Beautiful and dark, exquisitely told story that mirrors the brilliance of the first book! The world building and strong characters made this book so worth it.

4 stars

With the way The Beautiful ended, I immediately picked up The Damned. (thank you, publishers, for letting me read it early) And I was not disappointed. Renée Ahdieh knows how to write, she paints such gorgeous pictures with her words.

It should be said how much I enjoyed the relationships of this book. I was in awe of Celine and Pippa's friendship. It is exactly what a friendship should be. They care so deeply for each other and you can see that. But Bastien and Celine, I adored them so much. Both individually and together, they are wonderful characters.

I don’t want to spoil things as usual so I can’t say much. But just know this book is magical and if you have a love for vampires, then read this book!

Nothing is confirmed as of yet, but I do hope there will be more books coming. I am not ready to let go of these characters or this world.

“she’d collected romantic tomes about enchanted evenings in forbidden forests. Many of them had been prohibited by her scholarly father. But Celine had borrowed them in secret from her friend Josephine. The ones she’d enjoyed most had been about sworn enemies who fell in love. About mysterious princes and princesses. Masked balls and fey creatures. Tales filled with blood and murder and retribution.” - The Damned , Renée Ahdieh
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Rating: 5/5 🌟
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: J.P Putnam’s Sons
Released: 7/7/20
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I want to start by saying thank you to Penguin Teen & NetGalley for the review copy of , The Damned.
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I was worried after how much I struggled with The Beautiful, that I would experience the same thing with The Damned. I was happy that my concerns were quickly squashed. I absolutely loved this book, from the first chapter to the last. Celine really grew on me , while she still is not my favorite character my opinion of her has improved. Odette is still my favorite side character, with Bastein being my favorite main. !! If you haven’t read The Beautiful what I’m about to say next is a spoiler!! I LOVED how Renée portrayed his struggles with becoming a Vampire. It was just so well done and well thought out! She made me feel for him and root for him the entire time. I was not expecting there to be Fae in this series so that is an added bonus. I really enjoyed learning about Celine’s ancestry , and how she handled it. Jae is precious and needs to be protected at all cost! The Damned ended on a pretty big cliffhanger and I desperately need book 3 , so I can know what happens next. I have already gotten a finished copy for myself , and I’m recommending it to all my friends.

Thank you to PenguinTeen for this advanced copy to read and review. This in no way impacts my review as all thoughts and opinions are my own.

WOW! When I first opened this book I was shocked at how the POV changed. I was so used to that atmospheric third person that It was really overwhelming at first to suddenly be in the minds of our characters. Though, it did not bother me at all. I loved getting to know the intricate workings of of their minds. Renee Ahdieh writes in such a beautiful and attention grabbing way. I always feel like every detail she provides has meaning and helps me understand the world. In book 2, we find Bastien, newly awoken. This book has twists and turns, though I will say, part of the love triangle was a bit predictable, I still loved it. I already had a feeling for which direction this book was going to go and the ending definitely leaves this open for a third book (I HOPE!!!). I don't want to divulge too much as to spoil anything so read The Beautiful and then immediately read The Damned!!

A more detailed review on my blog is to come for this series!

I am a total sucker for anything vampire related. The Damned is definitely an improvement on The Beautiful. It reminds me a lot of the Southern Vampires serious but set in the Victorian era. This installment of the series we are introduced to more magical worlds and creatures. There’s also love, betrayal, family secrets, and inter species battles. If you’re looking for a fantasy novel with impeccable world building and intricate plots this isn’t it. If you want very action driven plot that’s relatively melodramatic and filled with vampire goodness try this. I’m just happy to see vampires taking up most of the book in a series that was hailed as “the vampire come back”. I liked this 3/5 stars.

The Damned begins with an awakening, a precursor for the many awakenings to come in this novel. Bastien is the reason for the end of a period of peace between the Brotherhood and the Fallen—if peace was a string pulled tautly and on the verge of snapping in two. He's struggling to cope with his new life, just like Celine. Both are plagued by their mistakes of the past, with Celine trying to piece together what exactly occurred in her past as it haunts her nightmares. There are many secrets unveiled throughout the course of this novel, and one question rises above all: will Celine and Bastien find their way back to one another or will their love doom them both again?

