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Worldwalker #2
Firewalker
Lily Proctor has made it back to her own universe, and it's finally time for her and Rowan to be happy and relax. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape, and they must hide her new magic for the safety of the world, but compared to fighting the monstrous Woven and leading armies in the alternate Salem, life is looking good.
Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. Lily is the closest version of herself she's ever seen in all her worldwalking, and Lillian's running out of time. If she can't persuade Lily and Rowan to return to her world, she'll have to find a way to make them come back.
Firewalker - the follow-up to Trial By Fire - is another sexy, fast-paced thrill ride from internationally bestselling author of the Starcrossed series, Josephine Angelini!
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
219 people are currently reading
10105 people want to read
About the author
Josephine Angelini
25 books7,645 followersHi! Thanks so much for stopping by my Goodreads page. I only check in on it occasionally, so if you’d like to send me a message please use the contact form on my website: http://josephineangelini.com.
I can also be found on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and I love connecting with readers. Check out the Linktree url above for more info.
I am a #1 international bestselling author, a Massachusetts native, and the youngest of eight siblings. I graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater with a focus on the classics and now live in Los Angeles with my husband and daughter.
I can also be found on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and I love connecting with readers. Check out the Linktree url above for more info.
I am a #1 international bestselling author, a Massachusetts native, and the youngest of eight siblings. I graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater with a focus on the classics and now live in Los Angeles with my husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 857 reviews
September 3, 2015
HOLLY LILY-FLOWER! SHIT JUST GOT REAL! :O
November 20, 2015
(Updated with some non-spoilery favorite quotes at the end of the review)
I raved about the first book in this series, Trial by Fire. It absolutely blew me away and I have been extremely excited for the last year for this book, the second in the series. I'm not sure if this affected my feelings about this book, or if I would have felt the same regardless, but it didn't - quite - live up to my expectations.
**Warning** There will be spoilers and references to events in the first book. It can't be helped. Honestly, it's going to be hard enough to talk about this book without spoiling everything in it. If you haven't yet read Trial by Fire, please check out my review for it.
Because the last book ended with Lily and Rowan world-jumping back to our world at the end of Trial by Fire, I knew I could expect that we would be spending at least some time in our world and I wasn't really looking forward to it. I enjoy being in Lillian's world. It's fascinating and I have been absolutely dying to know why Lillian ended up as tyrannical as she did. This meant that the first quarter of the book was ... well, boring for me. I wasn't into it, and I was could easily put the book down. Added to that, it was obvious what was going to need to happen - the fact that it was being danced around and not being done just frustrated me. Lily never was one to back away from what she knew was right, and I totally understood the break that was needed, the respite from the insanity that they'd come from, but I knew there was still too much to resolve. Lily and Rowan knew it, too.
After that, though, things really started to pick up. I loved that we got some answers - that blew my mind - about questions I'd had, but at the same time Josephine Angelini introduced new questions that I'm so incredibly interested in. I love that Lily doesn't just accept things at face value, she challenges and questions nearly everything, even when it frustrates those that surround her.
Speaking of the people surrounding her, well, things are starting to really build. I love that there aren't any clear answers. That maybe there's not a single person that's right in this, and that Lily has to find her own way, her own answers, and trust herself more than anyone. I love that. It's so nice to see that - even if someone she loves dearly doesn't agree - Lily doesn't shy away from doing what she believes, in her heart, to be right. I love that she still struggles against becoming like Lillian, and realizing that it's so possible because she is Lillian. I love her relationships with the people around her, and her struggles in the power imbalance between the majority of them and her.
What I didn't love so much were a few of the people surrounding her. One, I thought, was forgiven a bit too quickly. Another completely pissed me off. I'm 99% certain that something is going to be revealed to be not quite what we were shown there, but I'm still furious. The treatment, the reaction, the inability to trust....Grrr. I literally put my Kindle down and swore at my book.
That being said, the ending? Oh.My.God. My mouth was hanging open and I'm - once again - dying for the next book in this series. I'd begun to suspect, along with Lily, that things weren't quite the way they'd been portrayed and accepted, but that ending left me salivating for more. I have to see how this resolves itself.
There were some heart-wrenching moments in this book. I had to set the book down multiple times to give myself time to collect myself. There haven't been a lot of books that have been able to affect me so deeply, and I love that this one can.
Favorite quotes (non-spoilery):
"Do you mean the Mississippi River?"
Rowan laughed out loud. "In Algonquin, Misi-Ziibi means 'Great River.' So it's like you're saying Great River River..."
More than once, she'd found herself defending the awesomeness of Star Wars or The Matrix when Rowan shrugged derisively at both Luke Skywalker's and Neo's fighting skills
"It looks fake," he'd said apologetically. "And there's nothing special about being able to run up walls or do backflips over an opponent. That's kid stuff for a mechanic who has even a halfway competent witch. And the way Skywalker's handles his weapon" -- he rolled his eyes -- " twirling it around like a toy so it makes a cool noise. What an idiot."
I am dead inside already. I've let go, like a child letting go of a beautiful birthday balloon. It was only ever full of air, anyway. All that's left for me to do is clean up the mess.
I'll save as many as I can by killing the rest."
Love is willing to become the villain so that the one you love can stay a hero.
Pre-read thoughts:
I'm not sure how I feel about this cover - but it appears there's been a redesign of the first book too.... Hmm.
On another note, why can't they release covers properly??
I raved about the first book in this series, Trial by Fire. It absolutely blew me away and I have been extremely excited for the last year for this book, the second in the series. I'm not sure if this affected my feelings about this book, or if I would have felt the same regardless, but it didn't - quite - live up to my expectations.
**Warning** There will be spoilers and references to events in the first book. It can't be helped. Honestly, it's going to be hard enough to talk about this book without spoiling everything in it. If you haven't yet read Trial by Fire, please check out my review for it.
Because the last book ended with Lily and Rowan world-jumping back to our world at the end of Trial by Fire, I knew I could expect that we would be spending at least some time in our world and I wasn't really looking forward to it. I enjoy being in Lillian's world. It's fascinating and I have been absolutely dying to know why Lillian ended up as tyrannical as she did. This meant that the first quarter of the book was ... well, boring for me. I wasn't into it, and I was could easily put the book down. Added to that, it was obvious what was going to need to happen - the fact that it was being danced around and not being done just frustrated me. Lily never was one to back away from what she knew was right, and I totally understood the break that was needed, the respite from the insanity that they'd come from, but I knew there was still too much to resolve. Lily and Rowan knew it, too.
After that, though, things really started to pick up. I loved that we got some answers - that blew my mind - about questions I'd had, but at the same time Josephine Angelini introduced new questions that I'm so incredibly interested in. I love that Lily doesn't just accept things at face value, she challenges and questions nearly everything, even when it frustrates those that surround her.
Speaking of the people surrounding her, well, things are starting to really build. I love that there aren't any clear answers. That maybe there's not a single person that's right in this, and that Lily has to find her own way, her own answers, and trust herself more than anyone. I love that. It's so nice to see that - even if someone she loves dearly doesn't agree - Lily doesn't shy away from doing what she believes, in her heart, to be right. I love that she still struggles against becoming like Lillian, and realizing that it's so possible because she is Lillian. I love her relationships with the people around her, and her struggles in the power imbalance between the majority of them and her.
What I didn't love so much were a few of the people surrounding her. One, I thought, was forgiven a bit too quickly. Another completely pissed me off. I'm 99% certain that something is going to be revealed to be not quite what we were shown there, but I'm still furious. The treatment, the reaction, the inability to trust....Grrr. I literally put my Kindle down and swore at my book.
That being said, the ending? Oh.My.God. My mouth was hanging open and I'm - once again - dying for the next book in this series. I'd begun to suspect, along with Lily, that things weren't quite the way they'd been portrayed and accepted, but that ending left me salivating for more. I have to see how this resolves itself.
There were some heart-wrenching moments in this book. I had to set the book down multiple times to give myself time to collect myself. There haven't been a lot of books that have been able to affect me so deeply, and I love that this one can.
Favorite quotes (non-spoilery):
"Do you mean the Mississippi River?"
Rowan laughed out loud. "In Algonquin, Misi-Ziibi means 'Great River.' So it's like you're saying Great River River..."
More than once, she'd found herself defending the awesomeness of Star Wars or The Matrix when Rowan shrugged derisively at both Luke Skywalker's and Neo's fighting skills
"It looks fake," he'd said apologetically. "And there's nothing special about being able to run up walls or do backflips over an opponent. That's kid stuff for a mechanic who has even a halfway competent witch. And the way Skywalker's handles his weapon" -- he rolled his eyes -- " twirling it around like a toy so it makes a cool noise. What an idiot."
I am dead inside already. I've let go, like a child letting go of a beautiful birthday balloon. It was only ever full of air, anyway. All that's left for me to do is clean up the mess.
I'll save as many as I can by killing the rest."
