I want to start off by saying that this book was absolutely leagues above the first installment in the trilogy.

Like the first book, this one jumps very quickly into the stakes and action. Little time is spent on the world-building, but enough of it is developed through the story that it doesn't feel too flimsy. The gods remain a key part of the story and a new element of their meddling is introduced, which really threw a few curve balls. The human characters themselves are ambitious, especially those vying for power and I just love when ambition tips too far into relentlessness.

Esmae's own character development was probably the highlight of the novel. Gone is the naive girl who believes she is on the side of her brothers, and who is trying to do her best to reclaim her home. Living with a personal loss, she turns vicious and unwilling to bend. Her primary occupation is revenge against those she thought were on her side. It's a stark but realistic change in character, and I was totally loving it. I'm very excited to see what she will be willing to do - what she will become - in the final book.

"A House of Rage and Sorrow," the second book in the Celestial Trilogy expands the mythology of the universe and heightens the stakes of the battle between twins Esmae and Alexi for power. The world of the Celestial Trilogy draws on the Sanskit epic Mahabharata and incorporates fantastic beings, gods, and goddesses, and historic battles. The action in "A House of Rage and Sorrow" is relentless, with Esmae dealing with disaster, betrayal, and violence at nearly every step.
In the preceding "A Spark of White Fire," all of the action was filtered through Esmae's perspective. The sequel predominatly follows Esmae again but now incorporates her ship Titania. As a sentient being, Titania's insights added and complicated the struggle for the universe. I appreciated her tone and how Titania questioned if she could have some of the human things she knows about intellectually (i.e. love).
While there's a subplot about a legendary beast, "A House of Rage and Sorrow's" strength lies in its meditation of family and trust. Where Esmae shouldn't trust or love her uncle who usurped her father, he's shown more compassion towards her than her own mother. Readers finally meet Esmae's mother, of whom she's dreamed, and it's gut-wrenching.
"A House of Rage and Sorrow" features lots of deception, some very surprising twists (looking at Max!), and an ending that sets the stage for an explosive finale. Don't sleep on the Celestial Trilogy!

It's rare that I read a space opera and even more rare that I love one, but this book has it all for me: a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, vivid world-building angry female leads... this book had me at the edge of my seat. It's dramatic and empowering and criminally underrated. Highly recommend.

A House of Rage and Sorrow is a stunning sequel to a stunning YA Indian mythology inspired Sci-Fi Fantasy, A Spark of White Fire. It continues Esmae's story after the tragic and unexpected ending of the first installment. From family dynamics to individual power building, and from revenge to love, this sequel brings more emotions—and consequently, more tears—to the plate. It breaks any barrier, if one even existed, between gods and mortals in the most surprising manner possible.


☛ Build-up conflicts
☛ Revengeful ambitions
☛ Salty family relations
☛ Layers of deception
☛ Underlying mystery
☛ Gods meet mortals
☛ Vengeful craving
☛ Queer side characters
☛ POV of a sentient spaceship
☛ Space action sequence
☛ Chaos guided by anguish
☛ Desperation gives rise to power

Trigger warnings: Grief, heartbreak, revengeful thoughts, mistrust, weakened relationship with biological mother, loss of a body part, sadness due to hesitation in accepting one's sexuality.

How difficult can it be to pronounce your love for a sequel without delving into the essence of the first book for it will open the doors to spoilers? Very. But that's exactly what I'm aiming for because if there's something I'm shamelessly scared of is anyone coming across spoilers from this book. It uses the loose strands of the first installment to effectively torture the readers with even more intense emotions and surprise them with just as many revelations. For someone who has read A Spark of White Fire, this will impress you even more with all the added complexity in the overall plot as well as in Esmae's character. For those who have stumbled upon this review without reading the first book, please read my desperate review of it and pick it up now, thank you.

Esmae continues to be a strong YA female but this sequel brings her under a spotlight that glows her powers, her strength, her stern decision to take revenge even more, and simultaneously fluctuates to show her weakness and everything else that essentially makes her a human. She remains to be the independent personality who is ready to carve her own path and while the path is never smooth, her courage and bravery will impress the readers without a doubt. Her character, despite being the main protagonist of the story, doesn't try to appear as a flawless young person and that is certainly what makes me love her so much.

