Icon and Inferno is a fantastic follow up to Stars and Smoke! We join Winter and Sydney again as they embark on a new assignment together. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat and is a thrill ride from start to finish. Marie Lu has created beautiful characters who are trying to survive in their worlds but keep colliding together.

In this enjoyable follow-up to Lu's Stars and Smoke (2023), readers will see a continuation of the angsty romance and spy missions. Winter and Sydney are teamed back for an even bigger mission while also dealing with their feelings for one another and their ex-flames. Complex emotions and a betrayal allow for some character development, but readers looking for more romance than the first book might be sorely disappointed. Lu leaves the ending open in regards to further books, so we'll have to wait and see if Sydney and Winter's romance gets a true conclusion. Hand to readers who enjoyed the first in the series, but those looking for a romance may want to look elsewhere.

Thank you to NetGalley, Roaring Brook Press, and Ms. Lu for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Icon and Inferno is a fantastic, thrilling roller-coaster ride of a book. I read it back-to-back with another book which really emphasized Marie Lu's mastery of fast-paced plot, authentically great characterization, and those little details that take a book from good to amazing.

Sydney and Winter reunite for a new mission, surprising exactly zero people, in this thrilling mashup of secret agents, spies, high-stakes world politics, exes, murder, jealousy, backstabbing, romance, and secrets. The introduction of Winter's ex (Gavi) and Sydney's - sort of - (Tems) really heightens the tension between Winter and Sydney as they each struggle simultaneously with other issues: Niall's retirement and its effects on Sydney, and the publication of a tell-all book exposing Winter's mental health and other personal issues.

Honestly this book was absolutely terrific. It's worth adding that the cover is gorgeous. I wish Sydney and Winter could have communicated earlier and cleared things up faster, but frankly it's completely in character for both of them to keep their secrets close to the vest. If I had one wish, it was that the ending gave me moremoreMORE, but Ms. Lu knows what she's doing and I can't complain. Highly recommended, 4 1/2 stars.

The quick cut: A pop star finds himself playing spy once again when one of their own disappears during a mission.

A real review:
Thank you to Roaring Brook Press for providing the arc for an honest review.

Playing a spy once is unbelievable enough but what if you were asked to do it again? Would you be willing to risk it one more time? This is a question for Winter.

A year has passed since he last saw secret agent Sydney, but she's still on his mind. Even if their last mission was more dangerous than he agreed to, he can't ignore the powerful chemistry they had together. He thought he'd never see her again until another agent disappears and his help is needed to find their agent again. Will he be able to make the chemistry happen again with Sydney?

Sequel stories can be tricky because sometimes the buildup from the first can create unachievable expectations. I was very excited to read this one and even knowing that, I still loved this story. It takes all the elements of the first and builds on them, including creating problems that added to the characters' development this time.

Winter is a pop sensation who was trained only out of necessity the first time. The thrill was supposed to be a one and done, but the right combination of scenarios created a second opportunity. His development is about figuring out what he wants, especially when his status means he can't have it all. Is he ready to give up the public life?

Sydney knows her life isn't built for relationships, but she has Winter on her mind. Can she deny their chemistry again when they're paired up together a second time? That's easy to do when your mission involves saving your ex. I loved how the ex being the mission really played an element in her journey.

A fun sequel spy thriller that builds on the first.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Book Review of Icon and Inferno (Stars and Smoke #2) by Marie Lu

Cover Story: Behind The Scenes
BFF Charm: You’re In Danger x 2
Talky Talk: Polyglot Potential
Bonus Factor: Surprising Skills, Coach Taylor Award
Anti-Bonus Factor: Crossover Confusion, Genre Confusion, Dan Scott Award for Awful Parenting
Relationship Status: Back To The Training Floor

Cover Story: Behind The Scenes
I like this cover. Sydney and Winter look just like I imagined them. Drawing them in formal wear (Sydney’s burgundy gown is gorgeous, although not something she’d actually wear in her bodyguard role) and hiding from the gala behind a curtain is a great way to show how they’re each other’s refuge from the facade they put up for the rest of the world.

The Deal:
It’s been a year since Winter Young’s and Sydney Cossette’s first mission as spy partners, but they haven’t forgotten about each other. With one of Sydney’s fellow agents gone missing in Singapore, where Winter just happens to be booked for a gala, it’s too good an opportunity for their agency’s director (who not-so-secretly ships them) to ignore. The trouble is that Winter, who is terrible at saying no, has somehow invited his ex-girlfriend to be his date for the gala … and Sydney’s ex-boyfriend is the agent they’re supposed to rescue. Fun, right? And by the way, someone wants to kill the U.S. president. Not exactly the reunion they were hoping for.

