I'm a Gay Wizard In the City of the Nightmare King

Gay Wizard #2

by V.S. Santoni

None of them expected the nightmare to continue...

In the sequel to I’m a Gay Wizard, V.S. Santoni imagines a world where Johnny, Hunter, Alison, and Blake are forced once again to prove that love and magic can save the day.

When Johnny wakes up, something isn’t right. It’s a blissful summer day, and Johnny’s father is taking him to begin a brand new life in Misthaven, and all his best friends, Alison, Hunter, and Blake, join him in the idyllic town.

Once reunited, Johnny and his friends discover that this Misthaven is actually Dreamhaven―the Marduk Institute’s mystical prison for wizards―and they’re trapped. But that’s the least of their problems when Hunter falls ill with a magical sickness, and his soul is thrown into the Night City, an underworld ruled by the Nightmare King.

Johnny will not leave Hunter. Vowing to stay together, he, Alison, and Blake enter the Night City, a domain of the dead where both their powers and trust in each other will be tested. But in a realm where the Nightmare King rules second only to Death itself, Johnny’s love for Hunter must continue to be his most powerful magic.

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Young Adult

280 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2020

About the author

"V.S. Santoni is a Latinx, gay, nonbinary guy who spends way too much time daydreaming. When he isn’t thinking up queer dreampunk stories and scouring YouTube for retro-anime movies, he’s sobbing to sad, old punk songs with his best friend, a Chihuahua named Darla. He lives in Nashville with his husband."

Reviews

[Bash the Fash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I read the first book and felt the pacing was much better in this book and also found the world building to be better in this one (really enjoyed Johnny's descent in to the underworld), I found the dialogue to continue to be witty and charming, and each character had well rounded development arcs. All in all would recommend and look forward to the next one.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the first book so I was WAY excited to read the second one early on and dare I say, it exceeded my expectations. The improvement between the first and the second book is huge when it comes to world building and the story picked up pace way faster than the first one. While the first one might take a while to get into, this one sucks you up in its world within seconds and won't let you go. I couldn't stop reading, too curious about what might happen afterwards.
Though it was said that you can read this one separately from the first one, I definitely wouldn't recommend it. If I hadn't read the first one, I'd be confused throughout this whole book. The relationships between the characters were written out pretty well though sometimes a bit confusing, especially when it comes to Alison, which made it an interesting read. I can't wait to see what the author might write in the future and if this series will turn into a trilogy (or more) because I can't imagine the series ending like this. Overall, I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*thanks to Netgalley and Smith Publicity for an advance read in exchange for a honest review*

[Sara Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanna know how this book made me feel? STRESSED!!! Seriously, with all that Johnny and his friends go through, there was zero time to breathe. It was like one near death experience after another. STRESSED!!!

I very much missed Johnny, so I was thrilled to be back with him again in this sequel. I loved seeing his development. He has really gone from a confused, young wizard to a heroic young man who would do anything for the guy he loves. (And when I say "anything," I mean "anything.")

As I said, there is so much freakin' action in this novel. There's a bit of creepy stuff, too, which I loved because, well, I'm creepy. I can tell the author knows this world well ... even its horrifying aspects.

I look forward to more of Johnny's journey and his developing relationship with Hunter, which (no spoilers) seems like it could get verrrrrrry complicated soon!!!

[V.S. Santoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five-starring my own book because of course. I think a lot of young readers will enjoy this briskly paced adventure, and of course, it's still pretty gay.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you loved the first book then I would definitely recommend you read this. However, I personally was kind of on the fence about book one so I'm afraid I just can't get excited about this even though I love the premise and I'm all for gay wizards!

I think my main problem (which isn't really the books fault) was that I couldn't remember anything about the first one, despite the helpful recap at the beginning, so really struggled to get involved in the storyline. It was certainly fast paced but to the point where we were moving from one trippy quest to the next so quickly and without much depth that I just didn't care what was happening.

I love the four main characters and the relationships they have with each other but I'm afraid they won't be enough to get me to continue with this series. I do, however encourage other people to give it a try!

Thank you Netgalley and Smith Publicity for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

"It's like we just go from place to place, and I still don't understand why any of this is happening." - an actual quote from the book that also accurately describes how I felt about it.

