖꣹ pre-read ꧔⟢ ִֶָ࿐
how tf am i supposed to move on from the way book 1 ended?!
and i skim-read some of the reviews and ik that theo ends up marrying halla for political reasons in this book while pining for imogen from afar.
kalie cassidy, istfg, if immy and theo don't get their well deserved hea (AFTER ALL THAT SUFFERING?!), you and i will have a serious problem😐
ִֶָ. 𓂃˖꣹ pre-read ꧔⟢ ִֶָ࿐
how tf am i supposed to move on from the way book 1 ended?!
and i skim-read some of the reviews and ik that theo ends up marrying halla for political reasons in this book while pining for imogen from afar.
kalie cassidy, istfg, if immy and theo don't get their well deserved hea (AFTER ALL THAT SUFFERING?!), you and i will have a serious problem😐
August 10, 2026
3.5 🌟 “𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙙𝙖𝙮. 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
🌘 🌊 🕯️✨
the yearning we get in this is insanely good!!! like THEO THE MAN YOU ARE 🥵🥵
“𝙸 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞…”
“𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝?”
“𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘪𝘳.”
🤭😜
and i just love Imogen so much!! she goes through so much in these books and watching her learn to love herself was everything 💗
the plot a bit predictable but overall such a fun ride with these characters and this world!!
that epilogue made my heart whole 🖤🥹✨
🌘 🌊 🕯️✨
the yearning we get in this is insanely good!!! like THEO THE MAN YOU ARE 🥵🥵
“𝙸 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞…”
“𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝?”
“𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘪𝘳.”
🤭😜
and i just love Imogen so much!! she goes through so much in these books and watching her learn to love herself was everything 💗
the plot a bit predictable but overall such a fun ride with these characters and this world!!
that epilogue made my heart whole 🖤🥹✨
August 11, 2026
2.5🌟
Disappointed is a bit of an understatement 😔💔 and no one is more disappointed than me. Unfortunately, this just didn’t have the same magic that book one had 💔 this is coming from someone who gave in the veins of the drowning 5⭐️ and absolutely ADORED it. I was so incredibly excited for this release, but I just wanted so much more from this and unfortunately, for me, it lost its spark 💔
It HURTS me to rate this this low. I considered giving it 3 stars, but when I look back, I can’t say I reallyyyy enjoyed my time and I can’t picture myself ever wanting to re-read this. So yeah, I feel like I have to go with 2.5/2.75 to reflect my own subjective experience of enjoyment with it.
The first 44% was okay. I was a little bit bored, but was still somewhat hopeful that the last half would maybe turn around. I kept moving to the next chapter hoping I’d feel that pull, hoping I’d feel a change in pace or direction, but it didn’t happen ☹️ I ended up putting it down because I was a little disappointed with how it was going so far, which unfortunately turned into a month of not picking it back up again. I didn’t even mean to put it on pause for month, but I genuinely just didn’t feel drawn to picking it back up again.
The main problem for me was that this book dragged. I don’t feel like that much really happened? I kept waiting for the story to start picking up or at least hoping that all the information I was being fed was really going to move the plot forward, but that didn’t really happen either. The world building was just layed on so thick in this book and made it way less enjoyable. Nothing exciting went on until about 50 pages left in the book.
Honestly, I wish Kalie had written In the Veins of the Drowning as a longer standalone. If parts of this book were put into the end of book one and wrapped up then, I think it would have made an incredibleeee standalone. I had high hopes for where this book would take us, but I hate that this kind of ruined how I felt about this story as a whole. I re-read book one before this one and loved it just as much as I did the first time, but now I don’t feel like I can enjoy this story because I wouldn’t care to re-read book 2 again. So now i’m just like…. Welp 😔🥲
The romance was kind of there, but not nearly to the degree that we got & felt in book one. In the Veins of the Drowning hooked me with the gothic atmosphere and siren folklore, etc., but the romance & yearning is really what captivated me. I was looking forward to even more intense yearning and romance in this, but I just didn’t feel it on the same level that I did before. This broke my heart because I truly love Theo & Imogen so much. I love them both as individuals and as a couple. I think they have great chemistry as well. …but something was just really lacking in this book 😔
It got a bit tiring how many times romantic or intimate moments were interrupted/stopped bc of a knock on a door, footsteps nearing, etc. Like can we just let the scene complete at least once? This was a huge reason I was upset that Theo & Halla stayed married for the entire book. It made sense why it happened in the plot, but I was shocked that we had to sit with it from start to finish. I did not think it was necessary for it to stay that way the entire time. Idk I guess I just expected all of that to pan out a bit differently. Again, I think it ruined a lot of the romantic moments & interactions in this book. Like we already dealt with this in the first book because he was betrothed, but at least then, it didn’t ruin the romantic moments.
By the end of this book, I didn’t feel like we got the emotional payoff from their journey that we deserved. I didn’t feel completely content and hated that it felt like this entire book was really them having to be miserable because of their circumstances. And look, I’ve read plenty of books where I love being in agony, but this wasn’t that. Most of what was putting them in their circumstances felt drawn out and lingered lonnng past its usefulness. They didn’t get any ounce of true happiness until the epilogue and even that was just telling me like “yes we’re happy! Yipee”… I didn’t get to feel it and really beeeee there for any of that. After everything they went through in the last 2 books, that’s all I get? 😔 all of it wrapped up far too quickly for me.
Even the side characters, like Agatha & Lachlan, felt underwhelming in this book. We didn’t get much from them and when we did, it was just a random shout of “oh they’re bonded again,” and that was it. Skimping on their story felt like a disservice to their characters and to the fullness of the story.
