The Lightstruck

The Darkening #2

by Sunya Mara

In this epic sequel and conclusion to the Darkening duology, which has been called "enchanting and wildly clever" (Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Beasts of Prey), Vesper Vale, once savior to a city plagued by cursed storms, finds herself facing an even more sinister threat when an ominous light summoned by the Great King seizes control of the city.

Vesper Vale sacrificed everything to save her city from the cursed storm. After becoming a vessel of The Great Queen, Vesper awakes from a slumber three years after her life altering choice.

What she finds isn't a home freed from the terror of the storm, but one where its citizens are besieged by the even more sinister force of The Great King and his growing army of the lightstruck--once regular citizens who are now controlled by the ominous light encroaching on the city. And the people are all looking to Vesper, now revered as a goddess after her sacrifice, as their city's only hope.

To save the rings from the Great King, Vesper must contend with the obligations of being a deity to her people and the growing chasm between her and Dalca, the prince she swore never to love. Haunted by the guilt of their past choices and faced with the pressures of a city near ruin, Vesper and Dalca find themselves torn between the growing factions within the city and the royal court.

But in order to save her city from the light, Vesper must face the power most outside of her control--the goddess within.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic, High Fantasy, Fiction

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2023

About the author

Sunya Mara grew up in six different cities across five different states and now calls Los Angeles home. She studied film and business at the University of Southern California and went on to write and illustrate at Kobe Bryant’s Granity Studios. When not telling stories, she spends her time haunting old movie theaters and staring at museum walls.

Reviews

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 ❤️
Ale żałuję trochę, że ostatnie 20 stron miało miejsce 😂😂

[☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

chapter one better start with a couple’s therapy session.

____

spoiler: it didn’t.

in other news, it’s been three months and i may need a therapy session as well to figure out how i felt about this book.

3 stars. i think. a good 3? a mediocre 3? definitely not a bad 3. maybe a lacking 3?

[Poppyflowerjj · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/ 5⭐
0/5 🌶️

COME BACK TO ME... I don't think either of them came truly back

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, particularly captivated by it during my read of the inaugural book in the series, "The Darkening." However, I yearned for greater depth in the relationship between Vesper and Dalca, a development that seemed lacking in this installment. The uncertainty of their romantic fate in the epilogue left me somewhat frustrated; the narrative was left open to interpretation. In comparison to its predecessor, I found this sequel slightly less compelling, but it's worth noting that sequels often face the challenge of living up to the brilliance of their initial counterparts.

Good book. Great plot. Yet boring at times. OR maybe I’ve been reading to many romance books….

Quotes:
"Because I understand him, do I need to forgive him? Because he repented in those last moments, because he fought the Great King so I could end the Storm, because I couldn’t have done it without him—does that mean I shouldn’t hate him?"

"I clench my fists. A god or a child. Both make me feel the same way—like I’m locked in a shrinking casket."

"I’m not even sure I know what love is. What it’s supposed to be."

"You are building a house. You have built most of it without realizing what you were doing. You laid the foundation with stones, each a thing you believe to be true. The walls are ideas that rose up out of those beliefs. The roof, protection from things that would harm the safe structure you have built."
.
.
.
.
.
COME BACK TO ME...

[Eilidh]

I’m so torn!! On one hand I’m hoping the wait for this book will allow me to resolve my very (VERY) conflicted feelings for Dalca (do I hug him or choke him?!) but on the other hand I want the book now pls 😅😩🌪

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was oddly draining.

I liked but didn’t love book one and I sadly enjoyed this one even less so 😅

[River · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I found this book quite underwhelming. I much preferred both the concept and execution of the first book and think that it would've worked much better as a standalone.

To my memory, the characters weren't as whiny in the first book as they were in this one, they didn't make such frustrating decisions. I hate to be so negative, but I just found myself feeling apathetic. The narrative was clunkier, the characters less interesting, the world-building was hardly explored when it had ample opportunity to do so.