The book had no discernable plan or trajectory. As the quote says, it went from place to place, scene to scene, without setting much up for the audience to anticipate or build up to. It was just: here's a thing, and here's another thing, now that's done, so let's go over here and OH NO! it's some other thing. Even the "city of the nightmare king" is introduced suddenly ("there's a thing called the nightmare King and we have to find him!" "OK. Let's go." <- not actually quotes) and is then only relevant for 2 or 3 chapters. It was like a side quest in a bigger adventure.

The pacing in this book is ridiculous. It goes from one "life threatening" situation to another in a matter of pages with everything miraculously getting resolved in a paragraph or two. I can't remember the last time there was so much Deus Ex Machina in a book - impossible situations being quickly solved by random/convenient/unexpected means. There's even a key moment at the end, arguably one of the only ones there was any build up to, where the problem is solved...without explanation? It's just solved? Even the characters don't know how? Wtf?

And don't get me started on the lore/magic in this world. Lore is dumped on the reader in random paragraphs, suddenly introducing history, names, and concepts we've never heard of and that will be casually referred to later in the book without further context or explanation. And the magic...I'll be honest, I don't remember a lot from the first book, but these kids were new wizards/new to school. And yet now they can pull off spells they've never done before as easily as blinking? And older wizards are capable of new feats that apparently are also possible in this world? Is there any rhyme or reason or restrictions to what wizards can do? Or do they just "conveniently" have the exactly perfect type of magic needed to get them out of a bad situation?

I'm sure I could go on and whine about other aspects of the book...but this is enough. You get the point.

It's such a shame that I've gone from a 4 star rating for book one to a 1 star rating for book two, but this book was a mess. If I didn't own a copy, I would have abandoned it before finishing.

[The Borrowed Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★ I mean.... LOVE

Okay fine yessss I sort of new I was going to love this book since I loved the first one, but sometimes it happens when you don't like the follow up .. that did NOT happen here. Still in love.

I'm not sure what it is about V.S's style of writing but I cannot stop myself from flying through his books like a bat out of hell. I mean seriously I pick it up and I only put it down when its complete and my gosh isn't that the saddest.

This book is high fantasy, filled with magic, love, LGBTQ+, drrrraaaammma, and just about everything else. It's a lot coming at you at once, which I usually don't enjoy, but the way this book and the first were written I don't mind it at all. Like I said there is just something about the way V.S writes. I am in love with it.

[Elysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dreamworld layers were weird and exciting. I loved the found family aspect and how important those relationships were. I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

finished 2/6/2021
It was really good, I couldn't put it down. i really really enjoyed it!

[Westveil Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary eARC of this title through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to V. S. Santoni and the Wattpad Books team for granting me access to this book!

I can't remember now if the description on the NetGalley listing had the bold line about this being a sequel when I requested it or not, I may have felt up to the task of diving in on book two at the time, but I have not read I'm a Gay Wizard. I started with In the City of the Nightmare King. We are supposed to be able to read this book independently of book one given that there is a recap. If I'm being perfectly honest, my brain would not dig in and process that summary. The writing felt so rushed and simplified that my brain turned on the skim function all by itself. I'm happy to report that once the book gets past that and into the true chapter one the reading level and interest do go up. The author also noted world-building changes made between books, which made me hesitant to continue at all. To see a note that basically goes "by the way, if you read book one this is now that, and this is now that, etc." it makes me wonder how quickly these books went from the first draft to publication and whether or not more revisions were needed so that these world-building changes could have happened invisibly before the first book was released.

Johnny and his friends, our main four, were formerly having a horrible time in a wizarding school called "The Institute" in book one. Now they've woken up in what looks like a perfectly ordinary US town called Misthaven, reunited with family and expected to go back to regular public school as if nothing happened. Too bad it's all a ruse put on by The Institute and they're actually in a high-security prison with a whole bunch of "copies" of people they used to know, expected to just happily live fake lives ala "The Truman Show." Escaping will be deadly.

I loved the concept (and the beautiful cover art) of this book and its predecessor. It's a YA coming of age, fight for what's right, fight for your life kind of deal wrapped up in the wizarding school wrapping paper, but also prominently featuring a gay couple as main characters. This should be gold, and I really wanted to be able to say it was.

