The Omen of Stones

When Wishes Bleed #2

by Casey L. Bond

Spirit and Stone. Song and Sky. Fate and Future all align.On my seventeenth birthday, I finally heard Fate’s voice. He whispered to me again and again, insisting I find the Omen of Stones. Having never heard of such lore, I thought I could ignore his pleas. The Summer Solstice proved otherwise. Being surrounded by fellow witches worked my magic up into a powerful swell that crashed and churned within me. As the energy crackled through my veins, I shunned my royal duties to follow the call of my heart.

Venturing beyond the safety of the Kingdom’s borders, I felt Fate nudging me toward a destiny I was eager to claim. Confidence in my craft blinded me from the ominous clouds of danger that roiled on the horizon.

Captured by purists dead-set on purging the Kingdom of magic and witches, my salvation came in the form of a mysterious girl who wielded stones like daggers. Something about her called to me, whispering we were stronger together, strong enough to stand against the dark forces threatening to crush my kingdom. Trusting Fate could jeopardize my heritage and my throne, but defying him could cost Omen’s life.

The Omen of Stones is the electrifying sequel to When Wishes Bleed and is perfect for fans of Shelby Mahurin, Mara Rutherford and Stephanie Garber.

“A bewitching adventure filled with a wonderful cast of characters, a powerful magic system, and swoony romance.” - Olivia Wildenstein, bestselling author of Feather and Rose Petal Graves

Praise for When Wishes

“Spellbinding and bewitching, When Wishes Bleed is the perfect mix of magic, danger, death, and love.” - # 1 New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout

"The Selection meets The Hunger Games in this MUST read!" – Tara Brown, International bestselling author

"Witchy, witty, and wildly addictive. Bond’s twist on Fate is imaginative and fun. Cinderella meets the Hunger Games in this magical tale of family, tradition, and deception." ~Tish Thawer, best-selling author of The Witches of BlackBrook series

“Spellbinding and delicious, with magic that’s absolutely magnetizing. An unforgettable story with breakneck pace, enchanting characters and a dynamic plot. A real page-turner!” ~Misty Provencher, author of the Cornerstone series

“Casey crafted an intricate magical tale into a masterpiece. Be ready to be enthralled.” – Mary Ting, International bestselling, award-winning author Mary Ting

"Casey Bond has a masterful way of storytelling that pulls you in from the very first word. Yet again, she's captivated me with thrilling action, swoon worthy romance, and relatable characters." - USA Today Bestselling Author Frost Kay

“A magically phenomenal tale with a bewitching modern spin.” – Brittany Hively of Books Babble

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Romantasy, Audiobook

414 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 11, 2020

About the author

RONE Award-winning author Casey Bond lives on a rural farm in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. She writes phoenixes – gloriously flawed and morally gray characters that fiercely rise from the ashes of their circumstances.

Worldbuilding is one of her favorite pastimes. She thinks thunderstorms are better than coffee and that watching a meteor shower is the closest thing to magic you might ever see. She’s a firm believer that every amazing book needs a world you want to wrap yourself in, a character you want to win, and a love you would fight for.

Casey is the author of When Wishes Bleed, Gravebriar, House of Eclipses, and Where Oceans Burn.

@authorcaseybond on social media sites.

Reviews

[C.L. Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not think I could enjoy a book more than the previous one, When Wishes Bleed, and I stand corrected! I think I loved The Omen of Stones even more! Omen and River are well-written characters who I cared about immensely, and that is one of the hardest things for a writer to do, to make you care about these fictional people like they are real. I love the magic system of this world and found River's talent to be unique and bittersweet. It has to be a burden to have a power like that, but it was also instrumental in solving the mystery surrounding Omen and her sisters. There are plenty of twists and turns, and I never knew what would come next. I enjoyed seeing Taurin and Sable again, and I'm so happy that they are just as in love as they were at the end of When Wishes Bleed. I would be very happy to read more about River and Omen after the events of this book. I hope there are more stories to come in this universe.
5 stars from me and I'm off to read Things That Should Stay Buried!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completely fell in love with The Omen of Stones. I really world and character building that Casey Bond put into this story, its so unique and different from anything Ive read. The creativity is mind blowing. I really didnt know what to expect from reading The Omen of Stones, especially since the main leads weren't Sable and Tauren, I loved them so much that I was afraid to read this one but at the same time wanted to know what was to come. Casey Bond did not dissapoint, River and Omen are phenomenal and the journey they go on, and all the twists and turns within this story have you at the edge of your seat, wondering whats to come at the turn of each page. Its just feaking epic, and there is nothing like it. I absolutely have loved everything I have read from this author and can't wait to see where her imagination takes us next.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 🌟's

