Buy:  Amazon

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Review

5 stars!

Well damn, what a read! I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one just rocked my world! Dramatic, exciting, and unpredictable, set in an ever-growing fantasy world, this book is a rollercoaster that kept me hooked from start to finish, and I loved every moment.

This is a direct continuation from Riftborne. Do not try to read it as a standalone, and beware of spoilers in this review for the first book.

Taken at the end of Riftborne, Fia is now a prisoner of her enemies, only to discover that everything she thought she knew about her world was wrong. There is more to the enemy ‘wraiths’ than she believed, and when she learns their story and realises the part her own people played in the destruction of their world, her whole life is upended once again.

“The thing about desperation is it makes you forget there might be other choices.”

There is so much that happens in this story and I don’t want to give anything away, but man, this is an exciting ride! Fia faces magical trials, a treasure hunt, countless dangers and the soul-deep questioning of her very existence along the way. She is put to the test physically, mentally, and emotionally, and she rises to the challenge as a fierce, bold, and intelligent heroine. I love her.

There’s a new group of characters introduced, and they’re a great bunch. Each has their own part to play, adding depth to the world and helping in Fia’s discovery of the realm and her place in it. And Aether. Wow. The ‘gruff, mysterious, broody man hiding a big, caring heart’ just works for me, and the man is awesome.

“You’re the only thing I’ve ever wanted to believe in.”

The romance is there, balanced really nicely to allow the world building and Fia’s journey to take centre stage, but I was definitely feeling it. The chemistry is great, and the slow build creates a fantastic sense of anticipation. Add in some steam and a satisfying emotional element, and I was fully on board for all of it and am ready for even more epic in the next book.

The world building is fantastic, with new history, creatures, and political intrigue bringing added complexity and depth. And amidst magic, political wrangling, and preparations for war, there are wonderful twists and turns, I was never sure what was going to happen, and I couldn’t get enough of this story.

There is one more book to come in this trilogy, and though the story is definitely unfinished, there is blessedly no horrible cliffhanger. I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here.

5 stars!

Just as a side note, there’s a brief but in-depth recap of Riftborne at the beginning of this book, and it’s so good! So, if it’s been a while since you’ve read the first book, this will definitely be enough to get you back into the story. I wish we saw this in more series!

 

The Esprithean Trilogy