****I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley and Harlequin Teen.*****
I was thoroughly impressed with book one of this duology, The Diminished by Ms. Patterson. i was not disappointed with book 2!

The Exalted featured the same in-depth world building and distinguished writing that I adored in The Diminished! However, where book 1 is meant to set up the storyline, book 2 is on full tilt with action packed plot and further character development. I normally cringe with multiple POV changes but they were necessary in this title to allow the twins to fulfill their destinies.
I enjoyed this book because of the checks and balance approach Ms. Patterson gives to her characters. No one is completely evil or overtly good. This brings out the human aspect in the characters. Though they are twins, Vi and Bo are completely different and cannot seem to make themselves standout alone.
As with book 1, I would highly recommend this book to true fans of the YA genre. There are ups and downs, emotions and expectations, with consequences and reactions to hard decisions.

A huge resounding THANK YOU to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for allowing me access to this title in exchange for an honest review! Please keep them coming, Kaitlyn Sage Patterson! I will buy every book you produce!

Love, love, love! Can't wait to see what Kaitlyn Sage Patterson writes next; she truly has a gift for worldbuilding and complex storytelling.

When an assassin’s bullet takes the life of Queen Runa and allows an impostor to steal the throne, Bo Trousillion is forced to flee the empire that is his birthright. With few choices left and burdened with a secret that could disinherit him, Bo pursues an alliance with Noriava, the Queen of Denor, but the devious royal ensnares him in a trap and demands a huge price for her.

A an okay book for a sequel but I find that it is hard to keep a series going.

I loved The Exalted! The characters were so great, I really enjoyed following them through their journey, especially after reading the first book. Well written, lovable characters, and a great story. I had so much fun reading this!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

The Exalted by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson is book two in a YA fantasy filled with great world-building and characters. Reading book 1 would be good so know what happened previously.

This is the second book in the series so far, and I may or may not have made the mistake of reading them out of order >.>
But! It was still enjoyable, if not a bit confusing as I put things together the best I could. I still enjoyed the book but I wonder if I had managed to read them in order if I would have enjyoed it more.

I love the idea of a single birth being an anomaly since multipe births are not the norm in real life. I also like the secrecy behind the seperated at birth aspect. It kept it a mystery and it was initially what drew me to the book in the first place.

I didn't enjoy this one as I was very confused by the book due to the fact that I never read the first book.

I didnt realize this was the second book in a series. I still found it to be really good. A few things I didnt get which is why I'll be reading the first book to clarify. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The dual points of view made this novel more interesting and dynamic. I loved the ending and I feel like the author did an excellent job of wrapping it up well. The character development was strong and the author really made sure they were relatable, especially Vi. This book has a great blend of politics and action.

I made the mistake of requesting this book despite having not read the first. That being said, my rating most likely would’ve been higher if I had the time to read the first and adjust to the world building.

As a high school librarian, I know that fantasy fans have high expectations. The Exalted, the sequel to The Diminished, fits the bill. It has strong characters, great world building, and compelling, relatable dilemmas. While this book does have LGBT characters, it is limiting to categorize it as such. It is a compelling read that my students have enjoyed and I am so grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this in advance.

When you have assassins and queens in one story - give it to me! Very well done. I loved the plot! A very fast read and a book worth picking up.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I found this to be a sequel that surpassed the original. More depth is added to the characters and the world-building is excellent. While I am sad the story ends here, it was a very satisfying ending. Recommend both books of the duology!

War, politics, heartbreak, love, family, separation….please….tell me what more you can want in a YA Fantasy novel? It’s ok. I’ll wait.

To say that I enjoyed this book is an understatement. I LOVED it. Patterson has written a complex, well developed and engaging world with characters and plotlines that kept me wanting to turn the page. I was hooked from the very first chapter….without even reading the first book!

