12/18/2020: Reread!
09/19/2018: Read for the second time. Upped from 4 Stars to 5 Stars!
I really enjoyed Penryn’s character journey in this book. Penryn is on her own and is separated from Raffe through the entire beginning of the book. She thinks about him a lot, but she stands on her own two feet and handles the obstacles in her life as they come at her. Her perseverance really shines through in this book. So many horrific and terrible things are happening to her and she takes them in stride as best she can. There is a mention in the books of this series that whenever something gets to her she locks it away in the vault in her mind. It comes up a lot and I think that it is a very good representation of her strength and her ability to deal with all the crazy shit that happens to her in the series. I remember when I first read the book that I disliked the fact that the two main characters were separated through most of the book. I wanted to see them together interacting. Now that I’ve reread the book I still kind have that feeling, but I appreciate the separation more now because of what it adds to the story. Penryn needed to have her own self-journey with Raffe and he needed to deal with his grief over what he thought was her death. The separation made Penryn focus on her internal battles and her goals and is made Raffe really think about his attachment to Penryn and what it meant to him. I also really liked how atmospheric this world is. No matter where the characters are in the book, you can literally feel yourself there with them. You can experience the feel of a dystopian world with high stakes and constant fear. The feelings that the world building evokes are visceral and tangible. As far as middle books go, this one was better than most. It doesn’t suffer from middle book slump and it adds some much-needed emotion to the story. I recommend this series wholeheartedly!
Reread of the series. Entire Series Review.
It’s been over two and a half years since I first read this book and the world was just as vivid the second time around! I really fell in love with this dystopian world. I like that the author didn’t skimp on the ugly and gritty things that would certainly be present in an apocalyptic environment. I guess I never really thought about it the first time through, but there are some very dark elements in this series. Not just the typical survival and life or death situations but there are other themes like mental illness, abandonment, and morality. I think that one of the things that I love most about this series is the idea of what it is to be human. The world building is really strong. It was so easy to visualize the landscape and the deterioration of human society. As a whole, the premise of the story is fantastic! I adore this story and the plot is so good!
I found myself fully immersed in the characters and the romance this time around as well! I have always been drawn to fierce, snarky, and determined female lead characters. Penryn is just exactly that and I love her! She doesn’t back down and she is insanely loyal. I like Raffe and his struggle throughout the series. He is a strong character with a lot of history and pain in his background. I liked his tender moments and the romance that grew between him and Penryn. I liked that the romance was a slow burn. It felt very natural. I also loved the side characters. My favorites are Penryn’s family and the Tweedle twins. Penryn’s mom was a mentally unstable badass that you just could not predict. Her sister was a broken doll that overcame her obstacles with grace. And the twins were the perfect comedic relief in such a serious story. I really loved the overall theme of family and loyalty throughout the whole series. Penryn took care of her family and protected them and they always did the same for her. And her acquired family of Raffe, the Resistance, and the Watchers was really strong as well. Penryn made a point in the book that the bond of family doesn’t only lie in blood.
I definitely recommend this to anyone that has thought about reading it. And even those that haven’t! If you enjoy paranormal stories about angels and demons then you’ll love this. If you are a dystopian fan, then this would be right up your alley as well. The blending of these genres is in this series is phenomenal!
Original Review 01/07/2016 – 4 Stars
This is such a great sequel! I was glued to this book from the beginning. It starts off right where the first book left off, so nothing is missed from one book to the next. There is so much going on in this book. There are so many things happening that it does not get boring. There are so many mysterious things to ponder while reading, but not so much that it is confusing. It is a perfect balance. I have quite a few theories as to what will happen in the final book. The second book just furthers myu curiosity!
What I liked
The ending! Oh, that ending, it was perfect! The fight scenes in this book were truly remarkable. I just couldn’t get enough of them! A lot of fight scenes in books can seem tedious to read, unless they are written well. The fight scenes in this book were certainly written fantastically!
The exchange between Penryn and Raffe is truly enjoyable in this book. Maybe even more so than in Angelfall. They are comfortable with each other and play off of each other with ease. The dialogues between them were quite amusing. I even laughed out loud a few times.
What I didn’t like
Things seemed a little slow at the beginning of the book, but I think that is just because the first half of the book is only about Penryn. The lack of Raffe was almost unbearable. I think that if the author would have included things from Raffe’s perspective at the beginning of the book then it would be flawless! It’s just that all we see is what Penryn is doing and experiencing. It would be great to know what Raffe is doing and feeling. I know that we get to see a little of his point of view from the dreams that Penryn has, but they are his feelings and experiences while they were together. Not what Raffe was doing or feeling after the first book. So I am on the fence about the dreams. I mean, I like that Penryn gets a small glimpse into Raffe, but in no way does it make up for his lack of presence through over half the book.
- Goodreads rating – 4.16
- REVIEW – ♛Vanessa♛ Fangirl Faction