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escapismforlife's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Abandonment, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Physical abuse
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
sunlit_music's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Plot summary: Daron Demarco's reputation is now in tatters after his talented mentee Kallia disappears through a mirror with her former boss and mentor Jack. Now Kallia must make her way in the mirror world, a world that is a reflection of the real world in some ways, but different, beautiful and deadly. Will she survive to see her friends again and reunite with Daron?
My thoughts on the plot: Plot was interesting and well written, and made sense. It's always good, but becomes phenomenally better in chapter 29. This is when Daron enters the mirror world and beloved characters are reunited with each other.
Daron and Kallia spend at least half of the novel apart from each other, but they still pine after each other and are busy - Daron is busy searching for her, and Kallia is busy surviving the brutal and gorgeous mirror world, making friends and figuring out who to trust and how to deal with the new antagonist, the Dealer.
Characters: Oh my god, there is so much character development in this book!! Jack, the antagonist of book one, is much more fleshed out in this book, and more nuanced. His terrible and toxic actions from book one are never excused, and he actually attempts to do the right thing and help others in book 2.
I felt sympathy and affection for characters I never thought I would like, like Harold. Lottie even ends up more sympathetic in this novel.
Beloved characters like Aaros and Canary reappear, but they appear much less often than in book one. The new characters, such as Vain and Ruthless are fascinating, and I like how Kallia befriends them.
Daron even finds a long lost relative, and I felt all emotional when they meet up again and he tries to make amends. My heart!! I really love how we keep seeing his thoughts of her in book one, how she was his motivation for coming to the city of Glorian, and now we finally get to meet her. It's worth it. It is totally worth it. <3
Kallia finds out she is related to a powerful and ancient, deadly magician, and the book discusses issues of blood family versus found family really well. I liked seeing the contrast between Daron's loving family and Kallia's remaining relative.
World building: The world building is incredible. Oh my god. It's even better than in book one. The differences between the mirror world and the real world, the illusions people see being tailored to them so everyone sees someone different they care about, the identity of the devils - it's all so well crafted and packs an emotional gut punch.
The prose: is so haunting, evocative and lovely!! It makes the world of mirrors feel dangerous, exciting, and alluring, while emphasising the inhabitants' tension and anxiety. There's a rhythm to the words like music, and the words fall into place like they're meant to be there.
The ending: the ending is so bittersweet despite being hopeful and optimistic, because characters we love choose to be separated from their friends. They care deeply about each other, but they will never see each other again. The final battle is action packed and moving, and characters that were previously antagonists actually team up with the protagonist to fight the main antagonist in this novel. We see the mortal and real world is slowly becoming a better place because of Kallia's and her friends' actions.
Conclusion: Both books in the duology are fantastic, and When Night Breaks is thoughtful, emotionally devastating, action packed (in the second half), lyrical, gorgeous, and tender hearted. This book is a fitting and satisfying conclusion to the Kingdom of Cards duology.
My thoughts on the plot: Plot was interesting and well written, and made sense. It's always good, but becomes phenomenally better in chapter 29. This is when Daron enters the mirror world and beloved characters are reunited with each other.
Daron and Kallia spend at least half of the novel apart from each other, but they still pine after each other and are busy - Daron is busy searching for her, and Kallia is busy surviving the brutal and gorgeous mirror world, making friends and figuring out who to trust and how to deal with the new antagonist, the Dealer.
Characters: Oh my god, there is so much character development in this book!! Jack, the antagonist of book one, is much more fleshed out in this book, and more nuanced. His terrible and toxic actions from book one are never excused, and he actually attempts to do the right thing and help others in book 2.
I felt sympathy and affection for characters I never thought I would like, like Harold. Lottie even ends up more sympathetic in this novel.
Beloved characters like Aaros and Canary reappear, but they appear much less often than in book one. The new characters, such as Vain and Ruthless are fascinating, and I like how Kallia befriends them.
Daron even finds a long lost relative, and I felt all emotional when they meet up again and he tries to make amends. My heart!! I really love how we keep seeing his thoughts of her in book one, how she was his motivation for coming to the city of Glorian, and now we finally get to meet her. It's worth it. It is totally worth it. <3
Kallia finds out she is related to a powerful and ancient, deadly magician, and the book discusses issues of blood family versus found family really well. I liked seeing the contrast between Daron's loving family and Kallia's remaining relative.
World building: The world building is incredible. Oh my god. It's even better than in book one. The differences between the mirror world and the real world, the illusions people see being tailored to them so everyone sees someone different they care about, the identity of the devils - it's all so well crafted and packs an emotional gut punch.
The prose: is so haunting, evocative and lovely!! It makes the world of mirrors feel dangerous, exciting, and alluring, while emphasising the inhabitants' tension and anxiety. There's a rhythm to the words like music, and the words fall into place like they're meant to be there.
