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heartbrekker's Reviews (797)
An amazing sequel!
It certainly did not suffer the slow second book syndrome because I was hooked from the get-go.
I think one of my favorite parts to this sequel was witnessing the consequences of the characters previous decisions and how these actions affect life going forward.
Hassan, especially, was a character who grew on me during this book because he's trying to come back from manipulating his people and others. He was the weakest POV for me in the first book, and while he still is not my favorite to read, I liked that he gave the reader a city perspective since all the other characters were moving across the country. He kept us grounded with updates, and he learned a lot along the way about his ancestry.
Now just like in TWCAD- Beru is the standout POV for me because she is such a rarity in literature now a days. People continuously want to create characters mimicking extreme strength and power like Ephyra, but Beru is the compassionate, wholesome soul that I love to read about. She is not given a lot of POV time in this book, but each moment was a treasure to me. I adore her so much, and I'll forever gush about the sisterly love shared between Ephyra and Beru. They both may be at odds, but their love still is a standout to their personalities, which I think is a great contrast to Ilya and Anton, who also had an interesting turn of events and plot line to this sequel. Ephyra and Ilya's journey was not something I was expecting.
Moreover, Anton and Jude are the close second in my favorites list for this trilogy. They both grow and change throughout the course of this sequel, and they gave me some of the rare heartwarming moments in this otherwise dark world. I loved that Katy chose to focus on their relationship more in this sequel, and it really allowed them to become fleshed out beyond their fears from the previous book. Both are courageous and selfless. They deserve happiness!
Lastly, Ephyra's Indiana Jones moment was so... enlightening? I know Ephyra has her own agenda always, and she is the more ruthless between the sisters, but when she started to thaw a bit in this book, my heart roared with feelings. She's honestly more dainty at times than Beru because of what happens.
Overall, I enjoyed this sequel more than TWCAD, which is a wonderful sentiment! I cannot wait to see where our characters go next, and I'm still biting my nails from the last 5oish pages of this book. HOW IN THE WORLD DID SO MUCH HAPPEN?! How will the trilogy wrap up? So many questions and barely any of them answered!
P.S. There's some GREAT twists in this sequel, so if you're looking to have the rug pulled out from under you then do yourself a favor and grab this book ASAP.
It certainly did not suffer the slow second book syndrome because I was hooked from the get-go.
I think one of my favorite parts to this sequel was witnessing the consequences of the characters previous decisions and how these actions affect life going forward.
Hassan, especially, was a character who grew on me during this book because he's trying to come back from manipulating his people and others. He was the weakest POV for me in the first book, and while he still is not my favorite to read, I liked that he gave the reader a city perspective since all the other characters were moving across the country. He kept us grounded with updates, and he learned a lot along the way about his ancestry.
Now just like in TWCAD- Beru is the standout POV for me because she is such a rarity in literature now a days. People continuously want to create characters mimicking extreme strength and power like Ephyra, but Beru is the compassionate, wholesome soul that I love to read about. She is not given a lot of POV time in this book, but each moment was a treasure to me. I adore her so much, and I'll forever gush about the sisterly love shared between Ephyra and Beru. They both may be at odds, but their love still is a standout to their personalities, which I think is a great contrast to Ilya and Anton, who also had an interesting turn of events and plot line to this sequel. Ephyra and Ilya's journey was not something I was expecting.
Moreover, Anton and Jude are the close second in my favorites list for this trilogy. They both grow and change throughout the course of this sequel, and they gave me some of the rare heartwarming moments in this otherwise dark world. I loved that Katy chose to focus on their relationship more in this sequel, and it really allowed them to become fleshed out beyond their fears from the previous book. Both are courageous and selfless. They deserve happiness!
Lastly, Ephyra's Indiana Jones moment was so... enlightening? I know Ephyra has her own agenda always, and she is the more ruthless between the sisters, but when she started to thaw a bit in this book, my heart roared with feelings. She's honestly more dainty at times than Beru because of what happens.
Overall, I enjoyed this sequel more than TWCAD, which is a wonderful sentiment! I cannot wait to see where our characters go next, and I'm still biting my nails from the last 5oish pages of this book. HOW IN THE WORLD DID SO MUCH HAPPEN?! How will the trilogy wrap up? So many questions and barely any of them answered!
P.S. There's some GREAT twists in this sequel, so if you're looking to have the rug pulled out from under you then do yourself a favor and grab this book ASAP.
Skyhunter was the pick me up that I needed.
Marie Lu has always been my comfort author. Back in 2011 I came across Legend on my Kindle and never looked back. I didn’t realize just how impactful she’d be on my life at that moment, but it’s stayed with me ever since. Every year I look forward to more books by Marie, and Skyhunter certainly was not a disappointment.
