Stormvein: The Veinbound Trilogy, Book 2

The Veinbound Trilogy #2

by L. Ann, Lilly Drake (Narrator), Benjamin Crow (Narrator)

Ellie Bennett was always destined to be here.

The mission to Ashenvale was supposed to be simple. Instead, it ended with everything changing. Shadow met storm, and power exploded through her veins, threatening to tear her apart from the inside.

She needs to control it. She needs to survive it.

But the Veinwardens are losing faith. Time is running out, and nothing can stop what's coming. Now, Ellie must make an impossible choice—accept what everyone tells her, or risk everything on a desperate mission.

Power is dangerous. Defiance even more so.

And Ellie is about to discover that some storms are worth unleashing ...

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Magic, Romance, Fae, Suspense, Slow Burn

Audible Audio

Published September 22, 2026

About the author

If you are looking for gentle romps through the flowers, with lovers holding hands and never making mistakes, then my books are not for you.

I don't write heroes or heroines, I write people with baggage, history and problems. My characters are flawed, they're messy, they make disastrous mistakes that are hard to come back from. My stories are not sweet or kind, they are dark and, at times, cruel. They deal with uncomfortable subjects and I do not apologise for it.


If you like plot twists, characters you don't think you'll ever grow to love but eventually do, sarcasm, dark paths and messy relationships, then come on in. The water may be deep and shark-infested, but I know the way out ...I promise.

You can find L. Ann at the following locations:-

NEWSLETTER ➙https://lannauthor.com and get a FREE E-BOOK!

AMAZON -- https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B078...

FACEBOOK -- https://www.facebook.com/LAnnAuthor/

READER FB GROUP -- https://www.facebook.com/groups/lanns... - join her Reader Group on Facebook and be in with a chance to pick up ARCs and swag before anyone else.

BOOKBUB -- https://www.bookbub.com/profile/l-ann

INSTAGRAM -- https://www.instagram.com/lee_ann_aut...

TWITTER -- https://twitter.com/LeeAnn_Author

VIP Reader Group - https://clubdamnation.com

Reviews

[Krista Burns · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
The first half of the book could have been condensed to the first 100 pages. Slow pacing, repetitive story-telling, and just plain ole boring. The second half picked up the pace a little bit, but Jesus I do not need to hear the prophecy repeated 1,000 times or hear how stoic Sasha is expect when he’s with Ellie, or how much Ellie has changed. WE GET IT. Move on with the story! Battle scenes were cut and paste of every battle scene in Romantasy. The ending was predictable.
I skimmed 60% of this and I don’t feel like I missed anything.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is annoyingly repetitive. Conversations, information, questions…all repeated ad nauseam. Anytime an answer is given for literally anything - let’s say, soldiers are in the area because they’re scouting. The next words out of the fmc’s mouth are - but why are there soldiers in the area? And then our mmc has to explain - there are soldiers in the area because they’re scouting. This is just a spoiler-free, made-up example to illustrate how unnecessary most of the dialogue is in this book. You have to slog through the same info, repeat the same arguments and conversations, through all 500+ pages.

At least the cliffhanger wasn’t as bad in this. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Ceacea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Romantic Fantasy
⭐️ 3.5/5
🌶 2/5
🧠 6/10
Noteworthy: Book 2 of an incomplete trilogy. Dual POV. Darker themes surrounding war, so check content warnings. Available on KU.

This was a highly anticipated read for me. I absolutely loved book 1, and the writing style tickled my brain for the most part. But this one needed some additional editing to me. Not grammatically speaking so much as the overly repetitive thoughts and conversations.

The 1st act picked up right where the cliffhanger left off in book one. The first 35% of this book was amazing. Chapter 7 had my chest tight with anxiety. The brutality feels like it may never end at one point. Incredible, especially the MMCs POV. But the 2nd act was truly painful at times. I feel like the rehashing of internal dialog and conversations was excessive. On top of that, the FMCs constant questioning of things already discussed only to get basically the same answer. Gah! The struggle! The middle could have been edited down, eliminating some of that and saving my sanity. I haven't wanted to shake an FMC this bad since Diem from Spark of the Everflame. Thank goodness the 3rd act picked up and brought us back into the good stuff. I liked the twists and the character development of the MMC. He's evolved into not just an amazing fantasy character but a great romantic lead.

