ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm not quite sure what to say about this one. Not because I have strong, conflicting feelings, but instead quite the opposite. There isn't much to say about this book. It was fine, a decent sequel; though it did suffer from middle-book syndrome quite a bit. The characters developed and there were moments that I enjoyed their growth. Yet, I couldn't find myself caring that much. It seemed that very little happened, even though things were clearly happening. Most of this book focuses on Amani amassing allies, as well as an insight into both she and Maram's personal conflicts. There were moments it was interesting, and moments when it seemed to drag more than a snail carrying years worth of family trauma.

So, yes, I liked it, but I also didn't feel much of anything about it. I enjoyed the political intrigue and angst of the first book a bit more, but this is definitely a sequel that can stand on its own. It just didn't do much for me personally. I'd still recommend it if you enjoyed the first book.

"Never greet a tiger at midnight, for they are the manifestations of your past misdeeds."

Holy cow!! This was sooo good. I'll admit that I didn't have many expectations going into this, because I'd heard so little about it- which is a crime, because this book is amazing.

Things I Liked

1. The Characters
Esha and Kunal are amazing and I love them. All too often, especially in YA, the author will give you two strong, independent characters that melt into useless goo as soon as a love interest enters the scene. This was so not the case here. Yes, there's obviously attraction that distracts them from their goals from time to time, but they're self-aware enough to be annoyed by this and try to push past it. And beyond their (precious) romance, they have their own goals, their own conflicts.

I also loved how Esha was ACTUALLY skilled. We weren't just told she was skilled, we were shown it. She was also allowed to be both beautiful and feminine, and kick everyone's ass. I loved it.

2. The Setting
I could visualize everything so clearly while reading, which is amazing in and of itself as I'm an exhausted shell of myself currently. From the landscape to the fight scenes to the crowded rooms of people, every inch of it was beautifully portrayed.

3. The Discussions
Okay, I love a good book that talks about the way we're raised and how that creates our perception of the world. That's a big thing this book deals with. Kunal was raised to believe his cause was right, and that the other side was beneath him, other. We watch him grapple with this as he grows and sees the world in a way that's untainted by the words of his superiors.

Things I Didn't Like

1. The Pacing
For the most part, this wasn't a big issue. I truly enjoyed seeing the game of cat and mouse between Esha and Kunal, but there's a moment when something shifted and everything seemed to stall. It was kind of like trudging through quick sand for the last third of the book, and even though I still enjoyed it, it took me out of the story a bit.

2. The Plot-twist
Clearly, I can't say much here without spoiling but all I'll say is that it kind of came out of nowhere and cheapened things a bit for me, as well as not being given enough time anyway. I get that it can be so hard to give everything, especially in the first book of a fantasy trilogy, the time and description it needs without being overwhelming so I totally understand. But, Idk, it felt quite bizarre to me. Perhaps I'd feel different if I was familiar with the mythology the story drew inspiration from, but as it stands, it felt forced to me.

Overall

I was so pleasantly surprised by this one. It deserves more hype, you guys. Seriously. You're sleeping on this amazing novel with great characters and some top tier banter. Read itttt.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

This was so good!! I already knew I was going to love this, and not just because Brooke is one of the kindest souls out there, but because I'm a sucker for a good dystopian and this sounded right up my alley. I was right. I've always been an odd soul in the way that a good dystopian can feel cozy to me, in a strange way. It's like my comfort genre. This book was no exception, it had all of the things I love about dystopian, while also managing to be unique as well.

There were so many things I enjoyed about this book, from the setting (Texassss) to the characters. (Especially Peter. He's precious and deserves to be protected at all costs.) I loved how this felt like a YA book. It can feel like there are so many adult books masquerading as YA. Authors know YA sells, so they take adult stories and make them YA. (This was my problem with one of the last ARCs I read.) However, this story was authentically YA. The main character is 16 and struggling with her adolescence. The characters are struggling with feeling too young, and yet being forced to grow up too fast. Teenagers can read this book at a very formative, strange time in their life and seem themselves represented in the pages. It was something I really appreciated about the story as a whole.

My only criticism, if you can even call it that, was that some things felt just a bit too unrealistic? The book is set in 2023 and while I know the world isn't doing so hot right now, it was a bit hard for me to imagine the world getting to such a point so quickly. Then there was the matter of two of the president's best agents just leaving their letters and plans in someone else's office, which just felt a bit too convenient and unrealistic. Clearly, this book is a work of fiction and we, as readers, need to be willing to suspend our belief a bit. But, it was still something that I noticed and I wanted to mention it.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book and I'm so grateful I was able to read it. I can't wait to see it (and all of Brooke's future works) on my shelf someday. If you're looking for a sweet, contemporary-esque dystopian with precious characters and a cliffhanger ending, I definitely recommend this one.

I am now in emotional distress. Thank you for asking.