Blood & Fury is the sequel to Chaos & Flame and picks up pretty much where that book left off, with Darling and Talon separated, and with Talon reeling from Darling's betrayal. They're actually apart for a lot of this book, but I loved reading about their complicated relationship evolve into something more romantic. Gratton and Ireland do a great job filling in Talon's backstory by diving deep into his family history, which helps explain how they got to where they were in the story. It also sheds some light on Talon's unstable older brother Caspian and their relationship, and also casts Caspian in a more sympathetic light relative to how he was portrayed in the first book.

Darling, for her part, is dealing with her own stuff too. She discovers that she is the long-lost Phoenix, and this sets into motion the fracturing of the House regents. I liked the exploration into how something that happens to Darling ends up having such a ripple effect. I believe that our actions impact others, but it was interesting to look at this phenomenon through the lens of something that can't be controlled. She is tasked not only with making her way back to Talon because only they together can save the kingdom, but also with earning back his trust. I'm always drawn to narratives about forgiveness, and I ended up feeling sympathetic towards both of them. And as promised by the build-up in book 1, there is lots of action in this sequel, including some thrilling battle scenes.

Blood & Fury by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland, the second book in the Chaos & Flame series, offers a deeper dive into the rich history of Chaos and the blood magic that played a pivotal role in the death of the phoenix and the eventual weakening of boons over time. The exploration of the past, and how those actions ripple into the present, adds a great layer of depth to the world-building.

While the plot centers around tracking down the dangerous and mysterious Aurora, the story focuses more on healing and righting the wrongs from the past. It's a bit more peaceful than I expected, but that doesn't make it any less engaging. I really enjoyed this quieter, more reflective turn as it allowed for meaningful character growth and development. The writing flows beautifully, and the pacing feels balanced as the story reaches its resolution.

The ending wraps up the series on a satisfying note, tying up the loose ends and giving a sense of closure to the characters and their journey. Overall, Blood & Fury is a great continuation of the series, and I enjoyed the combination of history, magic, and personal growth that made this installment so compelling. Definitely a solid read for fans of the series!

I think I waited way too long to pick up this sequel 😭. I remember reading and loving the first book and wondering why there was no hype around it. It’s an epic YA fantasy with political intrigue, different houses, and ancient creatures. The ending also left off and a huge cliffhanger that left my jaw on the floor.

When I finally got around to the sequel (some time later 😅), it picked up where it left off plus a little prequel. But I was bored the entire time. It had none of the excitement or allure as the first one and it left me very confused lol. I’m not sure if it was the amount of time in between me reading the first book and its conclusion or the book really just wasn’t that exciting. But I’m pretty sad because I really did enjoy the first book that much!

Blood & Fury delivers a satisfying yet somewhat uneven conclusion to the Chaos & Flame duology. While the first book set up an exciting world of warring houses, magical transformations, and deep-rooted betrayals, this sequel struggles to maintain the same momentum.

Darling’s journey as the Phoenix Reborn had so much potential, but much of her arc is spent in self-doubt and emotional turmoil that sometimes reads more as repetitive whining than true character growth. Talon, on the other hand, remains a strong character—his unwavering love for Darling and his strategic mind make him more engaging, even if his storyline feels somewhat underdeveloped. The romance, which was a highlight in the first book, lacks the same spark here, making their connection feel more obligatory than passionate.

One of the biggest disappointments is the loss of the political intrigue and rich world-building that made Chaos & Flame so compelling. The history of blood magic, which should have played a more central role, is frustratingly glossed over. The pacing also suffers, with long stretches of slow-moving introspection followed by rushed resolutions. Additionally, some key characters—particularly Caspian—deserved more attention, and their arcs feel incomplete.

Despite these issues, the book is beautifully written, and the action sequences are well-executed. The magical transformations, though sometimes overused, add a sense of grandeur. While this conclusion doesn’t quite live up to the promise of the first book, fans of the series will still find enough to enjoy. A solid read, but it left me wishing for a bit more depth and development.

