I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review.

The Sisters of Reckoning is a great followup to The Good Luck Girls. While the first book saw the main group on their journey to freedom, this one starts with Aster staying behind to help other girls escape, although she ultimately finds that their methods aren’t fast enough to combat the further exploitation of even younger girls, compelling her to act and for the other girls to reunite to forcefully bring about change.

Like the first book, it’s very much rooted in the history of racism and sexism, especially with the impacts of slavery on Black women.

I really liked Aster, especially since she seemed to be the one this book was focused on, with her role helping other girls beyond the main group. But all of them are reckoning with what happened in their pasts, and trying to effectively bring about real change against the oppressors without giving into similar vile methods that they’ve employed, which is a great conflict.

I was really confused by the romance though. If the text was suggesting Aster would end up with anyone, I would have guessed it would be Eli, since they have many good interactions with each other, providing a contrast for the negative experiences she had at the Welcome House. However, she ends up with someone else, with whom she doesn’t spend much page time with, resulting in the romance being unbelievable.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the prior book, and am excited to see what Charlotte Nicole Davis does next. If you also enjoyed the first book, you will not be disappointed with this sequel.

4.25 Stars

Content Warnings at end of review.

Thank you to Tor Teen and Netgalley for an arc of this book!

A few months after the events of The Good Luck Girls, Aster is helping the Lady Ghosts smuggle Good Luck Girls across the border to Ferron. But new developments with the Welcome Houses and the reappearance of Violet make Aster decide she needs to get things done faster than the Lady Ghosts are willing. The gang from the first book are back along with a few new faces as the Reckoners fight for the good of dustbloods everywhere.

I really loved this sequel! I thought it picked up in a good place--not too far from the ending of the original, but far enough that it warranted a separate book. I loved a particular relationship that happened that I can't say because spoilers, but I am VERY pleased with it. I thought the plot of this one was exciting and loved all the characters and the revolution!

I think this book could have benefitted from alternate pov's. While I love Aster, there were times when the pace of this book felt significantly slowed down because the main action was happening with someone else. If there had been a few pov's from other people it would have been able to keep the tempo going!

I also felt the ending wasn't paced greatly...It drug out for a while and then ended very abruptly. I did like how it ended and the resolution, just didn't love the pacing. I also wasn't a huge fan of the epilogue because I almost never like those, but this one wasn't too bad!

The strongest points of this duology are definitely the world-building, fantasy-western hybrid setting, and the themes. Davis does a wonderful job alegorizing slavery and indentured servitude here and I think the parallels between America's history and what is happening in Arketta are so well done. I loved this duology and definitely recommend it!

Pub date: August 10, 2021

Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Transphobia

I was really excited to read this second book yet at the same time I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to the first book in the series back in, 2019. I was also a little anxious as to whether I would remember who everyone was and what their back stories were but I need not have worried as I slipped easily back into this well created harsh world of the haves/have nots.

I’ll be totally honest the cover isn’t my favourite but I guess its to more appeal to the teens who the book is truly aimed at rather than myself. I loved the Tor Teen cover for The Good Luck Girls, or the Hot Key Books version too. For the sequel, The Sisters Of Reckoning I much prefer the Hot Key Books cover. I find the more realistic, looking characters much more appealing. They are the book covers that would make me pick up this book from a book store shelf to learn more! I wasn’t so keen on Tor Teen covers as they look more comic, graphic novel style to me.

In this book as in the first book of the series the landowners are still ruling and having everything their own way, living in luxury on the shine they get from those that work for them that they give a pittance to survive on to, in exchange for a lifetime of servitude.
This book picks up about a year later, when the majority of the Green Creek Luckers have escaped and most have been smuggled to freedom and a new life in Ferron, only Violet who was caught by McClennon, and Aster who has joined the Lady Ghosts are not living their wished for, life of freedom. Aster is determined to help other Good Luck girls escape their lives at the Welcome Houses, but it still doesn’t feel like its enough to her. Sure, Aster is aiding the Lady Ghosts and girls are being smuggled to freedom, but only small numbers of them. Aster wants to make a bigger impact, to change more lives for the better. When she hears the news that Jerrod McClennon is in Northrock to make a large public announcement, both Aster & Raven disguised as fortuna’s go to hear first hand what the horrible man’s new venture is going to be. Aster is shocked to learn that he intends on opening a Welcome House right there in Northrock, so the men do not need to travel through the scab to enjoy the services of the Good Luck girls anymore. Jerrod McClennon talks about how accommodating and well trained these girls will be, how the new Welcome House Mistress is a fairblood herself and then to Aster’s horror he introduces the housemistress and it is Violet! Not yet recovered from the shock of seeing Violet again, Aster struggles to concentrate briefly but Jerrod McClennon hasn’t finished with his big announcements yet and Aster and Raven are further disturbed to hear that the Welcome House girls, Lucky Nights will now happen on their thirteenth birthday rather than their sixteenth as before. Aster also sees the shock and horror on the face of Violet, and makes her wonder if she new about the earlier Lucky Nights or not. Its then Aster decides she must see Violet as soon as she can.

