Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Saga Press for sending me this ARC!

I read the first book of this series, Silver Under Nightfall, in December and fell IN LOVE with the story and characters. I’ve said it before, I would die for Remy!

I was excited to get into the second book to see how the first book’s cliffhanger resolves itself, and I must admit I did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first. I devoured the first book in a day, meanwhile this one took me three because I would get bored and allow myself to get distracted. It didn’t hold my attention.

I feel like there was less action, less connection with the characters, and it all felt a little bit surface level. The pacing was a lot slower than the first book. The first bit of the book was good, but then a good 50% of the book in the middle just felt like filler that could be taken out. Finally, the final maybe 20% was good and capturing. I chalk it up to a sophomore slump.

I didn’t dislike the book, I still think it’s a good and decent book. It’s not the worst in any measure of the word. However, when I allow myself to compare the first book to the one, I do feel little let down. I also feel like once we got to a really good pace at the end of the book, it felt too rushed and I didn’t have time to enjoy the “good” part.

It releases on April 2nd, and I wouldn’t still recommend you to read both books!

Was this review helpful?

I freaking love these books. I have been wanting to find the perfect vampire series and this didn't dissapoint! i highly reccomend

Was this review helpful?

It was great and I always love poly bisexual vampires especially this set! I just feel like it needed to be more character focused and less drama focused like the first one was. Hopefully it’s a trilogy bc this feels like a middle book, not an end. Thanks for the arc. .3.75

Was this review helpful?

I love this series. The romance aspect was still going strong, and this book add more politics into the story- which I loved that's always something that I enjoy in fantasy books, I will say I also love when stories are character driven and this book dropped in that which was disappointing but I give it grace- it can't help the second book syndrome. And with that BRB while I go reread the first two books until the third is in my hands.

Was this review helpful?

I think I actually preferred the plot and pacing of this book to book one, which seems at odds with the rest of the reviews.

This was a bit more sexual than book one, but again, the scenes were fairly fade to black. But it was a lot more prominent as Remy plays the part of a pet or, what Xiodan endears, puppy.
Yeah, um, not for me. Keep it in the fanfiction.

Again, I have to express my disappointment for this series as I went in with such high expectations coming from her other books and hearing the hype it got on social media.

I just want to leave this last quote but basically sums up the series. Remy, I love you, but…

"Remy, I swear to every thing you consider holy that sometimes you are the densest person I have ever met."

Was this review helpful?

I said it in my last review, and I’ll say it again, I LOVE this world and cannot get enough of it. If you were a fan of the first book, the sequel is /definitely/ worth your time.
Here are some highlights for me.

The story is just as engaging as SUN but in completely different ways. While the first was more action packed and rapid fire plot this is a little more slow burn plot with lots of intrigue and court politics. It was nice to have a book that doesn’t just copy and paste all the elements of the previous book to try and recreate the success. The world and characters obviously stayed the same, but the plot style and pacing brought a new flavor to the story.

The world building is absolutely phenomenal! In this book we got a deeper dive into some of the vampiric lore/history of the world and it. is. so. interesting. Chupeco is a very talented writer and has become an instant buy author for me because of this duology.

The tenderness between Remy, Xiaodan, and Malekh is /everything/. Watching the continued development of that relationship felt so rewarding and beautiful. You get to see them supporting each other as they each grapple with their own hardships and troubled pasts. The spice is still /hot/ but the depth of the emotional intimacy takes the forefront.

My only qualm is that the story is over! While the ending was very satisfying and well done, I am still ravenous for anything set in this world. Truly the most engaging read I have come across in awhile! The ‘book hangover’ from this book will be a rough one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book!

Was this review helpful?

Cover of Wanderers was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. After reading, silver under nightfall, I knew that this book had to be amazing. And it would have been if it hadn't been for the pacing for me. I felt there was just too many downtimes where all they did is sit around and talk politics. Which I absolutely love court politics, especially when it comes to vampires. But also, it was just so slow and there wasn't enough action in between the politicking to keep me in thralled the way I was with the first book. I did not get as much of the conflict between Remy and his father that I wanted throughout the book. The relationship between the three main characters was still excellent. I found it to be so tender and loving. And a really great contrast to the violence that was inherently throughout the first book. I was looking for some more of that same feel from the second book and I just didn't get it.