The complex family that made up all the pieces on this chessboard turns even more complex—yes, it's possible—with the sudden rush of rage inside Esmae and those who are directly or indirectly affected by her. Esmae's one true desire to belong with those she had always assumed to love and with those who she has come to love is dealt with in this story, and it'll surely bring tears—of joy or sorrow, find out for yourself. If there's someone lost, there's someone found so I like to think of this installment as a balanced see-saw which somehow makes you cry.

The revelations were shocking, surprising, staggering, and every other synonym of 'they f*ck you up'. Right when you think nothing can surpass this disclosure BAM! one comes right at you with full intensity and you will have to look around and wonder what just happened. The inspiration drawn from Mahabharata is even more vivid and as a South-Asian blogger, I feel happy about it, very happy. Along with the great development of our Esmae, the side characters—including Titania—have their own individual arcs to come to life for the readers.

If I list out all the characters involved in this sequel, there'll be a huge possibility of giving away spoilers so if you wish to know about the characters frequently seen in the series, you can read my review of A Spark of White Fire .

Overall, I will probably never stop shouting my love for these books and while, on other days, my methods to urge everyone to pick this up might not be the most subtle, I try my best to politely request everyone to give these amazing characters and an even more amazing storyline a chance. But today, I'm just going to scream: READ THIS!

There are so many things I want to say about this book. It's been a while since I've come across a book series that I love this much. It's killing me to know I'll have to wait at least a year for book 3.

I love Esmae as a character. I love her anger and her strength. There were so many twists and turns in this book that I didn't see coming (and one major one that I've been expecting since book 1, so happy to know I was right). And after that ending, I'm both terrified and excited to see what happens next.

What can I possibly say about this book without ending up screaming to space until Sangu Mandanna releases her sequel to end my anguish? Nevertheless, I'm going to try, because this book has taken a lot of me with it when it ended and I'll have to put the pieces back.

Esmae's openly declared war with Alexi for murdering her best friend. She has the indestructible warship Titania with her. But Alexi isn't sitting still either. Any moment, Amba the war of Goddess is away, he plans to unleash Sorsha the only living Great Beast, who can match the power of Titania. Being the most skilled warriors of the universe, the siblings believe they're evenly matched. So they're doing everything in their power to make their troops better. But when more secrets are revealed and hopes of her childhood are horribly crushed, Esmae can only wonder if she is doing it to avenge her friend, or if she hiding a monster inside.

This book started out a bit slow, but then it quickly perked up, throwing secrets and plot-twists all around and keeping me at the edge of my seat, biting my tongue in anticipation and terror because I realized just how terrible and horribly good this book is going to be. There is no matter of convenience here, the author makes everything fall into chaos and cleanly sweeps her mess by answering all the questions right. The characters have all developed so wonderfully and I'm so glad to see that they are all back to being the lovely people I knew them to be in the first book. Esmae though. Esmae is just brilliant. She's ruthless and daring and lovely and evil sometimes, but I can't stop loving her or taking her side. I can't stop questioning her morality but I'm on her side anyway.

The only grudge I have against this book is that it isn't even released yet and I have to wait indefinitely long for the sequel.

This book moved a lot faster than the first book. I finished 85% in one day. It is like a wonderfully interesting mix of Illuminae and Three Dark Crowns.

In this installment of the Celestrial Trilogy, Esmae and Alexi are still trying to figure out who actually deserves the crown of Kali. There was a time jump of three months, but Titania's POV (the infamous warship at the beginning of book 1) helps to fill in some of the gaps that Esmae's POV might miss due to her not being present.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, a solid four-star read. I'm excited to see where the last book in the trilogy is going to pick up and go as this book left us on a cliffhanger trying to figure out what is going to happen to basically everyone. I definitely need to check out Sandu Mandanna's other series as she a beautiful writer and world-builder.

Oh my galactic Godstuff!! My heart can't take this...it shattered. It mended. It disintegrated. It reformed and was promptly pulverized again. Over and over it went until I slammed, nose first, into the very last page. I was only able to guess one or two reveals and MAN OH MAN there were enough juicy ones to keep even the most placid of people on the edge of their seat. I'm still in shock. I'm meticulously going back and picking through the story, searching for clues, for things I might have missed and possible clauses to make the hurting bits less sharp.