The ending: the ending is so bittersweet despite being hopeful and optimistic, because characters we love choose to be separated from their friends. They care deeply about each other, but they will never see each other again. The final battle is action packed and moving, and characters that were previously antagonists actually team up with the protagonist to fight the main antagonist in this novel. We see the mortal and real world is slowly becoming a better place because of Kallia's and her friends' actions.
Conclusion: Both books in the duology are fantastic, and When Night Breaks is thoughtful, emotionally devastating, action packed (in the second half), lyrical, gorgeous, and tender hearted. This book is a fitting and satisfying conclusion to the Kingdom of Cards duology.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Confinement, Bullying, Torture, and Kidnapping
theespressoedition's review
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I finished this book last night and I'm sitting here not even a full 12 hours later, completely unsure what to write, because... I'm still so confused?
This book started out so beautifully! It picked up right immediately following the events of Where Dreams Descend, so I never felt like I lost myself in the timeline. Kallia has been "taken," Jack has gone with her, and Daron is left feeling as lost as he was when his sister was absorbed into the mirror so many years ago.
The very middle of the book had a lot happening and absolutely nothing at all. Daron searching the Dire Woods, befriending Lottie, coming to terms (I think? I'm still not sure) with Aunt Cata? Kallia finding out her relation to Roth, being adopted into The Diamond Rings, still playing games with Jack (that make absolutely no sense to me at this point because the first book gave him all the power, and this book... he was like... a random side-character more than anything?) I would say that it was a lot of world-building, but it honestly felt like there was very little actual building, because world-building helps you understand the setting of the book, the politics, etc. while this book just left me feeling more confused than I ever was.
The fact that Daron and Kallia didn't wind up meeting face-to-face until almost 80% through the book really bothered me. There were so many opportunities for that to happen sooner and it didn't. It left me wanting something and never really feeling like I got it.
At the end (we're talking the last couple of chapters), the action finally began. Oh, and it was GOOD action too. There were so many things happening at once that I was flying through the pages! Reveals, devils, mirrors, death - it was all there and it was exciting! I just wish it had happened a little sooner. There were plenty of great "action" sequences early-on, but none that meant anything. It was a little disappointing to get it all right at the end.
And I'm still not entirely sure what the ending was? I think things wrapped up? But maybe they didn't? So many question marks because that's how my head still feels! I think I mentioned for the first book that it was a bit confusing but with great vibes. This one was just vibes, because I really didn't understand much at all. Maybe my thoughts will change if I look back at it again another time - I hope so! Or maybe I'll reread it and understand more. I just didn't feel fully satisfied.
This book started out so beautifully! It picked up right immediately following the events of Where Dreams Descend, so I never felt like I lost myself in the timeline. Kallia has been "taken," Jack has gone with her, and Daron is left feeling as lost as he was when his sister was absorbed into the mirror so many years ago.
The very middle of the book had a lot happening and absolutely nothing at all. Daron searching the Dire Woods, befriending Lottie, coming to terms (I think? I'm still not sure) with Aunt Cata? Kallia finding out her relation to Roth, being adopted into The Diamond Rings, still playing games with Jack (that make absolutely no sense to me at this point because the first book gave him all the power, and this book... he was like... a random side-character more than anything?) I would say that it was a lot of world-building, but it honestly felt like there was very little actual building, because world-building helps you understand the setting of the book, the politics, etc. while this book just left me feeling more confused than I ever was.
The fact that
At the end (we're talking the last couple of chapters), the action finally began. Oh, and it was GOOD action too. There were so many things happening at once that I was flying through the pages! Reveals, devils, mirrors, death - it was all there and it was exciting! I just wish it had happened a little sooner. There were plenty of great "action" sequences early-on, but none that meant anything. It was a little disappointing to get it all right at the end.
And I'm still not entirely sure what the ending was? I think things wrapped up? But maybe they didn't? So many question marks because that's how my head still feels! I think I mentioned for the first book that it was a bit confusing but with great vibes. This one was just vibes, because I really didn't understand much at all. Maybe my thoughts will change if I look back at it again another time - I hope so! Or maybe I'll reread it and understand more. I just didn't feel fully satisfied.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Torture and Injury/Injury detail
sydapel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
There's a possibility I might have been more into this if I was at all interested in circuses or magicians, but she's a faerie gurl through and through. There were just too many loose threads in this book to be a coherent story (which the first book was able to achieve well enough), from a villian who isn't even on page for more than 10% of the story to a love triangle that doesn't wrap up in any kind of succinct way to lore which is supposed to tie the plot together that only further confused me. If you've read this far (Hi Mom), you might say, "Sydney why didn't you just DNF it and move on?" To which I unfortunately have no logical reply.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Body horror
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