RTC

[Nicole*bookaholic* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in this series. Yes you need to read the 1st one. This was better then the 1st book. There was more mystery surrounding the fate kissed. Just a bwtter story. I loved Omen, Sky and Lyric.

[Ida Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very good follow up/stand-alone-type-of-second book! I especially loved it because River, Sable and the now king's son, was such an amazing amazing male character and those are sooo rare, not only in YA. River, despite his silly name, is such a soft male character who never comes across as weak or less than just because he isn't the typical rouge male authors usually bombard us with. River is thoughtful and kind and gentle and calm and responsible and level-headed and respectful and...just perfect. River is perfect. I had a discussion with a friend whether or not he is an alpha or a betha male and to be honest, I don't really care for those concepts anyway, but I think if I had to chose I would say he def is an alpha. Because he is a leader. All his qualities make him the perfect leader/king/man.

For anyone who accused the first book of insufferabel insta-love vibes and couldn't get over it: stay clear from this second book. In comparison to this, the first book wasn't insta-lovey in the least. Omen and River (still really don't like the "names") are soul-bound. A similsr concept to mating I feel. Anyway-- they are meant to be together and there is no love to hate or hate to love or uncertainty or true questioning of feelings or ANY OF THAT. THIS IS INSTA-LOVE.

Bond's writing style is wonderful. She just has a way of "spiriting" you into her stories and she always makes me feel like I am right there, one of the witches or a spirit/ghost following them around. It's special.

The whole waking up of the dead thing reminded me too much of The Walking-Dead scenarios and sometimes I whished we had a few less new characters in this book, on top with all the other new developments (sometimes tying into old ones from book 1) and abilities etc. But overall I loved to be able to go back to this world, meet the old characters, meet new ones (lots of them) and discover secrets and unravel plots. Great read!

3.5 stars (because it was a bit predictable and while I loved it for the most part it didn't leave me squirming or breathless or upset or anything. It was a solid read though. Nothing wrong with that.)

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book more than the first one!!! I love how it shows the story from the parents (from the original book) perspective as well as Omen and River. I'll try not to spoil anything but I definitely recommend this book! River is incredibly sweet, given who his parents are I'm not surprised. He is always careful to not invade Omen’s space. That is kind of refreshing in books as of late. This book showed amazing love stories without pushing the boundaries of problematic male characters.

[Olivia Wildenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bewitching adventure filled with a wonderful cast of characters, a powerful magic system, and swoony romance.

I loved seeing Sable again. Her son was a sweetheart and Omen’s power was so original.

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spirit and Stone,
Song and Sky,
Fate and Future all align.


The Omen of Stones is the sequel to When Wishes Bleed, and while the events of the book take place a few years after the first book and within the same universe, the story follows new protagonists which is something I did not expect but I'm also glad to see the old characters more than often make an appearance.

Since this is a sequel, I won't write a long and detailed review since I want to keep it spoiler-free.

Just like the first book, I'm very much fascinated with the Magic system in this universe. It's unique and I enjoy seeing the display of Magic from each affinity especially what the four fate-kissed witches could do.

There were to facets to being a Fate's child. While one part was a blessing, the other was very much a curse.

River's power is spirit and bones
Omen's power is stones
Sky's power is the sky, the air and the storms
Lyric's power is her voice

Four of them are led by Fate towards their destiny.

There are prophecies to be fulfilled, enemies to be crushed and a Kingdom to save.

I think the shift between the povs confused me sometimes especially since it might suddenly intoroduce another pov.

The plot has some twists that took me off guard and I could not foresee the darker turn the story would take. On the other hand, I felt I needed more action to entertain me. There were a few scenes where I was bored.

