A beautiful fairytale.
1 bell pepper on the spice meter
The last 3/4 of the book is the best. It is a bit like coming into the story in the middle. The rich history unfurls slowly and the characters are only privy to parts of their own past. Diving in, the dual POV clashed with the vibe in the beginning. It was incredibly hard to process what was happening and where. But once it got going, the action never stopped. Only rating it lower because the beginning is so confusing and the story is predictable.
Happy endings win every time. Even though it was a prediction end, I absolutely loved seeing it.

I was floored by the first book when I first read it, but upon rereading it, it fell a bit short for me. Chinese culture is very permeated within Vietnamese culture, because China ruled Vietnam for 900+ years, but since I grew up in the States, I didn't grow up learning about any of the mythology. I think I enjoyed this so much because it was my first introduction to it.

I find Lan fine as a character. She isn't as Mary Sue as some of the other YA protagonists we keep finding in Asian YA fantasy, much of which falls flat to me. Perhaps I hold it to a higher standard than whiter YA fantasy. While I adored Zen the first time around, I found myself annoyed at the lack of his character growth. For about two solid minutes, I fell for the actual villain of the story, but that ended up in disappointment.

The last 1/3 of the book moves much quicker than the first 2/3. I wish the pacing would have been more even. Honestly, it moves so fast, a lot of it feels like infodumping, if you can infodump at the end of a series versus the beginning. Perhaps this will be edited out in the final version. We shall see.

I would recommend this for a younger audience. The first one I would almost recommend to a middle grade audience, but this one gets a little spicier. Like, not that spicy. White people spicy. One chili pepper.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, NetGalley, for this book.

This book is the sequel to the book Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. Was so excited to read Lan and Zen's continued romance.

The booknis fantastic, incredible, wonderful, and worth the wait.

I cried so much reading the ending and am so sad to have the series end. Wishing this were a trilogy.

Need more, need more.

Can't wait to read what Amélie Wen Zhao has for us next.

Five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Words cannot describe the amount of emotions I went through reading this book. At all times, I was either giggling and kicking my feet, screaming and biting my fist, or lost in the sauce of the insane worldbuilding and intricate plot. I devoured “Song of Silver, Flame like Night” but with “Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White”, I absorbed it into my body and am now carrying her with me everywhere. Zhao’s writing is taken to a whole new level in terms of character development, plot, and prose. Oftentimes, I find myself unengaged in sequels because the bar was set too high with the first book but this was definitely not the case. The worldbuilding and lore are so rich and deeply rooted in subtle truths about Chinese history and mythology. Lan is a strong, compelling leading character and my girl forever and Zen is my pookie I want to carry him around in my pocket I love him so much. I typically love duologies because I feel that when executed correctly, it becomes the perfect formula for telling a well-rounded story. And that’s exactly what Zhao has done with the Song of the Last Kingdom duology.

The epic sequel to the book Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is a fast-paced, riveting YA fantasy inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.
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If you enjoyed the first book, this one is even better. More, please!

A monumental conclusion to the Song of the Last Kingdom duology. This second book is filled with action, betrayal, reconciliation, lust, passion, and devotion. If you loved the first book then you won’t be able to put down the sequel. All the questions left unanswered, all the heartbreak, all the challenges the characters faced in the first book are back for book two. Familiar faces return for their heroic chance at protecting the kingdom, destroying the demon gods, and restoring the 99 clans. But the demon gods are gods for a reason, their power is unmatched by any.

This book if rife with folklore magic, fantastical and vibrant locations, and villains hellbent on getting their way even if it means destroying everyone and everything in their quest for power. What a spectacular conclusion!

Oh, my goodness! Love this story!
Lan and Zen’s story continues with more adventure and heartache. How will they fight against the Elantians and the Demon gods and save their people? Lan and Zen make great sacrifices in their quest to find the secret to fighting the Demon gods. The world building is still great and the development of the characters is fabulous. I don’t want to give away the story and take away the reader’s enjoyment of watching the story unfold. I really enjoyed this book and I would say if you enjoyed the first book or just like fantasy, definitely pick this book up. You won’t regret it!

"Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White" by Amélie Wen Zhao is a thrilling and fast-paced sequel that continues the captivating journey of Lan and Zen in a vividly imagined fantasy world inspired by ancient Chinese mythology and folklore.