I was surprised by how enthralling I found the first book, but I'm really sorry to say that I didn't enjoy the second very much.
You win some, you lose some, I guess. I'm still definitely interested in what Mara will write in the future.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars ✨

Super sad about this one- loved the first one so much but this fell flat for me. I just felt so bored. Writing was still amazing… but the plot just didn’t do it for me 😢

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might have used getting an arc via Netgalley for this book as an excuse to buy the first book in the duology. And like so often that could have gone completely wrong. What if I had not enjoyed the first book? What if I didn't even want to read this second book anymore? Luckily that wasn't the case. I really loved the first book and was therefore very happy that Hodder & Stoughton granted me this review copy. Last Friday it was finally time to dive in!

What I really loved about this book is that it has the same kind of thrill as a first book in a fantasy series. In the first book we had this entire new world to explore but in this second book the entire world has changed again and it's like we're once again exploring a completely new world. And with that new world comes new discoveries, new challenges, new reveals and new betrayals. If you loved the first book you're gonna love this book too!

I also really loved the writing style. I already fell in love with it while reading the first book in the series. But this book reminded me why the writing style spoke to me so much. The author writes straight from the heart. I felt every word. Sometimes I might have gotten a little lost when it came to understanding what exactly was happening and going on but I always knew exactly what the characters were feeling.

I was also really surprised that the author managed to solve everything in this novel. There were still some consequences from the first book and then there were all the new issues arising in this book. At some point I really believed that there was gonna be another book after all and yet the author did find a solution in the end leading to a satisfying conclusion. I still think there is much more to tell about this world. Hopefully the author returns one day!

[Bibliothecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the first book, The Darkening, I am absolutely baffled by the low ratings this book is receiving. I'm just wagering a guess here, but I wonder if readers went into this series expecting a fast paced and action packed story with a good heaping of romance which I think are all common components for a YA fantasy. Both books in this duology, and I think even more so this second instalment, is a slower and atmospheric tale and it is by no means a bad thing.

The magic system and world building is unique, and this book takes its time to further explore this world. We follow our main character Vesper three years after the events of the previous book - three years of which she has missed out on and we learn as much as she does. There is not only much to learn about the world but also about the characters. I think a lot about this series is about characters overcoming their own inner demons and fears and that applies to almost the entirety of the cast. We get new and old faces and their individual journeys are as important as their relationships with each other.

There is a good deal less romance than the first book which didn't exactly have much to begin with, but it didn't need it. I like the dynamics between Vesper and Dalca but if you've read the first book you'll know there's a deep wound between them that'll take a lot of healing. What I really appreciated was that the plot and characters' focus was on the greater problems at hand such as saving their people and their city rather than wallowing in their broken heart misery - they're in pain, we see it, but we're focusing on the greater issue first. Having Vesper and Dalca work together for a common cause without romance getting in the way too much makes for a much more realistic way for them to find a way back to each other.

It is definitely one of the slower paced books I've read and the same story could have probably been told with a hundred pages less, but I would still argue that non of it felt surplus. The slow continuation added to the atmospheric and oppressive feeling the characters are facing. I've seen some mention they weren't altogether satisfied with the ending, thinking it was left a little too open, especially in regards to Vesper and Dalca's relationship. I actually thought it was a rather strong ending. At the very least, I thought they were written well enough that I trust them to have a good future, not everything needs to be written out to the tee. All in all, this is a unique fantasy duology which I think particularly shines with its atmospheric writing and I am genuinely sad to see how poorly most seem to receive this.

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I died at the last words dalca said...

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a lousy finish to a duology.

Now instead of the storm swallowing everything from the outer rings inward, the King and his Lightstruck are taking over everything from the inner rings outwards. The characters were much more whiny, though it seems most of them grew at least a little and came to the realizations of what they were fighting for and what they wanted out of life.