That being said, it's not like I did not enjoy this book at all. It was a very middle of the road average Book for me and I would still recommend it. But I would only recommend it to those who are OK with a slower pace, more heavy on the court politics, kind of reader I would not recommend it to the same type of reader I would recommend the first book too, which would make it overall a harder ideology to recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Okay, listen. If you read and adored the first book, you will read and adore this book, even though they are both quite different. Book one was quite action packed, while this is much slower and more mystery-based as opposed to fighting action (though there are several action scenes, don't get me wrong! Just not as many as book one). The thing about this sequel is the /tenderness/ of the relationship between our main three. Chapter one resolves the conflict of book one's ending, and then the whole rest of the book is just them learning how to love each other more deeply and beautifully, taking care of each other and knowing each other and what the others need. And it is so. fucking. beautiful.

Remy is leaning into his confidence, learning that it's okay to be loved and to love in return, and that he IS worthy of good things, of gentleness and care and adoration. He's dealing with his own anxieties and griefs through the whole book, but Malekh and Xiaodan are right there with him for every step of the way, comforting him through nightmares and supporting him through everything. And he, in turn, is there for them as Xiaodan wrestles with understanding who she is without her sun, and Malekh as he takes on the first court's memory. They are all so tender and gentle with each other, giving endless support through everything and being so fucking /good/. If romance was like this in other books, I wouldn't read anything else.

The relationship is definitely the best part of this book, though I really do wish we'd had some more of them at the end, but oh well. I really liked Remy's journey with the Night Empress too though, and all that was revealed through that. It was heart breaking but beautiful and brought a much richer depth to the story. His resolution with his father was good as well, though complicated given their history.

The writing was beautiful, as always, the mystery heart-stopping and intriguing. Lots more spice here, though once again so touching and beautiful because of how richly emotional this book is. Easy 5 stars again. My only regret is that I've started 2024 with reading this duology because it has completely ruined me for any other books! Would that there were a thousand books like these that could touch my heart so deeply and make me so irrevocably in love with fictional characters. I'm not being dramatic when I say that I will spend the rest of my life trying to find books like these.

Was this review helpful?

I had zero expectations going into Silver Under Nightfall, and that book absolutely blew me out of the water, so I was beyond thrilled to receive an ARC of its sequel. That said, I had much higher expectations for this one—which, admittedly, is my fault—so I'm not surprised I was a teensy bit let down.

I want to start on a positive note which is that, my god, their relationship is SO. GOOD. Every time Remy, Xiodan, Malekh were alone together, I just couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Their chemistry is absolutely unmatched; like, the sexual tension is through the roof EVEN THOUGH they have sex CONSTANTLY. HOW!!! I am losing my mind. And when they aren't having sex (rarely) (I'm not kidding, probably a solid half of this book is sex or talking about sex. I am not complaining), the three of them are so sweet and wonderful together in their own different ways. Their personalities are expanded upon from SUN, which I do feel was much needed in the case of Xiaodan, especially, and it's great to have all these tender, loving moments together. (And the ending. AHHHHHHHH. Rin Chupeco I owe you my life.)

Okay, I'm normal now. Onto the part I didn't like as much.

My god, the pacing. This book has so many scenes of characters sitting in rooms and talking about stuff, and while this is not usually an issue for me (I LOVE some good fantasy politicking), the first book was much more action-packed in comparison, which I found myself missing. Don't get me wrong; the action is still there, and it's really good; it's just not as much of a focus this time. And while I, personally, don't have an issue with this book having so much sex in it, I know some people will. If that's not your thing, I get it! It's mine, apparently, but definitely not for everyone. There's a plot here, absolutely, and stakes and tension, but it's not as much of a focus in this one as it was the first.

Do I recommend this book (and this duology in general)? Absolutely. I think Court of Wanderers has a satisfying, if a bit rushed, conclusion and ties up most of the threads from Silver Under Nightfall with a neat-ish little bow; if you're in it for plot, I think you'll have an alright time, especially if you were interested in the Night Empress and her backstory. If you didn't care about (or actively disliked) the romance in book one, maybe skip the sequel and thank me later. If you, like me, are here for a good time and not a long time and just want to see some polyamorous bisexual vampire lovin', read on and enjoy the fun!

Was this review helpful?

Court of Wanderers wrapped up the threads of Silver Under Nightfall perfectly for a duology. The story started right where the last ended with Remy traveling to the Third Court with Xiaodan and Malekh. As the story unfolds we learn more about the Night Empress and the politics of the vampire courts. Other mysteries are introduced along the way with a bit of a locked room murder and people not being who they seem. As a whole it was a really enjoyable series to read and I liked the interpretations of vampires in Rin Chupeco's world.

Remy's character arc was nice to read as he increased in confidence in both himself as a person and in his relationship with Xiaodan and Malekh. The character of the Night Empress is also flushed out a bit more and we learn of her backstory and how she came to be. However, I felt Xiaodan and Malekh kind of faded a bit more into the background in this book and wished they had a bit more of their own storyline.