BFF Charm: You’re In Danger x 2
I understand that this is a spy caper, and taking risks is par for the course, but some of Sydney and Winter’s decisions genuinely make me wonder why they haven’t been fired. They trust people who have already proven themselves untrustworthy, namely their exes, who have done things like leave Sydney stranded in a foreign country or lock Winter out of his own house. They lie and keep secrets from their superiors, whom they claim to respect. Kids, you’re trying to prevent a war and save a world leader’s life. Would it kill you to talk to a grown-up about it?

Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Sydney and Winter (especially Sydney) start off the story in deep denial about their feelings, using their exes as shields to pretend they’re over each other. The danger they’re thrown into, however (and the reminder of why they broke up with their exes in the first place) soon cause them to open up to each other, and things get very physically and emotionally intimate, very quickly.

Talky Talk: Polyglot Potential
Sydney has a gift for learning languages. While eavesdropping on a Mandarin speaker, she finds it a challenge to decipher the tones and place unfamiliar words in context. I would have liked to see more scenes like this. In a spy story featuring international politics, with a love story between characters from different ethnicities, it would have been interesting to see linguistics and translation play a role.

Bonus Factor: Surprising Skills
Winter keeps finding unexpected uses for his pop star skills as a secret agent. Learning choreography helps him learn to fight, pulling Houdini-esque stunts on stage helps him escape being tied up, being a performer helps him keep his cover, and sometimes all he has to do is show his face at the right time and create a diversion.

Bonus Factor: Coach Taylor Award
Claire, Winter’s manager, cares more about him than his own parents do. She ends interviews if they make him uncomfortable, sends lawyers after unauthorized biographers, orders his bodyguards into formation like a general to keep him safe in a crowd, and reminds him to eat and sleep when he forgets.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Crossover Confusion
Winter performs at the Warcross Games’ opening ceremony and meets Hideo and Emika, which means this series takes place in the same universe – or does it? The effects of Hideo’s NeuroLink would have made the events of Stars and Smoke impossible, or at least highly improbable. At the very least, Sydney would have remembered the Link affecting her. Hearing the world-changing events of Wildcard hand-waved away as “a data breach of some sort” jarred me right out of the story.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Genre Confusion
If you’re going to blend genres – romance and suspense, for example – it’s important to keep them balanced so that one doesn’t distract from the other. This series, unfortunately, doesn’t get the balance quite right. As a pop star/bodyguard romance about the pressures of the music industry, unresolved family trauma and opposites-attract tension, it’s fun and engaging and sometimes even emotional. But the spy story elements feel formulaic, from the betrayal to the villain monologue. Also, the wider implications of the terrorists’ plot are hardly mentioned. Since Winter is a Chinese American trying to prevent a war between America and China, it’s hard to believe that he would think about it only in the abstract, and not as something that could affect him personally.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Dan Scott Award for Awful Parenting
Winter’s parents are, if possible, even worse in this book than the last one. His mother is more forgetful than ever, and the emotional abuse his father inflicts in a single phone call makes the actual terrorists he faces later seem cartoonish in comparison.

Relationship Status: Back To The Training Floor
You’ve made some mistakes, Book, but I still believe you have potential. Call me when your sequel shows up.

It’s been a year since uber-famous international pop star Winter Young went undercover with spy Sydney Cossette to take down a crime boss in London (in Stars and Smoke). Sydney has trained and worked hard since she was young with super-secret spy agency Panacea. While Winter, of course, had no spy training before some quick instruction in useful skills, he brought some handy talents to the table.

The two worked practically seamlessly together, considering they had just met. But Sydney and Winter just understood each other in deep ways. Unfortunately, their chemistry couldn’t go anywhere. When they went their separate ways after the London mission, they thought they wouldn’t see each other again.

That’s not to say they didn’t think about each other. So it comes mostly as a pleasure for both of them to have an opportunity to go on another mission together. This time, they need to go to Singapore to get another Panacea operative out of the country. The stakes are high, with the very safety of the United States at risk.

Add into that that this time around, Winter and Sydney have more to deal with: exes in the picture, family drama, their feelings about each other… making this book even more intense than the first.

I had a great time with Stars and Smoke, so I was eager to continue with Winter and Sydney’s story. Icon and Inferno didn’t disappoint on all the levels: action, intrigue, romance, secrets, just the right amount of angst, and a glamorous and exotic location. Marie Lu set out to entertain readers and she has achieved her goal twice. Looking forward to another installment, which I’m sure there will be.