The writing however maintains its flowy style which helped me immerse myself into the story.

Maybe I wanted to see more of the previous characters from the first book more, it ended on a great cliffhanger but I did not expect it to skip a few years.

[Loverofbooks80 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I could not put it down.
Everything was amazing! I connected with the characters. I laughed. I cried.

[SHOMPA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing story with a unique plot and completely well-written! I absolutely love this series!

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Spirit and stone, song and sky, fate and future all align. What’s hidden in shadow, devours the light. Weave with the darkness to win the fight.”

A prophecy. Powerful triplets. A prince with magic. Both dark but also sweet story. I love how this book gathered many type of magic and tied it neatly in one story.

Fresh and sweet read, especially for those who love witchy tales! Its also an easy read so it might help a reading slump. Beware of the cuteness tho :)

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

What in the world happened? The first book really got me hooked, it was so good - the world building, the characters, the development. But this? It's literally like someone said "hey, let's take the same story, but just turn it up a hundred notches?". The first warning should have been that I never read second-generation books, because I didn't want to hear about the kids from the start, even less reading about their story. Sable was such a badass, but River is just so... uh. So bland in comparison to her. And when it comes to Omen, I literally couldn't have cared less about her as a character. I think this was a big problem in general in this book, the author wanted to get in all these characters, all this action and all the boring romance all at once - and it just became hasty, or straight out a mess. Because of course since Sable had this fate of meeting the love of her life, River had to outdo this both when it came to Fate, but also apparently his bond to Omen being something so extraordinary it hadn't been seen in at least 500 years. Honestly, the author relied to heavily on them being soulmates that it just felt extremely forced and kinda weird. Like these kids were 19 but the writing was an attempt at making him sound so grown up? No, just no. It was literally horrible.

With that said, there was no character development at all. And that isn't a surprise since the book is not that long. But then came the action, and dear lord save us all - when I thought it couldn't become worse than it already was, it did. Because hey, let's build up this tension only to make it culminate in a war that lasts like two pages? I'm literally laughing because it was so bizarre. It was portrayed as being the war of a lifetime, their entire world was on the brink of destruction, and not a single character died. Like come on, at least try. And then the end is just the dream for all those who want action that won't hurt your feelings, but get as many people as possible paired up in relationships. This book put me in the worst reading slum I've had in at least two years. I cannot fathom how it plummeted between book one and two. The writing suddenly became childish, which came truly as a surprise because I remember how nicely done it was in Sable's story. I don't know what happened, but I'm glad I got through this havoc, and let this serve as a painful refined to learn to DNF books in the future.

[SheReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for YA Books Central

An intriguing follow up.

The Story:
River and Omen were born on the same date, along with Omen's two sisters. Unlike in Sable's time, Fate has chosen more than one vessel to guide to do its bidding. Now, there are four who hear its call. Most of the story takes place 17 years after the birth when River follows a spirit from the safety of the kingdom into the wild lands beyond. When Omen appears to save him from those who'd kill him for his magic, it changes everything. Why is he seeing the same spirit over and over again? What does she want with River?
And will it help him defeat the darkness that is to come?

What I loved:
The writing style is once again flawless, seamlessly moving through time in the beginning to get us to where the real story takes place. Sable and Tauren are once again here and I loved getting their POV when their son goes missing. River is every bit his mother's son, and it's what makes him such a strong character. He'll do anything to obey fate, give in to his magic, and save the kingdom.
The entire idea behind the book is incredible intriguing and well thought out.

What was just okay:
There are a few things that are given very little time, one of which being the seminal battle. It's over before we really get a sense of how the magic haters feel following a sorcerer, of how Edward, the rebellions leader feels about this. The book moves at a slower pace that the other as we're introduced to many more characters, but once you get to the battle, you forget about that and are immediately drawn into the fight.

Final Verdict:
A worthy follow-up with yet another unique storyline that'll keep you guessing right until the end. These are characters you can root for and have faith in.

