Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.

Unfortunately not only did it take me FOREVER to get to this book and it has long since been published, but also, like usual, I requested a book I didn't know was part of a series that of course I have never read. However, I am not sure what book one was about, or how connected the stories are, but I enjoyed this well enough for not having read the first book. With that being said though, take my opinion with a grain of salt, because it's more that likely that I have no idea what I am talking about.

Some parts of this story were a bit slow, but honestly, I got through this really quickly, I felt like the writing flowed nicely and the scenes were written well enough that I was never bored. I think that (and again, maybe this is because I had no prior knowledge going into this book) that the characters weren't very well developed and didn't really pull me in or make me too invested in their lives. They were kind of flat and annoying for me personally.

Also, this book does for a young adult (at least I THINK it's young adult, but you would definitely need to check that for yourself) does come with quite a few warnings for content that may not be suitable for all readers.

Addictive series with a equally addictive sequel. MC isn't very likeable for me, what with her "gotta save'em all" mentality, but she's the moral compass Aleida needs, so it makes sense. She's also maturing and it's awesome seeing her improve in her craft as well. Definitely hoping for another book!

I think this one would be fine to read with or without reading book one. I actually read these backwards as I didn't realize that this was a book two. It does fill in some back gaps but its nothing to much that you wouldn't be able to know what is going on with this book. I really joyed the feel of this book. It was fast and interesting.

Nice family saga!
Great story!

Description
"A deftly-plotted tale about ambition and belonging, Bright Ruined Things takes Shakespeare’s The Tempest and brilliantly reimagines its themes of family and love. Cohoe writes with a magic that dazzles and cuts right to the core." - Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

Forbidden magic, a family secret, and a night to reveal it all...

The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the island’s magic and its spirits. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her.

But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether – a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted.

When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae realizes that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers – including a secret about Mae’s past. As Mae and her friends unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers’ magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on.

In this YA fantasy, Samantha Cohoe wonderfully mixes magic and an atmospheric setting into a fantastically immersive world, with characters you won’t be able to forget.

I'm so glad this series is continuing because it really is an undiscovered gem. The imagery and worldbuilding is immaculate, the characters are so delightfully mysterious, and for once, the witch characters don't feel like carbon copies of one another. It's also a nice change of pace for most of the characters to be women.

this was a really well done story, I enjoyed how the author created their world. It was a great entry in the series and I look forward to reading more in the series and from the author.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley and Harper 360, Voyager AU in exchange for an honest review.
This the second book in the 'Tales of the Blackbone Witches' series, I'm hoping there's a third. I really enjoyed this book, it had great pacing and an interesting plot with a lot of magic. 5 stars :)

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, A Curse of Ash and Embers, and was excited to be back in the world of the Blackbone Witches. I absolutely love our two main characters, Aleida and Elodie, and how magic works in this universe. In this book, Elodie is continuing her training as a witch when they’re attacked by bandits on the road, setting in motion a series of troubling and exciting events. Although I didn’t like the plot of this one as much as the first, it was still fun and full of action. It sort of felt like a transition book, setting up a bigger story arc for later in the series. I liked the new characters that were introduced, especially getting to see another type of witch. The ending was very cinematic and exhilarating, and while it wrapped up nicely, the story still has room to build and expand. I would definitely read on in this series and am looking forward to the next book!

I think this was a great continuation of the world that the author created in the first book. I will say that I think that this story could also be read as a standalone without being too confusing, which I think takes a great amount of talent on the authors part. I loved how the plot just dove right in and the action just started right off the bat. I love any books that are surrounding witches, and this book I think stood out amongst the rest. I think Aleida is such an interesting character, and the curse is such an interesting added layer. Dee I think was a bit of a struggle to relate to this book. because I feel like she almost progressed in the last book but then seemed to slide down this slippery slope where she seemed to regress instead of progress. I think that both of these characters had a push and pull that sort of made it so they balanced each other out. I think that the end was such a fun read, and certainly lived up to my expectations. I truly cannot wait to see how the author continues the story in the third book. I really enjoyed this book!

