beccisays's reviews
369 reviews

I cannot give you a solid reason why I ate this up but there’s no denying that I did. I listened to it all in one go.

As I said while reading, it felt like next to nothing actually happened. A lot of thinking and a fair bit of talking. The thinking and talking is done suspiciously sometimes to add a bit of flair. Things got a bit twisty at the end but not in an exciting or adrenaline fuelled way. It unfolded as part of another long, convoluted conversation between two characters. 

I won’t lie.. the theoretical physics, time, black holes and astral plane discussions were way above my station and outside my comfort zone. I’m fairly sure the actual scientific content itself wasn’t too heavy or dense as I managed to follow the general gist of most of it and trust me when I say no one is more surprised by that than me. 

You know those absolutely beautiful and moving classical music pieces, that are technically brilliant and transport you somewhere outside of yourself? Have you noticed how they are often really long and have all these false endings, where the music naturally invites you to recognise it's winding down and that the piece is about to conclude? Then out of nowhere, you're pulled back into another wave or crescendo? Towards the end, that is exactly how I felt about this book. It kept pulling me into these comforting moments of safety and relief, then throwing me back out into life-threatening danger.

I almost knocked star off just for that but it feels so unfair, as the rest of this book was incredible and as I read it felt like a 5 star read. I only felt the pacing of the plot was off at the end. Perhaps I was just ready for the book to conclude once and for all by that point, there's no denying it is extremely long. Perhaps it should have been split into two books, so that all the plot points and danger could have been allowed adequate time and attention by both the author and the reader. I'm not an expert, I'm just telling you how it felt for me. 

As I said, this book is truly very emotional from the beginning and written wonderfully throughout. There's action and twists all the time that keep you on your toes and yet, we still experience plenty of quieter moments and the depth of connection and humanity between the characters.

This is quite an intimidating book for a reader like me. I'm not really a sci-fi guy and it's huge, however I would encourage absolutely anyone to pick it up and try it out. I think you'll be surprised how relatable it is, tapping into the universal experiences and truths of humanity and survival, even while in an altogether alien environment. 

Overall I really liked this! As with almost all second books, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first one but I still enjoyed revisiting these characters and their world again. I believe this series is perfect for romantasy readers who want a magic-infused world with a darker tone.

I absolutely loved how often the sky was described. The author really brought attention to the transitions between day and night and the colours of the sunsets and rises were written so beautifully:
"Lore watched the sky through the window, honey and lavender and encroaching indigo. No moon tonight."
"Night fell like layers of veils, each darkening the sky further. Lavender became indigo became midnight-blue, pricked through with stars."

If I'm being honest, this did feel a bit slow to get going for me personally and I didn't feel fully immersed in the story until about the 50% mark. After that, I became swept away by the mystery and clues being dropped left, right and centre by the author. I wish there had been more suspicious activity and characters to throw the reader off the scent and keep things interesting in the early stages. By the end we knew for definite what was happening, who was joining forces and who could be trusted but the characters just couldn't speak openly about it and I would have enjoyed some more detective work, suspects or twists thrown in along the way. 

"His throat ticked as he swallowed, hard, shifting his eyes between her and Gabe. For a moment, he looked like someone on the edge of a confession, as if the space between his deathwitch and his Priest Exalted was the only safe place to let his guard down."
"That triangle, again, three points that left them all bleeding."
I spent most of the book on the edge of my seat and eating every bit of sexual tension I could get. I know all the signs are pointing to a love triangle but I'm still holding out hope for a throuple. I said this in my review of the first book and we got such a tantalizing glimpse of what could happen through the flashback memories. Lore has had to make choices for the greater good or survival her whole life - she deserves a why choose era. 

I enjoyed that this book started to draw some of the minor characters from the first book into the spotlight and plotlines. I really like Alie as a character but I would love to learn more about the inner workings of her mind and her motivations, as we so often see her behaving gracefully and acting noble. I'm excited to see more elemental magic in the next book, as the spiritum/mortum magic system and poison use was minimal and purposefully performative in this book. which was a bit of a let down after how well it was utilized in the first book. 

Thank you to Orbit & Hannah Whitten for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

So let’s start with the positives.. I love the increase of god related magic, I love the lore. I liked seeing more of the history and the ins & outs of a land filled with gods and worshippers. I was beyond happy about the cameo from the little mousey broken sandal god. I’m pleased we got to learn more about Inara and Skediceth’s origins and powers. 