The story unfolds in the wake of the rise of the Demon Gods and the fall of Skies' End to the colonizers. Lan and Zen, both possessing extraordinary powers, have chosen different paths. Lan believes that the Demon Gods are the root cause of the ongoing conflict and turmoil and is determined to eliminate them to save her kingdom. To do so, she embarks on a quest to find the mythical weapon known as the Godslayer, which is said to be capable of destroying these formidable beings.

On the other hand, Zen sees the power of the Demon Gods as the key to liberating the Last Kingdom. He has already bound one of these beings, but to harness their strength further, he must make a tremendous sacrifice. To bolster his fight against the colonizers, Zen seeks a magical army of demonic practitioners hidden in the ruins of the northern Mansorian lands.

The central mystery revolves around Shaklahira, a city with a hidden location and a connection to both Lan and Zen's quests. As they navigate this perilous world, their paths intersect, leading to challenging decisions, including a potential confrontation that could change everything.

Amélie Wen Zhao's storytelling is both immersive and action-packed, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The world-building is rich and layered, drawing on Chinese mythology to create a unique and vibrant setting. The characters are well-developed, and their internal conflicts add depth to the narrative.

One of the novel's strengths is its exploration of themes such as sacrifice, power, and the consequences of one's choices. The tension between Lan and Zen, torn between their love for each other and their conflicting beliefs, adds emotional depth to the story.

"Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White" is a gripping addition to the series that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment. If you enjoy YA fantasy filled with magic, complex characters, and epic battles, this book is a must-read.

This novel picks up where the first one left off! This was a very beautiful book! It was very action-packed and the conclusion was very satisfying! My only complaint was that it seemed very long and should have been split into two books. Nevertheless, it was a very fun and emotional ride! It made me care for the characters, especially Lan and Zen! The world-building was very original and intricate. Overall, this was a stunning debut, and a must read for fantasy fans! I recommend this for fans of Marie Lu, Joan He, and Xiran Jay Zhao!

The book was enjoyable, but it felt too short. While the ending was bittersweet and satisfied a proper conclusion to a series, it had the potential to be a trilogy, especially since the fight at the end felt resolved way too quickly.

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amélie Wen Zhao is an exhilarating narrative brimming with action, love, enchantment, and the relentless pursuit of demons.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White in exchange for my honest review.

This book made me cry, several times. I cannot say why as that would give away several important moments in the sequel to Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. I loved the first book (and it was one of the first arcs I ever received) so I was extremely excited to get my hands on the arc of the second book in the duology. Amélie Wen Zhao has such a lovely writing style, a beautiful way with words.

She made me care so much about the characters she wove through the world in this series that I was extremely sad to see them go. And they went all too soon. I really wish this book was longer or maybe the addition of a third book. The scenes in this book felt choppy and moved at a pace that didn't give me enough time to really process what was going on. Once one thing fell into place, we were teleported somewhere else and that made it hard to absorbed in the world.

I feel like the final conflict/resolution wasn't done enough justice. And i rarely say this about series, but i really wish we had gotten another book in this series. Even with the epilogue at the end, I wish we had seen more of what happened after.

All that being said, I still loved the book. It made me cry. It made me smile. It made me want more! I will definitely be checking out more of Amélie Wen Zhao's works in the future.

The world, characters, and magic system were great. Reading this book felt like catching up with old friends.

This duology should have been a trilogy. The first book I found too long, and this book I found too short. It's too unbalanced for a duology. There were plot lines that could have been explored more, and the others that could have been moved and explored in a third book.

The ending was incredible. It can be hard to end a book/series in a way that seems authentic and Amélie is able to do that here. It felt organic, and matched the high stakes of the plot which explores what people will do to regain their homeland from colonizers.

Thank you to Random House Children's and Delacorte Press for giving me an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

It's extremely heavy on the worldbuilding and exposition which isn't for me personally. I stopped after chapter 1 (8%) but I imagine those in the target audience will enjoy it. It's easy to read, easy to follow along, and overall well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC.

"With you by my side, I have already known a lifetime of joy."

The way this series has me in a chokehold. I am not even a little but ashamed to say that I sobbed through the last two chapters.

Knowing the final pages were coming and this enchanting and beautiful and heartbreaking story was closing. But also the words those pages were filled with.