I could talk and talk about the plot of this book with its subtle hints at what is to come woven in with action packed scenes featuring both old and new characters but I honestly do not want to spoil the unfolding of events for anyone reading this brilliant book. The writing style is once again amazing, the world cleverly built with its different people, Landowners, Dustbloods, Good Luck Girls, and Raveners all creating a tiered hierarchy of people. I thoroughly enjoyed how Aster brings together the different factions of people that are unhappy with the landowners who want to make a stand but alone in their smaller groups cannot make a large enough difference. With help from a source close to Jerrod McClennon, Aster and the Green Creek Girls hatch a plan where when all the factions work together, they may just have enough strength and power to bring the landowners down and change the unfair system.

I loved lots of characters in this book, the obvious ones being Aster and Zee. They both have to deal with those from their pasts and learn to come to terms with things they cannot change. Aster has come a long way from being a Green Creek girl, she has learnt a lot from the various Lady Ghosts, such as how to control her panic and stay calm using breathing techniques when in difficult situations, which she needs to use more than once in this book.
I also adored Eli, its clear to see he loves Aster but she still struggles with the closeness of a man never mind a touch of affection from one. Despite these she has two men sweet on her and vying for her attention. I have to admit I was on Team Eli and he was the one I desperately wanted Aster to have a happy ever after with. In this book Eli shows his emotions when Aster, Tansy, & Mallow are being escorted through the tunnels to Camp Deathstalker for weapons but, are attacked by angry vengeants. With Aster’s leg damaged and Eli’s chest it makes their mission even more difficult and slows down their progress leaving them less time to organise their plans of attack. It becomes apparent that Eli feels guilty about these vengeants, almost feeling he deserves to be attacked by them, as these vengeants are the spirits of the people he and the Scorpions tried to help but failed. Aster wants to comfort Eli, but is unsure how to without giving him the wrong impression and making herself really uncomfortable.

The descriptions in this book are so detailed they make the characters and surroundings easy to visualise. One I really loved, “Derrick had gotten in the middle of them like a stringy piece of meat caught between two teeth! I adored and yes had a tear in my eye when Aster had a farewell conversation with Priscilla, it’s clear Aster viewed her as a mother figure and vice versa. I also really liked the saying of “Wander Well” when characters were parting ways.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that the book was an amazing sequel to the fantastic Good Luck Girls bk 1 and that bk2 finished with a really fitting ending.

To sum up what more can I say? If you read The Good Luck Girls this sequel is an absolute must read, and if you haven’t yet read any of this series you seriously need to!!

Initially, I was so excited for this sequel. I felt like The Good Luck Girls was one of the most unique world I've read in a while. Electricity guns, post-apocalyptic Mad Max vibes, and dystopia. That's kind of all the things I love. And I sincerely enjoyed the first one, but The Sisters of Reckoning pace was hard for me. I felt like so much of it felt like start and stop. Like I would get into the action and feel this lull, and this kind of went on through 80%.

I was determined to make it to the end, but it kept pulling me out of reading. I feel like most sequels have this current that pulls you through, and this one just lulled a bit too much sometimes.

The Sisters of Reckoning is the second novel and conclusion (I believe) to Charlotte Nicole Davis' The Good Luck Girls series.

Aster, her sister, and their friends fought hard for their freedom. And in the events of the last book, they earned it. But Aster can't turn her back on every other girl stuck in a Good Luck House. She won't rest until they're all free.

Thus, Aster and crew find themselves in the center of a group of fighters. They're the new heart to this revolution, which calls new Dust Bloods to their side every day. Will it be enough to earn freedom for everyone? The question haunts Aster.

"Her conscious would not let her rest until she did, no matter how many other Good Luck Girls she borderjumped to safety."

Like many other readers out there, I was swept away by the events of The Good Luck Girls. Naturally, that meant I was counting down the days until I could read The Sisters of Reckoning. This sequel has earned a place in my heart, right alongside its predecessor.

I can't believe I finally got to read The Sisters of Reckoning! It was absolutely worth the wait; I can tell you that much right from the start. Much like the first novel in this series, it really does pack a punch.