Renée Ahdieh's use of point of view in this novel was very interesting to me. At first, when I noticed the many shifts in narration I wondered if it would be overwhelming, but it wasn't at all. In fact, it was very clever. Bastien is the only character we were able to get a first-person point of view for, which made me see Bastien differently. We saw a character in The Beautiful that wasn't jaded the way we see Bastien now in this novel, and I also don't see one who is as emotional. Getting to really understand Bastien's emotions made his love and also his circumstances more relatable overall. Before I felt like Bastien was this cold, detached character, but I see him as anything but now.

I noticed how Ahdieh also used history throughout her novel and very prevalent issues in society such as classism, racism and sexism. This novel takes place during and around the Reconstruction Era after the American Civil War. Ahdieh included so many different cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds in her characters which I appreciated. She did not glorify their place in America's society however, she came with the truth and the truth only. Characters like Jae and Arjun were faced with suspicion and racism much of the time despite them being powerful immortal creatures. Even Kassamir whose story was touched upon rooted me deeper into this society Ahdieh created and made me remember that this was a novel about vampires but it could still hold truth. This was still taking place in America, most of the time.

I felt at times that all of the secrets that were revealed in this novel were a little much. Especially since the novel started off slowly for me. It was a lot to take in once more of the problems arose. I understood why these choices were made, however, there were some parts I could have used more explanation on. For example, other new fantastical creatures that were introduced. Some of the events could've been elaborated more as well, the small moments for me were most impactful because I thought Ahdieh did wonderfully giving details on those small moments.

The Damned is a book I recommend for readers who enjoyed The Beautiful and are looking for answers as to what happened with Bastien and if Celine and Bastien will heal at all from their wounds. Ahdieh's use of language in this novel is nothing short of stunning and is enough to leave you in awe at the right times—helping to explain the unexplainable and to awaken emotions in readers they weren't expecting. It's a sequel packed with plot twists and answers, as well as brand-new questions. Nothing is as it seems in Ahdieh's vampire world, that is for sure.

The Damned is a fantastic sequel; expanding on the world and characters, building on the plot, and answering so many of my questions from the first book.

I absolutely adore Renee Ahdieh’s writing style. I just need to make that clear. It’s beautiful, with so much depth and description. Her dialogue flows perfectly, with great banter and some fun humor. Her writing seems to get better and better with every book.

The setting of this book is another standout aspect. The Beautiful was dark and atmospheric, vague and mysterious, and The Damned is definitely atmospheric, but much less vague. The world-building is much clearer, with the supernatural creatures and their histories explained in depth.

This book answers a lot of questions and leaves you with even more questions. This series is still more character-focused than plot-focused, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a plot. The Damned seemed a lot more action-packed than The Beautiful, but the pacing is still a little on the slower side. It definitely picks up in the second act, and by the end, there is quite a lot happening at once. Speaking of that ending- yeah I’m still in shock.

Where the focus of The Beautiful was predominately on Celine, The Damned pays much closer attention to Bastien. We barely see Celine until the second act. But, honestly, I didn’t mind- Bastien has such amazing character growth over this book, and so much to deal with, that it never bothered me that Celine was sidelined for a little while. However, she gets some amazing moments as well.

Every character in this book is extremely well developed. This cast of characters is so fun to read about. I would read an entire spin-off series about Odette, Jae, or Arjun, I love them so much.

The first book I had a difficult time getting into. But book two changed my mind on the series! Can’t wait for the next book to come! I’ll be counting the days!

The Damned is the second book in the quartet of this series. I felt that this sequel was ultimately unnecessary. The first half of the book was interesting enough. The different point-of-views and each character dealing with what had happened at the end of The Beautiful. I appreciated that everyone was dealing with their own issues.

There is a clear parallel to Twilight. There’s a vampire love-interest, and a wolf love interest for the main women character. While I enjoyed the New Orleans setting in the first book, I found it distracting from the main story this time around. The pacing seemed off this time around. Especially with the rush into high fantasy about halfway through the story. I was disappointed with the rushed plot and poorly developed setting. Overall, this book is a pass for me.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Where do I even begin with this book?! First: I think I need to mention is how much better this was than book 1. There was so much more to the story, I was hooked from the beginning, so many twists I didn't see coming, and more paranormal creatures are featured... We now get to see fae! I am absolutely enamored and obsessed with New Orleans - the culture and history is just so fascinating to me. Then throw in a historical, paranormal YA series!? YES PLEASE!

"Last night, I loved and lived. Tonight, I dance in a ring with Death."