I did really like how Ellie worked to control her powers. Seeing her start to come into her own and gain some level of acceptance and answers was so nice! I am still holding out hope that I end up liking her character by the end.

I'm really trying not to spoil anything, but the story is worth the frustrations for me. I will be counting down to the 3rd book because, once again, that cliffhanger was a doozy.

[Jodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked Shadowvein and still am interested in the plot and characters, but the repetitive writing was hard to get through in this one. He was in a tower for 27 years? You don’t say! (Except you did say, at least fifty times)

[Meli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am excited to read the next book! My only critique is she overly states the same thing, though, I think she's just trying to express the character thoughts, sometimes I felt like I was reading the same page twice.

[fictionalrelapse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well. I’ve never DNF’d a book before. But here we are.

TLDR this could have been one fucking book and it would have been a good if not simple story. The author is milking the fuck out of this for no reason, extending the page count with wordy repetitive monologues and creating fake “stakes” while ignoring actually compelling points in the plot. The worldbuilding set up in book 1 is nonexistent because we spend 40% of the book in one location being depressed. The reveals are lackluster and the magic system absolutely breaks down in this book from how often it’s used to justify things in the plot.

I really really tried to finish this. But when I found myself skimming paragraphs, only vaguely reading dialogue, and flipping the pages until something caught my eye (which was… rarely), I decided that I needed to call it at 64%.

I went ahead and skimmed through the last 36% and felt validated that I DNF’d. Because it was a whole lot of absolutely nothing.

If you see my previous rave review about Shadowvein (Book 1), know that I leave this review with an incredibly heavy heart. I *loved* Shadowvein. I was so excited for Stormvein. I started getting a sense of dread when I read that this was going to be a trilogy… there just didn’t seem to be enough in the sandwich to even make a duology. But I persevered.

Until I couldn’t anymore. Guys… this book is SO repetitive. Every single chapter is filled with internal monologue that has ALREADY BEEN STATED… and restated… and reworded…. and elaborated upon…. and it’s not even done well.

The amount of times Ellie thinks some bullshit like “The girl from Chicago seems like a memory, and in her place is a hardened woman with power flowing through her veins” or “The man she knew before Ashenvale was harder now, with sharper edges” …. I’m fairly certain a lot of those were reworded so many times that my rough amalgamation of words there is a direct quote.

Let me summarize the book for you so you don’t have to read it:

0%-30% is Ellie being depressed over Sacha being dead/almost dead. She says the same shit over and over again. Sacha’s POVs are a nothing burger of him describing the pain over and over again the same way. Plot out the window. Pacing horrid.

40-50% is Ellie being like SAcHa HaS cHAnGed, he’s so ruthless now, I simply cannot handle this new version of him. Bro got tortured for 2 days and apparently changed so much that he’s somehow even worse to Ellie than he was before, but nothing in the way he acts or the narrative suggests this.

The move back into “lovers” is so fucking clunky I couldn’t handle it. I skipped a smut scene for the first time ever because I literally did not care whether they fucked or not.

50-65% is the plot trying to plot but flopping miserably. It’s so fucking sad because the world is actually so interesting, but the Evil Government is so fucking lackluster and stupid I can’t. The plot is so JUVENILE. The author clearly has no concept of what a corrupt government *actually* is. They just keep repeating “wE wAnT oRdEr.” They apparently keep this order by slaughtering tens of thousands of people but we rarely see the populace and how this affects them. Apparently everyone has a really good life aside from the fact that the Authority will kill them for no reason but they’re all cool with it.

There was a really interesting setup for fishing out a traitor in the ranks that LITERALLY was resolved like 5 chapters later. Oh my god??? The one interesting thing so far and you fucking gloss over it. It’s over before it even begins.

Ellie and Sacha having the same argument about the morality of war and how he’s being too ruthless.

I also skimmed the rest of the book. From there until the end it’s more Nothing Burger where a very obvious “plot twist” about Ellie happens. Again none of the plot points make any fucking sense or are just completely juvenile. Sereven is the least compelling villain I’ve ever read about. I literally couldn’t have cared less whether they killed him or got killed by him.

