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readwithsuzie's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam Level: 🔥🔥 (one vague open door)
Sydney and Winter are back together with a new mission for Panacea. With another agent missing, Winter's star status will allow entrance to an elite gala in Singapore. Little do they know, there's much more at play than a simple agent extraction. As they try to focus on the mission, they're also confronted with their growing feelings for each other. Can these two make it out safely and guard their hearts at the same time?
I definitely liked this more than book one. Since there was already history between Winter and Sydney, the chemistry was hot from the start. There was lots of yearning from Winter, and Sydney was torn between her job and her attraction to him. The mission provided lots of action in the second half, although I did find one twist easy to predict. I was also hoping for a little more tension from the exes who were brought into the story. Overall, though, this was enjoyable, and I found myself liking the characters more than in the first book. I especially liked the ending between Winter and Sydney. I thought that was really tender and romantic while still providing drama and angst. It seemed like a satisfying ending that still left things open for a possible third book.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Steam Level: 🔥🔥 (one vague open door)
Sydney and Winter are back together with a new mission for Panacea. With another agent missing, Winter's star status will allow entrance to an elite gala in Singapore. Little do they know, there's much more at play than a simple agent extraction. As they try to focus on the mission, they're also confronted with their growing feelings for each other. Can these two make it out safely and guard their hearts at the same time?
I definitely liked this more than book one. Since there was already history between Winter and Sydney, the chemistry was hot from the start. There was lots of yearning from Winter, and Sydney was torn between her job and her attraction to him. The mission provided lots of action in the second half, although I did find one twist easy to predict. I was also hoping for a little more tension from the exes who were brought into the story. Overall, though, this was enjoyable, and I found myself liking the characters more than in the first book. I especially liked the ending between Winter and Sydney. I thought that was really tender and romantic while still providing drama and angst. It seemed like a satisfying ending that still left things open for a possible third book.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
danimae1981's review
4.0
Icon and Inferno had a similar feel to the first book, with action, mystery, romance and thrills. I read the books together, but enough background information is given catch you up if it's been a bit. Once again, I enjoyed the complicated relationship between Winter and Sydney, and the addition of their exes added extra tension. There are surprises along the way, though I'll admit to having my suspicions about some of the things that happened beforehand. There's a lot of action, and while sometimes it feels a little unrealistic, it gives it the kind of excitement you feel while watching a movie. It was definitely a quick read that was hard to put down. I'm not sure if there will be another book in this series, but I'd love to read more by the author, Marie Lu.
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy of Icon and Inferno! All opinions in my review are completely my own.
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for the advance review copy of Icon and Inferno! All opinions in my review are completely my own.
laurenjane20's review
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gun violence
Minor: Drug use
whitwein's review against another edition
5.0
I was so excited for book two. I love this secret agent/ pop super star duo!
In this one, which is a year later than book one, Agent Sydney teams back up with Winter to rescue an agent in Singapore and probably have to help stop an assassination (even though they were directed to not help with that…lol)
The only thing… the agent they are rescuing is Sydney’s ex and Winters Ex is coming along too to help keep his cover.
I love this series. I think it’s fun. I like the tech. I loved the Warcross references. Is it super believable. No does it need to be? I don’t think so. I’m very excited for the next book.
Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an advanced listening copy. The narrator was great.
In this one, which is a year later than book one, Agent Sydney teams back up with Winter to rescue an agent in Singapore and probably have to help stop an assassination (even though they were directed to not help with that…lol)
The only thing… the agent they are rescuing is Sydney’s ex and Winters Ex is coming along too to help keep his cover.
I love this series. I think it’s fun. I like the tech. I loved the Warcross references. Is it super believable. No does it need to be? I don’t think so. I’m very excited for the next book.
Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an advanced listening copy. The narrator was great.
amym84's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
It's been more than a year since superstar Winter Young was recruited into the Panacea Group - an elite covert ops group - to bring down a major crime boss.
Winter has gone back to his superstar status, but with the threatening release of a new tell-all book about him by some unknown person - although undoubtedly someone close to him - Winter longs for the excitement of being an agent. Longs for something slightly dangerous, yet also helpful and, in a way, something that's just his.
