Scan barcode
koistyfishy's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
There are a lot of reviews that say that this book is better than the first one and on some level, I do agree since it felt slightly more mature and serious. But then on others it just went downhill fast and I ended up in a situation where about 60% in I was slogging through to get to the end or trying to distract myself from reading. Basically I wasn’t as enticed as I was reading book one.
Don’t get me wrong, it is enjoyable and I will be picking up the third book, if for only the reason to see the series to completion as it wasn’t that bad that I want to DNF the rest. This book just isn’t as memorable as the first in my mind.
This will contain spoilers for book one so proceed at your own risk.
This book starts off a few months after Steel has left to go search for Silver. Emberly has been receiving strange stalker-ish “heavy breathing” phone calls from him in the middle of the night and so after informing her friends that Steel has found Silver, they concoct this “brilliant” plan to go help him find his forsaken sister. In so doing, often making seriously juvenile mistakes ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE DAMN GIRLS DIDN’T WANT TO GO TO A STUPID CLUB there is an obvious trap that ends up with Emberly captured (and kidnapped again). She is then taken to the spirit realm and held in a Fallen and Forsaken fortress ruled by a mysterious someone like her, another seraph-born…Thorne.
This book starts off a few months after Steel has left to go search for Silver. Emberly has been receiving strange stalker-ish “heavy breathing” phone calls from him in the middle of the night and so after informing her friends that Steel has found Silver, they concoct this “brilliant” plan to go help him find his forsaken sister. In so doing, often making seriously juvenile mistakes
The world building does take it up a notch, and we do get to see more of the spirit realm that was hinted to and briefly glimpsed in the first installment. We also learn quite a bit more about Emberly’s heritage and unknowns about the Forsaken and Fallen that the Nephilim don’t know about.
Emberly’s character does develop slightly more and she does have a few more layers added to her but that’s about it in terms of everyone’s character development. She still is very clearly a teenager who has had the worlds problems thrown on her shoulders, so she try’s to solve these problems like a teenager would. You don’t get a lot of interaction with her friends, and the banter and exchanges between her “found family” can actually be felt missing and is one of the reasons this book is not as good. I was giggling in book one and for this one, I don’t think I laughed once…
Then there is Steel. Even though we get a few glimpses into character and a few chapters of his POV he is still very one-dimensional and I don’t like him as a love interest. His whole persona of “alpha moody broody handsome guy“ doesn’t get a lot of depth and his love for Emberly almost feels out of nowhere. It happens too fast and basically the first time they see each other since Em is taken is him telling her:
“Don’t you know by now that I would do anything for you? I would search for thousand years and tear down ten thousand doors to reach you. I’d rip the world apart and then find a way to stitch it back together if you willed it”.
As much as the quote is enduring…They haven’t had more than a couple of kisses! It’s quite a declaration of love in comparison to the minimal displays of affection they’ve had.
The plot also feels quite repetitive and by the fourth time I had to read about Emberly and Steel having their asses handed to them and being beaten in a fight…I kind of got over it and was bored.
The only cool addition to characters was Thorne. I feel like there was a missed opportunity for a love triangle that was hinted… and for a moment I was actually hoping he and Em would end up together as he had a little bit depth to his character and I love someone morally grey. However I found this series because of Supernova and know HE is the love interest in that sooooooo there goes that hope!
Overall, it’s okay. I’d recommend a slog through this to get to book three to finish the series as I am intrigued to see what happens in the end. If you like YA paranormal Angels, you might actually love that the characters are pretty face value and this is primarily just plot….
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit
More...