One of my favorite things about reading is highlighting favorites scenes/quotes... Y'all. I highlighted this book so many freaking times. Holy moly! I can hands down say this was so much better than book 1 and after hearing that this won't be a duet (thank goodness - because it can't end like that), it made me even more excited. I'm not ready to say goodbye to this historical YA paranormal series!

"Love is a strange beast. It is not so different from fear. Both make us feel uncertain and on edge."

A bewitching sequel filled with shocking twists at every turn. Every bit as dark & delicious as the first 🖤

“Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.

Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.

Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.”

I-I-

I have no words. No words left in me. No words left in me to convey the depths of my tumultuous emotions. No words left in me, which I desperately need to write this review. There is nothing but blatant shock. Of the highest order.

I AM A STRESSFUL BAG OF BONES.

The book picks up right where The Beautiful left off, and let me tell you: Renee Ahdieh doesn’t ease you into the glittery swimming pool of pain. She slam dunks you into it. You will hurt. You might rage a little bit. You might even fight to contain your pterodactyl screeches in public places...Like someone else I know.

SO many questions. SO many things to absorb in that ending. SO many unexpected turns. Is there going to be a spin-off? Another book?? Obviously, I can’t say more without spoiling it, but PIPPA? This book was filled with so many unexpected twists and turns. That last 10% chunk...My dudes, you won’t be ready.

The shocking reveals, the false trails. The amazing friendship moments! I adore Pippa and Celine’s relationship. They compliment each other so well, and challenge each other in the way that friends should challenge one another. I also loved the multiple POVs in this book! This world contains such a vast cast of characters, so to be able to read from their perspectives and see the world through their eyes was so rewarding 🖤

Especially Bastien’s. It was so nice to spend more time with him this time around. We got to see the inner workings of the Court that he has grown up in, the backstories of his mysterious guardians. It was so complex, and truly captivating. We also got to see him develop, and his journey to become a better man throughout this book. It truly was inspiring.

And the romance??? My god, it hurt so good. The agony. The long-distance pining! What else can I say that hasn’t already been said? I love Celine and Bastien.

For the story as a whole, there were a few problematic elements, and we kind of stepped away from that gothic New Orleans vibes that I loved so much about the first one - but this continuation was nothing less than entertaining!

Because this is a sequel, there’s not much I can say without spoiling it for those who haven’t read it yet, so let me just say this:

The world will entice you. The plot twists will give you whiplash (in the best way). And the romance will consume you.

Vampires are back. Thank you, Renee Ahdieh 🖤

P.S. Arjun + Pippa = I ship it.

A huge thank you to Penguin Teen for gifting me with this ARC!

Although The Damned wasn't quite what I expected, I still really enjoyed it! The Damned alternates between several perspectives, and I love the way Ahdieh gives the reader so much insight into her characters' feelings and motivations. As always, Celine is easy to root for; she's brave and hopeful in the face of some dark truths. I was pleasantly surprised to see Jae's perspective and backstory developed. Although much of his story is reflective, I appreciated that he was more than a ruthless assassin.

On the other hand, the character-focused nature of the book, especially in the first half, resulted in the feeling that little is happening. When the plot does start to move along, it moves so quickly, and in a direction that I didn't anticipate at all. There is so much that is revealed, and it really expanded the scope of the story. I expected there to be a stronger focus on the fierce rivalry between vampires and werewolves, but I'm sure Ahdieh is planning on weaving all the threads together in the next book. I look forward to it!

I'm gonna start out and say that I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I didn't really enjoy The Beautiful all that much and was expecting more of the same here. Boy am I glad to be completely wrong!

The ending of The Beautiful brought heartbreak to us all. Betrayal and murder in the worst way. Nicodemus struck a deal with Celine to save Bastien in trade for all of her memories of him. She did it to save him and lost it all. Bastien hates himself when he wakes up a vampire.

Celine starts remembering anyway. She knows that Bastien means something to her, even if she can't figure out why. The holes in her memories drive her mad. The truth about that is another twist I didn't see coming.

This book is fantastic! I can't say much more than that because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. But know that if you liked the last half of The Beautiful, you will love where it goes from there ❤

The Damned was such a delightful sequel to enchanting The Beautiful. I am truly in awe of the lush, mysterious and dark wold that Renee Ahdieh has created with these books. I devoured The Damned, an instant five star read for me!

Last year when I read The Beautiful, it easily became one of my favorite reads and I was eager for the sequel and I can say with confidence that it was worth the wait, The Damned was something that exceeded every expectation I had.