We got all sorts of new characters, but not a whole lot of backstory to most, so they were pretty forgettable people.

DO NOT read this book if you're expecting any sort of resolution, fun tension, or romance between Dalca and Vesper because there was NOTHING. Okay, maybe one very quick conversation, but otherwise, BLAH.

I had high hopes for this since the first had such an interesting concept and this was just very lacking.

[Nerily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prima volta che leggo un libro perché vorrei il romance.

Il romance non c'è.

Me lo merito.

Comunque autrice interessante, vediamo cosa farà.

[milliereadsalot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It really hasn't been long since I read The Darkening - maybe two months? But I found this to be very confusing from the offset - I didn't understand anything about what was going on with the Great King and the Lightstruck, and I get that Vesper didn't either, but I think someone should have explained something a lot earlier on, because it made me feel a bit disinterested after a while.

The characters also felt completely different in this book - in the first book, they had distinct personalities and I liked each of them. In this installment however, they felt very interchangeable and boring. It felt like Dalca and Vesper barely knew each other - all of the buildup that happened in the first book felt like it completely disappeared.

I didn't love the first book, but it intrigued me enough to really want to read the sequel and find out what happened in this world and to these characters... and now I wish I'd just never found it. It was just boring, sadly.

[Ari (Head in a Book)]

I'm only 200 pages in to this book and I already add the sequel to my profile haha.
I'm interested to see if the cover will top the purple cover version of the first book.
Would be pretty hard.

[julkahap · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 🌟 jakoś pierwszy tom bardziej mi się podobał, ten w siebie wciskałam, bo już mało co mnie tu interesowało 😅 Nie była zła, ale po prostu nie dla mnie.

[✨faith✨trust✨pixiedust✨ Dead Account; Not Coming Back · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I don't have too many thoughts other than that this would have benefitted from another round of editing/revision. As it was, it was incredibly rushed with confusing transitions and entirely forgettable side characters. There were unresolved storylines and too many climaxes for the final climax to hold my attention. I loved the theme this was trying to push, I just wish it had been better executed.

[Kayleigh | Welsh Book Fairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Lightstruck
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 2 of The Darkening duology
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Sunya Mara
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: YA Fantasy
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 29th August 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.5/5

“If you should be so lucky as to be deeply defeated—in that moment, you will know the air that becomes your breath, you will know every single drop of your blood, you will know the nature of that electric thing that drives your mind. You will know what it means to be alive.” She leans forward, and the shadows lengthen across her face. “And if you should triumph over it, then go and find something greater to be defeated by.”

The Lightstruck continues from The Darkening, depicting warring gods; sun against storm and storm against sun whilst society fights for balance.

Whilst the first novel in this Duology explores fears, this one explores desires. And when I say explores what I really mean is exploits. This Duology contains the message, we can’t live without fear and desire but we can’t let them rule us either.

This medium paced young adult fantasy has lush building, and a few things clicked into place for me that I was confused about from The Darkening. I thought that the writing was really good although I did struggle with the imagery and wish this duology came with a map.

Whilst I suddenly understood some plot points with the added context from a sequel, I thought that there were quite a lot of loose ends left from the conclusion of this duology. It seemed that nobody had any consequences for their actions from Book 1 or Book 2, and that’s left me a bit unsatisfied, especially as it was such a quick ending and it could have been really fleshed out with further conclusions.

But, what really let this Duology down for me is the main character. I noted in my review of The Darkening that I hoped our main character, Vesper, would get some amazing character growth in book two and to be honest, the growth was more of a little seedling spurt than a blossoming. In the first book, Vesper was incredibly angry because she was poor and her and the other low-ringers were treated poorly. In this book the pendulum swings entirely the other way and she’s fuming that she’s too worshipped. Honestly, I think that if the main character was more likable and stopped trying to invite everybody to her pity party then I would have loved this duology.