3 stars This sequel went straight into the plot which is normally a good thing for my reading but if someone has not read the first book in a while it can be confusing. It was still a good ending to this series and while I'm good at predicting many ends to stories this did have a twist that others may not get.

I loved the first book so much, so of course I had to get my hands on this book. This book picks up from the cliffhanger of the first one, it is hard to give a big review of this book since this book does take place of the ramifications of the first one. The world building is great, I love the fantasy world, but I still love Talon's character. Though to me, Talon's character was better without Darling. I do wish there was more but this was a fun duology.

This was okay. It was about the same level as the first one. I wasn’t wowed by the 1st but I was really hoping to be redeemed by the 2nd. The characters felt a little too 2-dimensional to me and the plot sort of felt flat and underdeveloped a bit. I can’t put my finger on exactly what I didn’t like, but it wasn’t overall terrible. It felt middle of the road for me.

I enjoyed this sequel better than the first. This was a fascinating world with chaos magic, blood magic, empyreals, and an awesome Phoenix. The reason I liked this one better is that there was a bit less of the annoying instalove between Talon and Darling and more traveling around trying to find the newly made Empyreals and continue the peace efforts that Caspian had started before he turned into a dragon and stop the despicable Aurora from completing her dastardly blood magic plan and ruining everything. That's quite a lot to put on the plate of Darling who went from battle captive to the Phoenix reborn though I think it was rightly given for all that she went through and she is definitely the best person for the job.

There is a little dive into the history of Chaos and the use of blood magic back in the past which led to the death of the phoenix a hundred years ago, as well as the damning up of chaos, making boons weaker and wrong as time went on. This book is mostly righting all those wrongs and while there was the tracking down of the compelling dangerous Aurora, it is mostly peaceful and I enjoyed reading this (though I hated the part in the barn at the end). It does end nicely and wraps up the story on a good note.

Blood and fury by Tessa gratton & Justina Ierland is a second and final book in a ya fantasy duology and I thought it was a solid duology! The reason why is I found this one to be a lot faster pace of a read just because I knew all the characters already and new the magic system and the dragons and phoniex's, so I honestly love this one more than book 1. I will give a more detial review later on this sequel but overall I gave it 5 stars!!(:
Thank u to Penguin Teen for sending me a copy of the e-arc & Netgalley for sending it to me as well! Happy reading!(:
#penguinteen #penguinteeninflencer

Who knew a kiss could unearth fire and the long-lost Phoenix? In the second installment of the Chaos & Fury series we pick up months later after Darling finds out that she is now the Phoenix. As Darling learns how to control her Phoenix she discovers that she has unlocked everyone's seeded Chaos powers. Filled with revenge, can Darling find the love she once had with Talon?
Talon, reeling with the devastating realization of how his aunt Aurora has controlled her powers, sets out to find Darling and deliver the one who has truly deceived them all. But when Aurora escapes she leaves a path of destruction that forces Darling and Talon to team up to finally eradicate their common enemy.
Overall rating 3/5
I absolutely loved the first book and could not wait to get my hands on the sequel. However, I was a little disappointed. I felt that 70% of this book dragged as the reader was taken on a tour around the world with lackluster action. I did love the final slow buildup to Darling and Talon finally seeing each other since the fateful kiss. I wish we could have gotten more in depth interactions with all the different “houses” and their new powers.


*Thank you to Tessa Gratton, Justina Ireland, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Razorbill, and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this digital advanced reader copy (e-ARC) in exchange for an honest review.

★★★ (3.0)

I think the author tried to fit a wide and complex sequence with some political intrigue that concludes the whole story of this series into a short-length book but didn't do a great job with it. The atmosphere still shared similarities with Book 1, but the plot strayed a bit from what the story intended to wrap up. This book offers much, but it is not comparable to what it actually explains. What I hoped for was more of Caspian and more from the villain, but instead, the plot focused on Talon and Darling's closure. It felt like it only talked about them without giving attention to the other characters.

I was curious about the others because we were introduced to another house, but they just existed to make the story more crowded. The conclusion of everything felt unsatisfying because of how rushed it was. There was just one chapter for the climax, and nothing interesting about it.