One positive about this book was that I still liked Theo. He still had some beautiful lines of yearning and longing. I was glad that I at least had some of that. He was so devoted to Imogen and unwavering in how he felt about her.
I struggled a bit with what to rate this because objectively, I don’t think this is necessarily a bad book! I still loved the language/style of the writing.
However, subjectively, I just didn’t enjoy it all that much. I realize that my expectations for this were quite high and I was hopeful for how this story would continue from book one, so that definitely played a role as well. But overall… I just wanted more from it. 😔💔
Ugh, I’m truly sooooo beyond upset that this was a disappointment for me 😞 I didn’t at all expect this outcome with how much I LOVED in the veins of the drowning.
Again though, I want to reiterate that objectively, I don’t think this was terrible or anything. I can totally see how people would love this, but I also very much understand the people that don’t love it. Just sad to say I fell with the latter. 💔
______________________________________________
pre-read 🥺🧜🏼♀️
So nervous and excited for this. King Theo, i missed you 😫🥺🥺🥺💙🩵
Disappointed is a bit of an understatement 😔💔 and no one is more disappointed than me. Unfortunately, this just didn’t have the same magic that book one had 💔 this is coming from someone who gave in the veins of the drowning 5⭐️ and absolutely ADORED it. I was so incredibly excited for this release, but I just wanted so much more from this and unfortunately, for me, it lost its spark 💔
It HURTS me to rate this this low. I considered giving it 3 stars, but when I look back, I can’t say I reallyyyy enjoyed my time and I can’t picture myself ever wanting to re-read this. So yeah, I feel like I have to go with 2.5/2.75 to reflect my own subjective experience of enjoyment with it.
The first 44% was okay. I was a little bit bored, but was still somewhat hopeful that the last half would maybe turn around. I kept moving to the next chapter hoping I’d feel that pull, hoping I’d feel a change in pace or direction, but it didn’t happen ☹️ I ended up putting it down because I was a little disappointed with how it was going so far, which unfortunately turned into a month of not picking it back up again. I didn’t even mean to put it on pause for month, but I genuinely just didn’t feel drawn to picking it back up again.
The main problem for me was that this book dragged. I don’t feel like that much really happened? I kept waiting for the story to start picking up or at least hoping that all the information I was being fed was really going to move the plot forward, but that didn’t really happen either. The world building was just layed on so thick in this book and made it way less enjoyable. Nothing exciting went on until about 50 pages left in the book.
Honestly, I wish Kalie had written In the Veins of the Drowning as a longer standalone. If parts of this book were put into the end of book one and wrapped up then, I think it would have made an incredibleeee standalone. I had high hopes for where this book would take us, but I hate that this kind of ruined how I felt about this story as a whole. I re-read book one before this one and loved it just as much as I did the first time, but now I don’t feel like I can enjoy this story because I wouldn’t care to re-read book 2 again. So now i’m just like…. Welp 😔🥲
The romance was kind of there, but not nearly to the degree that we got & felt in book one. In the Veins of the Drowning hooked me with the gothic atmosphere and siren folklore, etc., but the romance & yearning is really what captivated me. I was looking forward to even more intense yearning and romance in this, but I just didn’t feel it on the same level that I did before. This broke my heart because I truly love Theo & Imogen so much. I love them both as individuals and as a couple. I think they have great chemistry as well. …but something was just really lacking in this book 😔
It got a bit tiring how many times romantic or intimate moments were interrupted/stopped bc of a knock on a door, footsteps nearing, etc. Like can we just let the scene complete at least once? This was a huge reason I was upset that Theo & Halla stayed married for the entire book. It made sense why it happened in the plot, but I was shocked that we had to sit with it from start to finish. I did not think it was necessary for it to stay that way the entire time. Idk I guess I just expected all of that to pan out a bit differently. Again, I think it ruined a lot of the romantic moments & interactions in this book. Like we already dealt with this in the first book because he was betrothed, but at least then, it didn’t ruin the romantic moments.
By the end of this book, I didn’t feel like we got the emotional payoff from their journey that we deserved. I didn’t feel completely content and hated that it felt like this entire book was really them having to be miserable because of their circumstances. And look, I’ve read plenty of books where I love being in agony, but this wasn’t that. Most of what was putting them in their circumstances felt drawn out and lingered lonnng past its usefulness. They didn’t get any ounce of true happiness until the epilogue and even that was just telling me like “yes we’re happy! Yipee”… I didn’t get to feel it and really beeeee there for any of that. After everything they went through in the last 2 books, that’s all I get? 😔 all of it wrapped up far too quickly for me.
Even the side characters, like Agatha & Lachlan, felt underwhelming in this book. We didn’t get much from them and when we did, it was just a random shout of “oh they’re bonded again,” and that was it. Skimping on their story felt like a disservice to their characters and to the fullness of the story.
One positive about this book was that I still liked Theo. He still had some beautiful lines of yearning and longing. I was glad that I at least had some of that. He was so devoted to Imogen and unwavering in how he felt about her.
I struggled a bit with what to rate this because objectively, I don’t think this is necessarily a bad book! I still loved the language/style of the writing.
However, subjectively, I just didn’t enjoy it all that much. I realize that my expectations for this were quite high and I was hopeful for how this story would continue from book one, so that definitely played a role as well. But overall… I just wanted more from it. 😔💔
Ugh, I’m truly sooooo beyond upset that this was a disappointment for me 😞 I didn’t at all expect this outcome with how much I LOVED in the veins of the drowning.