I highly recommend going into Skyhunter with little to no information. I definitely think fans of Legend and The Young Elites will enjoy this new series because it mixes numerous elements within those series. Obviously, we got a dystopia-like setting mixed with powerful technology. This world is super dark like TYE, but Talin is a wonderful main character. She’s the definition of strength and selflessness, filled with so much light. Everyone is going to fall for her- I already know it.
There’s no romance, at least in my opinion, for the main character, but we get hints about supporting characters feelings throughout the story. It’s nice to not have romance in every piece of literature, and I truly enjoyed getting to know both Talin and her Shield in a platonic manner.
Does this bring anything new to the genre of dystopia? No. Did I enjoy it anyway? Of course!
Moreover, this book is impactful too because it discusses heavier topics. There’s trigger warnings for: war, brutal human experimentation, maltreatment of refugees, PTSD, familial loss, and racism/ bias against one’s country. There may be more, but these are the one’s I came up with first.
I cannot wait to hold a finished copy in my hands. I’m so thankful to Fierce Reads for allowing me to read an early copy. It means the world to support Marie. I’ll probably come back and add more thoughts in the future, but these are my super non-spoilery opinions!
Marie Lu has always been my comfort author. Back in 2011 I came across Legend on my Kindle and never looked back. I didn’t realize just how impactful she’d be on my life at that moment, but it’s stayed with me ever since. Every year I look forward to more books by Marie, and Skyhunter certainly was not a disappointment.
I highly recommend going into Skyhunter with little to no information. I definitely think fans of Legend and The Young Elites will enjoy this new series because it mixes numerous elements within those series. Obviously, we got a dystopia-like setting mixed with powerful technology. This world is super dark like TYE, but Talin is a wonderful main character. She’s the definition of strength and selflessness, filled with so much light. Everyone is going to fall for her- I already know it.
There’s no romance, at least in my opinion, for the main character, but we get hints about supporting characters feelings throughout the story. It’s nice to not have romance in every piece of literature, and I truly enjoyed getting to know both Talin and her Shield in a platonic manner.
Does this bring anything new to the genre of dystopia? No. Did I enjoy it anyway? Of course!
Moreover, this book is impactful too because it discusses heavier topics. There’s trigger warnings for: war, brutal human experimentation, maltreatment of refugees, PTSD, familial loss, and racism/ bias against one’s country. There may be more, but these are the one’s I came up with first.
I cannot wait to hold a finished copy in my hands. I’m so thankful to Fierce Reads for allowing me to read an early copy. It means the world to support Marie. I’ll probably come back and add more thoughts in the future, but these are my super non-spoilery opinions!
4.75
Legit the only reason this isn’t 0.25 more in rating is because the beginning was a bit slow. Otherwise, perfection incarnate.
Legit the only reason this isn’t 0.25 more in rating is because the beginning was a bit slow. Otherwise, perfection incarnate.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is my first novel by Rebecca, and it certainly will not be my last!!
Everything. EVERYTHING. About this book was marvelous. The plot, the diverse cast, witty writing, and mostly importantly the world building (cliff cities are my kryptonite). UGH! This is a quadruple threat!
Xiala was my favorite character by far. She’s such an enigma, and her abilities both magical and non-magical have me geared up for something in the future books. I’m always particular with my sea-ladies, and she checks off allll the boxes. I’m VERY intrigued to find out more about her homeland.
There’s three other perspectives, and each bring something different to the table: a religious leader with “radical” beliefs, a warrior who may have more to lose than he understands, and lastly, the god made flesh who has a date with destiny.
Lastly, there’s some incredible rep within this book. Obviously, this fantasy is inspired by Indigenous Pre-Columbian people/ culture, but there’s LGBTQIAP+ rep for pansexuality, non-binary, and transgender people too. It was incredible for this strong fantasy to include wonderful representations across the board because fantasy has a tendency to be non-inclusive. Well- Black Sun said NOT TODAY.
Thank you Saga for sending me a review copy! I cannot wait to hold the finished copy in my hands!!
Trigger Warnings: guardian/ parental abuse, child sex slavery, self harm, homophobia, blood, violence and gore, suicide, death of loved one, graphic eye injury, animal abuse, drug use, ritualistic scarring, and Ableism
Everything. EVERYTHING. About this book was marvelous. The plot, the diverse cast, witty writing, and mostly importantly the world building (cliff cities are my kryptonite). UGH! This is a quadruple threat!
Xiala was my favorite character by far. She’s such an enigma, and her abilities both magical and non-magical have me geared up for something in the future books. I’m always particular with my sea-ladies, and she checks off allll the boxes. I’m VERY intrigued to find out more about her homeland.
There’s three other perspectives, and each bring something different to the table: a religious leader with “radical” beliefs, a warrior who may have more to lose than he understands, and lastly, the god made flesh who has a date with destiny.
Lastly, there’s some incredible rep within this book. Obviously, this fantasy is inspired by Indigenous Pre-Columbian people/ culture, but there’s LGBTQIAP+ rep for pansexuality, non-binary, and transgender people too. It was incredible for this strong fantasy to include wonderful representations across the board because fantasy has a tendency to be non-inclusive. Well- Black Sun said NOT TODAY.
