Loved it!!! Absolutely amazing!!! I loved the first book and the sequel did not disappoint! 5 stars all the way

I loved the conclusion to this duology. I found that Warmaidens moved along better (or at least kept my attention) more than Gravemaidens and I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed seeing more of The Boatman as well as the growth of the other characters.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced copy of my most awaited sequel in 2020! I stumbled upon Gravemaidens and Kelly herself through Instagram-- and I instantly fell in love with her vibrant and diverse characters and the unique world that she had crafted. I had been overjoyed to learn it was to be a duology, because I couldn't get enough of the rich lore of the afterlife that was explored, and the first novel ended in such a cliffhanger that I was basically foaming at the mouth to get to this one. Then, as things do, life happened, and it took me a bit to get to it, but I was SO happy when I did. Kelly delivered a punch of an ending and it was one that satiated my hungry soul. There hasn't been much happy in the past year-- but these books have been a bright spot for me.

As to not spoil anything for readers new and old-- we meet our brave cast of characters once again in the midst of grave (see what I did there?) danger. This novel builds on itself so beautifully, and is filled to the brim with action and tension. The reader can feel the uncertainty building within the kingdom of Alu, and with it, the fear from our protagonist as she attempts to right the wrongs of this backwards community. It is, as the first one was, a stunning love letter to feminism and sisterhood, and just enough romance to satiate those of us who long for that sort of connection. There are also new, developed characters, such as the boatsman, who bring new life to this sequel. It is an exciting conclusion that you cannot miss.

Honestly, Kelly Coon has become one of my favorite writers. She is not only talented at her craft but also incredibly kind and driven-- and so I am overjoyed to follow her to her next endeavor. If you have never read her before, I do recommend this series as it is one that will hook you instantly and introduce you to a world you never thought you would see. In times like these, I take what little travel I can get, and it turns out that reading is the perfect source of this as you can be spirited away to fantastical lands where adventure is just waiting to be had. Come join Kammani and the rest of our heroes today!

Warmaidens is the second installment in the Gravemaidens duology. I was a big fan of the first book and the amount of action it contained. I was really looking forward to seeing how the story continued.

Kelly Coon's writing is fun and descriptive, creating a great atmosphere with world-building that is concise, but effective. I love the use of the Egyptian influences. This installment is not quite as action-packed and does carry a little more political movement than the first. The feeling of the book is a little dark and tense. There is a lot of conflict on different fronts that really adds complexity and makes the story take a lot of twists and turns.

The characters are full-bodied and interact well, though there is some circling to the plot as the characters resist change and choices that will encourage forward movement in the plot. There were a lot of side quests that distracted from the main goal and dragged down the pacing just a little bit. However, I very much enjoyed the character interactions that resulted from these endeavors. There is some great relationship building and some difficult situations that force the protagonist to become more mature in her decisions. Kammani is intelligent and fierce and I loved her. She is independent and works to protect herself as well as others, but she has to learn to balance her instinct and conflict to make wise decision.

The ending turned out well and I like that everything was resolved in a reasonable way. There weren't any moments where it felt overly convenient and there weren't loose ends that left me unfulfilled. There was a little corniness in one of the end scenes that felt excessively chummy, but I gave it a pass since I really did enjoy the writing for the grand majority of the book.

This duology was a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing what else Kelly Coon has up her sleeve.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Great sequal to Gravemaidens! Many times a secod book doesn’t live up to the first but this was not the case for Warmaidens! I couldn’t wait to turn each page!

Sadly this feedback is late due to pregnancy sickness from late last year. But this was a sequel that sadly didn't make me interested to keep going. I feel like the first book could've been a standalone with some stuff added in to make it complete. This sequel feel unnecessary and I also really didn't like how the main protagonist treated her love interest so terribly. She seemed so repulsed by the idea of him one second and then using him to satisfy her romantic urges the next. She didn't feel right for him. Plus the beginning made me feel like I was missing a few chapters; the beginning is in a different location and it was too jarring since it had been over a year since I had read the first one. I'll read more by this author but this was a case where a duology wasn't really necessary.

Overall I really enjoyed this duology. It was interesting, gritty and had some unique elements. There was lots of action plus plenty of twists and turns. Fans of the genre should definitely check this one out (starting with Gravemaidens) and I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for more from Kelly Coon.