[Emily Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Casey Bond takes you on an incredible journey of magic, mystery and the future of fate in her newest release Omen of Stones, a follow up novel to When Wishes Bleed. Although you can follow along with Omen of Stones without reading When Wishes Bleed, I highly recommend that you read them in order together. Bond creates a whole new world filled with complex, imaginative details that you don’t want to miss out on reading.


Omen of Stones was probably one of my favorite novels of Bond’s. Without giving the plot away, Bond really threw me for a loop with this one. So many plot twists and turns and while that might be distracting to readers, Bond effortlessly pulled it off. All of the twists and turns were needed to come full circle on a family’s journey.


As always Bond creates a new world that is similar enough to our own we can relate, but filled with enough magic and mystery to transport us to another time. From the kingdom of Nautilus to The Wilds each detail helped build your imagination and back story to each of the characters presented. Never fear romance readers, of course there were a few love interests hidden along the way, however the familial story line was the most present one. Bond managed to create enough interest to engage readers on the romance side while also telling a very strong story of family.


It’s almost impossible to tell you why I love this story without giving the plot away, however I hope you have found enough good things in my review to make you want to one click Omen of the Stones and When Wishes Bleed. Every twist and turn was well worth the read. I hope you one click and read Fate’s future.

[My Yorkshire Litmosphere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urgh Casey - you did not disappoint!!

I am so loving The Omen of Stones! 🖤

When Wishes Bleed was such an intriguing and. Wonderful concept to fantasy with a mix of The Selection/Serpent and Dove vibes going on.

The Omen of Stones centres around River, the 17 year old son of Sable and Tauren who is coming into his own powers as a child of Fate. I have to admit - I devoured this in one sitting 😍

Thus is such a quick and wonderful read - the writing is splendid, I loved the different POVs (still getting some of Sable which was awesome) and I honestly just loved the storyline and all the new characters, especially Sky! Love a badass female character!

Only thing I wished for: a longer battle scene and maybe a bit more development there - but all in all I loved it and cannot wait to read more of Casey Bonds books❤️❤️

[Jenny Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spirit and Stone. Song and Sky. Fate and Future all align.

Wow....what another amazing read in this series. I enjoyed this so much!!

The characters were incredible. I love how Bond connected each character and gave me a chance to get to know them by getting each character's POV. I loved getting to know Omen and River. They were such a magical couple and I enjoyed their story so very much.

The story-line was phenomenal. Bond has a way of bringing her stories to line and keep us entertained from beginning to end and this story was no different. The adventure in this story was so addicting and kept me wanting to know more as I continued to read. I loved this read so much and I highly recommend it.

[Crystal Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy guacamole! This was intense right from the beginning. I was drawn in and had a hard time putting it down. The relationships and bonds we seen right from the start were solid. I loved seeing Sable and Tauren again along with Mira and Brecan. This was River and Omen's story though, 100%. The twists and turns as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place blindsided me, I never seen them coming. I love everything about this book, if can be read as a stand a lone, but why would you want to do that? Read When Wishes Bleed first!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic Witches and an Epic battle

Beautifully written story that weaves magic with each word. Omen and River were born on the same night but brought up in different areas. River a Prince Destined to one day rule. Omen abandoned by the river with a prophecy about her being born in the river and dying there too. She was brought up in the wilds by a kind women. When the two worlds came crashing together and a long held secret about Omen and her past is revealed. Will the truth and Fates power be enough to save the Kingdom from those that wish to destroy it.
Highly recommended this book

[Kiele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, to be honest, I don't quite remember everything from this because I waited too long to review it after reading it. I do remember loving it and all of the new characters. River and Omen were so sweet, and so perfect together, and I loved all of the new (and old) threats they were facing. All of Omen's sisters were a bunch of fun, and I loved the multiple POV.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing adventure filled with unique characters, a powerful magic system and sweet romance. I loved seeing Sable and Tauren again although they were not mentioned much as the main characters were Omen and River. Both had amazing powers and a great story. Love Casey Bond and can’t wait for more!

[Infinity Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magical sequel to When Wishes Bleed.
Sable is an amazing woman and mother. Her son is so compassionate. This story follows his path. Magic and secrets and betrayal.
A magical must read follow up.

[nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect ending to a great series - very feel good 😌

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the continuation of When Wishes Bleed, we are introduced to our two main characters River, the son of Tauren and Sable from the first book, and Omen, a witch who can use stones in her spells. Like from the first book I could feel Fate's presence fully through the pages, especially once we learn that Omen is not the only witch who would help River to get back home to his parents. I really enjoyed all that this book had in store. Very good plot and very good character developments.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect follow-up and wonderful ending to the first book, 'When Wishes Bleed'. I enjoyed all of the new characters and was incredibly happy to be greeted by ones I had grown so attached to in the previous story. Casey L. Bond is a talented and magical writer.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gostei mais do primeiro

[Meagan Whitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I really loved the first book. This one was good, too.

I honestly am in love with the concept of fate being a “good guy,” because it doesn’t happen very often in books. Some could argue that it’s a convenient way to move the story and create a plot line, but I actually enjoyed it thoroughly.

The characters were just as good as they were in the first book, we got a little more Sable without it being over done, we got more cool magic, we got triplets who have very different powers. There’s plot twists and surprises and so much to love in this book.

Here is where spoilers begin, so if you don’t want them, stop reading.

Making this almost like a murder mystery was really interesting, since the last book was a bachelor style plot. Events unfolded nicely in my opinion. At first we thought Omens mom abandoned her, come to find out she was killed along with her sisters. By the one who originally raised her, no less.

And the fact that River was a Spirit Tongue, was something I saw coming and I loved it. As a reader, we didn’t know for sure at the beginning. I mean, we knew he could TALK to spirits, so we assumed that’s all it meant. But then we find out he can even bring them back from the dead if they’ve recently died. When that revelation popped up, I immediately knew what was going to happen. I knew it would be connected to her death, but didn’t know in what way until after River talked to Ela, his great grandmother’s spirit.

Also, that fact that all four of them were bound by fate was a nice break. Usually it’s just the love interests that are bound in such a way, but the fact that the four were “fate-kissed” was a pleasing surprise. It was different and original and I think more writers need to branch out and include more characters than just the main character and the love interest in fate-connected matters through the course of books.

[Elexis Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this world. The diversity of magic and the varied environments are amazing.
And since its a standalone fantasy romance, I was all in. There aren't enough standalones in this genre.
The dialogue was a bit wooden at times, as with the previous book in this world, but some the characters' personalities still came through. Sky was my absolute favorite and the easiest for me to relate to. She honestly reminds me of my best friend from high school, and I loved her part in the story.
The reiterations of things when new characters were brought into the story was a bit tedious, but the plot was interesting and the big magical battle at the end was pretty well done.
Since I listened to this on audible, here's a bit about the audiobook.
The narration was far better than the narration of When Wishes Bleed, though the narrator did pronounce "shone" as "Shawn" which threw me off.
All in all, I highly recommend this standalone fantasy romance.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read books and think of music. Some stories are told as if by a single storyteller with a guitar, some are told as if the storyteller is part of a band and some storytellers relate their story as if they are part of a grand orchestra. Each of these forms bring stories to life that a reader can thoroughly enjoy.

When Fate steps in twists and turns abound … in Omen Of Stones by Casey L. Bond.

River is the son of King Tauren and Queen Sable, but as the years have passed many Puritans in Nautilus are unwilling to tolerate the witches in their midst, they foster hatred towards all. Trying to keep the peace after threats were made, Sable has urged their son River to keep close to the castle. Now, on his seventeenth birthday he has come of age. It is time to visit with the witches in Thirteen and learn more about his heritage. You see, River speaks with the dead as well as walks among them.
There are boundaries that protect Nautilus from the Wilds however, on this night River leaves the safe boundary as he follows a spirit that calls to him. Set upon, knocked out and bound by magic he is dragged to the river to be drowned.

Omen is a witch who lives in the Wilds. On this night she is drawn to the river where she sees the men trying to drown a young man. When they fail to heed her warning to stop and free the young man, without regret she uses her command of the stones to bury the would be murders. She guides River to her home, where she lives with her foster mother, so she may unbind the magic that ties his hands. They return to the river the next morning only to find it swollen so far out of its banks that River may not return yet to Nautilus. Stranded on this side of the river the Spirit returns for River with a fierce need for him to see her death. There is trouble a’brewing both inside and out of Nautilus. The hatred some have for the Witches has festered, grown and is ready to boil over to destroy all in its path.