AND IT ENDS ON ANOTHER FUCKING CLIFFHANGER.

Grrr. I’m so mad about this. I really wanted to like this but I’m going to have to pretend book 1 ended with Sacha gaining his power back and murking Sereven and then being fucking done.

[Miche · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the charm of book one disappeared. The world seems to be getting smaller instead of expanding, and characters are getting more dense with each decision they make. So many bad decisions...

I liked the FMC at book one, but I struggled with her at this book. Her personality regressed in a way that annoyed me to no end. Where did her pragmatism go?

The deus ex machina healing of the MMC made the whole torture descriptions feel like cheap bait. If you are not committed to let your characters suffer, then don't overdo with their suffering to start with.

I am still deciding if I will continue to book three.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better!
I literally can’t say much because of spoilers…. 🤣
The descriptions of Meridian just drag you in, the world building is insane.

Ellie is a badass FMC and I love seeing her grow and become more powerful, this girl is tough!

The ending though…. I need book 3 now! lol

[Mollie Clugston · Rating 2 out of 5]

The repetition killed me. Just say you love each other and shut up.

[Ka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good follow up that started to answer some questions stated in 1st book, but more editing and tightening the plot and behaviour would help. Some usual suspects of tropes like "girl who's the key to everything" and "let's be angsty and repeat 10 times internally about falling for each other even if we're almost 30" were a bit on the nose, but not super bad. Lore is interesting, even if the logistics of travelling, time spent on learning skills and the big whys behind what's actually Sacha's plans are very vague and more like "it's done and now we can move on to more interesting bits".

Secondary characters are paper thin, plus it's never stated or shown or realised that those folks in their 50 or 60 are tired, exhausted, have some plans, dreams or even personality making them more of a character than a prop. There's inconsistency and lots of not realistic behaviour too when it comes to sleeping, eating, moving, clothing etc. Either you mention it as it's done in here or you omit it.

The villain is quite terrifying though, and the question of his motivation is still to be answered. The brutality of the rule is horrifying and it should be more telling to FMC why the Veinwardens are fighting the way they fight. It's a different world from Earth where she spent few months and witnessed the reality so some of her behaviour gets annoying.

FMC defo deteriorated in this book into more annoying romantasy generic FMC. Glad that she's learning, struggling and doesn't know everything at once becoming a fierce warrior out of the blue, but her behaviour in previous book was more pragmatic, cautious, inquisitive and mature. In here she doesn't ask questions or try to get more info about the whole history or conflict. There was a reason for it in 1st book, now that she knows the language there's no barrier apart from her apparent scattered thoughts after 1st book. It feels like she's going in circles mentally a lot - she has some realisation, then she magically forgets about it and we get another similar statement 20pages later. Her high moral ground is a bit annoying especially after witnessing what the enemy is capable of, the aftermath of torture and seeing what was done to Sacha, when she still is "oh so conflicted about loving a killer who went thru such a brutal torture that she wanted to erase Authority from the face of the earth, but oh no, the way he kills those soldiers that would kills us is soooo awful". It's never developed further what was about her life on Earth that she was so hang up on it cuz the glimpses we got point to there was nothing waiting there for her. Her outburst about the summoning spell was also weird especially when she realised that she won't be able to go back cuz her power is tied to Meridian and she loves Sacha, or "belongs to this place and this man". Le sigh. If she's almost 30, can she act like that as she surprisingly did in 1st book? Bit of 180 from the 1st book in some ways, but I still like that she's not a Mary Sue, doesn't try to make herself more important amongst the people and stays in character of following him because she loves him. It's not usual characterisation of an FMC.

MMC was a bit better but not sure how much reading about him and how different and reckless he was in his youth should matter. He's mentally at least in his late 50, so pretty obvs he changed after nearly 30y in isolation. In the 1st book he was shown as planning, calculating and manipulative but it's not in here. More of a martyr for a cause without a proper plan for the aftermath which belies him being 3 steps ahead of everyone. His powers are more vague in here, he was fuelling the crystal for so long and nothing of how did it actually affect him long term was said. Not much of what he wants to accomplish with his plans and how he wants to overthrow Authority. What's next if he won't survive, who will rebuild and rule? Good that we got some answers about his origins (tho the clues were very telling) but then it's mentioned that he was also tortured pre tower, so where's aftermath of that. Where's some psychological aftermath of nearly dying of brutality this time apart from being "transformed by torture"?

