Rise of Fire

The actual rating for this book is 2.5 stars. I've been debating how much to rate this book since this afternoon when I finished it, and this is what I settled for. According to Goodreads suggestion, 2 stars means 'it was okay' and that's exactly what this book was: okay. This pains me, because I really enjoyed Reign of Shadows, but this book was lacking all the aspects that I liked from the first book. The first book had a lot more action, we got to see a blind heroine (something we don't see often) fend for herself, we had a grumpy hero who softened in the end. Reign of Shadows was surprising. In Rise of Fire NOTHING HAPPENS. It's just a whole lot of filler, filler, filler, with characters that made me roll my eyes, love triangle-pyramid-creepiness that we really didn't need and a rushed ending that left me sorely disappointed. Rise of Fire starts exactly where Reign of Shadows ends. We still get a little action with Luna looking for Fowler after the Dwellers took him. The rescue resolves itself pretty quickly (and a little too easily) but there is a moment where we think our two protagonists might be done for! (In the first thirty pages of the book? Nah, not really). Our heroes are saved, ironically, by an even greater foe. Apparently, there is something below ground that can control even the dwellers! Creepy and dangerous, right? You want to know what it is? Well, Luna and Fowler run at the first chance, so you'll have to wait to find out. The first eye roll comes immediately after Luna and Fowler reach the surface world once more. Luna is mad at Fowler for having kept his true identity a secret (and for those of you who don't remember, Fowler is the son of the usurper to the throne of Relhok, the man who killed Luna's parents and is murdering every girl Luna's age to find her), so of course she starts being bitter, who cares that they shared a kiss when they thought they were about to die, right? Well, bitterness is short lived when Fowler's life is in danger due to the dweller's toxin in his wound. You'd think Luna would find a way to save him, right? Maybe some magical flower in the forest? Nah. Luna does absolutely nothing until salvation just happens to stumble upon her in the form of men from a nearby kingdom, Lagonia, an on-again-off-again ally with Relhok. One of these men recognizes Fowler as Prince Fowler and offers to escort them to Lagonia. Oh no, what if something terrible happens? What if they betray Fowler and take him to his father instead? Not to worry. Lagonia and Relhok are in their off again phase. On the way to the castle, we encounter a new character: Prince Chasan. Now, this arrogant prince (also the only one in this company who realizes Luna is a girl) would have been an incredible character...except he wasn't. If I tell you there is an arrogant, witty prince who is also handsome (blond and ice blue eyes, anyone? *heart eyes*) what do you think? Love triangle? That's right. *insert dramatic eye roll here* Since the moment Luna and Fowler reach the castle...nothing happens. It's like the story suddenly stops and the only things that happen are court gossips, betrothals thrown left and right (some of them also very, very creepy), and sloppy, overtly sweet romantic thoughts. There is no action, there is barely any trace of the threat of the dwellers or of the King... The plot of the duology is literally resolved in the last fifteen pages. The mysterious threat introduced in the beginning of Rise of Fire is found and defeated by Luna in two paragraphs. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it was like reading a completely different story from Reign of Shadows, one I did not enjoy and had no interest in reading. Reign of Shadows would have been stronger as a standalone (it could have been, considered how short these books are). As much as it pains me to say, I was very disappointed, so much so I didn't even feel satisfied with the ending. Bright note: being so short, it was not too heavy to read.

** spoiler alert ** I liked this book about as much as I liked the first one. I was just kind of okay for me. We pick up right where we left off in the first book. With Fowler just having been taken by the Dwellers and Luna diving into a hole after him. Luna then finds Fowler stuck inside a hole with some really sticky stuff that she has to cut him out of. While making there way back to the surface they realize that the dwellers are being controlled by something else that also lives underground. After escaping it turns out Fowler has been injured with dweller toxin and is probably going to die. They are then "rescued" by some soldiers and the Prince of Lagonia. Because if you have already read the first one we find out that Fowler is the son of King Cullen, the man that murdered Luna's parents. While at the palace the King realizes that Luna is the princess everyone thought hadn't survived along with her parents. They are held captive in the palace for a while, then finally escape. They end up being found by both King Cullen and the king of Lagonia. they throw Luna into one of the dweller pits hoping they will kill her. Luna just happens to find the Queen of the Dwellers who turns out acts sort of like a hive mind. She kills the queen and ends up taking control of the Dwellers. Luna makes them kill both the kings. Then she takes her rightful place as queen and her and Fowler are going to get married. hhmmm.. I don't know I think I could have liked this duology more but there was something missing, Im not sure exactly what i would have wanted more of. And I kind of felt like both of these books could have been combined into one. Also It felt rushed, they spent all this time in the palace plotting there escape then all of a sudden they are free, but then captured again, then both kings die, and Luna is going to be crowned queen all in like 2 or 3 chapters. I physically own both books and am most likely going to donate them..