The world that Charlotte Nicole Davis created here is a harsh one. We have two sets of people, with one subjugating the other. It's hard to see but easy to root for justice. It's even easier to appreciate Aster's stance and everything she does to try and make the world a better place.

The messages woven into this narrative are hard to swallow, but they make the story what it is, and I have to love and respect that. More than that, that foundation allows for heartwarming and powerful moments as individuals and groups rise up to do what is right.

I didn't know what to expect when it comes to seeing this series end. That being said, having read the end of The Sisters of Reckoning, I can't think of a better way. The conclusion does justice – to the characters, readers, and even to the world. I honestly believe this is one of the better endings I've seen in a long time, and I just want to hug it close to my heart for all eternity.

After reading The Good Luck Girls last year, I was incredibly curious where the sequel would take this unique world that’s a blend of fantasy and western. While The Sisters of Reckoning was an improvement in writing quality, it was also an unprecedented shift away from the group dynamic that made the first novel so memorable. However, despite being a tonal divergence to a more personal journey narrative, The Sisters of Reckoning maintains the excitement and addictive readability of its predecessor.
Initially, when I read The Good Luck Girls, I was disappointed by the plot’s dependence on macguffins. Thankfully, such devices were all but absent in The Sisters of Reckoning, marking a vast improvement in the layout of the plot.Yet, the plot itself felt simplistic when compared to the events of the first book. This is a fairly standard rebellion story. Outlaw freedom fighters rallying various oppressed allies to bring about an end to tyranny. It’s not a new type of narrative, but it does do the archetype justice in being engaging and entertaining in the process.
Personally, I did miss the group dynamic of the girls themselves. Aster, Clem, Violet, Mallow, and Tansy are all present, but the book is very focussed on the personal journey of Aster, even more-so than the first was. This forced most of the other girls into the role of “side characters,” so the banter and camaraderie wasn’t as prevalent. While some may like this shift, because it allows for more of a significant character arc, I kind of missed that badass girl gang attitude that was so rampant in the first novel.
Overall, I would still recommend The Sisters of Reckoning if you enjoyed the world or the rebel story quality of the first book.

I was excited to return to Davis's world. However, I found that the world was not as enticing as the first book. I would have liked a little more grounding into the world during those opening pages. I think it could be done with a light touch, but I would like some further refreshers about the previous book.

That being said, Davis is a fantastic writer and I will still be reading her work, but I do think that this one should be the last in the series.

I will be recommending this to my students.

Almost a year after the events of book one, Aster is still helping girls cross the border in search of a better life. She's become friends with the Lady Ghosts, but misses her sister and friends on the other side all the same.

With a new welcome house opening and lowering the lucky night age to thirteen, Aster can't help but act. She makes a spur of the moment decision that will affect her life, and the lives of those closest to her forever.

But it's not just Aster and her group of friends standing up for what's right. A rebellion is starting, and the girls are determined to give the landowners hell, even if they die trying.

I've lost count of how many times I cried while reading this book. Must be somewhere in the 20s range. Even now I'm a blubbering mess.

When I tell you this book has no flaws you better listen, because it's the truth.

I'm blown away, once again, with the world building, character development and the storyline. Charlotte Nicole Davis does not miss.

THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A SEQUEL! It's so strong and gives a good message of unity, and hope even when all seems lost.

The romance isn't the main focus of the story this time around either which is nice and thoughtful due to Aster's PTSD. But there is a subtle love triangle in the mix.

I shipped Aster with both of them, and I'm glad she ended up with who she did because that person feels so right for her. I'm also happy to see Tansy & Mallow and Clementine and Zee are as in love as ever.

Out of the new characters, well, I love them all. Raven, Derrick, Lizzy, the Nine...

Derrick's growth is so apparent and I'm proud of him for doing all he did. It's hard to stand up to monsters we don't know, but even harder to tackle ones we do. You did so good Derrick. You better live your best life.

What I'd also like to emphasise, is that both The Good Luck Girls and The Sisters of Reckoning have satisfying endings. You can stop at book one, or you can continue into book two and will leave happy (and wrecked for all eternity).

I don't know if there will be another book, due to how this one ended, but I'd very much love if there was, because I haven't had enough of these Reckoners.