I just don't think I can sing enough praises about this book. Sometimes sequels don't hold up in comparison to the first book. This is not the case here. So much goes on in these pages. Love. Friendship. Heartbreak. Growth. It's such a beautiful thing to lose yourself so immensely in the words flowing across the pages. I'm not sure what to do now that Zen and Lan are done. This was everything I could've hoped for. Even though I sit here still with tears freely flowing.

So this is the sequel and I believe final book for this duology. It was a bittersweet end. I love Zen and Lan together. I really enjoyed that it picked up where we left off with Zen holding the Black Tortoise and Lan with the Silver Dragon. It was interesting to see how the other two demon gods were portrayed by the other two binders. The fight scene at the end and the sacrifice both Zen and Lan had to uphold made me tear up. I feel like the book captivated my attention and kept it held on throughout the whole book. Everything had a reason. I also loved the way Zen talked about Lan and how sweet with words he was. I want someone to love me like Zen loves Lan. Although the end isn’t exactly how I wanted it, it was the right way to end the book and to get back to some normalcy without war.

a heart-wrenching conclusion to a beautiful story.

i knew it was goin to be good, but miss zhao blew my socks off. i don’t know what to say that wouldn’t involve spoilers or my semi-literate gushing over how much i love lan and zen’s story. this book hurt me, but healed all my wounds and left me tender-hearted and teary-eyed.

(also, i would hand over everything i own, everything that i am, to read that other life they could have lived, iykyk)

A satisfying conclusion to a fun duology! This sequel is action packed and filled with lush imagery, much like its predecessor. I wasn’t quite ready to leave this world or these characters!

4.5 stars

Oh man, oh man. Thank you, THANK YOU to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this before publication.

Okay. CDrama fans who read this - Till the End of the Moon meets Back to the Brink, right? Because I was FEELIN' those vibes. Heavily.

This picks up right where we left off. Our lovers separated due to their choices of the gods they became bound to. Both on different paths to end the conflict or the upcoming doom that is to take place.

I'm a little sad this was a duology because I feel there is more here that can be expanded upon - world building, characters, conflict. I mean, the saddest bit was having build the villain up in book one to find him non existent in this book. I would have liked more conflict thrown their way in terms of him or his minions.

However, the book ended beautifully and the way that the book SHOULD end. Though if you had seen Till the End of the Moon (and listened to the bonus audio), well, you know that's the ending I wanted for them. BUT STILL, it was good, and I loved this duology and I'm ready for any other cdrama-esque stories the author is gonna write.

3.7 stars! this was one of my most anticipated releases next year, so i am so happy i got to read this earlier than expected! whereas the first book was epic and steadily constructed this beautiful, immersive world and where the second book was set to go, i was still pleasantly surprised by this book's twists and how much emotion it invoked from me. even though the transitions to certain scenes was confusing to follow, the pacing never let down. this was an adrenaline-packed book, which was engaging. this book definitely isn't perfect, like how i wished the secondary characters were more fleshed out and how i wish there were more slower moments in the second half (the latter half more than made up for it with its sentimental, poignant moments), but i still loved this book nevertheless, so you're going to hear me rave about it!

i'm not going to lie - the main reason why this was one of my most anticipated reads was because of lan and zen's romance which did not let me down in this book. their love just leapt off the page. it's not burning passion, but this steady stream of dedication and understanding and choice that i couldn't help but be soft for. the angst in the beginning was delicious to read, and i couldn't help but be hyped for their reunion after how the first book ended. i'm glad i didn't have to wait long in this book because their chemistry on the page is too good. and then the angst near the end? this book actually stabbed my heart. i was very much hurt because zen is so in love with lan. it shows in every chapter he leads, in his thoughts, and in his actions. and zen near the end of the book? [chef's kiss] so epic. i adore these characters and how they fit together because they are such a strong couple.

i did not know this was the last book in this series? the way the book ended made it seem that way, so i'll just go based off what i know and say that the ending of this series made me laugh and cry. also, this book made me literate again after not reading anything for a month (my longest book slump ever). so, i'm grateful for this book and the bittersweet feelings that rise in me when i think about everything it has put me through. so, even though there are mild criticisms that float in my mind, it really doesn't matter in the end because i adore this epic book so much.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me an arc for an honest review!