I don't even know where to begin. I was very excited to get the chance to read this next instalment as I was pleasantly surprised with the ending of the last book, but things quickly started falling off the rails for me. While I still find the premise very intriguing it feels like it isn't being executed to the best of its ability. I find it easier to speak on the things that bother me since they are at the forefront of my mind so this review may make it seem like I don't like the book at all but I want to reiterate that that is incorrect, and I am thankful to have received an eARC copy of this book via BookSirens.

From the beginning of the book, the author aggressively holds the reader's hand. Things we just read in the last book are explained again, and while a recap was beneficial for me since it's been months since I read the first if someone were to read the books back to back, I only imagine how redundant it would feel. There were moments where even things that had just happened in this book were rehashed, and it quickly got tiresome. 

Apart from that, the main gripe I have with the story is the characters, particularly the main characters Feylin and Storm. <b>(Slight spoilers ahead)</b>

Feylin - I don't think I've hated a main character this much since Elena in the Vampire Diaries show. She's still naive, incredibly indecisive, and despite having the grounds of good ideas she utterly fails at executing them in any way that seems beneficial for her. She constantly willingly surrounds herself with people who do not deserve her time, attention, or emotions and watching her interact with the other characters is extremely draining.

Why are you still friends with someone who is actively trying to convince you to be with a guy who emotionally abused you? Why aren't you calling people out on their double standards and hypocrisy when blaming you for Storm's emotions when he had been doing the same to her for much longer? Why is she so hypocritical in being so off-put by Olron's violence but perfectly fine with Storm's whose bouts of random aggression and habit of attacking people are arguably worse?

 

Storm - I feel like this book is trying to force me to like him and I am not here for it. Every time we got his point of view he would be crying "Woe is me, I can't talk about my feelings and that's why she's still mad at me despite the fact I want her to just 'get over' everything I did in the past and haven't actually experienced any repercussions for it" and then proceeds to emotionally and verbally abuse her AGAIN. I was feeling gaslighted every time we got his chapters because it's written in a way that makes it seem like I'm supposed to have sympathy for what he's feeling but all I would feel is rage with nowhere to put it. He's a manchild who still refuses to take proper responsibility for his actions (that one last apology is nowhere near enough) and the fact that we spend so much of the book dealing with him was driving me crazy. 

Honestly, the only reason I didn't rate it a little lower by virtue of the main characters alone was because of the ending that yet again saved it for me. I can see a lot of potential in where the next instalment may go and I am eagerly waiting to see Feylin (hopefully) smarten up and go with my love Olron because if she ends up with Storm (unlikely but I'm learning not to trust this characters judgment) I'm going to go crazy. For me to have really enjoyed this I wouldn't have needed to see some true growth in her character. Yes, she becomes angrier and a little stronger which was nice to see but the fact that she was struggling with her attraction to Storm that much while he was still treating her like trash shows me she hasn't really grown much at all. She's still presenting one dimension of emotions with little depth. Sadness, then fear, then anger, then confusion. It's stifling and I feel like if I was getting a hint that she was truly growing throughout her experiences it wouldn't have been a lot more bearable to watch her struggle through her choices.