Dazzling and breathtaking work of pure art and a fun sequel! thanks for the arc, quite respectable work and romance was cute.

While I definitely enjoyed this, I kind of missed the spark of the first book? It all felt a little bland to me, which led to me not fully enjoying the book as much as I'd hoped. All in all it still was a good enough read, and definitely one I can recommend when you've read and enjoyed the first one!

YES YES YES!! I need Marie Lu to write more Spy books. I ABSOLUTELY devoured this book in one day Definitely liked this one better than the first. I think the world building of the first book took me out of the setting. Where it was established here, it was easier to get into the action and follow along with the story. And ooooh man is there action! It never stops!! You think you're out of the woods, but NOPE!! There's another car explosion! Seriously delicious and unexpected read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of Icon and Inferno in exchange for my honest review!

I must admit that Stars and Smoke, while passably enjoyable, wasn't completely my vibe, but I'm glad to say that Icon and Inferno makes for a significantly more compelling sequel in this duology. For one thing, the romance between Sydney and Winter rivets me more this time around. It was all right during the first book, but I still wasn't feeling as much of the genuine chemistry as I'd wanted to. But in this sequel, it builds up authentic love and tension between them as Sydney wrestles with the inherent secrecy and life-threatening risks of her undercover occupation and as Winter contends with the challenges and the lack of privacy that comes with living in a celebrity spotlight. To my surprise, I additionally like the extra tension that a supporting character, Tems, throws into the affair, not quite turning this into a love triangle, but bringing it somewhat close to such a trope. And that says a lot, considering I'm not usually the biggest fan of said trope, but this quasi-example works. Sure, the plot can get predictable, which does detract a little from the thrills of the narrative's spy side, but it generally grips me nonetheless.

Overall, I'm officially rating Icon and Inferno four out of five stars. While this duology may not reach the same level of love that I have for other books by Lu, such as the Legend series and the Skyhunter duology, I'm still glad I went on this journey.

Marie Lu is an author that is on my automatic "must read" list for years. When I heard that Stars and Smoke would receive a sequel, that was all I had to know. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook Press for providing me with a digital review copy of this highly anticipated thriller of a sequel in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Sydney Cossette and Winter Young are thrown back together for an even higher stakes mission than before which brings them in the midst of political plots, treason, heartbreak, and Singapore.

I typically keep my reviews spoiler free. However, I knew that one character was a bad egg long before the reveal. I did wish that one character's death was faked, sadly it was not.

The stakes and the stunts were higher in this book and it did not disappoint. Anytime Sydney and Winter share the page, you can feel the electricity between their characters. Even new characters, such as Gavi, were well crafted, something that Lu is a master of.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast pace spy thriller. I believe this is the end of of the road for Winter and Sydney, but if Marie Lu ever decides to return to this world, I am game for reading about one last mission.

I love Marie Lu so much 😭 Her books never cease to amaze me. Her writing style and characters and plot are always amazing! I love Sydney and Winter so much. They have a wonderful dynamic and the contrast to being a super star and a spy is so cool to read. I loved the Warcross cameo!! That is my favorite Marie Lu series and getting to visit Emika and Hideo again was so amazing 😍 This book was a whirlwind and I enjoyed every second of it. I’m sad that we don’t have any more planned stories for Sydney and Winter but I hope we visit them again someday!

Marie Lu has done it again. I would read her grocery list at this point, everything she writes is just so addictive and this was no different. This book met the expectations that were set by the first and surpassed them easily. I love Winter and Sydney and it was great getting to see the added depth to their relationship and explore who they are on a more complex level. The characterization is the star of the show not to say that the plot wasn't absolutely addictive. Also, talk about slow burn romance, oh my lord this one really does make you wait and I loved every second. The story was fast paced and the plot is so much more than it initially seems. You'll finish this book clamoring for more!

Winter Young and Sydney Cosette are back for more spycraft and suspense! This time, Winter's been invited to perform at a huge e-sport event in Singapore, and can get Sydney and her team from Panacea into the country to extract an agent in trouble. But when they arrive, their plan goes sideways as Tems, the agent they've been sent to rescue, reveals that someone is planning to assassinate the U.S. President at a banquet the night after the concert. In order to save the President, Sydney and Winter have to disobey their orders and bend the rules. But is it worth the risk they will take? And if they don't take it, are they ready to live with the consequences?

Winter and Sydney continue to be enjoyable characters to follow on their high-stakes, thrilling spy adventures. Although Ms. Lu claimed that she wrote the first Winter and Sydney book, "Star and Smoke" during the pandemic for something fun to do, I think she undersold her skill to write this type of story a little bit. The plot for "Icon and Inferno" is, if anything, more intense making the first book feel like a warm-up. More is revealed about Sydney's past. She and Winter explore their feelings more, and lay themselves bare and vulnerable to each other. Where all this will lead, only time will tell, but I know I'm not alone in wishing that both Winter and Sydney return soon in their next adventure. Also - shoutout to any Warcross fans, you'll get some fun cameos in this book.

I definitely enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next, so four out of five stars for me. Thank you to Netgalley, Marie Lu, and Macmillan's Children Publishing Group for the free advance reader's copy. This is a voluntary review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed Stars and Smoke, and was disappointed by this sequel. Winter and Sydney are back, and heading to Singapore. The plot was flimsy and the writing was poor compared to Lu's other works. I would recommend the first installation but perhaps not this one.

This story was so good. I really enjoyed book one, and I'm glad that I was able to read book two early as well. It was interesting and I was so invested. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Winter and Sydney's explosive reunion in this thrilling sequel is a masterclass in action-packed storytelling and sizzling chemistry. The intrigue of international espionage is perfectly blended with deep personal stakes, as Winter's yearning and Sydney's perilous mission intertwine against the backdrop of a politically charged America. The stakes are higher, the danger is more imminent, and the twists are utterly gripping. A must-read for fans of high-octane romance and suspense!

gonna be honest: i literally have too much to read and too much work to do but i will read it eventually. (sry winter ilu)

In the year since superstar Winter Young last saw secret agent Sydney Cossette, they haven't kept contact. Their connection had been intense and they continually think about each other but don't meet until there's a new mission from Panacea. They head to Singapore to rescue an operative in danger, who turns out to be Sydney's ex, a rogue agent known as the Arsonist. On top of that is the addition of Gavi Ginsburg, socialite and Winter’s former girlfriend. Is she back for Winter, or does she want something else?

Icon and Inferno is the second novel in the Stars and Inferno series. While it isn't quite necessary to have read the first novel, it's lots of fun and makes the relationships make more sense. We have Sydney and Winter’s relationship here, as well as their prickly and frankly obnoxious exes in the story. Faced with an assassination plot, of course, they all go ahead to stop it rather than send Tems home as planned. There's danger in this, as Sydney's targeted by an assassin as well, and someone is planning a tell all book about Winter. There are so many little details to keep track of, and everything falls apart with devastating consequences.

As ever, Sydney and Winter work best when together and can read each other well. There's tension between them because they don't know where they stand emotionally, and there's a larger picture to keep in mind. But as much as they both were put into positions where they are in danger, they pull through and manage to prioritize each other and the mission. This is a wonderful follow-up to the first novel, and hopefully, there are more in the series.

Superstar Winter Young and secret agent Sydney Cossette reunite after surviving a high-pressure mission in London. Their chemistry remains firmly in place, despite a year of silence. When Sydney reappears at Winter's studio with a new mission from Panacea, they embark on an urgent mission to rescue a fellow agent, who turns out to be Sydney's snarky and attractive ex. Drama ensues as they uncover a plot far more sinister than anticipated.

This book offers a gripping mix of agents, spies, betrayal, and a delightful slow-burn romance. The sequel delves deeper into Winter and Sydney's relationship, adding complexity. Old flames reignite, jealousy simmers, and the narrative weaves a thrilling tale of love and espionage. New love interests for both characters inject fresh tension and excitement. Winter and Sydney undergo significant changes, and their romance, depicted with sincerity, pulls at the heartstrings. The new character, Tems, adds humor and intensifies the narrative tension (I was NOT a fan of Tems…).

The pacing mirrors the breakneck speed of the first book, ensuring an unputdownable reading experience. Political intrigue adds depth, elevating the stakes and keeping readers engaged. The author’s writing remains addictive, compelling readers to devour the book in one sitting. While the rapid pace heightens excitement, moments to savor the characters' interactions would have been appreciated. The ending is both painful and surprising, leaving this reader eager for a third book. We NEED a third book…these characters will stay with me for a long time…

Is Icon and Inferno as good as its predecessor, Stars and Smoke?

No.

Does that matter?

Not really.

This dual point of view sequel is fast-moving and full of action, but it misses out a little bit without that initial spark that permeated through Stars and Smoke.

