CAGE OF DREAMS By Rebecca Schaeffer

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CAGE OF DREAMS By Rebecca SchaefferCage of Dreams by Rebecca Schaeffer
Series: City of Nightmares #2
Published by Clarion Books on 9/26/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 362
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Nineteen-year-old Ness used to have a vehement terror of Nightmares—people who’d been turned into their worst fears while they slept. Through two assassination attempts, an explosion, and a faustian bargain with a dream demon, she’s finally working through those fears.

Unfortunately, Nightmares aren’t the only dangerous thing in Newham. Working at a speakeasy where gunfights are common and death is a regular occurrence, Ness is forced to reckon with all her other fears—including her fear of mortality. It’s easy to die in Newham, but it’s hard to live.

So when the Nightmare Phantom—the monster that turns people into Nightmares—shows up, asking her another favor, she agrees, but only if he turns her into a Nightmare. One of her own choosing, something bullet proof and strong and able to live without fear.

But when Ness’s attempt to fulfill the bargain goes wrong, things start to spiral out of control. Now, Ness is in the crosshairs of enemies old and new, and this time, she can’t run from her problems. If she wants to survive, she’s going to have to conquer the most difficult enemy of all: herself

Short and Sweet Review

We met our main character Ness in the first book City of Nightmares and she was afraid of a lot of things, it was almost one of those things where she was paralyzed with fear. Now in the sequel we see she’s still afraid of everything but not to the same degree she was previously. Ness works in a speakeasy where gun fights can break out at any moment, and Ness realizes that being mortal has a lot of risks especially in a city like Newham. When the Nightmare Phantom comes to Ness asking for a favor she agrees but in return she wants to become a nightmare herself. Ness believes she has everything under control but she doesn’t have the nickname Ness the Mess for nothing. Now Ness has to navigate this treacherous city with new and old enemies coming after her.

I was super excited when this book was released, but I feel like 20-30% in I realized it didn’t have the same magic that the first book did. We’re still in the city of Newham and Ness has started working in a speakeasy and she’s still living with Cy. Ness witnesses a lot of death in Newham and starts to think it would just be easier if she was a nightmare and able to have the power of super healing or having bullets not penetrate her skin. When the nightmare phantom asks Ness to help him attack the mayor she agrees hoping this is her chance to get what she wants. When Ness tries her hand at the assassination attempt things go horribly wrong and now she has both the mayor and the director of friends coming after her. We follow Ness, Cy, and Priya as they try to stop whatever evil plans the director has and also try to avoid dying. Ness is still the same afraid of things but I feel like the love she has for her friends propels her to do things like saving them even if it puts her in danger. I will say I think the first book was more fun because of the whole conspiracy aspect and mystery around it. I think something that changed with this book was the fact that the nightmare phantom was no longer in peoples nightmares but just walking down the streets of Newham living his best life. I did like how we saw the mayor as an enemy she’s honestly crazy and cruel. I do think the premise was great but the book was just missing elements that made the first book so great.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book, but not as much as I originally thought I would. I love the support system that Ness has and also the ending was good and I feel like it leaves the door open for a spin-off which is exciting. This was a fun duology and I would recommend it but I still think the first book is better than this sequel.

A CROWN SO CURSED By L.L. McKinney

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A CROWN SO CURSED By L.L. McKinneyA Crown So Cursed by L.L. McKinney
Series: The Nightmare-Verse #3
Published by Feiwel & Friends on 9/19/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Retellings, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 406
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Alice and her crew are doing their best to recover from the last boss battle, but some of them keep having these. . . dreams: visions of a dark past—and an even darker future. Sadly, the evil in Wonderland may not be as defeated as they’d hoped.

Attacked by Nightmares unlike any they’ve ever seen, Alice will have to step between the coming darkness and the mortal world once more. But this time is different. This time, the monsters aren’t waiting for her on the other side of the Veil.

They're in her own back yard.

Short and Sweet Review

Alice and her friends are still recovering after their last battle, but they know that they have to stay on their toes because the monsters aren’t waiting on the other side of the veil anymore, they’re coming to find Alice.

