Review

This sequel! I am finally reading it! And I am so excited because I LOVED the first book! Much like the first book this was a four star read for me. There were a lot of things about this book I enjoyed! In some ways I liked parts of this better than the first book, and parts of the first book better than this one. It is so hard not to compare them because I feel like they both follow a similar formula that really works for this series overall. There was nothing overly negative that I have to say about this book.

Writing
Sterling’s writing is just so lovely. I really enjoy reading her books because I get really into the writing and the flow and the style. I think there is something so lovely about it. I even enjoy the dialogue between the characters. I find Sterling’s prose admirable and delightful. I have no complaints regarding the writing of this book. In fact, I found the dialogue to be quite strong as it felt very natural to me.

Pacing
The pacing I think is where this and the first book got me. Pacing that works for one person does not necessarily work for another person. In this case, I found the pacing in this book to not be top notch. I had some issues in the middle of the book where I heaved a huge sigh and went, “huh”. Like, everything else I liked, but I felt certain aspects were drawn out a bit much for me, and I struggled with that, because there was so much to love. Yet, I struggled through the middle of the book (again). I felt some parts were they more concise would work a lot better for the overall flow and pacing of the book.

Plot
The plot in this continues the plot from the previous with the Hunters trying to destroy the Witches. Hannah is determined to take a more crucial role in the hunting of the Hunters, but her magic isn’t totally healed yet. I loved the plot because like the first book I felt there were a lot of good underlying messages throughout the book that helped solidify the plot for me. Hannah had some great plot moments in the book, and the plot moved forward and I didn’t feel that the subplots (generally) detracted from the overall plot. While there is an action-oriented plot, I do feel that much of the plot is centered around Hannah and her self-image and her character arc.

Characters
Sterling does an amazing job with character arcs. Hannah’s is particularly good. I am impressed by it, because you can see her maturing as a person but at the same time lapsing as she struggles with herself. Much like the writing I found those parts natural and worked well within the context of the book. I still really enjoyed her friendship with Gemma, I think it is so crucial to have a good friendship. Not to mention Hannah and Morgan’s relationship is stellar. I really think Sterling did a great job on depicting it. I loved the moments between them, because they were so sweet. I also like that they talked things over. Overall, just loved all the relationships and friendships in this book!

This book is a great conclusion, and I am very impressed with it overall. I highly recommend it if you like witches, character driven books and sapphic relationships!

And a very cool last thing – mine is a signed copy! 🙂