As fate would have it, the group needs Winter's help once again. One of their agents has gone missing in the middle of a mission and Sydney has been tapped to find him and bring him home. This includes travelling to Singapore and attending an exclusive gala. Who better to gain entry than the most famous pop singer in the world?
As Winter and Sydney team up again, the mission soon turns from a straight-forward extraction to thwarting a hit on the President.
This was the first time I've listened to this series on audiobook. I thought the narrator did a good job of giving each character their own voice. Honestly, I especially loved the vulnerability the came through in the quieter moments. However, sometimes I felt like there was a lot of whispering dialogue. I understand it's to give the effect of spying and being quiet and, you know, generally whispering, but sometimes it was actually difficult to hear even though my headphones/speakers were at a good volume. Overall, I am tempted to go back and listen to the first book now because I really liked what the narrator did for the characters. She really brought them to life.
I was not ready to be finished with Winter and Sydney from the first book, and was super excited that we get this second one. I low-key loved how Marie Lu ended the first one with them being separated because I knew the meetup again would be **chef's kiss**. Coupled with the fact that the agent they're sent to extract has a history with Sydney and Winter has become entangled again with an ex-girlfriend in the interim, and there's plenty of lovely angst. Now, normally I don't have time for the angst, but I felt like Marie Lu built these two up so well in the first book and built their tentative partnership up that I didn't really feel like there could be a true divide between them in this sense, but it made for some really great tension and also brought up contrasts and comparisons between those others relationships and the one they have with each other. This book felt a lot more emotionally involved than the first one, which makes sense because we are more familiar with the characters and the setup. That was dealt with in the first book, so it makes sense we would delve more into the emotional side of things.
I felt like this time around there's a lot of slow winding build-up until we get to the pulse-pounding intense mission. I didn't mind the slow build, at a certain point when things turn I just did not want to put down the book. Unfortunately, there are also some revelations that come about after the halfway mark that felt too rushed.
Regardless of these, I adore how Marie Lu handled Sydney and Winter.
I don't know what the future holds for this series, but I feel like there's plenty of possibilities for continuation and more ways to explore the characters.
Winter has gone back to his superstar status, but with the threatening release of a new tell-all book about him by some unknown person - although undoubtedly someone close to him - Winter longs for the excitement of being an agent. Longs for something slightly dangerous, yet also helpful and, in a way, something that's just his.
As fate would have it, the group needs Winter's help once again. One of their agents has gone missing in the middle of a mission and Sydney has been tapped to find him and bring him home. This includes travelling to Singapore and attending an exclusive gala. Who better to gain entry than the most famous pop singer in the world?
As Winter and Sydney team up again, the mission soon turns from a straight-forward extraction to thwarting a hit on the President.
This was the first time I've listened to this series on audiobook. I thought the narrator did a good job of giving each character their own voice. Honestly, I especially loved the vulnerability the came through in the quieter moments. However, sometimes I felt like there was a lot of whispering dialogue. I understand it's to give the effect of spying and being quiet and, you know, generally whispering, but sometimes it was actually difficult to hear even though my headphones/speakers were at a good volume. Overall, I am tempted to go back and listen to the first book now because I really liked what the narrator did for the characters. She really brought them to life.
I was not ready to be finished with Winter and Sydney from the first book, and was super excited that we get this second one. I low-key loved how Marie Lu ended the first one with them being separated because I knew the meetup again would be **chef's kiss**. Coupled with the fact that the agent they're sent to extract has a history with Sydney and Winter has become entangled again with an ex-girlfriend in the interim, and there's plenty of lovely angst. Now, normally I don't have time for the angst, but I felt like Marie Lu built these two up so well in the first book and built their tentative partnership up that I didn't really feel like there could be a true divide between them in this sense, but it made for some really great tension and also brought up contrasts and comparisons between those others relationships and the one they have with each other. This book felt a lot more emotionally involved than the first one, which makes sense because we are more familiar with the characters and the setup. That was dealt with in the first book, so it makes sense we would delve more into the emotional side of things.