Again though, I want to reiterate that objectively, I don’t think this was terrible or anything. I can totally see how people would love this, but I also very much understand the people that don’t love it. Just sad to say I fell with the latter. 💔
______________________________________________
pre-read 🥺🧜🏼♀️
So nervous and excited for this. King Theo, i missed you 😫🥺🥺🥺💙🩵
March 13, 2026
FIVE BAJILLION STARS (and that epilogue made me weep)
yearning was off the charts again
Bookstagram | Blog
yearning was off the charts again
Bookstagram | Blog
February 18, 2026
Thank you to Little, Brown for the ARC. This was my most highly anticipated book of 2026. I read 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 in a single day right after it was published, was immediately utterly obsessed, and recommended it to everyone I knew. The cliffhanger was insane and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 was the opposite. It took me five whole days to finish it because I literally kept falling asleep. Compared to the first book, this one is painfully dense. Part 1 was very difficult to trudge through. Part 2 was okay, but felt rushed. Part 3 held all the plot twists which I (unfortunately) could see from a mile away, but I had useless information fatigue wasn’t interested in the least.
Cassidy needs to trust that the readers can read between the lines, we don’t need everything spoon-fed to us– but that’s exactly what she does with this book. The unnecessary descriptions and world-building was what held the story back majorly. I don’t know if Cassidy wasn’t set on writing a second book, or if she was just rushed to pump this story out for the publisher, but (in my opinion) this book lacks true 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. There’s no other way I can describe it. I felt nothing reading this, which was shocking and disappointing because I don’t know of anyone else who wants to love this book more than myself. I hope constructive criticism can be taken and the book that is sent out into the world in July will be different than this.
𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 was the opposite. It took me five whole days to finish it because I literally kept falling asleep. Compared to the first book, this one is painfully dense. Part 1 was very difficult to trudge through. Part 2 was okay, but felt rushed. Part 3 held all the plot twists which I (unfortunately) could see from a mile away, but I had useless information fatigue wasn’t interested in the least.
Cassidy needs to trust that the readers can read between the lines, we don’t need everything spoon-fed to us– but that’s exactly what she does with this book. The unnecessary descriptions and world-building was what held the story back majorly. I don’t know if Cassidy wasn’t set on writing a second book, or if she was just rushed to pump this story out for the publisher, but (in my opinion) this book lacks true 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. There’s no other way I can describe it. I felt nothing reading this, which was shocking and disappointing because I don’t know of anyone else who wants to love this book more than myself. I hope constructive criticism can be taken and the book that is sent out into the world in July will be different than this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Kalie Cassidy, Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4 / 5 ⭐️!
I found this one to be much better than the first book!
I felt that this book was much deeper in terms of the character development, Imogen and Theo's relationship, and overall the sense of adventure than book 1, and I really enjoyed it!
The highlight of this book for me was definitely Theo!
Theo was sooo swoon-worthy in this book!! I could feel the yearning from him all over the page in his POV. It made my reading experience so much better because.. let's be honest, I love a man that yearns. And Theo brings "down bad" to a whole new level.
I am so happy that these two get their ending, and it was just so satisfying after what they had been through!!
Overall such an enjoyable duology!!
♡ pre-read ♡
So excited to see what becomes of Imogen and Theo!!
4 / 5 ⭐️!
I found this one to be much better than the first book!
I felt that this book was much deeper in terms of the character development, Imogen and Theo's relationship, and overall the sense of adventure than book 1, and I really enjoyed it!
The highlight of this book for me was definitely Theo!
Theo was sooo swoon-worthy in this book!! I could feel the yearning from him all over the page in his POV. It made my reading experience so much better because.. let's be honest, I love a man that yearns. And Theo brings "down bad" to a whole new level.
I am so happy that these two get their ending, and it was just so satisfying after what they had been through!!
Overall such an enjoyable duology!!
♡ pre-read ♡
So excited to see what becomes of Imogen and Theo!!
Want to Read
August 10, 2025ive sold my soul to immy & theo - i need this book more than i need air
August 25, 2025
Just finished #1 in 48 hours, as I literally could not put it down. I need #2 like Eusia needs Imogen’s and Theo’s blood: ASAP!!! 😫🩸🧜♀️
August 13, 2026
╰┈➤ 𝟺.𝟸𝟻 ✰ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
❝ “𝓘’𝓵𝓵 𝓰𝓸 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓼,” 𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓲𝓭, 𝓼𝓸𝓯𝓽 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓾𝓷𝔂𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰. “𝓑𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽’𝓼 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓘’𝓵𝓵 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾.” ❞
📚: 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐲
📜: 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 𝟺𝟹𝟸
🏷️: 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢
📖: 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎
📆: 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟾/𝟷𝟷/𝟸𝟼-𝟾/𝟷𝟸/𝟸𝟼
💬: 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”Imogen can no longer hide. She has claimed her ancestral crown and now the corrupted bond she shares with the ancient deity Eusia is stronger than ever. Though she is determined to sever it, doing so is no easy feat. The threat of war looms. Shifting alliances, a hunger for magic, and her feelings for Theodore, King of Varya, attempt to thwart her at every turn. Meanwhile, Theodore is battling the strain of his own crown and commitments. When Imogen suddenly appears on his ship, every dutiful resolution he's ever made threatens to snap. As they draw nearer to ending Eusia, lurking dangers and their perilous desire for one another prove more insurmountable than they could have imagined. Will the chaos, ruin, and death that Imogen was prophesied to usher into the realm be the end of all things, or the beginning?”」
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪
❝ “𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓪 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓻𝓲𝓽 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓫𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓼𝓱. 𝓐 𝓰𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓲𝓵𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓪𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓾𝓷𝓽 𝓶𝓮.” ❞
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★.25
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.𝟶𝟶 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ᴀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴅʀᴀᴜɢʜᴛ
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: 👍🏼
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʜᴀᴜɴᴛᴇᴅ — ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴄᴇ
2:54 ———♡——— 6:09
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
╭───
┆
╰⪼ it’s what you do, it's what you see, I know if I'm hauntin' you, you must be hauntin' me.