Love is willing to become the villain so that the one you love can stay a hero.
Pre-read thoughts:
I'm not sure how I feel about this cover - but it appears there's been a redesign of the first book too.... Hmm.
On another note, why can't they release covers properly??
November 13, 2017
Holy freaking cow! This book was just out of this world amazing. I thought the first in the series was great but this one was infinitely better. There are so many things I loved about it that I don't even know where to start.
The world building continued in this book and it was fantastic learning more about it. Everything is so intricate and interwoven and I loved seeing characters from both worlds coming together and the interesting situations meeting their counterparts created.
And I just knew there was something more to the Woven than meets the eye. I'm really intrigued to see where that goes in the final book of the series and to learn more about them and how they came to be.
The ending was so far from what I expected and I'm absolutely mind blown and dying to start book three to see how everything plays out in the end!
The world building continued in this book and it was fantastic learning more about it. Everything is so intricate and interwoven and I loved seeing characters from both worlds coming together and the interesting situations meeting their counterparts created.
And I just knew there was something more to the Woven than meets the eye. I'm really intrigued to see where that goes in the final book of the series and to learn more about them and how they came to be.
The ending was so far from what I expected and I'm absolutely mind blown and dying to start book three to see how everything plays out in the end!
Want to read
September 25, 2014
August 15, 2015
OH MY GOSH. That ending. What. I can't. I just. WHAT. <-- my incoherent reaction to that ending
Firewalker takes place nearly minutes after Trial by Fire ends. The plot thickens in this book as we learn more about Lilian's motives along with those of Alaric and the Outlanders. Loyalties and beliefs are questioned. Rowan and Lily are forced to make some tough decisions as Lilian's world gets closer and closer to war. Lily and her crew must hurry to figure out how to keep this world together before it turns into a cinder world.
I liked this one slightly less than book 1, but it was still great! Full review to come. Thanks for the review copy, Macmillan!
Firewalker takes place nearly minutes after Trial by Fire ends. The plot thickens in this book as we learn more about Lilian's motives along with those of Alaric and the Outlanders. Loyalties and beliefs are questioned. Rowan and Lily are forced to make some tough decisions as Lilian's world gets closer and closer to war. Lily and her crew must hurry to figure out how to keep this world together before it turns into a cinder world.
I liked this one slightly less than book 1, but it was still great! Full review to come. Thanks for the review copy, Macmillan!
Read
September 8, 2016The end! This is one of those you need to mentally prepare yourself for so you can survive until book three. Love Rowan. In fact, Tristan as well. Both are very swoonworthy guys. So interesting to listen in on the dreams of Lily's counterpart.
March 31, 2016
An Electronic Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
A sequel that is worth reading, especially if you're looking for more world building questions being answered. We find out so many more details about the parallel universes and a little bit more about Lillian. I finally got to understand why she does the things she did. Fascinating to read more through Lillian's point of view especially since it's the same character but with different circumstances. And the biggest secret of all has to be with Rowan (obviously). I also didn't realize he was Native American which makes this book even better because the love interest is a POC (Person of Colour). I like that there's some diversity even if it's just the love interest. I obviously didn't enjoy the twist that happened because it made everything feel upside down. Even though having parallel universes may seem confusing, Josephine has the ability to make you distinguish one from the other.
I'm glad the main focus wasn't the romance this time around, but the plot. There's also so much more magic. Lily finally gets some help in the most unlikely of places. She needed some people that were on her side and I rather enjoyed reading about their banter.
"Firewalker" is a decent sequel and adds more to the magical worlds that Josephine has created.
A sequel that is worth reading, especially if you're looking for more world building questions being answered. We find out so many more details about the parallel universes and a little bit more about Lillian. I finally got to understand why she does the things she did. Fascinating to read more through Lillian's point of view especially since it's the same character but with different circumstances. And the biggest secret of all has to be with Rowan (obviously). I also didn't realize he was Native American which makes this book even better because the love interest is a POC (Person of Colour). I like that there's some diversity even if it's just the love interest. I obviously didn't enjoy the twist that happened because it made everything feel upside down. Even though having parallel universes may seem confusing, Josephine has the ability to make you distinguish one from the other.
I'm glad the main focus wasn't the romance this time around, but the plot. There's also so much more magic. Lily finally gets some help in the most unlikely of places. She needed some people that were on her side and I rather enjoyed reading about their banter.
"Firewalker" is a decent sequel and adds more to the magical worlds that Josephine has created.
September 3, 2016
What the fucking fuck?! (Sorry for the language) THAT BLOODY ENDING THOUGH.
Okay, so I absolutely loved the beginning, I thought it was interesting having Rowan experience our world and seeing his reactions to certain things. And I love that Lily was able to create a coven that was so well-suited for her. Though, the reason for leaving our world was super depressing.
Then everything that happened once they returned to Lillian's world was absolutely crazy.
I knew there was something more to the shaman. I knew there was way more too the Woven than meets the eyes and I cannot wait to see what happens on that front in the next book. And I LOVED that we got to really see a lot of what made Lillian the way she was, but my god was that hard to read. So terrifying and depressing.
And that ending... That ending. I know it's only a few weeks away, but I cannot wait for the last book!!
Okay, so I absolutely loved the beginning, I thought it was interesting having Rowan experience our world and seeing his reactions to certain things. And I love that Lily was able to create a coven that was so well-suited for her. Though, the reason for leaving our world was super depressing.
Then everything that happened once they returned to Lillian's world was absolutely crazy.
I knew there was something more to the shaman. I knew there was way more too the Woven than meets the eyes and I cannot wait to see what happens on that front in the next book. And I LOVED that we got to really see a lot of what made Lillian the way she was, but my god was that hard to read. So terrifying and depressing.
And that ending... That ending. I know it's only a few weeks away, but I cannot wait for the last book!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2023
“Haven’t you learned yet? Someone has to be the villain so everyone else can stay alive.”
This was even better than the first book.
Don't mind me crying my eyeballs out as I start the third and last book.
August 7, 2015
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Firewalker by Josephine Angelini
Book One of The Worldwalker Trilogy
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.
"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."
Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.
Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.
Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini!
What I Liked:
I feel like waaay too many books I've read in the past few months have been three-star novels. Not quite terrible, but not great either. Might recommend, probably will never read again. I absolutely LOVED Trial by Fire! And in terms of Firewalker, it was decent! A good sequel, just... heartbreaking. Among other things, but the heartbreak was too much for me. I can't say much without spoiling things (I'll be keeping this as vague was possible), but this book left me too sad and not in a good way.
Lily is back in her world, with Rowan in tow. Her mother and Juliet find them, and slowly, Lily heals. She goes back to school and discovers that several of her friends are drawn to her - meaning they have power, and are to be part of her coven. And it's a good thing too, because Lily is going to need all the help she can get - Lillian is after her, trying to bring her back into her world. Sacrifices will be made, lives will be lost, and relationships will be broken, as Lily attempts to unravel secrets and the past in order to save the future.
The world-building is, like in Trial by Fire, stunning and captivating. I'm not usually a fan of witch books, but there is something about this series that is so different. Also, parallel worlds! That's definitely an intriguing aspect to mix with magic and witches and royalty.
Like in Trial by Fire, I was a fan of Lily! She spends a lot of time injured during this book, which is unfortunate, but she is still strong-willed and resilient. Lily is a good witch who doesn't try to possess the wills of her claimed, or take over their memories or themselves, no matter how much the pull is there. Lily is decisive and smart, and has to make some pretty difficult decisions.
The story is a bit slow-paced in the beginning, and it takes a while for me to get back into the story. I think I finally started getting into it when we meet three of Lily's soon-to-be coven. Tristan is one, and Breakfast (Stuart) and Una. I don't remember much of Breakfast and Una in Trial by Fire, if they were in the book at all, but I liked them a lot in this book. Breakfast is quite the jokester!
Oh Rowan. I liked him, but I didn't. I mean, I did, but I feel like he did not get nearly enough "screen" time, and his character didn't develop much. He is still as swoony as ever, but Lily is keeping major secrets from him, and she distances herself from him... it's sad to see, because he doesn't get as much attention. Boo! But still, I love him so much, especially as a male protagonist.
The story is very engaging, and you won't have difficulty reading it when you get into it (you might not have any issues getting into it at all!). There is a lot of craziness going on, and even if you don't remember much from Trial by Fire, you'll have no issues getting back into the action of things.
What I Did Not Like:
Urgh. This book is very heartbreaking, pretty much from the start. We know that Lily is keeping things from Rowan (and everyone else), and it's so sad to see her distance herself from him without him having a clue. He knows something is up, but he doesn't want to push her. She should have come clean from the start... but you know, that's how authors f*** with the romance. Even if the female knows, with all of her common sense, that the right thing to do is to tell the male, she never does it.
