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Witch Walker #2
City of Ruin
The night the Prince of the East razed her village, Raina Bloodgood’s life changed forever. Forced into someone else’s war—and into the arms of the Witch Collector, Alexus Thibault—Raina discovered that everything she believed was wrong, and that she was capable of far more than anyone imagined.
Now, the Prince of the East has taken the Frost King as a pawn in his war against the Summerlands, causing Alexus’s life to hang in the balance. To thwart the prince’s endgame and prevent the Tiressian empire from returning to an age of gods, Raina, Alexus, and a band of Northlanders race against the sands of time to reach a mystical desert land where merciless assassins lurk around every corner.
In the midst of tragedy, Raina and Alexus fight to stay together and alive, all while a nefarious presence follows them straight to the jeweled gates of the Summerland queen’s citadel—the City of Ruin. With much to fear, it’s the terror of a past she shouldn't remember that Raina cannot cast from her dreams.
A past that's determined to find her. One way or another.
City of Ruin is book two in a thrilling romantic fantasy series, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, Sarah J. Maas, and Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Now, the Prince of the East has taken the Frost King as a pawn in his war against the Summerlands, causing Alexus’s life to hang in the balance. To thwart the prince’s endgame and prevent the Tiressian empire from returning to an age of gods, Raina, Alexus, and a band of Northlanders race against the sands of time to reach a mystical desert land where merciless assassins lurk around every corner.
In the midst of tragedy, Raina and Alexus fight to stay together and alive, all while a nefarious presence follows them straight to the jeweled gates of the Summerland queen’s citadel—the City of Ruin. With much to fear, it’s the terror of a past she shouldn't remember that Raina cannot cast from her dreams.
A past that's determined to find her. One way or another.
City of Ruin is book two in a thrilling romantic fantasy series, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, Sarah J. Maas, and Jennifer L. Armentrout.
506 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2022
3687 people are currently reading
44942 people want to read
About the author
Charissa Weaks
16 books3,272 followersCHARISSA WEAKS is an award-winning Amazon and B&N Top 100 author of romantic and historical fantasy. She crafts stories with time travel, magick, myth, history, a dash of spice, and the occasional apocalyptic quest.
Her debut novel The Witch Collector—the first of five books planned in the Witch Walker series—earned a Best of BookTok flag and is published in several languages.
Charissa resides just south of Nashville with her family and wrinkly English Bulldog. When she’s not writing, you can find her lost in a good book or digging through four-hundred-year-old texts for research.
To keep up with her writing endeavors and to gain access to writing freebies and book giveaways, follow her on Instagram, sign up for her newsletter, or join her Facebook group, Charissa's Rebel Readers.
Her debut novel The Witch Collector—the first of five books planned in the Witch Walker series—earned a Best of BookTok flag and is published in several languages.
Charissa resides just south of Nashville with her family and wrinkly English Bulldog. When she’s not writing, you can find her lost in a good book or digging through four-hundred-year-old texts for research.
To keep up with her writing endeavors and to gain access to writing freebies and book giveaways, follow her on Instagram, sign up for her newsletter, or join her Facebook group, Charissa's Rebel Readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,363 reviews
January 4, 2024
I would like some plot with my romance and I would like some romance with my smut
DNF 60%
DNF 60%
November 1, 2024
The first one was good but I’m hoping for a bit more action in the sequel 🤞
November 9, 2024
✅ Magic
✅ Characters (✅ Mute MC)
✅ Plot
✅ Romance and love interest
✅ Sexual tension and smut
✅ Multiple POVs
🆗 Pace
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
Strong 3.5 stars
Somewhat unpopular opinion, I know…
I wanted to love this book so much, and I’ve read amazing 4 stars and 5 stars reviews, but somehow I just couldn’t really get into it. It’s not a bad book at all, but I just found it loooooong.
This book picks up right where The Witch Collector ended. Alexus, Raina, and a small group of people including Nephele, Rhonan, and Hel are traveling in secret to go to the City of Ruin before the Prince of the East can get in there to resurrect Thamaos, which proves to be a very hard task as the Prince has spies everywhere and is very determined to capture Raina and Alexus. The stakes are getting higher, the relationships are more complicated, and there are some new players added to the plot.
For me, this book suffered from the second-book syndrome when it came to the pace. It’s a weird thing to say because there is action, fighting, and relationship development and we learn more about the Prince of the East’s evil plan, but at the same time, it felt long. There is a lot of traveling and bonding between Raina and Alexus, but also between the different members of their group, but overall I felt that not much of all that traveling and bonding time was that relevant to the plot. I would have preferred to spend more time with Colden and the Prince of the East and to have more character development when it came to those two.
I loved Raina and Alexus’ relationship in the first book, and they were still adorable and strong in this one, but there were some elements romance-wise that I was not the biggest fan of. The fact that there was a twist that added drama and angst in their relationship was awesome, because while I loved them as a strong couple, I also love angst, but once the twist happened, I was hoping for more angst to follow… Overall things were quite easily resolved between them.
On a more positive note, the sexual tension and smut between Raina and Alexus was very, very well done. It was hot and sexy and spicy! On the other hand, sometimes it almost felt as if this was all they could think about… Real horny teenagers those two!
There is also something going on between Hel and Rhonan, and there is SO MUCH tension between Nephele and Joran, I can’t wait to see what will happen with those two. They will either go their own way and never see each other again, or they will have the most epic sex together. Nephele and Joran’s dynamic reminded me a little bit of Carver and Bellanca’s in the Kingmaker Chronicle series (A Promise of Fire).
Then there is Finn. Poor Finn was included in the gang only to be ditched a few chapters later. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he’s a good fit for Raina, but I don’t really see the point of bringing him into the group only to leave him behind later, with no repercussions so far. I have an inkling that he will have a role to play in the next book, but for now, it seems as though he was simply a tool used to add some jealous-ex-lover drama to the plot, instead of being a useful character.
I wanted more of Colden and the Prince of the East. So much more. They both had such potential to be great, and complex characters and I found them so intriguing in the first book, but I was disappointed. I love Colden, but I found him too passive for a prisoner, and he lost this mysterious and intriguing quality he had in the first book.
As for the Prince, I am happy to see that there is more to him than appears, that he is not simply a greedy, power-hungry prince, but while we know more about his plans and motivations, I didn’t feel that much depth to his character. I was hoping for more complex feelings, more grayness, and more of the charismatic and evil persona we saw in the first book. One thing that I did like though was how the new insight into his character made us see that evil is sometimes only a matter of perspective.
Fury is a new character that was introduced in this book. She is the new weapon in the Prince of the East’s arsenal, but she is also much more than that. I like how we slowly got to know her, and how she became more relatable as the story progressed, but sadly I can’t say that I really like or dislike her. I am neutral when it comes to her. She is not a bad character at all, but I didn’t fall in love with her. Hopefully, she will also be present in the next book and will have a bigger role to play because while she was present for most of the story, she didn’t actually do much in this book.
