Well, as much as I TRIED to love this book I just...didn't?

I feel bad because I really enjoyed book 1 AND I love books about vampires but this one just didn't hit me right I guess? There was something about the beginning that was slow and I couldn't remember what happened before - and so much jumping around to people - but then when we got to the meat of the story I WAS more invested. But not enough.

I'd say it's not a bad book to read, but maybe not the *best* one? And honestly, that could be ME speaking so try it out for yourself if you loved book 1 or this author. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

My rating: 2.5*

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Thanks to NetGalley for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

It was a little bit disappointing. especially after The Beautiful. I really hoped we would be getting more vampire hotness and instead we got a history class on the supernatural.

I was so excited for this follow up but I was left a bit confused. There was a lot going on with Celine and I thought it a bit strange that she became a faerie queen's daughter out of nowhere. There was no mentioning of that in this fantasy set in the book--which is fine, I just felt blindsided while reading. Other than that I was invested in the characters and I can't wait to see more of Pippa and more information on Celine.

Book Report for The aDamned (The Beautiful #2) by Renée Ahdieh

Cover Story: Still Death
BFF Charm: Eventually
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: Historical Paranorm(ic)al
Bonus Factor: Faeries
Relationship Status: Growing on Me

Cover Story: Still Death
There's a morbid beauty to this cover that I find very compelling. (If you've seen my photos on our social media, you might have seen part of my collection of (fake) skulls.) It moves nicely away from the too-Twilight vibes of the first book, and it reminds me of the work of an artist I follow on Instagram, Alyssa Thorne, who does very similar moody, gothic still lifes. In short: I approve.

The Deal:
Celine Rousseau knows something happened to her—part of her memory is missing. She can't recall what happened the night she was attacked at the Saint Louis Cathedral. She can only go on what her friends are telling her, but there's something with the way they won't quite meet her eye that makes her suspect their honesty.

Bastien Saint Germain is dealing with his new life as a vampire, one he never asked for, nor wanted. He's determined to find a way to undo what his uncle has done, even if that means traveling into the Sylvan Wyld, where vampires are not welcome. But he's also determined to stay away from Celine, whose sacrifice he doesn't want to undermine—as much as he can't stand to be without her.

New Orleans isn't that large of a city, however, as much as their friends try to keep up both sides of the bargain, more of them are hopeless romantics or believers in free will than one might expect.

BFF Charm: Eventually
Bastien can—to put it bluntly—be a total dick. It took a long time for Celine to warm up to him/break through his facade in The Beautiful, and he's even more self-absorbed in The Damned, at least at first. I have to give the guy a bit of a break since he's kind of been forced into a life he never wanted without his consent, but his descent into debauchery is really pretty juvenile. (Sure, he's only 18. But grow up, Bastien.) Thankfully, he snaps out of it quickly, and although his path toward being "unmade" isn't the choice I would make, he goes about it in a pretty smart manner. For the most part, I like the guy, so I'd give him a BFF Charm, but there would definitely be times when I'd regret it.

Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Celine's memories don't stay missing for long. And there are unresolved, uh, tensions, between Bastien and her. I'll leave it at that.

Talky Talk: Historical Paranorm(ic)al
Ahdieh branched out from New Orleans in this book, following as characters traveled to the fae lands of the Sylvan Vale and the Sylvan Wyld. Her worldbuilding remains killer, though, as the depictions of these two places nearly leaped off the page with the vividness of their details. They're not places I'd ever like to travel, as they're as beautiful as they are dangerous, but reading about them certainly set my imagination alight. I also continue to love her characters, particularly the women, who are strong-willed and brash and exactly the kind of people I find most compelling. (No milquetoasts here! Other than poor Pippa's betrothed …)

The plot of this book felt a tad bridge book-y, in that the larger plot that was hinted at in the very end of The Beautiful and the very beginning of The Damned didn't come back around until the end of this book. But I suppose that's something we just have to deal with, seeing as this is a four-book series and Ahdieh likely has other paths to travel before they all come to a conclusion.

Bonus Factor: Faeries
Although we learned of the existence of folk other than the vampires and werewolves in The Beautiful, we really got to know them in The Damned. They're just as bad as one might expect from reading about fae in other stories—beautiful, yes. Powerful, beyond measure. But good people? Not in the slightest. It will be interesting to see how their machinations affect the paths Celine and Bastien thought they were on.

Relationship Status: Growing On Me
I'm still a bit hesitant to leap into anything serious, Book, but we certainly had a very interesting time together. I'm excited to see where things go from there, although I won't let on just how much to keep myself safe.

Book two of the quartet. This totally and completely reminds me of Twilight and True Blood. Faes, wolves, vampires, a forbidden love, secret royalties, etc etc. This was better in my opinion than the first, though as not intense. The stakes are higher, though the story flowed slower. I just liked more of character build and family stories.

Looking forward to the next instalment.