We get some info dump about the plot in 3rd part, but nothing interesting earlier. It's 2nd book so it would be good to deepen the world and answer some questions of how the society functions under such a harsh rule or even why there are no more Veinbloods born outside of bloodlines if magic is such a big factor in this world. How many people is there in general? There were supposed to be few thousands of Authority soldiers, but how many people are in general in this world? How Veinwardens functioned for so long, where the provisions or people are coming from if almost all resistance is wiped out? Not much about anything in 1st part, just trying to move to the rescue part with unconvincing Ellie that knows Sacha's still alive but won't tell why to anyone and is mostly internally monologuing about how she suffers over his capture. Torture description and the aftermath were brutal but the bit about the healing was an interesting. Traitor part was weak. The characters remember about being betrayed when it is convenient which is highly unconvincing with group of survivors. Then when uncovered, the motivation was only slightly convincing and not deciding what exactly to do with them was more of a way to move plot rather than something realistic. Sacha sparing them so many times wasn't "the great tactician" at all. In general, 2nd part was dragging. Bringing the proof part didn't make much sense too.

Both MCs are very repetitive in their internal thoughts about each other; they clearly fell for each other but behave like constipated teens about admitting it to each other or even internally and we get repetition of how much the other person means to them 5 times instead of one and done. We get it. They are meant to be. They never felt like that before. But what a painful unnecessary angst especially when it's so clear how much their power are tied up together and how pragmatic and logical they are. Plus the PDA was weird - like it's pretty obvious that he doesn't behave around her as he did with anyone else, so not sure what's so surprising about it for the people around.

Smut was intimate but almost copy-paste.

Lots of issues with this part, but waiting for the ending.

[Myrisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Allow me to introduce you to Ellie: the woman who likes to ask the SAME question over and over again.

[Tommie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stormvein - L Ann
The Veinbound Trilogy Book 2

Thank you @lannauthor for my gifted ARC

My Review:
My Rating: Infinite Stars⭐️Perfection
Pages
Genre: Fantasy/Romantasy
Tropes:

🐦‍⬛Portal Romantasy
🐦‍⬛Forced Proximity
🐦‍⬛Intricate World Building
🐦‍⬛Shadow Master
🐦‍⬛Outlawed Magic
🐦‍⬛Reluctant Allies
🐦‍⬛Slow Burn
🐦‍⬛Touch Starved MMC
🐦‍⬛Rebellion & Resistance
🐦‍⬛Strong FMC
🐦‍⬛Unique Magic System
🐦‍⬛Found Identity

This is Sacha and Ellie’s story. This book is gripping. It has a slow start as most world building fantasy books do, but it didn’t take long for it to have me in its grip hungering for the next word.

I’m more hooked on this series now after reading this sequel!!! I’m on pins and needles until the last book in this

If you love Romantasy/Fantasy you truly need to read this book and series. Each book has truly held me captive! There aren’t enough stars to give this series justice.

#stormvein #lannauthor #romantasy #fantasy #forcedproximity #shadowmaster #slowburn #strongfmc
#foundidentity #booktok #bookstagram #bookreview #theveinboundtrilogy #shadowvein

[Laurel Irvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pressure cooker

After devouring Shadowvein, I needed this book like I needed breath.
Stormvein held me captive, confirmed some of my predictions, yet threw me sideways in the process. Like a storm, the unpredictability, the tension, the calm of the eye, only for the wind to change.
I'm teetering on the edge of a cliff right now, without a harness!
I need more.

[Julie Workman|Bookaholic Sisters Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to get my hands on Stormvein and continue this epic story.
It completely blew me away, I don't want to say much because spoiling this for anyone is not an option. All these feelings that I have circulating in my gut, I'm sure are going to be there for a while because WTF!!! I knew it was coming and still smacked straight into it.
I'm not normally one who's speechless but this ...I have no words.
I'll be rocking in a corner, waiting for the next one.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars? I want to rate this book higher because this series was something I’ve long been looking for, with detailed world building, plot heavy, complex characters, and an evolving negotiation with morality in the face of war and resistance. I really like Sacha, his entire morally ambiguous character, and his development from cold calculation and strategy out of survival/history to an ever so softening. I also liked how Ellie struggles to reconcile her feelings with violence - it felt like a very realistic consequence after her life changed so drastically.