4.25/5 stars

In this follow-up to Stars and Smoke, pop superstar Winter Young is once again recruited by agent Sydney Cossette to assist the elite covert ops Panacea group. They travel to Singapore to locate and retrieve a missing Panacea agent and uncover an assassination plot that must be thwarted to avoid a war.

There is pretty much nonstop action here as well as treachery, double crosses, a tragic loss and lots of romantic chemistry along the way. I liked that Lu gave a larger glimpse into both Winter's and Sydney's formative years, their vulnerabilities and their motivations. While their relationship definitely moves forward, they are still at a loss of how to ultimately make their very different lives mesh together.

While some of the action/scenarios are over-the-top, the growth of Winter's and Sydney's characters, both personally and as a romantic duo, is well-developed and promises to lead to further angst/conflict/resolution down the road.

Looking forward to seeing how things continue to develop in further adventures.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook Press for providing the free early arc of Icon and Inferno for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

4.5/5 stars

This sequel gives off the same vibes as the first book but with a fun twist as we get to meet Sydney and Winter’s exes as they embark on a new mission.

I enjoyed getting to see more of our main characters as they grow emotionally and have a fun action packed spy adventure. The mission takes place in Singapore which was a unique location to read about - especially since I have just traveled there.

The story follows our two main characters in an alternating perspective as they navigate a mission with their exes. I had a great time following along and felt like I was watching a kdrama about spies and a little bit of romance. I did feel that the plot was a little predictable but I still enjoyed seeing how the characters grew from their journey. The romance that we did see could feel very frustrating to the reader but felt very in character and realistic with who the characters are.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a lighter read that is fast paced and has cute kdrama moments.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a fun story! Marie Lu really excels in building tension and writing well-developed characters with witty dialogue, and all of those skills shined in both Stars and Smoke and Icon and Inferno.

I also deeply appreciate how Lu writes about grief; there were several instances where I highlighted sections where she talked about grief because I related to them so much and know I'll want to revisit them.

Both of these books were fast-paced, quick reads, with a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat! I devoured both books because I was desperate to see where the story was going.

Unfortunately, Icon and Inferno didn't hit quite as hard for me as Stars and Smoke did. I thought the overall writing and story structure was stronger in the first installment. The plot points in this story were more predictable, especially when it came to a character death.

Anytime a spy starts to talk about retiring, you know they're not long for this world. On top of that, when you add in wanting to make amends, confess love to someone, having a letter written to an estranged relative... this character's impending death was jumping off the page, and I was ready for it. As a result, I didn't feel anything when they died, and I wanted to! Their death should've been a gut-punch, but I was pretty unaffected by it.

As usual, I found the resolution to be a bit quick for my tastes and wish we weren't in such a hurry to wrap everything up. However, I did enjoy Sydney and Winter's endings. It felt honest and realistic for their characters, and I always appreciate when an author takes the honest route instead of the easy one that would please everyone.

Despite my criticisms, I did really enjoy this book, and I would definitely recommend picking up both Stars and Smoke and Icon and Inferno! There may even be a couple cameos waiting for you, if you know where to look...

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu is a high-stakes thriller that transports readers to the world of secret agents. Set after the events of Stars and Smoke, this one delves into the main characters’ pasts and doesn’t disappoint with the action scenes. This is a fun addition to the thriller genre that fans of the author’s previous work will love.

Set a year after Stars and Smoke, this sequel follows Winter and Sydney’s reunion as they are tasked with a new and dangerous mission—rescuing another agent, who happens to be Sydney’s ex. However, when they arrive in Singapore, the situation is more complex than they imagined, and they quickly find themselves caught in a high-stakes assassination plot. With targets on their own backs and their own complicated feelings about each other to unpack, Winter and Sydney must find a way to save not only a life but also the world from a potential war.

❀ ENTERTAINING CHARACTERS

I adore both Winter and Sydney, and it is so entertaining to read about them as a team. Like the first book, I find the balance between them with their different lifestyles—one in the spotlight and one in the shadows—so fascinating. This instalment dives deeper into their pasts and vulnerabilities, and I enjoyed getting to see so much character development.

❀ ACTION-PACKED STORY

As a story about secret agents, this one really delivers on the action. It is so thrilling to read about the characters’ strategies to gain information as well as their clever escapes when things get out of hand, and I particularly enjoyed the way they use Winter’s star power to find a way out of difficult situations. All of this makes for an entertaining read that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page.

