I really enjoyed this sequel!! I enjoyed Tara's writing style and was excited to come back to this world. Tara's summary of the first book was also really helpful since it had been a while, and there's a lot of revelations + more worldbuilding that we get with this entry. While in some books, having this many POVs can either be tiresome or annoying, I genuinely felt intrigued by most of the characters' journeys to want to see their perspective and that didn't change here. The relationship dynamics that I enjoyed also continued here, and the new characters introduced were also just as intriguing to me! I'll definitely be reading book 3.

3.75-4 stars

I struggled to finish City of Dusk so I was not confident that I was going to enjoy this book… but Midnight Kingdom is significantly more engaging that the first book in this series. It did take me a little bit to get into but then things really started happening and I flew through it!

One of my major complaints about City of Dusk was that I felt like we didn’t get to know most of the characters very well. Many of them were making decisions and reacting to things in ways that… I didn’t understand and/or felt very juvenile and two dimensional. I think Midnight Kingdom is more successful at delving into the characters motivations, and they all show some growth (mostly) but, it all would’ve been more impactful for me if City of Dusk had provided a stronger foundation. This may also come down to personal preference. I think I’m usually more drawn to books that are very character focused and I would say this series is more plot/action focused. I will say though, the chemistry between characters in this book is well done.

For me, the magic system, world, and action in this book is where it really shines. In the beginning, the POVs felt like they were switching as soon as we finally got to something interesting, but once the plot started taking off (around the 10-15% mark) there was so much happening with each character and I was interested in each storyline (again, mostly). The fight scenes and magic continue to be so cool in this book. Particularly the exploration of Risha, Angelica, and Julian’s powers. We also get to see so much more of the world, as well as some more background on the gods. It’s all very detailed and interesting, but I do feel a little like there’s a lot of faffing around only for the solutions to all line up a little too neatly in the end.

I didn’t love the ending so much, but I am still interested to see what happens in book three.

Honestly, my biggest complaint with Midnight Kingdom is that I had to read City of Dusk to get to it. Can a book one have second book syndrome? How can I recommend something where I have to say, ‘it gets good in book two’? I suppose in the end I would say, if you liked book one, you’ll like this book too. If you thought book one was okay, this one is definitely better and I would urge you to give it a try.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.

Great book! Made me love the writer and want to read more from them. Action packed story and great sequel. Very happy to have read it, Character growth, great magic system and definitely made me want to continue the series when the next one comes out. The ending could have been more gripping and emotional but overall a great book, a good bridge if the next one is amazing. Thank you Netgalley for the book!

The Midnight Kingdom is the second book in the epic fantasy Dark Gods trilogy. As the second in the series, this book is the transition of the world-building efforts in The City of Dusk, and the events to come in The Dawn Throne. The story picks up right where The City of Dusk left off – the heirs are scattered and the city of Nexus is in ruins after the chaotic events of Godsnight.

Taesia, Julian, Nik, and Fin are stranded in Noctus, with Rian possessed by the god Phos. Risha and Jas are in Motri, the underworld and no place for the living. Angelica is travelling to Azuna to continue the heirs plan and seek out Deia’s fulcrum. Dante and Braillie, along with Saya are attempting to track down Camilla and restore the Lastrider name.

I really enjoyed how The Midnight Kingdom expanded the world, as the heirs are exploring different lands and realms. Because the main characters are split up in various locations in this story, we follow a series of different plotlines. The pacing at times felt a little slow, but really we are following five separate story lines which can sometimes affect the flow of the book. However, I thought the multiple points of view worked really well and kept me engaged and interested as a reader. The second half of the book moved very quickly, with a lot of action and excitement that I think positions the story well for the next book.

The addition of some new characters was interesting and expanded the story beyond the heirs and added levity in some instances. Additionally, some of the side characters from The City of Dusk had more expanded roles in The Midnight Kingdom, which I think added significantly to the overall story. Sometimes I feel that following too many additional characters can create unnecessary complexity, but it was done well here and enhanced the overall narrative. I also really enjoyed seeing how the characters relationships and personalities continued to build in this book. The romantic storylines were enjoyable and added a new layer to this complex story. Additionally, the characters and their relationships reflect a rich gender diversity, which was great to read, and I think is important representation in the fantasy genre.

Overall, I found this to be a wonderful sequel in a richly diverse and multifaceted fantasy series. The characters are each flawed in their own way, but are learning to grow and adjust to their circumstances. The world building is incredible and well thought out. I really enjoyed reading this, and I look forward to the next book in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall interesting addition to the trilogy. Pacing at times could be improved however the characters jump off the page and never left me wondering why they were doing what they were doing. The author paints a clear picture with her descriptive language and has created and impressive world. I can’t wait to read the conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for giving me a copy of this ebook.

I was hoping after having a hard time in City of Dusk that book 2 would really wow me and unfortunately it didn't. Both books have a ton of world building so much so that I found my self getting confused and having to go back to remind myself of things.

Another thing I had a hard time with was how many POVs are in this book. There were just too many in my opinion to keep up with the characters and their character development.

Again like the first book I found parts to be a little boring and took away from the story line.