The House of Rage and Sorrow is FANTASTIC!! Even now, as I wipe away a stream of tears with the hem of my Dr. Who jammies that I've worn for 2 days straight thanks to this book, I fear I can't find the right words to convey just what my heart and mind and psyche have endured.

I waited what feels like a lifetime for this sequel to come out and when I got my hands on it, I devoured it....gracelessly consumed it, like a starved woman at a verbal pie eating contest. In hindsight, I probably should have parsed it out, coaxed and teased a bit more time out of it but I couldn't. I just couldn't pace myself. I sat down to read a chapter or two.... yes yes, I know, I was only fooling myself...and as the layers and plots within subplots within machinations unfurled, I was mesmerized. I was enraptured to the point that Time lost all meaning and pages flew by in the blink of a tired (probably dehydrated) eye. I was left, a sniffling lump, puffy eyed and pleading "NOOOOOOOO, no no no, it can't be!!!" Well I'm here to tell you that it can...and it did... and I'm undone.

House of Rage and Sorrow is a multifaceted Space Opera that also incorporates Scifi and Fantasy and boy, what a marvelous union it is! It has incredible writing that is rich and textured and I love love LOVE it!! It features two POVs that complement each other nicely. I adore the chapters that allow us to peek into Titania's beautiful, calculating, loyal, God-touched mind. Her voice is unique, her perspective is fun and her varying "emotions" for each character are heartwarming.

The World construction is another surreal facet. It is a thing of beauty! Even when the characters are thrown from hazardous situations into even more danger than one might think traversable, Sangu Mandanna never takes the easy way out. There are scenarios where I thought, "Here is the place they are easily going to get to point B from". Instead, Mrs. Mandanna piles on the tragedy and places them in even greater peril. BUT watching Esmae (et al) navigate each impossible predicament, coming out a whole galaxy away from point B, is an absolute joy to behold. What is even more amazing are the characters!!! The characters are beautific, atrocious, deep, dastardly, robust, complex and many MANY other stellar adjectives. I loved them. I still love them. I need to have more of them...ALL of them... maybe not momma, but I digress.

This book is great at never letting you stew too long in a pure emotion for any one character, no matter how repugnant or irreproachable they appear to be at any given moment. You'll be given their backstories, what led to their disgraceful/brave decisions and all the other tidbits that will have you understanding, in time, each person and how they got to their current state of vileness, dishonor or Glory.

I was given a copy of this book for review and not only do I feel very fortunate for every millisecond I got to spend in this world with these incredible characters but I also cherish the opportunity to whisper sweet sentiments about this blessing of a book into some receptive person's ear so that they too might immerse themselves and enjoy every word as much as I have.

Overall: I want to scream from snowcapped hill tops, Ricola style...dueting with an Alphorn, proclaiming "I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THIS WORLD AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME"!! Not for food, nor for drink and definitely not for sleep. If it weren't for my prodigious TBR pile and my need to tend to my lacerated emotions, I'd be EXTREMELY tempted to pick this book back up and read it anew. If I, who unfortunately suffers from a severe allergic aversion to rereading books, feel the need to give it a second go 'round then I say, with the utmost reverence (and humility), that you NEED THIS BOOK!!

What does Book #1 vs Book #2 look like you might be wondering? Well, for my 2 cents, you first need to know that I absolutley venerated book #1 and I am ecstatic to report that this book has no problem standing toe to toe with... nay, surpassing its predecessor. No dreaded curse of the 2nd book here. If you liked A Spark of White Fire then you'll blissfully inhale A House of Rage and Sorrow. It's straight to my Favorites folder for this gem. Do yourself a favor and check this one out, you're Favorites folder needs a new friend and you won't be disappointed... I pinky swear.... with a thumb stamp.

Bottom line:
Get it! You'll love it! End transmission.

~ Enjoy

*** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2871267554
This was very interesting. It got confusing at times with all the characters, but I really enjoyed it. The world was well written and the characters were diverse and well developed.