Overall, this is a young adult fantasy with nice symmetry to the story which is enjoyable and impressive. The writing is immersive, the tension is consistently high, and the dynamics are good. What this duology suffers from is a dislikable main character who is hard to emotionally invest in and some loose ends that could do with being neatly tied.

—Kayleigh🤍

♡Booksta
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[Annelise Blanchette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit underwhelmed by this book. I decided to give it a go because I was curious enough after finishing the first and I am happy I know how the story went, but it was a long story to get through. The pacing was pretty slow the first 3/4ths then picked up... then slowed back down. Then picked a bit right at the end. I got bored. After Vesper and Co. were 'defeated' by the king I was just patiently waiting to see how things resolved, but I didn't feel invested. I did like the ultimate resolution to the the sticky situation they found themselves in and thought it was a good reflection on what it is to be human.

I think a part of the problem was that we found out all information as Vesper did, which was incredibly slow. No one wanted to tell her anything. She only sprang into action after hundreds of pages.

I'm not a big fan of Vesper's character. Her self doubt was more annoying than relatable. And there were a couple times where her inner monologue would question something (e.g. would having the perfect day every day be a good reality) but the answer is obvious (no), and she seems a bit naive or immature to even be questioning whatever it was.

I personally wish there was more romance. It does have a sweet ending and it's obvious Dalca cares for Vesper, but she really just was like a stone wall the entire book. I think other people enjoyed it but it felt absent to me.

Overall, decent story but the pacing wasn't great!

[Michaela Bergland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, The Darkening would’ve been better off as a stand-alone. This was a really weak sequel—it undid all of the characterization (and romance!) that the first book established. The characters were dull, whiny, and hard to care about in this book.

Not much happened in this book, either. There was a lot of walking around and talking about what they were going to do instead of just doing it, and Vesper’s thoughts were SO repetitive. I would recommend reading The Darkening, but I would stop there and not bother with this one.

Giving it 2 stars because the descriptions are stunning, but even the descriptions became a bit much after a while and I just wanted to get to some action.

[Grace A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel picks up where the first book left off, plunging the protagonist, Vesper Vale, into an even more sinister threat that challenges her newfound status as a deity and tests the limits of her powers. The story begins with Vesper awakening three years after sacrificing everything to save her city from a cursed storm. Instead of finding the peace she envisioned, the city is now under the control of the Great King, and its citizens are manipulated by the menacing light. Vesper, now revered as a goddess, becomes the beacon of hope for the people, tasked with saving the city from the clutches of the Great King and his growing army of the Lightstruck.

While the book maintains a gripping pace for the most part, there are moments of slower development. However, the satisfaction of the book's culmination far outweighs the lulls. The intricate dynamics between Vesper and Dalca, the prince she swore never to love, add emotional complexity to the plot, and Vesper's journey as a deity and the internal conflicts she faces contribute to the richness of the narrative, culminating in a powerful exploration of the goddess within.

In a nutshell, it was an enchanting and wildly clever tale. Four stars.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 reads: 115/250

2024 tbr: 51/120

this is the sequel to the darkening.

when vesper awakes from a three-year slumber, she’s not expecting her home to be under the control of another, more sinister force. everyone looks to her for help, but vesper soon realizes this task requires more than she’s confident she can give.

overall, this book was a satisfying sequel. i read book one a year and a half ago, but had an easy time slipping back into this world. i liked how this was packed with both action scenes and court politics.

i recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first book and i’m looking forward to more books from sunya mara!

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Lightstruck is a beautifully crafted ending to an incredibly entertaining duology. If you enjoyed the first one, this ending will not disappoint.

As with the first one, my absolute favourite thing about this book is the world! The magic system and the world building is just so lush. I could genuinely read a book just about ikons and their history and very, very much enjoy it. It feels like such a unique magic system than the ones I am used to reading about and I absolutely love the way it is developed and explored in this book.