Rowan plays a huge role in this book, and he is present (though not nearly as much as I would have liked). But I feel like in the second half of the book, his presence becomes bittersweet. We know that Lily isn't telling him things, and you get the feeling that he WILL find out, and it won't be pretty. No spoilers but... sigh.
I'm pretty irritated with how the author handled all the secrets and Lily not telling Rowan. As you can probably tell.
That sets the tone for the rest of the book. There is this dark cloud hanging over the book, and you know something awful is going to happen to Lily and Rowan (the romance), as well as Lily in general. I personally do NOT like reading books like this. I recognize that this is an "Alyssa" problem. But it's not enjoyable for me to be reading a book and feel sick about what's going to happen, or so crushed when it happens, etc. This is likely the biggest reason why this book is getting three stars.
There was something missing, as opposed to Trial by Fire. Perhaps the romance isn't as seductive. Perhaps because we get to see a side of Lillian that is unexpected and frightening - in a completely different way than you would think. Perhaps because the ending is a total cliffhanger and the absolute worst kind of ending sequels could deliver. In any case, I'm not too happy about the ending.
Would I Recommend It:
I LOVED Trial by Fire. That book is definitely a top twenty favorite of 2014. But this book didn't deliver, for me. Still, I'd recommend this series. A fresh, interesting take on witches and parallel worlds? Yes please. But maybe binge-read the series when book three is published.
Rating:
3 stars. I'll definitely be tuning into book three (too bad there won't be ARCs for book three - the wait will be even LONGER). I can't say I really enjoyed this book (at least, not the second half), but that won't deter me from reading book three!
Firewalker by Josephine Angelini
Book One of The Worldwalker Trilogy
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.
"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."
Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.
Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.
Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini!
What I Liked:
I feel like waaay too many books I've read in the past few months have been three-star novels. Not quite terrible, but not great either. Might recommend, probably will never read again. I absolutely LOVED Trial by Fire! And in terms of Firewalker, it was decent! A good sequel, just... heartbreaking. Among other things, but the heartbreak was too much for me. I can't say much without spoiling things (I'll be keeping this as vague was possible), but this book left me too sad and not in a good way.
Lily is back in her world, with Rowan in tow. Her mother and Juliet find them, and slowly, Lily heals. She goes back to school and discovers that several of her friends are drawn to her - meaning they have power, and are to be part of her coven. And it's a good thing too, because Lily is going to need all the help she can get - Lillian is after her, trying to bring her back into her world. Sacrifices will be made, lives will be lost, and relationships will be broken, as Lily attempts to unravel secrets and the past in order to save the future.
The world-building is, like in Trial by Fire, stunning and captivating. I'm not usually a fan of witch books, but there is something about this series that is so different. Also, parallel worlds! That's definitely an intriguing aspect to mix with magic and witches and royalty.
Like in Trial by Fire, I was a fan of Lily! She spends a lot of time injured during this book, which is unfortunate, but she is still strong-willed and resilient. Lily is a good witch who doesn't try to possess the wills of her claimed, or take over their memories or themselves, no matter how much the pull is there. Lily is decisive and smart, and has to make some pretty difficult decisions.
The story is a bit slow-paced in the beginning, and it takes a while for me to get back into the story. I think I finally started getting into it when we meet three of Lily's soon-to-be coven. Tristan is one, and Breakfast (Stuart) and Una. I don't remember much of Breakfast and Una in Trial by Fire, if they were in the book at all, but I liked them a lot in this book. Breakfast is quite the jokester!
Oh Rowan. I liked him, but I didn't. I mean, I did, but I feel like he did not get nearly enough "screen" time, and his character didn't develop much. He is still as swoony as ever, but Lily is keeping major secrets from him, and she distances herself from him... it's sad to see, because he doesn't get as much attention. Boo! But still, I love him so much, especially as a male protagonist.
The story is very engaging, and you won't have difficulty reading it when you get into it (you might not have any issues getting into it at all!). There is a lot of craziness going on, and even if you don't remember much from Trial by Fire, you'll have no issues getting back into the action of things.
What I Did Not Like:
Urgh. This book is very heartbreaking, pretty much from the start. We know that Lily is keeping things from Rowan (and everyone else), and it's so sad to see her distance herself from him without him having a clue. He knows something is up, but he doesn't want to push her. She should have come clean from the start... but you know, that's how authors f*** with the romance. Even if the female knows, with all of her common sense, that the right thing to do is to tell the male, she never does it.
Rowan plays a huge role in this book, and he is present (though not nearly as much as I would have liked). But I feel like in the second half of the book, his presence becomes bittersweet. We know that Lily isn't telling him things, and you get the feeling that he WILL find out, and it won't be pretty. No spoilers but... sigh.
I'm pretty irritated with how the author handled all the secrets and Lily not telling Rowan. As you can probably tell.
That sets the tone for the rest of the book. There is this dark cloud hanging over the book, and you know something awful is going to happen to Lily and Rowan (the romance), as well as Lily in general. I personally do NOT like reading books like this. I recognize that this is an "Alyssa" problem. But it's not enjoyable for me to be reading a book and feel sick about what's going to happen, or so crushed when it happens, etc. This is likely the biggest reason why this book is getting three stars.
There was something missing, as opposed to Trial by Fire. Perhaps the romance isn't as seductive. Perhaps because we get to see a side of Lillian that is unexpected and frightening - in a completely different way than you would think. Perhaps because the ending is a total cliffhanger and the absolute worst kind of ending sequels could deliver. In any case, I'm not too happy about the ending.
Would I Recommend It:
I LOVED Trial by Fire. That book is definitely a top twenty favorite of 2014. But this book didn't deliver, for me. Still, I'd recommend this series. A fresh, interesting take on witches and parallel worlds? Yes please. But maybe binge-read the series when book three is published.
Rating:
3 stars. I'll definitely be tuning into book three (too bad there won't be ARCs for book three - the wait will be even LONGER). I can't say I really enjoyed this book (at least, not the second half), but that won't deter me from reading book three!
February 4, 2020
Fast paced, full of action, engaging and entertaining.
Lily is back in her world after escaping death by a very thin margin. But she didn't come back alone and it seems the battle came with her. Soon after, she had to return to the parallel world or face charges for a murder she didn't commit. This time, her friends, Tristan, Breakfast, Una and of course, Rowan, returned to the parallel universe with her.
Lily couldn't pick sides of the war. On one side of the battle is Lillian, Lily's evil half from a parallel universe, convinced she was doing the right thing by killing off scientists because they are a potential source of nuclear power that's heading down the path of destroying her world. On the other side of the battle is Carrick, leader of the rebels who borrowed destructive technology (nuclear bomb) from a parallel universe and wants to use it to free his people. Both sides of the war is bent on destruction and Lily wants to change that by taking a different path, turns out it's not so easy and has cost her more than she could ever imagine.
The 2nd instalment is fast paced and full of action. I particularly enjoyed the love story between Lily and Rowan. I am looking forward to more of those two in the last book in the series.
Lily is back in her world after escaping death by a very thin margin. But she didn't come back alone and it seems the battle came with her. Soon after, she had to return to the parallel world or face charges for a murder she didn't commit. This time, her friends, Tristan, Breakfast, Una and of course, Rowan, returned to the parallel universe with her.
Lily couldn't pick sides of the war. On one side of the battle is Lillian, Lily's evil half from a parallel universe, convinced she was doing the right thing by killing off scientists because they are a potential source of nuclear power that's heading down the path of destroying her world. On the other side of the battle is Carrick, leader of the rebels who borrowed destructive technology (nuclear bomb) from a parallel universe and wants to use it to free his people. Both sides of the war is bent on destruction and Lily wants to change that by taking a different path, turns out it's not so easy and has cost her more than she could ever imagine.
The 2nd instalment is fast paced and full of action. I particularly enjoyed the love story between Lily and Rowan. I am looking forward to more of those two in the last book in the series.
Read
August 30, 2015Still a fan of this series, but I didn't like this as much as the first book. It consisted of -- no real spoilers here -- a) Lily recovering physically from the events of book one, b) the assembly of a new Scooby Gang for Lily (okay, her mechanics) and then c) the revelation of why Lillian hung Rowan's father. By the end, things had definitely picked up, but overall there was too much wheel-spinning and banter and secret-keeping and not enough stakes-raising for my taste.
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
October 3, 2015
WHAT. THE. HELL.
February 14, 2016
sehr gemeiner Cliffhänger ...
September 4, 2015
Buddy read with Ange
It's impossible to review Firewalker without including spoilers for previous books in the series so if you haven't read Trial by Fire yet then you need to look away now. I will say that I'm really enjoying this series though so it's definitely one I'd recommend checking out if you enjoy YA fantasy.
Trial by Fire was one of my favourite YA books last year so it's no surprise that I've been desperately waiting for the release of the sequel. I was actually so excited about Firewalker that I was kind of nervous to start reading it because I wasn't sure if it could live up to its predecessor and I have to admit that in some ways I was right - it didn't quite reach the highs of the first book but that doesn't mean it wasn't an excellent story in its own right and it still far surpasses a lot of other books out there.