What I did not care for was much of the dialogue in the second book. Ellie was resorted to constant questions of ‘what’s next?’ and ‘will that work?’ that quickly became very repetitive. Understandably this woman has every right to have questions, but I would have liked to see more meaningful and intimate dialogue that moves the story forward than the continual scanning of what will happen and where and when and to whom - and why exactly again? Tthe questioning grew tiresome and was ultimately detrimental to the characters’ shared chemistry, pace of plot, and overarching story. Thus the lower rating.

Fully invested for the next book though.

[Megan Lenihan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Heather Keys · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fuck off, Ellie. You’re annoying.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this August of 2025 and consumed it again September 2026 via audiobook. I noticed so much more because I consumed this book a second time. Things were extremely more obvious the second go round. Loved that experience!

- ✌️dual POV
- 🗣️duet narration
- 🖊️ epigraphs
- 😵betrayal
- 😡 genocide
- 🔪 Torture
- 🐺 familiars
- 👁️ visions
- 💫 prophecy fulfillment
- 🔥 slow burn

Of course, the narrators rocked it. I especially loved Benjamin’s vocalization and all the passion he brought to his narrations at the end of chapter 15 when the MMC was reforming his identity. Some of Benjamin’s best work. The duet style elevated this book, even though it was already excellent with L Ann’s writing. Further, Lilly’s narration of the MFC was on par. I mean, perfect. I genuinely believed that Lilly was the MFC. The inflections Lilly used fit the writing amazingly. The questioning and doubtful approach, the surprise, the sadness, the anxiety, I mean, everything was vocalized perfectly. Well done!

Wow! This book was 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Often, book 2 in a series is disappointing, NOT THIS ONE. What a tension filled, heart racing journey. This series is amazing!

The book started with a mini review of what happened in book 1, so helpful! It then had several chapters describing the soul sucking grief the MFC had to go through. It was so realistic, I was very pulled in and had such strong personal feelings. As those first chapters progressed, I loved how the mentor challenged the MFC to engage in similar aspects of prolonged exposure, an evidence based treatment for PTSD. I loved this treatment intervention being subtly utilized in this book. L Ann did an excellent job showing you this grief, not just telling you.

All while, L Ann wrote so much anticipation, as we had no idea if the MMC was alive. We had to waiiitttt to find out 😭 Then, we had to wait until they rescued him. AND THEN wait until he healed. It wasn’t a boring wait, it was so anxiety filled and I was on edge!

Something I absolutely loved was how strong the MFC was at defending the MMC and herself against his friends and leadership. She did NOT bow down to them and give into their demands. GET IT, Ellie!

In a lot of fantasy books, the MFC's are thrown into the new world and very quickly adjust to the new context. This series took a much more realistic approach. The MFC SLOWLY adjusted across both books, and by the end of this book (book 2), she still had not fully adjusted. L Ann did such a great job taking time to write through all the distressing thoughts and emotions that can come with being shocked, not understanding, and trying to get by. The MFC also really had to challenge her moral ethical code to help save the MMC. It was very interesting to watch her do what she had to do.

The pacing of this book was much slower than the first book. This was not a bad thing. The first book focused on world building, character development, and pushing the plot forward. This second book took a substantial amount of time to develop each individual main character and their relationship with each other, the new and novel changes that happened, the politics, and the world. Normally, I hate a lot of internal dialogue; however, I did not mind it in this book, but this is why I rated this book 4.5 stars. Some of it is repetitive, yes; yet, I could see that the repetition demonstrated the slow changes that happened to each character overtime with new experiences.

I don’t know how L Ann did it, but there was, yet again, another slow burn. There was not just this attitude that because they were together in the first book that they were immediately now in this lust filled relationship. There were open door spicy scenes, which I highly enjoyed because they felt more romantic and about deep rooted connection, and less about lust.