This final installment of The Nightmare-Verse was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and unfortunately it was not what I wanted. I feel like since the release of the last book and this one I’ve waited 3-4 years and I’ve forgotten everything that happened and why some characters didn’t like each other and failed to remember what they were going through. We have Alice and she realizes that things aren’t right especially as she begins to see more monsters on her side of the veil and this is a sign that things aren’t right in wonderland and that her and her friends should prepare for their final battle. Everything just felt messy to me from the characters and their relationships with each other and also the way the final battle occurred. It was interesting to see how Alice is more tied to Wonderland than she could have ever thought but I feel like that story line was kind of cheesy. I wanted to finish this book as quickly as possible and it wasn’t hard considering that the material felt pretty middle grade.

Overall, I was not jiving with this book the way I wanted to and I’m pretty upset about it. Although things were wrapped up and there were answers to what was occurring I feel like it just happened at a pace where you don’t feel invested. I may be feeling this way because of how long it took to read this final book but I also don’t want to go back and do a complete read through. I did enjoy the characters and the storyline from books 1 and 2 and I wish I felt the same about this one.

NEVER A HERO By Vanessa Len

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

NEVER A HERO By Vanessa LenNever a Hero by Vanessa Len
Series: Monsters #2
Published by HarperTeen on 8/29/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 526
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Despite all of the odds, Joan achieved the impossible. She reset the timeline, saved her family – and destroyed the hero, Nick.

But her success has come at a terrible cost.

She alone remembers what happened. Now, Aaron, her hard-won friend – and maybe more – is an enemy, trying to kill her. And Nick, the boy she loved, is a stranger who doesn’t even know her name. Only Joan remembers that a greater and more dangerous enemy is still out there.

When a deadly attack forces Joan back into the monster world, she finds herself on the run with Nick – as Aaron closes in.

Torn between love and family and monstrous choices, Joan must find a way to re-gather her old allies to face down the deadliest of enemies, and to save the timeline itself.

Short and Sweet Review

Joan has accomplished what she thought was impossible, she reset the timeline so her family is alive and she unmade the hero Nick. But what Joan did came with consequences she didn’t know would be coming her way, only Joan knows she reset the timeline, but now Nick is just a regular guy and the monsters are looking for Joan and they’ve sent Aaron to find her. Now Joan is on the run with Nick who got pulled into this mess after witnessing monsters come after Joan. The only way Joan and Nick are going to make it out of this mess alive is if they gather some allies and find the person who is truly a threat to the monster world.

Let me just start off by saying this book is action packed and will keep you hooked from the very first page. Joan reset the timeline and even though her family is now alive she’s been avoiding them, and she’s also starting to realize that by messing with the timeline that things she didn’t think would be affected are. Joan meets Nick and realizes he has no idea who she is or even about being a hero but once they’re attacked she reluctantly has to explain the whole monster world to him. I loved seeing Joan and Nick on the run and gathering some old friends and how Joan would have to convince people of the fact that she reset the timeline by telling them things she wouldn’t know unless she was in that other timeline with them. We also see Aaron who has no idea who Joan is but is determined to capture her and bring her to the court. I think my favorite thing about this sequel is that we learn more about Joans family that has disappeared from everyone else’s memory but definitely lives on in the memory of her sister Eleanor. We learn that Eleanor was the one who made Nick into the hero and has plans of bringing their family back and her timeline is a dark one where monsters rule and humans have no chance. I loved seeing Nick and Joan in this book we learn more about their history and they’re obviously made to be together that’s why the timeline keeps bringing them back to each other. I did like seeing the old allies too and how they were willing to fight by Joans side.

Never a Hero, is full of twists and turns but its so good and will have you wanting more. I loved the characters and the plot in this book so much and I’m ready to read the next book!

AN EMOTION OF GREAT DELIGHT By Tahereh Mafi

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

AN EMOTION OF GREAT DELIGHT By Tahereh MafiAn Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi
Published by HarperCollins on 6/1/21
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 256
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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It’s 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down.

She's too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots.

Shadi is named for joy, but she’s haunted by sorrow. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has mysteriously dropped out of her life. And then, of course, there’s the small matter of her heart—

It’s broken.

Shadi tries to navigate her crumbling world by soldiering through, saying nothing. She devours her own pain, each day retreating farther and farther inside herself until finally, one day, everything changes.

She explodes.

Short and Sweet Review

Its two years after 9/11 and tensions are running high, but Shadi has other important things to worry about than people looking down on her for being Muslim.