If this book had less povs and not so much happening I think I would have enjoyed it more.

I am not sure what went on fully in this first read as there was a lot happening and I kept trying to remember things that happened in the first book. There was action and combat, there some intrigue. but usually, I find that boring unless it's done really well. The interactions and growth of the characters is what was so good I think. Each heir goes on their own journey to find their way back to their world or at least back to trying to stop Phos. The power system is still of interesting I guess but maybe it's just me, but somethings seem a little vague still. The gods are the problem and of course the solution will be to kill or imprison them most likely, I think. I didn't really try to anticipate or make any guesses as to how still story was going or how it would end. Any thoughts I had on it was going to end would have wrong. The story works though and should prove a good read for most I think. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the good read. I think, three and a half stars are where I will rate this one but upon a reread that could go up to four stars.

This book did not miss a beat! It picked up right where the last one ended. In The Midnight Kingdom, Tara Sim masterfully transports readers through a kaleidoscope of realms, each distinct in its terrains and emotions. The heirs are split up in different realms, one terrifying and dangerous, another full of beautiful starlight and an angry God ready to destroy it all. While the rest are in their home realm trying to keep it from dying while finding the missing pieces to bring everything back into order.

While I really struggled for awhile to get into the first book, The City of Dusk, but by the middle I was fully immersed. The Midnight Kingdom had me captivated from the very beginning. The book immediately dives into adventure and chaos… leaving a small cliffhanger at the end of each chapter which had me fully engaged, I couldn’t put it down.

Overall, the character development throughout the book was excellent. Am intricate mosaic of distinct backgrounds in every realm was captivating. The author really paints a vivid picture of the world seen through the eyes of these characters.

I eagerly anticipate the forthcoming third installment and the heirs' valiant endeavor to seize control over their realm.

I would like to thank Orbit, NetGalley, and Tara Sim for the opportunity to read the eARC of The Midnight Kingdom in exchange for an honest review.

Tara Sim’s prose is beautiful and she does amazing work with building out character arcs and motivations, but unfortunately I think I have to accept that her writing is not for me.

I was on the fence about continuing The Dark Gods series for most of The City of Dusk because I wasn’t getting drawn into the story. But then about 2/3 of the way in, I couldn’t put it down and I was excited to continue the series. I was hopeful that this being a continuation would mean that the pacing would be faster, but if anything, I think it was even more drawn out.

This was very much a middle book, where a lot of it was the characters moving into place before an action packed last 15% where everything happened all at once and there was no breathing room.

If you loved The City of the Dusk or you enjoy slow-paced stories, then you’re likely going to have a much better time with this than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Wowowow i have not read a book that made me feel so much since KOA. I am blown away by the events that take place in this book. It was an incredible fantasy that I am sooooooo sad is over. I tried to savor this book as much as I could because I just did not want it to end. Here are my unfiltered thoughts:

In the first book, a lot of these characters’ stories intertwined, but in this book they’re mostly separated following their own path and I absolutely loved this. Watching them individually form relationships outside of their normal circle and work outside of their “comfort zone” so to speak added so much more depth to the story.

I loved the way the author portrays a certain character so close to giving up but choosing to move forward anyways even though she believes there’s no point. (She experiences quite a loss) I feel like a lot of readers can resonate with feeling like this which makes the scene all the more powerful. It was beautiful.

There are so many unexpected allies who become integral members of the heirs’ journies. Yet the author still manages to write it in an organic way that you can’t imagine them not being apart of it.

These poor heirs are put through the absolute RINGER like jeez…. they have to go through some really horrible things. I can’t even begin to tell you which one has it worse.. my heart was aching for each of them.

Can I also say, this author has such an incredible talent of seamlessly transitioning from one POV to another. It’s absolutely flawless. Almost as if the scene is playing out like a movie in my mind.

The cliffhanger broke my heart but perfectly set up the continuation for the next book which I will be DEVOURING as soon as it’s released. This book is an absolute 10/10 and I recommend it to any and all fantasy readers.

Tara Sim is a fantastic writer, growing and developing the worlds of the Four Realms in the "The Midnight Kingdom". True to the theme, it is a dark epic fantasy and this is book two. To start, readers will need to have read "The City of Dusk" before starting "The Midnight Kingdom" - otherwise the characters and world(s) will not make sense, as this book picks up exactly where it left off (with that, it wouldn't hurt to revisit at least the last few pages of the previous book because so many took place). The story is still following the heirs closely though their worlds and lives are more exclusive as they fight the majority of their own battles singularly. This book moves at a considerably faster pace than the first, as the characters and their world, along with the Four Realms, are already established. With all the character growth and development that takes place in this book I found myself like some characters, that I did not previously enjoy, making it an easier read on a personal level. I will be glad to reread this book (and with more time to be more thorough) when it is released, to revisit the worlds and refresh before the final book in the trilogy is released (hopefully sooner rather than later).

Thank you NetGally and Orbit books for the ARC, and Tara Sim for giving us this story.

