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Cruel and Beautiful World #2
Sunken Eyes
As an escaped slave, Deryn Leon has relied heavily on the Guardian Xander Ruby since the day he took her in. But she is stronger now, and as her feelings for Xander deepen she realizes it's time for her to join the fight and protect him for once. Especially from the cruel President Saevus, whose trust in Xander has reached a dangerous point of no return. Meanwhile, the Resistance has found their way into Utopia with one goal in mind, to abduct Xander and find out what he really knows about Deryn's whereabouts. Caught up in this complicated web of deceit, Xander's secrets begin to unravel. It is only a matter of time before his true loyalty is revealed, and when it is the only person who will be able to save him from this cruel and beautiful world is the woman he is desperately trying to set free. Just two blackbirds flying home together.
377 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2016
37 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
L. Stoddard Hancock
3 books119 followersLaura Hancock is the author of the Cruel and Beautiful World trilogy. She has been writing books for as long as she can remember and still owns several hand-written stories from her youth. She currently lives in Portland, OR with her cat Milo. You can follow her on Facebook, on Instagram and on Tumblr.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 26, 2017
The ending
OH.MY.GOD.
I need the next book like NOW!
What can I write about this other than If you haven't picked up the first book yet, you should and if you have read the original, "Dramione" version of this story.... you're in for quite a surprise. A big surprise.
Just... read it for yourself.
February 9, 2017
This sequel kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time--page one all the way to the amazing (very brutal) ending. You never know when something is going to happen because there are more close calls than anyone’s heart can handle. But when something does happen, BE PREPARED. You will not be able to put it down until you finish. And even when you do finish, the cliffhanger will leave you desperate for more.
The entire novel is a breath of fresh air because Laura isn’t afraid to give you the gruesome, gory, steamy details and she’s definitely not afraid of being completely and purely EVIL. Sunken Eyes is unlike any of the typical, cliché dystopian stories that I’ve read—it takes so many twists and turns and the plotline is, for lack of a better word, different. In the absolute best way.
The romance is also perfectly done. Both Xander and Deryn are broken, so watching them grow to be more whole and happy together was wonderful. That being said, though, my favorite part about this book is the friendship between Xander, Luka, Bronson, Quigley, and Deryn. I just think that the banter and the sass and the witty comments that we got from the rest of our cast of characters together made this novel utterly entertaining and incredible. The world of Utopia is dark, evil and just plain terrifying. One wrong move and everyone you love can be dead within minutes. So to have a group of misfit friends come together and find some humor despite the dangerous lives they lead was one of the coolest and best parts about this book.
The entire novel is a breath of fresh air because Laura isn’t afraid to give you the gruesome, gory, steamy details and she’s definitely not afraid of being completely and purely EVIL. Sunken Eyes is unlike any of the typical, cliché dystopian stories that I’ve read—it takes so many twists and turns and the plotline is, for lack of a better word, different. In the absolute best way.
The romance is also perfectly done. Both Xander and Deryn are broken, so watching them grow to be more whole and happy together was wonderful. That being said, though, my favorite part about this book is the friendship between Xander, Luka, Bronson, Quigley, and Deryn. I just think that the banter and the sass and the witty comments that we got from the rest of our cast of characters together made this novel utterly entertaining and incredible. The world of Utopia is dark, evil and just plain terrifying. One wrong move and everyone you love can be dead within minutes. So to have a group of misfit friends come together and find some humor despite the dangerous lives they lead was one of the coolest and best parts about this book.
March 1, 2017
Nonstop action and suspense with just the right amount of romance. Also, holy cliffhanger! I need the next installment asap!
July 16, 2017
Amazing! The first book "Broken Wings" was pretty true to the original Dramione fic - but Sunken Eyes developed this new world of Utopia and truly made it its own. Also - there was MORE Bronson and Luka in the story which is a ship I ship hard. I can't wait for the third book Arise and see how it ends.
September 16, 2025
I love this series!
January 24, 2019
OMG OMG OMG I'M SO SCARED BCS THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE FANFIC AAAAAAAAAAA BOOK 3 I'M COMING
September 22, 2017
Next
I love this series now i can't wait for the next book. Please hurry. And i really hope it has a good ending. With all the bs going on in the real world i love a good book with a good happy ending.
I love this series now i can't wait for the next book. Please hurry. And i really hope it has a good ending. With all the bs going on in the real world i love a good book with a good happy ending.
