I’m not sure what happened between Silver under nightfall and this but it felt like this was rushed and just didn’t hold my interest. You almost have to question if this was actually written by the same author.

As someone who loved Rin's bone witch series, and the first book in this, I was SO disappointed in this book. It was not enjoyable, left me with so many unanswered questions, and went in very weird directions storyline and plot wise that I didn't think would happen based off of book 1. I will unfortunately not be recommending this to my audience.

Hmm. I'm not sure how to write this review. Did I enjoy Court of Wanderers? Yes. Was it as good as Silver Under Nightfall? No, not even close. The amount of environments, character changes, and overall plot development that is in Court of Wanderers makes it feel like this was originally planned to be a trilogy and for whatever reason got cut down to a duology. The book 100% needed more time to breathe. Either that, or a lot of editing is needed to cut down the focus.

Elements that were still fantastic? Remy/Xiodan/Malekh. I loved all of their interactions in book one and love them just as much in book two. I do wish there was more development between Malekh and Remy. I was expecting there to be with the way Xiodan talked about the two of them, but it fell flat (or too lusty).

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I dropped the book at 20% of the way through.

Yeah, uh, people weren't kidding about this being disappointing. My original complaint with the first book was how fast-paced it was and this goes even faster out of spite. It's not really that compelling to be yeeted at 50 mph with a million plot points thrown at you, in my opinion. Disappointing. :(

Oozing with tricky vampire court politics, complicated mommy and daddy issues, and lots of passionate queer love, Court of Wanderers is a bloody fun conclusion to Rin Chupeco’s dangerously addictive Reaper duology.

Court of Wanderers picks up right where Silver Under Nightfall left off, and Chupeco wastes no time catching you up on what happened before. I personally really enjoyed how smoothly the narrative continued on, though I’ll have to admit that I was quite glad to have re-read book 1 right before diving into this sequel, so all the details were fresh in my mind.

We reconnect with Remy, our favourite himbo vampire hunter who is not really shining in his vampire hunter duties anymore since he may or may not have fallen in love with two vampires. And if that wasn’t enough, he is now haunted by dreams of the dangerous Night Empress, who is quite possibly his own mother. If it wasn’t already clear, things are rather messy, and I ate it up.

For me, Court of Wanderers is an improvement over its predecessor, though at the same time I can acknowledge that the plot and pacing in book 1 were stronger. This sequel lacks the enticing mystery element that made Silver Under Nightfall so addictive, and instead focuses much more on Remy’s inner turmoil and all the messy emotions and confusing romantic feelings between these characters.

I personally really enjoyed this shift in the narrative because I am complete and utter trash for this little found family of chaos queers, but I can see how more plot-driven readers might be disappointed with Court of Wanderers. In many ways, this sequel almost tiptoes the line of cozy fantasy with all its slice of life elements, except throw in some bloody murders, dangerously seductive vampires, and horrific monstrous mutations. And weird as it may sound, that absolutely worked for me.

The character development in Court of Wanderers was simply exceptional, and I especially loved diving more into Remy’s mommy and daddy issues. Normally I am not a big fan of dream sequences in my fantasy, but I think Chupeco executed them to perfection here by having them carry so much emotional weight.

The dangerous dynamic between Remy and the Night Empress had me glued to the page, and I really enjoyed how the remaining mysteries of this story unravelled through these intense dream sequences. And near the end, there were some weirdly touching moments between Remy and his parents that honestly bled me dry in the best way possible; I was truly revelling in the emotional turmoil of it all.

Personally, I think Court of Wanderers could have been even stronger if it had committed to being a fully character-driven narrative. As it is, there are some slightly convoluted vampire court politics and rather rushed battles introduced in the later half of the story, which I honestly struggled to stay invested in.

That said, there was still more than enough quiet down time with these characters, and ultimately I was very satisfied with the amount of character and relationship building we got. With Remy now posing as the familiar of Lady Xiaodan and Lord Malekh, their beautiful queer romance really gets its time to shine. Most of the steamy scenes are still fade-to-black, which I appreciated, but all the amusing sexy innuendos and dangerous levels of seduction gave this story a smoking hot touch that could light even the coldest of hearts on fire.