This is an #OwnVoices review

I did not think that any sequel could live up to A Spark of White Fire but somehow Sangu Mandanna was able to come up with one that did.

We were left at an unsure footing at the end of A Spark of White Fire and there was a lot to deal with and we went into this book.
There were uncertainty and apprehension in my mind and through the first 25% of this book Sangu was able to reassure me and I felt I could believe everything would be okay, even if a little disastrous.

As expected after the ending of A Spark of White Fire, there was quite a turn in Esmae’s personality. She is hurt and raging and she displays those emotions with such intensity that they grip you. 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 isolated herself and as she continues to wage a war, she has many things to deal with.

Just like in the first book, many new characters and plots are being revealed to us by Sangu at the appropriate times and we are holding our breath to see how it is going to turn out.

Different truths are revealed to us and as they put all the characters into perspective for us, we see how everything has come a full circle from where it started.

We get to see things from Titania’s perspective as well in this book and 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.
I also loved the banter between Sybilla and Radha and in particular, Radha’s character development. She is no longer the shy girl who was in the background like we saw in A Spark of White Fire, but now she comes to the forefront and we learn more of her and her backstory, which integrates her into my heart more than I had expected!

The ending of this book was very explosive as well and I can not wait to see how the author deals with everything and wraps it in the next book for there are so many storylines bonded together in this book, just like they are in the Mahabharata, and it could end up going anywhere.

After the end of A Spark of White Fire, I thought that I was prepared for whatever this book would throw at me. More fool me, because I could not have been less ready.

A House of Rage and Sorrow picks up a few months after A Spark of White Fire finished. And that’s about all I can say about the plot (or almost anything about this book, as I am finding out) without spoiling both this book and the first, if I’m honest. What I will say is that it’s a ride. It starts intense and just gets more so. If you thought the end of the first book made you breathless, well. This is something else.

Central to what made book one so amazing were the characters and the relationships they shared. The same and even more is true of book two. It centres on a family at war, after [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] by [redacted] [redacted]. (I told you this was going to be hard to write without spoilers.) So basically, it’s all angst. That particular brand of family/sibling related angst that is just so good.

What got me really hooked on this series (not that I wasn’t hooked before but, you know) was the twist at the end of book one. Well, book two tops that with an ending that will leave you left stunned (and also wondering when the book finished and why isn’t there more). Like, you’ll need a few minutes to catch your breath after it all (and after all the revelations).

Which ties into what I love about this book (and series). You know me and attention span (i.e. it’s non-existent), but this series keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. There’s no let-up to how intense and action-packed it is (sometimes I have a general horror of YA sff just because it seems to be boring up until the two-thirds/three-quarters mark instead of spacing out the action more evenly, but that is distinctly not the case here).

This is probably about all I can say about the book without spoilers, so all that’s left is for me to beg you to read this series. Please.

I'd say this was probably about a 4 star read for me. I have been looking forward to this book after reading A Spark of White Fire, the previous book, which was an amazing 5 stars for me. This book is more or less a retelling of the Mahabarata in Space and it's different because it's written based from Hindu Mythology, which I don't read a lot of, but have always wanted to read and know more about it.
This book was harder to read for me than the first because it was more emotional than the first, maybe a bit more dark and heavy, but it had to be for where the story's going and with where the story was in the first book. I had a major book hangover from the first book, but the book hangover isn't quite as bad this time. I'm more nervous about reading what comes next because it got pretty intense and emotional during this one.
It picks up right where it left off from the ending of the second book, flows well with the transition, but if you haven't read the first book, you might not get what's going on so I would recommend reading the previous book first before this one.
Without getting too spoilery here, the twins are even more at odds here in this book, Esmae, and Alexi, because of fighting over Kali and who gets to be the ruler and especially because of what happened with the duel and Rama. Oh man, that was a hard part of the story, that's part of why this book is so hard because of what happened with Rama. More family info, dynamics, and things develop and come to light throughout this book and the romance develops more between certain characters like Max and Esmae. There's a lot of information and feelings that are covered in this book and it deals with a lot of grief, sadness, anger with the fighting and everything that's happened, is going on and is going to happen.
I didn't like it as much as the first book because it was so heavy and dark from the emotional standpoint, but it kind of had to be that way in this part of the story. There was also a few instances of profanity/language that bothered me because I prefer to read stories without language and such when possible. Other than that, it was a well written good book that I would recommend to others especially if you loved the first one, which if you haven't read the first one, you should. Also if you want to read a Sci-Fi and Fantasy story in space that is a retelling and involves the Mahabarata and Hindu Mythology then you should read it. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for letting me read and review this eARC.