In short, this series is amazing and you need to read it ASAP.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

The sequel to The Good Luck Girls pulls few punches are the refugee Luckers get pulled back into the brutal, oppressive system and seek to overthrow it. Aster crosses over the border and back to rescue girls forced into prostitution one at a time, frustrated by how few she and the Lady Ghosts can save. When she discovers her friend and fellow Good Luck Girl Violet forced to open a new house offering girls as young as 13, Aster decides to fight back more directly. The Sisters of Reckoning follows the rise of Aster's revolution, with the difficulty of keeping allies together and the reprisals the system inflicts on the non-combatants highlighted in a realistic way. A must ready for those hungry for change as well as fans of the first book.

Yes, hi, I need more of Charlotte Nicole Davis works, thanks.

One of my top buzzwords is revenge. And boy, was The Sisters of Reckoning packed with it. TSoR wasn't afraid to get bloody and violent and I enjoyed every single second of it. But it also had its soft moments, particulary with the romance between Aster and the love interest (which I had hoped would happen in the first book and when it finally did, it made my heart sing). I also appreciated the talks of PTSD and trauma and how they were handled. And of course, let's not forget about the found family part of this story, which had gotten bigger since the first book, and with it so did my happiness.

But for some reason, I just wasn't as engaged with this one as I was with The Good Luck Girls. While I read TGLG in less than a day, TSoR took me over two weeks to finish and I think that stems from the fact that though the story was packed with action, it all felt kind of repetitive after some time. Nonetheless, it's still a strong 4 star read and I'm more than satisfied with the way it wrapped up.

The Sisters of Reckoning will hit shelves on August 10th. (Pstt, the ebook of The Good Luck Girls is on sale for the entire month of July, so if you haven't yet, y'all can read that one just in time for the release of TSoR ;))

This was good, not as great as number 1 though. The ending was predictable and the love interest was jarring. Characters from book 1 lost their depth but I still enjoyed the book overall.

In the sequel to The Good Luck Girls Aster has been living with The Lady Ghosts for over a year helping them free Good Luck Girls from Welcome Houses. But their methods are too slow and not effective enough for Aster who wants a much faster resolution. Unfortunately an illegal risk just isn't one the women are willing to take. After hearing about a new Welcome House opening up that will be starting the girl's lucky nights at age 13, Aster makes a rash decision to burn it to the ground which ignites a reckoning of sorts.

Aster, Clementine, Zee, Tansy, Mallow and some new allies team up to try and force the hand of the landmasters by kidnapping them and destroying their businesses. The plan is to force change without turning into the types of people they're fighting.

Just as I was sucked in the the first book early this one also drew me in. When the reveal came about the Welcome House in Northrock lowering the lucky night age to 13 I gasped right along with Aster. While this book plays it safe in the language it uses to describe certain events you still feel the impact of what's happened.

This book is the same length as the previous book though it felt longer. There were some points in the middle that felt very repetitive. And while Aster was just as much of the lead as she was in the last book there was a much larger cast of steady characters. So sometimes it felt as if characters were barely featured. Especially with all the goings and comings as they moved within the different groups and made journeys across the country. And Aster's rash decision making despite having adequate time to form a plan always resulted in worse conditions for everyone else. Yet that didn't stop her from again jumping into things without considering the consequences.

As with the previous book there are allegories and allusions to slavery and they were further expanded upon here. There's one point in the story where Eli is lamenting on the scorpions attitude towards the Good Luck Girls calling them traitors. He explains it's easier for the men to believe the girls had it better off than them than admit they couldn't protect them from the landmasters. That parallels Black men being unable to protect Black women from slavery. There's also another passage that talks about about a massive revolution and how the government started recruiting dustbloods to the military to prevent further revolts.

I really like the relationship with Aster and Eli and was actually shipping them together. So it was shocking when Aster ended up with another character. One because I didn't feel that chemistry between her and that character due to how they frequently popped in and out. And two because much of the book Aster was getting over her fear of seeing men in a good light. She was still battling ptsd from her time at the Welcome House so just a man's presence could rattle her.

The ending also felt a little abrupt to me but this was still a very well done sequel.

I received an arc from Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 rounded up to 4!

While I made the mistake of not checking the blurb of the book to know this was a follow up to a previous book (The Good Luck Girls), in hopes of building some sort of mystery and anticipation, this read was a thrilling and beautiful experience. I will now certainly be picking up the first book as I feel the development of the characters and complexities of how far they've really come from beginnings has been lost on me.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book I will certainly be recommending!

I was lucky to read the first volume and the second one in a Raw. The first on was publish on June 9th in France. I was waiting.
Lots of French readers that have already read it in VO were ecstatic.
I love the story, the background.
Aster and Violet are my favourite. I love how they evolve in "The Sisters of Reckoning". The characters are so interesting, I have a soft spot for all of them. The alchemy between them is really great.
Hope is their leitmotiv. A little group of 5 women inspired a whole State.
I recommanded this book too. It's a page tuner. It's was difficult to choose between sleeping and reading.
The mix between western and fantasy works perfectly.
Next step, I want to watch a movie or a serie on these two books.
I hope it would be translated into French soon.