As I said, it is not a bad book, the plot is good and a lot is happening, but the pace just wasn’t for me. I think I was also in the mood for something with a faster pace so a part of it is also my fault I guess… Maybe I will enjoy it more the second time around because I will definitely read the third book when it comes out. The ending of this one is very promising!
1. The Witch Collector ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ Characters (✅ Mute MC)
✅ Plot
✅ Romance and love interest
✅ Sexual tension and smut
✅ Multiple POVs
🆗 Pace
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
Strong 3.5 stars
Somewhat unpopular opinion, I know…
I wanted to love this book so much, and I’ve read amazing 4 stars and 5 stars reviews, but somehow I just couldn’t really get into it. It’s not a bad book at all, but I just found it loooooong.
This book picks up right where The Witch Collector ended. Alexus, Raina, and a small group of people including Nephele, Rhonan, and Hel are traveling in secret to go to the City of Ruin before the Prince of the East can get in there to resurrect Thamaos, which proves to be a very hard task as the Prince has spies everywhere and is very determined to capture Raina and Alexus. The stakes are getting higher, the relationships are more complicated, and there are some new players added to the plot.
“Yes, well, best make friends with danger. It will be a constant companion in the days ahead.”
For me, this book suffered from the second-book syndrome when it came to the pace. It’s a weird thing to say because there is action, fighting, and relationship development and we learn more about the Prince of the East’s evil plan, but at the same time, it felt long. There is a lot of traveling and bonding between Raina and Alexus, but also between the different members of their group, but overall I felt that not much of all that traveling and bonding time was that relevant to the plot. I would have preferred to spend more time with Colden and the Prince of the East and to have more character development when it came to those two.
He laughs, the sound low and soft and sensual in the night. “You are an absolutely wicked little witch. I wish I didn’t love that about you as much as I do.”
I loved Raina and Alexus’ relationship in the first book, and they were still adorable and strong in this one, but there were some elements romance-wise that I was not the biggest fan of. The fact that there was a twist that added drama and angst in their relationship was awesome, because while I loved them as a strong couple, I also love angst, but once the twist happened, I was hoping for more angst to follow… Overall things were quite easily resolved between them.
On a more positive note, the sexual tension and smut between Raina and Alexus was very, very well done. It was hot and sexy and spicy! On the other hand, sometimes it almost felt as if this was all they could think about… Real horny teenagers those two!
There is also something going on between Hel and Rhonan, and there is SO MUCH tension between Nephele and Joran, I can’t wait to see what will happen with those two. They will either go their own way and never see each other again, or they will have the most epic sex together. Nephele and Joran’s dynamic reminded me a little bit of Carver and Bellanca’s in the Kingmaker Chronicle series (A Promise of Fire).
Then there is Finn. Poor Finn was included in the gang only to be ditched a few chapters later. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he’s a good fit for Raina, but I don’t really see the point of bringing him into the group only to leave him behind later, with no repercussions so far. I have an inkling that he will have a role to play in the next book, but for now, it seems as though he was simply a tool used to add some jealous-ex-lover drama to the plot, instead of being a useful character.
“Well, if it isn’t the prince with no name. Back again.”
“Fuck you, Moeshka,” the prince says as he lets himself into my cell, though his words seem to hold less and less bite with each time he comes here.
“Oh, don’t you wish,” Colden jabs.
I wanted more of Colden and the Prince of the East. So much more. They both had such potential to be great, and complex characters and I found them so intriguing in the first book, but I was disappointed. I love Colden, but I found him too passive for a prisoner, and he lost this mysterious and intriguing quality he had in the first book.
As for the Prince, I am happy to see that there is more to him than appears, that he is not simply a greedy, power-hungry prince, but while we know more about his plans and motivations, I didn’t feel that much depth to his character. I was hoping for more complex feelings, more grayness, and more of the charismatic and evil persona we saw in the first book. One thing that I did like though was how the new insight into his character made us see that evil is sometimes only a matter of perspective.
I have been called Beauty. I have been called Love. But I am Fury, and some fool is going to bring me back to life.
Fury is a new character that was introduced in this book. She is the new weapon in the Prince of the East’s arsenal, but she is also much more than that. I like how we slowly got to know her, and how she became more relatable as the story progressed, but sadly I can’t say that I really like or dislike her. I am neutral when it comes to her. She is not a bad character at all, but I didn’t fall in love with her. Hopefully, she will also be present in the next book and will have a bigger role to play because while she was present for most of the story, she didn’t actually do much in this book.
As I said, it is not a bad book, the plot is good and a lot is happening, but the pace just wasn’t for me. I think I was also in the mood for something with a faster pace so a part of it is also my fault I guess… Maybe I will enjoy it more the second time around because I will definitely read the third book when it comes out. The ending of this one is very promising!
1. The Witch Collector ⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 13, 2025
“I think I’ve loved you for my entire life,” I whisper. “And when we’re both gone, I will love you still.”
•───⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆⋅───•
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽-ˏˋ 𝟛.𝟟𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤ˊˎ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
I had some ups and downs with this one. It also didn't help that I completely forgot everything about this world and I was so lost the first 80 pages. My main issue was the plot, which dragged on for the entire first half with little action! I felt no sense of urgency either despite everyone racing to get to the Summerlands. Then there was so much happening in the latter half, it was total craziness! AND THE ENDING?! It was so completely unexpected and the foreshadowing leading to it was utter brilliance. The plot twists had its shining moments and left me gasping but I wished it was more consistent throughout the book. The exciting parts did outweigh the stagnant ones though.
The romance flourished in this book as the two MCs spent more time together and got to know one another. It was a lot heavier on the smut than the first one, almost to the point where it distracted us from the main story. It is a delicate balance between plot and romance and this was tittering on the edge of too much romance for my liking. Some people enjoy more smut so if that's your thing then you may like this more than the first book.
I loved the storyline with the Prince of the East and the multiple POVs added so much to the story. I love a complicated multidimensional villain! Overall, I enjoyed the sequel better than the first book. I'm so excited for the next book but I heard it wasn't focused on Raina which is a bummer. I'm going to wait to read book 3 closer to the release of book 4 around March/April. Will I completely forget the whole story in the meantime? Likely lol.
•───⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆⋅───•
「 ✦ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ✦ 」I am in the middle of so many fantasy series that I'm afraid of getting lost between these worlds. Hopefully I can pick up quickly and not be confused. The vibes I remember from the first book include a lot of snow, cold, and forest haha. It's a bit embarrassing that I don't remember a book I read less than a month ago smh. Although I remember picturing the MMC looked something like this:
Here's to another adventure!