Alas, I struggled to finish this book. Even though it only took a matter of hours to read, I struggled. There's very little character growth. I know this is a sequel and the mains were all introduced before, but it doesn't feel like they're any different now at the end of this adventure. The plot itself was an endless sequence of life-or-death hurdles that just kept coming and coming without respite. There was no downtime in between, and some villains and obstacles seemed to pop up purely for the purpose of having another hurdle to overcome. It was hard to keep track of who anyone besides the main four was and whether they were good or bad. So much happened in this book, and yet not much happened at all.

Would I recommend this book? Sure. If you read and enjoyed book one, absolutely read this one. If you're charmed by the idea of loud and proud LGBTQIA in the middle of a teen wizard story, check this out. If you're looking for the next big thing in the teen wizard subgenre, maybe look elsewhere.

I do sincerely wish the author well and hope that their books continue to improve as the series goes on. The concept is gold! I just wish the execution had fulfilled my expectations.

[IE Latinx Book y Chisme Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the sequel to I’m a Gay Wizard, V.S. Santoni is back to show that love and magic can save the day again. Johnny’s father is taking him and his best friends - Alison, Hunter, and Blake - to start a different life in Misthaven. Once reunited in this idyllic town, they come to find out that this Misthaven is actually Dreamhaven, the Marduk Institute’s mystical prison for wizards. Now trapped, that seems to be the least of their problems when Hunter falls ill with a magical sickness, and his soul is thrown into the Night City, an underworld city ruled by the Nightmare King. Vowing to stay together, Johnny, Alison, and Blake enter the Night City. But in a realm where the Nightmare King rules second only to Death itself, Johnny’s love for Hunter must continue to be his most powerful magic.

Our discussion with the author included his personal journey as a writer; his experience being one of the first 6 books published by Wattpad Books, and how it affected his decision in editing the books. The author mentioned that he edited his own books and this allowed him to stay true to his own values and authenticity rather than just pleasing an audience. Collectively, we rated this book 4.5/5 stars for all of its admirable qualities. This book series has everyone captured, turning the pages to find out what happens next. We definitely recommend getting into this series for more of the gay wizardry that is to come!

Review Written by: Amaara Rao, IE Latinx Book y Chisme Club
Instagram: @ielatinxbookychismeclub | @snug_reading_corner & @amaara_rao

[Jamie Coudeville · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, thank you for the recap at the beginning of the book. But I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It was a bit... hectic, I guess is the word. I thought that once I got to know these characters better, that I would be able to get into the book better but that never really happened for me.

[Michael Cartwright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a lot of queer fantasy and this was... meh. The prose was decent, the plot twists were predictable... this was a breezy, uninspiring read. Would I read a sequel? Maybe... i just wasnt completely engaged here unfortunately.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it - the diverse characters, the unique way magic works in the world, the more realistic reactions to events than the typical "whisked away to a school for magic" stories - but the writing was even more scattered and confusing in this second book (I noticed some of it in the first book too). The story was packed full of wild occurances that were hard to follow, much seemed unnecessary and confusing, and the dialogue and writing just felt disjointed. It's told from the main character's perspective, but it would randomly reference what other people are thinking or their motives in what felt like an incongruous way. There were long sections of exposition about what was happening and why it matters that felt more appropriate to be woven into the storytelling rather then breaking the flow to explain. There was a ton of fast-paced detail packed in, when I would have enjoyed getting to know the world with some slower moments and description and thoughtfulness along the way, rather than powering forward into the next big action. Overall I found it more labor-intensive than enjoyable to follow along the wild journey and disjointed details. There were some really nice moments, though, and I like the relationships that continue to grow between the characters. The Nightmare Kingdom was also really creative and there were some cool things there, but it was hard to follow and picture all of it because there were about a thousand scenes and challenges packed in - fewer would have been more enjoyable.

[Chené Van der Merwe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such an interesting read. Although I missed the first book, the sequal still made sense and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I enjoyed the queer representation, which felt realistic and not overdramatized. The characters had personalities that was more than just their sexual orientation. I enjoyed the way the characters responded to the circumstances and they're witty personalities.
The story was something I haven't experienced in a long time and had me laughing in more than a few places. The dialogue was fun and flowed naturally. It kept me at the edge of my seat and I could not put it down.
Thus I can just say I really enjoyed reading the book, getting to know the characters and the different settings.
The writing read easily which made for a fast and easy read.
Fantasy as not really being a place that has explored social representation, is slowly being addressed and for that I applaud this book.

[Gillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say first off that I loved the first book. I felt it super unique, fun, and the relationships were just adorable. This book felt super different to me.

I felt like it didn’t seem like the same series as the first book. The writing style felt different. The pacing was different. Even the characters seemed different. There were trials and things they had to overcome but they just felt one dimensional in this book compared to the first one.

I swear there were even inconsistencies from the first to second book with how the world seemed to work. I also found it confusing because two of the main terms from the first book had new terms and I wasn’t able to remember which was what.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as great as the first, but still entertaining. Felt like this book was a build up for the next one. It started off a little slow and dragging in the Dreamhaven. I liked them bringing back a lot of the characters & developing some of the characters we got a peek at with the first book.
I liked the Night King character reveal & the reveal we had with his story. A little annoyed at these so called adults running the sanctuary keeping our MC in the dark (kind of like Harry Potter). They should know better.
I’m excited to see the adventure Johnny, Hunter, Allison & Blake go on next- possibly heading back to the institute and facing Mammon???

[José Luis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a Gay Wizard fue un libro bastante malo, pero pensé que su secuela podría redimirse un poco.

Umm, no.

Volvemos a tener personajes sosos y, para empeorarlo, es de esas historias en las que suceden muchas cosas, pero que parece que tampoco ocurre nada, porque te meten tanto que ni te enteras.

El infodumping es excesivo aquí. Puedes estar leyendo una conversación entre dos personajes tan tranquilo, y de repente sueltan algo del mundo y se pone a explicarlo.

¿Y lo del título del libro? ¿El Rey Pesadilla? No sale a colación hasta las últimas 50 páginas del libro.

Y en general, es aburridísimo.

[Kasey Connors-Beron]

I love these characters so much. I’m happy to be fighting danger with them again. This takes all of those juicy pieces from book 1 and squeezes every interest bit out. The dreamworld becomes way more prominent in this book in a very interesting way.

I don’t want to dive into actual details because it will instantly give away book 1 plot but I will say:

Magic

High school setting

LGBTQ+

Romance

Twisted reality

Now go read!

[Paddy Pikala · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a action-packed and a little immature book, and definitely not something I would normally read. I didn't find it very good - it felt a lot like someone's first attempt at writing. But there was a lot of passion there, so I do look forward to observing how the author progresses as a writer in the future.

[chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

All in all a pretty good continuation of a great story. I wish there were more scenes between Johnny and hunter, like the first book, but this one was basically all focused on the action, which isn’t a bad thing, just not what I expected. I still love the world building of this series, and the crazy unique way that magic works in this universe.

[Samson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cliffhanger is killing me. Really fun.

[Breelynd Huntley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as strong as the first book but still very enjoyable. I love Johnny's tenacity and love for his friends. It really is what makes the story in my mind.

[theo · Rating 1 out of 5]

reads like a severely underdeveloped first draft with an incredibly annoying writing style

[Tiara · Rating 1 out of 5]

When Johnny wakes up, something isn’t right. It’s a blissful summer day, and Johnny’s father is taking him to begin a brand new life in Misthaven, and all his best friends, Alison, Hunter, and Blake, join him in the idyllic town. Once reunited, Johnny and his friends discover that this Misthaven is not what it seems.

I tried so hard to like this book. I LOVED the idea of an LGBTQ+ group of friends that can weild magic. I am dissapointed to say that this book fell short for me in almost every way.

I loved the concept of this story line and it came with some great action scenes that kept me guessing, however; the authors writting style erked me for the entire book. I feel like it was poorly executed and quite amateurish. The world building was limited while minor scenes were overly descriptive with unnecessary explanations.

I felt like there was little depth and development to the characters and I even found them quite childish and annoying at times, especially while they were in Misthaven. Because of this I found it extremely difficult to build any sprt of connection with the characters and my interest in their story dwindled.

The story was quite fast passed, and this is probably the only reason I continued with it, however; I feel found it hard to follow when one high climactic scene jumped straight intp the next. I found my self loosing attention and just reading without actually pating attention to what was happening.

While I did not enjoy this book, I would still recommend it to others that enjoy a fast-paced fantasy about LGBTQ+ teens, especially if you enjoyed book one.

Thank you Netgalley and Smith Publicity for the Advanced Readers Copy I received in return for an honest review.