Unfortunately, I couldn't quite follow as it was a sequel and I hadn't read the first book. However, it was filled with action and was fast-paced.

This was a fast-paced, brutal and unrelenting world the author created. I cannot tell you exactly what I feel because I honestly don't know myself. I love how gritty and bloody and twisty it is. Flew thru this in one sitting and dammit it was one wild ride. House of Rage and Sorrow was bloody brilliant! Need book three now.

This was a great follow up and I really enjoyed it! Can't wait to read more in this series and the final conclusion.

I loved the first book and tbis one was no different! I love books based in space and rhen add in fantasy I am sold! The world building was so well done. The family dynamics was great to read about. The themes of loss, grief and even anger and how that can push a person to the edge, is explored so well.
I thought this was a fantastic book. Cant wait to read book 3

This installment is action packed, just like the first! Great writing hey again, you really get pulled into this world. I am really looking forward to the finale!

I really liked the first book of the series, so I went into it with high expectations. I loved this book, it was amazing. I love the author's writing style, it it so good. It is really easy to read, sometimes poetic and makes the reader think. But do not think it to be boring, since it also has quite a few action scenes. I really like the ambiguity of the characters and the whole trilogy in general: nobody is perfect, they all make mistakes. The reader gets to decide how to feel about them. The gods in this series are portrayed well in my opinion, just with the right amount of arrogance that you could imagine, but they are also invested in the story. I like that they have limits too and are not infallible. The only character I don't like is Kyra, she has become such abhorrent mother to Esmae. I can't wait to read the third book.

A House of Rage and sorrow is a fast-paced and addictive sequel to A Spark of White Fire. The atmospheric world-building is what made this story so enjoyable. It feels so alive and when reading I am instantly transported. Sangu Mandanna was able to take me on an emotional roller coaster with Esme throughout this novel. My only issue is that the book felt as though it could have benefited from being a bit longer, but that may be my inpatients for the 3rd book. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend if you’re looking for a new YA sci-fi/fantasy series to jump into.

I thought this was the first book - pray to tell it wasn't and I didn't understand a thing.

I was really intrigued by the synopsis, but when I started the book, I realized I was a lot of story missing. That made me very sad, but I'll try to get the first book in the series, and then give this book another chance. I loved the idea of magic, blood and a spaceship called "Titania", but it's hard to review a book that you didn't understand while reading. I look forward to the story nonetheless. The characters sounded super interesting and powerful and I am hyped to find out where they are going together.

I wanted to choose the option to not review this book at all on NetGalley, but the function was missing, why I had to put all the information in here and hope that's okay. Maybe it would be helpful for future review copies to be informed in the synopsis, that the book is a sequel.

An amazing sequel that keeps the plot twists coming. I absolutely love the direction this saga is taking. Despite many second books in a trilogy, A house of rage and sorrow manages to resolve issues and create new problems: the plot never becomes repetitive, but actually advances. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy series.

This is the second book in the series and that was my problem. I should have read the first book first but I hadn't realized it. That being said, it was a good book.

I'm going to pretend this book didn't happen. The first one in the series was so perfect that I prefer to run my own head-canon from there. I really, really need some sort of recap at the beginning of sequels to complex books, and not just a dramatis personae. The characters all felt so different from the ones I loved, and the ship point of view was ... not necessary.

Wow! The sequel to A Spark of White Fire did not disappoint. Esmae only wanted to help her brother Alexi get the crown back from their uncle, but when Alexi kills her best friend in a duel that she was supposed to be in she vows to destroy him. The family she wanted doesn’t want her, and the King and his family who she’s grown up hating love her more than she could have ever realized. Now with Titania by her side she’s determined to avenge her friend’s death and stop her brother once and for all. When Alexi attempts to use a weapon that even the gods fear, Esmae must stop him no matter the cost, and when family secrets reveal themselves in the end, the entire galaxy will feel Esmae’s wrath and have to decide which Rey sibling is the true ruler of Kali.

I could not put this book down. I literally started it after dinner and stayed up all night reading it. Esmae and Titania are some of my absolute favorite characters as well as Max. I loved the stories of the gods and learning all the secrets that Esmae’s family has been hiding. I can’t wait for the epic conclusion and will anxiously be awaiting its release.

So I just finished reading this book and I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do with myself right now. I think I’m still in shock, and also dying over the fact that I can’t read the next book yet because this book isn’t even out and I just… need to know what happens next… please… help

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

At first I didn't realize that this was book two in the series, but was so quickly drawn in that once I finished, I purchased the first book to better understand the story. Highly recommended read!

Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

If possible, this was even better than the first book! I loved the family drama and and ambition throughout. The mythology aspect is incredible and and all of the action made it seem like a quick read.

Final Review Rating: 3.5/5 Stars - Liked it!