Moreover, the closer look into the vampire courts really fleshed out Chupeco’s unique take on vampire lore, which I was very much intrigued by. While this story is filled with plenty of beloved vampire tropes, I personally loved how it stands out from the crowd through the authentic Filipino influences that are woven into the history and lore of this world; this story just feels comfortably familiar and refreshingly inventive in all the best ways.

All in all, I am left utterly satisfied with Court of Wanderers, and I think Chupeco absolutely nailed their vision for this duology brilliantly. Deliciously dark, chaotically queer, and dangerously seductive, the Reaper duology is a damnably fun high fantasy story that fans of Jenn Lyon’s A Chorus of Dragons series and Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire will love to sink their teeth into.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Court of Wanderers is the second novel in, Filipino author, Rin Chupeco's Castylvania inspired duology centering around Remy Pendergast, a vampire hunter, who falls in love with two royal vampires, Lord Zidan Malekh and Lady Xiaodan Song.

The trio is making their way to Fata Morgana, the center of Malehk's court aka the Court of Wanderers where they hope that gravely injured Xiaodan can be healed. Along the way Remy encounters his repugnant father who is the antithesis of his heroic and yet kind son. When the Night Empress begins to invade Remy's dreams he begins to wonder about her connection to his own mother and grows concerned about what he may have inherited in his own blood line from his mom.

Chupeco's words brings to life stunning visuals like haunting vampiric trees and Remy's eerie surreal dreams as well as epic vampire battles. This will appeal to those who like high fantasy action/adventure and court intrigue with an added spicy dash of polyamourous romance mixed in. Consent between the members of the throuple and the meaning of love both fleeting and eternal is explored.

After loving Silver Under Nightfall, I was fully expecting Court of Wanderers to live up to that as a sequel. Sadly, however, I found myself disappointed by it. Maybe it's a case of having read book 1 at the right time and that, in the 2 years since its release, I've changed that much as a reader. That, I think, can account for part of it. The other part was just the oddness of the pacing. For much of the book, Remy and his two love interests (whose names escape me momentarily) are entirely separate from the action that was established in the first book - namely defeating Remy's mother. They're just doing their own thing! Which would make sense if their own thing felt at all connected with that main plot (it does, eventually, reveal itself to be). Instead it's like two parallel plots running, before Remy and co are suddenly dumped into the other plot and we have to do a quick rundown of everything that's happened off page since they were last deciding to involve themselves. Basically, it just didn't feel integrated enough. As ever, though, all readers are different and what didn't work for me may well prove not an issue for others.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco is the sequel to fantasy novel Silver Under Nightfall. Remy Pendergast is the only son of a duke and the Night Empress. His two partners, Xiaodan and Malekh, are lords of the vampire courts and work with Remy in defeating the Night Empress.

There’s a lot of political intrigue in this novel between the various courts and we get glimpses into how humans are treated in a lot of vampire societies as well as some lore relating to the first vampire, the Mother. The humans are often used to smooth things over between courts and have a place in politics just as much as the vampire lords.

Xiaodan and Malekh’s affections for Remy, and his for them, shine on the page and are all given equal weight. The three love and respect each other as romantic, sexual, and domestic partners.

What I really liked was how the details were threaded in when we needed them and never felt like a lore dump. It all felt quite natural and grounded in my understanding of the world as a reader. I also liked how different Remy felt from his two partners while still being compatible.

I would recommend this to fans of stories featuring romances with vampires, readers looking for political intrigue in vampire courts, and those who really like Castlevania.

The sequel to Chupeco’s Silver Under Nightfall, a Castlevania-esque queer triumph, was at the top of my TBR for this year, and after finishing it, I feel very neutral about it. It delivered a little less than its predecessor did in terms of plot clarity, romance development, and resolution, but the world-building and new characters filled in those gaps somewhat to help create a solid, if not slightly disappointing, conclusion to the Reaper duology.