Cue simultaneous screaming and sobbing. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. I freaked out over the first book and how good it was, but A House of Rage and Sorrow takes the cake. OMG. My love for this series will never end and I need the third book ASAP. Okay, let me take a few deep breaths as I try to sort out my thoughts.

We're thrown right back into the stunningly unique world created by Mandanna. She blends sci-fi with fantasy like no other author. Both these novels are inspired by the Mahabharata, an Indian epic, which I haven't read and didn't know about before now, but I will most definitely be checking it out. A House of Rage and Sorrow gives us some more knowledge about the world and its myths and legends, and I am here for it.

The plot also never lets you catch your breath. It's constantly moving and keeps you hooked. Every scene and every chapter leads us to the finale of the book, and some revelations were made that shocked the hell out of me. I can't wait to see what happens further, especially since there are some mysteries that remain.

A big thing that had me screaming about this book was the representation. I'm going to compare it to Star Trek (my ultimate sci-fi) in the sense that I hope our future can be like this book. We have such a diverse set of characters, lesbian, bi, genderneutral, genderfluid, even a change of gender. And no one bats an eye. My perfect future is where, like in Star Trek and in AHORAS, everyone is accepted and can just be who they are. That is what makes this book so special.

The biggest addition to this book was Titania's POV chapters. I never thought I'd love a sentient spaceship so much but here we are. She's an entire character on her own with a unique personality and her own thoughts. I loved reading her POVs, especially considering this book is so full of twists and turns.

Esmae's grief is the one big thing that powers the story. It's so real and tangible and raw, my heart hurt every minute of this book. She faces some terrible choices and terrible people, and it's hard not to lose part of yourself in that. I really hope she finds some peace and catharsis in the next book.

I once again loved the Esmae and Max scenes. Once again their romance does not take centre stage in the story, but you can tell how much they love and care for each other. Max's reveal was also fun and one I suspected was going to happen.

I haven't even touched on the political intrigue and war strategies of the book. War isn't always an "us vs them" situation, and there isn't always a clear villain. This book does a great job of painting that picture. We're on Esmae's side, but she isn't sure which side she's on. I love it. I love this book dearly.

Thank you Sangu Mandanna for writing this absolute masterpiece.

House of Rage and Sorrow is about Esmae Rey, princess of Kali who it out for revenge against her brother Alexi, who betrayed her and killed her best friend. She'll start a war and let the star system burn as long as she defeats Alexi, as long as he suffers like she does.

I absolutely loved A Spark of White Fire and read this almost immediately after. I finished it nearly an hour ago and was absolutely wrecked by it. A few other early reviewers said it was better than book 1 and I wholeheartedly agree. The events were more epic, more personal, more painful and terribly entertaining.

It's hard to put into words but something about it deeply resonated with me. I love how the events click into place like puzzle pieces and no matter how sure I am that I've got it figured out the final twist always knocks me off my feet. I love how willing Mandanna is to make the characters suffer and make them act as terrible as humans can be.

I loved the writing! It was smooth and easy to read with moments that were so beautiful and painfully emotional that it made me cry. The pacing was great! It never felt too rushed considering how fast pace it was with things constantly happening.
And the plot! What was the plot? It wasn't so much as a singular quest or mission to achieve (aside from revenge and war!) but several small plots that melted into evolved from each other. I'm not even sure I can say what happens in it without listing every even in the book. I was so invested and entertained I didn't realize it until now. Tl;dr everything gets messed up in the best way most satisfying way.
There were a couple subplots I was a bit unsatisfied with. And by unsatisfied I mean the sapphic content was good but I wanted more. More gay in this series please. The slow burn was killing me.

