Alex Aster

The seductive and action-packed follow-up to Alex Aster's instant #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling novel, Lightlark Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark's seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven't ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla's midst who don't believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart. Alex Aster's intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla's memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates.

Nightbane

The continued love of Grim and ending lost me…

Jordan

I am... I don't know what I am, but I am going to need to heal. The book is beautiful. The world building and character development is amazing. I NEED the next book, Pronto. Alex Aster, I need updates on when the next book is PLEASE.

The ending had me, I didn't know who she should go for. Oro sweet patient, Oro. I don't know if I am rooting for you still. Yes, you helped Isla a lot, but... I think y'all need to be friends or something. Grim, you might be an asshole, but you always had good intentions, and you are Isla's HUSBAND?! HELLO?? WHAT?

I don't know what to think or feel right now. In one of her memories, she saved a dragon, and Grim brought it to his castle... does he still have the dragon??? Is it going to be vital in the next book. Omg how is Lynx going to react to a dragon?

How is this story going to end up?!? I need to know.  10/10 read

Angel 🖤

I am... I don't know what I am, but I am going to need to heal. The book is beautiful. The world building and character development is amazing. I NEED the next book, Pronto. Alex Aster, I need updates on when the next book is PLEASE.

The ending had me, I didn't know who she should go for. Oro sweet patient, Oro. I don't know if I am rooting for you still. Yes, you helped Isla a lot, but... I think y'all need to be friends or something. Grim, you might be an asshole, but you always had good intentions, and you are Isla's HUSBAND?! HELLO?? WHAT?

I don't know what to think or feel right now. In one of her memories, she saved a dragon, and Grim brought it to his castle... does he still have the dragon??? Is it going to be vital in the next book. Omg how is Lynx going to react to a dragon?

How is this story going to end up?!? I need to know.  10/10 read

Bettina Amarandos 

It's five stars, but a painful five stars when you're team Oro

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but, overall, it was fine. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. 

I thought the writing/storytelling was a bit choppy, particularly in the beginning when the story started switching from the present to the past. I really liked that method of storytelling because I thought it connected the present to the past very well and allowed for those two parts of Isla’s life to come together. I just thought the execution could’ve been better. I also thought there were a lot of unnecessary details. I found myself spacing out while reading because I would get bored.

I also didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Isla started to annoy me. I don’t quite understand how she continued to hate Grim and make him the bad guy after she started getting her memories back. That honestly didn’t make much sense to me. I also thought Isla and Oro had no chemistry whatsoever. I remember liking them in the first book, so I’m not quite sure what happened here. Also, why did it take him a million years just to kiss her? Especially after they fell in love. Honestly, their whole relationship felt forced and like it was only included to add conflict and tension, which it didn’t do well. 

I really liked reading about how Grim and Isla fell in love though. I’m really glad we got to see those moments. They definitely made me like Grim the most. Which is funny because I came in to this book not really liking him. Although, I think Grim is written in a way that makes it obvious he’s the token morally grey, dark love interest. We all know that’s who he is going in, but it’s almost so obvious that it’s like I’m being told rather than shown. 

And don’t even get me started on the ending. I hated it. I don’t care that it ended on a cliff hanger, these books always do. But oh my did I hate this ending. Grim’s “don’t touch my wife” line was so forced and stupid. It was definitely included just to use that sub trope. The way we learned that Grim and Isla are married was criminal. It was also so incredibly rushed. It was revealed in the last 10 pages or so, and then all we got was a vague sentence about how Isla remembers holding hands at an alter or something. That was just horrible. It would’ve been so much better if we had a “before” chapter of Grim and Isla’s wedding and then the following “present” chapter started with Grim’s “don’t touch my wife” line. I’ll probably hate on this ending forever. 

I’ll still read the next book though. The story itself is fairly good, even if the execution isn’t great, so I still want to know what happens next.

Kendall Deranek

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but, overall, it was fine. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. 

I thought the writing/storytelling was a bit choppy, particularly in the beginning when the story started switching from the present to the past. I really liked that method of storytelling because I thought it connected the present to the past very well and allowed for those two parts of Isla’s life to come together. I just thought the execution could’ve been better. I also thought there were a lot of unnecessary details. I found myself spacing out while reading because I would get bored.

I also didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Isla started to annoy me. I don’t quite understand how she continued to hate Grim and make him the bad guy after she started getting her memories back. That honestly didn’t make much sense to me. I also thought Isla and Oro had no chemistry whatsoever. I remember liking them in the first book, so I’m not quite sure what happened here. Also, why did it take him a million years just to kiss her? Especially after they fell in love. Honestly, their whole relationship felt forced and like it was only included to add conflict and tension, which it didn’t do well. 

I really liked reading about how Grim and Isla fell in love though. I’m really glad we got to see those moments. They definitely made me like Grim the most. Which is funny because I came in to this book not really liking him. Although, I think Grim is written in a way that makes it obvious he’s the token morally grey, dark love interest. We all know that’s who he is going in, but it’s almost so obvious that it’s like I’m being told rather than shown. 