Remy, Xioadan, and Zidan are incredibly creative characters and I’m obsessed with the way that each of them grows as individuals throughout this story. Xioadan’s development particularly stood out to me; she really comes into her own as a leader and is very driven and committed to the people she cares about. We got to see a lot of Zidan’s softer side in this as well; I loved his moments of nerdiness in his lab and his protectiveness of Xioadan and Remy. I love Remy and his dialogue, but he didn’t change much; there was a bit of story between him and his father, and that part felt somewhat rushed and insincere to me, especially with the way the ending played out.

What didn’t have great development, much to my disappointment, was the romance between the three protagonists. I was hoping for sweet, intimate moments with them, with vulnerabilities and discussions of their future. A big stressor for Remy throughout the book is his uncertainty of whether or not he wants to be turned to a vampire, and the fear of just being another lover in Zidan and Xiaodan’s long lives. While this is occasionally brought up to the couple, I don’t feel like Remy ever got resolution on the issue. It felt like his concerns were dismissed a lot, and overall there wasn’t a lot of genuine communication between the three.

I don’t know if it was just me not paying as much attention as I should have, but I had absolutely no idea what was going on with 50% of the plot. The stuff with the Night Empress? Cool, intriguing, was able to follow along easily. The court/Aluria/Elouve politics and the last 30 pages of the book? No clue. There were too many names and relationships to keep track of, and it kept switching around on me. There were reveals that were clearly meant to be shocking, but because I had no idea who the characters involved were and what their significance was, it went totally over my head. It almost felt intentional because Remy gives me massive Harry Potter vibes: love him to death, but he’s about as observant as a brick wall.

Overall, while Court of Wanderers did bring the best gloomy Dracula vibes and some badass monster fights, it didn’t deliver as much as I was hoping for, and I wish it had brought the duology to a more satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to S&S/Saga Press for providing an ARC!

Court of Wanderers follows up our main character, Remy, on his journey in Aluria.

So… I wanted to like this more than the first book, but I felt like a lot of this book was just a bunch of filler. It was interesting enough to keep me intrigued, but I feel like it could have been a much more flushed out story.

I do feel like the story was fun, though. Also, not to sound like a freak, but I liked the smut 😭

The action sequences were good, and I did feel like the end was pretty solid but also very rush, unfortunately. 🥲

Overall, I did enjoy myself!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rin Chupeco, and Saga Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for this ARC copy!

I have seen a lot of negative reviews about this book and was really worried going into it that it was going to be such a drastic drop in quality from the first book. I was not nearly as disappointed as I expected to be but I feel like I am in the minority in this opinion. Yes, there was a shift from a primarily character focused book to a more courtly political drama, but I also saw that coming from the beginning of the first book in the Duology.

Though there was less fighting and the fight scenes were shorter and less descriptive at times for me it did not take away from the quality of the experience. A good fight scene is great, but I would rather the book not be an extra 200 pages just filled with super detailed battle sequences, if that is what you are looking for then this may not be the book for you.

The pacing could have definitely been better, and I do feel that the ending was a bit rushed and left me a bit bewildered at times, like how did we even get here. I still feel that as a whole I enjoyed the book, the series, and the ending was wrapped up in a good way, I just wish there had been a few more chapters between the final battle and the conclusion.

This book is perfect for fans of Anne Rice’s Vampire chronicles that wish there was just a little bit more Witcher action and intrigue thrown in. This book is a continuation of the story started in Silver Under Nightfall. Remy Pendergast has hit the road with royal vampires Lord Zidan Malekh of the third court and Lady Xiaodan Song of the fourth court. The group is heading to the third court to recover from their last fight when they cross paths with the Night Empress. While there they discover a blood tree and a deadly secret about the Night Empress. Armed with new information and the need to recoup, the group finally resumes their journey to the third court. While there, a new kind of mutation with lizard like features and deadly venom blood attacks the keep. This new threat to the realm combined with the continued threat of the night empress leads to a gathering of all court vampires. Remy poses as Malekh and Xiaodan’s human familiar and joins them to help plan the attack and to represent the interests of Aluria’s humans. He struggles to find his place in the world of vampires when his last name carries such negative connotations to most of the other courts. Remy is also struggling with nightmares about the Night Empress, which might be more reality than dream. If you’re going into this book expecting the same steamy romantic tension filled book as Silver Under Nightfall you might be disappointed. This book has way more court intrigue and action than the first book, so the romance is pulled a little to the side. Our trio of kindhearted bad asses are still in love but it’s not the focus. I enjoyed the expansion of the world seen in this book. More of the realm and how it functions is revealed in this book and if things continue at this rate there is a stunning reckoning headed our way.

