I did not expect that book two would manage to equal the first in quality, but this one did not disappoint! The magical system/supernatural world in this series is astounding and I love reading about it. The characters are growing in a way that feels wonderfully natural and also surprisingly healthy, which leads me to the relationship between Mads and Cosmo. I genuinely love reading about them because of how wonderfully equal and healthy their relationship is. This one immediately hooked me in and the intensity at only 30% of the way into the book is honestly even more powerful than the climax. Wow.


Would I go back in time and still read this book, knowing what I know now?
Absolutely. I can’t wait to read the next!


See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book


CHARACTERS: I’ve already mentioned a bit about how much I love these characters in my quick summary. They’re complex, they’re growing, they’re real in a way that resonates not only for the history and world they live in, but also in a way that resonates for me as a reader. I have a very weird quirk where I can’t stand lovey-dovey nicknames in a relationship because they feel incredibly diminutive to me. However, what perhaps drives me nuts even more is when, in many novels, only one of the partners uses them! However that is NOT the case in this series and so every time I see it, it’s a breath of fresh air that I can’t deny. I’m so grateful for it. Cosmo and Mads (and on a different relationship level, Mads and Jude) both have incredible strengths and vulnerabilities and we never get the sense that one is ‘the strong one’ in the relationship. They’re gloriously equal and the novel plays to all of their strengths and weaknesses and I can’t get enough of it. If I have only one complaint about the characters, it’s that the author doesn’t really ever describe anyone, even the new characters we meet. So it truly is a ‘pick what you want them to look like’, which is hard when we are given absolutely nothing at all to go on.


PLOT: This one is intense. Michele does not shy away from some seriously painful moments that I was honestly not expecting to occur so soon into the plot. However, when she did, it was handled so incredibly well. It’s painful but not overwhelming, and she moves us into a different POV for the first time which is both surprisingly but so welcome and refreshing. I’ve always hated first person especially because if they’re in any way indisposed, the story just stops. I hate it. But that doesn’t happen here. I nearly cried I was so overjoyed with that. However, in doing so, Michele also keeps the pace and intensity high in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the reader. It’s a beautiful balance that was a painful joy to read. Wow.


EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

4 out of 5/high. Unexpected again, mostly because I didn’t expect that the second book would be on par intensity-wise with the first. But she managed it. Wow.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?

75%. This one has slightly less simply because the climax in this one didn’t seem quite as intense as some of the other moments in the book. But that being said, everything in this book was wrapped up beautifully and leaves me excited for the next book.