I received an ARC through my job at a library.

Quick review: if authors could stop making me feel emotions of intense love that I reserve for my dogs and my dogs only, that's be great. (Context, I like dogs more than humans.) If you liked Sweet Black Waves, I'd honestly be floored if you didn't like this. Consistent characters & writing, development of the new land and it's politics, and the lingering feeling from Sweet Black Waves that "something's not quite right."

I feel so empty! Why did I read this like 3 months before publication?! Now I have to wait FOREVER for the third book. Basically everyone but Marc and Branwen can go screw their selfish selves! This whole romance soap opera Pentagon is giving me feels and migraines! I can't for the life of me explain the magic shit but I FUCKING LOVE THIS SERIES. Also, Kristina Perez needs to cool it with the endings created specifically to hurt people!

I read this over the course of 2 1/2 days while at a conference. I literally skipped out on an end of the event party so I could finish this damn thing. It hurt my soul, I hate the author and I need book 3 now please.

Thank you to Amber for sending me an ARC in exchange for Coffee Crisps and an honest review

This book was actually quite different from Dare You To Lie. That follows quite closely with the Veronica Mars TV show plot line (obviously with some differences but a lot of parallels). But heza for this book not doing that after Rob Thomas destroyed the damn comeback with the last 10 minutes of the last episode of the reboot (fight me but he butchered everything).

I really liked that Ky is having a hard time getting over all the the events that happened in Dare You To Lie and everything that happens in this. It's quite honest and realistic. she doesn't just brush off being almost murdered. Ky and Dawson also take a WAY bigger focus. Like main stage. Her friends are background characters in this instead of being her crime fighting sidekicks.

I was guessing the whole time over the mystery and the villains. There were just A LOT of clear suspects. My guess wasn't even remotely close.

I know Amber plans on continuing with at least one more book and I am HERE for it. I really want a romantic build up between Ky and Dawson. It sort of started in this book but I still don't think we're totally out of the enemy side of the "enemies to friends" trope. This felt a lot like Truly Devious to me: I entered with questions and exited with none of them answered.

RTC

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this! I honestly haven't read many books set during World War II outside of Germany, Russia, France and the United States so this was a nice fresh perspective. I loved the mystery of this with the missing girl and I have to commend the author for not taking the easy way out in this ending. I loved the main character and her interactions with the resistance.

3.75/5

So I REALLY loved the second half of this book. It had a good steady pace, lots of suspense built around the "solution." That said, it was a bit of a clunky start for me. Had a lot of elements that a million other YA books have. It's not original honestly. A lot of parts reminded me of Six of Crows and/or Throne of Glass which is fine. I have just read a lot of "the same" YA fantasy books recently. The real gem of this is the setting and characters which are not from an English western country/culture--which is EXACTLY what saved me from DNFing the book.

Of all the characters, I ADORE Finn the most. She's a genuine person and pretty consistent. The changes in her are slowly developed so you don't get a big whiplash of her becoming someone new after going on am adventure with the future ruler.

Also, the romance in this is so low key and un-distracting. I was bracing myself for Finn to suddenly abandon her plot for a joy she loves so they can be together. Heza! None of that shit here!

The magic system was really cool. I'd love to be able to shape shift! I also loved the explanation of when Finn began to shape shift. It tugged at my heart strings.

Lastly, look at that GORGEOUS ass cover! If they change it for book two, I'm gonna burn the publishers building to the ground.

OMG! What an amazing improvement from the first book! This was basically my perfect balance in fantasy books! Political heavy realm with science and magic working together and some romance running in the background not yet intertwining with the politics! Such a good ending though I feel the two Queens brought (what I anticipate will happen next) on themselves by being too passive and nice...and what a betrayal?! Oh lordie! I loved all of the new characters introduced. This is definitely a long term designed story and I love it!

Yeah this series just improves with each book. I just LOVE that each book switches the main POV to a new Queen while also connecting and including the other queens. The whole relationship with the spirits is still just a little too confusing for me to fully comprehend but I loved them as a conflict! This series strength is definitely the cast (main and supporting).

huh, I for some reason thought this was like a novella bound up (totally my doing cause this summary is pretty straight forward).

I honestly love how this whole world ALWAYS seems to focus on the relationship of children with their parents and family as a whole. I really loved getting a new political structure and conflict while seeing a new type or structure of the spirits. This world just continued to get fleshed out and developed and BETTER with each book.

...so I 100% reviewed this book and the review is just magically gone? *deep exhale*

I'm too tired or this shit to keep rewriting reviews so I liked the magic, I liked the characters, the pacing and POV switches were a bit clunky for me at parts

Dafuq another book where my review disappeared?!

Anyway, I want a familiar. My familiar would 100% be a sloth or llama. I loved the focus on map making. I loved the romance triangle (for once!). I loved the adventuring. I loved the betrayal. I am super excited to read the sequel.