Well. The people I follow on my book instagram weren't lying, and that was disappointing. Court of Wanderers fell incredibly flat for me. What I loved about Silver Under Nightfall was the action, and how badass Remy was, and how Xiaodan was loving and Zidan was a bit aloof and broody...but in the ending adoring. It had the perfect mix of fantasy and romance, in my opinion. Even a touch of gore.

Court of Wanderers though.... it feels like a massive misstep needing a complete overhaul. The pacing stumbles, the plot meanders in a way that is confusing and complex without progression of the actual story. The character consistency wavers (Remy's dad is not what he was in the first installment), action sequences lack depth, and it really feels like the plot relied too heavily on shallow depictions of intimacy to compensate for all of this (whyyyyyy??? Their relationship is so good even wtihout the sex!). It's a plot that frequently loses its grip, leaving me often in a state of indifference, wanting to flip the page for something more exciting.

What made the SUN compelling is notably absent in Court of Wanderers. Monsters lurk in the shadows, action scenes lack intensity, and the suspense is nonexistent. The political intrigue, which I don't usually mind, feels hollow and disjointed, and again...confusing. Instead of building upon established foundations, the plot thrusts us in with new world-building, overwhelming and inconsistent, pulling focus from the plot to suddenly feel like I'm reading a political heavy first book instead of an already established second book. It was just a hot mess.

All that to be said...I did enjoy the scenes where our trio get to be together in amongst the madness for moments of relationship development. Although the development was brief in nature, I devoured it no less. I love Zidan with all my heart, his tough exterior truly does simply protect his soft innards. But finding the little wins within the exorbitant amount of losses could not make up for the disappointment that this book gave me.

I know Rin is a wonderful writer, it was on full display in SUN, and I know they have more in them than what COW offered, so I'll be keeping me eye out for future work so I can support them and their hard work!

Rating represents three and a half rounded up.

This is a mixed review, to my dismay; I found the first three-quarters very difficult to get through, but the final quarter finally had some satisfying emotional resolutions, as well as the usual final battle badassery.

Saddened to find I do agree with many of the middling reviews, at least for the first few legs of the book; there was a lot of new worldbuilding material introduced in this, for a second and concluding volume of a duology, and most everything otherwise was an overabundance of sex scenes. But lovable and funny characters remained just that, and the world was still refreshingly diverse (with even disability accommodations in vampire castles!) with some unique lore. Rin Chupeco is an auto-buy for me, and though this conclusion to the Reaper duology disappointed a bit, they will remain one.

Now, the part romance played in this rating: this is so hard to explain, because there <i>are</i> endearing scenes of affection and building the relationship between the throuple, which I love, but more often there are sex scenes for the first majority of the book. Some of these are fun and peppered with humor and sarcasm, they just...became too much. At a certain point I think these spicy interludes slowed down the overall story, particularly when the next passage would be another chunk of worldbuilding exposition. Porn without plot vampire stories can exist, but this duology bit off too much story to tell (and too much that was introduced in this volume), and sacrificed it for spice in this conclusion. The best parts are the casual cuddling or embraces, and Xiaodan and Malekh liking Remy simply for who he is, a foul-mouthed, kind of dumb guy with a noble heart.

One of the concepts broached in this second part is the reconciling of Remy, a mortal, being in a relationship with immortals, and to become one or not. I know it makes no sense but I personally hate this issue when it comes up, and would prefer books talk around it; I like the idea of a 'weaker' person who finds ways to keep up inhuman strength, etc. I very much enjoyed how Chupeco treated the concept in the end.