I listened to the audiobook and I think Kit Griffiths did another incredible job narrating this. As a UK native, it’s so refreshing to hear local accents sound so natural and regionally diverse. It’s rare in an audiobook to immediately tell by ear a person’s characteristics, class or gender. I also don’t think I’ve ever heard a thick Welsh accents portrayed so well in an audiobook. To do that and then nail a Scottish and Northern accent in the same chapter? Amazing!

On the flip side, I found the book slower to start. I missed the romance and found family aspects we had last time, due to the main characters becoming separated at the end of the last book and remaining that way for most of this book. All the emotionally charged parts of this book were heartbreaking, with not enough balance of heartwarming (until the last chapter). I can see why a lot of this may have been needed for the plot, character growth or set up of the next book.. However it just wasn’t engaging to read now that we’re rooting for the characters as a group. I want to be clear that this was still good, I just didn’t love it as much as the first. I think it’s a case of middle book syndrome.

First part of a prequel novella surrounding Max’s time with the order and in the military. It was nice to see him interacting with his family and without so much bitterness and resentment. Hasn’t added too much to his background or character as of yet but it is only part 1. 

This half of the book was like 4.25 stars. The production was still incredible and without giving away too many spoilers, there were plenty of twists, turns and traitors to keep things interesting.

The battle sequences just got a bit too monotonous and predictable to merit 5 stars like the first half. I did not enjoy that ending one bit either, it felt hollow. I think it's the worst decision Darrow has ever made and I was Team Rage God all the way. 

I can’t rate this as anything less than 5 stars. The combination of the incredible book and an amazing production by Graphic Audio is just unmatched in terms of reading experience. 

As readers, we are pulled immediately into heart breaking and gut wrenching action. I remember crying within the first hour or two of listening. The pacing of the story itself is great, even the less action packed moments are full of character insight and development. 

I’ve heard some fans get a bit defensive when this series is compared to The Hunger Games.. I’m so sorry to those people but despite my best efforts I can’t help but be constantly reminded of it. That’s not a criticism or a suggestion this is a carbon copy, I think there are enough differences to set these apart that they don’t feel identical. However there are undeniable echoes and similarities. Starting with the most obvious, there’s the caste system based on industry and skills, the lethal games and trials made by design to toy with and mould the recruits, Darrow’s wife’s protest song (it’s even whistled at one point), all the violence and death being deliberately broadcast. Hell, the recruits can even be “sponsored” by wealthier benefactors and the team drafted in to do a makeover are crassly overindulgent and out of touch with the reality outside of their bubble. This might lessen as the series goes on, it is early days.

That being said, this part finished at a loose end so I’m off to listen to the rest.

4.5 stars overall, a middle ground between the 4 stars I'd give for the story and the well-deserved 5 stars for the audiobook performance. It's just lovely! 

If you've never read a dramatised or full-cast audiobook before, try this one.
If you love fairytale retellings, this is for you.
If you want to be immersed but only have time for a short story right now, listen to this. 
If you've been meaning to read a Gaiman book but couldn't decide where to begin, this is your sign. 

This is a charming fairytale retelling with strong female characters who save themselves. It's taken two well-loved fairytales and blended them into one interlinking story. The value and quality of the production is amazing. It adds layer upon layer of sound effects, dialogue, music etc, which builds into a captivating ambience.

This is addictive and bingeworthy. I had to try really hard not to just power through and devour it all at once.

Tisaanah is the type of determined and courageous character that captures you immeadiately, you are instantly drawn into her story and hoping she will overcome everything that is put in her path. And as she says herself, she sure likes to exceed expectations. She is one of the most tenacious and fiery characters I’ve seen in fantasy romance, however still manages to authentically keep hold of her soft edges, femininity and warmth. 

Max is a wonderful contrast to her, making a sort of grumpy sunshine dynamic. He’s withdrawn and antisocial, often lamenting that he’s “not made” for society and normal life. I like that their sarcasm and humour was evident from the beginning, despite otherwise having a language barrier. The friction between them sparking a slow burn romance was the cherry on top.

I found myself getting into this and then wondering why I'd left it on my TBR for so long. It's a true romantasy and I've been missing that recently in my reads, so it was a nice palate cleanser and return to the genre that pulled me back into reading.

I thought the approach to poison being used recreationally was really cool, as well as how it interacted with the Mortem and Spiritum magic system. The death vs. life and dark vs. light thing has been done a lot, in fantasy romances especially, but I think this book has an edge of originality that sets it apart, particularly due to the poison and necromancy. 

I've finished the book without being team anyone, except that I'm really rooting for the love triangle to turn into a throuple situation. Lore should 100% enter her why choose era, do it for the plot!