First off, what a beautiful and exquisite book cover! If you have read Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, you already know what prose this author offers. Zen and Lan have two different journeys in this book, both coming to conclusion in Shaklahira.The steaks are high all the way through this book and it was amazing to come back to this story. Would recommend for lovers of Elizabeth Lim.

This book is a good sequel to the story and I was intrigued by the further lore about the Chinese mythology. Unfortunately for me, it was a slower read since our two main characters are separated from the start of the book. Independently, they are not as strong of characters as they are together. There are also some character tropes that Lan falls into that I have seen trending across many Asian female protagonists recently in YA.. The book was good in the sense that while it has struggles that I see in many sequels, I wouldn't say that it has put me off from following the series as it continues to come out.

I felt the same about this book as I did the first. I liked the ideas for this book but still a lot of info dumping, slow, and I did not get to know the characters enough to have any kind of emotional response to their story.

It’s notoriously hard for me to get to a sequel if there’s a long gap between two instalments. After absolutely loving the first book and being left on a devastating cliffhanger, I was surprisingly buzzing to get to the second book.

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is an exceptionally well-done conclusion, building on its strengths from the first boo: the lyrical prose, the striking and vibrant setting descriptions that absorb the reader into the story.

The beginning is a little slow, but it’s always a good pace. We’re constantly moving towards something.

Lan and Zen continue to have a burning chemistry that intensifies, even more with grief, anger and love entangled. Every scene they have together is drenched in bittersweet heartache.

It has some incredible, dark and hair-raising scenes in the book, where the true gravity of the risk and danger of what Zen is trying to do sinks in for the reader.

The last few chapters leading up to the climax and then the epic battle at the end is phenomenal. It’s cinematic in its visuals. It is massive in scale and magic. It is dramatic with its magic. It’s a full circle back to the moment where the story had begun. I had my heart in my throat afraid to reach the inevitable, but it’s an ending worthy of the story.

Ugh, this was a heartbreaking end to this lyrical duology! Still, I enjoyed being in this world for another book.

I’m giving this 4 star even though I tried multiple times to get into the book and just couldn’t get into the story, so I’m not going to give a bad review on a book that just wasn’t for me.

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

What a beautiful cover!! I love the worldbuilding and characters in this duology, but this book felt very slow. Unfortunately after having the ending spoiled (and finding it not for me) I've decided to not continue reading. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

*Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White* by Amélie Wen Zhao is a mesmerizing blend of fantasy and epic adventure, set in a richly imagined world. Zhao's evocative prose and complex characters make this a standout read, full of intrigue and emotional depth that will captivate fans of immersive storytelling.

2/5 stars

I think this is a me problem, but I just couldn't get into this. Thank you for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this sequel did not live up to the first. For the first book, I generally viewed it favorably and with fondness. However, this one was hard to get through. I feel like it took the worst parts of xianxia dramas and put it all into the book, like unnecessary noble sacrifices, unnecessary bad communication between main characters, a split plot between two characters where really only one person is interesting, a random new villain who wants a forced marriage, etc.

Not to mention, I thought the ghost army was very Lord of the Rings. (Or maybe Legend of Fuyao, which also ripped off Lord of the Rings.)

The character growth was little to none.

I found the romance to be overdone in this. Well, the first one was already a bit much, but for this one, it was difficult to take them seriously when they'd known each other for a matter of weeks. The constant callbacks to "intimate moments" in the first book also felt repetitive (and I was especially annoyed because I went to the trouble to reread the first book prior to starting this).

Also, how in the world did it make sense to be able to bind two demon gods? If you already promised one your body, mind, and soul, what does the second demon god even get? It felt a bit hand-wavy here.

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

Given the intense cliffhanger of the first novel, I was eager to find out where Lan and Zen’s stories were headed.

But to be honest, I struggled with this conclusion to the duology, mainly because it had been over a year since I read the arc for book one and found that it felt impossible to remember anything due to the large cast of characters (and how they were all related). It also made me remember how loosely defined the magic system and world building are. There isn’t much help built into the writing itself to remind readers of these things and while the other extreme of info-dumping is avoided, I felt like this follow-up needed more in terms of giving readers footing to anchor ourselves from where we’d left off.