Honestly, I wish this book was better than it was. I thought it would be more about navigating life after 9/11 especially because our main character is Muslim but the plot in this book is so weird. So Shadi has lost her older brother, her father is in the hospital, and her mother is struggling with her mental health, and I would say Shadi is too but she is like checked out to those around her. Her older sister is unimpressed with her lack of emotion and we can see how disconnected Shadi is. We also see Shade reconnect with Ali, her ex best friend Zahra’s brother. Zahra doesn’t want anything to do with Shadi anymore for whatever reason, and every time they interact Zahra comes in hot, which I felt was common for most of the conversations Shadi had with other characters. I’m not sure this book actually had a plot. It was just Shadi navigating her emotions or lack thereof about situations going on around her.

I really wanted to like this book but I was not interested in what was going on or even our main character. It was hard to be invested in a story when the main character wasn’t even interested.

THE TOLL By Neal Shusterman

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE TOLL By Neal ShustermanThe Toll by Neal Shusterman
Series: Arc of a Scythe #3
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 11/5/19
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 637
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?

The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll, and the Thunder.

Short and Sweet Review

It has been three years since Endura sank taking most of the scythes and Citra and Rowan with it, now Scythe Goddard is in charge and he won’t let anyone forget it. The only way people are surviving is by adapting and trying to avoid getting in the way. The only hope they have is that the thunderhead is still talking to Greyson and maybe a few people come back from the dead.

This book has a different tone than the previous two and I attribute that to our past narrators of Rowan and Citra being gone. We follow Greyson and see him become the toll a figure that can talk to the Thunderhead and relay messages, scythe Faraday is on an island trying to figure out the message past scythes left, and we see scythe Goddard and his reign of terror. This book reminded me of Avengers Endgame, with Goddard being Thanos and everyone else is an Avenger trying to figure out how to get things back to normal and get their friends back. Although it was a bit weird for me to read from the other perspectives and not see Citra and Rowan for a while I’ve come to appreciate it because we really get to see how desolate things have become in the three years since Endura has sank. I did like seeing the return of Citra and Rowan it was like they were ready to finish what they started and that meant taking Goddard down. I also enjoyed Greyson and Faradays plot lines and following them for a majority of the book. The ending was different than what I was expecting but it was still good.

Overall, this was a satisfying end to this series and I’m excited to read Gleanings and see what more this world has to offer!

THE FEAR By Natasha Preston

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE FEAR By Natasha PrestonThe Fear by Natasha Preston
Published by Delacorte Press on 3/1/22
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 346
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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It’s just a stupid meme that’s going around their small fishing town in the dead of winter—people reposting and sharing their biggest fear. But when her classmates start turning up dead—dying in the way that they said scared them the most—Izzy knows it’s no joke.

With each death hitting closer to home, Izzy sets out to try to stop the killer. Could her older sister’s friend Tristan have something to do with the deaths? He’s given her some strange vibes. Or what about his brooding cousin, Axel? But he’s in her classes at school. He’s not a murderer . . . is he? Izzie’s soon on a path that will lead her right to the killer . . . and her own worst nightmare.

Short and Sweet Review

There’s a meme going around asking about peoples biggest fears and the teens in Izzy’s town are reposting it thinking it’s a harmless thing. When Izzy finds one of her classmates dead she realizes that its more than just a game and there’s a killer out there.

This book has a pretty cool plot but the execution is bad. We have our main character Izzy who didn’t share the meme and she’s the one who finds the first victim, and because of this she thinks she’s qualified to investigate. I found Izzy to be the most insufferable character, she was just annoying and she wouldn’t listen to people to leave things alone and stay in her lane. Izzy would go around thinking she knew who it was and just going around pining murders on everyone is not a strategy. Even though Izzy didn’t share the meme and reveal her fear she ends up becoming someone the culprit wants, because she doesn’t know how to leave things alone and she kept interfering with things she shouldn’t have been. She kept messing with one of her classmates, Axel, accusing him of the murders and then she would get upset because he wanted to keep his distance from her. Izzy was just a hot mess, I get why she would want to figure things out but honestly she was better off keeping her distance. I figured out who the culprit was and it was intersting because we got to see their POV for a few chapters. I will say I didn’t like the ending it felt abrupt and I think that happens with a lot of Prestons books.