Everyone who loved The Beautiful or who is new to the series, will be charmed by The Damned. I loved it so much and I cannot wait for what is next. I never want it to end!

The Beautiful was a favorite book of mine last year so I was honored and excited when @penguinteen and @netgalley gave me the opportunity to read this book early!
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The Damned dives right in to answer all your questions that The Beautiful left you with! This book, while still taking place in New Orleans, has a different feeling than The Beautiful and doesn’t have the intense romance, although the tension is still there.
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It is told from multiple POVs but I felt like it was Sebastian’s story. Watching his journey in this book made me admire him even more as a strong MC.
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The book also expands the current world building and brings in a whole new element to the world (there were some twists for sure. ) This creates a deeper background for the series and will allow for more expanse in book three.
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I further enjoyed the development of Celine’s character, as well as, her friendship with Pippa. Odette continued to be one of my favorite characters and I loved getting to know Jae & Ahrun better!
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As always I enjoyed the lyrical writing style and the seamless way @reneeahdieh can weave together worlds. I will definitely be waiting for the next book in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Fans of Renée Ahdieh’s The Beautiful don’t have to wait any longer! The second installment in the series, entitled The Damned, is out today and takes fans back into the supernatural world that hides beneath the surface of New Orleans, Louisiana.
This sequel provided a more varied look at the story and, while it picked up where The Beautiful left off, diverted in terms of where I thought the plotline was going to go. The multiple POVs allowed for more secrets to be revealed and really helps the reader get enveloped in the story a bit more. However, I was hoping for a bit more in the forbidden romance side of this book, but instead got more fantasy in the form of a lot more mythology and politics.
The first half of the novel really focuses on Bastien and how he grapples with his new lease on life however the second half suddenly shifts into more of an attempt to build a fantasy world beyond New Orleans. And whatever turn you think this story is going to take: think again. Plot twist after plot twist occurs and Celine, Bastien, and The Court of Lions find themselves involved in more trouble than initially seems possible.
Fair warning: there is a LOT that happens in this novel, so beware of an information overload as the supernatural world gets explored a bit more. Readers learn more about the Sylvan Vale, Sylvan Wyld, The Brotherhood, and other creatures that stay hidden from the eyes of mortals. Hopefully, a third book will be planned and released soon, because Ahdieh leaves us with even more questions than answers at the end of this book!
While I enjoyed the second installment in the series, it seems like Ahdieh wanted to use this book as a jumping point for a possible third book and introduce new plotlines instead of developing the ones already put in place. I look forward to seeing what will happen next to Celine, Bastien, and everyone else as things start to shift in their world.

*I received an ARC from PenguinTeen in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've been sitting on this book for about a week now trying to think of what I want to say about it. I guess first I will start off by saying thank you to NetGalley for providing a free eARC of the book to read in exchange for an honest review. I did find that I liked The Damned more than I did The Beautiful. I think this is because my expectations were much lower. Part of the reason I found so much fault with The Beautiful was that it was so overly hyped up as being the book to revitalize vampires in YA novels and I found it fell very short of that mark. Due to events at the end of The Beautiful, The Damned had many more vampires throughout its pages. My biggest gripe about The Beautiful was the slim appearances of vampires, at last, in The Damned, we finally get to our sultry hedonistic vampires. Sébastien's anger at being made into a vampire was so incredibly interesting to read. I loved all the little ways he chose to act out against his Uncle. Sébastien really felt like the star of this book. I enjoyed his chapters the most and found his storyline the most interesting as he adapted to his new life.

I really enjoyed the expansion of the world in this book. The Beautiful dazzled with its descriptions of 19th century New Orleans. In The Damned, we saw more of the supernatural side of the world. From the swamps outside New Orleans hosting all manner of creatures that cannot hide in plain sight within the city to the mysterious and deadly court of the Sylvan Vale Renée Ahdieh did a wonderful job of fleshing out the paranormal side of this world. I was really intrigued by the creatures hiding out in the swamp and the small community they had created there. I'm also always a sucker for dangerous court politics and the Fey court of Sylvan Vale was right up that alley.

Though the book was enjoyable it's just missing something that prevents it from being a five-star read. There's a spark that just isn't there for me. I love the setting of 19th century New Orleans full of Ahdieh's signature beautiful prose. The paranormal element is also right up my alley but I fear I'm just not connecting with the characters as much as I ought to. Since I've gotten this far it is likely that I'll read the final book because I don't like to leave things unfinished.