When I finally finished this, I was sad that the better development I craved was not present. I didn't hate the book, just felt disappointed with how it ended. For me, it was just an okay duology, not really hooking me, but I still enjoyed some parts of it.

I love that we got to explore the ramifications and aftershocks of the ending of book 1. It was a crazy ending and we got to see what that ending did to all the characters and kingdoms involved. I don't want to get into it too much because there are a lot of spoilers, but I enjoyed exploring this aspect of the plot.

Also, it was cool to get more a of a backstory about certain characters that contribute to the plot in significant ways.

The hardest part about this book was the pacing. I had an issue with it in the first book and it remained the same in this one. The story is interesting and the world is fascinating, but it's so slooooow. There are action-packed moments, but once that moment ends, the pace slows down. I was bored through so much of this book which is something I never want to be when reading a book. It took a lot of effort to push through. My curiosity was the main driving factor.

Overall, not my favorite duology, but it had it's moments. I think if the pacing had been better, my rating would have gone up quite a bit.

i personally don’t want to make this review too long because i’ve already discussed a lot of my issues with this duology as a whole in my review for the first book, chaos & flame. but let’s just say a lot of my issues with the disability rep and the romance and even the world-building stay the same, if not are amplified more in the sequel.

however, i think overall, the premise of the second book is MUCH stronger than the first one. i was worried about how things were going to fall out after the ending events, which did have me pretty piqued. and i think the sequel did an incredible job following the aftermath of the first book. the lore of the world became so so much more interesting to me, especially since we had some more insight into aurora’s story (but unfortunately not much into her motives). the concept of the regent ephemerals was an incredible addition to the world’s political and foundational background.

did this additional also make darling even more of a chose one. absolutely. that’s where i struggled to separate the fact that her disability was ultimately shown as a superpower, especially since it was kind of, sort of, even more so in the second book. in this book, we learn that her blindness is essentially magic itself. and she is the only one who can repair it. so… still not really ideal in my book.

lets just put it this way, if you liked the concept of the first book and can put aside any issues with insta-love and poorly done disability rep then i definitely think you will like the second book even more. in my opinion it had a lot more going for it, despite the flaws from the first book carrying over. i really do implore you to read the review i wrote for the first book if you’re curious about my thoughts in more full. this isn’t much more i could’ve add about this book that i hadn’t touched upon there besides that i liked the world building much more in finale.

"Blood & Fury," co-authored by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland, emerges as a stunning sequel to "Chaos and Flame," reaffirming Justina Ireland's an d Tessa Gratton's prowess in storytelling. As a dedicated fan of "Chaos and Flame," I was eager to dive into this continuation, and it certainly did not disappoint.

The novel masterfully concludes the duology, leaving me both satisfied and melancholic at its conclusion. The romance between Darling and Talon is beautifully portrayed, woven seamlessly into the narrative without overpowering the central plot. Their relationship evolves organically, adding depth and emotion to an already compelling storyline.

The skillful prose ensures that the plot flows effortlessly, maintaining a captivating pace from start to finish. Each twist and turn is expertly executed, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover what lies ahead. The authors' collaboration shines through in the seamless blending of their writing styles, creating a cohesive and immersive world.

Overall, "Blood & Fury" stands out as a worthy sequel that not only lives up to its predecessor but also delivers a satisfying conclusion to the duology. It's a testament to Justina Ireland's ability to craft compelling narratives and Tessa Gratton's contribution to the rich tapestry of the story. Fans of historical fantasy and intricate romances will find much to love in this book.

After that shocking betrayal, aka cliffhanger, I was more than ready to read about Darling and Talon's next adventures. Darling never truly knew her true purpose until the very end of the first book. And she is now wondering what she needs to do to serve her purpose. She may have some feelings regarding Talon, but she won’t betray herself. She already learned from her experiences that Talon would never be loyal to her. 