It didn’t help that so many things happened plot and action-wise. But strangely, I also felt like this book struggles with pacing issues, as the first book day: I wanted to simultaneously rush through certain chapters (usually the “journeying” moments in the story) but also wished certain moments were slowed down.

While I liked what Zhao tried to do with the resolution and found it to be a rewarding one, I felt like the journey getting there was a bit too bumpy and jarring to fully appreciate it.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night was a surprise for me last year. I went into it blind, and ended up enjoying it a lot! I had been looking forward to the sequel - I really wanted to see what was next for our main characters Lan and Zen. I was surprised and pleased when I was granted the digital arc! I had a great time reading this follow up, and was able to jump right into this story as it picks up right where the first left off.

What I loved most about this book was the traveling. I really enjoyed following along the characters as we journeyed to new lands and locations. It gave similarities to many of my favorite high fantasies, and I think truly elevated the experience of this story. I love expanding on the amazing world Zhao created, and learning more about the Demon Gods and magic surrounding them. I also loved the way we see the consequences of the events of the first book play throughout this sequel, especially in the way the characters grow and interact with each other.

I think this book is a very satisfying conclusion to our story. The last section was much faster than the rest of the book, but the progression was well done and felt natural. I do wish we could have spent a little more time on the ending, it needed a little more space for everything to hit and settle a little more. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and I think it was a wonderful and satisfying conclusion to a fun duology.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Delacorte Press. All opinions are my own.

just rip my heart out it would hurt less

This was a FANTASTIC conclusion to this duology, I am floored by how much pain I'm in and also able to acknowledge what a genius series this was

This is an overall consuming and intriguing YA fantasy sequel. While I would recommend reading the first book close in time before getting into this one, it has a slower start that builds to lead to an intense ending. The world-building is deepened and broadened in this book, and the main characters continue their personal arcs and growth in new ways. Themes of balance, sacrifice, history, the things that bind us, and politics/power are further explored in this book, making it quite a thought-provoking read. This book brings the story to a close, and while it may be ultimately satisfying, I would definitely have some tissues handy. Overall, this completes a fascinating YA fantasy duology with intricate world-building, unforgettable characters, and thoughtful themes. Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely love Amelie Wen Zhao and will read anything she puts out.

This was another wonderful book by her

Welcome to my stop on TBR & Beyond Tours' (@tbrbeyondtours) book birthday celebration tour for Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amélie Wen Zhao (@ameliewenzhao)! This epic conclusion to the Song of the Last Kingdom duology came out today, and is not to be missed! Today I'll be sharing some of my favorite quotes over on my blog (link in bio) from Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White as well as a spolier-free review for the series here on Instagram.

I absolutely loved the first book in the Song of the Last Kingdom series, so I jumped at the chance to read an early copy of Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White. After setting up a high-stakes plot arc in Song of Silver, Flame like Night, Amélie Wen Zhao had a lot of work to accomplish to give the series a meaningful and satisfying end. She more than delivered this ending, taking readers on a nearly 500-page rollercoaster of magic and emotions! I especially enjoyed getting to spend more time with some of the side-characters from book one as they took on bigger roles in the sequel (I live and die for Dilaya). Overall, both books in this series more than earned five-star ratings from me!

My Recommendation:
If you love character-driven epic fantasy novels, you need to pick up this series as soon as you can! This duology is a wonderful example of the strengths of YA Fantasy as a genre, with a meaningful plot that will keep readers engaged until the last page! I would especially recommend this book to fans of Spin the Dawn, as both books possess fierce female leads with swoon-worthy love interests!

An awesome finale! A lot of going on, but then you can follow it smoothly, you will not be lost. The pace is right, and the characters are great. I love them! On of the finale that you’ll just be in awwww moment, i may not cry but for sure to someone you will be floored. I just love it! Love the first and the sequel, a great action and adventure read and heart on it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-ARC! I do my reviews on my social media platforms. I am currently working on getting through my reviews so stay tuned! Leaving a rating as a placeholder for me and to not effect the books rating in order to post this. Thanks again!

What a great way to end a series!I really enjoyed this book and did not want to put it down. I will read anything this author writes!