Honestly Esmae is one of my least favorite character archetypes but I loved her. She was a ball of anger and sorrow and sweetness. (FYI my lease favorite archetype is whatever Alexi is so...) Her pain was so raw and while she always made bad decisions it felt true to her and I could never fault her for her feelings or expressions of it. I love her so so much. I love all the characters so so much (except for a certain few antagonist)

The world building was good in the way that it slowly built up without me noticing. One thing that bothered me, and to be fair it might be corrected in the final version but Esmae kept referring to the world instead of the star system or galaxy, like "He'll destroy half the world" instead of "half the galaxy"

Overall, it was amazing and I can't wait for the last book. This ended (spoilers) on a cliff hanger and I honestly can't deal with it. I highly recommend this.

A Spark of White Fire was one of my favorite reads of 2018, and I was dying to read the sequel. I mean, read the summary and tell me you didn't get chills! Honestly, I was obsessively checking Edelweiss for this book, and I caught it but a few hours after it finally went up on Edelweiss. A House of Rage and Sorrow manages somehow to surpass its predecessor to deliver an even more intense story, with stunning writing, a thrilling plot, and wonderful character growth.

We return to the characters that we know and love: Esmae, Max, Alexi, Bear, Amba, Kirrin, Sybilla, and so many more. They're amidst a war after the duel that commenced in the previous book, and they're all dealing with the consequences of it, Esmae in particular. She's dealing with her grief by giving into her rage, and you all know I adore my angry female characters. She shines as the narrator, yet again, and her grief and anger is so potent, I could feel it through the pages. We also get a new narrator which allows us to escape Esmae's narrow point of view.

I just love all the characters so much. My heart was bursting to the seams with the love I have for them, and I was honestly crying at certain stressful parts. Mandanna does not hold back in this book; there are so many emotionally packed scenes that I couldn't put the book down, so I just read through my tears. I'm actually tearing up again just thinking about the last 25% of the book, don't mind me.

The character arcs are also so delightful. Again, Esmae is giving into her anger, but it's a cold, calculated rage, and it's fascinating to follow. Sybilla learns to open up, which is a mood, and Alexi has to deal with his warring feelings of honor and pride. There are more arcs that I adored, but they're spoiler-y, so I'll leave off.

I speak of my love for the characters, and know that it primarily comes from the complexity of their relationships. Esmae wants to love her brothers, but how can she forgive them for beginning this war? She wanted to hate her uncle and Max, but they welcomed her far more than Alexi and her mother did. Nothing is as Esmae thought it would be when she began her journey. Yet amidst this war is so much love, love that's overshadowed by duty and honor, by rage and sorrow. And not just among the humans: we see a lot more of the gods and the stakes they take in the characters' lives, simply because they have a great deal of love for some of them.

There's more in terms of romance in A House of Rage and Sorrow, including a developing f/f ship. It's a classic "one person hates feelings and the other has too many feelings," and I already love them. Esmae and Max's relationship also develops further. They have such a soft romance, and they just inherently understand each other so well. I can't wait to see more of them.

I must admit, when I received the physical ARC, I was a bit disappointed by the length of the book. It seemed short, and the font was a touch big. However, I really did not need to be; Mandanna packs so much intense plot into such a short amount of time. The pacing was perfect, not too fast, not too slow. I finished this book in about two hours, and my heart was racing the entire time. Again, I'm still screaming about the last quarter! The amount of pain I felt is not allowed!

A House of Rage and Sorrow is one of the best books of 2019 and frankly one of my favorite sequels ever. It's brilliant from start to finish and wonderfully written; I had to stop myself from highlighting every page. The characters and their relationships only grow more and more tangled amidst a high-stakes plot. I cannot recommend this series enough; its depiction of complex familial relationships and of love in surprising places and its wondrous writing and world building stun and amaze. You won't be able to put A House of Rage and Sorrow down.

**This review will be up on my blog Magical Reads as a part of the blog tour on August 20.**

As I was reading through the book I thought, oh well, this is pretty neat. And I was content with that, the book is good. But then THAT ENDING. That was phenomenal. It just turned my 360 degrees. Loved it!

An anticipated sequel that definitely gives readers what they want! It was done so well and was a great follow up to A Spark of White Fire. Despite a few pacing issues that I encountered while reading, the book picks up quickly and gives us a very enjoyable ride.