I thoroughly enjoyed The City of Dusk but this book I loved. I’m attached to all the heirs, I love all of their flaws and misgivings. I love the intricacies of the magic system as well as the political aspects of the book. I can’t wait for the third book.

dnf pg 189 (32%)

I LOVED the first book, so I really wanted to also love this one... but unfortunately I got really bored. Not a lot has happened so far, and all the heirs are spread across several realms, so their plots don't intersect each other like the first book. I think what I enjoyed during the first book was the characters and character interactions, and not much development has happened so far. Also there's way too much going on and a bunch of new characters, it seems like all 4 heirs are doing something completely different.

I really wanted to love it like I loved the first book.

The sequel in The Dark Gods trilogy, picking up where the first book left off with the heirs of the kingdom fighting off against manipulative gods, each other, and trying to restore peace before the gods destroy everything and war breaks out. In a world where there are gods and their descendants hold powers, the gods wait in shadows manipulating and scheming against one another and their descendants must find a way to save each other from being possessed and to save their loved ones and the world from the impending war that the gods would bring about. Taesia is the shadow-wielding rebel of House Lastrider and Nikolas is the reluctant soldier of House Cyr, both of them have been cast into Noctus, the realm of eternal night and forced to battle off against the dangerous god of light who will do anything to have cosmic control. Thankfully there is Julian there with Taesia, the hunter who has a beast lurking beneath the surface. Risha is the peackeeping necromancer from House Vakara who has to navigate her way through the realm of death, Mortri. She finds herself traveling with the spirit of Jas, and has to find a way to survive the realm inhabited by dangerous spirits and she has no way of figuring out how to get out alive. Angelica is the elementalist of House Mardova and has to keep Nexus from unraveling while dealing with the fact that she is ill. All of these heirs will have to find a way to work together to stop the gods from starting a war and possessing them as well as saving each other. I really loved the first book but this one ran into the same problem as the first one for me, it felt really slow and dragged out, this was over 500 pages and honestly could have had 100 pages or more taken out. The entire book felt a bit lackluster in plot progress and really didn't feel like much was happening. The first one had better pacing and this one just didn't move as much. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the overall story and am looking forward to how the last book ends, I just felt that this one was a bit slower and lacked a bit of action. Overall it was a fine continuation of the first book but I am looking forward to how everything finally wraps up in the last book.

*Thanks Netgalley and Orbit Books, Orbit for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

(3.5 rounded up)

A strong entry in The Dark Gods trilogy.
Unlike the first book, we explore much of the wider world of Vitae here. Our characters find themselves travelling to different countries, continents and even different realms! I was surprised at how much lore and world-building is expanded upon here, it was magnificent!
We meet many new interesting characters and the plot takes some unexpected twists and turns. Each of our main POV’s had such an interesting story but the one that stood out to me was Rishi. Her inherent circumstances tugged at me the most.

A couple things I enjoyed much less here than the first book. First, the romance was quite predictable and given much more page time. This also ties in with the second, which is that this felt very YA. There were some adult themes but most of the time, the dynamic between the characters (especially the romance) felt like a YA novel. I understand that much of the author’s works are YA but here it was unexpected and became tedious to read at times.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing where this story went and the ending had me very intrigued. Looking forward to book 3!

OH MY GOD I CANT WAIT FOR BOOK 3 WTF I really enjoyed COD BUT this one I absolutely loved soo sooo much. I'm blown away by the character development, you truly can feel the difference and growth in app of the characters.

although i really enjoyed the first book, i'm afraid i found this second book quite disappointing.

it's not that it's terrible; it's just that it did not get to where i thought it would go and the story's potential felt wasted. i enjoyed the predictability of the first book but here it felt exhausting to read, as it did not subvert any of the usual tropes and themes. when i enjoyed the careful mix of the different magic systems, it quickly became old for me (again, i grew tired of it).

even so, i would still recommend this novel to my audience as i think this is more of a me problem.

This book was fine. Not amazing, but not bad either. It picks up right after book 1 ends, but there are several disparate plots going on. I usually don’t mind this, but the jumping between made it very choppy. And honestly, I didn’t really like many of the characters. I probably won’t continue this series.

Thank You Orbit Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I enjoyed the book so much! Each character pov had me hooked! Every chapter ended up feeling like a mini cliffhanger and I kept wanting more! Taesia, Julian, Fin, and Nik are stuck in Noctus with Phos in Rian’s body. Meanwhile Risha is stuck in Mortri and determined to get back home, but also determined to return with Jas by her side. Angelica is on her way to Azuna to make alliances and to find a way to beat Deia. And Dante, on the run, is on his was to Seniza looking for his aunt and a way to get his sister back. Will they all return home? Can they find a way to stop the Gods? Will they be able to control their powers? A fast paced, exciting, on the edge of your seat sequel to The City Of Dusk! Absolutely fantastic! I would recommend rereading The City Of Dusk first as there were a few things I couldn’t quite remember. Also give yourself plenty of time to read because Tara Sim creates a world that’s so complex, all the details matter! Highly recommend reading! Can’t wait to read it again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: August 22, 2023

This picks up right where the first left off, following all the heirs in the various places they ended. I think it was a really solid second book in a fantasy series with a lot of character development and story line development. We also learned more about this world/universe, how it works, and it's background. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!