⊱ ────── {⋆ ‧₊˚♪𝄞 ⋆} ────── ⊰
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
🌊 ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
🌊 ʏᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ
🌊 ꜱɪʀᴇɴ ʟᴏʀᴇ
🌊 ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ʙᴏɴᴅꜱ
🌊 ꜰᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ
🌊 ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏⊹ ࣪
❝ “𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭, 𝓲𝓽’𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰.” ❞
July 9, 2026
4.5⭐️s!!
“𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼. 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭, 𝓲𝓽’𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰.”
one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it absolutely did not disappoint.
i loved this book so much!! theo and imogen completely captured my heart in itvotd, so i was beyond excited to be reunited with them and finally see how their story ended in this book.
the story picked up right where book 1 left off and took me on such an emotional journey. i absolutely adored imogen’s growth from the first book to this one. she became such a force of nature, but never let all that power corrupt who she was at her core.
and then there’s theo… THIS MAN 😩😮💨. the yearning and the things that came out of this man’s mouth deserve their own novella because i swear i was highlighting EVERY. SINGLE. WORD he said. his unwavering devotion to imogen, despite every obstacle thrown their way, somehow made me love him even more. this man fell first, and he fell HARD. i’m just so happy they got the hea they deserved.
“𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓶𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓮𝔀. 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓭𝓼𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓾𝓵𝓼𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓽.”
i also have to give a huge shoutout to lachlan and agatha for being the real ones. while lachlan drove me absolutely insane at times in book 1, he completely turned it around for me here. i loved watching him and imogen bond over their love for agatha, and seeing him eventually come to care for imogen and acknowledge that she was the right person for theo. plus, some of his sassy remarks had me cackling.
and agatha… my sweet, sweet agatha. she really went through it in this book 😭. i’m going to need a little epilogue of lachlan and agatha living their best lives because i’m not ready to let them go.
my only real complaints? fricken halla was always interrupting everything 😤. and eusia constantly being a thorn in imogen’s side. thankfully, everything got sorted out in the end LOL.
while i loved book 1 just a tiny bit more, this was such a satisfying ending to a fantastic duology. kalie’s writing was so poetic, and her use of imagery made the reading experience incredibly immersive. honestly, there were moments that made me feel physically ill because they were written so vividly (iykyk). the siren mage duology is now on my list of all time favourite romantasy duologies and kalie cassidy will definitely be added to my auto-buy authors! i can’t wait to see what she writes next 🥰.
“𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼. 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭, 𝓲𝓽’𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰.”
one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it absolutely did not disappoint.
i loved this book so much!! theo and imogen completely captured my heart in itvotd, so i was beyond excited to be reunited with them and finally see how their story ended in this book.
the story picked up right where book 1 left off and took me on such an emotional journey. i absolutely adored imogen’s growth from the first book to this one. she became such a force of nature, but never let all that power corrupt who she was at her core.
and then there’s theo… THIS MAN 😩😮💨. the yearning and the things that came out of this man’s mouth deserve their own novella because i swear i was highlighting EVERY. SINGLE. WORD he said. his unwavering devotion to imogen, despite every obstacle thrown their way, somehow made me love him even more. this man fell first, and he fell HARD. i’m just so happy they got the hea they deserved.
“𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓶𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓮𝔀. 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓭𝓼𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓾𝓵𝓼𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓽.”
i also have to give a huge shoutout to lachlan and agatha for being the real ones. while lachlan drove me absolutely insane at times in book 1, he completely turned it around for me here. i loved watching him and imogen bond over their love for agatha, and seeing him eventually come to care for imogen and acknowledge that she was the right person for theo. plus, some of his sassy remarks had me cackling.
and agatha… my sweet, sweet agatha. she really went through it in this book 😭. i’m going to need a little epilogue of lachlan and agatha living their best lives because i’m not ready to let them go.
my only real complaints? fricken halla was always interrupting everything 😤. and eusia constantly being a thorn in imogen’s side. thankfully, everything got sorted out in the end LOL.
while i loved book 1 just a tiny bit more, this was such a satisfying ending to a fantastic duology. kalie’s writing was so poetic, and her use of imagery made the reading experience incredibly immersive. honestly, there were moments that made me feel physically ill because they were written so vividly (iykyk). the siren mage duology is now on my list of all time favourite romantasy duologies and kalie cassidy will definitely be added to my auto-buy authors! i can’t wait to see what she writes next 🥰.
August 10, 2026
HAUNTINGLY GORGEOUS WRITING 🤯
This duology felt like falling down an eerie mermaid sinkhole, sipping amethyst wine by lantern light in my favorite vintage lace and clutching my jewels THANK U VERY MUCH.
The lushness….the romance… the creeps…
I can’t get over how this book made me feel 🤧🤧🤧
what a fucking perfect duet I wish I had the words!!!!
Kalie Cassidy!!! GIRL YOU ATE with this and I’ll be patiently waiting for more of your work 🫶🏼
This duology felt like falling down an eerie mermaid sinkhole, sipping amethyst wine by lantern light in my favorite vintage lace and clutching my jewels THANK U VERY MUCH.
The lushness….the romance… the creeps…
I can’t get over how this book made me feel 🤧🤧🤧
what a fucking perfect duet I wish I had the words!!!!