❀ PERFECT FOR THRILLER FANS

Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu is an action-packed spy novel that is perfect for fans of the YA mystery/ thriller genre. I loved the main characters’ dynamic, and I found myself completely immersed in the story. I hope to see a third instalment in this unique series in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

Okay, look, I was a sucker for Stars and Smoke because like.....spies? forced proximity? just....the concept in general. This one did not disappoint with Winter and Sydney coming together again to save the world....and some other stuff. I do kind of feel like the plot was a bit messier in this one, but also it definitely just...dumps you in to the action. There were also some moments I didn't think were necessary and while it was for the plot...I don't think it's explained that well?

Regardless, I didn't see some of the twists and turns and plot events coming...which is always a good thing. I also liked how their relationship developed but also didn't? Like, it feels very closed off at the end while also remaining open for more books featuring Winter and Sydney -- although, I am curious how they're going to use Winter in anymore plots....since his cover isn't blown but it's blown?

Anyways, this was still such a good, fast-paced read.

Icon And Inferno:⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio #MacAudio2024 for my gifted copy!⁣
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“A little like the sun and the moon aren’t we?Never in the sky at the same time.” But sometimes the sun and the moon were visible together. Sometimes they were.”⁣
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What’s that quote that’s like “If they have a million fans, I’m one of them. If they have one fan, it’s me. If they have zero fans, I’m dead?” That’s actually (actually) how I feel about Sydney and Winter. I will ride for this series until the breaks fall off. I loved Stars and Smoke and Icon and Inferno was just as good!⁣
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Winter’s back to help his Panacea friends in making sure no one tries to off the literal IS President. All while starting his tour, dealing with a tell-all book that’s coming out without his permission, saving another agent, and trying to figure out his feels for Sydney. Easy, right? ⁣
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Can we get a live recording of the song please Marie Lu? Like.. let’s get that bonus footage on the audiobook?! Just asking. The audio was amazing as always. I loved that Becca Q. Co whispered when they whispered and really gave me the shocks I needed. Highly recommend.⁣
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Overall, another hit for me. It’s a hill I’ll die on with this series. Please let us have more Winter and Sydney! Out June 11th!⁣
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QOTD: What’s a band or artist you like? Or, name a song you like?

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, only below K. Ancrum's Icarus, and I had loved Stars and Smoke, and Marie Lu's books have all been 4 or 5 star reads for me for over a decade, so I fully anticipated loving its follow-up and getting another peek into Sydney and Winter's worlds.

Instead, I found myself struggling to even get through this book. The spark felt like it was missing in this one, and I really only found myself finally feeling like I was reading one of Lu's novels when we hit the last 10% which is not what I was at all expecting. The twist is visible from the very start, Sydney's disability is nonexistent except for where it's suddenly useful to mention to slow her down, and Winter's team who had been a joy when they were present in book one are almost nonexistent too. I'm not sure that I'd give this one a reread and that absolutely breaks my heart.

Starts and Smoke had felt like pure joy, and it was clear that it had been written as a way to counter the amount of awful things going on in the world at the time of writing it, whereas Icon and Inferno tries to be more angsty and emotionally devastating, which is a common presence in Lu's books but isn't what I was expecting as the tone of the second book of a series that was initially created to be joyful and counter the negativity present in the everyday world. I had loved the initial concept for this series when Lu shared it, and I can't lie that I'm disappointed in both the shortening of this series into a duology, or the major tonal shift that shortening seems to have brought.

Lu delivers on a thrilling and romantic follow up to “Stars and Smoke”!

“Icon and Inferno” follows Sydney Cossette and Winter Young as they reunite to rescue a compromised agent, uncover an assassination attempt, and prevent a war from happening. To make it out alive, they’ll have to figure out how to be partners again—and if they can resist something more.

The stakes are higher in this book with the threat of a world war on the horizon. I found myself holding my breath at all times as I tried to anticipate what would happen next and what forces would tear Sydney and Winter apart. The action sequences, fast-paced narrative, and jaw-dropping cliffhangers made it impossible to put this one down. What’s more, with Sydney and Winter having grown attached to each other after their mission in London, there is an added layer of pressure as they try not to let their feelings get in the way of their objective. The introduction of both Sydney and Winter’s exes only amplifies the tension between them. Their partnership is tested, but they ultimately come out stronger than ever in the end. Despite how different their lives are with Winter in the spotlight and Sydney in the shadows, they can’t help but gravitate towards each other and I could not get enough of their relationship.