The story picks up immediately from where we left off, Lily is badly burnt from the time she spent on the pyre but luckily she managed to get both herself and Rowan back to her own reality. She is relieved to have escaped from Lillian but she is now facing a whole new host of problems, not least of which is the FBI investigation into her vanishing act three months ago. It's not like she can explain where she's been all that time and she had no idea how much trouble her disappearance would have caused for the people left behind. Some have just been worried out of their minds, others have been living under suspicion of her murder but all of them have been suffering constant police surveillance and harassment. Lily didn't choose to leave and she came back as quickly as she could but she still has a lot of explaining to do. As if that wasn't bad enough she still has Lillian to deal with, she may have left Lillian's reality but Lillian isn't done with her yet and she is determined to pull her back into the war they started.
I have to admit I found the beginning of the story a little on the slow side, probably because I'm used to this series moving at such a fast pace usually. It was interesting to see Lily reconnect with her friends and family as well as trying to settle back into normal life but it wasn't as interesting as seeing her in Lillian's reality. I also had a few issues with the way Lily was keeping so many secrets from Rowan and the people who were supposed to be closest to her, I could kind of understand why she was holding back but at the same time I always think honesty is the best policy. Rowan started having real trust issues and he actually made me really mad a couple of times but I think a lot of the problems could have been avoided if Lily had been more honest with him in the first place. They were both in the wrong though and it's probably going to take a while for Rowan to work his way back into my good graces, I am still hoping he can manage it though so that's definitely something in his favour.
I actually think my favourite character in this book was Lillian, I found her fascinating in the first book but here we find out a lot more about the things she has been through and why she has made the choices she did. I'm never going to agree with some of her actions, let's face it she has done some pretty evil things, but I did find it much easier to understand how she ended up in that situation and it was interesting to see how Lily started to come to a similar conclusion. Although they are basically the same girl their life experiences have made them very different in a lot of ways but it does make you wonder if Lily wouldn't have done exactly the same things Lillian did if they had switched places at birth.
Anyway, when they returned to Lillian's reality the story really picks up the pace and I loved getting to explore more of that world. We get answers to some of the questions that we had at the end of the previous book but we also get hints that there is so much more going on than meets the eye and I'm dying to see how certain things are going to play out. Lily is in an impossible situation but she is so determined to make things right and find a different way to fix things and I have hope that she can come up with something. There are some beautiful moments in this story, shocking and heartbreaking twists, weird creatures that made me shudder in fear and brilliant friendships that made me smile. I'm definitely excited to see where Josephine Angelini takes things from here and I can't wait to continue reading the series.
It's impossible to review Firewalker without including spoilers for previous books in the series so if you haven't read Trial by Fire yet then you need to look away now. I will say that I'm really enjoying this series though so it's definitely one I'd recommend checking out if you enjoy YA fantasy.
Trial by Fire was one of my favourite YA books last year so it's no surprise that I've been desperately waiting for the release of the sequel. I was actually so excited about Firewalker that I was kind of nervous to start reading it because I wasn't sure if it could live up to its predecessor and I have to admit that in some ways I was right - it didn't quite reach the highs of the first book but that doesn't mean it wasn't an excellent story in its own right and it still far surpasses a lot of other books out there.
The story picks up immediately from where we left off, Lily is badly burnt from the time she spent on the pyre but luckily she managed to get both herself and Rowan back to her own reality. She is relieved to have escaped from Lillian but she is now facing a whole new host of problems, not least of which is the FBI investigation into her vanishing act three months ago. It's not like she can explain where she's been all that time and she had no idea how much trouble her disappearance would have caused for the people left behind. Some have just been worried out of their minds, others have been living under suspicion of her murder but all of them have been suffering constant police surveillance and harassment. Lily didn't choose to leave and she came back as quickly as she could but she still has a lot of explaining to do. As if that wasn't bad enough she still has Lillian to deal with, she may have left Lillian's reality but Lillian isn't done with her yet and she is determined to pull her back into the war they started.
I have to admit I found the beginning of the story a little on the slow side, probably because I'm used to this series moving at such a fast pace usually. It was interesting to see Lily reconnect with her friends and family as well as trying to settle back into normal life but it wasn't as interesting as seeing her in Lillian's reality. I also had a few issues with the way Lily was keeping so many secrets from Rowan and the people who were supposed to be closest to her, I could kind of understand why she was holding back but at the same time I always think honesty is the best policy. Rowan started having real trust issues and he actually made me really mad a couple of times but I think a lot of the problems could have been avoided if Lily had been more honest with him in the first place. They were both in the wrong though and it's probably going to take a while for Rowan to work his way back into my good graces, I am still hoping he can manage it though so that's definitely something in his favour.
I actually think my favourite character in this book was Lillian, I found her fascinating in the first book but here we find out a lot more about the things she has been through and why she has made the choices she did. I'm never going to agree with some of her actions, let's face it she has done some pretty evil things, but I did find it much easier to understand how she ended up in that situation and it was interesting to see how Lily started to come to a similar conclusion. Although they are basically the same girl their life experiences have made them very different in a lot of ways but it does make you wonder if Lily wouldn't have done exactly the same things Lillian did if they had switched places at birth.
Anyway, when they returned to Lillian's reality the story really picks up the pace and I loved getting to explore more of that world. We get answers to some of the questions that we had at the end of the previous book but we also get hints that there is so much more going on than meets the eye and I'm dying to see how certain things are going to play out. Lily is in an impossible situation but she is so determined to make things right and find a different way to fix things and I have hope that she can come up with something. There are some beautiful moments in this story, shocking and heartbreaking twists, weird creatures that made me shudder in fear and brilliant friendships that made me smile. I'm definitely excited to see where Josephine Angelini takes things from here and I can't wait to continue reading the series.
September 8, 2015
Read the full review at Please Feed the Bookworm http://pleasefeedthebookworm.comJosep... angelini is slowly solidifying her spot as one of my all time fav authors. The stories she creates are always chock full of magic, fascinating characters, and some of the swooniest boys that I ever did see! True to form, the second book in her Worldwalker series leaves our cast enlightened yet at the same time on the precipice of some MAJOR changes. If you haven't read book one yet you should probably avert your little eyes as there be spoilers ahead...argh!This review was originally posted on Please Feed the Bookworm
Want to read
September 8, 2014This one cannot come soon enough!
October 13, 2015
This review appears on Happy Indulgence! Check it out for more reviews.
I love the blend of witches and alternate dimensions in this series, but Firewalker wasn’t as good as the first book. A few scenes had me suspending my disbelief and the whole book lacked emotional connection.
Connecting to the main character is a major part of enjoying a book, and even in the second book, I still couldn’t connect to Lily. She has Lillian, her evil alternate self inside her head, talking to her and showing her memories in an attempt to justify her evil decisions. Lillian is evil, she kills without a second thought, and wants to manipulate Lily in coming back to her world. But instead of confiding in the people who care about her, Lily keeps it a secret. And this leads to the drama in the book, especially when it comes to Rowan.
Although Lily is a powerful witch, she still needs a knight in shining armour, whether that’s Rowan, her best friend Tristan, or her coven who can look out for her. That’s something I admired Lillian for, as evil as she was, at least she was strong, fearsome and could lead. Lily has a long way to go before she can be a worthwhile opponent, because of her extreme dependency on others. She’s still a rather passive character and her character growth is very slow.
The romance was a major part of the book, and many of the problems between Rowan and Lily could have been solved with open communication. For most of the book, they are really sappy, avoiding the problems that matter, but I just wanted them to be open with each other. Rowan came from an alternate world where he was in love with Lillian, until she turned evil and killed his father. So it’s kind of weird how he justifies his love for Lily, in that “maybe I always loved the Lily in Lillian”. Because although you’re the same person but in a different world, it’s the choices that really make you who you are. I also wasn’t a fan of Tristan’s intense jealousy over Lily and Rowan. D-r-a-m-a.
Some of the scenes weren’t believable, particularly where Breakfast, Una, Tristan and Juliet easily accepted Lily and Rowan’s explanation. Imagine if someone walked up to you and said “I’m a powerful witch, and my friend here is from an alternate dimension. Want to join us?” My immediate reaction would be disbelief and I’d think it was a joke. But nope, these guys just went along with it, it felt way too easy, and the explanation here is purely because they “felt drawn to the willstones”.
Another scene is where one of Lily’s family members is killed, and there is absolutely NO emotional reaction whatsoever. Lily or her sister didn’t react. I felt nothing. She didn’t even check in with the rest of her family to make sure they were okay.
Despite all this, I enjoyed the world building with the alternate dimensions of different extremes based on ruling ideologies – one with an extreme dictatorship, one as a ruined wasteland. There was more development of the willstones, where they’re like an extension of one’s Will and entrusting a witch with it is like the ultimate trust. I also enjoyed contrasting ‘present’ world with the fantasy one, and bringing across the coven from one world to the next. The secondary characters were also enjoyable, although I didn’t get to connect to them very deeply.