Overall, the pacing was sometimes difficult with many pages of worldbuilding after an intense action seen. The pace was never slow or fast but more of a stop and start, where I would have preferred a steady increase. I think that is the aspects of the romance plot coming through that while I enjoyed, seemed to somewhat slow the plot.

That being said I like how the romance unfolded and Remy, Xiaodan and Malekh all had things that they gained through their relationship in terms of character growth.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the horror elements of this duology. The creatures created were ghastly and their deaths gruesome and that kept me coming back for more.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Rin Chupeco for giving the gays everything they've ever wanted. (I'm gays.)

This one was definitely slower than Silver Under Nightfall. There's a lot of characters talking politics for chapters on end that definitely drags the pacing down for most of the book. However, Remy, Xiaodan, and Malehk are absolutely perfect. I love them whole-heartedly and I'm glad that the vibe from the end of book one was swiftly taken care of. Remy remains THE character of all time.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for this arc! I must say, it was a pleasant surprise to receive the approval email. I should start by saying I adore silver under nightfall, it was an endearing fantasy and plus VAMPIRES.
In all honesty, I struggled here. As a follow up to Nightfall, I guess I expected that same feeling of excitement to read and escape but it never came. Reading this inevitably felt like a chore, and for that reason, I had to rate it as I did. Not quite 3 stars but, not as low as a 2. I love the world and the writer but this installment didn’t hit As hard as I hoped.

Was this review helpful?

A most anticipated return back to the world of Silver Under Nightfall! In this sequel we see the return of our main trio of Remy, Zidan, and Xioadan with a few other familiar faces along with some new ones. I liked learning more about court life, especially finally getting to visit the Third Court, and vampire political intrigue. I must be honest and say that our main trio really make this series and any interaction with the 3 of them shines in this book. Overall I can say that this book was fun, while not perfect … I think there was some weird pacing choices throughout, I enjoyed it a lot and kept picking it back up. If you enjoyed SUN l think you would also enjoy the sequel.

My rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press!

Was this review helpful?

I had such high high hopes for this book after how much I loved the first one. Court of Wanderers focuses much more on the politics of the vampire courts and the relationship between the 3 main characters. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I missed some of the action of the first book. There were parts where it just read more like a history book than what I expected. I did still love this book, but the ending also felt rushed for this to also be the end of the series, I want to know so much more.

Was this review helpful?

I read Silver Under Nightfall in January of this year (2023) and was so excited to read Court of Wanderers as soon as it came out so I was so excited that I was approved for an eARC by Saga Press and NetGalley.

Court of Wanderers expands so much on the world of the vampire courts and I loved learning more about them. I also thought the ending to the main plot in the two books was handled really well. I was anxious about the ending of the romance but I wasn’t disappointed!

I really love Rin Chupeco and I can’t wait to read more from them.

Was this review helpful?

I’m going to start this off by saying. Book 1 (silver under nightfall) was my favorite book in 2023. And court of wanderers became my most anticipated read. I preordered a physical copy ($30). I could not stop thinking about book 1 so I tried to re read it. And then I found out NetGalley was offering this as an arc. I jumped at the opportunity to get this book. So imagine my disappointment when this was one of the worst books I have ever read. I loved these characters but they were not enough to push me through this book. Reading is subjective I know that but I canceled my preorder and will never read another series by this author. This book was drastically different from book 1. Everything you love in book 1 was taken out of this. My favorite part was the characters. They have no development whatsoever in this book and that’s what I wanted to see. They were still in the awkward stage of their relationship where they can’t even talk to each other. And Remy is still questioning whether or not they want him. But their sex life is perfect. I saw a review that said you can sum up all these characters in 2 words on good reads and they were not lying. Xiodan (kind and horny), Remy (talkative and horny) and Zidan ( smart and horny). Their whole relationship is built off sex. In the first book it was more of a slow burn and tons of tension and in this book I was hoping that it would progress and have some spice sprinkled throughout the book. But all we got was non stop arguing scenes between the characters. And then badly written smut scenes in every chapter and not only that but it was halfway fade to black. So it wasnt even worth it. What’s the point of writing spice in every chapter if it’s basically fade to black? And then when they weren’t having sex they were talking about it!!! And the vampire court politics involves sex. How am I supposed to take them seriously if they are having Remy and Xiaodan perform sexual acts in front of all of the vampire court nobles. Not to mention the human pet sex slaves?!? This book was creepy and weird. I like smut just like the next girl but this was horrible. And where tf was the plot?!? If you liked book 1 you might like this. But if you wanted development, plot, and amazing tension between the characters like you got in the first book then skip this and pretend book 1 was a standalone. I feel horrible if the author sees this review. But if they do I hope next time they decide to build off of what they already have written rather then whatever this was. I’ve heard some people actually like this so still give it a shot. But I’m just so grateful I was able to read this book here for free rather than the $30 hardcover. Because $30 for this disastrous book would have sent me over the edge. That’s all. Ima give it 2 stars on here but tbh it’s like 1.5 stars. And I rated book 1 six stars.
(Sorry for any grammatical errors. I won’t be editing this review)

Was this review helpful?