Book 2! I was left a little disappointed, maybe from high expectations, but It just wasn’t a story for me. It was interesting and fairly enjoyable but it didn’t leave me feeling excited or in awe or shock at the “twists”.

And we are BACK!

I don't know why I took such a long intermission to get back to business on this series. I truly love a good vampire story. It is one of lifes simple pleasures is it not? I listened to the audio and while I dont think its my favorite reader I do think it grows on you, especially because there are a lot of accents so I commend her for doing it.

Basically as readers we are clearly reading this one for Bastian. I love his character as a whole, and the obstacles he has to overcome in each book. These are your dark vengeful vamps but they try to be decent....they try.

The romance is NA, but fairly non descriptive but has a ton of heat and chemistry.

The world building just gets better in book 2, the characters more developed and I love the direction that this one took. We get more of the vampires, more backstory, more werwolves and even Fae.

I am glad this is a trilogy because I am so excited to read The Righteous this spooky season.

I love this series soooo much! I cant wait for the third book. Renee's descriptions are beautiful, the atmosphere. the characters. the scenery are just perfect! I love the characters so much, the plot of the story is intriguing and definitely leaves you wanting more. This is one of my absolute favorite series for sure!

This book was okay. I feel like the characters that held so much magic in the first book didn't hit the same, especially Michael. However, I did appreciate the additional POVs that were added. I feel like this was a very clever decision by the author and added to the series. It was also full of action which helped me from feeling as though I was bored. If I weren't such a character-driven reader this probably would've been a higher rating but alas...

Give me a book about vampires, and you’ve got my attention. Write a YA historical fantasy with complex and captivating characters, lush descriptions of New Orleans, and a plot equal parts dark and sexy, and I am enthralled!

The Damned is book two in The Beautiful series and picks up where The Beautiful (book one) left off. Told from multiple points of view, the novel follows Sébastien and Celine, who continue to have more than their fair share of challenges to overcome (it’s not about to get easy for these two), while also delving more deeply into the lives of the secondary characters and the storyworld. With breathtakingly gorgeous writing, the legends and myths at the heart of this paranormal YA are explored. The action is packed, the romance heats up, and the plot twists are bound to make your heart stop at least once.

If book one was a bit slow (and low on vampires) for you, I can only urge you to continue on and pick up book two because — mind blown. And if you’re already a fan (like me), Ahdieh just keeps raising the bar. The Damned is a show stopper.

Amazing book, better than the first. Love the character development, the plot and twists. Highly recommend.

Ended up getting around to this book but underwhelmed. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first book even though I was excited for a new vampire story. I do enjoy Renee’s writing so I kept with it but it was a slow read for me.

I enjoyed the first book in the series, The Beautiful, but I think the second book suffers from middle child syndrome a bit. It didn't grab me as much as the first and a lot felt like filler. I will read the next book, but this one wasn't my favorite.

I really really loved the first book in this series but somehow this one feel a bit flat for me. The characters didn’t really have much growth - especially 2 main characters had the same self loathing angst. But I still liked how the story developed even the writing was just okay.

the first book was okay but i just don’t think that this series is for me. the story is very slow paced but i just don’t enjoy the flowery writing.

Thank you so much PenguinTeen for sending me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a great sequel to The Beautiful, and honestly, I liked it better than the first one!

I really loved where the story went, it had me on the edge of my seat. I gasped who knows how many times. Also, helloooo VAMPIRES & WEREWOLVES!!

The audiobook for this is also amazing! The narrator does a great job with giving each character their own voice (I LOVE it when narrators do that).

I also cannot stop drooling over the beauty of this cover. The covers for this series are gorgeous!

Overall, it was very enjoyable, and I would recommend you to check out The Beautiful if you haven't already!

It was a good addition to the series, I quite enjoyed the continuation of the story, the stakes were high (pun perhaps intended) but overall it was fast-paced and exciting.

I should have waited to read The Beautiful before I clicked “read now” for The Damned when it was available. I was unable to get into the series starter, so unfortunately I won’t be reading the sequel.

The Damned
BY Renee Ahdieh

Following The Beautiful, so many things have changed - Sebastien Saint Germain has now been cursed , a war is imminent and the world has changed all for the cost of loving Celine. The world building continues to amaze me in this writing. I was enthralled with this supernatural series and found The Damned an even better read that built up from the cliff hanger. I am now a full fledged Supernatural fantasy romance junkie and I blame Ahdieh for this. Having me engrossed in this long novel unable to get up from my seat to even be bothered doing anything but for the mere task of turning those pages as my heart fluttered and caught up in Bastien and Celine's penultimate and decadent world. The glamorous world sucked me right in and I was lost in this world I loved.

Thank you to PenguinTeen for the eARC.

I enjoyed The Damned more than the first book.
I was captivated in the story and world building I couldn't stop reading. So many turns and unexpected twist. Renée Ahdieh did a wonderful job keeping the readers on our toes. And I enjoyed the characters twice as more in this one.