Overall, this book was not for me. There’s just something about Natasha Preston books that I don’t jive with, I keep reading them because the synopsis sounds great but them when I start reading the execution is just off and the book falls flat and unfortunately that’s what happened here.

LOVE & LUCK By Jenna Evans Welch

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

LOVE & LUCK By Jenna Evans WelchLove & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch
Series: Love & Gelato #2
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 5/8/18
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 321
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding and hoping she can stop thinking about the one thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseparable siblings. Miserable, Addie can’t wait to visit her friend in Italy and leave her brother—and her problems—behind.

So when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s able to finally escape her anxious mind and Ian’s criticism.

And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairy-tale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.

That is if they don’t get completely lost along the way.

Short and Sweet Review

Addie and her family are in Ireland for her aunts wedding. What should be a joyous occasion is ruined by Addie and her brother Ian fighting. Addie is supposed to go to Italy to visit Lina, and Ian is coming to, but their mom warns them if they step out of line they’re going to face punishment. We learn that Addie and Ian have been arguing about something that happened back home, which is why Addie is reading a guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken. On the day Addie and Ian are supposed to leave for Italy she finds him getting in a car with his friend Rowan to go to a music festival instead which leads to an exploration of Ireland and trying to fix broken hearts.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I started it, mainly because the arguing and tension between Ian and Addie was too much. It was like if someone breathed the wrong way one of them would explode, we don’t really get to the bottom of what happened until the end of the book but we do learn it’s about a boy Addie was seeing. Back home Ian is a jock so Addie is shocked to find out he’s a popular blogger and music is his main topic. Ian is determined to go to landmarks that are important to music and do a few interviews and make it to the festival to see his favorite band play one more time. The thing is their mom believes they’re in Italy so they really have to be careful because how big is Ireland really? I loved Ian’s friend Rowan, he was also dealing with a bit of heartbreak which is why he was willing to go to some of the places in the guidebook. It was a roadtrip where we learned a little more about each character and I loved that. I thought it was cool that Addie knew a lot about cars and was the reason the trio got so far. I was kind of bummed that she wasn’t able to go see Lina in Italy but I also understand that this was Addie’s adventure and it needed to take place in Ireland. I do think that the end was a little rushed and I felt like it was abrupt.

Overall, I did like this book. I will say the beginning wasn’t my favorite but when things got going and we saw the different places recommend by the guidebook I was all in. This was a quick and easy read and I’m looking forward to reading the next book!

AGAIN AGAIN By E. Lockhart

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

AGAIN AGAIN By E. LockhartAgain Again by E. Lockhart
Published by Delacorte Press on 6/2/20
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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If you could live your life again, what would you do differently?

After a near-fatal family catastrophe and an unexpected romantic upheaval, Adelaide Buchwald finds herself catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times--while finally confronting the secrets she keeps, her ideas about love, and the weird grandiosity of the human mind.

Short and Sweet Review

In Again Again we meet our main character Adelaide, who is trying to figure out how to feel about her brothers drug addiction and her struggles with a recent break up and having feelings for someone new. We also see Adelaide’s story play out in different universes of this could have happened or maybe not depending on the choices she made.

I like the idea of seeing how what ifs would play out but the way it was written in this book was very confusing to me and I had trouble following along. I couldn’t tell which what if I was reading so that didn’t help. Besides that I did like seeing how Adelaide’s relationship with her brother was different and how they were working on repairing it. I wasn’t into the romance because that’s where most of the what ifs came into play.

There’s really not much to say about this book, it’s kind of repetitive. I did like that the book was short and I was able to finish it in one sitting. I wish the multiple universe aspect Lockhart was going for would have been better executed and maybe the book would have been an easier read.

ONE OF US IS BACK By Karen M. McManus

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ONE OF US IS BACK By Karen M. McManusOne of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus
Series: One of Us Is Lying #3
Published by Delacorte Press on 7/25/23
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 362
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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It’s been almost two years since Simon died in detention, and the aftermath has been hard to shake. First the Bayview Four had to prove they weren’t killers. Then a new generation outwitted a vengeful copycat. Now the entire Bayview Crew is back home for the summer, and everyone is trying to move on.

Only, this is Bayview, and life is never that simple.

At first the mysterious billboard seems like a bad joke: Time for a new game, Bayview. But when a member of the Bayview Crew disappears, it’s clear this “game” is serious—and whoever’s in charge isn’t sharing the rules. Or maybe there aren’t any.