Kalie Cassidy!!! GIRL YOU ATE with this and I’ll be patiently waiting for more of your work 🫶🏼
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4 stars
What a great way to end this duology! This was one of my most anticipated reads and it delivered!
I was completely entertained by this book and absolutely flew through it. I just ate it up. I love Imogen and Theodore so much, and the found family in this story is one of my favorite parts of the series.
And the yearning in this. Sigh. Theodore- the man that you are. This was some Pride and Prejudice/Bridgerton level yearning.
I also really loved that we got more of Lachlan in this book. He ended up being such a fun presence — almost comic relief at times — with his banter and personality, which added a really nice balance to the heavier moments.
Overall, I really enjoyed where the plot went and thought the ending wrapped things up in a satisfying way. The only reason this isn’t a full five stars for me is that some parts felt a little predictable, and I would have loved a couple more twists along the way.
I really loved this series and the duology as a whole. I’d definitely recommend it, and I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about these characters — especially Imogen and Theodore — for quite a while.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown and Company for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review
What a great way to end this duology! This was one of my most anticipated reads and it delivered!
I was completely entertained by this book and absolutely flew through it. I just ate it up. I love Imogen and Theodore so much, and the found family in this story is one of my favorite parts of the series.
And the yearning in this. Sigh. Theodore- the man that you are. This was some Pride and Prejudice/Bridgerton level yearning.
I also really loved that we got more of Lachlan in this book. He ended up being such a fun presence — almost comic relief at times — with his banter and personality, which added a really nice balance to the heavier moments.
Overall, I really enjoyed where the plot went and thought the ending wrapped things up in a satisfying way. The only reason this isn’t a full five stars for me is that some parts felt a little predictable, and I would have loved a couple more twists along the way.
I really loved this series and the duology as a whole. I’d definitely recommend it, and I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about these characters — especially Imogen and Theodore — for quite a while.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown and Company for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review
March 12, 2026
I could not put this book down, yet I didn’t want it to end! I loved this story so much!!!
July 10, 2026
This was one of the sequels I was most excited about this year and yet again I was disappointed.
This book was chaotic all around. The magic was messy and not very well explained or explored. The gods and world was very minimal and didn’t make a lot of sense. The characters were just not likable, I hated almost every decision the MMC made and every line he had in this book. I hated that the FMC was weak and forgave him for everything and still loved him through it all and even ended up begging him instead of the other way around. I hated that the MMC is still married and there is talk about him getting his wife pregnant all the way up until the last chapter of this book. The entire plot of these two books is about him going to marry or being married to another woman while stealing away from his wife at inopportune moments to secretly touch the FMC and try to have sex with her instead of talking things through or solving the bigger problems they have going on. Every spice scene is at extremely inconvenient times and pretty cringy seeing as the mention of his wife always comes up or his wife actually does interrupt them.
The eating a bit of their own flesh any time they preform magic was disgusting. The magic in general was confusing and the FMC in her monstrous era was underwhelming.
I was really hoping to love this but unfortunately it rubbed me the wrong way through the entire story.
This book was chaotic all around. The magic was messy and not very well explained or explored. The gods and world was very minimal and didn’t make a lot of sense. The characters were just not likable, I hated almost every decision the MMC made and every line he had in this book. I hated that the FMC was weak and forgave him for everything and still loved him through it all and even ended up begging him instead of the other way around. I hated that the MMC is still married and there is talk about him getting his wife pregnant all the way up until the last chapter of this book. The entire plot of these two books is about him going to marry or being married to another woman while stealing away from his wife at inopportune moments to secretly touch the FMC and try to have sex with her instead of talking things through or solving the bigger problems they have going on. Every spice scene is at extremely inconvenient times and pretty cringy seeing as the mention of his wife always comes up or his wife actually does interrupt them.
The eating a bit of their own flesh any time they preform magic was disgusting. The magic in general was confusing and the FMC in her monstrous era was underwhelming.
I was really hoping to love this but unfortunately it rubbed me the wrong way through the entire story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2026
── .✦
In the wake of the ruined 3/5
ehhhhh
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
○°•★•°○— Pre-read: Time to complete this duology!! this better be good.. i'm expecting this to be just as good as the first not better or worse 🙈
ehhhhh
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
○°•★•°○— Pre-read: Time to complete this duology!! this better be good.. i'm expecting this to be just as good as the first not better or worse 🙈
July 23, 2026
Okay how was this maybe even better than book 1???! I LOVED everything about this book. From the writing, the absolutely feral yearning, characters, & the way everything ended but still (maybe??) leaves room for more/spin off in a future book?
Theo & Imogen forever!!! NEED more from Kalie Cassidy 🤯
5⭐️
2🌶️
6🧠
Theo & Imogen forever!!! NEED more from Kalie Cassidy 🤯
5⭐️
2🌶️
6🧠
August 28, 2026
“ɪ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ ʏᴏᴜ’ʟʟ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ…”
“ᴡʜᴀᴛ?”
“ꜱᴛᴇᴀʟ ᴍʏ ᴀɪʀ.”
Oh. Oh. I am SICK.
Kalie Cassidy really said let me write 400+ pages of gothic sirens, gods, crowns, monsters, sacrifice, devotion, and the most absolutely feral yearning imaginable and then rip my heart out with the ending. And unfortunately for me, it worked.
I liked the first book, but this one took everything I enjoyed about it and made me feel SO much more emotionally attached to these characters. The atmosphere was darker, the mythology got even richer, and the entire story had this haunting, almost dreamlike quality that made me feel like I was constantly waiting for something terrible to crawl out of the shadows.
But Theodore.
THEODORE.
I fear this man’s yearning was everythinggg.