I can only imagine how difficult it must be to write books in the Fantasy genre. The author has to create a world that is engaging but not overpowering, a plotline that is unique but not overly out there and characters that the reader can connect with without being too boring, rage filled, proud, un-diverse, cocky or wooden. Oh, and don’t forget to add in a good trope or two but not any that have been way overdone or not done enough. As readers, it is hard to make us happy but I think Kaitlyn Sage Patterson has hit every mark damn near perfectly!

With masterfully done world building I was able to fully immerse myself into the Alskad Empire. Quick and action packed pace held my attention for the duration of the story. Relatable, diverse and well developed characters allowed me to form connections (maybe too many connections but I don’t want to talk about that right now…you know what you did!). What really stood out for me, though, was how evenly Patterson placed the lead on Bo and Vi. Twins from two different worlds, two different upbringings and two different goals but they are equally matched in just about every sense of the word. I found that refreshing and definitely sets Patterson apart from a lot of other authors in the genre.

While I did thoroughly enjoy reading The Exalted, from the very beginning I knew there was a lot I was missing. I mentioned earlier that I hadn’t read the first book in this duology and I really wish I had. It’s very obvious as soon as you start reading that there is background that should be learned. Luckily, The Exalted has “re-read” written all over it so I will definitely be picking up The Diminished first and getting the full picture.
If you like high fantasy filled with political intrigue, violent wars, engaging and diverse characters and vivid world building then The Exalted is the book for you. Just do yourself a favor and read the first book before diving in.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for more books from Patterson in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my own, honest opinion.

I didn't realize when requesting this book that it was a sequel. It was interesting but without reading the first it got confusing and hard to follow. Beautiful cover.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

I really enjoyed this sequel. It was brilliant in its story line and character development. It was a satisfactory ending to this duology, however I hope it is not the last story set in this fascinating world.

Bo and Vi continue on their journey pretty much from where the first book ended. I really enjoyed both of their character arcs with all of the messy emotions that went with them. I really liked that the author did not shy away from the topic of how wars and battles affect people differently. Also that good people sometimes have to do bad things to win those wars. Vi goes through a grieving time and was very depressed after a particularly nasty battle, which I felt was very honest. Bo also has his struggles with the loss of his grandmother and his throne at the same time. His struggles to get it back were well done with a lot of court intrigue.

Many of the other characters that I grew to love are back, and many new characters are introduced. Curlin continued to grow on me and I really came to understand her better in this book. Quill and his twin Mal were also part of this story, although Quill wasn’t around quite as much as I would have liked. His and Vi’s relationship was strained at time almost to the breaking point, mostly because Vi shut him out when she was struggling with her depression. Swinton continued to win the hearts of everyone he met, and I just adored him with Bo.

There were many new characters introduced, and they were all well done. Vi’s family was amazing and I loved them all, but a special nod needs to go to Pem and Still, two adorable little girls who certainly prove that they were gutsy and bold every step of their journey. Noriava was also a great new evil character, who only wanted what was best for her kingdom, but totally went about it in the wrong ways.

The plot of this second book was just as good as the first. There were more action scenes and less world building which made for a faster read for the most part. The struggles between religion, government and society would make for some interesting discussions. The ending though felt a bit rushed. Unfortunately there were some important deaths at the end that happened so fast that they were almost missed. Also the characters and the readers didn’t have time to grieve for them either. I applaud the author for being willing to kill off likable and important characters but because these both happened so close to the end, they ended up belittling the characters contributions to the overall story.

This is a strong debut series featuring a fascinating world were twins share an important connection. A very rich world with lots of its own mythology, religion and ruthless villains. The diverse cast of characters are all well developed and the twists and turns of the story will certainly keep you entertained as well. I will certainly be keeping out an eye for more books by this author, and hopefully ones set in the world of Alskad.

Thanks so much for the ARC but I didn't realize when I requested it that it was sequel. I can't comment on it, but that cover is lovely!

First, I want to say thank you to Inkyard Press and Harlequin Teen for approving this title for me. I honestly appreciate it. I did not realize when I requested that it was a sequel. I can't comment on this particular book because I haven't read the first.