•───⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆⋅───•
•───⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆⋅───•
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽-ˏˋ 𝟛.𝟟𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤ˊˎ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
I had some ups and downs with this one. It also didn't help that I completely forgot everything about this world and I was so lost the first 80 pages. My main issue was the plot, which dragged on for the entire first half with little action! I felt no sense of urgency either despite everyone racing to get to the Summerlands. Then there was so much happening in the latter half, it was total craziness! AND THE ENDING?! It was so completely unexpected and the foreshadowing leading to it was utter brilliance. The plot twists had its shining moments and left me gasping but I wished it was more consistent throughout the book. The exciting parts did outweigh the stagnant ones though.
“If I ever see you touch her like that again, I’ll carry your head around on a motherfucking pike.”
The romance flourished in this book as the two MCs spent more time together and got to know one another. It was a lot heavier on the smut than the first one, almost to the point where it distracted us from the main story. It is a delicate balance between plot and romance and this was tittering on the edge of too much romance for my liking. Some people enjoy more smut so if that's your thing then you may like this more than the first book.
“There is no other. You are my only temple.”
I loved the storyline with the Prince of the East and the multiple POVs added so much to the story. I love a complicated multidimensional villain! Overall, I enjoyed the sequel better than the first book. I'm so excited for the next book but I heard it wasn't focused on Raina which is a bummer. I'm going to wait to read book 3 closer to the release of book 4 around March/April. Will I completely forget the whole story in the meantime? Likely lol.
“We all play the villain in someone’s tale,”
•───⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆⋅───•
「 ✦ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ✦ 」I am in the middle of so many fantasy series that I'm afraid of getting lost between these worlds. Hopefully I can pick up quickly and not be confused. The vibes I remember from the first book include a lot of snow, cold, and forest haha. It's a bit embarrassing that I don't remember a book I read less than a month ago smh. Although I remember picturing the MMC looked something like this:
Here's to another adventure!
•───⋅⋆⁺‧₊☽⛦☾₊‧⁺⋆⋅───•
August 10, 2025
•✿•➳4.5✫
I’m unwell.
omg, this book is everything.
The story is doubled up in this second book. It's more intense, delightful, and satisfying.
This book contains a couple of povs of different characters, not just Alexus and Raina, and it is so good.
The side characters? slap. I love how the story unfolds for each of them; it keeps me on the edge of my seat. I want more of them, for sure.
The story is getting more passionate—the magic, the world-building, the twist and turn—it has so many layers because so many things were happening that I literally took notes because this book mentioned so many names and backgrounds.
I was giggling like a maniac, shocked, and just asfgdfhadf reading this. Now I'm about to run to the next novella because them >>>>
Even though I still have a couple of questions unanswered, hopefully I'll find them in the next book.
𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏.
some of my favourite spoiler-free quotes:
- “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨?” 𝙃𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙝. “𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨.
- 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧����𝙚𝙣 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨. “𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬?”
- “𝙄𝙛 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮—” 𝙄 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣 “—𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
- 𝘼𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙥 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙄 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙮, 𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙠. “𝙊𝙝, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.”
- “𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚,” 𝙄 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧. “𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡.”
- “𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.”𝙃𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙨. “𝘿𝙤 𝙬𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙬? 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚.”“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙚?”𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮. “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚. 𝙈𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙭𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨.”
pls read this series🙏
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i don't know why im scared but i'm scared anyway *screams into pillow*
𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒐𝒖𝒕.
This story picked up after the ending of the first book, The Witch Collector.
The journey of Alexus and Raina to save a king and discover that everything she was told and believed was wrong.
I’m unwell.
omg, this book is everything.
The story is doubled up in this second book. It's more intense, delightful, and satisfying.
This book contains a couple of povs of different characters, not just Alexus and Raina, and it is so good.
The side characters? slap. I love how the story unfolds for each of them; it keeps me on the edge of my seat. I want more of them, for sure.
The story is getting more passionate—the magic, the world-building, the twist and turn—it has so many layers because so many things were happening that I literally took notes because this book mentioned so many names and backgrounds.
I was giggling like a maniac, shocked, and just asfgdfhadf reading this. Now I'm about to run to the next novella because them >>>>
Even though I still have a couple of questions unanswered, hopefully I'll find them in the next book.
𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏.
some of my favourite spoiler-free quotes:
- “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨?” 𝙃𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚, 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙝. “𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨.
- 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧����𝙚𝙣 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨. “𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬?”
- “𝙄𝙛 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮—” 𝙄 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣 “—𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
- 𝘼𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙥 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙄 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙮, 𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙠. “𝙊𝙝, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.”
- “𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚,” 𝙄 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧. “𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡.”
- “𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.”𝙃𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙨. “𝘿𝙤 𝙬𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙬? 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚.”“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙚?”𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮. “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚. 𝙈𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙭𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨.”
pls read this series🙏
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i don't know why im scared but i'm scared anyway *screams into pillow*
September 24, 2023
1.5 stars.
City of Ruin? More like City of Horny and Cock. Cock was mentioned 26 times in this book, if I counted correctly. It’s laughable that this book has a YA genre tag but not erotica… It felt like 2/3 of it was sex with just a smidge of fantasy. The two main characters were annoyingly horny for each other; the first 54% was largely just horniness and sex. Atleast that meant I could skim most of the book and be done with it sooner!
The writing, especially the dialogue, in those scenes was hilarious because of how immature it sounded. Neri’s dialogue towards the last third of the book—goodness me that was near unbarebly cringe. I also wasn’t a fan of the writing otherwise; it felt almost too modern for a fantasy series. Particularly with the swearing in the internal dialogue, it gives me more contemporary fantasy feelings, which I’m not really a fan of.
A half star gets given for the non horny bits when the story felt like it was going somewhere other than in Raina’s vagina, and the ending because it seems that was the most interesting bit of all, unfortunately. I had hopes that this book would be better than the first, which is the only reason I bothered continuing this series, but it seems that only the endings ever pique my interest. I may continue with the next book when it comes out because I am curious of where the story will head now, but I hope and pray there will be less horny cause my lord, I don’t think I can bear another mention of cock.
City of Ruin? More like City of Horny and Cock. Cock was mentioned 26 times in this book, if I counted correctly. It’s laughable that this book has a YA genre tag but not erotica… It felt like 2/3 of it was sex with just a smidge of fantasy. The two main characters were annoyingly horny for each other; the first 54% was largely just horniness and sex. Atleast that meant I could skim most of the book and be done with it sooner!
The writing, especially the dialogue, in those scenes was hilarious because of how immature it sounded. Neri’s dialogue towards the last third of the book—goodness me that was near unbarebly cringe. I also wasn’t a fan of the writing otherwise; it felt almost too modern for a fantasy series. Particularly with the swearing in the internal dialogue, it gives me more contemporary fantasy feelings, which I’m not really a fan of.