There is just something about a man who is so painfully, hopelessly, devastatingly in love that he can barely breathe around the person he wants. And Theo??? Oh, he was DOWN BAD. The tension. The restraint. The longing. The way he looks at Imogen. The way he loves her even when he thinks he shouldn’t. I was highlighting like my life depended on it.
And Imogen! Watching her journey come full circle was probably my favorite part of this duology. She spent so much of the first book learning to understand her power, and getting to see her step fully into herself here—while still being messy, angry, terrified, loving, and willing to burn everything down for the people she cares about—was SO satisfying.
I also really loved getting more of the side characters and the found family in this book. Lachlan, Agatha, Theo, Imogen… these people have been through the absolute wringer together and I loved getting to see those relationships breathe a little more. The little moments of tenderness and humor tucked between all the death, destruction, and general ✨ruin✨ made me love them even more.
And that ENDING.
I genuinely don't know how to talk about it without spoiling anything, so all I will say is: after everything Kalie put these characters through, I was expecting to be emotional.
I was NOT expecting to be personally victimized.
It was beautiful. It was bittersweet. It was satisfying. It was also slightly diabolical and I would like to speak to the author about my emotional damages.
There is something so special about finishing a duology and realizing you actually got to watch these characters become completely different people from who they were at the beginning. Imogen's growth, Theo's devotion, the found family, the mythology, the yearning that could probably power an entire city…
“ᴡʜᴀᴛ?”
“ꜱᴛᴇᴀʟ ᴍʏ ᴀɪʀ.”
Oh. Oh. I am SICK.
Kalie Cassidy really said let me write 400+ pages of gothic sirens, gods, crowns, monsters, sacrifice, devotion, and the most absolutely feral yearning imaginable and then rip my heart out with the ending. And unfortunately for me, it worked.
I liked the first book, but this one took everything I enjoyed about it and made me feel SO much more emotionally attached to these characters. The atmosphere was darker, the mythology got even richer, and the entire story had this haunting, almost dreamlike quality that made me feel like I was constantly waiting for something terrible to crawl out of the shadows.
But Theodore.
THEODORE.
I fear this man’s yearning was everythinggg.
There is just something about a man who is so painfully, hopelessly, devastatingly in love that he can barely breathe around the person he wants. And Theo??? Oh, he was DOWN BAD. The tension. The restraint. The longing. The way he looks at Imogen. The way he loves her even when he thinks he shouldn’t. I was highlighting like my life depended on it.
And Imogen! Watching her journey come full circle was probably my favorite part of this duology. She spent so much of the first book learning to understand her power, and getting to see her step fully into herself here—while still being messy, angry, terrified, loving, and willing to burn everything down for the people she cares about—was SO satisfying.
I also really loved getting more of the side characters and the found family in this book. Lachlan, Agatha, Theo, Imogen… these people have been through the absolute wringer together and I loved getting to see those relationships breathe a little more. The little moments of tenderness and humor tucked between all the death, destruction, and general ✨ruin✨ made me love them even more.
And that ENDING.
I genuinely don't know how to talk about it without spoiling anything, so all I will say is: after everything Kalie put these characters through, I was expecting to be emotional.
I was NOT expecting to be personally victimized.
It was beautiful. It was bittersweet. It was satisfying. It was also slightly diabolical and I would like to speak to the author about my emotional damages.
There is something so special about finishing a duology and realizing you actually got to watch these characters become completely different people from who they were at the beginning. Imogen's growth, Theo's devotion, the found family, the mythology, the yearning that could probably power an entire city…
July 9, 2026
“but you must know that i see all the parts you hate and wish to hide, and i love you still.”
—
this was such a good gothic siren summer romantasy duology!! the magic system was so unique, and i loved the darker atmosphere with all the spells, sacrifices, and creepy vibes. definitely a little spooky at times, which was very fun.
at first i wanted to throw hands with lachlan because he desperately needed agatha to put him in his place. but i absolutely loved watching his development with imogen throughout this book. he may be grumpy, but seeing him so soft for agatha had me crying. "hello, sweetheart." tears were shed.
imogen's character development was so good too. she became so much more confident in her decisions, and it broke my heart seeing her constantly willing to risk everything for the people she loved, even at the expense of her own happiness.
“𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅. 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒍𝒚, 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔.”
theo... where do i even begin? this man is the king of yearning. adding his POV was EVERYTHING to me. when i tell you every single thing he said got highlighted, i'm not kidding. i sat here forever trying to pick my favorite quotes, and there were way too many contenders. his nickname for her was already one of my favorites, and then he had to go and add "darling" and "love"??? i collapsed.
“𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒂 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒚. 𝒊 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔. 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔, 𝒊 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
the forbidden love in this book was SO good. the tension??? can we please talk about the hand graze? the pinky touch?? i was literally gnawing at the bars of my enclosure.
i will gladly take any bonus chapters or an extended epilogue please since i already miss mr. theodore so much.
“𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔—𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
—
this was such a good gothic siren summer romantasy duology!! the magic system was so unique, and i loved the darker atmosphere with all the spells, sacrifices, and creepy vibes. definitely a little spooky at times, which was very fun.
at first i wanted to throw hands with lachlan because he desperately needed agatha to put him in his place. but i absolutely loved watching his development with imogen throughout this book. he may be grumpy, but seeing him so soft for agatha had me crying. "hello, sweetheart." tears were shed.
imogen's character development was so good too. she became so much more confident in her decisions, and it broke my heart seeing her constantly willing to risk everything for the people she loved, even at the expense of her own happiness.
“𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅. 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒍𝒚, 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔.”
theo... where do i even begin? this man is the king of yearning. adding his POV was EVERYTHING to me. when i tell you every single thing he said got highlighted, i'm not kidding. i sat here forever trying to pick my favorite quotes, and there were way too many contenders. his nickname for her was already one of my favorites, and then he had to go and add "darling" and "love"??? i collapsed.
“𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒂 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒚. 𝒊 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔. 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔, 𝒊 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
the forbidden love in this book was SO good. the tension??? can we please talk about the hand graze? the pinky touch?? i was literally gnawing at the bars of my enclosure.
i will gladly take any bonus chapters or an extended epilogue please since i already miss mr. theodore so much.
“𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔—𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
July 21, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
Okay, I have to say it… I loved this one even more than the first book. 😭✨
The first book was already a great start to the series, but this one completely pulled me in. I felt more invested in the characters, the story had even more emotional depth, and I loved watching everything unfold. There was so much more tension, drama, and those moments that had me desperately needing to know what would happen next.
I also really enjoyed how the world and the story continued to expand without losing the things that made me love the first book. I was completely hooked, and honestly, I didn’t want to put it down.
The only reason I’m giving it 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because there were a few moments where I wanted a little more from the pacing and the ending. But overall? I had such a good time reading this.
Okay, I have to say it… I loved this one even more than the first book. 😭✨
The first book was already a great start to the series, but this one completely pulled me in. I felt more invested in the characters, the story had even more emotional depth, and I loved watching everything unfold. There was so much more tension, drama, and those moments that had me desperately needing to know what would happen next.
I also really enjoyed how the world and the story continued to expand without losing the things that made me love the first book. I was completely hooked, and honestly, I didn’t want to put it down.
The only reason I’m giving it 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because there were a few moments where I wanted a little more from the pacing and the ending. But overall? I had such a good time reading this.
July 10, 2026
“You are a spirit I cannot banish. A ghost that wails the word ‘mine’ as you haunt me.”
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦
Delightfully moody, gloriously gothic, and much darker than anticipated; this was simply immaculate. We are dropped right where book two ends, making the stakes impossibly high from the very start. The dark, siren lore from book one deepens throughout this book, and the world building was fascinating, original and a little unsettling. The prose was hauntingly beautiful, and the medium pacing kept me gripped the entire read.
I loved just how dark this leaned, while also maintaining a surprisingly lighthearted tone. There is a little bit of body horror, but also a little bit of humor, and the most achingly beautiful forbidden romance. The tension between Imogen and Theodore was impossibly thick, while the mutual yearning was unmatched. Their fierce devotion to each other had me feverishly highlighting passages and completely unable to put this down. I loved that Theodore never tries to stifle Imogen’s power, and he is just the most perfect grounding force for her.
Imogen is incredibly relatable, and so charming. It is very rare and refreshing to see a fantasy heroine maintain her raw, terrifying magic all the way to the final page. She doesn't get weakened or sidelined. Instead, she steps fully into her crown as an absolute powerhouse. I loved her entire journey, from the beginning of book one to the end of book two.
The climax was heart-pounding, the resolution felt entirely earned, and the epilogue left my heart completely full. I cannot recommend this duology enough.
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚:
Forced Proximity
Forbidden Love
Shifting Alliances and Royalty
Reluctant Allies to Lovers
Light Body Horror
The weight of inherited legacies
Destiny vs Free Will
✄----------
Genres in Order of Weight: Dark Fantasy, Romance
Setting: Fictional Realm
Rating: 5 Stars
✄----------
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦
Delightfully moody, gloriously gothic, and much darker than anticipated; this was simply immaculate. We are dropped right where book two ends, making the stakes impossibly high from the very start. The dark, siren lore from book one deepens throughout this book, and the world building was fascinating, original and a little unsettling. The prose was hauntingly beautiful, and the medium pacing kept me gripped the entire read.
I loved just how dark this leaned, while also maintaining a surprisingly lighthearted tone. There is a little bit of body horror, but also a little bit of humor, and the most achingly beautiful forbidden romance. The tension between Imogen and Theodore was impossibly thick, while the mutual yearning was unmatched. Their fierce devotion to each other had me feverishly highlighting passages and completely unable to put this down. I loved that Theodore never tries to stifle Imogen’s power, and he is just the most perfect grounding force for her.
Imogen is incredibly relatable, and so charming. It is very rare and refreshing to see a fantasy heroine maintain her raw, terrifying magic all the way to the final page. She doesn't get weakened or sidelined. Instead, she steps fully into her crown as an absolute powerhouse. I loved her entire journey, from the beginning of book one to the end of book two.
The climax was heart-pounding, the resolution felt entirely earned, and the epilogue left my heart completely full. I cannot recommend this duology enough.
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚:
Forced Proximity
Forbidden Love
Shifting Alliances and Royalty
Reluctant Allies to Lovers
Light Body Horror
The weight of inherited legacies
Destiny vs Free Will
✄----------
Genres in Order of Weight: Dark Fantasy, Romance
Setting: Fictional Realm
Rating: 5 Stars
✄----------
August 29, 2026
Ok, so I really liked the first one, but this is a high 3.5 for me. I'M SORRY. I’m rounding to 4 because I like Cassidy’s writing.
First, Cassidy knows how to write sultry. Veins was extremely sultry and yearny, and there was no shortage of that here. There was so much passion for each other; Imogen and Theo are going through hell and there's this random girl who's a sociopath who's in the way all the time and all they want to do is be on a boat together not get killed while having sex.