Esmae's years-long quest to see her brother returned to the throne he was exiled from has come to a screeching halt.  Despite her efforts to get to know and work with the brothers she never met until she was 18-years-old, Alexi ultimately betrayed Esmae and crushed her heart. Now Esmae has vowed revenge and plunged the galaxy into war. As plots, curses, and secrets swirl, Esmae has to decide how far she will take her thirst for vengeance, and how to navigate the celestial stakes involved in her personal struggle.

A HOUSE OF RAGE AND SORROW is a diverting and emotional sci-fi fairy tale that struggles sometimes under the weight of its secrets within secrets.  Unless you have a photographic memory, I highly recommend you either read this closely following book one, A SPARK OF WHITE FIRE, or go back and give said book a quick reread.  While Mandanna gives you a brief refresher of the cast with a "Dramatis Personae" at the beginning of the book, there are so many plots, curses, and shifting alliances that I frequently found myself skimming the first book to re-contextualize characters and their motivations.  It definitely felt like a stoory that could have heavily benefited from a recap, or at least more one-liners to remind the audience of who cursed whom or who killed whom centuries ago, especially since so many actions have repercussions.

But first, let's get to what I enjoyed!  The atmosphere and world of THE CELESTIAL TRILOGY is unique and wonderful.  Inspired by various Indian folklore tales, including the Mahabharata, this is a series that imagines Earth society thousands of years in the future, when Earth is an ancient legend and we've settled across dozens of planets and created new empires.  But what we haven't left behind are the Indian gods, who continue to meddle in human existence.  It's the kind of setting where uttering "I curse you to..." has actual real world consequences, and a poorly worded wish can have devastating effects. Gods appearing and making bargains are commonplace.  It really feels like someone has taken Indian mythology and retold it among spaceships and laser weapons, and I'm utterly charmed by the effect.

I was also taken away by the depth of emotion I continue to feel with Esmae.  This girl has been on a bit of a roller coaster, raised to believe in her brothers, only to see them attempt to kill her.  This sequel is largely focused on Esmae working through her own emotions, the pain in her heart she can't let go.  She'll get her revenge even if she has to burn down the galaxy to get it.

Where the book suffered a bit, however, was from an overall lack of depth. At 264 pages, the story moves at breakneck speed, and as mentioned above, I wish some extra time had been spent reminding us who made what wish when that put us in this predicament, especially since the consequences continue to reverberate throughout the sequel.  It also feels at times like there is just reveal after reveal in a manner that starts to rob them of some of their shock value.  The revealed ultimate fate of one character goes by so quickly, I had little reaction to it, and was honestly confused why THAT had been their fate, other than to provide plot impetus.

Despite these pitfalls, I've enjoyed reading these first two books.  My current judgement is that, based on these first two books, it almost feels like this trilogy could have been one standalone novel.  It's a rare instance where I think having the complete story in one go is the best way to consume the three books, especially given how short they are.  I find myself planning to simply reread the whole thing from start to finish when book three eventually comes out, and giving a final verdict then about the success of the series.  For now, if you're looking to a unique spin on ancient mythology that you can consume in a weekend, these are worth a read!

A House of Rage and Sorrow is the second installment in Sangu Mandanna's Celestial Trilogy. The story picks up immediately from where A Spark of White Fire left off. Drawing on the Mahabharata and Indian mythology, Mandanna's trilogy takes the tropes of fate, love, and bargaining with the gods and shoots them to the stars. Fans of mythology and retellings will eat this up. You can feel the intensity of what is happening between Esmae and her family, especially her brother Alexi and her mother Kyra Rey.

It has been (3) months since Esmae's best friend was killed in a duel with Alexi. It has been (3) months of rage and grief. The prophecy is finally coming true and as much as she did not want to accept it in the first book, she is coming to term with it now. Esmae is on a path of vengeance and honestly, she doesn't care who gets hurt in the crossfire. Esmae has been betrayed by almost everyone she trusted. Her brother who fears an equal. A mother who fears a curse. A King who wanted Alexi to win Titania, but which ended up going to Esmae after she won a competition for it.

Titania the sentient starship that was created by two Gods and a King. We also get to see things from Titania’s perspective in this book. We see how she loves and protects Esmae, and despite just being a mechanical warship, she is a full-fledged character whose presence in the book makes it feel wholesome. This book is just as rife with tension as its predecessor and fills you with the same edginess as the first one.

Mandanna could have held back in this sequel and waited until the final installment to unload. I am glad she didn't. This book is filled with many emotionally charged scenes. The ending of this book was very explosive. I can't wait to see how the author deals with everything and wraps it in the next book. This story was easily one of the fastest reads that I have finished this year and yes, I am eager for the finale.

I cannot even begin to coherently string together how amazing this was. A serious rollercoaster ride of emotions and brilliant writing. Mandanna continues to dazzle with her world building and descriptions and I was utterly over the moon to have more of Titania and to have her perspective in this book. However, I'm not even sure how I'm supposed to survive the wait for book 3.

Awesome story! You are a very gifted storyteller! You kept me reading, you made me wonder, and hope, and in the end, you made me cry.
Please, keep writing! I am looking forward to the next part of the story!