A half star gets given for the non horny bits when the story felt like it was going somewhere other than in Raina’s vagina, and the ending because it seems that was the most interesting bit of all, unfortunately. I had hopes that this book would be better than the first, which is the only reason I bothered continuing this series, but it seems that only the endings ever pique my interest. I may continue with the next book when it comes out because I am curious of where the story will head now, but I hope and pray there will be less horny cause my lord, I don’t think I can bear another mention of cock.
January 26, 2025
4.5 stars
Well. Everything’s fucked now, isn’t it? That ending has my brain working overtime right now.
RTC
Well. Everything’s fucked now, isn’t it? That ending has my brain working overtime right now.
RTC
November 18, 2022
Currently at a loss for words…
Obviously I loved The Witch Collector. Easily one of my favorite reads of 2021. The city of ruin topped it. And it’s a second book in a series!!! The romance, oh my goodness. It’s so sweet and so hot! Dirty talk was delicious. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. We have more POVs in this installment. I was invested in every single one. All the characters are so fleshed out. I honestly love them all. Even the bad guys!! Idk how I’m going to function in life until the next book is released. Please. Just read this series. You won’t regret it. Especially if you love high fantasy with romance and a side of spice. These books have it ALL!
Obviously I loved The Witch Collector. Easily one of my favorite reads of 2021. The city of ruin topped it. And it’s a second book in a series!!! The romance, oh my goodness. It’s so sweet and so hot! Dirty talk was delicious. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. We have more POVs in this installment. I was invested in every single one. All the characters are so fleshed out. I honestly love them all. Even the bad guys!! Idk how I’m going to function in life until the next book is released. Please. Just read this series. You won’t regret it. Especially if you love high fantasy with romance and a side of spice. These books have it ALL!
June 9, 2023
I’ve never been so happy to have my heart shredded in a million tiny pieces- 10/10 will be re reading for the rest of my life.
I took some time to fully gather my thoughts and honestly I still feel dazed.
Yes there is spice.
Yes. It was ✨good ✨
“I like red and very little of it.” - I think I lost my mind to that man.
The truth is I’m still reeling. This book ruined me in way that I will never be same.
There was before The Witch Walker series and there was after and the woman I was before it is … gone.
I squealed, I laughed, I raged and I sobbed… Many many many times & honestly I’m still tearing up just thinking about it.
I had forgotten what it felt like to lose myself so utterly and completely to a book to NEED to pull an all nighter just to finish. To have that full and empty feeling consume me to the point where every song is their song & Every thought is pulled back to this book. Or how when I open my mouth I’m INSUFFERABLE because I have nothing to say but … his… name.
And don’t get me started on that ending. It was like hosab all over again. And I actually love a cliffhanger and a wait for the next book. It makes it feel so very soul aching.
The truth is very simple; this is one of my favorite books of all time and I do not say that lightly. I like a lot of books but I do not love a lot of books.
I have only said I love you to seven people in my life so ya know I dont just toss this word around.
Charissa Weaks is an auto buy author for me now.
You guys know me. I don’t recommend books because books and reading is so deeply personal but if you like me and vibe with me and all I do on the internet- I can confidently say you will mostly likely love this book like me.
I don’t wanna put this book back on the self I just want to carry it around and hold it in my arms because I’ll be damned if ever let go.
I will never love the way I love Alexus. There will be no other book men anything for me. I’m ruined and I’m very happy about it.
I took some time to fully gather my thoughts and honestly I still feel dazed.
Yes there is spice.
Yes. It was ✨good ✨
“I like red and very little of it.” - I think I lost my mind to that man.
The truth is I’m still reeling. This book ruined me in way that I will never be same.
There was before The Witch Walker series and there was after and the woman I was before it is … gone.
I squealed, I laughed, I raged and I sobbed… Many many many times & honestly I’m still tearing up just thinking about it.
I had forgotten what it felt like to lose myself so utterly and completely to a book to NEED to pull an all nighter just to finish. To have that full and empty feeling consume me to the point where every song is their song & Every thought is pulled back to this book. Or how when I open my mouth I’m INSUFFERABLE because I have nothing to say but … his… name.
And don’t get me started on that ending. It was like hosab all over again. And I actually love a cliffhanger and a wait for the next book. It makes it feel so very soul aching.
The truth is very simple; this is one of my favorite books of all time and I do not say that lightly. I like a lot of books but I do not love a lot of books.
I have only said I love you to seven people in my life so ya know I dont just toss this word around.
Charissa Weaks is an auto buy author for me now.
You guys know me. I don’t recommend books because books and reading is so deeply personal but if you like me and vibe with me and all I do on the internet- I can confidently say you will mostly likely love this book like me.
I don’t wanna put this book back on the self I just want to carry it around and hold it in my arms because I’ll be damned if ever let go.
I will never love the way I love Alexus. There will be no other book men anything for me. I’m ruined and I’m very happy about it.
May 23, 2024
☆☆☆☆.5
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚.”
City of Ruin picks up immediately after the events of The Witch Collector. Alexus and Raina’s journey to save the Frost King continues only for Raina to discover new depths of her power and that everything she was told growing up was a lie.
𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
God, this book put me through so many damn emotions. I was giggling, kicking my feet, gasping and screaming into my pillow. Weaks really outdid herself with this plot because I genuinely saw none of that coming. AND THAT ENDING?! If Kingdom of the Forgotten doesn’t get released I think I will cry a very literal river of tears.
Alexus and Raina have now definitively made the list as one of my all time favorite book couples. Their chemistry? 😮💨 THE SPICE? Genuinely to die for.
“𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩.”
I took my rating down half a star because there were scenes here and there that felt drawn out and unnecessary.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚.”
City of Ruin picks up immediately after the events of The Witch Collector. Alexus and Raina’s journey to save the Frost King continues only for Raina to discover new depths of her power and that everything she was told growing up was a lie.
𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
God, this book put me through so many damn emotions. I was giggling, kicking my feet, gasping and screaming into my pillow. Weaks really outdid herself with this plot because I genuinely saw none of that coming. AND THAT ENDING?! If Kingdom of the Forgotten doesn’t get released I think I will cry a very literal river of tears.
Alexus and Raina have now definitively made the list as one of my all time favorite book couples. Their chemistry? 😮💨 THE SPICE? Genuinely to die for.
“𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩.”
I took my rating down half a star because there were scenes here and there that felt drawn out and unnecessary.
March 26, 2025
All the reviews on this talk about how this book is barely any plot… Are we reading the same book?
THIS WAS SO GOOD! Raina, and Alexus made this book what it was. Which was impactful, moving, and sexy as hell, lol. I literally ate this book up, the audio was perfection.
The plot with the Gods, and the witches is so rich, I will never get over this world.
I am soooo curious to see what happens between Neri and Nephele, their banter is top tier, I am literally dying to read the novellas.