If I'm honest, making Silver Under Nightfall a standalone, and about two hundred pages longer, would have been the best idea here. While I enjoyed the last quarter of this book, it was way harder to get there than it should have been, given that Nightfall was a five-star read for me.

Vampire hunter Remy Pendergast is back on the road with his vampire companions Lord Zidan Malekh and Lady Xiaodan Song. While they won the first battle against the Night Empress, Xiaodan is injured and without her powers. If they can make it to the Court of Wanderers and the Fata Morgana, she might have a chance of regaining them. Along the way, Remy sees his father and has dreams of the Night Empress, whom he thinks is his mother Ligaya Pendergast. Remy must deal with the differing legacies of his heritage as well as the vampire courts as he poses as Malekh and Xiaodan’s familiar. The three also must navigate their relationship as they figure out what is happening within Alluria.

This is the sequel to Silver Under Nightfall and is the second book in the Reaper series. Absolutely read that one first, because it not only lays out the kingdoms and relationships, but the terms used to refer to various creatures and the courts of vampires. We get more about the courts here as Remy accompanies Malekh and Xiaodan first to Malekh's home at the Third Court and then to the meeting of all courts together. Remy dreams of his nanny, fields messages from his father who had risen in esteem within Alluria, and is trying to figure out what he means to his vampire lovers. It's especially difficult for him in the first half of the book, as he's struggling with his mortality compared to their relative immortality. New complications arise with the Night Empress, as they discover more about her and see the damage done after their prior battle with her.

There is the inevitable jockeying for power and position within the vampire courts, as each one vies to keep importance and prestige. The former First Court had incredible strength and had dictated how the vampires behaved. This is the court that the Night Empress wants to reclaim, and Remy discovers more about Ligaya's history and of her background. He fears not only his own mortality but what his heritage is. He's still a strong fighter who prefers to stay in the background rather than rule, and prefers to avoid politicking. I love how he is with his lovers, with his friends, and even with his father; the two have a better understanding now, though I can't say his father's tactics have improved. The concerns about the Night Empress have deepened, and it no longer feels like she's ultimately the one in charge. We learn why it all happened, and the last third of the novel feels like one revelation and shock after another. It is absolutely amazing and I loved the finale. It's fitting for all of the characters involved. This is the conclusion of the duology, but I would happily read books in this world going forward.

A good finale to the duology, in this volume Remy faces his mother while growing closer to his two lovers.

I refuse to believe that this is the sequel to one of my favorite books of all time. Rin Chupeco is and has been an auto buy author for me but this just fell flat. I need time to process this. I just have no words.

I am very grateful to have been given the advanced copy of this much anticipated sequel to the hit Silver Under Nightfall a story with a highlight on polyamory relationships. The first book was very well written and left you wanting more, however I struggled chugging through this sequel and did not find myself as excited reading this finale.

The continuation and most satisfying conclusion to the story that began in Silver Under Nightfall is action-packed, full of intrigue, and a pleasure to read even though the fun parts have gotten a lot less descriptive.
Remy Pendergast going from a reluctant but highly effective vampire hunter to madly in love with two of the most powerful vampires in the land happens so organically that you don't doubt anyone's feelings. Seeing him find peace, support, and a place to call home with those he was raised to believe were horrible, unthinking beasts hit all my happy romance spots while still having the dark edge of danger that an all-out battle against evil needs.
Special props to Chupeco for creating a very accurate representation of a polyamorous relationship where they all interact differently depending on who they're with. It's cute to see Remy, Malekh, and Xiaodan show different sides of themselves.
I do think you need to read the first book to understand this one not just because it starts right where the last one left off, but many of the main character dynamics are straight from what happens in that one.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the most excellent read!

Court of Wanders is the highly anticipated to sequel to Silver Under Nightfall. I loved Silver Under Nightfall. The characters, the action, the plot was top-tier. But the sequel was vastly different from it's predecessor. The storyline is confusing and characters are inconsistent. I was very excited for this ARC, but it fell flat for me.