Full review to come on blog.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for sharing this wonderful book with me in exchange for an honest review! I loved Warmaidens because of the action and powerful women. A wonderful fantasy series!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and pre-ordered my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Warmaidens

Author: Kelly Coon

Book Series: Gravemaidens Book 2

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, romance lovers, ya readers

Publication Date: December 15, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, romance, ptsd, animal violence, attempted rape)

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 384

Synopsis: Just a few moons after escaping the tomb in Alu, Kammani and the other runaway maidens have found refuge in the city-state of Manzazu. There, Kammani has become a respected healer, especially among the warriors she’s brought back from the brink of death. Now that the nightmares of Alu are fading, she can finally decide whether or not to take Dagan’s hand in marriage.

But when an assassin murders a healer he believes is Kammani and attempts to kill the displaced queen of Alu, the maidens realize they’ve been found.

Hungry for revenge, Manzazu’s queen wants to strike back at Alu with her fiercest weapons—her scorpion warrior maidens—but Kammani knows that war harms more than it heals. To save the innocents and any chance of a future with Dagan, Kammani must take down Alu’s ruler before their lives burn up in the flames of war.

Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The world building is amazing and the character development is awesome. The pacing is pretty on key and the story is very interesting and hooked me from the beginning.

There were a few things I didn't like as much in this book. The book takes place 9 months after the events in the first book but fails to reintroduce characters you might have forgotten. The language, while immersive, also takes a bit to get used to and there's no directory in the book to help with words used. The main character is also one who, throughout the majority of the series, wanted to be childless but then in the end gave a hint that she did want kids in the future. I think that's kind of a sad blow to women who don't want to kids and takes away a character that they could have looked up to.

Verdict: I loved this book, but it could have been a little better.

Warmaidens is a stellar conclusion to the story started in Gravemaidens. Months after Kammani and her friends escaped from Alu, she has moved on and started a respected medical practice that has earned her the favor of the ruler of the city-state of Manzanzu. Kammani would want nothing more than to live life among her family and friends, her love Dagan, and practicing medicine, but an assassination attempt on Arwia make it clear that the ghosts of her past will not let her rest. Now, Kammani and her fellow maidens go to war against the ruler that entombed them and restore Arwia to the throne. The fate of nations rests on Kammani and the people she loves finding a way to unseat the usurper and prevent a war while remaining true to themselves before their world goes up in flames.
Warmaidens was one of those stories where the characters really make the book. Character development is definitely one of the author's greatest strengths and that shines through the journey Kammani makes during this novel. Kammani wrestles with many ethical issues, including balancing her oath as a healer with her quest to take down Uruku, and balancing her love for Dagain against the societal norms regarding marriage in her world and with her own desire for autonomy. These dialogues are really worthwhile and add a special level of depth to the entire story. I also loved seeing the development in Kammani's relationships with the side characters, including with Nananea and Iltani, and the way the characters stand on their own arc. As always, I can't say enough good things about the story and world that Kelly Coon has crafted here, one that is so unique and stands apart in the genre. Warmaidens is a story about balancing the duty to oneself and the duty we have towards others, and to the empowering effect of true love.

The conclusion was even better than the first. This book kept on the move throughout. There was not one point that I found the pacing slow or a part boring. They are now on the run and want to change there world forever. Done with the tyranny will this group of exiles be able to change the very culture they have always known and at what cost to themselves and those around them. This series was so fantastic and I highly recommend it to fantasy lovers.

I sadly did not enjoy the conclusion to this duology as much as the first book. The high stakes and intrigue that made Gravemaidens such a page-turner were unfortunately absent in Warmaidens. Instead, the events of this book seemed disjointed as Kammani and her allies jumped from one part of their haphazard plan to the next in an attempt to dethrone the usurper king and replace him with the rightful heir. The dialogue throughout came off like a stilted rehashing of the exposition, and oftentimes the story dragged and was difficult to get through. I felt many side characters were not used to their full potential. Lastly, the ending felt a bit rushed, with a neat bow wrapping everything up tied on top.

That being said, this story does have funny moments, touching moments, and violent moments peppered throughout, each of which elicited strong reactions from me or had me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the solid character arcs Kammani and many side characters underwent. At times, Kammani’s internal conflicts around murder as a means to an end or what marriage would mean for her freedom were definitely more thought-provoking than the external conflict.

I’m looking forward to what Kelly Coon will come up with next. This duology has its memorable moments and is definitely unique in the realm of YA Fantasy!