Another standout in this book was the development of the Great King and Great Queen, their relationship and how they each affect the city. I loved seeing each of their personalities fleshed out and how Vesper contends with the new threat of the king in particular! Some of the interactions between them were my favourite parts of the book for sure!

As much as I hated to say goodbye to this world, I loved the ending. It felt true to the characters, to the magic and the world. Everything that had happened up to this point had made sense and the way it was rounded off was exactly what I wanted it to be.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Karina *kari_reads* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 1.5 ⭐️

OMG?! WHY? I loved the first book but this one is nothing but disappointing. 😭😭

I was so excited to read it but the reading experience was so painstakingly boring and slow. 😭 THIS BOOK IS TOO DAMN LONG. It should have been shorter and full with more action, banter and character development...

There was nothing of what I loved in the first book. No banter, no action, NO ANGST and certainly NO ROMANCE. 🤬😭 But also no character development until the very end. All of the characters were annoying, whiny and absolutely self-unsured.

Also the end did us dirty in not giving us that closure and development for the romance. IT MADE ME SO ANGRY. Like, why did I had to get through 430 pages for NOTHING. 🙈

All in all, a huge disappointment. Vesper and Dalca weren't even likable in this book. They were so full of self-doubt and just wouldn't fucking talk to each other about their problems.

I loved the first book. It was a new favourite for me but after that sequel I will probably unhaul the series. And that is just sad. 😭 To get so disappointed after so much joy...

I don't think I will be picking up anything more from the author if that is how she ends hers series. 😔

[acupofteaandabookplease · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story and how it continues so well the first book but the writing was less to my taste this time... too much description and too slow-paced... but overall I'm glad I discovered this universe!

[Gabriela Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is there not a 6 star option for books like this one that just utterly blow your mind and leave you rolling on the floor sobbing?

In a few words this book was: EPIC, UNIQUE, EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL, and BEYOND BEAUTIFUL.

To be quite honest, I've never read a book like this one. The Darkening was amazing but The Lightstruck was EXTRAORDINARY. It kept blowing my mind how I wasn't just hooked and immersed during action packed moments, but I was utterly lost within EVERY paragraph. Sunya makes every single sentence matter and it shows.

I really admire how she does her character ARCs. So many times in other books, they feel like a formula and you know what to expect. But Sunya's feel so NATURAL. So unbelievably real and painful and dark but also beautiful. As well, you could feel how fragile they were, how easily a character's path could shift if they made one bad decision. There were so many times I wanted to cry or squeal in joy at the subtle character growth. She also has a way of getting you to love characters from their first on page moments.

This plot was so intense and heavy and SO unique. I am obsessed with Sunya's mind. I'll never be over these characters or this word and its magic. The action packed moments were so well done and terrifying because in Sunya's worlds, you really have to expect the worst to happen. But as I've said, even the in-between moments that they weren't fighting for their lives were SO interesting. I was hooked with every line.

Sunya's writing in general is always mesmerizing. She writes short paragraphs and gets to the point quickly BUT she knows how to do that in a way that's still beautiful, lyrical, and packs a true emotional punch. I'll forever admire Sunya's skill as a writer.

**From here on out the review will contain spoilers**

As I said, she gets you connected to the characters very quickly. The moment it was announced that Mina died I had to pause, mouth literally hanging open (which was a common theme for this book) and reread it multiple times. I was starting to care so much for her and then she was just GONE. Same with Carver, her leaving sucked.

The tension between Vesper and Dalca was so thick and well done. I love how everything that happened between them was so intentional. I mean their growth to heal on their own, to forgive one another and come back together was so brutally slow but it felt natural and RIGHT. Nothing about it felt rushed and I honestly loved the characters and Sunya more for it. I do really wish we'd gotten a single kiss but truthfully that ending was so freaking beautiful that I CAN'T complain.