As the author has noted in her FAQ, she writes characters that have flaws. Due to the struggles the MFC had with adjusting to the new world, she had a lot of denial. As a reader, you can get frustrated because you just want her to stop immediately denying everything. Overtime, the MFC grew and the denial started to lesson as she started to accept and adjust to this new world. This again demonstrated the strong writing L Ann had, because if you start a book with a strong MFC who has no opportunity or room for growth, that can be boring. Also, the specific trait was not so annoying that I wanted to quit the book. By the end of the second book, I enjoyed the growth process of the MFC and was not so annoyed anymore by the previous denial.

A really cool thing about this book was watching the MFC‘s magic develop. It really grew and shaped itself, something of which the MFC had to navigate. Further, because of the MFC and MMC connection, the MMC‘s magic also changed and advanced.

In addition to the MMC‘s magic growing, he dramatically changed as well because of all the torture he survived. By the way, the torture the MMC went through was brutal. L Ann really threw the punches for this. Watching the MMC reshape was difficult, necessary, and beautiful. He became more ruthless and determined to end lives, which was difficult for the MFC. She was shocked by his ruthlessness and his slaughter of life, all while she could put herself in his shoes and understand and empathize with him. She didn’t like his behavior and asked him to consider not being so savage, all while analyzing and understanding, even knowing she had been ruthless once and had wanted more violence and revenge also. I really appreciated her mature thinking and approach. I also loved that she didn’t back down from her values about humanity.

Similarly, the MFC pushed the MMC to try and see things in a way that did not make sense to current world they were in. She wanted principles, morals, and ethics from Earth applied in the MMC’s world. I shook my head at her because I just wanted her to see that this world was not the world she grew up in- the same rules don’t apply and I just wanted her to understand that. I think that MMC did a great job challenging her thinking by calling out that she had unrealistic expectations for him and this specific world. I also think it was really lovely to see how she continued to challenge him to think differently as well because of how traumatized and biased he was. They really made a great team at challenging each other to see things from a different perspective.

In regards to the plot, there was so much mystery that was revealed at the end. There was so much more depth added to this story because information was revealed to make more sense of what happened leading up to and during book one. Further, we really got to know who the MMC was before his capture through his people sharing stories to the MFC and later when the MMC shares images of his past to the MFC. The pacing at the end was very quick and so much was revealed, with twists I did not see coming. I did get pretty close to accurately guessing one of the twists, which was nice to have that feeling of “I got it right.” I truly love the blend of not seeing some of the twists coming and being surprised, while also accurately guessing at least one of the twists.

And the antagonists… ugh I HATED THEM! Especially the traitor. What the traitor did again and again and again, including stabbing the MMC in the back, both figuratively and literally. L Ann really did a great job writing people I loathed.

Then, the cliffhanger at the end… L Ann did it again. She ended it in such a traumatic and dramatic way that I was on the edge of my seat and could not wait for the next book.

Just to highlight again, L Ann is an excellent writer. She takes time showing the reader different emotional experiences and how they can manifest cognitively, physiologically, behavioral, and socially. There’s so much description for the reader to understand and really feel what’s going on.

[Crystal Bradstreet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book and have been thinking about it and am anxiously anticipating the final book coming out in October. This has become a trilogy that will be a great reread when I need a fantastic and compelling book.
The author picks up right where book one ends and we are able to see how the end of book one affects everyone we have gotten to know. Ellie doesn’t act like a lovesick woman but as a woman who has been changed fundamentally and has had to adapt with little time. She needs to learn and also manage others who question and doubt her. We see a lot of character growth in Ellie which is fantastic and shows how in adversity people learn to grow adapt and overcome.
We learn some harsh truths about Ellie’s past and how far others are willing to go for power. The uncomfortable truths are revealed and are done in a way that it sticks with you and makes you feel Ellie’s pain. The author doesn’t just give the truths up and have the characters accept and move on but she shows the emotions that would be felt by anyone having their world turned upside down.
The romance is stronger in this book and we see Ellie and sacha become closer and stronger. They both have grown in their feeling and it’s great to see them progressing at a normal pace and not warped speed. This author keeps the pace within normal limits of how two people who are different and unsure can develop a relationship with each other. I prefer my romances like this instead of instalove.
This book ends on another cliffhanger which this author is very talented at. I kept swiping hoping that there was another chapter at the end and she didn’t leave it there but she did. Luckily she is already working on the last book which is due out in October.
This book trilogy is amazing and I strongly recommend reading it. This is not a instalove and it acts more like a real life romance in the way the relationship develops. There are twists and turns that make you pause and think about the book after you close it. You are transported to another world and society that has such depth and beauty that you don’t want to leave.
The authors talent with words is incredible and after she finishes this series I am hoping she will do more. I have enjoyed the series a lot and strongly recommend it to anyone who wants a phenomenal story.