Thank you to Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was an excellent conclusion to the Gravemaidens duology. I was excited for this read and I loved it, just as much Gravemaidens. It was filled with plenty of action and there were several twists I didn't see coming. I enjoyed being able to see where the characters ended up. This is a series that I will definitely recommend to my teen patrons if they are looking for a short series that has fantastical elements.

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Warmaidens brought so much more pain and grit the second time around - and I enjoyed every minute of it. We get to see a cast of so many amazing bad ass women, an amazing supporting love interest, and intriguing villains.

I really loved getting to see Kammani grow even more as a character as she faces new hardships and struggles in this second installment. Even Dagan, and Nanea really shined in Warmaidens.

It was hard to put down, from start to finish. Kelly knows how to craft a brilliant page turner and I look forward to many more novels from her in the future.

The Warmaidens is the continuation of the fantasy duology Gravemaidens. Readers left off with a crazy ending, so of course there was only more action to come!

After Kammani took the place of her father as the healer for the King and her sister was chosen to be one of the three sacred maidens, Kammani does everything in her power to save the King so that her sister will not have to face the sacred maiden fate: death. After faking their deaths with the death of the King, they now must escape discovery of the new lugal. But of course, they cannot stay undiscovered for long.

Warmaidens was the perfect blend of character growth and action. Nanaea was by far the most annoying character for me in the first installment. But oh my gosh! I see so much growth for her and how mature she has become. I just love it! The action is constant and keeps readers on the edge of their seats. There are some tough events, and the reader can feel the emotion that the characters are feeling. This was a really balanced novel between the character development and strengthening of the plot.

Let’s be real…the person who stole the show is Dagan, but maybe I am biased. He is such a nice guy that any girl would be lucky to have him. However, he acts like a puppy around Kammani and would do anything for her, yet she is confused on whether or not she wants to marry him. Come on! Girls only wish to have a guy like that.

Probably one of my most loved and appreciated experiences in novels are stories within stories. For example, the Three Brothers in Harry Potter. Warmaidens shared that, as well, with the Boatman. I absolutely adored the story and it fits in perfectly with the rest of the novel.

Warmaidens is a story of the power of friendship, sisterhood, love, and the power of good over evil. Coons brings readers a story of a protagonist who defied all odds for the protection of her family.

DNF a few chapters in. Unfortunately I couldn't get into this one as easily as I could the first book. I really loved Gravemaidens but despite my best efforts, I couldn't get past the start of Warmaidens. The writing is just as good, I just didn't mesh with the plot of this sequel.

Y'all, I was not expecting this! It's not often that I enjoy the second book in a duology more than the first, but man, this one just hit me.

I won't go too far into details because it is a sequel but there are a couple of key points that I'd like to touch on.

First is the character work. Kelly's characters feel so real to me. Usually, in a book with non "normal" names, I struggle to remember who is who, but not here. When a character would hit the page I knew exactly who was talking before the narration even stated it. And I loved that. It can be hard to find that in YA especially, but I think it's something Kelly really nailed.

The other thing I really enjoyed was just the overall themes and "lessons" of this book. And this is where I think the book had a one-up on book one. Yes, the themes were similar and carried through both books, but this one definitely hit more heavily on them. The first being trusting yourself. Whether your heart or your gut, they're better indicators of what's going on around you than what you can see or hear.

Also, the thought behind not doing harm to others, even when they have done harm to you. Kammani is big on not hurting others, she's a healer, not a warrior and I think that can be applied to a lot of our lives as well. There's also a pretty big arc about redemption, though that one may be buried a little deeper.

There was a lot of loss in this book, some of it I was just not prepared for, but it felt right. I think anything less would have made the story feel less real. There were definitely some moments in this where I found myself tearing up (ok, outright crying. FINE) and part of that was definitely the ending. There were a few things that weren't perfect in the end, and I think that fit the story really well. Kammani needing to be the light for other people in her life just feels right.

If you can't tell, I really enjoyed it.

What a great ending! This duology was so well written and even though it was slow at parts I really did enjoy it! The characters were well rounded but I think their attitudes and sometimes them going into situations without thinking really irked me.

I loooooved Gravemaidens and Warmaidens did not disappoint as a follow up! I enjoyed seeing where the characters ended up and I love Kelly Coon’s writing style.

This was an excellent conclusion to the Gravemaidens duology. I was very excited for this read and I loved everything about it. It was filled with plenty of action, there were several twists I didn't see coming and I loved the relationship between Kammani and Dagan. The visions with the Boatman were also a great addition to this already good book. This is a series that I will definitely recommend to my teen patrons if they are looking for a short series that has fantastical elements.