Read this back to back with the first book -- loved the prose, loved the characters, absolutely zipped through it. I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first, perhaps because I was used to the characters and we got into the plot that much faster.

The reason I loved the first book in the series, The Good Luck Girls, was the unique world building, plus the diversity and lgbt representation. We are back in the same world with Aster and her friends but even though they escaped the “welcome house” it doesn’t mean all girls in Arketta are safe. So Aster is back at it, trying to fight the landmasters with the help of the her friends and allies.

I love the way the book brings up issues about women empowerment, PTSD and human trafficking. Aster and her friends are trying to break the wheel that keeps her and others oppressed and it’s a valiant fight.

The lgbt representation is very natural in this story which is what also stood out in the first book, so it stays consistent which is great. I love how the characters are all so very diverse and the story is carried by Aster who is a strong black female. Aster is brave, capable, and she does make mistakes but still tries her best to do the right thing and fight for the cause. The sisterhood between Aster and the other girls is wonderful. They had each other’s backs since book one and it’s why I loved the series in the first place.

Random Notes:
Triggers: human trafficking, PTSD, mentions of sexual assault

I wasn’t as engaged in this sequel as I was in the first book. It took me awhile to get into the story. Aster kept getting into some tough situations but it still didn’t hold my attention so I struggled a little through this one.

The ending also seemed rushed but I don’t know if it’s because it’s an arc copy.

Final Thoughts:
This sequel didn’t hold my attention like the first one but the overall series is inspiring. We see these girls break free from being trafficked and make a life for their own, continuing to fight until everyone is free. I don’t usually gravitate towards Westerns, but this series is done really well with its unique world building and brave characters fighting for women’s rights and the oppressed.

The Sisters of Reckoning was a brilliant sequel to The Good Luck Girls, which I had enjoyed very much. I’d say this sequel is almost as good as the first book. Almost.

How to find the words to describe The Sisters of Reckoning? Possibly, it’s one of my favourite sequels ever, dark and righteously vengeful, a catharsis. It takes the set up from book one and gives a wholly satisfying ending.

The story picks up a few months later than the end of The Good Luck Girls. I can’t summarise it, not because it’s spoilery (although that’s true), but because I actually don’t remember how it opens, I’m writing this review so long after reading it. But that’s probably the least of my worries.

The biggest of which is this: how the hell do I review this book?

I think what I loved most about this book (a certain couple besides), was that it allows the characters to have revenge. To tear down the people and the structures that hurt and enslaved them. And, yeah, it’s violent. There’s murder and there’s torture, committed by the characters you’re rooting for. They’re not perfect, though I would hesitate to say they’re morally ambiguous or grey (they have clear morals, after all, unlike those they’re fighting against). I think what this book did for me, unlike a lot of YA involving revolutions, is show that you cannot keep your hands clean. That overthrowing an oppressive power is necessarily going to involve violence, and crossing lines that maybe you can’t afford not to cross (this is about a specific event at the end, so it’s intentionally vague).

It’s also a book that recognises that it’s not just the system that’s sour, but the people profiting off it too, unlike another recent YA fantasy I might mention. It’s a book that contains a lot more nuance than a fair bit of the age range it fits into (I’m not saying YA can’t be nuanced, I’m saying it’s a fair generalisation to make that it’s less often so), both about how far you have to go in rebellion, and how people are implicated in the system of oppression.

And then. There’s Violet and Aster. I think I made it pretty clear in my (very brief) review of The Good Luck Girls that these two were the ones I wanted to be endgame and. Well. I won’t spoil things. But if you’re looking for sapphics who’ll burn down the world for one another? You’ve come to the right place.

So, now you know this, you have until August to read the first book. What are you waiting for?

Thank you Netgalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rating: 3.5.

Loved this conclusion to the first book, I really enjoyed the hopelessness and feelings the author explored here. PTSD and trauma were portrayed so well through coping. However, the story felt like it wasn't strong enough; it struggled to live up to the rebellion and the quest in the book. Some of the "major" events sometimes fell flat and not given enough importance. This book had its flaws, but it was still really good. Would recommend.

The Sisters of Reckoning is a fantastic conclusion to the first book, a perfect mix of fantasy and historical fiction. i struggled with the pacing a bit but the author builds a story of determination and hopelessness well.