Court of Wanderers was going to be one of my most anticipated books of 2024, but I got to read an ARC in October!!! And since this is only a duology, I was able to finish this amazing series in less than one year! It's such a bittersweet moment, and I'm going to miss Remy, Zidan, and Xiaodan. Ugh. That's the sad part about duologies and bingeing series, the magic is over too quickly. But, these books have captured my vampire-loving, fantasy-obsessed heart, so a reread may come in the very near future.

The three main characters are all back for this sequel, and they're trying to navigate their new relationship while dealing with bad vampires and undead monsters. Remy, as always, is a cinnamon roll in knight form, and I LOVE that his is the only POV we get. Too often authors use dual POV and it takes away from the mystery of the other characters, especially when it comes to romantic tension. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a romance. It's a fantasy similar in vibes to The Witcher, Empire of the Vampire, and even Van Helsing, the Hugh Jackman gothic paranormal film (not the original Dracula character). But all of those also have some interesting romances within the overarching storyline, and there's plenty of action, politics, and scheming to keep everyone entertained.

As for our other two characters, Zidan and Xiaodan, they're trying to figure things out. Zidan with leadership thrust upon him, and Xiaodan with her unreliable powers. I just adore these three characters' dynamics. One kind-of human, two vampires, and a lot of trouble.

With the plot, everything was so fast-paced, in a great way. I devoured it all. And even though I did forget a few details between reading book one and book two, it was very easy to get back into the world and story. It's a digestible fantasy. I will say that the ending was a little crazy and convoluted. Nothing terrible per se, but I would have preferred a little less chaos in that last 10%, or at least another chapter or two to settle things down after the craziness. There were also a few too many villain monologues, which made those last chapters a bit cheesy. Still loved the book, however.

All in all, I read Silver Under Nightfall in August of 2023 and got to read Court of Wanderers in late October, and now I feel like no other book will live up to this story. I want more! Ugh! Just give me domestic Remy, Zidan, and Xiaodan scenes, Rin Chupeco. Please! But anyway... Trust me, if you're a fan of The Witcher, Empire of the Vampre, Van Helsing, From Blood and Ash, or any other vampire paranormal story, this duology should be your next read.

4.5 stars

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Was this review helpful?

I read Silver Under Nightfall and immediately requested this ARC. I was so thrilled to be approved to read this early. I absolutely love this world. It is such an interesting take on vampire lore. I really enjoyed the added political and court intrigue in this book. I was so happy to have Remy, Xiaodan, and Zidan back in my life. One of the hottest and loveliest relationships out there. I know this is a duology but I would happily read more books in this world. I can't wait to see what Rin does next!

Massive thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately, this book just didn’t capture my attention as well as book one did. I found Remy to be more whiny (maybe that’s the point but I found it annoying).

I wish the world building was more creative as well. I usually dislike world building that relies on dialogue as it does not feel natural.

I just felt like the pacing was off and I felt myself not being motivated to finish it. Unfortunately, this is my first DNF and I usually pride myself on pushing through.

Though I didn’t like this book, if you like political fantasy, if you liked the romance in book 1, if you like fade to black smut, this book might be for you.

Was this review helpful?

Let me just say that I love Remy and Xiaodan and Malekh with all my heart and I was so excited to read this. I love their relationship and I love how Remy eventually comes into his own and learns to accept that he's more than what others think of him; that he's a person worth loving and living. That being said, this was honestly quite disappointing. It had its good moments (the triad's relationship expanding; the banter; the little moments with side characters; I did like Remy's expanded relationship with his parents--even though I think it could have been done a little better). Unfortunately, this book, despite being the last book (the author's note said this was a duology, which is just so disappointing), feels like a middle book. The ending was rushed to hell and the bulk of the book, despite moments of action was muddled down with a lot of expository conversation and not a lot of character-driven moments, which it sorely needed. This really should have been a trilogy, imo, because what the author was trying to accomplish didn't seem like it could be done in a satisfactory way (especially if, like me, you enjoy those more introspective, character-driven moments) in just two books. I really wanted to love this, but I'm left feeling kind of cold and I don't know if it's worth buying the book at release when all I'm left with in the end is the desire for so, so much more than I was given. Again, I still do love the world and the characters a lot. Just not quite enough to make me rate this any higher.

Was this review helpful?