Talon couldn’t believe his luck. After Darling's betrayal, he is more than willing to push his feelings aside and bring the kingdom to peace again. However, he has the worst luck, with family betraying him left and right. He has no idea what to do to save the kingdom, but he is more than willing to keep trying.

I am kind of mad that we didn’t start off right after the cliffhanger. Apparently, time has passed in Blood & Fury, and we go from there. I feel like it’s a cop-out because I needed all of the characters feelings. Their angst and betrayal feelings will bring the tension between the kingdoms even higher. Anyway, I definitely enjoyed the high-strake fantasy aspect. It brought the world-building in Blood & Fury even more in style with the dragons and phoenix. 

I truly think that we need to stop thinking about this book as a romance fantasy read. It’s more political fantasy with messy family drama. The romance is more of a of a sub-pplot. It’s not the true focus, which I don’t mind. It just needs to be marketed as a bit more political fantasy than romance. 

Definitely read book one before reading this book. It’s a more high-strake political fantasy read.

RATING: 4 out of 5 Enchanted Roses

ONE-WORD REVIEW: FIERCE

TAG LINE: Chaos will rise.

OPENING LINE: The second scion of House Cockatrice was eleven years old when her mother gripped her chin to tilt her face this way and that, studying her hair and eyes and skin and mouth, her posture and her build.

REVIEW:

Huge thank you to James and PenguinTeen for sending me an ARC of BLOOD & FURY!

BLOOD & FURY was a great follow-up and satisfying conclusion to CHAOS & FLAMES! Book 1s are a tough act to follow but this sequel did not disappoint. BLOOD & FURY was an action-packed, quick YA fantastical read interwoven with a lush romance, entertaining lore, and, of course, dragons! The world-building was as interesting as ever! Like its predecessor, BLOOD & FURY continued the storyline in dual POV—Talon’s and Darling’s.

Only complaint: We don't get the same dazzling prophesies and political intrigue we did with CHAOS & FLAMES.

Overall, BLOOD & FURY was a well-paced, enjoyable read that I recommend to fans of the first book in the duology--CHAOS & FLAMES--, The Color of Dragons by R.A. Salvatore and Nemesis by Anna Banks!

Happy Reading!
Ashley
www.TheTatteredPage.com

I received this book from NetGalley and Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review.

Blood & Fury is a fantastic follow up to Chaos & Flame and conclusion to this duology. This was one of my most highly anticipated releases for the year and I am very happy to say it did not disappoint whatsoever.

I came into this book already deeply attached to the characters and this sequel only intensified those attachments. With the cliffhanger of Chaos & Flame, I was eager to see where our characters ended up and how things were going to evolve from those events in book one. Talon was a character that I liked a lot in the first book but in this one he really become one of my favourites. I loved his relationship with Darling but also how dedicated to everything he put his mind to in this book. Darling took on a whole new level of power and purpose in this and I really enjoyed watching her evolve with that added responsibility. Caspian got on my last nerve but it made sense still. Vivian was a new favourite for me and I really loved seeing more of her.

There were multiple moments in this where I physically felt my heart pounding while reading and could not put it down. The action really sucks you in once things start to really pick up. Overall, I think this was an excellent conclusion and I'm sad to no longer be in this world. Highly recommend.

*5/5 stars*

Thank you Penguin Young Readers and Netgalley for this eARC!

This is such a strong sequel and really sticks the landing as the end of a duology. After the cliffhanger of book one, book two satisfied the need of more from these two authors and answered my world building questions.

I loved the romance between Darling and Talon so much. I adored Talon's POV because we got to see how down bad he was for Darling.

I need more from both of these authors so bad. I enjoyed their style and how the plot flowers with the characters.

I loved this book so much - it was such a good follow up to the first one. I'll be recommending this series over and over again

A strong follow up to it predecessor chaos and flame and a more solid story that follows as well. The world building and magic system are unique and kept me listening to each piece of the story as it flowed. This is a political fantasy series with mythical creatures, romance, magic and conspirators. At times the pacing was a bit slower then i would of like but with only two books to build a story that bound to happen. I think a trilogy would of been better so parts could of been more flushed out.