Also THE ENDING?!?!? HEY-WHAT THE HELL!!!!? 😃 I am sick to my mf stomach after that, and I want book 3 so badly, broooo.
5 stars, love, love, love.
THIS WAS SO GOOD! Raina, and Alexus made this book what it was. Which was impactful, moving, and sexy as hell, lol. I literally ate this book up, the audio was perfection.
The plot with the Gods, and the witches is so rich, I will never get over this world.
I am soooo curious to see what happens between Neri and Nephele, their banter is top tier, I am literally dying to read the novellas.
Also THE ENDING?!?!? HEY-WHAT THE HELL!!!!? 😃 I am sick to my mf stomach after that, and I want book 3 so badly, broooo.
5 stars, love, love, love.
December 23, 2024
4.25 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“If you think I’m too reserved to drag you into the shadows and take you like the beast that I am, then you are sorely mistaken, my love.”
DAMN!!! THAT CLIFFHANGER!!!
I would love to give this 5-stars since I had such a fun time with it and the plot expanded even more and that means higher stakes and more action!
Charissa was quite generous with the spice in this book and I ate it up! And there are a few potential romantic pairings keeping an eye on 👀 the tension is building up!
I had to deduct a star as it felt like some scenes dragged just a little bit.
“If you think I’m too reserved to drag you into the shadows and take you like the beast that I am, then you are sorely mistaken, my love.”
DAMN!!! THAT CLIFFHANGER!!!
I would love to give this 5-stars since I had such a fun time with it and the plot expanded even more and that means higher stakes and more action!
Charissa was quite generous with the spice in this book and I ate it up! And there are a few potential romantic pairings keeping an eye on 👀 the tension is building up!
I had to deduct a star as it felt like some scenes dragged just a little bit.
May 1, 2023
SPOILERS INCLUDED BELOW. Sorry, this is long, but I had a lot of thoughts.
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I LOVED the first book of this series and was so excited to read this. My initial thoughts are that it was a little too long, and it could have been cut down by like ~75 pages, but the cliffhanger was AMAZING!
Unfortunately, the first 50% of this book was incredibly uneventful and boring. There are a ton of new character POV chapters that I frankly did not care about at all, which made me keep putting the book down. This book just generally had way too many side characters--I read the entire book and still had no idea who Keth, Callan, Jaega, Bron, Vex(?), Finn's dad (can't even remember his name), and Zahira/Yaz(?) were by the end of it. Like, we could have managed fine with just the prince/colden/fleurie and the other 3 couples (raina, alexus, neri, nephele, rhonin, hel).
Honestly, I was bored by Alexus and Raina's relationship for most of this book because they already established that they're in love at the end of book 1, so it was just them saying "i love you" over and over and over again, and then having sex. I think that's the danger of having a romantasy where the main couple falls in love in book 1--most of your readers are reading for a romance/fantasy blend, but when there's no drama or new romantic angle, it becomes all just world-building fantasy and just gets a bit boring. I'm really curious what's going on with Colden because the whole reason for his curse is because of his love for Fia (who clearly still loves him based on her dialogue in this book), but then he's been pining after this prince for 30 years? I was like, wait, who is he in love with?
So anyways, the beginning half of this book really dragged, to the point where I had to take breaks from the book. Then, when I would pick the book back up, I had no memory of what was going on. There was just SO much description about every single thing. Every city landscape/architectural structure, room, article of clothing, tree branch, and speck of dirt was described EXTENSIVELY, and I was starting to skim and think I might DNF this book (a book that I had been looking forward to reading for months). There were a lot of new powers that were introduced, but I feel like i still don't understand the difference between sifting, portalling, and realm walking. They all seem to be the exact same power but with different names. Also, I have no idea who any of the gods are besides the Big Bad (thadeous or whatever his name is) and Neri, so the significance of Raina being descended from Loria(?) was a little lost on me.
Ok anyways, HOWEVER, I am extremely happy that I pushed through this book, and the ending brought up my overall rating of the entire book. It really picked up in the last half. I'm still pretty unclear what their entire journey to Fia was about, and they spent way too long in that city with the lighthouse, but it got GOOD.
Neri and Nephele as a couple was an awesome plot twist, and I hope Neri has a larger part in the next book. I find him to be more interesting than any of the other male MCs (and I kind of felt that way while reading book 1 too--I really thought he would become Raina's actual love interest or something).
I also really liked that there was finally some conflict between Alexus and Raina later in the book when their bond was severed, and Raina reverted to hating him. That said, it didn't really make any sense because Raina remembered her hatred of him but also remembered falling in love with him, so the relationship conflict was super short lasting, which was disappointing because it was the first interesting thing that had happened between the two MCs all book.
I did LOVE the cliffhanger. It really took me by surprise where she ended up when her sifting/realm-walking got botched, and I think that the next book (at least the beginning of it) will be sooo much more interesting from the start because of it. I'm excited to see evil Alexus and have to watch him fall back in love with Raina during a different time period. I also hope there's a small redemption arc for the prince (why does he have no name...i still don't get it), and I hope we get to know Fleurie a bit more (I don't trust her). Mostly, I just want more Neri and Colden because they were my favorite characters in this book. I'm very curious if Raina's presence in the past is going to change the future (#BackToTheFuture style), or if she always had gone to the past and this is as it is meant to be (which is what the book seemed to suggest).
Anyways, 4 stars for this one, and a lot more spice than the last book. I will probably read the next book to see where that cliffhanger goes, but we'll see when the time comes! Losing a little steam
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I LOVED the first book of this series and was so excited to read this. My initial thoughts are that it was a little too long, and it could have been cut down by like ~75 pages, but the cliffhanger was AMAZING!
Unfortunately, the first 50% of this book was incredibly uneventful and boring. There are a ton of new character POV chapters that I frankly did not care about at all, which made me keep putting the book down. This book just generally had way too many side characters--I read the entire book and still had no idea who Keth, Callan, Jaega, Bron, Vex(?), Finn's dad (can't even remember his name), and Zahira/Yaz(?) were by the end of it. Like, we could have managed fine with just the prince/colden/fleurie and the other 3 couples (raina, alexus, neri, nephele, rhonin, hel).
Honestly, I was bored by Alexus and Raina's relationship for most of this book because they already established that they're in love at the end of book 1, so it was just them saying "i love you" over and over and over again, and then having sex. I think that's the danger of having a romantasy where the main couple falls in love in book 1--most of your readers are reading for a romance/fantasy blend, but when there's no drama or new romantic angle, it becomes all just world-building fantasy and just gets a bit boring. I'm really curious what's going on with Colden because the whole reason for his curse is because of his love for Fia (who clearly still loves him based on her dialogue in this book), but then he's been pining after this prince for 30 years? I was like, wait, who is he in love with?