The lack of emotional connection, scenes that made me suspend my disbelief, and the romantic drama in Firewalker affected my enjoyment of the book. This sequel wasn’t as good as the first, but I did like the unique premise and the deep world building. I’ll still continue with the series, but I’m definitely less excited about it than I was.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I love the blend of witches and alternate dimensions in this series, but Firewalker wasn’t as good as the first book. A few scenes had me suspending my disbelief and the whole book lacked emotional connection.
Connecting to the main character is a major part of enjoying a book, and even in the second book, I still couldn’t connect to Lily. She has Lillian, her evil alternate self inside her head, talking to her and showing her memories in an attempt to justify her evil decisions. Lillian is evil, she kills without a second thought, and wants to manipulate Lily in coming back to her world. But instead of confiding in the people who care about her, Lily keeps it a secret. And this leads to the drama in the book, especially when it comes to Rowan.
Although Lily is a powerful witch, she still needs a knight in shining armour, whether that’s Rowan, her best friend Tristan, or her coven who can look out for her. That’s something I admired Lillian for, as evil as she was, at least she was strong, fearsome and could lead. Lily has a long way to go before she can be a worthwhile opponent, because of her extreme dependency on others. She’s still a rather passive character and her character growth is very slow.
The romance was a major part of the book, and many of the problems between Rowan and Lily could have been solved with open communication. For most of the book, they are really sappy, avoiding the problems that matter, but I just wanted them to be open with each other. Rowan came from an alternate world where he was in love with Lillian, until she turned evil and killed his father. So it’s kind of weird how he justifies his love for Lily, in that “maybe I always loved the Lily in Lillian”. Because although you’re the same person but in a different world, it’s the choices that really make you who you are. I also wasn’t a fan of Tristan’s intense jealousy over Lily and Rowan. D-r-a-m-a.
Some of the scenes weren’t believable, particularly where Breakfast, Una, Tristan and Juliet easily accepted Lily and Rowan’s explanation. Imagine if someone walked up to you and said “I’m a powerful witch, and my friend here is from an alternate dimension. Want to join us?” My immediate reaction would be disbelief and I’d think it was a joke. But nope, these guys just went along with it, it felt way too easy, and the explanation here is purely because they “felt drawn to the willstones”.
Another scene is where one of Lily’s family members is killed, and there is absolutely NO emotional reaction whatsoever. Lily or her sister didn’t react. I felt nothing. She didn’t even check in with the rest of her family to make sure they were okay.
Despite all this, I enjoyed the world building with the alternate dimensions of different extremes based on ruling ideologies – one with an extreme dictatorship, one as a ruined wasteland. There was more development of the willstones, where they’re like an extension of one’s Will and entrusting a witch with it is like the ultimate trust. I also enjoyed contrasting ‘present’ world with the fantasy one, and bringing across the coven from one world to the next. The secondary characters were also enjoyable, although I didn’t get to connect to them very deeply.
The lack of emotional connection, scenes that made me suspend my disbelief, and the romantic drama in Firewalker affected my enjoyment of the book. This sequel wasn’t as good as the first, but I did like the unique premise and the deep world building. I’ll still continue with the series, but I’m definitely less excited about it than I was.
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2016
After I finished this book, I went back to my review on Trial by Fire and this is what I found:
Lillian's character threw me into confusion and really triggered my interest in discovering more of the secrets she's hiding because I'm sure they won't disappoint!
I'm think I'm starting to hate myself.
For the first 100 pages, Rowan and Lily were nothing but fluff. So if it were up to me, I'll tell you this book would have been way shorter. And way more action-packed because shit doesn't happen until much later. Here's the good news and the bad news: The good news was that the pace picked up. Wanna hear the bad news? Well, nothing exactly exciting ever happens.
It is important that when you write, you know the direction you're going to take. It's even more important you know your characters well. The plot in this book is romance driven. You get a lot of Rowan and Lily. Then a little bit of plot as if the existence of 'plot' was finally remembered. It continues to go back to more Rowan and Lily. This is absolutely not my kind of books at all. Ultimately, I can see this book aims to be one that was filled with romance, action, strong relationships, doubt and mystery. Alas, it is not.
Angelini has created a very interesting world, a world with many possibilities for crazy adventures. But it continues to dwell on the romance aspect. World-building was neglected. You learn nothing new about this mysterious world of Lily's, and questions don't get addressed. As I found in the last book, mindspeaking was a poor excuse for not being able bond the characters together in what I would call 'natural' way - through experiences, understanding, communication. I'm not an unimaginative person that I can't accept the mindspeaking the author has created. But it seems as if the author can't stop exploiting that. She can't stop exploiting the fact that people can 'feel each other emotions' in mindspeak.
In my opinion villains are complex characters. It takes a lot of skill to craft them in a way readers see them as humans, someone readers can connect to on a certain level, someone readers understand but still disapprove of. How can a villain of that complexity be reached? Why through mindspeak of course!
This sooo does not sound childish at all. After all those grandmother stories, I totally can connect with Lillian on a certain level. Totally.
No. Well, at least it worked on Lily.
If I were to be very honest, nothing in the cinder world justified what she did when she came back to her world. There was an effort to make it look like everything that happened to her in the cinder world was bad enough to change her, but I find that there was almost no link at all. And none of it was reason enough to kill Rowan's father. River Fall's death was truly injustice done, no matter how I see it.
Does anyone remember Tristan? You know the one who lied to Lily, cheated on her, then said he never promised Lily anything and proceeded to stomp out of the room in all righteousness?
Oh you poor thing! And for the record, you didn't bother for an apology to Lily either.
Miracles happen when Lily comes back. Everyone was human and normal before that. Now that Lily's back, she's miraculously cured and not to mention all her friends seem to have some kind of magical potential! Oh how convenient! In a place with zero magic, it does seem extremely likely. And yeah, expect another bunch of teens willing to go in to battle their lives out together with Lily as if they have no family who will care if they disappeared. Just leave a crappy note, I'm sure they will understand and respect our decision!
I'm a biased person. I have something against the name 'Rowan'. But I decided I need to get over that when I was reading this book. I'll just tell you straight, I'm pretty damn right that something is wrong with the guys named Rowan. Rowan, at first was a particularly okay character for me. As we went on, it just became obvious. Rowan was just another asshole. An extremely intrusive one at that. Every single person has secrets we simply never share, there are parts of us that we keep to ourselves. We can never truly tell someone everything about ourselves; all of us do have every right to this privacy. And for someone to pry, is simply rude and obscene. That is exactly what Rowan did.
I, on the other hand, feel that if someone doesn't accept that I can't share certain things with them yet, they should just get out of my life. You don't ask someone who got out of depression to share how she felt in that period. This is called being understanding and sensitive.
Neither was Rowan good at being loyal. Give me a whole day, I can list everything I dislike about him. So unfortunately, I do not ship them at all.
Lily was a mess herself. She is the most indecisive and insufferable protagonist I have ever read about. She simply doesn't think through her course of actions at all, she doesn't see how valuable the information she has will be as a leverage against her 'enemy'. Lily just spit it all out without thinking, not even of the consequences, she isn't even sure which side is she on. Her thoughts mainly lie on Rowan and the rest of her ideas are definitely less than rational. So it is of course expected the plot would not fair better either.
For me, the excitement factor has clearly disappeared in this book. A Woven is nothing new anymore, their appearances are staggered in such a subtle but systematic way, it has lost its charm. You know to expect a Woven when the characters are doing almost nothing. Fact. The author wants to make this seem action-packed even as they simply walk around. The group just jump on the Woven bad-assly kill it despite a month of training or so and wala. The only difference with each attack is that it happens with a different Woven. Wovens attacking just gets old. In the first book, when the crew stumble upon a Woven, I'm holding my breath, at the edge of my seat. Now, I just get: Oh wow another Woven.
I could say this book was a bit of a guilty pleasure. The feeling you know this is absurd but you just want to continue to see how absurd it can get. At the end, things does start to pick up a bit which I would consider something that was again: nothing new. Expect to deal with unnecessary/deliberate character deaths, a lot of romance, mild action, and getting tired of Lillian (and even Lily sometimes). With the way this book went, it's only logical that I not read the last book. Unfortunately, I'm too curious to just end this series here. I really have to give the author the credit of that sort of ending again.
*update: What was I thinking. I'm too done to flipping read the last book.
Review | Blog | Instagram
Lillian's character threw me into confusion and really triggered my interest in discovering more of the secrets she's hiding because I'm sure they won't disappoint!
I'm think I'm starting to hate myself.
