This YA romance follows Winter and Sydney. I loved how it was an agent/spy based novel. It had a great amount of slow burn and I loved the romance in it. I just really how it wasn’t just a simple romance book.

I'm so sorry. I appreciated the ARC read but I couldn't finish it because I had to DNF about 50% through. It just wasn't for me unfortunately

Icon and Inferno is everything fans of the first book would hope for in a sequel. It’s fast-paced with plenty of romantic tension and that will they, won’t they in both romance and survival that made the first book fun.

The story continues in a slow burn way, but the pining doesn’t get annoying, and the characters around them keep things interesting instead of the two of them having more internal conflicts preventing them from being together.

This story continues with it feeling more like an action book with spies than a romance, which worked well for the characters and settings. This one also feels like it has more stakes because of some of the losses and because of the point they are both at in their careers. The mystery is a little weak, but the characters continued to be strong.

It’s another fun book in the series, and I’m hoping for a third.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving a copy.

I enjoyed going back into this world! Lu also does a wonderful job with her fantasy worlds. I think I might like this one better than the first. I really felt a connection to the side characters just as much as I felt with the main characters.

I also liked the ending, it was the type of ending that could be a true ending, but still left the door open for more books. Also, I'm obsessed with these covers.

Just as enjoyable as the first one. Books with spies are my favorite. I really hope we get more books following Winter and Sydney!

After a year since superstar Winter Young saw secret agent Sydney Cossette, Sydney shows up at Winter’s studio with a new mission from Panacea. An operative is in danger and it is up to the duo to rescue him. The catch is that the man in question is none other than Sydney's ex. Complicating matters, Winter's on again and off again girlfriend Gavi Ginsburg is along for the ride, as a cover for Winter's real purpose for being in Singapore. When danger affects the mission, will it also compromise the lives of Winter and Sydney?

Marie Lu never fails to deliver an entertaining read, though the mystery parts are pretty predictable. The teenage angst is also par for the course, but the story itself has a good flow. The narration is well delivered by Becca Q. Co, who also narrates the first book in the series.

I had the opportunity to both listen to and read this novel. I largely preferred the audio version, as the performance of the characters were superior to the printed word. The audio grabbed my attention more, entertaining me as I drove, did household chores, and the like. As far as the printed version went, I read the novel without much fanfare. I was glad the book was not that long, as it really did not hold my attention as much as the audio did. This was not my favorite series by Marie Lu and this novel lagged behind Stars and Smoke.

Overall, I would not recommend readers new to the series to start with this one. The strength of this book came from Stars and Smoke, as it is a continuation of that novel.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy, as well as an Advanced Reader's Copy of this novel by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to review this novel was entirely my own.

An excellent follow-up to book one, and now I will be checking goodreads on the daily for a book 3 announcement. Sydney and Winter are compelling and flawed characters, with a reasonable amount of hang-ups and misunderstandings. With some much anticipated resolution to the unresolved sexual tension (tastefully, though somewhat racy for YA, in my opinion...), and some real peril for both main and side chapters, Icon and Inferno proves Marie Lu is still at the top of near-future contemporary action-thriller YA.

This is the sequel to Stars & Smoke. Marie Lu never disappoints and this sequel doesn’t give you second syndrome. All the action in words & a new place. An ex whom you can’t help but love which causes a bit of trouble for the protagonist while working with the partner you want her to love. Who knew a pop star & secret agent could so much and more!

Marie Lu always delivers. I love the fast-paced, high stakes that we tend to find in her books and Icon and Inferno doesn't disappoint. I love Winter and Sydney's dynamic, I loved the setting, and I love their adventures. Can't wait to see what Lu does next!

Marie Lu is an auto-read author for me. This book was a great young adult (YA) read. If you love spies, fight scenes, and car chases, this is the series for you. The characters are likable and fun to read about. The story was action-packed and full of adventures.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley.

I picked up the first book in this series becuase it was flying off the shelf in the library I work at. It set a high expectation for this one that it was thankfully able to live up to. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me early access to it!

I loved this second entry in the Stars and Smoke series and hope the author will continue writing in this world. The chemistry between music superstar Winter Young and secret agent Sydney Cossette is off the charts, and their joining forces for a new mission in Singapore leads to multiple twists and turns and increasing danger, along with relationship complications. Highly recommended.

The first book wasn’t bad, if a bit far fetched with the young FMC…. I appreciated the ARC of this, and overall it was an enjoyable read, just not anything that stood out

Marie Lu is such an outstanding author. Book two is better than book one which is CRAZY! Because Book one was outstanding! The character development was OUTSTANDING. This book was one I just couldn't put down

What a wild ride! I loved this sequel, maybe even more than book one! The plot kept me intrigued the whole time and it was so fun! Overall, I am excited to continue this series and really enjoyed this book!

It was an enjoyable read but I liked the first one much better. I love the world that's created in this series and the characters in it. this book was surprisingly sad at points too.

Marie Lu is back with the second installment in her Stars and Smoke series starring Secret Agent Sydney Cossette and pop superstar Winter. Once again, they need to team up together to save the world. I love the idea of a pop superstar being a secret agent because obviously someone like that can get in anywhere, and his star power is used heavily in this book to get out of tight situations. It has been a year since Sydney and Winter have seen each other and they have thought a lot about each other, not that they will admit that to anyone. Their relationship is very angsty in this book. We are also introduced to Tems, Sydney''s ex, although I'm confused how a two day relationship makes someone an ex. This book fits neatly into the young adult category and fans of the first book will be happy to follow along with these characters. I don't recommend reading these books out of order.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for an early ecopy. My opinion is my own.

After reading Marie Lu's Stars and Smoke in 2023, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for its sequel. And Icon and Inferno did not disappoint! I love Sydney and Winter, and the progression of their relationship in this book compared to the first was top-tier. I hope that there is another book in the series, it's so entertaining!

This was an amazing sequel to follow book one. Full of action and surprises! I love the characters Sydney and Winter! The writer handles the spy and action like a master storyteller. I so hope there will be more in this series. It was left with the perfect setup for more. The concept of a Rock Star and a Spy working together is original and yet oh so fun. Well done Marie Lu!!! Thanks to #NetGalley for this amazing read!

In a sequel to Stars and Smoke, we see Sydney and Winter reunited on another mission. They are tasked with rescuing an agent that went missing in Singapore. Their cover will be Winter's already planned tour there. When they get there, Sydney realizes the agent is her ex, who follows the rules even less than her.

I enjoyed this one a lot! I don't think I liked it ~quite~ as much as the first one because I loved the chemistry between Sydney and Winter so much in that one. There is still some of that here, but since they weren't enemies anymore (like the enemies to lovers trope from the first book), it didn't have as much zing. This one also felt a lot more action-y than spy-y, kind of like how a lot more recent James Bond movies are more action than true spy work. Also, all the big plot things that happened I thought were predictable, but not in a bad way - just not unexpected. I still enjoyed it a lot though! It also left off in a way that seems like there could be more if Lu wants to revisit this series. I think it would be interesting to have a little time lapse (with of course Sydney and Winter trysts in between) so that they are a little more grown up as I think that would bring a new dynamic to it that could be interesting.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.