Bronwyn. Cooper. Addy. Nate. Maeve. Phoebe. Knox. Luis. Kris. Everyone’s a target. And now that someone unexpected has returned to Bayview, things could start getting deadly.

The thing is, Simon was right about secrets—they all come out eventually. And Bayview has a lot it’s still hiding.

Short and Sweet Review

It’s summer in Bayview and all of the Bayview crew are back together. You would think after Simon’s death two years ago and another group stopping the copycat that this would be the end, but nope someone is targeting the group again. It starts with a sign on a billboard then one of the crew members goes missing. Simon warned everyone before he died that secrets will come out, and there’s a few more Bayview has to give.

I love this series and as happy I was to hear there was going to be an installment I don’t think this book was needed. We’re back in Bayview and this time everyone is there, but we only get the POVs of Addy, Nate, and Phoebe. I understand Phoebe and Addy but not really sure we needed Nate. Phoebe is trying to figure out if her brother is a psychopath and we need Addy because Jake is back and we need to follow her thoughts and emotions through it all. If I had to guess why we got Nate maybe it was so we could see how he’s trying to better himself and also his relationship with Bronwyn. Anyway, Jake is out and about on probation so when the “games” are starting he looks like the number one suspect except that’s too easy. I honestly think Jake was there to throw us off and it’s funny because he’s still a horrible person so it very well could be him. When we get to the end and everything is explained it just feels like it was out of left field, because really how out of whack can one town be? Anyway in this book we get our normal something is happening that shouldn’t be, lets do a little investigating, something happens to one of our members, and we were a little off but now we know who the suspect is.

I do enjoy this series but I do feel like everything here was so convenient and out of nowhere that it worked but also made me feel like this shouldn’t have been a new book. I liked seeing all of the characters together and how the characters from the first book were like mentors to the characters from the second book, they had a great friendship with each other. Definitely recommend this series books 1 and 2 were amazing this book threw me for a loop.

ALL OF OUR DEMISE By Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman

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ALL OF OUR DEMISE By Amanda Foody and C.L. HermanAll of Our Demise by Amanda Foody, C.L. Herman
Series: All of Us Villains #2
Published by Tor Teen on 8/30/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 474
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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For the first time in this ancient, bloodstained story, the tournament is breaking. The boundaries between the city of Ilvernath and the arena have fallen. Reporters swarm the historic battlegrounds. A dead boy now lives again. And a new champion has entered the fray, one who seeks to break the curse for good... no matter how many lives are sacrificed in the process.

As the curse teeters closer and closer to collapse, the surviving champions each face a choice: dismantle the tournament piece by piece, or fight to the death as this story was always intended.

Long-held alliances will be severed. Hearts will break. Lives will end. Because a tale as wicked as this one was never destined for happily ever after.

Short and Sweet Review

In All of Us Villains we saw that the tournament was breaking and in All of Our Demise we pick up right where the last book ended. Briony, Finley, and Isobel are trying to end the tournament by bringing the relics to the landmarks and destroying them. Gavin and Alistair aren’t convinced and are still playing the tournament with the intentions of winning on their minds.

All of Our Demise felt like a race against the clock. We have one group racing to take down the blood veil and the other two teaming up to try to take them down. Even though we had everyone’s POVs I feel like Briony and Alistair were the main characters and the others were kind of secondary. There was a lot of character development in this book which I appreciated. Each of our characters are complex and have their own problems they’re trying to solve through the course of this book and through that we see how they’ve grown and are continuing to grow. Alistair learns that he’s worth loving, Briony that she is worth saving, Gavin learned that people care about him. I did like seeing the romance between the different characters, it didn’t feel like instalove but something that has been naturally working its way to the surface. The Magick system is still unique and its interesting watching the characters use it and learning about their curse rings and the different spells. The story gets a little more complicated because the press is more involved and there’s also some news about a conspiracy with some of the families involvement with the government. I thought this book was a little long and at some points lagged but it did pick up in the end and I did like when both groups came together and realized that they have a common goal.

Overall, this duology was exciting and filled with action and magick. I did like the characters but I wish it wasn’t as slow as it was. The ending was good and everything was wrapped up nicely, I would recommend this book especially if you enjoy high stakes competitions but with a twist of magic.