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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 7, 2018
This book was very different from the first in that it was about different main characters. There was no Thierry and Olivier, no vampires, no empathic connection. Those were some of the things I had loved most, so I missed them. That being said, this was still a well-written book, and I understand now why it was necessary to switch characters.
This book covers the same time period as the first, but it shows Aurelia's side of things. There was so much going on behind-the-scenes that the reader didn't know about, and it was nice to finally understand why Aurelia was always showing up, being so cryptic, and doing the things she was doing. I have to say, I felt awful for Aurelia after learning what her life was like.
And much like in the first book, it was the complexity of the characters and their relationships that really made the book shine. This story wasn't just about Aurelia, it was also about Hame and, somewhat, Carn. Aurelia is a witch, Hame is an oracle, and the two are given immortality and end up fighting together for the same cause. They grow very close, but then Carn comes into the picture as Hame's lover and their relationship becomes strained. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say this is a story of unrequited love, friendship, duty, sacrifice, mistakes, jealousy, guilt, and the bonds between people. None of these characters were perfect. They all made bad decisions at some point or another. But they were complex and realistic. I felt for them, and I felt the emotions between them.
Last but not least, though I can't say I highlighted quite as many things as I did in the first book, this one had some beautiful writing as well.
Overall, the switch in characters admittedly threw me off a bit, but I ended up being glad to have a more complete picture of what's going on in this series, and I loved yet again how complex and flawed the characters were!
*Even though this book is about different main characters than the previous one, the stories overlap, and both are strongly connected to the final book. I recommend reading in order, starting with Beckoning Blood.*
*I’ve read this book multiple times. This review was written after my 2nd read.*
Rating: 4 Stars
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)
This book covers the same time period as the first, but it shows Aurelia's side of things. There was so much going on behind-the-scenes that the reader didn't know about, and it was nice to finally understand why Aurelia was always showing up, being so cryptic, and doing the things she was doing. I have to say, I felt awful for Aurelia after learning what her life was like.
And much like in the first book, it was the complexity of the characters and their relationships that really made the book shine. This story wasn't just about Aurelia, it was also about Hame and, somewhat, Carn. Aurelia is a witch, Hame is an oracle, and the two are given immortality and end up fighting together for the same cause. They grow very close, but then Carn comes into the picture as Hame's lover and their relationship becomes strained. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say this is a story of unrequited love, friendship, duty, sacrifice, mistakes, jealousy, guilt, and the bonds between people. None of these characters were perfect. They all made bad decisions at some point or another. But they were complex and realistic. I felt for them, and I felt the emotions between them.
Last but not least, though I can't say I highlighted quite as many things as I did in the first book, this one had some beautiful writing as well.
Overall, the switch in characters admittedly threw me off a bit, but I ended up being glad to have a more complete picture of what's going on in this series, and I loved yet again how complex and flawed the characters were!
*Even though this book is about different main characters than the previous one, the stories overlap, and both are strongly connected to the final book. I recommend reading in order, starting with Beckoning Blood.*
*I’ve read this book multiple times. This review was written after my 2nd read.*
Rating: 4 Stars
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)