This was a good young adult fantasy novel. I didn't realize it was a second book in the series so I quickly read the first to be far. I am glad I did since it set up the relationship between Elodie and Aleida. This book had some great themes and I have enjoyed the journey they are taking as the grow. I am looking forward to the 3rd novel.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

Unfortunately I was not aware that this was a second book to the series. I read the first 5 chapters confused but enjoying the plot. I will definitely be going back to read the first book after having a glimpse into the series

I loved that the book jumped right into the action. There is no pause between the second and first book. The story just picked up where it let off. I can’t think of any negative things about this book. I like that there isn’t to many characters so you get to know the ones in it well. I thought our main character could of grew a little more but overall I can’t wait to read the next one.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As compared to the first book, I couldn't get into this one. I might try reading it again at another time, but for now I wasn't feeling it like I was with the first in the series.

dnf-ed, couldn't get really engaged in the story in a meaningful way. may try reading this again at a later time.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first book in this series and I am glad I got to continue the story of Dee and her learning and travels with Aleida. It starts up pretty much right where the first one ends, right into the action of a group of bandits trying to rob them. Dee is not too sure about her magic yet, as she has just barely started learning but I like how, despite her insecurities, she seem to come through just fine. Her empathy gets her into lots of trouble though and sometimes I just wanted to be like Aleida and tell her to just keep moving, not everyone can be saved or even deserves to be (especially certain bandits). Plus, Kara was annoying in her own right with never telling the truth and running headfirst into danger all the time (even if she was trying to find her da, it was irritating).

I must say I like Aleida the best and when Dee got down to business, she was cool too. I like the Blackbone witches and I hope they can keep going around, undoing what Gyssa had set up before she died. Minerva was interesting too and so was the introduction of Mae. I am sure we will see more of them later on.

This is a good series and I did enjoy both books quite a bit.

4 stars. This book picks up right where the first book left off. We are immediately thrown into some action and get reacquainted with Dee and Aleida. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first book and are looking for a new epic fantasy to start.

An enjoyable entry in The Blackbone Witches series!! This book picks up fairly quickly after the events in A Curse of Ash and Embers, with Aleida and Dee on the road and taking a break from Black Oak Cottage. Dee has been learning quite a bit of magic, although she still has many doubts about her abilities and place in the world. Aleida wants to use some of the ill gotten gains from Gyssha to do some good and so they stop at an abbey to give them a goodly sum of money. There they meet a young girl, Kara, who is staying there because her father has disappeared. Dee befriends her and of course gets drawn into all the drama of trying to rescue Kara's father. This leads to ambushes, fights with griffins, and another witch trying to summon a hell beast. Just another adventure for Aleida and Dee.
I felt the pacing was much better in this book compared to book 1. Events seemed to flow much more evenly, it of course helped that I was already familiar with the characters and the world, so it was much easier to get engaged in the story. I like the progression of the relationship between Aleida and Dee, and Dee finding her abilities and her confidence. I enjoyed all the action, the creatures , the different magical spells and Toro!! A fun and engaging world!!

Daughter of Lies and Ruin is the second book in the Tales of the Blackbone Witches series. Unfortunately, I think it had that typical second-book syndrome...where it doesn't quite live up to the first book and almost feels like filler to just get to the (hopefully) third book.

Elodie grew a lot over the course of the first book and I was hopeful to see that continue, but she was more concerned with what her mentor, Aleida was doing than anything else. I really enjoyed Elodie's character, but in this book not as much. The relationship between her and Aleida didn't feel as organic.

That being said, the book is overall an enjoyable, fast-paced read and I do look forward to another in this series. The writing is descriptive and immersive and I'm fully invested in Elodie's journey at this point.


Thank you Voyager via NetGalley for the e-copy to read and honestly review.