For the first 100 pages, Rowan and Lily were nothing but fluff. So if it were up to me, I'll tell you this book would have been way shorter. And way more action-packed because shit doesn't happen until much later. Here's the good news and the bad news: The good news was that the pace picked up. Wanna hear the bad news? Well, nothing exactly exciting ever happens.
It is important that when you write, you know the direction you're going to take. It's even more important you know your characters well. The plot in this book is romance driven. You get a lot of Rowan and Lily. Then a little bit of plot as if the existence of 'plot' was finally remembered. It continues to go back to more Rowan and Lily. This is absolutely not my kind of books at all. Ultimately, I can see this book aims to be one that was filled with romance, action, strong relationships, doubt and mystery. Alas, it is not.
Angelini has created a very interesting world, a world with many possibilities for crazy adventures. But it continues to dwell on the romance aspect. World-building was neglected. You learn nothing new about this mysterious world of Lily's, and questions don't get addressed. As I found in the last book, mindspeaking was a poor excuse for not being able bond the characters together in what I would call 'natural' way - through experiences, understanding, communication. I'm not an unimaginative person that I can't accept the mindspeaking the author has created. But it seems as if the author can't stop exploiting that. She can't stop exploiting the fact that people can 'feel each other emotions' in mindspeak.
In my opinion villains are complex characters. It takes a lot of skill to craft them in a way readers see them as humans, someone readers can connect to on a certain level, someone readers understand but still disapprove of. How can a villain of that complexity be reached? Why through mindspeak of course!
I need to know because I need to know. You aren't my friend or my sister - you are me, aren't you, Lillian?
Finally - you accept it, Lily. Yes, we are the same person in different circumstances.
That's why I need to know why I would hunt people down and hang them. Why I would hang Rowan's father. Why, Lillian? Why would I do that?
Promise me that Rowan would never know.
Okay, Lillian. I promise.
This is the moment everything changed for me...
This sooo does not sound childish at all. After all those grandmother stories, I totally can connect with Lillian on a certain level. Totally.
Do you understand now, Lily? Do you understand why I can't explain what I had learned to anyone? Why I pushed Rowan away and wouldn't let him see my memories of the cinder world - not even to make him understand why I had to stop Alaric and his scientists?
No. Well, at least it worked on Lily.
Yes, Lillian.You didn't trust yourself enough to only show part of the cinder-world memory. You were afraid Rowan would keep digging
If I were to be very honest, nothing in the cinder world justified what she did when she came back to her world. There was an effort to make it look like everything that happened to her in the cinder world was bad enough to change her, but I find that there was almost no link at all. And none of it was reason enough to kill Rowan's father. River Fall's death was truly injustice done, no matter how I see it.
Does anyone remember Tristan? You know the one who lied to Lily, cheated on her, then said he never promised Lily anything and proceeded to stomp out of the room in all righteousness?
"It was decided for me," Tristan said quietly"Not too many Ivy League schools accept guys who are being questioned for their girlfriends mysterious disappearance, Lily," He laughed bitterly.
"Your timing really sucked, you know that? Agent Simms wouldn't let me leave the state to go to any of my interviews."
Oh you poor thing! And for the record, you didn't bother for an apology to Lily either.
Miracles happen when Lily comes back. Everyone was human and normal before that. Now that Lily's back, she's miraculously cured and not to mention all her friends seem to have some kind of magical potential! Oh how convenient! In a place with zero magic, it does seem extremely likely. And yeah, expect another bunch of teens willing to go in to battle their lives out together with Lily as if they have no family who will care if they disappeared. Just leave a crappy note, I'm sure they will understand and respect our decision!
I'm a biased person. I have something against the name 'Rowan'. But I decided I need to get over that when I was reading this book. I'll just tell you straight, I'm pretty damn right that something is wrong with the guys named Rowan. Rowan, at first was a particularly okay character for me. As we went on, it just became obvious. Rowan was just another asshole. An extremely intrusive one at that. Every single person has secrets we simply never share, there are parts of us that we keep to ourselves. We can never truly tell someone everything about ourselves; all of us do have every right to this privacy. And for someone to pry, is simply rude and obscene. That is exactly what Rowan did.
Will you show me what he did to you in the oubliette?
Lily recoiled at the thought. To show him would be to go through it again. "I can't." Her voice sounded robotic and strangely disconnected, even to her.
You don't have to hide anything from me.
"I can't" Lily repeated, her face blank.
"Okay," he said looking down.
Rowan stood and left the room, his face sad.
She looked up at Rowan and tried to coax a smile out of him. She knew he was still upset that she wouldn't share memories from the oubliette.
I, on the other hand, feel that if someone doesn't accept that I can't share certain things with them yet, they should just get out of my life. You don't ask someone who got out of depression to share how she felt in that period. This is called being understanding and sensitive.
Neither was Rowan good at being loyal. Give me a whole day, I can list everything I dislike about him. So unfortunately, I do not ship them at all.
Lily was a mess herself. She is the most indecisive and insufferable protagonist I have ever read about. She simply doesn't think through her course of actions at all, she doesn't see how valuable the information she has will be as a leverage against her 'enemy'. Lily just spit it all out without thinking, not even of the consequences, she isn't even sure which side is she on. Her thoughts mainly lie on Rowan and the rest of her ideas are definitely less than rational. So it is of course expected the plot would not fair better either.
For me, the excitement factor has clearly disappeared in this book. A Woven is nothing new anymore, their appearances are staggered in such a subtle but systematic way, it has lost its charm. You know to expect a Woven when the characters are doing almost nothing. Fact. The author wants to make this seem action-packed even as they simply walk around. The group just jump on the Woven bad-assly kill it despite a month of training or so and wala. The only difference with each attack is that it happens with a different Woven. Wovens attacking just gets old. In the first book, when the crew stumble upon a Woven, I'm holding my breath, at the edge of my seat. Now, I just get: Oh wow another Woven.
I could say this book was a bit of a guilty pleasure. The feeling you know this is absurd but you just want to continue to see how absurd it can get. At the end, things does start to pick up a bit which I would consider something that was again: nothing new. Expect to deal with unnecessary/deliberate character deaths, a lot of romance, mild action, and getting tired of Lillian (and even Lily sometimes). With the way this book went, it's only logical that I not read the last book. Unfortunately, I'm too curious to just end this series here. I really have to give the author the credit of that sort of ending again.
*update: What was I thinking. I'm too done to flipping read the last book.
Review | Blog | Instagram
August 23, 2015
***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato
Firewalker was an anticipated novel but I ended up feeling 50/50 about it. On one hand, it is a fantastic follow up to Trial by Fire but it was also filled with romantic drama and I hated that.
With this book, Lily’s Tristan--the one she used to love--is back in the picture. I was actually surprised by how well that was handled. I was happy that even though Tristan clearly had feelings, Lily doesn't feel the same way any more. Rowan also trusts Lily enough not to question things, SO YAY! But the problem was that Rowan and Lily’s relationship kind of took a bad turn in this book. For a good chunk of the book, they are both keeping secrets from each other and we all know how that ends. In case you don't know, IT ENDS BADLY. And just because you’re keeping secrets to protect one another doesn’t mean the result will be any different. SERIOUSLY, this is all Relationship 101 stuff. I think given a lot of the awkwardness surrounding Lily and Rowan’s relationship (what with the fact that Rowan used to be in love with Lillian) I just want them to be a strong couple who stand side by side instead of one who doesn’t know how to communicate. Don’t get me wrong, secrets aside, they still work fantastically together with Rowan respecting Lily’s wishes and vice versa but secrets just suck. Then there was something that happens towards the end that bothered me. There was a lot of dramatic irony and the whole situation just made me antsy. I just wanted to shout at both of them to build a bridge and GET OVER IT.
I also had a hard time taking in Lily’s Tristan, Breakfast and Una easy acceptance of the situation at hand. I wanted them to not let go of things they had known all their life so easily. Situations like these are always so tricky because one might get annoyed if characters take too long adapting or if they don’t even bat an eye at the situation.
Lily's struggle on the other hand was fantastically portrayed. Lily is still very much adjusting to all these changes and learning new things about herself. For example, Lily has all this magic at her disposal but she still doesn’t know how to handle all of this power, so she constantly needs to be grounded and reminded not to take over her mechanics’ minds. Lily has her selfish moments but in spite of all of this, she is still very much Lily but she struggles to remember that throughout the book. Lily becomes haunted by the similarities between herself and Lillian and a lot of this book deals with Lily trying to find something that makes her Lily and not Lillian. By the end of this book, I was SO proud of Lily and the choices she had made (even though there were times when I disagreed.. LIKE WITH ALL THE SECRET KEEPING.)
However, I was a little bothered by how Lily was treated by her friends/mechanics. I get it, mechanics must protect their witches but she is a super powerful witch and I wanted to see that in their treatment of her. I wanted Lily to be seen as badass instead of just having the ability to be badass. Also there were times when her opinions weren’t even considered. We as readers know that she is on to something but I hated when her own mechanics just dismissed the things she said.