I felt like this time around there's a lot of slow winding build-up until we get to the pulse-pounding intense mission. I didn't mind the slow build, at a certain point when things turn I just did not want to put down the book. Unfortunately, there are also some revelations that come about after the halfway mark that felt too rushed.
Regardless of these, I adore how Marie Lu handled Sydney and Winter.
I don't know what the future holds for this series, but I feel like there's plenty of possibilities for continuation and more ways to explore the characters.
amym84's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
It's been more than a year since superstar Winter Young was recruited into the Panacea Group - an elite covert ops group - to bring down a major crime boss.
Winter has gone back to his superstar status, but with the threatening release of a new tell-all book about him by some unknown person - although undoubtedly someone close to him - Winter longs for the excitement of being an agent. Longs for something slightly dangerous, yet also helpful and, in a way, something that's just his.
As fate would have it, the group needs Winter's help once again. One of their agents has gone missing in the middle of a mission and Sydney has been tapped to find him and bring him home. This includes travelling to Singapore and attending an exclusive gala. Who better to gain entry than the most famous pop singer in the world?
As Winter and Sydney team up again, the mission soon turns from a straight-forward extraction to thwarting a hit on the President.
I was not ready to be finished with Winter and Sydney from the first book, and was super excited that we get this second one. I low-key loved how Marie Lu ended the first one with them being separated because I knew the meetup again would be **chef's kiss**. Coupled with the fact that the agent they're sent to extract has a history with Sydney and Winter has become entangled again with an ex-girlfriend in the interim, and there's plenty of lovely angst. Now, normally I don't have time for the angst, but I felt like Marie Lu built these two up so well in the first book and built their tentative partnership up that I didn't really feel like there could be a true divide between them in this sense, but it made for some really great tension and also brought up contrasts and comparisons between those others relationships and the one they have with each other. This book felt a lot more emotionally involved than the first one, which makes sense because we are more familiar with the characters and the setup. That was dealt with in the first book, so it makes sense we would delve more into the emotional side of things.
I felt like this time around there's a lot of slow winding build-up until we get to the pulse-pounding intense mission. I didn't mind the slow build, at a certain point when things turn I just did not want to put down the book. Unfortunately, there are also some revelations that come about after the halfway mark that felt too rushed.
Regardless of these, I adore how Marie Lu handled Sydney and Winter.
I don't know what the future holds for this series, but I feel like there's plenty of possibilities for continuation and more ways to explore the characters.
Winter has gone back to his superstar status, but with the threatening release of a new tell-all book about him by some unknown person - although undoubtedly someone close to him - Winter longs for the excitement of being an agent. Longs for something slightly dangerous, yet also helpful and, in a way, something that's just his.
As fate would have it, the group needs Winter's help once again. One of their agents has gone missing in the middle of a mission and Sydney has been tapped to find him and bring him home. This includes travelling to Singapore and attending an exclusive gala. Who better to gain entry than the most famous pop singer in the world?
As Winter and Sydney team up again, the mission soon turns from a straight-forward extraction to thwarting a hit on the President.
I was not ready to be finished with Winter and Sydney from the first book, and was super excited that we get this second one. I low-key loved how Marie Lu ended the first one with them being separated because I knew the meetup again would be **chef's kiss**. Coupled with the fact that the agent they're sent to extract has a history with Sydney and Winter has become entangled again with an ex-girlfriend in the interim, and there's plenty of lovely angst. Now, normally I don't have time for the angst, but I felt like Marie Lu built these two up so well in the first book and built their tentative partnership up that I didn't really feel like there could be a true divide between them in this sense, but it made for some really great tension and also brought up contrasts and comparisons between those others relationships and the one they have with each other. This book felt a lot more emotionally involved than the first one, which makes sense because we are more familiar with the characters and the setup. That was dealt with in the first book, so it makes sense we would delve more into the emotional side of things.
I felt like this time around there's a lot of slow winding build-up until we get to the pulse-pounding intense mission. I didn't mind the slow build, at a certain point when things turn I just did not want to put down the book. Unfortunately, there are also some revelations that come about after the halfway mark that felt too rushed.