THE DAMNED is a worthy sequel to Ahdieh’s 2019 vampire book, THE BEAUTIFUL. First, I have to admit – THE BEAUTIFUL was actually my first Renee Ahdieh book and I absolutely loved it. New Orleans is my favorite city, and I can’t think of anything better than exploring a this city at the turn of the 20th century with vampires. But I was so frustrated in the first book by the lack of information ABOUT the vampires. So I was absolutely THRILLED to see that the POV chapters from our favorite fanged protectors. I am very into backstories and I wasn’t disappointed. I also was intrigued by the additional elements of magic that Ahdieh incorporated into the story. I wasn’t expected to see so many different types of paranormal creatures.

If THE BEAUTIFUL was really Celine’s book, THE DAMNED is Bastien’s. Ahdieh uses a really interesting technique – all of Bastien’s POV chapters are in first person POV present tense, as opposed to all the other POV chapters being in third person, past tense. I was already invested in Bastien’s internal struggle, but even if I wasn’t, the clever set up would build so much rapport with the characters.

Also, since it has to be said, Renee Ahdieh is such a sensual writer – especially in how she writes about food. I want beignets and other NOLA cuisine desperately.

I’m glad that I knew this series is expected to be four books going in – otherwise, the slightly rushed and incomplete ending would have made me a little frustrated. The plot loses itself here and there – at times it feels a bit like a paranormal soap opera – but I can’t pretend that didn’t appeal to me, personally. I also find the “love triangle” to be a bit weak. Michael just doesn’t come across as a truly worth rival for Celine’s heart.

Overall, if you liked THE BEAUTIFUL, you will definitely want to pick up a copy of THE DAMNED.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

“There is a moment that forever marks your life as before and after. For a vampire, I suppose this moment is obvious.”

The Damned is the captivating sequel to The Beautiful, a story about vampires set in 1872 in the city of New Orleans. This was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, and it did not disappoint. I really liked The Beautiful. It was full of lovely descriptions and I was hooked to the mysterious plot line throughout the book. Somehow I loved the sequel even more. If you enjoyed The Beautiful, but found it lacking in the paranormal, you will not be disappointed when you read The Damned.

The story is still set mainly around Celine and Sebastien, the main characters from the first book. Where we saw a lot of Celine in the first book, we see even more of Bastien in this one. He developed a lot more throughout this book as he faced the trials of becoming a vampire. Several chapters also feature the POV of some of the side characters. These chapters delve into the other characters and their backgrounds, as well as give some different perspectives to view the story from. It really helped me to grow fond of the other members of The Court of Lions, whereas before I didn’t care much for most of them.

In The Damned, we follow the events that have transpired after the first book. Celine has given up her memories of Sebastian in exchange for his life. Because of this, there is much less of a romance aspect to the book, at least in the beginning. When they finally come face to face, the tension is almost unbearable. Celine doesn’t recognize Bastien, but she feels something for him that she can’t explain. How can she feel this drawn to an utter stranger? She’s determined to find answers and regain the memories she lost.

Throughout the book, we also get a lot of much needed background information that really helps to fill out the characters and develop their stories. The world is expanded beyond New Orleans and into another realm, which is always enjoyable in Renée’s books as she has an incredible way of building worlds. The story takes a turn as secrets are uncovered, new magical creatures appear, and rivalries reveal themselves.

This sequel was everything I didn’t know I needed. We learn even more about the main characters and follow them along an incredible journey of growth and self discovery. We also get to explore a new magical world, peak into a new rivalry, and of course we get some great romance along the way. As I finished the book, I realized there is much more to this story and I’m so excited to continue reading about the luscious world Renée has created.

I absolutely loved The Beautiful and was very excited for this book, however this book did not live up to my expectations. My main issue with the book was the pacing, I found it overall to be very slow. I did not expect a fast-paced book, having read The Beautiful before. However, this book read a lot slower than the previous one and I more often than not found myself getting bored, impatient, or feeling discouraged to continue reading. Despite continuing to read over several days, I never felt that pace picked up or that the stakes were high enough for me to be fully invested in the book. I also found the ending to be somewhat cliched and anti-climatic.

Much like The Beautiful, I would consider this book to be firmly in the Adult category as opposed to YA, based on pacing and writing style. Unfortunately, despite having loved and appreciated the pacing of The Beautiful as a rich, descriptive, and enjoyable novel, this book simply did not do it for me.