Now the meh. I was pretty over how Imogen remained alive during this book. She almost died at least five times but somehow bounces back, full of aching lust for Theo and courage to fight. I do love Imogen as a character and she did grow quite a bit from the beginning of book one, even though the whole duology is maybe 8 months? but the stakes were almost too high here. There was so much stabbing and turmoil that I felt like the plot wasn't as linear or clear as I hoped it to be. I still don't love how Theo and Imogen talk to each other sometimes, but I guess they just have that kind of messed up relationship (spoiler: they do).
A nice(ish) ending to this duology though, just not as fun as the first one.
First, Cassidy knows how to write sultry. Veins was extremely sultry and yearny, and there was no shortage of that here. There was so much passion for each other; Imogen and Theo are going through hell and there's this random girl who's a sociopath who's in the way all the time and all they want to do is be on a boat together not get killed while having sex.
Now the meh. I was pretty over how Imogen remained alive during this book. She almost died at least five times but somehow bounces back, full of aching lust for Theo and courage to fight. I do love Imogen as a character and she did grow quite a bit from the beginning of book one, even though the whole duology is maybe 8 months? but the stakes were almost too high here. There was so much stabbing and turmoil that I felt like the plot wasn't as linear or clear as I hoped it to be. I still don't love how Theo and Imogen talk to each other sometimes, but I guess they just have that kind of messed up relationship (spoiler: they do).
A nice(ish) ending to this duology though, just not as fun as the first one.
July 21, 2026
I fear I have terrible luck with duologies. Countless times I’ve read the first book, adored it, waited with bated breath for the second… only to be terribly disappointed.
In the Wake of the Ruined is a poorly-plotted, meandering follow-up to In the Veins of the Drowning. Sure, the prose has its moments. But broadly speaking, much of the plot felt like filler.
Also, how many times can you have a random character interrupt an intimate scene? Whether it was a knock on a door or a holler of a name, it became ridiculous.
In the Wake of the Ruined is a poorly-plotted, meandering follow-up to In the Veins of the Drowning. Sure, the prose has its moments. But broadly speaking, much of the plot felt like filler.
Also, how many times can you have a random character interrupt an intimate scene? Whether it was a knock on a door or a holler of a name, it became ridiculous.
July 6, 2026
IN. LOVE ! Kalie Cassidy is 100% one of my new fave authors <3
more people need to know about this top-tier duology! the gothic, haunting atmosphere and dark magic system, the amazing cast, and the gorgeous yearning!?! I love Imogen as an FMC and how strong she is, while also being real and vulnerable. I LOVE Theodore, and while this duology is perfect, I definitely need more Theo in my life🤭😍 the way he yearns and his way with words are just to die for!!<3
it took me a while to read, but I just really didn't want to finish the book🙈 I love the story, and I love how much I hate some of the characters *cough cough Halla*
I usually don't talk to my family about books (they're not readers), but I had to tell them all my frustrations and anxious feelings, and my sister actually ended up being like, "soo... how did it end??👀" - that is saying something, as she does not care about what I'm reading... usually 😂👏🏼
we got adventure and plot and kisses in the dark! I love how refreshing the plot felt, and while I had an idea of where we were going, I didn't have a clue at the same time👏🏼
we have forced proximity while struggling with the fact that they can't be together or near each other. we have the most delicious yearning - did I mention I love yearning and Theo haha??😂 like, I have highlighted soooo many quotes from him and moments they have together😍
I really appreciate how the tension between them continued throughout the entire series and not just in the first book! also, I would pretty please with a cherry on top love a novella with Lach and Agnes!!
the writing, characters, setting, and romance are phenomenal! so, so excited for whatever comes next!🫶🏼
thank you SO much, Little Brown, for the ARC!<3<3 It will be forever treasured 🙏🏼
2.5/5 🌶️
more people need to know about this top-tier duology! the gothic, haunting atmosphere and dark magic system, the amazing cast, and the gorgeous yearning!?! I love Imogen as an FMC and how strong she is, while also being real and vulnerable. I LOVE Theodore, and while this duology is perfect, I definitely need more Theo in my life🤭😍 the way he yearns and his way with words are just to die for!!<3
it took me a while to read, but I just really didn't want to finish the book🙈 I love the story, and I love how much I hate some of the characters *cough cough Halla*
I usually don't talk to my family about books (they're not readers), but I had to tell them all my frustrations and anxious feelings, and my sister actually ended up being like, "soo... how did it end??👀" - that is saying something, as she does not care about what I'm reading... usually 😂👏🏼
we got adventure and plot and kisses in the dark! I love how refreshing the plot felt, and while I had an idea of where we were going, I didn't have a clue at the same time👏🏼
we have forced proximity while struggling with the fact that they can't be together or near each other. we have the most delicious yearning - did I mention I love yearning and Theo haha??😂 like, I have highlighted soooo many quotes from him and moments they have together😍
I really appreciate how the tension between them continued throughout the entire series and not just in the first book! also, I would pretty please with a cherry on top love a novella with Lach and Agnes!!
the writing, characters, setting, and romance are phenomenal! so, so excited for whatever comes next!🫶🏼
thank you SO much, Little Brown, for the ARC!<3<3 It will be forever treasured 🙏🏼
2.5/5 🌶️
August 10, 2026
You know those stories where there is something you really want to happen, but the author keeps it away from you in "creative" ways that end up irritating you instead.
This is not one of those stories. It should be because Halla is painful and in the way, but it's not. I wanted her gone in book one already.
What I found was a story with enough story to tell and appropriately placed breadcrumbs of what I wanted without making me want to throw the book.
This is not one of those stories. It should be because Halla is painful and in the way, but it's not. I wanted her gone in book one already.
What I found was a story with enough story to tell and appropriately placed breadcrumbs of what I wanted without making me want to throw the book.
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