The Exalted was so much better than The Diminished because it was well developed, had excellent character arcs and the plot was 10 times more interesting.

The Exalted picks up where The Diminished ends, told through the parallel narratives of Vi and Bo as they fight for the future of the Alskad empire. Bo is fighting to claim his throne despite his questionable illegitimacy while his twin, Vi is leading a resistance movement to end the corrupt temple. The plot is faster paced and has many twists. The storyline had a smoother flow and I liked the politic intrigue and worldbuilding. It didn't seem as rushed as its predecessor.

Additionally, I think that the characters are so much more developed in The Exalted. Vi and Bo have so much character growth and their alternating POV's wove together nicely (I really like the letters to each other at the beginning of each chapter). Also, shout out to Curlin. Loved that girl and she was my favorite character with Vi as a close second.

A wonderful finale for a duology but I would be open to a companion series or novellas set in the same world.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN for proving a free ARC

Title: The Exalted
Author: Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Publication Date: May 21, 2019
Page Count: 496
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: #Young Adult Family, #Young Adult LGBT, #Young Adult Action & Adventure, #Young Adult Fantasy #TheExalted #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for sending me this early Arc, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Synopsis

Since the founding of the Empire, Alskad has been ruled by the singleborn…but the new heir to the throne carries a secret that will change everything

When an assassin’s bullet takes the life of Queen Runa and allows an impostor to steal the throne, Bo Trousillion is forced to flee the empire that is his birthright. With few choices left and burdened with a secret that could disinherit him, Bo pursues an alliance with Noriava, the Queen of Denor, but the devious royal ensnares him in a trap and demands a huge price for her aid.

To the south, Vi Abernathy—Bo’s secret twin—joins a ragtag army of resistance fighters, determined to free Alskad and the colony of Ilor from the control of the corrupt temple and its leaders. But as Vi discovers a strength she never knew she had and prepares to rejoin her brother in Alskad, news of the coup and Bo’s narrow escape arrive in Ilor.

Determined to rescue Bo, Vi sails to Denor with the rebels at her side and a plan to outwit Queen Noriava, knowing there’s only one way she and Bo will be able to save the Alskad Empire—together.

Through sudden twists and surprising revelations, Patterson takes both Vi and Bo on painful journeys of self-discovery and growth. But there is strength in numbers, and this “diminished” girl and “singleborn” boy are no longer alone in the world — they have each other. With Bo’s help, Vi is determined to channel her anger and pain to “make myself into the spark that would set the world aflame.” 


The Exalted, Is the last installment to Kaitlyn Sage Patterson,
Alskad Empire Chronicles, Patterson’s latest book takes off exactly where
The Diminished left off. Even though Vi and Bo were reunited at the end of Patterson’s debut, the sequel sees these long-lost twins separated again on different missions to save the Alskad Empire.

In Patterson’s conclusion Vi and Bo were united at the end of The Diminished, In this sequel we see the twins once again separated and on faced paced adventures. Once again the author the has executed a well developed storyline.
Great character development with both Vi,and Bo’s POV’s, and sub-characters.

The Author masterly creates a memorable fantasy world building. The books pace was brisk and vividly rendered, which enabled this follow up to live up to its anticipated hype. Engaging political intrigue and a war kept me fully invested.

What really stood out for me in both books was the diversity and the representation of caste structure system within the Alskad Empire.
One aspect of the book that I especially loved was the way the authors depicts the twin relationship allowing for both male and female leads to be equally strong, regardless of their upbringings or their desires to rule the empire.

Patterson’s unique premise, and non stop action engages the reader all the way up to an emotional end.
You will definitely will want to add this to your reading list for this year.

I definitely will be looking forward to more work from this creative new voice in Ya Fiction.



Young Adult Family, Young Adult LGBT, Young Adult Action & Adventure, Young Adult Fantasy