Thank you Saga for sending me a review copy! I cannot wait to hold the finished copy in my hands!!
Trigger Warnings: guardian/ parental abuse, child sex slavery, self harm, homophobia, blood, violence and gore, suicide, death of loved one, graphic eye injury, animal abuse, drug use, ritualistic scarring, and Ableism
Not the book duology/ sequel for me. The characters (Alosa specifically), writing, and plot didn't do it for me.
Let me preface this by saying I officially am no longer someone who vibes with Kerri's plot/ characters. I used to be able to vibe back in Hunting Prince Dracula, but since that book I've experienced steep declines in my enjoyment of her novels. I thought maybe those feelings were because Escaping From Houdini left such a bad taste in my mouth, but now I think it's just I've grown into other tastes that do not include this type of book. This doesn't mean this book cannot be enjoyed by others AT ALL. I'm just not the demographic anymore.
To start, my enjoyment of this novel overall is very small. My favorite part actually was the descriptions of food- HA didn't expect that did ya? Yes, the food descriptions left my mouth watering and were so visceral that I needed to go eat immediately or else my stomach wouldn't stop growling until the next century. And that's a good thing for a book.
Though besides the incredible food, I thought this book fell... flat. The Princes of Hell are basically the Seven Deadly Sins, and I just did not see how Kerri's version lined up with the actual lore. They don't have any dimension, and they certainly felt like caricatures or stereotypical copy and paste. Wrath honestly was hardly angry, in my opinion, and he took sooooo much disrespect from Emilia. I know she's grieving and all, but a Prince of Hell- most definitely Wrath- would not take that crap AT ALL. He'd slice her in two within seconds! He's also this millennium old demon, and he acts like an angsty teenage boy. I understand bloodthirsty malevolence but that was nonexistent! I just cannot compute how a demon- a cunning one at that- would act this way. I know this is YA, but seriously the Seven Deadly Sins are sins for a reason. They're meant to be the most ruthless emotions within humans, and instead we have Wrath softly trying to calm down Emilia as she goes on a rampage?! Maybe I'm too far gone into the adult category, but I'd imagine Wrath to be not the most gentle lover in the world... so... when he does the exact opposite I'm a bit confused..? I definitely shouldn't have read this book if my preconceptions were going to influence me so intensely, but here we are, sorry.
Moreover, the plot seemed cookie cutter and a bit sporadic. It seemed like twists were dropped in at the most inconvenient points and not well thought out. The one towards the end between Wrath and Emilia really left me cackling because it was sooo random. I think if you're looking for that extra broody, dark male love interest this book would be 10/10 for you, but it's come to my realization that that doesn't include me anymore or at least this version.
All in all, I know I sound really negative in this, but if this type of stuff is for you then go for it. I know now to stay away.
Thank you Jimmy Patterson books for sending me a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
To start, my enjoyment of this novel overall is very small. My favorite part actually was the descriptions of food- HA didn't expect that did ya? Yes, the food descriptions left my mouth watering and were so visceral that I needed to go eat immediately or else my stomach wouldn't stop growling until the next century. And that's a good thing for a book.
Though besides the incredible food, I thought this book fell... flat. The Princes of Hell are basically the Seven Deadly Sins, and I just did not see how Kerri's version lined up with the actual lore. They don't have any dimension, and they certainly felt like caricatures or stereotypical copy and paste. Wrath honestly was hardly angry, in my opinion, and he took sooooo much disrespect from Emilia. I know she's grieving and all, but a Prince of Hell- most definitely Wrath- would not take that crap AT ALL. He'd slice her in two within seconds! He's also this millennium old demon, and he acts like an angsty teenage boy. I understand bloodthirsty malevolence but that was nonexistent! I just cannot compute how a demon- a cunning one at that- would act this way. I know this is YA, but seriously the Seven Deadly Sins are sins for a reason. They're meant to be the most ruthless emotions within humans, and instead we have Wrath softly trying to calm down Emilia as she goes on a rampage?! Maybe I'm too far gone into the adult category, but I'd imagine Wrath to be not the most gentle lover in the world... so... when he does the exact opposite I'm a bit confused..? I definitely shouldn't have read this book if my preconceptions were going to influence me so intensely, but here we are, sorry.
Moreover, the plot seemed cookie cutter and a bit sporadic. It seemed like twists were dropped in at the most inconvenient points and not well thought out. The one towards the end between Wrath and Emilia really left me cackling because it was sooo random. I think if you're looking for that extra broody, dark male love interest this book would be 10/10 for you, but it's come to my realization that that doesn't include me anymore or at least this version.
All in all, I know I sound really negative in this, but if this type of stuff is for you then go for it. I know now to stay away.
Thank you Jimmy Patterson books for sending me a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.