Reading this book was so fantastic! I really enjoyed the first, and I was excited to see what was going to happen next-we were introduced in the first to this world and these characters, and where their story was going, but I loved watching as it continued on, and where it went!

Time travel stories are always interesting, in what the rules are and how it works. To be in an agency that does what Gray Wolf does, yeah, that's not great. Add in the secrets and lies that are hanging out, well, I wanted the truth to come out!

We didn't do a lot with what happened in the prologue of the first book, but yeah, what was going on with Natasha's dad, and what Natasha is learning, I loved seeing it all play out, as well as seeing what it added to the world. It's complicated by her feelings, both positive and negative, for those around her.

I wasn't sure if this was going to be a duology, or a longer series. So I'm glad that it is going to be a longer series, to spend more time in this world with these characters! I can't wait to see where things are going to go from here!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait for more from Alyson Noel!

Ruling Destiny picks up right after Stealing Fate. This book follows Natasha as she adjusts to life at Gray Wolf after bringing Killian back from her last Trip. This introduces a love triangle between Natasha and, Killian and Braxton. There is a lot of mystery and betrayal in this sequel.

I loved Stealing Infinity, but I was let down by Ruling Destiny. Natasha seemed more annoying and immature in this book. Plus the fact that she is missing so many red flags about the people in charge of Gray Wolf Academy. The love triangle aspect was not done well either in my opinion and Natasha was very wishy washy with her feelings for both Killian and Braxton.

The time travel aspect was still pretty cool though. I do feel the author does a great job of researching the time periods she sends her travelers. I also enjoy the authors writing style, and her world building. As this is a trilogy, I will read the next book to see how it ends and hope for the best.

Time travel to Italy's Bonfire of the Vanities, 1497!

Natasha has been planning on visiting Renaissance Italy with Braxton but when she gets to the portal, Arthur shows her she’ll be tripping with Killian; Natasha is angry but Killian is thrilled. Braxton seems to be keeping something from Natasha and Killian keeps making remarks alluding that Braxton is hiding a terrible secret from her. She has strong feelings for Braxton but she doesn’t know if she can trust anyone. When Mason is recruited to Gray Wolf, she’s happy to see him, her trusted best friend, but worried that he’s blaming her for taking him away from his life. She’s struggling to understand her new life but now she’s even more worried on Mason’s behalf.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed learning about the true history mixed in with the time traveling events, like the Italian Bonfire of the Vanities in 1497. The quotes from Shakespeare and other intellectuals and historical figures are awesome. The author notes at the beginning of the book that all artwork and ancient artifacts mentioned in the novel are real piqued my interest.
Mature content: PG-13 for implied sex, off page, and underage drinking.
Language: R for 83 swears, 25 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody fight.
Ethnicity: mostly white. Mason, Natasha’s best friend, is Black.

This book was fine. The premise is cool, but it gets bogged down with too much exposition. I’m glad I read it, but it won’t be a re-read.

Something about me? I LOVE a magic school setting for a fantasy novel. I will reach for it every time.
Allison Noël does an amazing job with the magic school setting.
Noël delivers a fantastic installment in this series that is even better than the first book.
I cannot give too much away as this is a sequel but if you love a book with a rich plot, amazing cast of chapters, and lovely writing style this is the series for you!

This is the second book is the Stealing Infinity series and it's even better than the first. It's got magick and romance and it's a must-read. Pick it up I tell ya!

4/5 stars
This is book 2 in the series.

Review:
I really enjoyed this book. I mean it has an academy and time travel, need I say more!
It was the perfect book for me and I loved every second of it. What a journey!!!
If you like fantastic characters and an amazing plot then read this book!

I love all of Alyson's work and follow everything she writes, I can't wait for more from her. This book was simply amazing

I enjoyed this book so much. It was a bit different than I expected, but liked the ride it took me on.

I’d love to interview Alyson for my podcast, Raise Your Words. Ruling Destiny was such a good book and I’ve been a huge fan of Alyson’s for a long time.

This was a solid follow up to Stealing Infinity and I absolutely tore through it. I enjoyed the addition of Killian and I was guessing throughout the entire book of what mind games were at play. I admit I was a little bummed at the outcome because I didn't want that question to be answered so soon. I wanted the reader to be torn on who to believe and maybe feel a little more for each before having the rug pulled out.

I did like Elodie more in this book because I think she was easier to understand. She also had a few more layers to her than just the perfect time traveling girl looking to please Daddy.

Argh there's more I want to delve into but.... spoilers. Just know that I like where this story is going and I'm excited to see Natasha's next trip to hear that character's story.

As much as I loved the first one, this one fell a little flat for me and I can’t truly articulate why. The first one was full of intrigue and suspense and this one just felt a little scattered, like there were any mysteries left to find and the ones that were left weren’t as interesting or surprising. I still love the concept of this series and I genuinely love the characters so I am excited for book 3 and hoping for a solid finish.