Lillian plays a big role in this series and the more we learn about her, the more I want to know. She is the 'other Lily', the one who had a different upbringing than Lily but is similar to her in many ways. This book really made us question her role as a villain by showing her side of the story and things became all sorts of complicated. It made Lily question herself and the people around her but it also made me question aspects of the story. I don’t know where things will go but to be honest, I’d rather Lillian not turn out to be this amazingly good person because the things she has done cannot just be excused because she had ‘good’ intentions.
One of my favorite things about this book was seeing Lily’s Juliet. I absolutely adore her and Lily’s relationship and it was so much fun seeing her again (and I hope we get to see her again!!) Juliet is such a fantastic sister and I love that she was on Lily’s side no matter what.
This series is so rich in its world building and I loved seeing even more of that in this book. We aren’t just given enough details to keep the story going. Instead Angelini pushes the limit and we learn more things about the world and question things we hadn’t before. I LOVE that.
I am having so much fun with this series and while I did have some issues with this book (AND WHAT HAPPENED a little before the end) I think it's a good follow-up and I am ready to sell my soul for Traitor’s Pyre. IS IT 2016 yet because I NEEEDS to read Traitor’s Pyre.
Note that I received an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review
Firewalker was an anticipated novel but I ended up feeling 50/50 about it. On one hand, it is a fantastic follow up to Trial by Fire but it was also filled with romantic drama and I hated that.
With this book, Lily’s Tristan--the one she used to love--is back in the picture. I was actually surprised by how well that was handled. I was happy that even though Tristan clearly had feelings, Lily doesn't feel the same way any more. Rowan also trusts Lily enough not to question things, SO YAY! But the problem was that Rowan and Lily’s relationship kind of took a bad turn in this book. For a good chunk of the book, they are both keeping secrets from each other and we all know how that ends. In case you don't know, IT ENDS BADLY. And just because you’re keeping secrets to protect one another doesn’t mean the result will be any different. SERIOUSLY, this is all Relationship 101 stuff. I think given a lot of the awkwardness surrounding Lily and Rowan’s relationship (what with the fact that Rowan used to be in love with Lillian) I just want them to be a strong couple who stand side by side instead of one who doesn’t know how to communicate. Don’t get me wrong, secrets aside, they still work fantastically together with Rowan respecting Lily’s wishes and vice versa but secrets just suck. Then there was something that happens towards the end that bothered me. There was a lot of dramatic irony and the whole situation just made me antsy. I just wanted to shout at both of them to build a bridge and GET OVER IT.
I also had a hard time taking in Lily’s Tristan, Breakfast and Una easy acceptance of the situation at hand. I wanted them to not let go of things they had known all their life so easily. Situations like these are always so tricky because one might get annoyed if characters take too long adapting or if they don’t even bat an eye at the situation.
Lily's struggle on the other hand was fantastically portrayed. Lily is still very much adjusting to all these changes and learning new things about herself. For example, Lily has all this magic at her disposal but she still doesn’t know how to handle all of this power, so she constantly needs to be grounded and reminded not to take over her mechanics’ minds. Lily has her selfish moments but in spite of all of this, she is still very much Lily but she struggles to remember that throughout the book. Lily becomes haunted by the similarities between herself and Lillian and a lot of this book deals with Lily trying to find something that makes her Lily and not Lillian. By the end of this book, I was SO proud of Lily and the choices she had made (even though there were times when I disagreed.. LIKE WITH ALL THE SECRET KEEPING.)
However, I was a little bothered by how Lily was treated by her friends/mechanics. I get it, mechanics must protect their witches but she is a super powerful witch and I wanted to see that in their treatment of her. I wanted Lily to be seen as badass instead of just having the ability to be badass. Also there were times when her opinions weren’t even considered. We as readers know that she is on to something but I hated when her own mechanics just dismissed the things she said.
Lillian plays a big role in this series and the more we learn about her, the more I want to know. She is the 'other Lily', the one who had a different upbringing than Lily but is similar to her in many ways. This book really made us question her role as a villain by showing her side of the story and things became all sorts of complicated. It made Lily question herself and the people around her but it also made me question aspects of the story. I don’t know where things will go but to be honest, I’d rather Lillian not turn out to be this amazingly good person because the things she has done cannot just be excused because she had ‘good’ intentions.
One of my favorite things about this book was seeing Lily’s Juliet. I absolutely adore her and Lily’s relationship and it was so much fun seeing her again (and I hope we get to see her again!!) Juliet is such a fantastic sister and I love that she was on Lily’s side no matter what.
This series is so rich in its world building and I loved seeing even more of that in this book. We aren’t just given enough details to keep the story going. Instead Angelini pushes the limit and we learn more things about the world and question things we hadn’t before. I LOVE that.
I am having so much fun with this series and while I did have some issues with this book (AND WHAT HAPPENED a little before the end) I think it's a good follow-up and I am ready to sell my soul for Traitor’s Pyre. IS IT 2016 yet because I NEEEDS to read Traitor’s Pyre.
Note that I received an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review
November 4, 2015
A lot of things STILL did not make any sense to me. My main question was, if Lily was allergic to the air in her own world and could only breathe properly in Lillians world, doesn't that mean Lily belonged in that universe? If so, why? And how was she able to do all those magical things in her own universe? It just sounded very confusing and unrealistic. I was honestly so bored while reading this I almost fell asleep multiple times. I just skimmed the second half of the book.
There's a lot more I want to say but I don't want to waste my energy. This book was just confusing as fuck.
There's a lot more I want to say but I don't want to waste my energy. This book was just confusing as fuck.
September 22, 2015
Firewalker
As soon as I finished Trial By Fire, I really, really, really wanted Firewalker immediately. However, when I looked at the release date of September 1st 2015, the waiting seemed so long, and I hoped my patience would last. For those of you who have read Trial By Fire will understand because you will be feeling a similar emotion as me, especially with that cliffhanger.
Now...I just need to distract myself, to take my mind off the long wait. In time, it will come. And as soon as it comes, it will be mine. All mine, I tell you.
As soon as I finished Trial By Fire, I really, really, really wanted Firewalker immediately. However, when I looked at the release date of September 1st 2015, the waiting seemed so long, and I hoped my patience would last. For those of you who have read Trial By Fire will understand because you will be feeling a similar emotion as me, especially with that cliffhanger.
Now...I just need to distract myself, to take my mind off the long wait. In time, it will come. And as soon as it comes, it will be mine. All mine, I tell you.
probation
February 16, 2015Update: It seems the title has been changed (smartly) so I might give it a chance now.
Um, no based on the offensive title. Change the title and I might be willing to give it a chance. Jesus, publishers didn't you take a US history class? Reading is suppose to be educational, not for dumb asses who think it's okay to use the title of a tragedy of a race of people for profit.
Um, no based on the offensive title. Change the title and I might be willing to give it a chance. Jesus, publishers didn't you take a US history class? Reading is suppose to be educational, not for dumb asses who think it's okay to use the title of a tragedy of a race of people for profit.
September 28, 2015
That was a HUGE cliffhanger!!! AHHHH! I need the next book now! Overall I enjoyed the read. All I can say is, anything can and does happen in this one! And no one is safe.
May 31, 2019
I didn't like this installment as much as the first one, but it's still very close to great!
I loved the interaction between Lily and Lillian throughout the book and how, piece by piece, Lillian showed Lily her memories and experiences and explained to her why she did what she did in the past and why she did those seemingly brutal and unforgivable things.
We got to know more about the other destroyed worlds - which I expected - but we also got to know more about Lillians world. The world got extended and the characters (even though they were introduced thoroughly in the first installment) got more depth to them in this one.
The character dynamics changed a great deal, loyalties shifted, and lovers found each other and left each other again.
After venting in the spoilery section of this review I feel like I have nothing left to say. XD
Anyways, I am certainly curious to see how this trilogy will wrap up in book three. :D
I loved the interaction between Lily and Lillian throughout the book and how, piece by piece, Lillian showed Lily her memories and experiences and explained to her why she did what she did in the past and why she did those seemingly brutal and unforgivable things.
We got to know more about the other destroyed worlds - which I expected - but we also got to know more about Lillians world. The world got extended and the characters (even though they were introduced thoroughly in the first installment) got more depth to them in this one.
The character dynamics changed a great deal, loyalties shifted, and lovers found each other and left each other again.
After venting in the spoilery section of this review I feel like I have nothing left to say. XD
Anyways, I am certainly curious to see how this trilogy will wrap up in book three. :D
October 5, 2017
4,5 Sterne.
Ich mochte schon den ersten Teil der Geschichte um Lily und konnte es kaum erwarten, endlich den zweiten Teil in die Hände zu bekommen. Er hat mich nicht enttäuscht.
Toll erzählt, tolle Charaktere und eine mitreißende Geschichte. Kurzum: ein großartiger zweiter Teil einer bisher sehr guten Trilogie, der mich persönlich bis in meine Träume verfolgt hat und das schaffen nicht viele Bücher.