That spark might have gone a bit dormant, but that’s to be expected in an ongoing relationship, and it’s nice to see both characters working through different emotions. There’s not as much growth but enough to satisfy.

Lu’s pacing, however, is spot on, and her cinematic prose really moves the story forward — I could easily see both books as movies.

The ambiguous ending leaves room for Lu to re-enter this world in the future, and I hope she does.

Icon and Inferno is the second installment in the Stars and Smoke series. In this installment we have our cast of characters return as a rescue mission is assigned to Sydney. The rescue mission is to save her ex-fling, Tems. Panacea decides to bring back the super pop star Winter Young as they expect to find the missing agent in Singapore. During the mission, it becomes known that there’s also an assassination planned. Someone is attempting to assassinate the US president. It’s up to the steamy duo to save the day. Will they be successful once again?

This book was fun. It’s very YA, as expected but it certainly ups the ante with a little bit more romance. The characters are the same as the first book and there isn’t much character growth but we are given more of their backgrounds on who makes them the people they are. I would’ve loved this book and its predecessor when I was in my teens and for that I give it 4/5 stars.

It’s no secret that I love Marie Lu’s writing style. If she’s publishing a book, I’m going to be reading it. Icon and Inferno is a fun spy thriller that takes place one year after Stars and Smoke. Follow superstar Winter and secret agent Sydney in an all-new, high-stakes mission. Government conspiracies, spy tech, and slow-burn romance, oh my!

The sequel gives juicier backstory details and complicates Winter and Sydney’s reunion by also pairing them up with old flames: Winter’s on-again-off-again ex-girlfriend, Gavi, and Syndey’s fellow secret agent and one-night-stand hookup named Tems. The mission starts out simple: rescue Tems. He has missed his last couple of check-ins and his cover in Singapore is assumed to be compromised. Yet when Sydney, Winter, and Gavi arrive in Singapore they quickly have targets on their backs as they are pulled into a plot to assassinate The President of the United States.

This was such a fun read! Using a singer’s access and star power to navigate the difficulties of their missions was what drew me into book one, and book two does not disappoint. Winter uses his fame quite creatively! The two main characters have a great dynamic, the Singaporean setting was super descriptive and immersive, and the spies have lots of cool high-tech gadgets to work with! I'd definitely recommend this to fans of YA mysteries and thrillers.

International musical artist Winter and secret agent Sydney are team up once again. This time they are on a mission to rescue a fellow agent, but complications arise as soon as they arrive at their destination.

With Lu's fast-paced writing, Icon and Inferno was nearly as fun as the first book While I do not normally read spy thrillers, I do enjoy watching them so the book was a little predictable. Nevertheless, I was still engrossed in the story and invested in Winter and Sydney. I relished in their individuals struggles about their feelings for the other person. Having their exes in the picture along with their moments of jealousy helped increase the tension. It was great. Even when my attention started to stray, the romance would bring me back.

I recommend this for individuals who enjoy fast-paced spy thrillers fused with a "will they or won't they" romance.

Title: Icon and Inferno
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

A year has passed since superstar Winter and secret agent Sydney Cossette went undercover - on a dangerous mission to bring down the baddest man in London.

Winter hasn't stopped thinking about Sydney since, and she's been trying not to think about him

Family secrets and nasty newspapers has Winter desperate to re-enter the secret world. And it's not long before he gets his chance.

Sydney is back, and this time the mission goes right to the heart of the United States of America. A rescue gone wrong, an assassination attempt - and the return of an old flame - puts Winter right back into the action . . . and into a country on the brink of chaos.

And when a murder accusation has Sydney on the run, suddenly it's not just a life at stake, but all-out war.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but that didn’t really cause a problem—although I think it would have been better to read it. I enjoyed these characters and everything they had going on and loved the chemistry between Winter and Sydney. Lots of action, of course, and a bit of mystery about what was happening. This was a quick, fun read.

Marie Lu is a bestselling author. Icon and Inferno is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.)

So far I’m disappointed. I’m 38% in and I feel like nothing has happened besides annoying miscommunication (leading to an annoying ex-girlfirend being there that hasn't helped the plot at all) and jealousy between the supposedly bada$$ spy and the super star. Both read like naive high schoolers and I’ll come back if I can power through this not action spy, save the world book.

Edit: Nope I'm done. I am having to many problems with this book and it just isn't worth my time to trudging along.