I loved how she used that violet spectral. He was so mesmerizing and alluring but you could tell he was also dangerous. I love that by the end it was like Dalca of the past and Dalca of the future finally forgiving and accepting one another.

I think Sunya's magic system is very unique. The battle between dark and light, between facing your worst fears and letting go of all your burdens, was so interesting! The whole time I was reading I realized just how difficult it'd be to choose between them. I think that ARC alone deserves awards. It was handled with SUCH skill! I can't comprehend how she did it.

I believe the ending was perfect and very fitting for Vesper and the world. I love how Dalca and her refused to let history repeat itself, how they were both strong enough to overcome the will of LITERAL gods because they had faced the darkest parts of themselves and accepted the light (in a sense). Spreading the power out among everyone was brilliant.

To be honest, for most of the book I thought Izamal was dangerous due to the ending of the Darkening but I'm glad to find that he wasn't. I love how we got to see more into Cas's TRUE character. I was obsessed with the scenes where Dalca basically went feral with fear whenever Vesper was in danger (I love that oath mark).

But Vesper is such a powerful character! She has such an iron will, can be a bit prideful, is loving but keeps boundaries and I love it. She was so independent but I really appreciate how in the end, she still needed others help because at the end of the day, none of us are infallible.

Reading that epilogue you can FEEL the weight gone from Vesper and the others' shoulders. The happiness, the relief, was truly palpable.


OVERALL:
This duology is going on my ALL TIME favorites list and I will read EVERYTHING Sunya Mara puts out! I'm absolutely obsessed with her writing and unique stories. I'm most likely going to come back and add onto this review because I don't feel I fully explained the depth of my love for it.

---Some Marked Moments & Quotes---
1. "Quite a few people are watching me, Mother Yul." - "Are they? . . .I rather thing they are staring at themselves, and you happen to be a convent mirror."

2. "We all lose, sooner or later," Dalca whispers. "You lost today. That's okay. But if you don't run now, you'll give up all your tomorrows."

3. "They're vile. All of them," I say. - "We can probably take 'em," Mina says. . . "You pick. Who'd rule with you?" - I give her a look. She sure has a way of making assassination sound charming.
[We love and miss you Mina]

4. A pause, and then a faint, "I'm sorry." A rustling sound, as if he's moving away. - "Dalca?" I call. "If anything changes, you have my permission to barge in, all right?" - A low, embarrassed laugh. "All right."
[I love them so much.]

5. For a good hour, I watch him as he pokes and prods the crystal. . .I cough. He screams. Wide-eyed, and pink-cheeked, he stares at me. "Have you been here this whole time?"
[I absolutely love how much we saw of Cas' character in this book.]

6. "Your burden is more than any one person should bear. And I hate it. I hate that people accept it. That they want to use you while never wanting to be you. I hate that it seems we only know how good we have it if we know someone has it worse."
[This was when Izamal regrew on me]

7. "Yes, yes," Cas waves a hand. "Us dastardly high ringers using our advantages to our advantage."

8. I bite my tongue. If Dalca doesn't like someone who looks like him, talks like him, has all of the same memories. . .that's his own problem.

9. A scowling one with a bird's nest of too-long black curls that fall into his blue eyes. That's be Dalca. He glowers at me, with great red spots in his chubby cheeks.
[This whole scene was so FUNNY and cute to me. But it bothers me so much because I REALLY want to know what Dalca experience in his version of it!]

10. "Well, that was fun," Cas says, stepping up next to me. "You lot make the worst children."

11. My head fits into the crook of his neck. . .I weep. On and on. . ."I'm sorry. I wasn't strong enough." - "Neither was I," Dalca says on a whisper to the top of my hair.
[This whole moment was so sad, tender, and beautiful.]

12. "Do you require all the world's love as proof of your worth? Must they all honor you before you can honor yourself?"
[DANG Dalca. Ouch.]