[Nonna 2K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be Careful What You Wish For

Stormvein picks up right where the devastating cliffhanger of Shadowvein left us hanging. I’m not mentioning any specific details, but those of you who have read it KNOW! Events occurred that had me screaming at the author for what was done.

I wanted things fixed.

Well, I got what I asked for, but NOT in a way I was expecting.

Ellie Bennett experienced a lot during her short time in Meridian. Now, her powers are manifesting. She doesn’t know how to control it. She doesn’t understand why it is happening. She’s lost…more than she was upon her arrival in Meridian. She’s searching for answers, as well as other things that were taken from her. She refuses to give up and is holding strong to her beliefs.

Ellie’s powers slowly emerged in book 1 and we get to see the culmination which ended Shadowvein continue at the start of Stormvein. She doesn’t know how to control it. Her power is connected to her emotions and her emotions are all over the place. She’s living in a new world, navigating something foreign to her, and there isn’t anyone around to help.

L. Ann’s words catapulted me directly into the story, especially this ONE chapter. I wasn’t a fly on the wall, I was a soul in the scene seeing and feeling it all happen in front of me. Take my word for it, you’ll know when you get there! It wasn’t a comfortable chapter, it had me twitching and making all different sounds that had my significant other asking me, “Are you okay?” on repeat. I should say that it ended up being a couple of chapters that did this. They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, well it’s the opposite with L. Ann’s writing. Her words spawned a thousand pictures in my mind. Just writing up this paragraph has goosebumps erupting all over. I had to read and experience it all and it wasn’t easy, because this author has some serious word skills.

I would randomly check what percent of the book I was at, because I was worried that it would be over before I was ready. Well, let me tell you, I was at about 84% and then BAM…it ended! Just like that and I WAS NOT READY FOR IT TO BE OVER.

I created a nickname for a character I intensely dislike. Yes, it’s the same person who caused so much misery at the end of book 1 and wait until you read more details about his actions during those 27 years. I now call him The Rat Ba$t@rd. You are more than welcome to adopt that name for him, too.

Do I get answers to questions I had at the end of Shadowvein? Yes, at least some of them.
Do I have more questions after reading this book? Yes.
Were there plot twists that were hinted at? Yes.
Were there plot twists I didn’t expect? Yes.
Was I prepared for the ending of this book? No, but I should have expected it knowing how book 1 ended.
Am I waiting for the final book in the trilogy? Yes, only because I have no choice but to wait.
Is it a calm, peaceful wait? No, because now I have two books’ worth of information forming all different theories and scenarios in my mind.

I have so much more I want to put in this review, BUT I don’t want to give away anything about the story, especially if you already read book 1, because you need to experience this through reading the story, not a review.

Please note: Stormvein is Book 2 of the Veinbound Trilogy and must be read AFTER Shadowvein.

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Shadownvein and after that ending I was definitely excited to jump into this one!

Listening to this one just really elevates the experience and I definitely recommend it. The audiobook is duet narration with Lilly Drake and Benjamin Crow, and they do an absolutely amazing job!

I loved seeing Ellie learn to grow into her powers and how we learned more about who she is and how she got her powers.

We had parts of the story where we got some good action and I feel like we continued to learn about the world, however, parts of the story did seem to drag on. I really wanted this to be a 5-star read for me, but the repetitiveness knocked it down for me. The middle of the story the pacing slowed, and we had so many things that seemed to be repeated throughout the story that weren't really necessary. It probably could have been about 100 pages shorter.

Overall, I enjoyed the continuation into this world and of course we were left with a crazy cliffhanger and I cannot wait to see how everything wraps up in Veinblood! Huge thank you to Blue Nose Audio for the copy to listen to!