The thought to destroy Nautilus was sparked with the death of the Spirit; just as the leaders enfolded her daughters into their plan for revenge. Fate too will have a part in this tale as it unfolds, for this war has been a long time coming, more then seventeen years. Evil has laid in wait, biding time. The time is now.
Return to the Kingdom of Nautilus, with Tauren, Sable, and others of the Kingdom. Step beyond the boundaries into the Wilds where we see life outside Nautilus. Beginning with the questions, why does someone want River dead? Omen is a founding, but who were her parents? Why has the founder of the village provided her with a caregiver and home all these years? What are her powers? Why has Fate brought them together? You see, Fate has always had a hand in River’s life; he guides him but, even Fate may not be able to stop what will happen.

“Omen Of Stones” will continue the tale begun in “When Wishes Bleed” bringing back favorite characters and introducing others that share the Kingdom of Nautilus and the lands beyond. Tauren and Sable have ruled Nautilus striving for peace but there are those who would rather bring war to the borders and beyond endangering all they hold dear. This tale will pull you in, push you to the edge of your chair, leave you with a warm feeling and wanting just a little bit more.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The start, and middle of this book was actually very good, it set up the plot and characters well, and I was happy to see others from the first book in the series, The reason I am only giving the book 3 stars was because the ending was really icky, and gushy. I rolled my eyes so many times, and made so many gagging noises that my family was worried. It was just too cringe, and it felt like seeing one of those couples at school that look like their eating each other's faces, except I was reading it, which was 100 times worse, because you can't look away. It was actually really disappointing, because up untill that point, the book was good. And their "Soul-biding" or whatever it was called, seemed a little rush, I liked the characters as individual people, but once they became a couple, they both lost their personalities, and the book also lost its plot. It was like the author was so caught up in the relationship, she didn't bother to finish, she was just like "oh yeah, umm, the big villain died, the end" the big battle at the end wasn't even a struggle for any of them, it just speed through to conclude the story. I really don't have much else say, I have been left feeling dissatisfied and icky.

[Jessica Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. LOVE! Possibly more than the first. I mean , I LOVED the first book but this was less "bachelor meets magical witch" and more about family and mystery and action. I like the fact that the setting took us outside Nautilus to the Wilds. I liked that the villains were not very obvious. (At the reveal, I cried out loud and smacked my forehead because I should have seen it coming but I was so thrilled I didn't!) I liked that the book represented the breaking down of traditions and the blending of two radically different populations into one harmonious whole. The story wove together the three strands of plot and subplot masterfully.

LOVE!

River's character: 5/5 His powers are unique and well-thought out, perfectly appropriate for a Fate Witch and Sable's son. He managed to stand on his own two feet in the shadow of his mother's amazing accomplishments and it made me oddly proud of him. (IS that odd?) His powers and personality fit seamlessly into the story arc and I was so pleased to see him done so well.

Omen's character: 5/5 Humble, strong, smart...all marks of an endearing female lead in my estimation. She's not afraid to do the bad things if it is in service of those she loves and the greater good. Her powers are equally unique, finding power in something as mundane as river rock. This twist was especially pleasing to read.

My only negative about the book would be that the climax scene didn't have enough meat and the villains were defeated too easily. (I also didn't like they brought back a dead villain.) IN regards to the battle scenes, there was not enough struggle for the characters. It felt like it was over in a blink and it was kind of a let down. Anticlimactic if you will. Not enough emotional angst. I didn't feel like the characters were tortured enough by the enemy. It all seemed a little too perfect and a little too convenient and easy for them. There could have been more time spent on the villain using his powers against the characters and making him truly hateable and thus making his demise that much sweeter. I didn't feel that there was proper emphasis on the good versus evil on a personal level for the characters.

Overall though, the book was written well and I as much as I wanted to blow right through it in a one night read, I took my time and savored it. This is a duology I will be reading again and again over the years, treasured and recommended to anyone who will listen to me babble about it.