And don’t even get me started on the ending. I hated it. I don’t care that it ended on a cliff hanger, these books always do. But oh my did I hate this ending. Grim’s “don’t touch my wife” line was so forced and stupid. It was definitely included just to use that sub trope. The way we learned that Grim and Isla are married was criminal. It was also so incredibly rushed. It was revealed in the last 10 pages or so, and then all we got was a vague sentence about how Isla remembers holding hands at an alter or something. That was just horrible. It would’ve been so much better if we had a “before” chapter of Grim and Isla’s wedding and then the following “present” chapter started with Grim’s “don’t touch my wife” line. I’ll probably hate on this ending forever. 

I’ll still read the next book though. The story itself is fairly good, even if the execution isn’t great, so I still want to know what happens next.

Do I actually <i>want</i> to read this? No. 

A VERY VERY VERY SOFT 2.25. It's still not good. It's better. But it's not good. I spent 90% of this book confused.

Oro is actually a pretty decent guy (I regret writing this as the bar is so low, plus he had a weird body count issue in the first one????? I don't remember this)

Less basic descriptions/metaphors* (see cons)

Lynx is out here representing the Isla hating girlies and we love to see it

Attempts at diversity? There are definitely people with more skin tones, but everyone reads the same. Those who read differently are shoved to the corner and dusted off for plot purposes™

I'm also not really one to speak on representation/accuracy because I'm not POC or LGBTQ+

Now, in the first book I was under the impression Oro was an old guy. Not like 500-but-giving-19 but like grandpa vibes. I was picturing Zeus from Hercules okay. Color me surprised when he ends up being a love interest at the end of Lightlark and a main love interest here. 

Grim. His entire existence. It makes no sense why he's waging war, why he's involving the dreks, what he even did, etc. etc. A lot of Isla's memories must still be missing bc homegirl told us the bare minimum

Speaking of Isla. Isla Crown. I can't get over her name. I'm a hater, I know. But she is one of the most inconsistent, flip-floppy characters to ever curse the YA genre. She really would go from "I'm powerless🥺🥺🥺" to "I'm the most powerful girl no one can stop me!!!" and back within 50 pages. Every time we see change, she backtracks for NO REASON OTHER THAN PLOT REASONS™

While we get less of the cliched "____ was a ____ thing" we get terrible, wordy, confusing metaphors instead!! They don't make sense half the time. So pick your poison, I guess?

That was a ride, I'm still confused and will probably update this at some point when I wade through whatever i just read.

Holly

Do I actually <i>want</i> to read this? No. 

Am I going to read this? Yes.

I am nothing if not a rubbernecker.

After reading:

A VERY VERY VERY SOFT 2.25. It's still not good. It's better. But it's not good. I spent 90% of this book confused.

Pros:

Oro is actually a pretty decent guy (I regret writing this as the bar is so low, plus he had a weird body count issue in the first one????? I don't remember this)

Less basic descriptions/metaphors* (see cons)

Lynx is out here representing the Isla hating girlies and we love to see it

Semi-pro:

Attempts at diversity? There are definitely people with more skin tones, but everyone reads the same. Those who read differently are shoved to the corner and dusted off for plot purposes™

I'm also not really one to speak on representation/accuracy because I'm not POC or LGBTQ+

Cons:

Now, in the first book I was under the impression Oro was an old guy. Not like 500-but-giving-19 but like grandpa vibes. I was picturing Zeus from Hercules okay. Color me surprised when he ends up being a love interest at the end of Lightlark and a main love interest here. 

Grim. His entire existence. It makes no sense why he's waging war, why he's involving the dreks, what he even did, etc. etc. A lot of Isla's memories must still be missing bc homegirl told us the bare minimum

Speaking of Isla. Isla Crown. I can't get over her name. I'm a hater, I know. But she is one of the most inconsistent, flip-floppy characters to ever curse the YA genre. She really would go from "I'm powerless🥺🥺🥺" to "I'm the most powerful girl no one can stop me!!!" and back within 50 pages. Every time we see change, she backtracks for NO REASON OTHER THAN PLOT REASONS™

While we get less of the cliched "____ was a ____ thing" we get terrible, wordy, confusing metaphors instead!! They don't make sense half the time. So pick your poison, I guess?

That was a ride, I'm still confused and will probably update this at some point when I wade through whatever i just read.

so bad. so entertaining. honestly there were many pacing issues imo, there was so much I would consider frivolous and then so much that I wish we had gotten to see, also I kinda hate that it would go like oh here’s a problem and isla would go ugh there’s no way I can do this! and then a man would go yes u can isla i love you and she would go oh okay here I can now do this thing and like that is the whole book over and over. I also liked how aster tried to incorporate her version of the acotar inner circle but like they are all not fleshed out enough to be actually likable (I do need more of the lesbian icon though pls). overall, it was just okay for me but I am hooked and I will be reading the next one esp after THAT ENDING LMAO

Nightbane

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