So anyways, the beginning half of this book really dragged, to the point where I had to take breaks from the book. Then, when I would pick the book back up, I had no memory of what was going on. There was just SO much description about every single thing. Every city landscape/architectural structure, room, article of clothing, tree branch, and speck of dirt was described EXTENSIVELY, and I was starting to skim and think I might DNF this book (a book that I had been looking forward to reading for months). There were a lot of new powers that were introduced, but I feel like i still don't understand the difference between sifting, portalling, and realm walking. They all seem to be the exact same power but with different names. Also, I have no idea who any of the gods are besides the Big Bad (thadeous or whatever his name is) and Neri, so the significance of Raina being descended from Loria(?) was a little lost on me.
Ok anyways, HOWEVER, I am extremely happy that I pushed through this book, and the ending brought up my overall rating of the entire book. It really picked up in the last half. I'm still pretty unclear what their entire journey to Fia was about, and they spent way too long in that city with the lighthouse, but it got GOOD.
Neri and Nephele as a couple was an awesome plot twist, and I hope Neri has a larger part in the next book. I find him to be more interesting than any of the other male MCs (and I kind of felt that way while reading book 1 too--I really thought he would become Raina's actual love interest or something).
I also really liked that there was finally some conflict between Alexus and Raina later in the book when their bond was severed, and Raina reverted to hating him. That said, it didn't really make any sense because Raina remembered her hatred of him but also remembered falling in love with him, so the relationship conflict was super short lasting, which was disappointing because it was the first interesting thing that had happened between the two MCs all book.
I did LOVE the cliffhanger. It really took me by surprise where she ended up when her sifting/realm-walking got botched, and I think that the next book (at least the beginning of it) will be sooo much more interesting from the start because of it. I'm excited to see evil Alexus and have to watch him fall back in love with Raina during a different time period. I also hope there's a small redemption arc for the prince (why does he have no name...i still don't get it), and I hope we get to know Fleurie a bit more (I don't trust her). Mostly, I just want more Neri and Colden because they were my favorite characters in this book. I'm very curious if Raina's presence in the past is going to change the future (#BackToTheFuture style), or if she always had gone to the past and this is as it is meant to be (which is what the book seemed to suggest).
Anyways, 4 stars for this one, and a lot more spice than the last book. I will probably read the next book to see where that cliffhanger goes, but we'll see when the time comes! Losing a little steam
February 28, 2023
JE VAIS MOURIR SI JAI PAS LE TOME 3 MAINTENANT TOUT DE SUITE !!! ET COMME IL EST PAS ENCORE SORTI JE SUIS EN TRAIN DE MOURIR 😭😭😭😭
January 15, 2025
DNF
This was getting so stupid. The plot literally disappeared, and there was more smut than the actual plot, not to mention all of a sudden Alexus kept getting powers out of nowhere. Bro literally started flying all of a sudden out of nowhere. And Raina casually travelled back in time 300 years. Absolutely not. 😑
This doesn't even scrape the barrel of the amount of stupid bizarre things that have occurred in the book
This was getting so stupid. The plot literally disappeared, and there was more smut than the actual plot, not to mention all of a sudden Alexus kept getting powers out of nowhere. Bro literally started flying all of a sudden out of nowhere. And Raina casually travelled back in time 300 years. Absolutely not. 😑
This doesn't even scrape the barrel of the amount of stupid bizarre things that have occurred in the book
September 24, 2023
If I were giving this book a professional review, it would assuredly rate considerably higher, as it is a very well written story. But, Goodreads is where I can give my very personal thoughts - so I will - then hope they help you decide for yourself!
1. This story canNOT be read as a stand-alone. I originally tried, but it didn’t take long to be utterly confused, so I had to put the book away and read book one. After, every thing made sense and the story continued right from where the previous book ended.
2. There is also a HUGE cliffhanger ending in this book. That means one must not only purchase and read the previous book, but also the book after because the entire storyline depends on it.
3. It may be just me, but I have the WORST time reading “They” and “Them” when the story is referring to a single person! Now, in a movie, or in person, this isn’t a problem at all because we have a visual and can SEE one person, but on the page it can be SUPER confusing. And, at least for me, it stops the flow of the story every time it happens (‘cause I’m wondering who I missed, there must be more people). Along with that, as an English major, the rules with singular and plural usage were drilled infinitum so it screams incorrect grammar usage.
4.. I was NOT a fan of the memory twist in Raina’s storyline that kicked us back to book one and then just repeated much of her mindset rather than moving forward. THEN, the second twist at the end…. A hard NO on that turn.
If one isn’t bothered by any of the above, I would highly recommend reading this series. It has admirable character and story depth. The pacing is done very well and it is creative and unique enough to really keep a reader’s attention.
1. This story canNOT be read as a stand-alone. I originally tried, but it didn’t take long to be utterly confused, so I had to put the book away and read book one. After, every thing made sense and the story continued right from where the previous book ended.
2. There is also a HUGE cliffhanger ending in this book. That means one must not only purchase and read the previous book, but also the book after because the entire storyline depends on it.
3. It may be just me, but I have the WORST time reading “They” and “Them” when the story is referring to a single person! Now, in a movie, or in person, this isn’t a problem at all because we have a visual and can SEE one person, but on the page it can be SUPER confusing. And, at least for me, it stops the flow of the story every time it happens (‘cause I’m wondering who I missed, there must be more people). Along with that, as an English major, the rules with singular and plural usage were drilled infinitum so it screams incorrect grammar usage.
4.. I was NOT a fan of the memory twist in Raina’s storyline that kicked us back to book one and then just repeated much of her mindset rather than moving forward. THEN, the second twist at the end…. A hard NO on that turn.
If one isn’t bothered by any of the above, I would highly recommend reading this series. It has admirable character and story depth. The pacing is done very well and it is creative and unique enough to really keep a reader’s attention.
September 26, 2022
The last line of my 5 star review of The Witch Collector was:
"I can't recommend this book enough. I don't want to speak too soon, but I feel like it's going to become one of my favorite series."
After finishing City of Ruin, I can safely tell you that this series will sit alongside ACOTAR as one of my favorite fantasy series of all time.
City of Ruin reunites us with Raina, Alexus and our crew who are quickly realizing that what lies ahead is vastly more complex than what they've traversed thus far.
⚡️ Found family
⚡️ Banter
⚡️ Spice
⚡️ Touch her and die
⚡️ Villianous/Morally grey love interests
⚡️ Multiple POV (Villian POV included)
There are so many deliciously satisfying connections unraveling simultaneously; the way they seamlessly intertwine with a multifaceted, enthralling plot is pure magic.
The emotional connection I feel to Raina, Alexus, Colden, Hel, Nephele, ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS, their growth and unfolding journey is profound.
City of Ruin forces us to examine the concept of good and evil, the lengths we're willing to go for those we love and how deeply our choices shape not only ourselves but those around us.
This book has EVERYTHING I want in a series and exceeded my expectations from TWC. I cannot express enough how much I love these characters and Charissa's writing.
"I can't recommend this book enough. I don't want to speak too soon, but I feel like it's going to become one of my favorite series."
After finishing City of Ruin, I can safely tell you that this series will sit alongside ACOTAR as one of my favorite fantasy series of all time.
City of Ruin reunites us with Raina, Alexus and our crew who are quickly realizing that what lies ahead is vastly more complex than what they've traversed thus far.
⚡️ Found family
⚡️ Banter
⚡️ Spice
⚡️ Touch her and die
⚡️ Villianous/Morally grey love interests
⚡️ Multiple POV (Villian POV included)
There are so many deliciously satisfying connections unraveling simultaneously; the way they seamlessly intertwine with a multifaceted, enthralling plot is pure magic.
The emotional connection I feel to Raina, Alexus, Colden, Hel, Nephele, ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS, their growth and unfolding journey is profound.
City of Ruin forces us to examine the concept of good and evil, the lengths we're willing to go for those we love and how deeply our choices shape not only ourselves but those around us.
This book has EVERYTHING I want in a series and exceeded my expectations from TWC. I cannot express enough how much I love these characters and Charissa's writing.
October 4, 2022
i am mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically unwell.
i started this expecting an easy, casual, fun read during the hurricane while my power was out.
AND INSTEAD, I GOT BLOWN AWAY.
AND NOT BY THE HURRICANE (blessedly).
this book is SO F*CKING GOOD, you guys. i loved the witch collector, which was already delicious and innovative for the genre, but city of ruin is truly next level. this book seals the deal for me. this is only book two, and i’m already certain this is going to be one of my top favorite fantasy series of all time.
we get a whole bunch of new POVs in city of ruin, compared to its predecessor, so a lot of stories being told simultaneously can make for a bit of a dense read at first, but holy shit, when they start to pick up, IT’S BEYOND THRILLING. each jump between narrative arcs had me HOOKED. there isn’t a single story being told in this book that doesn’t have me fully by the throat.
ultimately this book felt very tonally different from book 1, but ALL THE BETTER FOR IT. the witch collector almost feels like a novella in comparison to this, where the real story starts to unfold. we have ADVENTURE, we have ROMANCE, we have MAGIC, we have A BAD GUY (who, perhaps, maybe, isn’t really a bad guy?), BLOODTHIRSTY GODS eager for resurrection and world domination, and a rich and full world that charissa describes SO BEAUTIFULLY as our little ragtag gang goes on a quest to save the world. it’s giving lord of the rings, if the hobbits were hot and magical and had mad sexual tension (….ok, more sexual tension then they already had…………*cough cough*, samwise and frodo 4 life). it’s just got SO MANY LAYERS. SO MUCH GOING ON. it’s a bit slow to start, just while you acclimate to the different stories being told in different places, but when it comes together, it’s impossible to put down.
there are so many twists and turns, some that were foreshadowed so perfectly that you start to feel that dread build in your stomach. the fear. the hope that it’s not going to happen the way you sense it’s going. IT’S MASTERFUL.
i can’t rave about this book enough, and i haven’t even begun to talk about how much HOTTER this book is than the witch collector. if you thought the chapter in TWC where raina is watching in the window reflection was hot….this book will kill you, bury you, and then resurrect you (provided you have a remnant or a sacrifice 😉). it’s so hot, i had to take several cold showers (which was good, because i didn’t have power for a hot shower ANYWAY). i’m already salivating for the upcoming novella, because the two characters in city of ruin (who i’m presuming the novella is about, based on the title) had me certifiably feral.
it’s perfect, all the way around, and sets up SUCH a good multiple-book story. if you like fantasy romance with a LOT of plot and adventure, I BEG YOU, READ THESE BOOKS. AND THEN DM ME SO WE CAN GUSH TOGETHER.
i’ll be chasing this same high until the novella drops in january. 🙏🏻
i started this expecting an easy, casual, fun read during the hurricane while my power was out.
AND INSTEAD, I GOT BLOWN AWAY.
AND NOT BY THE HURRICANE (blessedly).
this book is SO F*CKING GOOD, you guys. i loved the witch collector, which was already delicious and innovative for the genre, but city of ruin is truly next level. this book seals the deal for me. this is only book two, and i’m already certain this is going to be one of my top favorite fantasy series of all time.
we get a whole bunch of new POVs in city of ruin, compared to its predecessor, so a lot of stories being told simultaneously can make for a bit of a dense read at first, but holy shit, when they start to pick up, IT’S BEYOND THRILLING. each jump between narrative arcs had me HOOKED. there isn’t a single story being told in this book that doesn’t have me fully by the throat.
ultimately this book felt very tonally different from book 1, but ALL THE BETTER FOR IT. the witch collector almost feels like a novella in comparison to this, where the real story starts to unfold. we have ADVENTURE, we have ROMANCE, we have MAGIC, we have A BAD GUY (who, perhaps, maybe, isn’t really a bad guy?), BLOODTHIRSTY GODS eager for resurrection and world domination, and a rich and full world that charissa describes SO BEAUTIFULLY as our little ragtag gang goes on a quest to save the world. it’s giving lord of the rings, if the hobbits were hot and magical and had mad sexual tension (….ok, more sexual tension then they already had…………*cough cough*, samwise and frodo 4 life). it’s just got SO MANY LAYERS. SO MUCH GOING ON. it’s a bit slow to start, just while you acclimate to the different stories being told in different places, but when it comes together, it’s impossible to put down.
there are so many twists and turns, some that were foreshadowed so perfectly that you start to feel that dread build in your stomach. the fear. the hope that it’s not going to happen the way you sense it’s going. IT’S MASTERFUL.
i can’t rave about this book enough, and i haven’t even begun to talk about how much HOTTER this book is than the witch collector. if you thought the chapter in TWC where raina is watching in the window reflection was hot….this book will kill you, bury you, and then resurrect you (provided you have a remnant or a sacrifice 😉). it’s so hot, i had to take several cold showers (which was good, because i didn’t have power for a hot shower ANYWAY). i’m already salivating for the upcoming novella, because the two characters in city of ruin (who i’m presuming the novella is about, based on the title) had me certifiably feral.
it’s perfect, all the way around, and sets up SUCH a good multiple-book story. if you like fantasy romance with a LOT of plot and adventure, I BEG YOU, READ THESE BOOKS. AND THEN DM ME SO WE CAN GUSH TOGETHER.
i’ll be chasing this same high until the novella drops in january. 🙏🏻
June 5, 2023
WHAT?!!!!! 😫😫😫😫
One word: Kneel 💀💀💀💀 IM DONE FOR.