Regardless of these, I adore how Marie Lu handled Sydney and Winter.
I don't know what the future holds for this series, but I feel like there's plenty of possibilities for continuation and more ways to explore the characters.
kaleighreadsbooks's review
4.0
Okay seriously what stars aligned for me to receive an ARC of this?! I AM SHOOK
On another note, this is my first time reading a Marie Lu book and WHAT? HOW DID NO ONE TELL ME LU'S BOOKS ARE THIS GOOD AND ADDICTIVE?!
On another note, this is my first time reading a Marie Lu book and WHAT? HOW DID NO ONE TELL ME LU'S BOOKS ARE THIS GOOD AND ADDICTIVE?!
bookameme's review
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-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
James Bond as Black Widow, but she struggles to save the world while falling for a BTS version of Bieber.
I finished this one on audio and really liked it. It was dual narration and really well performed, but the story was the best part.
It was fun and complicated with plenty of twists, some I saw coming from a mile away but many that took me by surprise.
It was incredibly sad though, I swear every character had a tragic backstory and went through a wealth of trauma.
⚠️ The book is marked as YA, but there are some vaguely smut like scenes. Like there are very clear instances where the characters go to pound town, and the author gives a sort of vague explanation of their emotions. Basically it isn’t explicit but it’s still there. Now, I love smut so I rather enjoyed this, but if you’re not a fan of this then just beware it’s in there. I would also not recommend listening to it in the car if you’re with other people and they don’t like steamy books.
Don’t let me confuse you, this might be a steamy romance, but most of the story is about spies, espionage, and violence (explosions, guns, knives, fists, car chases, motorcycle stunts, the whole nine yards). So this is like an action thriller with Bond style heroes.
Sydney, the FMC, reminded me of The Black Widow. She had that tough as nails, scarry good at being a bad ass, hidden talents, and analytical mind thing going that I associate with Romanov.
Now Winter was more like a k-Pop boy bander. I just kept picturing BTS, but he was a super star on the world stage backed by an American label so we got a lot of relationship drama.
✨Note✨Book 2 in the series.
Stats📊
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨🌶️💙💙💙💙💙
YA Romance/ Action Thriller: Spies, Pop Star, Stopping a War, Nasty Bad Guys, People Die
Dual POV & Narration
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Abandonment, Alcohol, Car accident, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, and Gun violence
niftyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
I loved being back in the world of spies meets pop stars in ICON AND INFERNO by Marie Lu after having the time of my life in STARS AND SMOKE. Even though a year has supposedly passed since pop star Winter and secret agent Sydney Cosette last went undercover, it feels like they haven’t been out of each other’s lives. The banter is back with full steam ahead on the “I was not staring at you; I was just doing my job” train, which happens so often and well, haha.
The stakes of the mission are much higher in this book, too! So, if you read the first book and thought, like me, that you were glad you were reading Sydney and Winter’s mission, have a cup of tea and a cozy blanket while you curl up with this one. This mission is so cool! If you are a vivid reader and see things as you read, it’s a total action movie in your head! I was going to put emojis here, but I want you to experience the thrill for yourself 🤓
I listen to it on audiobook, like I did with the first one. I love Becca Q. CO’s narration for ICON AND INFERNO. It’s excellent, just like it is in STARS AND SMOKE. I'm a big fan of her character voices and how she draws me into the story, which makes me unwilling to stop listening until I finish!
But loving the audio does not stop me from owning these gorgeous books. I have the OG hardcover and new cover paperback of STARS AND SMOKE, and I can’t wait for my preorder of ICON AND INFERNO to come in with the matching cover to the paperback! The artwork is done by @ velinxi. So gorgeous, right?
I’ve read them with ears, but they will be an equally good time to read with your eyes. The books are just a pleasure to read. My only wish is that the world will read them and fall in love like me, forcing Marie Lu to write another book because I really do need more of these two silly yet talented spies in my life!
Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for ALC!
ICON AND INFERNO out 6/11.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Gun violence
jlove731's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5