13. A sense of warmth rises in me at the look in his eyes. An ephemeral, electric joy. Between us, a promise hangs in the air, a possibility, one that we could reach out and grab. A new beginning. He smiles. "Welcome home."
[YES YES YEYSYES]

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

*desperately tries to think of pun*

Sunya Mara struck me away with The Lightstruck. (Does that work as a pun?)

Anyways, I'm screaming in to the storm from the first book. Sunya Mara did NOT hold back with this sequel/conclusion. She said alright, buckle in, we are going on a ride: you will be tense, you will be emotional, you will be surprised. This was a damn thrill. Unputdownable, read it basically in one sitting, only stopping for toilet or drink breaks. I was enthralled (this is actually a pun! It really is! You should get it once you've read the book! I hope!).

The best part of this book? Casvian. I love Casvian. Casvian needs a hug, and i will be happy to provide. He's just so grumpy and goofy and I love him and I demand (politely, of course) a spin off.

Vesper, as always, is an icon. I love the journey she went on this one, and how she was confronted with the idea of being a hero and what that really means. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? What does that even mean?

I can't say too much else about other things because it will absolutely spoil a lot of the cliffhangers from the first book, so I'll just have to come back and up date my review post-release date. But for now, let me tell you: I LOVE THIS BOOK AND IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE DARKENING, DO IT! AND THEN PRE-ORDER THIS!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review

[Emily Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing second part to a fantastic duology! I enjoyed every second of this book. It did not disappoint at all. Once again fantastic world-building and character development!

It was such a joy to read more about the characters and to meet new ones too! There was great character development and the characters were really fleshed out nicely. The story pacing was medium to fast, with something new happening every few pages to keep you engaged. I did wonder whether this series would end up as a trilogy however everything was wrapped up nicely at the end with a satisfying conclusion to a beautifully written book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Franzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF – this was such a disappointing sequel. The characters were so dull and the writing didn't keep me in interested either. We get loads of new characters but none of them get enough separate screen time to really get you invested. At some point, everything just got so convoluted and weird and I simply wasn't interested anymore.

[Levi Goodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

While I throughly enjoyed The Darkening, I likened it more to an enjoyable YA read that was easy to digest, with likeable characters, a good story arc, instead of some earth shattering story that changed my world. But still, I was excited to read The Lightstruck, the world was rich enough for me to want to dive back in to and Sunya Mara did not disappoint with the second half of her duology.

Taking place three years after the events of The Darkening, Vesper wakes up after being in a long coma to find a world that seems to be completely back to normal, a world which now sees her as a saint, as a Regia. As the story slowly starts to unfold we follow along with Vesper as she starts to unravel the truths and lies she has been told since her re-awakening.

Characters we know and love are brought back; Dalca, Cas and Iz, as well as a cast of new characters that add even more to the story, Hadria being the true stand out addition. Mara excels at creating characters with real motivations and darkness as well as a true lightness and familial feeling that bonds them all together.

It was pleasant to see more of the struggle between The Great Queen and The Great King and how their war has affected this small city and the people within it. The people who had been lightstruck were a nice change from the stormtouched of the previous instalment and the use of the Ikons to create a believable magic system is excellent.

The only place the story falls is with the handling of Dalca, it’s feels as though he served his purpose in the previous book and he just trails around helplessly after Vesper, it would have been nice to see him take more of an essential role in the plot but I enjoyed the story enough to forget about his misgivings.

The twists and betrayals were well done and even caught me of guard and the final battle was well thought out. The ending felt satisfying and complete, like there was still story to be told, but that was to be left with the characters now, as the readers have had their fill.

Overall, it was a great story, I even prefer this instalment over the first, and I can’t wait to see what Sunya Mara does next!

[Hannah (The Book Snek) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the first installment the bulk of character development is around Vesper's internal emotional battles; she's a refreshingly imperfect and relatable. Romance? If you like 'will they won't they', then this is probably your bag! Overall a satisfying conclusion to a unique duology.