Ich mochte schon den ersten Teil der Geschichte um Lily und konnte es kaum erwarten, endlich den zweiten Teil in die Hände zu bekommen. Er hat mich nicht enttäuscht.
Toll erzählt, tolle Charaktere und eine mitreißende Geschichte. Kurzum: ein großartiger zweiter Teil einer bisher sehr guten Trilogie, der mich persönlich bis in meine Träume verfolgt hat und das schaffen nicht viele Bücher.
November 8, 2015
This is a great series and I can't wait to read the third book. I really enjoyed how Josephine Angelini expanded on the Woven.
November 10, 2015
Four stars: A good sequel, but it ends abruptly with a cliffhanger.
After the battle, Lily and Rowan land back in Lily's world. Lily is burned badly and barely alive. Thankfully, Rowan is able to nurse her back to health. Safely nestled back at home, Lily should be happy to put the terrible events of Rowan and Lillian's world behind her, but she can't. Lillian reaches across the worlds at night and shares her memories with Lily via dreams. Through Lillian's memories, Lily begins to understand why Lily was forced to make the difficult decisions she did. Lillian keeps insisting that Lily must return to help her save her world, but Lily refuses, until Rowan tells her he has to go back. Before long, Lily and her new group of mechanics are back in Rowan's Salem. Can Lily save Rowan's world?
What I Liked:
*It took me a bit of time to reacquaint myself with this world, but once I immersed, I quickly remembered why I liked this series: the world building is outstanding. I love the alternate worlds and the magic, the Woven and the action and danger. If you are one who wants an excellent fantasy with outstanding world building, read this series.
*My complaint with the first book was that I didn't have a handle on Lillian, the alternate version of Lily. Lillian is painted as a monstrous villain, one who hangs scientists and scholars. In this book, Lily gains insight into Lillian's behavior, and like all things, everything isn't black and white. There are many shades of gray. Once I understood why Lillian acted the way she did, I sympathized with her, and I didn't envy her choices. Do you sacrifice a few to save many? I liked Lillian much better in this book, and I appreciate that her character has layers and layers.
*I was never a fan of Lily's Tristan in the first book, but thankfully this time out, he improves. I enjoyed getting to know Tristan better and I also liked the inclusion of Una and Breakfast in Lily's group.
*Lily is continuing to grow and change. She is becoming stronger and more confident in her powers, and I admire that she continues to do the right thing even when she is faced with terrible choices. I am especially interested to see what she will uncover with her study of the Woven and how she will handle the atomic bombs and the scientists. Will she make better choices than Lillian?
And The Not So Much:
*I liked the romance in the book up until a point, and then it suffered the dreaded middle book, stumbling block, mostly due to a lack of communication. It was frustrating, and there are hints that a love triangle might be on the horizon, I don't think so, and I hope not, but that will remain to be seen.
*I found the part where Lily explains to her friends about her situation and their quick acceptance a bit unrealistic.
The first portion of the book moves slowly, if it wasn't for Lillian's memories, it would have dragged as not much happens. I especially didn't like the parts when Lily had to go back to school. It picks up once Lily returns to the alternate Salem.
*The ending is abrupt and it ends on a cliffhanger. Very frustrating!
Firewalker was a good sequel, though it had some problems. I didn't like that the romance hit the rocks just as it was going so well. The first portion of the book is slow, and then it hurtles toward a climatic finish only to end in an abrupt cliffhanger. Still, I like this series because I think the world building is outstanding, and I love the concept of alternate realities, the witches and firewalking. I am most eager to read the final volume to see how it all ends.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
After the battle, Lily and Rowan land back in Lily's world. Lily is burned badly and barely alive. Thankfully, Rowan is able to nurse her back to health. Safely nestled back at home, Lily should be happy to put the terrible events of Rowan and Lillian's world behind her, but she can't. Lillian reaches across the worlds at night and shares her memories with Lily via dreams. Through Lillian's memories, Lily begins to understand why Lily was forced to make the difficult decisions she did. Lillian keeps insisting that Lily must return to help her save her world, but Lily refuses, until Rowan tells her he has to go back. Before long, Lily and her new group of mechanics are back in Rowan's Salem. Can Lily save Rowan's world?
What I Liked:
*It took me a bit of time to reacquaint myself with this world, but once I immersed, I quickly remembered why I liked this series: the world building is outstanding. I love the alternate worlds and the magic, the Woven and the action and danger. If you are one who wants an excellent fantasy with outstanding world building, read this series.
*My complaint with the first book was that I didn't have a handle on Lillian, the alternate version of Lily. Lillian is painted as a monstrous villain, one who hangs scientists and scholars. In this book, Lily gains insight into Lillian's behavior, and like all things, everything isn't black and white. There are many shades of gray. Once I understood why Lillian acted the way she did, I sympathized with her, and I didn't envy her choices. Do you sacrifice a few to save many? I liked Lillian much better in this book, and I appreciate that her character has layers and layers.
*I was never a fan of Lily's Tristan in the first book, but thankfully this time out, he improves. I enjoyed getting to know Tristan better and I also liked the inclusion of Una and Breakfast in Lily's group.
*Lily is continuing to grow and change. She is becoming stronger and more confident in her powers, and I admire that she continues to do the right thing even when she is faced with terrible choices. I am especially interested to see what she will uncover with her study of the Woven and how she will handle the atomic bombs and the scientists. Will she make better choices than Lillian?
And The Not So Much:
*I liked the romance in the book up until a point, and then it suffered the dreaded middle book, stumbling block, mostly due to a lack of communication. It was frustrating, and there are hints that a love triangle might be on the horizon, I don't think so, and I hope not, but that will remain to be seen.
*I found the part where Lily explains to her friends about her situation and their quick acceptance a bit unrealistic.
The first portion of the book moves slowly, if it wasn't for Lillian's memories, it would have dragged as not much happens. I especially didn't like the parts when Lily had to go back to school. It picks up once Lily returns to the alternate Salem.
*The ending is abrupt and it ends on a cliffhanger. Very frustrating!
Firewalker was a good sequel, though it had some problems. I didn't like that the romance hit the rocks just as it was going so well. The first portion of the book is slow, and then it hurtles toward a climatic finish only to end in an abrupt cliffhanger. Still, I like this series because I think the world building is outstanding, and I love the concept of alternate realities, the witches and firewalking. I am most eager to read the final volume to see how it all ends.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
August 23, 2015
3 Stars
Before I get into my review I want to disclose that this ARC copy was sent to me by the publisher and doesn't alter my opinion on the book in any way, shape or form.
Firewalker is the very anticipated sequel to one of my favorite books of 2014, Trial by Fire.
So this was a little disappointing for me. Coming from book one with awesome characters, interesting world building and an epic romance, this just fell flat. Yes there are some things that are really good about it hence the three star rating but it just didn't do it for me.
Starting the book off was so exciting because book one ended with a huge cliffhanger and I was dying to find out what happened. I was getting through the first couple chapters fine, but it started to feel like a different series because they aren’t in the parallel world. I realized I miss the action and the spontaneous hikes to get away from the Woven. But then I got what I wanted…..and it fell flat.
I am finishing this review tomorrow because I am really tired. It's 3 AM.
Also besides me being disappointed by this book does NOT mean I won't be reading the third and final installment. For one, I have to know what happens next, plot and romance wise. And two, well I'm already this far in the series so might as well.
Before I get into my review I want to disclose that this ARC copy was sent to me by the publisher and doesn't alter my opinion on the book in any way, shape or form.
Firewalker is the very anticipated sequel to one of my favorite books of 2014, Trial by Fire.
So this was a little disappointing for me. Coming from book one with awesome characters, interesting world building and an epic romance, this just fell flat. Yes there are some things that are really good about it hence the three star rating but it just didn't do it for me.
Starting the book off was so exciting because book one ended with a huge cliffhanger and I was dying to find out what happened. I was getting through the first couple chapters fine, but it started to feel like a different series because they aren’t in the parallel world. I realized I miss the action and the spontaneous hikes to get away from the Woven. But then I got what I wanted…..and it fell flat.
I am finishing this review tomorrow because I am really tired. It's 3 AM.
Also besides me being disappointed by this book does NOT mean I won't be reading the third and final installment. For one, I have to know what happens next, plot and romance wise. And two, well I'm already this far in the series so might as well.
November 23, 2015
Ohmygoodness did she just? Did the author really do that? I'm so flipping mad right now! I finished this slug fest without any sense of satisfaction. Are you telling me that I went through all that boring melodrama for this ending? So not cool.
All the fun stuff was towards the end and rushed and all the annoying, boring stuff was dragged for like 90% of the book. I really can't with this book ATM.
All the fun stuff was towards the end and rushed and all the annoying, boring stuff was dragged for like 90% of the book. I really can't with this book ATM.
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