November 8, 2018
I didn't doubt that I would enjoy Sunken Eyes just as much as the first book in the Cruel and Beautiful World Serie but I wasn't expecting such a roller coaster ride- and that cliffhanger!
In book 2 things are heating up all over Utopia but amid the action there is still plenty of one on one time between my favorite characters which I love. There's a great balance between the action and the more personal moments, and the pacing was perfect. If you're looking for a new Dystopian that's not afraid to be dark (President Saevus puts President Snow to shame) and steamy (seriously 🔥🔥🔥) then I highly recommend these!
In book 2 things are heating up all over Utopia but amid the action there is still plenty of one on one time between my favorite characters which I love. There's a great balance between the action and the more personal moments, and the pacing was perfect. If you're looking for a new Dystopian that's not afraid to be dark (President Saevus puts President Snow to shame) and steamy (seriously 🔥🔥🔥) then I highly recommend these!
October 9, 2017
Love this series, I couldn't put it down, can't wait for the next book
June 9, 2018
Dang good!! Can wait for #3
Laura did it again!!! As much as I loved the originals... These rewrites for publication are AMAZING! If you love dystopian fiction, you’ll love this book! Third book needs to hurryyyy though! I can’t wait!
Laura did it again!!! As much as I loved the originals... These rewrites for publication are AMAZING! If you love dystopian fiction, you’ll love this book! Third book needs to hurryyyy though! I can’t wait!
February 5, 2019
better than the first book
a good adventure and romance.
this book clears up a lot about the dystopian world they live in, that was a bit confusing in the first book.
great relationship development.
nice romance.
action scenes wouldn't let me put it down
a good adventure and romance.
this book clears up a lot about the dystopian world they live in, that was a bit confusing in the first book.
great relationship development.
nice romance.
action scenes wouldn't let me put it down
August 11, 2023
I didn’t like this quite as much as the first book but it was an enjoyable read. (That being said the changes from the towards the end an the comment Laura (the author) left on my TikTok saying “when you get took book three don’t kill me🫣” makes me ✨nervous✨ for the next one.)
December 20, 2017
LOVE THESE BOOKS! L. Please please tell me there is a third one in the works!
April 4, 2020
3 stars.
Didn’t enjoy this as much as book one, but it was still interesting. The relationships between characters and some of the action scenes were the better parts.
Didn’t enjoy this as much as book one, but it was still interesting. The relationships between characters and some of the action scenes were the better parts.
June 14, 2021
love it.
October 30, 2024
I really wish these books moved faster, but what a ride
November 30, 2016
Oh god. Oh god. That ending. I am dying. Torturous cliffhanger alert.
April 24, 2025
3.75
vrij traag.
vrij traag.
February 4, 2023
TL;DR: The second installment in the Cruel & Beautiful World series upped the action, which was much appreciated. It was enjoyable while reading, but didn't leave a lasting impression.
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REVIEW:
I enjoyed this second book in the trilogy more than the first, which was a welcome surprise. I was still super undecided after reading the first one.
Without spoiling any of the plot, I can say that the action picks up in the one. In fact it was giving me a little bit of Hunger Game vibes...not quite to the same level, but it was enough to have me reengaged with the story.
I still found issue with the sheer number of characters and the really perplexing names they had. It remained a struggle for me in this book to keep everyone straight and try to remember who was an important character and who wasn't. I do think the series would fair better if there were less characters introduced or at least not by name. Despite the plethora of characters, I just didn't find enough backstory of them to really care enough about their fates.
All in all, it was still a fun, YA meets New Adult book. If you like primarily plot-heavy stories you could definitely enjoy this.
Final verdict: A second book that actually surpassed the first. Fun but still a bit forgettable.
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REVIEW:
I enjoyed this second book in the trilogy more than the first, which was a welcome surprise. I was still super undecided after reading the first one.
Without spoiling any of the plot, I can say that the action picks up in the one. In fact it was giving me a little bit of Hunger Game vibes...not quite to the same level, but it was enough to have me reengaged with the story.
I still found issue with the sheer number of characters and the really perplexing names they had. It remained a struggle for me in this book to keep everyone straight and try to remember who was an important character and who wasn't. I do think the series would fair better if there were less characters introduced or at least not by name. Despite the plethora of characters, I just didn't find enough backstory of them to really care enough about their fates.
All in all, it was still a fun, YA meets New Adult book. If you like primarily plot-heavy stories you could definitely enjoy this.
Final verdict: A second book that actually surpassed the first. Fun but still a bit forgettable.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews