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The Good Luck Girls #2
The Sisters of Reckoning
Aster. Violet. Tansy. Mallow. Clementine.
The Good Luck Girls are back, and they mean business....
Aster is on a mission for the Lady Ghosts, helping an escaped Good Luck Girl. Although grateful to be contributing to the cause, Aster chafes at the way the Lady Ghosts work, taking as few risks as possible. So Aster is delighted when Clem tells her that there has been support from dustbloods around the country for the welcome house arson, orchestrated by Aster.
Hearing that her action spurred these other small rebellions, Aster's resolution is crystallised. It's time for them to take this fight to the next level. They need to get rid of the welcome houses once and for all.
Listening length: 13 hours, 32 minutes
The Good Luck Girls are back, and they mean business....
Aster is on a mission for the Lady Ghosts, helping an escaped Good Luck Girl. Although grateful to be contributing to the cause, Aster chafes at the way the Lady Ghosts work, taking as few risks as possible. So Aster is delighted when Clem tells her that there has been support from dustbloods around the country for the welcome house arson, orchestrated by Aster.
Hearing that her action spurred these other small rebellions, Aster's resolution is crystallised. It's time for them to take this fight to the next level. They need to get rid of the welcome houses once and for all.
Listening length: 13 hours, 32 minutes
14 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 10, 2021
29 people are currently reading
2222 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Nicole Davis
7 books326 followersCharlotte Nicole Davis is the author of The Good Luck Girls, a young adult fantasy novel releasing in Fall 2019 with Tor Teen. A graduate of The New School’s Writing for Children MFA program, Charlotte loves comic book movies and books with maps in the front. She currently lives in Brooklyn with a cat with a crooked tail.
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November 26, 2023
The Sisters of Reckoning is the sequel to Davis's 2019-debut, The Good Luck Girls; I have been anxiously awaiting it. It proved to be truly a powerful follow-up.
I felt like Davis's writing really blossomed within these pages. We love to see it!
Set in the fictional world of Arketta, the action takes place close to a year after the conclusion of the first book. Please note, as this is the second book, there may be some mild spoilers within this review.
Proceed with caution.
After successfully fleeing their Welcome House, Aster remained in Arketta and has become a Lady Ghost, while her fellow Green Creek girls have now settled themselves in the country of Ferron, across the border.
With her work as a Lady Ghost, Aster continues to assist Good Luck girls to escape from their various Welcome Houses; but the progress is slow.
When Aster hears that her enemy, the despicable landmaster Jerrod McClennon, is planning to open a brand new Welcome House, as well as lower the age nationwide that girl's will experience their Lucky Night to 13, she knows she has to do something.
It is no longer good enough to try to save one girl at a time. Aster wants to free all dustbloods from the the landmasters who oppress, abuse and degrade them.
She plans to hit them where it hurts; their money sources. Gathering up the old crew, as well as some bold new allies, Aster leads a movement, known as The Reckoners, who are willing to fight for a new system for Arketta.
Sacrifices will need to be made and the fight may be long and bloody, but Aster and friends, feel like they have nothing left to lose. They are tired, they're frustrated, but they are not weak and they will not rest until they get the justice they deserve.
Y'all, this is an impactful story. Davis did a great job of expanding and building on the groundwork she laid in the first book.
There is a ton of thoughtful social commentary woven throughout the narrative; it's not subtle and I appreciated that. The issues Aster and the other Good Luck Girls are dealing with are not unique to them; they're systemic and Aster realizes they must tear down the system in order to build a new one where dustbloods can be free.
I loved watching Aster grow in confidence and leadership ability. She was still suffering from PTSD related to her time in the Welcome House and that was handled beautifully as well.
My only slight criticism would be somewhere in the middle, it began to feel a little drawn out. The pace decreased a bit and some of the circumstances felt repetitive, but overall, this is an incredible continuation to this story and I loved the ending!
If you haven't picked up The Good Luck Girls yet, you really should. It would be the perfect time to binge the two back-to-back!! I personally would love to see more from Davis in this world.
A hearty thank you to the publisher, Tor Teen, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. Davis is so talented and I definitely plan to pick up anything she writes!!!
I felt like Davis's writing really blossomed within these pages. We love to see it!
Set in the fictional world of Arketta, the action takes place close to a year after the conclusion of the first book. Please note, as this is the second book, there may be some mild spoilers within this review.
Proceed with caution.
After successfully fleeing their Welcome House, Aster remained in Arketta and has become a Lady Ghost, while her fellow Green Creek girls have now settled themselves in the country of Ferron, across the border.
With her work as a Lady Ghost, Aster continues to assist Good Luck girls to escape from their various Welcome Houses; but the progress is slow.
When Aster hears that her enemy, the despicable landmaster Jerrod McClennon, is planning to open a brand new Welcome House, as well as lower the age nationwide that girl's will experience their Lucky Night to 13, she knows she has to do something.
It is no longer good enough to try to save one girl at a time. Aster wants to free all dustbloods from the the landmasters who oppress, abuse and degrade them.
She plans to hit them where it hurts; their money sources. Gathering up the old crew, as well as some bold new allies, Aster leads a movement, known as The Reckoners, who are willing to fight for a new system for Arketta.
Sacrifices will need to be made and the fight may be long and bloody, but Aster and friends, feel like they have nothing left to lose. They are tired, they're frustrated, but they are not weak and they will not rest until they get the justice they deserve.
Y'all, this is an impactful story. Davis did a great job of expanding and building on the groundwork she laid in the first book.
There is a ton of thoughtful social commentary woven throughout the narrative; it's not subtle and I appreciated that. The issues Aster and the other Good Luck Girls are dealing with are not unique to them; they're systemic and Aster realizes they must tear down the system in order to build a new one where dustbloods can be free.
I loved watching Aster grow in confidence and leadership ability. She was still suffering from PTSD related to her time in the Welcome House and that was handled beautifully as well.
My only slight criticism would be somewhere in the middle, it began to feel a little drawn out. The pace decreased a bit and some of the circumstances felt repetitive, but overall, this is an incredible continuation to this story and I loved the ending!
If you haven't picked up The Good Luck Girls yet, you really should. It would be the perfect time to binge the two back-to-back!! I personally would love to see more from Davis in this world.
A hearty thank you to the publisher, Tor Teen, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. Davis is so talented and I definitely plan to pick up anything she writes!!!
April 26, 2021
I’m not going to lie, I was nervous to start this, wondering how it could top The Good Luck Girls. In conclusion, I never should have doubted Charlotte Nicole Davis. The Sisters of Reckoning packs an even heavier punch than The Good Luck Girls with discussions of land rights, power, and overthrowing the government. Without a doubt, this series is a must-read.
* Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
* Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
August 3, 2021
Almost a year after the events of book one, Aster is still helping girls cross the border in search of a better life. She's become friends with the Lady Ghosts, but misses her sister and friends on the other side all the same.
With a new welcome house opening and lowering the lucky night age to thirteen, Aster can't help but act. She makes a spur of the moment decision that will affect her life, and the lives of those closest to her forever.
But it's not just Aster and her group of friends standing up for what's right. A rebellion is starting, and the girls are determined to give the landowners hell, even if they die trying.
I've lost count of how many times I cried while reading this book. Must be somewhere in the 20s range. Even now I'm a blubbering mess.
When I tell you this book has no flaws you better listen, because it's the truth.
I'm blown away, once again, with the world building, character development and the storyline. Charlotte Nicole Davis does not miss.
THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A SEQUEL! It's so strong and gives a good message of unity, and hope even when all seems lost.
The romance isn't the main focus of the story this time around either which is nice and thoughtful due to Aster's PTSD. But there is a subtle love triangle in the mix.
I shipped Aster with both of them, and I'm glad she ended up with who she did because that person feels so right for her. I'm also happy to see Tansy & Mallow and Clementine and Zee are as in love as ever.
Out of the new characters, well, I love them all. Raven, Derrick, Lizzy, the Nine...
Derrick's growth is so apparent and I'm proud of him for doing all he did. It's hard to stand up to monsters we don't know, but even harder to tackle ones we do. You did so good Derrick. You better live your best life.
What I'd also like to emphasise, is that both The Good Luck Girls and The Sisters of Reckoning have satisfying endings. You can stop at book one, or you can continue into book two and will leave happy (and wrecked for all eternity).
I don't know if there will be another book, due to how this one ended, but I'd very much love if there was, because I haven't had enough of these Reckoners.
In short, this series is amazing and you need to read it ASAP.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
With a new welcome house opening and lowering the lucky night age to thirteen, Aster can't help but act. She makes a spur of the moment decision that will affect her life, and the lives of those closest to her forever.
But it's not just Aster and her group of friends standing up for what's right. A rebellion is starting, and the girls are determined to give the landowners hell, even if they die trying.
I've lost count of how many times I cried while reading this book. Must be somewhere in the 20s range. Even now I'm a blubbering mess.
When I tell you this book has no flaws you better listen, because it's the truth.
I'm blown away, once again, with the world building, character development and the storyline. Charlotte Nicole Davis does not miss.
THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A SEQUEL! It's so strong and gives a good message of unity, and hope even when all seems lost.
The romance isn't the main focus of the story this time around either which is nice and thoughtful due to Aster's PTSD. But there is a subtle love triangle in the mix.
I shipped Aster with both of them, and I'm glad she ended up with who she did because that person feels so right for her. I'm also happy to see Tansy & Mallow and Clementine and Zee are as in love as ever.
Out of the new characters, well, I love them all. Raven, Derrick, Lizzy, the Nine...
Derrick's growth is so apparent and I'm proud of him for doing all he did. It's hard to stand up to monsters we don't know, but even harder to tackle ones we do. You did so good Derrick. You better live your best life.
What I'd also like to emphasise, is that both The Good Luck Girls and The Sisters of Reckoning have satisfying endings. You can stop at book one, or you can continue into book two and will leave happy (and wrecked for all eternity).
I don't know if there will be another book, due to how this one ended, but I'd very much love if there was, because I haven't had enough of these Reckoners.
In short, this series is amazing and you need to read it ASAP.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
August 3, 2021
On my blog.
Rep: Black sapphic mc, bi li, Black side characters, lesbian side characters, Native American coded characters, Black trans side character
CWs: past sexual abuse, mentions of child prostitution, torture
Galley provided by publisher
How to find the words to describe The Sisters of Reckoning? Possibly, it’s one of my favourite sequels ever, dark and righteously vengeful, a catharsis. It takes the set up from book one and gives a wholly satisfying ending.
The story picks up a few months later than the end of The Good Luck Girls. I can’t summarise it, not because it’s spoilery (although that’s true), but because I actually don’t remember how it opens, I’m writing this review so long after reading it. But that’s probably the least of my worries.
The biggest of which is this: how the hell do I review this book?
I think what I loved most about this book (a certain couple besides), was that it allows the characters to have revenge. To tear down the people and the structures that hurt and enslaved them. And, yeah, it’s violent. There’s murder and there’s torture, committed by the characters you’re rooting for. They’re not perfect, though I would hesitate to say they’re morally ambiguous or grey (they have clear morals, after all, unlike those they’re fighting against). I think what this book did for me, unlike a lot of YA involving revolutions, is show that you cannot keep your hands clean. That overthrowing an oppressive power is necessarily going to involve violence, and crossing lines that maybe you can’t afford not to cross (this is about a specific event at the end, so it’s intentionally vague).
It’s also a book that recognises that it’s not just the system that’s sour, but the people profiting off it too, unlike another recent YA fantasy I might mention. It’s a book that contains a lot more nuance than a fair bit of the age range it fits into (I’m not saying YA can’t be nuanced, I’m saying it’s a fair generalisation to make that it’s less often so), both about how far you have to go in rebellion, and how people are implicated in the system of oppression.
And then. There’s Violet and Aster. I think I made it pretty clear in my (very brief) review of The Good Luck Girls that these two were the ones I wanted to be endgame and. Well. I won’t spoil things. But if you’re looking for sapphics who’ll burn down the world for one another? You’ve come to the right place.
So, now you know this, you have until August to read the first book. What are you waiting for?
Rep: Black sapphic mc, bi li, Black side characters, lesbian side characters, Native American coded characters, Black trans side character
CWs: past sexual abuse, mentions of child prostitution, torture
Galley provided by publisher
How to find the words to describe The Sisters of Reckoning? Possibly, it’s one of my favourite sequels ever, dark and righteously vengeful, a catharsis. It takes the set up from book one and gives a wholly satisfying ending.
The story picks up a few months later than the end of The Good Luck Girls. I can’t summarise it, not because it’s spoilery (although that’s true), but because I actually don’t remember how it opens, I’m writing this review so long after reading it. But that’s probably the least of my worries.
The biggest of which is this: how the hell do I review this book?
I think what I loved most about this book (a certain couple besides), was that it allows the characters to have revenge. To tear down the people and the structures that hurt and enslaved them. And, yeah, it’s violent. There’s murder and there’s torture, committed by the characters you’re rooting for. They’re not perfect, though I would hesitate to say they’re morally ambiguous or grey (they have clear morals, after all, unlike those they’re fighting against). I think what this book did for me, unlike a lot of YA involving revolutions, is show that you cannot keep your hands clean. That overthrowing an oppressive power is necessarily going to involve violence, and crossing lines that maybe you can’t afford not to cross (this is about a specific event at the end, so it’s intentionally vague).
It’s also a book that recognises that it’s not just the system that’s sour, but the people profiting off it too, unlike another recent YA fantasy I might mention. It’s a book that contains a lot more nuance than a fair bit of the age range it fits into (I’m not saying YA can’t be nuanced, I’m saying it’s a fair generalisation to make that it’s less often so), both about how far you have to go in rebellion, and how people are implicated in the system of oppression.
And then. There’s Violet and Aster. I think I made it pretty clear in my (very brief) review of The Good Luck Girls that these two were the ones I wanted to be endgame and. Well. I won’t spoil things. But if you’re looking for sapphics who’ll burn down the world for one another? You’ve come to the right place.
So, now you know this, you have until August to read the first book. What are you waiting for?
March 30, 2023
“the problem was not that a just thing had been made unjust, the problem was that the unjust thing was now going to affect everyone else.”
the sisters of reckoning picks up a year after the events of the good luck girls. aster has been quietly smuggling other escaped girls across the border, but news of a new welcome house drives her to take more direct action. reunited with her sister and the friends they escaped with, she sets her sights on not only closing the welcome houses but freeing all dustbloods.
this is a book about resistance, and i really like how charlotte nicole davis handled that. we have characters and resistance groups working within the current system, and then we have others who believe the existing system needs to be torn down entirely, as well as a range who fall somewhere in the middle, and i think it’s so important for ya readers in particular to see those arguments and discussions between people who are all well-meaning.
that said, this is a duology that really would have benefited from becoming a trilogy—the good luck girls is fast paced in the best way, but here that pacing rushes the story along too quickly. this is a huge rebellion and condensing it into one book resulted in some very repetitive sections and a conclusion that was less climactic than it should have been. the ending, in and of itself, was perfect—it just needed more build up.
the relationships also suffered as a result of the pacing. i feel like i know less about mallow/tansy and clementine/zee than i did when i started this book. i really love the bond between the five girls and zee, and i wish we’d gotten to see more of that here. on the plus side, we had a great new character, raven, and the endgame for aster that i’d been rooting for since the first book. (she and violet remain my favorite characters.)
i love the world davis has created, but the sisters of reckoning tried to accomplish too much too quickly and as a result it ended up sacrificing some of the elements that made the first book so special.
i received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
rating: 3.0/5.0 stars
June 9, 2022
after reading:
4.5/5 stars. This sequel was EVERYTHING I wanted and MORE! and it's gay 😭
my only gripe is I feel the covers for the good luck girls and sisters of reckoning should be switched. the first book had narration from both clementine and aster, but this book is solely aster's narration, yet the cover might lead you to believe different. but that's okay! we love aster and this book!!! 🧡
before reading:
*clears throat* I would like this sequel right now, thank you very much!!!!!!!
4.5/5 stars. This sequel was EVERYTHING I wanted and MORE! and it's gay 😭
my only gripe is I feel the covers for the good luck girls and sisters of reckoning should be switched. the first book had narration from both clementine and aster, but this book is solely aster's narration, yet the cover might lead you to believe different. but that's okay! we love aster and this book!!! 🧡
before reading:
*clears throat* I would like this sequel right now, thank you very much!!!!!!!
July 20, 2021
In the sequel to The Good Luck Girls Aster has been living with The Lady Ghosts for over a year helping them free Good Luck Girls from Welcome Houses. But their methods are too slow and not effective enough for Aster who wants a much faster resolution. Unfortunately an illegal risk just isn't one the women are willing to take. After hearing about a new Welcome House opening up that will be starting the girl's lucky nights at age 13, Aster makes a rash decision to burn it to the ground which ignites a reckoning of sorts.
Aster, Clementine, Zee, Tansy, Mallow and some new allies team up to try and force the hand of the landmasters by kidnapping them and destroying their businesses. The plan is to force change without turning into the types of people they're fighting.
Just as I was sucked in the the first book early this one also drew me in. When the reveal came about the Welcome House in Northrock lowering the lucky night age to 13 I gasped right along with Aster. While this book plays it safe in the language it uses to describe certain events you still feel the impact of what's happened.
This book is the same length as the previous book though it felt longer. There were some points in the middle that felt very repetitive. And while Aster was just as much of the lead as she was in the last book there was a much larger cast of steady characters. So sometimes it felt as if characters were barely featured. Especially with all the goings and comings as they moved within the different groups and made journeys across the country. And Aster's rash decision making despite having adequate time to form a plan always resulted in worse conditions for everyone else. Yet that didn't stop her from again jumping into things without considering the consequences.
As with the previous book there are allegories and allusions to slavery and they were further expanded upon here. There's one point in the story where Eli is lamenting on the scorpions attitude towards the Good Luck Girls calling them traitors. He explains it's easier for the men to believe the girls had it better off than them than admit they couldn't protect them from the landmasters. That parallels Black men being unable to protect Black women from slavery. There's also another passage that talks about about a massive revolution and how the government started recruiting dustbloods to the military to prevent further revolts.
I really like the relationship with Aster and Eli and was actually shipping them together. So it was shocking when Aster ended up with another character. One because I didn't feel that chemistry between her and that character due to how they frequently popped in and out. And two because much of the book Aster was getting over her fear of seeing men in a good light. She was still battling ptsd from her time at the Welcome House so just a man's presence could rattle her.
The ending also felt a little abrupt to me but this was still a very well done sequel.
I received an arc from Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 rounded up to 4!
Aster, Clementine, Zee, Tansy, Mallow and some new allies team up to try and force the hand of the landmasters by kidnapping them and destroying their businesses. The plan is to force change without turning into the types of people they're fighting.
Just as I was sucked in the the first book early this one also drew me in. When the reveal came about the Welcome House in Northrock lowering the lucky night age to 13 I gasped right along with Aster. While this book plays it safe in the language it uses to describe certain events you still feel the impact of what's happened.
This book is the same length as the previous book though it felt longer. There were some points in the middle that felt very repetitive. And while Aster was just as much of the lead as she was in the last book there was a much larger cast of steady characters. So sometimes it felt as if characters were barely featured. Especially with all the goings and comings as they moved within the different groups and made journeys across the country. And Aster's rash decision making despite having adequate time to form a plan always resulted in worse conditions for everyone else. Yet that didn't stop her from again jumping into things without considering the consequences.
As with the previous book there are allegories and allusions to slavery and they were further expanded upon here. There's one point in the story where Eli is lamenting on the scorpions attitude towards the Good Luck Girls calling them traitors. He explains it's easier for the men to believe the girls had it better off than them than admit they couldn't protect them from the landmasters. That parallels Black men being unable to protect Black women from slavery. There's also another passage that talks about about a massive revolution and how the government started recruiting dustbloods to the military to prevent further revolts.
I really like the relationship with Aster and Eli and was actually shipping them together. So it was shocking when Aster ended up with another character. One because I didn't feel that chemistry between her and that character due to how they frequently popped in and out. And two because much of the book Aster was getting over her fear of seeing men in a good light. She was still battling ptsd from her time at the Welcome House so just a man's presence could rattle her.
The ending also felt a little abrupt to me but this was still a very well done sequel.
I received an arc from Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 rounded up to 4!
August 14, 2021
I had been highly anticipating this conclusion to the Good Luck Girls duology and while there were things I liked- the ending was a satisfying ride and there is solid exploration of how trauma can impact your experiences with sexuality, handled in a thoughtfully nuanced way.
However, I also think this suffered from too many plot points that felt repetitive and didn't give the characters enough space to breathe. The book tried to accomplish too much too quickly, and either needed a simplified plot structure or to be reworked into a trilogy. Also if you are irritated by characters repeatedly making rash decisions without considering the consequences, this book will drive you up a wall because that seems to be all Aster does! Over and over she does things that put others at risk, clearly not thinking through the consequences. I appreciate her passion for justice, but she never really learns from anything and does things that could have led to even more severe consequences. Like outing a secret organization to a large group of people you just assume you can trust. I found her to be really frustrating, especially since there wasn't much of a growth arc in this, things just ended up working out largely in her favor.
I really loved the first book, and I was hoping this one give us more explanations of the world-building and expand on the characters and their relationships with each other. While there is a large cast of characters, the too-ambitious plot really pushes out spending time with most of them. Which is unfortunate because they're great characters. We also get Raven, a newly introduced trans character. Again, I really liked her but wanted more time with her.
Thematically I think this is addressing important topics like enslavement, prejudice, sex trafficking, and more. This book also gives more attention to the existence and role of indigenous people and the different kinds of oppression they face. Plus we get queer characters grappling with complex elements of their sexuality. All of that is great in principle, but I found the storytelling itself to be a little lacking. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
However, I also think this suffered from too many plot points that felt repetitive and didn't give the characters enough space to breathe. The book tried to accomplish too much too quickly, and either needed a simplified plot structure or to be reworked into a trilogy. Also if you are irritated by characters repeatedly making rash decisions without considering the consequences, this book will drive you up a wall because that seems to be all Aster does! Over and over she does things that put others at risk, clearly not thinking through the consequences. I appreciate her passion for justice, but she never really learns from anything and does things that could have led to even more severe consequences. Like outing a secret organization to a large group of people you just assume you can trust. I found her to be really frustrating, especially since there wasn't much of a growth arc in this, things just ended up working out largely in her favor.
I really loved the first book, and I was hoping this one give us more explanations of the world-building and expand on the characters and their relationships with each other. While there is a large cast of characters, the too-ambitious plot really pushes out spending time with most of them. Which is unfortunate because they're great characters. We also get Raven, a newly introduced trans character. Again, I really liked her but wanted more time with her.
Thematically I think this is addressing important topics like enslavement, prejudice, sex trafficking, and more. This book also gives more attention to the existence and role of indigenous people and the different kinds of oppression they face. Plus we get queer characters grappling with complex elements of their sexuality. All of that is great in principle, but I found the storytelling itself to be a little lacking. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
September 26, 2021
I'm actually so surprised I ended up really liking this book. A couple of chapters in, I was ready to throw the book across the room in anger and not pick it up again! 😅
Good Luck Girls could have been where the story concluded for these girls but The Sisters of Reckoning is truely a book about resistance and what it means to have freedom and power.
Aster's story developed beautifully. I really appreciated the discussions on how her experiences from the welcome house still affects her life and decisions she makes. It was definitely necessary in a book with such sensitive content.
Reading more about the different areas and people in this Old Western world, particularly more on The Nine Nations was so enjoyable. So was the introduction of new characters, Raven especially. Zee, Eli and one other (who's name I won't say as to not give anything away) were also characters that we got to see evolve nicely. There was even some romance which I didn't see coming but happened so naturally that I was surprised I hadn't guessed at it. The action much like the previous book was jam packed and high intensity. All in all it is a brilliant ending to this duology.
4 ⭐
Good Luck Girls could have been where the story concluded for these girls but The Sisters of Reckoning is truely a book about resistance and what it means to have freedom and power.
Aster's story developed beautifully. I really appreciated the discussions on how her experiences from the welcome house still affects her life and decisions she makes. It was definitely necessary in a book with such sensitive content.
Reading more about the different areas and people in this Old Western world, particularly more on The Nine Nations was so enjoyable. So was the introduction of new characters, Raven especially. Zee, Eli and one other (who's name I won't say as to not give anything away) were also characters that we got to see evolve nicely. There was even some romance which I didn't see coming but happened so naturally that I was surprised I hadn't guessed at it. The action much like the previous book was jam packed and high intensity. All in all it is a brilliant ending to this duology.
4 ⭐
September 8, 2021
An an adult reader of neither fantasy nor action novels I certainly wasn’t expecting to throughly enjoy Charlotte Nicole Davis’s fast-paced feminist YA debut with parallels to the twenty-first century. This sequel picks up a year on from the frenetic events of the first book which ended with the Good Luck Girls, led by feisty Aster, having escaped Green Creek welcome house (the brothel where their parents were forced to sell them to in order to cover their debts) in Arketta, and crossed the Wild West-esque Scab. Most of the group are living as dustblood refugees in Ferron but eighteen-year-old firebrand Aster has remained in Arketta, working with the Lady Ghosts and borderjumping other girls to safety and freedom. But for impetuous Aster these small gains will never be enough and she won’t rest until all dustbloods are free, welcome houses close their doors and the underclasses unite to force a revolution, overturn the system and abolish slavery. Aster’s plan goes from a mere dream to a potential reality when the wealthiest landowners and the Lucker’s nemesis, Jerrod McClennon, makes a surprise announcement to open a new welcome house and sickening lower the age of the girl’s lucky night to thirteen. When missing presumed dead Lucker, Violet Fleur, is announced as the new housemistress, Aster gets another shock but impetuous as ever she decides to act first and thinks later. Taking the first step with fellow Lady Ghost, Raven, and soon joined by Tansy, Mallow, sister Clementine and eventually by some of the allies and underclasses encountered in their first adventure, The Sisters of Reckoning is all about resistance, insurrection and orchestrating a revolution.
I felt this was very much Aster’s story and would have appreciated hearing more from the other Luckers who featured in the first book, as their differing outlooks, attitudes and personalities complemented each other. Aster is a well-developed and complex character and despite her tough exterior she bears the scars of her years in the welcome house and is uncomfortable being alone with men. Flawed yet well-intentioned, it is quite exhausting to have everything filtered solely through the perspective of Aster and I missed the balance of the first novel that came from the diverse perspectives of the group. Whilst this novel lacks the constant and high-stakes action of crossing the Scab with obstacles at every turn, there is a lot more planning and negotiation with different groups coming together to overturn the control of the landowners and end the subjugation of not only women but all dustbloods in Arketta. Populated by a racially diverse cast with strong LGBTQ+ representation there is an impressive amount of depth to The Sisters of Reckoning with a focus on effecting a changes for the better for all. Whilst the novel could have been tighter and again seemed to end abruptly it was an impressive follow-up to The Good Luck Girls with notable parallels to real life that provides serious food for thought. I would not advise reading this novel as a stand-alone as the context and central characters are well-established in the first book and this follow-up is essentially a very satisfying extension of it.
I felt this was very much Aster’s story and would have appreciated hearing more from the other Luckers who featured in the first book, as their differing outlooks, attitudes and personalities complemented each other. Aster is a well-developed and complex character and despite her tough exterior she bears the scars of her years in the welcome house and is uncomfortable being alone with men. Flawed yet well-intentioned, it is quite exhausting to have everything filtered solely through the perspective of Aster and I missed the balance of the first novel that came from the diverse perspectives of the group. Whilst this novel lacks the constant and high-stakes action of crossing the Scab with obstacles at every turn, there is a lot more planning and negotiation with different groups coming together to overturn the control of the landowners and end the subjugation of not only women but all dustbloods in Arketta. Populated by a racially diverse cast with strong LGBTQ+ representation there is an impressive amount of depth to The Sisters of Reckoning with a focus on effecting a changes for the better for all. Whilst the novel could have been tighter and again seemed to end abruptly it was an impressive follow-up to The Good Luck Girls with notable parallels to real life that provides serious food for thought. I would not advise reading this novel as a stand-alone as the context and central characters are well-established in the first book and this follow-up is essentially a very satisfying extension of it.
October 16, 2021
3.25⭐️
August 18, 2021
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Initially, I was so excited for this sequel. I felt like The Good Luck Girls was one of the most unique world I've read in a while. Electricity guns, post-apocalyptic Mad Max vibes, and dystopia. That's kind of all the things I love. And I sincerely enjoyed the first one, but The Sisters of Reckoning pace was hard for me. I felt like so much of it felt like start and stop. Like I would get into the action and feel this lull, and this kind of went on through 80%.
I was determined to make it to the end, but it kept pulling me out of reading. I feel like most sequels have this current that pulls you through, and this one just lulled a bit too much sometimes.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
Initially, I was so excited for this sequel. I felt like The Good Luck Girls was one of the most unique world I've read in a while. Electricity guns, post-apocalyptic Mad Max vibes, and dystopia. That's kind of all the things I love. And I sincerely enjoyed the first one, but The Sisters of Reckoning pace was hard for me. I felt like so much of it felt like start and stop. Like I would get into the action and feel this lull, and this kind of went on through 80%.
I was determined to make it to the end, but it kept pulling me out of reading. I feel like most sequels have this current that pulls you through, and this one just lulled a bit too much sometimes.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
October 3, 2021
CW: past sexual abuse, transphobia, torture, trafficking, racism, sexism, violence
The Sisters of Reckoning is the sequel to Nicole Davis' The Good Luck Girls.
It started nearly a year after the first book ended where Aster remained in Arketta and became Lady Ghost where she other Good Luck Girls escape their welcome houses until Jerrod McClennon decided to open a new welcome house in addition to lowering the age of girls to 13 for their Lucky Night.
Aster realizes that it's not enough to save one girl after a time, she must tear down the system and build a new one. Now, she must call on her old friends and work with new allies to succeed.
The author has expanded the world-building and plot well. It's fast paced and well-written. It's apparent that the author really improved on her writing style here. And the ending is really satisfying. Thoughtful social commentaries are woven throughout the whole story.
Aster's characterization is well done, her PTSD was handled well. And seeing her grow into her new role as a leader is heartwarming.
I only have some issues: first, there are a lot of scenes that felt repetitive. Second, the pacing in the middle became a bit choppy.
Overall, The Sisters of Reckoning is an excellent sequel to Good Luck Girls. It has diverse and queer characters, action, and it tackles important issues such as slavery, sexism, prejudice.
Thanks to Tor Teens and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
The Sisters of Reckoning is the sequel to Nicole Davis' The Good Luck Girls.
It started nearly a year after the first book ended where Aster remained in Arketta and became Lady Ghost where she other Good Luck Girls escape their welcome houses until Jerrod McClennon decided to open a new welcome house in addition to lowering the age of girls to 13 for their Lucky Night.
Aster realizes that it's not enough to save one girl after a time, she must tear down the system and build a new one. Now, she must call on her old friends and work with new allies to succeed.
The author has expanded the world-building and plot well. It's fast paced and well-written. It's apparent that the author really improved on her writing style here. And the ending is really satisfying. Thoughtful social commentaries are woven throughout the whole story.
Aster's characterization is well done, her PTSD was handled well. And seeing her grow into her new role as a leader is heartwarming.
I only have some issues: first, there are a lot of scenes that felt repetitive. Second, the pacing in the middle became a bit choppy.
Overall, The Sisters of Reckoning is an excellent sequel to Good Luck Girls. It has diverse and queer characters, action, and it tackles important issues such as slavery, sexism, prejudice.
Thanks to Tor Teens and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
Want to read
December 31, 2020We have a title and a cover and they're both so gorgeous 😭😭 I can't wait for this it's automatically become one of my most anticipated of next year, especially when the synopsis suggests we might get Aster/Violet endgame 😭😭😭
Want to read
December 4, 2019A sequel a sequel!!
April 21, 2021
This was a fantastic conclusion to this duology. I loved it.
November 5, 2021
This had a very slow start for me, but ultimately I thought it was a good book and a satisfying conclusion to this duology.
The first half of the book we get to see what Aster has been up to since the last book. And we see she's chomping at the bit to enact some "real" change. So this becomes a story where we follow the girls and their allies basically trying to overturn the government. When the story took this turn I'll admit I wasn't a fan. This definitely isn't an original plotline and I really liked how the first book had a much smaller scope that was just focused on their group. It also didn't feel as organic to me how they end up starting this "reckoning". Around 55%-60% through the book is when we got to see all the plans of this group of rebels come to fruition and that part had more of the action and character interactions I really enjoyed about the first book, which brought me back into the story and I ended up really enjoying it through the end.
I really enjoyed following Aster and seeing how she dealt with things. I really liked how the story showed her trauma and appreciated how it represented her anxiety and panic attacks. But I would've really liked to get to see more of the other girls too.
I didn't appreciate the Love quadrangle that appeared to be happening for part of the story? One of the corners felt like a complete nonissue so I don't know why it was included at all. The other 2 corners ended up feeling like how I feel about most love triangles, one person very obviously has a stronger pull (in my opinion) so it was hard to even care for the other "relationship". Every time there were romantic moments between the less strong pairing I was like "why". I do appreciate how it was eventually explained to be how the main character was feeling and exploring their sexuality, but I would've appreciated it more if their draw to the other character was more believable.
The ending might feel a little "neat" but after all Aster and these girls go through I thought they deserved a little happiness.
Overall I really enjoyed this, and would recommend the duology as a whole.
The first half of the book we get to see what Aster has been up to since the last book. And we see she's chomping at the bit to enact some "real" change. So this becomes a story where we follow the girls and their allies basically trying to overturn the government. When the story took this turn I'll admit I wasn't a fan. This definitely isn't an original plotline and I really liked how the first book had a much smaller scope that was just focused on their group. It also didn't feel as organic to me how they end up starting this "reckoning". Around 55%-60% through the book is when we got to see all the plans of this group of rebels come to fruition and that part had more of the action and character interactions I really enjoyed about the first book, which brought me back into the story and I ended up really enjoying it through the end.
I really enjoyed following Aster and seeing how she dealt with things. I really liked how the story showed her trauma and appreciated how it represented her anxiety and panic attacks. But I would've really liked to get to see more of the other girls too.
I didn't appreciate the Love quadrangle that appeared to be happening for part of the story? One of the corners felt like a complete nonissue so I don't know why it was included at all. The other 2 corners ended up feeling like how I feel about most love triangles, one person very obviously has a stronger pull (in my opinion) so it was hard to even care for the other "relationship". Every time there were romantic moments between the less strong pairing I was like "why". I do appreciate how it was eventually explained to be how the main character was feeling and exploring their sexuality, but I would've appreciated it more if their draw to the other character was more believable.
The ending might feel a little "neat" but after all Aster and these girls go through I thought they deserved a little happiness.
Overall I really enjoyed this, and would recommend the duology as a whole.
August 8, 2021
4.25 Stars
Content Warnings at end of review.
Thank you to Tor Teen and Netgalley for an arc of this book!
A few months after the events of The Good Luck Girls, Aster is helping the Lady Ghosts smuggle Good Luck Girls across the border to Ferron. But new developments with the Welcome Houses and the reappearance of Violet make Aster decide she needs to get things done faster than the Lady Ghosts are willing. The gang from the first book are back along with a few new faces as the Reckoners fight for the good of dustbloods everywhere.
I really loved this sequel! I thought it picked up in a good place--not too far from the ending of the original, but far enough that it warranted a separate book. I loved a particular relationship that happened that I can't say because spoilers, but I am VERY pleased with it. I thought the plot of this one was exciting and loved all the characters and the revolution!
I think this book could have benefitted from alternate pov's. While I love Aster, there were times when the pace of this book felt significantly slowed down because the main action was happening with someone else. If there had been a few pov's from other people it would have been able to keep the tempo going!
I also felt the ending wasn't paced greatly...It drug out for a while and then ended very abruptly. I did like how it ended and the resolution, just didn't love the pacing. I also wasn't a huge fan of the epilogue because I almost never like those, but this one wasn't too bad!
The strongest points of this duology are definitely the world-building, fantasy-western hybrid setting, and the themes. Davis does a wonderful job alegorizing slavery and indentured servitude here and I think the parallels between America's history and what is happening in Arketta are so well done. I loved this duology and definitely recommend it!
Pub date: August 10, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
Content Warnings at end of review.
Thank you to Tor Teen and Netgalley for an arc of this book!
A few months after the events of The Good Luck Girls, Aster is helping the Lady Ghosts smuggle Good Luck Girls across the border to Ferron. But new developments with the Welcome Houses and the reappearance of Violet make Aster decide she needs to get things done faster than the Lady Ghosts are willing. The gang from the first book are back along with a few new faces as the Reckoners fight for the good of dustbloods everywhere.
I really loved this sequel! I thought it picked up in a good place--not too far from the ending of the original, but far enough that it warranted a separate book. I loved a particular relationship that happened that I can't say because spoilers, but I am VERY pleased with it. I thought the plot of this one was exciting and loved all the characters and the revolution!
I think this book could have benefitted from alternate pov's. While I love Aster, there were times when the pace of this book felt significantly slowed down because the main action was happening with someone else. If there had been a few pov's from other people it would have been able to keep the tempo going!
I also felt the ending wasn't paced greatly...It drug out for a while and then ended very abruptly. I did like how it ended and the resolution, just didn't love the pacing. I also wasn't a huge fan of the epilogue because I almost never like those, but this one wasn't too bad!
The strongest points of this duology are definitely the world-building, fantasy-western hybrid setting, and the themes. Davis does a wonderful job alegorizing slavery and indentured servitude here and I think the parallels between America's history and what is happening in Arketta are so well done. I loved this duology and definitely recommend it!
Pub date: August 10, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
August 7, 2021
I was really excited to read this second book yet at the same time I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to the first book in the series back in, 2019. I was also a little anxious as to whether I would remember who everyone was and what their back stories were but I need not have worried as I slipped easily back into this well created harsh world of the haves/have nots.
I’ll be totally honest the cover isn’t my favourite but I guess its to more appeal to the teens who the book is truly aimed at rather than myself. I loved the Tor Teen cover for The Good Luck Girls, or the Hot Key Books version too. For the sequel, The Sisters Of Reckoning I much prefer the Hot Key Books cover. I find the more realistic, looking characters much more appealing. They are the book covers that would make me pick up this book from a book store shelf to learn more! I wasn’t so keen on Tor Teen covers as they look more comic, graphic novel style to me.
In this book as in the first book of the series the landowners are still ruling and having everything their own way, living in luxury on the shine they get from those that work for them that they give a pittance to survive on to, in exchange for a lifetime of servitude.
This book picks up about a year later, when the majority of the Green Creek Luckers have escaped and most have been smuggled to freedom and a new life in Ferron, only Violet who was caught by McClennon, and Aster who has joined the Lady Ghosts are not living their wished for, life of freedom. Aster is determined to help other Good Luck girls escape their lives at the Welcome Houses, but it still doesn’t feel like its enough to her. Sure, Aster is aiding the Lady Ghosts and girls are being smuggled to freedom, but only small numbers of them. Aster wants to make a bigger impact, to change more lives for the better. When she hears the news that Jerrod McClennon is in Northrock to make a large public announcement, both Aster & Raven disguised as fortuna’s go to hear first hand what the horrible man’s new venture is going to be. Aster is shocked to learn that he intends on opening a Welcome House right there in Northrock, so the men do not need to travel through the scab to enjoy the services of the Good Luck girls anymore. Jerrod McClennon talks about how accommodating and well trained these girls will be, how the new Welcome House Mistress is a fairblood herself and then to Aster’s horror he introduces the housemistress and it is Violet! Not yet recovered from the shock of seeing Violet again, Aster struggles to concentrate briefly but Jerrod McClennon hasn’t finished with his big announcements yet and Aster and Raven are further disturbed to hear that the Welcome House girls, Lucky Nights will now happen on their thirteenth birthday rather than their sixteenth as before. Aster also sees the shock and horror on the face of Violet, and makes her wonder if she new about the earlier Lucky Nights or not. Its then Aster decides she must see Violet as soon as she can.
I could talk and talk about the plot of this book with its subtle hints at what is to come woven in with action packed scenes featuring both old and new characters but I honestly do not want to spoil the unfolding of events for anyone reading this brilliant book. The writing style is once again amazing, the world cleverly built with its different people, Landowners, Dustbloods, Good Luck Girls, and Raveners all creating a tiered hierarchy of people. I thoroughly enjoyed how Aster brings together the different factions of people that are unhappy with the landowners who want to make a stand but alone in their smaller groups cannot make a large enough difference. With help from a source close to Jerrod McClennon, Aster and the Green Creek Girls hatch a plan where when all the factions work together, they may just have enough strength and power to bring the landowners down and change the unfair system.
I loved lots of characters in this book, the obvious ones being Aster and Zee. They both have to deal with those from their pasts and learn to come to terms with things they cannot change. Aster has come a long way from being a Green Creek girl, she has learnt a lot from the various Lady Ghosts, such as how to control her panic and stay calm using breathing techniques when in difficult situations, which she needs to use more than once in this book.
I also adored Eli, its clear to see he loves Aster but she still struggles with the closeness of a man never mind a touch of affection from one. Despite these she has two men sweet on her and vying for her attention. I have to admit I was on Team Eli and he was the one I desperately wanted Aster to have a happy ever after with. In this book Eli shows his emotions when Aster, Tansy, & Mallow are being escorted through the tunnels to Camp Deathstalker for weapons but, are attacked by angry vengeants. With Aster’s leg damaged and Eli’s chest it makes their mission even more difficult and slows down their progress leaving them less time to organise their plans of attack. It becomes apparent that Eli feels guilty about these vengeants, almost feeling he deserves to be attacked by them, as these vengeants are the spirits of the people he and the Scorpions tried to help but failed. Aster wants to comfort Eli, but is unsure how to without giving him the wrong impression and making herself really uncomfortable.
The descriptions in this book are so detailed they make the characters and surroundings easy to visualise. One I really loved, “Derrick had gotten in the middle of them like a stringy piece of meat caught between two teeth! I adored and yes had a tear in my eye when Aster had a farewell conversation with Priscilla, it’s clear Aster viewed her as a mother figure and vice versa. I also really liked the saying of “Wander Well” when characters were parting ways.
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that the book was an amazing sequel to the fantastic Good Luck Girls bk 1 and that bk2 finished with a really fitting ending.
To sum up what more can I say? If you read The Good Luck Girls this sequel is an absolute must read, and if you haven’t yet read any of this series you seriously need to!!
I’ll be totally honest the cover isn’t my favourite but I guess its to more appeal to the teens who the book is truly aimed at rather than myself. I loved the Tor Teen cover for The Good Luck Girls, or the Hot Key Books version too. For the sequel, The Sisters Of Reckoning I much prefer the Hot Key Books cover. I find the more realistic, looking characters much more appealing. They are the book covers that would make me pick up this book from a book store shelf to learn more! I wasn’t so keen on Tor Teen covers as they look more comic, graphic novel style to me.
In this book as in the first book of the series the landowners are still ruling and having everything their own way, living in luxury on the shine they get from those that work for them that they give a pittance to survive on to, in exchange for a lifetime of servitude.
This book picks up about a year later, when the majority of the Green Creek Luckers have escaped and most have been smuggled to freedom and a new life in Ferron, only Violet who was caught by McClennon, and Aster who has joined the Lady Ghosts are not living their wished for, life of freedom. Aster is determined to help other Good Luck girls escape their lives at the Welcome Houses, but it still doesn’t feel like its enough to her. Sure, Aster is aiding the Lady Ghosts and girls are being smuggled to freedom, but only small numbers of them. Aster wants to make a bigger impact, to change more lives for the better. When she hears the news that Jerrod McClennon is in Northrock to make a large public announcement, both Aster & Raven disguised as fortuna’s go to hear first hand what the horrible man’s new venture is going to be. Aster is shocked to learn that he intends on opening a Welcome House right there in Northrock, so the men do not need to travel through the scab to enjoy the services of the Good Luck girls anymore. Jerrod McClennon talks about how accommodating and well trained these girls will be, how the new Welcome House Mistress is a fairblood herself and then to Aster’s horror he introduces the housemistress and it is Violet! Not yet recovered from the shock of seeing Violet again, Aster struggles to concentrate briefly but Jerrod McClennon hasn’t finished with his big announcements yet and Aster and Raven are further disturbed to hear that the Welcome House girls, Lucky Nights will now happen on their thirteenth birthday rather than their sixteenth as before. Aster also sees the shock and horror on the face of Violet, and makes her wonder if she new about the earlier Lucky Nights or not. Its then Aster decides she must see Violet as soon as she can.
I could talk and talk about the plot of this book with its subtle hints at what is to come woven in with action packed scenes featuring both old and new characters but I honestly do not want to spoil the unfolding of events for anyone reading this brilliant book. The writing style is once again amazing, the world cleverly built with its different people, Landowners, Dustbloods, Good Luck Girls, and Raveners all creating a tiered hierarchy of people. I thoroughly enjoyed how Aster brings together the different factions of people that are unhappy with the landowners who want to make a stand but alone in their smaller groups cannot make a large enough difference. With help from a source close to Jerrod McClennon, Aster and the Green Creek Girls hatch a plan where when all the factions work together, they may just have enough strength and power to bring the landowners down and change the unfair system.
I loved lots of characters in this book, the obvious ones being Aster and Zee. They both have to deal with those from their pasts and learn to come to terms with things they cannot change. Aster has come a long way from being a Green Creek girl, she has learnt a lot from the various Lady Ghosts, such as how to control her panic and stay calm using breathing techniques when in difficult situations, which she needs to use more than once in this book.
I also adored Eli, its clear to see he loves Aster but she still struggles with the closeness of a man never mind a touch of affection from one. Despite these she has two men sweet on her and vying for her attention. I have to admit I was on Team Eli and he was the one I desperately wanted Aster to have a happy ever after with. In this book Eli shows his emotions when Aster, Tansy, & Mallow are being escorted through the tunnels to Camp Deathstalker for weapons but, are attacked by angry vengeants. With Aster’s leg damaged and Eli’s chest it makes their mission even more difficult and slows down their progress leaving them less time to organise their plans of attack. It becomes apparent that Eli feels guilty about these vengeants, almost feeling he deserves to be attacked by them, as these vengeants are the spirits of the people he and the Scorpions tried to help but failed. Aster wants to comfort Eli, but is unsure how to without giving him the wrong impression and making herself really uncomfortable.
The descriptions in this book are so detailed they make the characters and surroundings easy to visualise. One I really loved, “Derrick had gotten in the middle of them like a stringy piece of meat caught between two teeth! I adored and yes had a tear in my eye when Aster had a farewell conversation with Priscilla, it’s clear Aster viewed her as a mother figure and vice versa. I also really liked the saying of “Wander Well” when characters were parting ways.
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that the book was an amazing sequel to the fantastic Good Luck Girls bk 1 and that bk2 finished with a really fitting ending.
To sum up what more can I say? If you read The Good Luck Girls this sequel is an absolute must read, and if you haven’t yet read any of this series you seriously need to!!
September 6, 2021
A more than satisfactory sequel. One of the things Davis does so well is to build an entirely engaging world with enough small details to be believable without distracting from the main plot. I felt even more attached to the characters (not to mention being extremely happy to see two of them end up together). The difficulty of staging a revolution was captured with the perfect blend of action and suspense. If you liked Outlawed but wanted more fantasy elements or an even more diverse cast, this one’s definitely for you. Bittersweet to say goodbye to this short series!
June 22, 2022
3.5
Very sorry to see the end of this two book series...and it might be a stretch to see the Author ever go back to these characters.
It's a very unique world..I've seen it described as Westworld meets Handmaid's Tale..and I can't do better than that
Characters are very engaging...and the love match that had been gradually hinted at ..came through..so that was satisfying.
Very sorry to see the end of this two book series...and it might be a stretch to see the Author ever go back to these characters.
It's a very unique world..I've seen it described as Westworld meets Handmaid's Tale..and I can't do better than that
Characters are very engaging...and the love match that had been gradually hinted at ..came through..so that was satisfying.
September 4, 2022
I really enjoyed the first book. I actually would recommend reading it as a standalone. I was so excited to finally pick this up and carry on with this story in this world.
I was, unfortunately, pretty disappointed. I think this book focuses so much on Aster by herself that you lose the magic of the girls being a unit and going through this process together. One of the best parts of the first book for me was seeing Aster, Clementine, Violet, Tansy, and Mallow overcoming obstacles together. Here, Aster is pretty solo. She makes all the decisions without much consultations with anyone else.
I missed the original girls at the beginning but knowing how they're just there as name fillers in this second book, I would have rather them not be there at all instead of being brought back in to fill space.
I just didn't really like a whole lot about it. The characters are less interesting, the plot is less engaging, the pacing was off, so I didn't fully love this, especially after liking the first book as much as I did.
I was, unfortunately, pretty disappointed. I think this book focuses so much on Aster by herself that you lose the magic of the girls being a unit and going through this process together. One of the best parts of the first book for me was seeing Aster, Clementine, Violet, Tansy, and Mallow overcoming obstacles together. Here, Aster is pretty solo. She makes all the decisions without much consultations with anyone else.
I missed the original girls at the beginning but knowing how they're just there as name fillers in this second book, I would have rather them not be there at all instead of being brought back in to fill space.
I just didn't really like a whole lot about it. The characters are less interesting, the plot is less engaging, the pacing was off, so I didn't fully love this, especially after liking the first book as much as I did.
October 15, 2021
I would like the two Good Luck Girls books to be made into a Netflix series all released on the same day so I could watch it from start to finish in one sitting. More people need to read this duology.
August 16, 2021
This is what it feels like to win. Congratulations to me, only!!!!
October 9, 2021
I love this series, but the endings are killing me.
September 4, 2021
Thanks to Hot Key Books for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
Content Warnings: discussions of forced prostitution, oppression, sexism, transphobia, abuse, violence against women, violence.
This review may include spoilers for book 1 in this series, The Good Luck Girls.
The Sisters of Reckoning is the sequel to THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS, an LGBT+ dystopia about a group of girls who escaped the ‘welcome house’ that they’d been sold to as children – a brothel that brands the girls as children with a mark that cannot be hidden. In the first book, they are forced to flee after Clementine accidentally murders the man who visits on her first night as a sundown girl. The Sisters of Reckoning continues on from the end of The Good Luck Girls, where Clementine and the rest of the group have found freedom in neighbouring Ferron, while Aster has remained behind to help more girls escape Arketta one at a time.
I really liked the way that this book built on the first one. In The Good Luck Girls we see a small group in desperate straits, fighting any way that they can for their personal freedom, whereas in The Sisters of Reckoning, they’re taking on systemic issues in Arketta on a huge scale. This isn’t your standard YA overthrow-the-system story. Charlotte Nicole Davis allows her characters to be dark and traumatised and lets them wreak the revenge they deserve. They make choices that are hard, that are awful in some cases, but that they have to make for any change to take place. That doesn’t mean these girls aren’t fiercely moralistic, they are doing the right thing at every opportunity, but the right thing isn’t always the easy thing or the good thing.
One of my favourite facets to this book was Aster’s struggle with her PTSD and sexuality. She’s still suffering PTSD from her time in the welcome house, and on top of that she’s trying to come to terms with her attraction to men and women and how she feels about it. I really loved the way that Charlotte Nicole Davis handled this, and how Aster had to process her attraction alongside her trauma as well as separating it – Aster definitely isn’t the only woman who fears that her same-sex attraction could be caused by her trauma, and this book handles it sensitively.
I really enjoyed the way that this book ended. Without getting into spoiler territory, we got to see the interpersonal conflict which was far more important for our characters than the large scale ‘rebellion’ type scenes I’m used to from YA, and it left me feeling satisfied with this duology as a whole. While I wouldn’t mind reading more from this world, I also can’t wait to see what Charlotte Nicole Davis comes out with next.
Content Warnings: discussions of forced prostitution, oppression, sexism, transphobia, abuse, violence against women, violence.
This review may include spoilers for book 1 in this series, The Good Luck Girls.
The Sisters of Reckoning is the sequel to THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS, an LGBT+ dystopia about a group of girls who escaped the ‘welcome house’ that they’d been sold to as children – a brothel that brands the girls as children with a mark that cannot be hidden. In the first book, they are forced to flee after Clementine accidentally murders the man who visits on her first night as a sundown girl. The Sisters of Reckoning continues on from the end of The Good Luck Girls, where Clementine and the rest of the group have found freedom in neighbouring Ferron, while Aster has remained behind to help more girls escape Arketta one at a time.
I really liked the way that this book built on the first one. In The Good Luck Girls we see a small group in desperate straits, fighting any way that they can for their personal freedom, whereas in The Sisters of Reckoning, they’re taking on systemic issues in Arketta on a huge scale. This isn’t your standard YA overthrow-the-system story. Charlotte Nicole Davis allows her characters to be dark and traumatised and lets them wreak the revenge they deserve. They make choices that are hard, that are awful in some cases, but that they have to make for any change to take place. That doesn’t mean these girls aren’t fiercely moralistic, they are doing the right thing at every opportunity, but the right thing isn’t always the easy thing or the good thing.
One of my favourite facets to this book was Aster’s struggle with her PTSD and sexuality. She’s still suffering PTSD from her time in the welcome house, and on top of that she’s trying to come to terms with her attraction to men and women and how she feels about it. I really loved the way that Charlotte Nicole Davis handled this, and how Aster had to process her attraction alongside her trauma as well as separating it – Aster definitely isn’t the only woman who fears that her same-sex attraction could be caused by her trauma, and this book handles it sensitively.
I really enjoyed the way that this book ended. Without getting into spoiler territory, we got to see the interpersonal conflict which was far more important for our characters than the large scale ‘rebellion’ type scenes I’m used to from YA, and it left me feeling satisfied with this duology as a whole. While I wouldn’t mind reading more from this world, I also can’t wait to see what Charlotte Nicole Davis comes out with next.
October 25, 2021
Trigger Warnings: mentions of past abuse (both physical and sexual), child prostitution, torture, slavery, human trafficking, PTSD, murder
The Sisters of Reckoning starts off a year after we’ve left Aster in The Good Luck Girls. Aster has been with The Lady Ghosts helping them free Good Luck Girls from Welcome Houses by smuggling them across the border. But their methods are too slow for Aster. After hearing the news that a girl’s lucky night will now start at the age of 13 at a new Welcome House opening soon, Aster knows she can no longer stand by.
Aster, Clementine, Zee, Tansy, Mallow, and some new allies team up to break down the landmasters to destroy their businesses and end the suffering of all people. But can they do that without turning into the types of people they’re fighting against?
I’ve always described the first book of this duology as a “Feminist Western” and this second book doesn’t stray from that description and I couldn’t be happier! I’m glad I didn’t have an issue with remembering what happened between the first book and this second book. I was sucked in just as quickly as I was with the first one.
One of the reasons I really loved this book is that it gives characters the chance / choice of revenge. Charlotte Nicole Davis doesn’t shy away from breaking down the characters you’re reading about and rooting for. The story is violent: there’s murder and torture and destruction, and they’re performed by those characters you are rooting for; Davis doesn’t try to make them perfect, she shows that you can’t keep your hands clean when fighting a revolution.
I loved the way trauma and sexuality was handled in this book. Aster dealt with it a lot. You could tell she really liked Eli but that a relationship with him was uncomfortable due to her PTSD. But then there is Violet, who she once hated but is now one of the only people she can relax around… Raven and her confidence in herself and how she talks with Aster about it made my heart swell. Nothing felt like it was left out or rushed so that something happened, characters took their time to figure it out in a timely manner.
I did enjoy the way the book ended, I had a huge goofy smile on my face when I was reading the last page or two. It left me very satisfied with this duology as a complete story. I can’t wait to see what Charlotte Nicole Davis writes next!
I highly recommend this novel (well, both books really) to anyone who wants to read about some badass women fighting for justice.
The Sisters of Reckoning starts off a year after we’ve left Aster in The Good Luck Girls. Aster has been with The Lady Ghosts helping them free Good Luck Girls from Welcome Houses by smuggling them across the border. But their methods are too slow for Aster. After hearing the news that a girl’s lucky night will now start at the age of 13 at a new Welcome House opening soon, Aster knows she can no longer stand by.
Aster, Clementine, Zee, Tansy, Mallow, and some new allies team up to break down the landmasters to destroy their businesses and end the suffering of all people. But can they do that without turning into the types of people they’re fighting against?
I’ve always described the first book of this duology as a “Feminist Western” and this second book doesn’t stray from that description and I couldn’t be happier! I’m glad I didn’t have an issue with remembering what happened between the first book and this second book. I was sucked in just as quickly as I was with the first one.
One of the reasons I really loved this book is that it gives characters the chance / choice of revenge. Charlotte Nicole Davis doesn’t shy away from breaking down the characters you’re reading about and rooting for. The story is violent: there’s murder and torture and destruction, and they’re performed by those characters you are rooting for; Davis doesn’t try to make them perfect, she shows that you can’t keep your hands clean when fighting a revolution.
I loved the way trauma and sexuality was handled in this book. Aster dealt with it a lot. You could tell she really liked Eli but that a relationship with him was uncomfortable due to her PTSD. But then there is Violet, who she once hated but is now one of the only people she can relax around… Raven and her confidence in herself and how she talks with Aster about it made my heart swell. Nothing felt like it was left out or rushed so that something happened, characters took their time to figure it out in a timely manner.
I did enjoy the way the book ended, I had a huge goofy smile on my face when I was reading the last page or two. It left me very satisfied with this duology as a complete story. I can’t wait to see what Charlotte Nicole Davis writes next!
I highly recommend this novel (well, both books really) to anyone who wants to read about some badass women fighting for justice.
August 9, 2021
One of my absolute favorite books last year was The Good Luck Girls, I loved it so much that I gave away two copies in giveaways because I wanted people to experience this amazing book! I was worried that the sequel wouldn’t hold up but I needn’t have; The Sisters of Reckoning is the sequel that The Good Luck Girls deserved!
You can find my review of The Good Luck Girls if you scroll (way down) my feed or on my GoodReads. On to my review which I’m going to keep as short and spoiler-free as possible!
Months after the Good Luck Girls crossed the scab we find Aster working with the Lady Ghosts in Arketta, helping to smuggle girls across the border to safety. The others are in Ferron where they’ve started new lives in relative safety. When Aster attends a town meeting held by her nemesis McClennon, she hears the worst news possible – a Welcome House will be opening in Arketta and the age of the girls on their ‘Lucky Night’ has been dropped from 16-years-old to 13-years-old and worse, the housemistress is an original Green Creek Lucker, one that crossed the scab with Aster and the others. It’s with this news that Aster makes a choice and thus begins a revolution against the Landmasters.
This is about as much as I can summarize without becoming spoilerish. I really want to point out what I love about this duology: the sense of good triumphing over evil, of people joining forces to right years of wrong-doing and to upend a system that keeps people down and characters that feel like my own sisters.
There is violence, there is heart-break, and there are badass characters doing some morally gray shit that I’m rooting like hell for. There’s the same powerful sense of sisterhood and bravery and even as I cried with some of their losses, I rejoiced in their gains. So, to say this is an emotional and thought-provoking book is an understatement and just as I said with The Good Luck Girls, I will say with The Sisters of Reckoning, READ THIS BOOK! And if you haven’t read the first in the duology, I highly recommend that you do.
My thanks to @TorTeen and the author Charlotte Nicole Davis @CNDWrites for this gifted DRC.
You can find my review of The Good Luck Girls if you scroll (way down) my feed or on my GoodReads. On to my review which I’m going to keep as short and spoiler-free as possible!
Months after the Good Luck Girls crossed the scab we find Aster working with the Lady Ghosts in Arketta, helping to smuggle girls across the border to safety. The others are in Ferron where they’ve started new lives in relative safety. When Aster attends a town meeting held by her nemesis McClennon, she hears the worst news possible – a Welcome House will be opening in Arketta and the age of the girls on their ‘Lucky Night’ has been dropped from 16-years-old to 13-years-old and worse, the housemistress is an original Green Creek Lucker, one that crossed the scab with Aster and the others. It’s with this news that Aster makes a choice and thus begins a revolution against the Landmasters.
This is about as much as I can summarize without becoming spoilerish. I really want to point out what I love about this duology: the sense of good triumphing over evil, of people joining forces to right years of wrong-doing and to upend a system that keeps people down and characters that feel like my own sisters.
There is violence, there is heart-break, and there are badass characters doing some morally gray shit that I’m rooting like hell for. There’s the same powerful sense of sisterhood and bravery and even as I cried with some of their losses, I rejoiced in their gains. So, to say this is an emotional and thought-provoking book is an understatement and just as I said with The Good Luck Girls, I will say with The Sisters of Reckoning, READ THIS BOOK! And if you haven’t read the first in the duology, I highly recommend that you do.
My thanks to @TorTeen and the author Charlotte Nicole Davis @CNDWrites for this gifted DRC.
August 15, 2021
'The Sisters of Reckoning' is the thrilling second book in the highly acclaimed Good Luck Girls series. Right off, I want to say that you definitely should read the first book before this one. Sometimes you can get away with reading a book in a series without reading any of the others, but this is not that type of novel. There are a ton of references to events, people, places, and even things from the first book, so you'll be very confused if you just try to jump in.
That being said, I thought this book was a fantastic sequel. The characters continue to develop and change throughout the story, which I personally love to watch. The girls are each so unique and incredibly realistic that it felt like I have known them personally for years. I really enjoyed seeing their relationships with one another grow and change over the course of the book. The plot was exciting and filled with action and adventure that kept me eagerly turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. The author did a fantastic job of bringing this Old West type world to life with vivid imagery and detailed descriptions that made it so easy to imagine myself there alongside the characters.
The only tiny issue I personally had was that the writing was done in the second person. I almost always prefer the first person point of view and that holds for this book. I think the reader would've had much deeper connections to the characters and a more complete immersion into their world if it had been done in the first person POV. This is just my own personal opinion and not anything negative towards the writing or book. Overall, this was an excellent sequel in a genre-bending series filled with diverse characters that will have readers begging for more. I highly recommend it for fans of science fiction, fantasy, westerns, dystopian fiction, and LGBTQ+ fiction.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
That being said, I thought this book was a fantastic sequel. The characters continue to develop and change throughout the story, which I personally love to watch. The girls are each so unique and incredibly realistic that it felt like I have known them personally for years. I really enjoyed seeing their relationships with one another grow and change over the course of the book. The plot was exciting and filled with action and adventure that kept me eagerly turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. The author did a fantastic job of bringing this Old West type world to life with vivid imagery and detailed descriptions that made it so easy to imagine myself there alongside the characters.
The only tiny issue I personally had was that the writing was done in the second person. I almost always prefer the first person point of view and that holds for this book. I think the reader would've had much deeper connections to the characters and a more complete immersion into their world if it had been done in the first person POV. This is just my own personal opinion and not anything negative towards the writing or book. Overall, this was an excellent sequel in a genre-bending series filled with diverse characters that will have readers begging for more. I highly recommend it for fans of science fiction, fantasy, westerns, dystopian fiction, and LGBTQ+ fiction.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2021
This is exactly the sequel that Aster and Clementine deserved. It builds so much on the hints we got from book one, the oppression escalating and now us seeing it all in vivid detail on a grand scale. There's less physical movement, less obvious tension in our group, less desperation. What we get instead is a revolution built from the ground up
Seeing Aster rouse the dustbloods, the different rebel factions from escapees to Indigenous nations to people still under the oppressors' thumbs - but also seeing her crack under the pressure of her doubts and the lingering effects of her trauma were so important. Like the open conversations about how trauma can impact your sexual orientation and interpersonal relationships, but also getting to see these characters truly accept what that means - and also discuss the process of recovery and giving each other time and space to heal and grow and change. It was these kinds of quiet moments that really made this book shine.
When I finally managed to sit down with this book, I tore through it, with the last 30% practically flying by, even though it wasn't action packed. It felt so much more realistic, to see the desperation and the waiting and feel the tension. Bravo, Davis, bravo.
{Thank you Tor Teen for the advanced copy; all thoughts are my own}
Seeing Aster rouse the dustbloods, the different rebel factions from escapees to Indigenous nations to people still under the oppressors' thumbs - but also seeing her crack under the pressure of her doubts and the lingering effects of her trauma were so important. Like the open conversations about how trauma can impact your sexual orientation and interpersonal relationships, but also getting to see these characters truly accept what that means - and also discuss the process of recovery and giving each other time and space to heal and grow and change. It was these kinds of quiet moments that really made this book shine.
When I finally managed to sit down with this book, I tore through it, with the last 30% practically flying by, even though it wasn't action packed. It felt so much more realistic, to see the desperation and the waiting and feel the tension. Bravo, Davis, bravo.
{Thank you Tor Teen for the advanced copy; all thoughts are my own}
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