This cliffhanger has to be the most incredible cliffhanger I have, and will ever read. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKIDYDOO 😭😭😭
I now see all the information from The Witch Collector and City of Ruin in a totally different way and I simply cannot stop screaming about it. SCREAMING!!!!
So many people have been searching for a book that makes them feel the same way ACOMAF made them feel. Now, City of Ruin isn’t remotely the same with regards to story line, plot etc.. but is even better than ACOMAF in terms of the REVEAL🤌🏼 (imo)
I cannot get over the love story between the two main characters. It is SO romantic and SPICY. The safety that they provide to one another… get absolutely fkd im in love.
Charissa has written such beautiful world and magick system with a whole heap of political intrigue.
More importantly, the inclusionary world where we have a FMC who is non-speaking and uses sign language to communicate and create magick. PHENOMENAL.
I fucking love this book and this series so much. I don’t know how to tell you how wonderful it is!!!
One word: Kneel 💀💀💀💀 IM DONE FOR.
This cliffhanger has to be the most incredible cliffhanger I have, and will ever read. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCKIDYDOO 😭😭😭
I now see all the information from The Witch Collector and City of Ruin in a totally different way and I simply cannot stop screaming about it. SCREAMING!!!!
So many people have been searching for a book that makes them feel the same way ACOMAF made them feel. Now, City of Ruin isn’t remotely the same with regards to story line, plot etc.. but is even better than ACOMAF in terms of the REVEAL🤌🏼 (imo)
I cannot get over the love story between the two main characters. It is SO romantic and SPICY. The safety that they provide to one another… get absolutely fkd im in love.
Charissa has written such beautiful world and magick system with a whole heap of political intrigue.
More importantly, the inclusionary world where we have a FMC who is non-speaking and uses sign language to communicate and create magick. PHENOMENAL.
I fucking love this book and this series so much. I don’t know how to tell you how wonderful it is!!!
July 31, 2023
Star rating: ★★★★☆
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️.5
This was a ride, and a big improvement to the first book! It had me mostly hooked and intrigued for the majority of the time. I felt like the plot and scenes not only flowed better, but made much more sense in this book… now onto the next book (which I am VERY excited about because this couple had me basically foaming at the mouth this entire book🫣🤪)
Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️.5
This was a ride, and a big improvement to the first book! It had me mostly hooked and intrigued for the majority of the time. I felt like the plot and scenes not only flowed better, but made much more sense in this book… now onto the next book (which I am VERY excited about because this couple had me basically foaming at the mouth this entire book🫣🤪)
February 11, 2025
This is one the biggest surprises of the year for me. I absolutely LOVED this book. I had a lot of issues with book one, mainly concerning the pacing of the story and romance. But it was all 100% worth it because the pacing was great in this book and I loved it!
February 5, 2025
I loveeee Raina
June 10, 2024
What a thrilling journey! Raina finds herself entangled in a war that challenges everything she knows. As their quest advances, Alexus, Raina, and the others face danger and tragedy, fighting to stay together to stand a chance against their enemies.
I love the blend of fantasy, romance, and magic in this series. The narrative is rich with action, suspense, and adventure, all spiced with just the right amount of intrigue - oh, and smut! It's very entertaining.
4.75 - 5 ⭐️’s
I love the blend of fantasy, romance, and magic in this series. The narrative is rich with action, suspense, and adventure, all spiced with just the right amount of intrigue - oh, and smut! It's very entertaining.
4.75 - 5 ⭐️’s
September 12, 2023
YOU ARE JOKINGGGGGG!!!! That cliffhanger?!! How can I eat, sleep, breath, live until November when the next book comes out?!! I’m so unwell. But on the other hand this book is by far one of my all time favorite reads I’m so beyond impressed by the character development, world building, plot twists, Easter eggs! I ATE THIS UP!! Absolutely scratched the SJM itch but I am HEARTBROKEN!
May 11, 2023
I'll give the next one the wolf and the witch, bc I already checked it out from the library. This one didn't have the same feeling that I had with the witch collector.
October 13, 2022
I can happily say this book does NOT have second book syndrome… all I know is that I LOVED every minute of it & it took this story from great to INCREDIBLE!
Everything went up a notch, the world building, the character development, more povs (that’s I’m SO invested in!) more magic & even more spice!!! The banter & angst was perfection along with all the relationships building into a found family - it’s every thing you want from a continuation in a series.
The pacing was perfect, I was hooked the whole way. So many twists & turns, I didn’t want it to end. The author managed to surprise me & keep me engaged the whole way through.
It had me gasping at points, smiling & laughing at others and then absolutely distraught at the end.
I can not believe it ended the way it did - but also WOW! Now I can see how it all lead to that & I NEED the next books asap
That was outstanding!
I was provided with an ARC copy for an honest review
5 ⭐️
3 🌶
Everything went up a notch, the world building, the character development, more povs (that’s I’m SO invested in!) more magic & even more spice!!! The banter & angst was perfection along with all the relationships building into a found family - it’s every thing you want from a continuation in a series.
The pacing was perfect, I was hooked the whole way. So many twists & turns, I didn’t want it to end. The author managed to surprise me & keep me engaged the whole way through.
It had me gasping at points, smiling & laughing at others and then absolutely distraught at the end.
I can not believe it ended the way it did - but also WOW! Now I can see how it all lead to that & I NEED the next books asap
That was outstanding!
I was provided with an ARC copy for an honest review
5 ⭐️
3 🌶
July 8, 2023
DNF @ 58%. This book was soooo unnecessarily long. I found myself skimming through most of the sex scenes because it was just boring as fuck after a while. I love spice but I need a PLOT to go with it and that was no where to be found.
I kept seeing reviews comparing this book to SJM’s work and I will not be sticking around to found out. To even compare SJM to this series is doing everyone a disservice. It’s really unfortunate because I enjoyed the first book but this was not for me at all.
I kept seeing reviews comparing this book to SJM’s work and I will not be sticking around to found out. To even compare SJM to this series is doing everyone a disservice. It’s really unfortunate because I enjoyed the first book but this was not for me at all.
July 9, 2023
So many characters yet so little chemistry. The dialogue sounds like something from a cheesy 2000’s movie. This book is the definition of “meh”.
September 13, 2024
What?! WHAT??!! This might be the most vicious cliffhanger I've ever read.
Now, when I think of the Easter eggs throughout??!! Mind-blown.
I loved the first book, but this one levelled up. I'm going to have to digest what I just read before I can write a more in-depth review.
Now, when I think of the Easter eggs throughout??!! Mind-blown.
I loved the first book, but this one levelled up. I'm going to have to digest what I just read before I can write a more in-depth review.
July 22, 2025
I got bored and had no motivation to want to continue the series… I tried I really did I got half way in.
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