I cannot believe how much I freaking adore this book. How did a series I was skeptical to start turn into one of my favorite couple of books I’ve read this year?
The family dynamics, the deeper dive into the lore, the central relationship… everything is so well executed. The twist(s) at the end were absolutely nothing I saw coming. 
My only concern now is for when the next book lands, because there’s going to be at least one, and it’s going to be called Nocticadia or Daemonica and (potentially) feature Luci as one of the main characters. (All predictions, but I need it to be true—at least the part about there being a third book about the sisters’ exploits in Hell). 
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I can’t get over how good this series is. Demi Winters is a genius. She is such an excellent writer: her worldbuilding, her dialogue, her pacing… it’s all masterful. Each character has a distinct personality and voice, and those we get to know are so nuanced. Their backgrounds are layered, their motivations complex and their emotions raw. It’s exquisite to read, and the humorous and endearing scenes only add to the need for more of the story and the world. 
I don’t remember the last time a book felt so masterfully crafted, truly. I love it so much and am so excited for the next installment, especially after having several of my theories proved correct in the last chapters. Without spoiling anything, the last bit of the book changes EVERYTHING. 
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(Note on spice: it’s not nearly as smutty/explicit as many things I’ve read recently, but it’s done so, so well.)

Just… wow. Another feminist masterpiece.

To say I was immediately shocked by the last sentence of the first paragraph is an understatement, but it perfectly sets up the world for us. The writing itself is damning, exposing the idiocy of political policy and sexist, patriarchal mindsets in our own societies. It shouldn’t feel as shocking to read the twist on our current experiences as it does, but Adichie, naturally, does it absolutely masterfully. The writing is crisp, the characters and their experiences feel real, and the intricacies and subtle behaviors exhibited by the characters only further the depth of the imagined matriarchy. I’m astonished. For such a short story, I’m so impressed by Adichie's worldbuilding and the eager demonstration of how a world so absolutist in its divide between men and women is dangerous and cruel regardless of who is in charge. It’s difficult to read at times, purely because it is so precise in its execution of how women are treated today, being sexualised but not taken seriously or condemned if they are too sexual, being forced to think of marriage as the be-all, end-all expectation for success, and the accompanying illusion of “choice”. This story is one, though it may make you uncomfortable—even because of that—everyone should read. 

The Pokemon vs. Evil Lady & Charizard has come. 
Another quick read with even more super interesting beasts and even more expansion of the world. The character continue to be endearing (and thankfully, less guilt-ridden than in the previous book). The pacing seems adequate, though certain things are glossed over rather quickly (namely

the death of Varek

), and thus fall flat. 
I feel that there are still some things from the series that remain unanswered, which is frustrating. Like, why can Leena randomly charm beasts that belong to other charmers? Why is she able to relatively easily charm beasts she’s never encountered? I understand that with Wynn and Yazmin, the beasts’ connection was more coercive, and that Leena’s power is growing. But it feels like there should be more of a reason why that isn’t explored. Maybe I just need more lore for the world. There’s also a few typos in the book, which struck me as odd considering the previous two had been pristine—something that brings comfort to my word-and-editing-nerd self. Those are pretty much the only reasons this book ranks lower than the previous two. 
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High-stakes fantasy Pokemon continues! 
(I mean this with so much love. I think it’s absolutely fantastic and I want more of this world now.)

Despite the self-indulgent whining about who hurt whom (which happens a lot), the characters continue to be amazing. The story is still amazing, and diving into the lore of the land feels well worth it. I can’t wait to see where this all ends, but I’ll be really sad to leave all the beasts behind, because they are spectacular. Like, the humans are great, but I want almost all of these beasts in my life now. 

Oh my god, do I love this book. 
I was hooked pretty much immediately. The worldbuilding is excellent but clearly slowly building towards something greater. So are the mysteries of the characters that are teased throughout, but especially at the end. You can pretty easily connect the dots to what the “big reveal” of Noc’s past is going to be, even though I’m guessing it’ll be revealed in the next book. 
There’s clearly a lot more story to go  here, and with characters and creatures I love so much, I’m extremely excited to move forward with them. 

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It’s been a little while since I read the first book, which I did not love, but I also don’t remember disliking all the characters quite as much as I do in this one. 
I’m intrigued by the story unfolding, and really want to get into whatever Psyche’s powers are. But I can’t escape how much I am annoyed by each character we come across. Psyche is at times prescient and at others wholly naive, and the love story that felt rushed in the first book completely falls flat. Eros no longer has a personality, and the little we do see is not someone worth rallying behind. 
Dimitra is by far the one character that pisses me off the most. Even though she has understandable issues with her sister and father, I thought she was a bit redeemable in the first book with her seemingly trying to fight for her sister. But here, she just seems like a petty queen clinging to the closest nexus of power.
Maybe I’ll come back to this someday. But for now, I am thoroughly over it. 

I greatly enjoyed the book. The premise is great, the characters and worldbuilding well crafted, and I come away from it invested in the story. I’ve already ordered the rest of the series, as well. The last third of the book or so, however, just felt rushed. 

I got through most of this book expecting it to be a five star read. And it comes really close. But then towards the end, the MMC seemingly chooses to forget what he knows about the FMC and condemn her for not telling him about it (which she did). Honestly, that little bit knocks it down in of itself. It also feels like time skips forward quite a lot, and not in a way that makes it feel justified. Suddenly a line will say it’s three months later. Having even a couple of extra sentences to say what happened in the intervening time would have made those moments feel more real, and less like a glossing over due to deadline constraints. 

I hope the next book continues to draw me in, because I’m desperate to know more about the surrounding lands and the world itself. And I hope (/know) that the MMC gets his head on straight, because his sense of betrayal felt entirely unjustified, even if he was angry due to the situation. 
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I am by no means a historical fiction person. That being said, this book was quite interesting. It took me a lot longer than it usually does to get through it, probably due to the historical nature of it slowing me down. The best part about this book is by far the relationships and exploration of the women in it— all of the main characters greatly impacted by the lechery of men, and finding female friendship and companionship to be the way back to themselves. 

The book is very well written and clearly well researched. I think learning about natural poisons is fascinating, because they’re something you hear so much about in classic murder mysteries, but are never really explored in (my) everyday life. The explanation of the primary ones mentioned at the end of the book was really helpful, and I also really want to try the tea and cookie recipes listed back there, as well. 

I can’t say I’ll read this again anytime soon, but it’ll certainly stay in my mind for a long time— and not at all in a negative way. This book, almost more than others I’ve read lately, makes me want to write about powerful and complex women and their adventures. I can’t not take that gift with me. 

Again, Scalzi hits it out of the park. The premise is wonky, and incredibly silly, but the responses of the characters in reaction to the event seem entirely accurate to if such a situation actually arose. I loved the nuance of each character’s perspective, and how the writing shifted slightly in response. The vignettes offered not just a diverse take on what was happening, but showed a vast expanse of humanity in their responses: how to deal with an impossible reality, the utter insanity of it, the implications (scientific and otherwise) of such an occurrence, and then the nature of what our lives mean in a doomed world. 
It’s still bitingly funny, but the way the book approaches the topic veer from ridiculous speculation to a far more solemn, philosophical speculation that I think will resound for a while now that I’ve finished it. 
And don’t think I didn’t notice the strangely prescient line about unsecured text chains. The book could not have come out at a more on-the-nose time, despite the fact it could never have been predicted. 
Though no one would have predicted the moon turning to cheese, either.