[Beth Seara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to BlueNose audio and the author for this ALC.
First let me say I did not love book 1 but was granted access to all three ALC's so we continue with this story. Book one was 3ish stars for me and only because I just was not wowed and did not fully connect to the characters.

Book 2 is 2.5 rounded up for GR. What worked - we did begin to answer a few questions, we did get a recap (LOVE) and we did get dropped right back into the story. Unfortunately that was kind of all that worked for me. This was extremely repetitive - it felt like I was just listening to the same thing over and over again. Ellie asks the same thing EVERY time.

I will say the audio performance is closer to 4 stars for me tho...that is done extremely well. I will listen to book 3, but IMO you can skip these.

[Tyesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
book 2 to the veinblood trilogy, i'll have to say there really isn't much to say. i didn't have high expectations for this, but i expected more? the main things that bothered me: repetition throughout this book o m g i agree with the opinions that this could have edited better, ellie questioning sacha's morality about war and death and her conflicting emotions dude, i was getting confused because she was so confused about things, her and all her questions my God i thought it would ease up it did not lol. 🫨
i'm only finishing the trilogy because of that dang cliffhanger and sacha, ellie and mira.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those series that keeps you hooked even thru the moments that would normally turn me off a book. I love the way Ellie and Sacha are building up their relationship. They have a connection that at first was a little hard to understand but I think the author writes it that way to build up the feelings in the same way as the characters are experiencing. Confusing, strong, and undeniably there. I do think that the characters can be a little long winded at times tho and that made a few parts move really slowly for me. I’m curious to see where things lead. This author does a good job of leaving you hanging at the end of the book wishing you knew what was coming next.

[Shani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever it is that you're expecting after that epic ending to book 1, throw it out the window. I mean it! Things will happen that you never see coming. There are twists, fantasy elements that are unique and creative. That's one of the things I absolutely loved about this next installment. We learn more about Meridien, Ellie and what exactly life is like after the turmoil that happened. I was blown away by the strength Ellie holds. Her determination, bravery and ability to adapt really made her shine through as a character. I think I bonded more with her in this one. Not to mention the detailing in how Stromvein even becomes something more.

For me, this was an even better book than the first one. SO many ups and downs, twists and turns, it really held my attention fast. I'm so loving this trilogy and can't wait for the next one!

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 star. This book gave me too much anxiety to give 5 stars but it was still so good. The world, the magic, the characters. The ending wasn’t what I was expecting and I’m excited to reach the conclusion of the story.

[Wendy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I said after the first book, I am not a fantasy fan but Shadowvein had me hooked and I don't ever want to leave this amazing world L. Ann has created. If I could give this series 100 stars I gladly would.
Stormvein picks up right where book 1 stopped, so I have to say right away, you need to read Shadowvein before starting here.
The story follows straight away after the encounter with Sereven, Ellie has found herself trying to harness an unknown power, the fight against The Authority goes on and my suspicions regarding one of the characters is confirmed. Prophecy after Prophecy start to become clearer as the story hurtles from one breath holding moment to the next. I want to tell you so much about the story woven in the fantastic world that L Ann has built within these pages but doing so would completely ruin the book for you, so please take my word for it, when I say this will capture you and Ellie and every other characters will keep you hostage until the last page.
Go back, read Shadowvein and then grab Stormvein and discover the fabulous world L Ann has made so real.

[Raaaiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my days she did it again😭.

I’m trying to find the right words to explain the way i feel about this book. Like i said in my review about book 1 I’m normally not a fantasy romance reader but because i’m a huge fan of her other books i just had to try🥹. And again it did NOT disappoint🤩. When i came closer to the last pages i just had to push myself to keep on reading because i just didn’t want the book to end😭. I thought book one had me in a chokehold but THISS i don’t even know how i will recover from this one😩

[Angelina Wittynghan-Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Absolutely love the 2nd book. My only critique was quite a bit of stuff became repetitive and unnecessary. Other than that, I cant wait for the 3rd book next month

[Andrea Chiossone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow again! This book picks right up from where book 1 left off. The world building is tremendous as is Ellie’s growth. A couple of my predictions proved right, but there are some great twists and turns. I’m loving this fantasy world but THAT CLIFFHANGER 😲 I NEED BOOK 3 NOW!!!