This was a great sequel to Smoke. I highly suggest reading Smoke first and then picking up Soot. Will be recommending for purchase.

I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the first book in the series, _Smoke_ first. I needed much more background.

I was drawn in by the striking cover and the description: "Part Dickens, part dystopia, and totally immersive." But I just couldn't get into it. I hadn't read the first book in the series, so perhaps that was a bit of a handicap. Still, it was hard to stay engaged with the meandering style.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

Vyleta’s second installment feels preachy and like a subpar reimagining of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. Boring and overdone.

The basic premise of this series made me want to enjoy this story. When I first requested a review copy of this book, I did not realize it was a follow-up to an earlier novel, Smoke. I immediately backtracked a bit...and read Smoke. Then came back to this sequel. While some of the original characters returned in this newest story, most of the magic and power of the first book did not. The plot in places just seemed muddled and confusing, and the magical feel of the first story just didn't carry through into this sequel.

I enjoyed the first novel enough to give this series another go. I think I might enjoy this book more in audio format. So, once this is released, I'm going to listen to both books in audio....and see if that makes this story more enjoyable for me. Listening to a voice actor perform a story sometimes breathes some new life into a book that falls flat for me the first time. I liked Smoke enough to give this book a second chance at a later date. And, I will revise this review at that time.

So, at this point, I will just say that this sequel just didn't work for me. I never really engaged with the plot or the characters. Not every story is for every reader....and this one is just not for me. But I'm willing to let the smoke clear (see what I did there?) and try it again in audio format.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Doubleday. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I love the concept behind these books. It's a super interesting idea. However, I found this book to be so hard to read to the point that I actually couldn't finish it. I feel really bad about it. It was just boring. It's interesting how it was set up as a play and Vyleta's writing really works for the time period, but the story this time just didn't work for me. Smoke was better. I'll give it an extra star for having a unique world and an different set up, but I don't think I'm going to be continuing with this series.

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC for review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

After thing about it for two weeks, I still don't know quite what to say about this.. I did finish the book, although it was quite long. Some aspects really did interest me, particularly the actors and the idea of using Smoke to influence the audience's experience of a play. I also found interesting the search for the source of Smoke, and a "cure," but it went on far to long for my taste. I found the entire book rather dark and depressing. I am grateful to NetGalley and Doubleday for the opportunity to read the eARC.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. The smoke has now spread to the United States and Canada, the characters from the first book are still there but of course, older. The premise is still atmospheric, but the story becomes convoluted.