I really liked We Unleash the Merciless Storm, but unfortunately, though it pains me to say so, I didn’t love it the way I loved We Set the Dark on Fire.

Let me preface the rest of my review by saying Mejia did such a good job with this sequel, truly. It’s about rebellion and revolution in all its forms, on large and small scales, personal and collective. It’s about balancing different parts of yourself so you can be your honest self. And on top of this are so many other themes I don’t think I can do justice describing—from oppression to poverty to bigotry in politics and more—all given equal attention and written seamlessly into a captivating story.

This novel allows readers to get to know who Carmen really is after the cliffhanger in We Set the Dark on Fire. We learn how she got to be where and who she is now, witness her inner struggle of family vs duty vs love. She’s such a complex character and I’m so glad she narrates this book. I think it’s fitting, too: we get one book from Dani and now one from Carmen. I love Carmen Santos SO MUCH, I can’t even explain.

And her romance with Dani? BE STILL MY GAY HEART. There’s so much passion between them and it shows, but more as well. They’ve each got a lot to deal with, physically and emotionally. They love and fight, but most importantly, they communicate. They support one another, and I love to see it. I knew I loved them in We Set the Dark on Fire, but after We Unleash the Merciless Storm I can confirm that I adore them and am 100% trash for them. If we’re being honest, it’s almost a guarantee I’ll end up trash for any well-written, mutually affectionate sapphic relationship. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, unfortunately, I have to say that I had a couple of issues with the book. Primarily, the pacing was severely uneven. The first half of the book can be summarized almost entirely by just the words “gay yearning”—and don’t get me wrong, I’m here for it—but it isn’t enough to support such a large portion of a story. The climax comes so close to the end of the story, leaving little time for much else to occur and even less for a truly satisfying ending. But more on that later.

My other issue isn’t as significant, but it was still noticeable to me: some events seemed a bit too convenient. Like they shouldn’t have worked, but they worked for Carmen and Dani. And in the final chapters, a couple of things seemed too easy. Of course, Mejia threw in some twists and one in particular had me terrified, but when you’ve only got a handful of chapters remaining and so much to cover, there isn’t time for anything spectacular, thus tying into my aforementioned problem with the story’s pacing.

Lastly—and this is more of a personal thing than an actual critique—I would’ve loved to see dual perspectives. I think switching between Carmen and Dani would’ve added an extra layer to the story that ultimately would’ve been beneficial to it as a whole. I love Daniela Vargas just as much as I love Carmen Santos, and I kind of missed her narration, even though I loved Carmen’s. I think the beginning, prior to their reunion, and the final battle would’ve especially benefitted from this. However, the story is still amazing with just Carmen, and I don’t want to mislead anyone in that regard.

As for the ending, I think it was left kind of open on purpose; I know we aren’t getting a third book, as this is only a duology. But maybe Mejia intends to write something else in this world, in the future? Or maybe I’m just a desperate lesbian reading into what isn’t there. I’m not sure. That aside, all my criticisms aside, Mejia did everything right with this ending. Would I have loved to see more? Absolutely. But I’m happy with what we got, as my queer queens are together and, for the most part, everything is okay. The girls’ off-page future has a lot of potential and I love that for them.

Even though I don’t think We Unleash the Merciless Storm lived up to We Set the Dark on Fire, it was a great sequel. If you’ve read the first book, you don’t want to miss this one. And I know I don’t want to miss anything Tehlor Kay Mejia writes in the future.

Representation:
• Entirely Latinx cast of characters (as far as I know)
• Sapphic Latinx protagonists
• Sapphic romance (but we all know that already, come on)

CW: blood, some gore, death/murder, war