Wow wow wow...!!!! I mean I can just keep repeating this word over and over again and that’ll pretty much be my review, because I really don’t have enough words to talk about the masterpiece that this book is. But let me give it a try.

In A Spark of White Fire, the author gave us power struggles, complicated family dynamics and lots of breathtaking war sequences, cloaking them all in layers of mystery and deception. In this installment however, we get to see what happens when people are pushed to their limits due to grief and sorrow and rage. I thought the raw depiction of grief due to immense personal loss, and the utter helplessness that the characters feel in lieu of it is written so well that I could feel every bit of it myself and even I just wanted to rage and cry. The writing is equal parts sorrow and melancholy and war strategy, with inconvenient truths being revealed at very very unexpected times completely blowing away my mind. And I just can’t with that ending.... The final 20% took me on a roller coaster of emotions and I still can’t believe it all happened. The author maintains a very steady pace throughout the book, never letting the stakes feel low, keeping us hooked for every page and I found it very difficult to put it down even for a moment. The Mahabharata parallels are still there, especially during some very key scenes, but it feels more like its own story this time around because we already have the characters (and their possible counterparts from the epic) firmly established in our mind.

Esmae is a much changed person after the devastation towards the end of the previous book and we her struggling to deal with it all. She is consumed by rage and we feel it all right alongside her. While she may still love her brothers and long for acknowledgement from her mother, she also realizes that the family which has accepted her is where her loyalties lie. While she used to have some hope of reconciliation before, she has no such ideas now and just wants justice (or vengeance) for being betrayed. However, the gods and loved ones keeps throwing curved balls in her way all the time and every step she takes is a test of her resilience. While I may not agree with some of the things that she did, especially towards the end after some more heartbreaking revelations, I totally understand where she is coming from and I can’t wait to see how much more destruction she is going to wreak in the finale.

This book gives us the POV of much beloved Titania and it’s a delight to read. She may be a sentient spaceship, but she has such a charming personality and I wanted to know more of her thoughts. What I didn’t expect was that she would be so adept at keeping secrets too and I’m very very excited to see how she would behave in a full scale war where she is equally challenged. While there was a bit of a continuation of the romance between Esmae and Max, it never overpowered the story and was left limited to the sidelines. What I enjoyed more was the banter between Radha and Sybilla and I really hope we get to see more of them together. We also get to see more of the gods and their backstories this time around, and one particular reveal just stupefied me and left me reeling with its implications for a while. And I really enjoyed the way the author managed to change the trajectory of Amba’s story, almost bringing it a full circle. We don’t get to see a lot of Alexi or Bear, but despite them being on the opposite side of the war with Esmae, we can never truly hate them and I adore the author for making us care about all of them. I just don’t know know what I’ll do if anything happens to any of them, but that just feel inevitable at this point and that means I’m doomed.

If you know anything about me, you are already aware that I will always always recommend this series with all my heart because it’s brilliant and I want everyone to read it. It is criminally underrated and I will keep shouting over the rooftops until I get atleast some of my friends to pick up these books. If you have already read the first book, then I’m pretty sure you are already excited for this sequel and I promise that you won’t be disappointed. And if you don’t know anything about this series but are someone who loves genre bending books with amazing world building, elaborated war sequences in space and lots of family dynamics interspersed with political intrigue, then this series is perfect for you. What else are you waiting for ....???? Just go pick it up.

Just like the first book in this trilogy, this was again a fun, fast-paced read. I was especially excited to see Titania, the sentient spaceship, has a POV in here as well! There were some twists and turns I did not see coming.

However, I did wish some things were more resolved, especially when it comes to the characterization of some of the side characters. There motivations weren't always exactly clear, and that made it sometimes hard to stay invested in the story. I would especially have liked to see more of an exploration of Max and Alexi's characters.

This novel was magnificent! Mandanna created a rich and luscious set of worlds with a perfectly complex mythology that is deeply ingrained in the story itself. The relationships among the characters kept me invested in the story, and the conflicts among each person kept me invested in the story itself.

The only complaint I have about this book was that there's not more of it. I want more of this mythology, these worlds, these relationships. I wasn't ready to be done with this story.