What if you could travel through time to save the world… would you do it?


Ruling Destiny did not disappoint. The second book in the Stealing Beauty series, it was just as action packed and gut wrenching as the first. Here, we see the development of the shaky relationship, between Braxton and Tasha, and watch as the entire world can be manipulated and ripped away. While we get a little closer to finding out what happens if you choose to leave Grey Wolf, Allison Noel continues to feed us breadcrumbs, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat. We still have more questions that answers in this follow up, but the way they are woven into the plot leave much to be desired with very few plot holes. Loyalties remain in question, and the hope for redemption continues to hang in the air like a dangling carrot. This book is none of the typical sophomore slump in a series, and everything one hopes for and more.

Overall, this book broke me. I got so emotional (the sign of a good writer) that I put it down and did not pick it up again until recently. I always craved to know what would happen to Tasha, Braxton and Killian, but knew I would want to scream, cry and throw my kindle in all of the best ways. When I finally picked it back up, I felt all of these things while reading but needed the rest of the story. Noel never disappoints, and I am craving the next book now. Readers be warned, this one will send you on a rollercoaster, but the story is so worth it!

Thank you Entangled for this e-ARC, it was a top read for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC of Ruling Destiny!

Ruling Destiny picks up right where Stealing Infinity left off. (Can we just pause for a moment for how badass these titles are?! The covers are really striking too.) As Natasha becomes even more skeptical of everyone around her at Gray Wolf Academy, she is getting excited for her upcoming Trip to Renaissance Italy. But the excitement for going on the Trip with Braxton wanes as her distrust of him grows and she feels an unwelcome pull towards Killian. Will Natasha ever learn the secrets of Gray Wolf and who will she ally with if she does?

This series is a fun teenage time trip story. The writing is ok, nothing phenomenal. The characters are angsty and caught up in themselves more than I care for. I enjoyed the first book more as there was more tripping through time as opposed to this one where Natasha is studying for her trip and agonizing over her relationships with everyone around her. I do plan to finish the series once the last book is out but I'm hoping it goes back to more of the adventure story of the first book. I do have to say that the novel is very well researched. I was constantly Googling to see images of the art described and learn more about the historical figures she references.

What a fun sequel! I enjoyed being back at Gray Wolf Academy with Natasha. I love the time travel aspect of this series and the twists always keep me engaged. Highly recommend and I cannot wait for the next book.

Dare I say I enjoyed Ruling Destiny even more than Stealing Infinity?! Like the first one was fun and I really enjoyed it but the settings and plot twists in this one really takes the cake for me. The love interests and possible love triangle really kept me on my toes even though a certain someone kept giving me the ICK 👀 and I really really had the ick even more by the end 😂.

I don’t read many books based on time traveling and wouldn’t see myself immediately gravitating towards that kind of story but there’s something so fun about this one! It really is like the da Vinci code and National Treasure. I love a good movie/book where the MC is extremely smart and notices as bunch of things that any regular person probably wouldn’t lol. But also they notice this stuff because they’re really smart when it comes to certain history and such. If you watched and loved National Treasure then you know what I’m trying to say lol. The Stolen Beauty series gives off those vibes but with a time traveling fantasy element that I find so fun!

Stealing Infinity really starts building up the romance and tension while also giving us more background to the story. If you read the first one and enjoyed it, don’t hesitate to pick up Stealing Infinity.. especially after that cliffhanger 😉.

I didn't enjoy Ruling Destiny as much as I enjoyed Stealing Infinity. I didn't want to put Stealing Infinity down, but it was easy to set aside Ruling Destiny. Some of my issues could be caused by my current reading tastes or reading mood.

I found Natasha to be more immature than I remember her in the first book. She was quick to judge and change her opinion of people, I felt like I had emotional whiplash at times. One of my biggest pet peeves in life are people who outright lie and constantly justify hurting the people they claim to care about, so Natasha was wearing on me throughout the whole book. There was also a lot more inner dialogue than I remember and a lot of it was repetitive.

The descriptions of the scenes were still wonderfully written so that I felt like I was transported to different eras and places. I still find the premise to be intriguing as well.

Even though I didn't feel as connected to the characters in Ruling Destiny, especially Natasha, I plan on continuing the series to see how it ends. Hopefully Natasha will grow in the next book.

It was not horrible….. just not incredible enough to continue the series. I got bored with the book not caring what happens in the story

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This series is a breath of fresh air, I love how it is so different from other series out there at the moment. I love that this story involves time travel, art history, tarot and numerology. This second installment is just as fast paced and captivating as book 1. The mystery behind what is going on and who you can trust has plenty of twists and I appreciate how the author keeps us guessing. This book does have a tad more of a romantic element but it doesn't overshadow the original plot. I don't really care for love triangles but I feel like in this context it kinda worked to seed doubt into Natasha's mind. AND THAT ENDING. OUF. Gimme book 3 please!!!

Content warnings: Sexual assault, death of a parent, racism.

A huge thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.