I should have known better than to think I wouldn’t shed a couple tears…this is a Marie Lu book after all. I’ve grown so attached to Sydney and Winter as characters across both serials, so watching them experience hardships and undergo growth made me so emotional. In this book, we get more on their respective backstories with Winter’s manipulative father trying to blackmail his way back to into his life and Sydney reflecting on her own abusive father as her father figure prepares to retire from Panacea. Marie Lu handles tough subjects with care and manages to mold her characters into real people.

The Warcross easter eggs in this book made me so happy, but perhaps not so much as the ending! I hope another installment is in the works. Keep them coming!

A fun spy-thriller/romance and an enjoyable read. A duology I'd recommend to high school students and to high school teachers.

Icon and Inferno was absolutely amazing! Spies and government conspiracies with fast paced action...this book had me on the edge of my seat!

I loved finding out more details about Winter's backstory and of course Sidney is back as his bodyguard! Things definitely heats up between them and I appreciated how the author explored their relationship with the obligations they have.

I'm definitely hoping for a 3rd book in the series because with that ending I need more of them both!

Icon and Inferno is the second book in Marie Lu's high-stakes, romantic spy series featuring a young secret agent named Sydney Cossette and a superstar-turned-temporary-agent named Winter Young.

It was fast-paced, emotionally evocative, and entertaining--all things I want from a spy story, but with a backbone of ethical complication and philosophical musing that I found satisfying. Lots of twists and turns, here, too. Some of which I saw coming, others of which I was shocked by.

It should also be noted: this book is not a standalone, but I read it like it was one. In fact, I chose possibly the *weirdest* entry point for getting into the Warcross universe (which is home to Marie Lu's Warcross series, the Legend books, and the first book of this series).

Prior to reading, I had no idea that this series would be connected to some of Lu's other works, and I had little to no idea about those other works as well (I missed the bandwagon, before!).

And yet. I had a great time? There were some moments where cameos and such were apparent, even for an "outside reader," and I suspect readers familiar with the other series will find those moments rewarding. As for me, Lu centered me in the world and series with enough context to find it coherent, but not so much info-dumping that I was bogged down.

I'd heard this was YA, but in some places, it read as a little more mature than that, in my opinion. In some places, it seemed more New Adult to me, but in others, it carried a tone that felt more in step with a YA audience.

Overall, this was a fun read! It's made me more curious about some of Lu's other works, for sure. :)

Approximately one year ago, Sydney Cossette and Winter Young were two unlikely partners on an extremely dangerous mission. Now, they have been paired together once more to rescue a Panacea agent in Singapore. But when their arrival in Singapore is rockier than initially anticipated and an unexpected guest is awaiting their arrival at the hotel, the duo soon discover that there is more to their mission than they realized, and myriad lives are in danger. As their situation becomes ever more precarious, Winter and Sydney must decide whether they will adhere to all the rules of their mission—including their relationship parameters—or if they will follow their instincts, instead.

This second book in the Stars and Smoke series picks up just as the case gets off the ground. Readers are reminded of the interactions among Sydney and her superiors from the first book, as well as the relationship between the superiors themselves. While it is best for readers to have experienced the first installment before beginning this one, there are elements of this story that can stand on their own, as well. Winter is still troubled, despite his international musical success, and he finds himself thinking of Sydney often. Because of the stakes of their mission and the rules Panacea has laid out for them, the two are not permitted to pursue their romantic feelings for one another, which creates a palpable tension throughout the novel.

Alternating perspectives between Winter and Sydney, the narrative unfolds in a way that permits readers to understand the inner drive of both characters even when they do not divulge that information aloud. Because the book is written in the third person, it is the actions that define the characters as opposed to their individual voices, which makes the narrative feel more like a documentary than a first-person account. Throughout the novel, readers find themselves on the edges of their seats as danger rises and the distinction between good and evil becomes more difficult to discern. Best for mature readers due to the danger, violence, and romantic interludes included within the story, this is an excellent addition to both the Stars and Smoke series and to library collections for young adult readers.

Winter and Sydney are back on a secret mission. Can they stay partners, or will their short romance last mission continue?

Winter can’t stop thinking about Sydney, his ex Gavi pops back up in his life with some questionable interests in Winter, and he’s about to be on another world tour. While he’s practicing, Sydney and Pancea pop back into his life, sending him on a whirlwind mission to save the world again.

This book was a great follow up to Stars and Smoke. It wasn’t as action packed, but the mission has more twists and turns!

Icon and Inferno is the second book in the Stars and Smoke series. This is a fun spy type story taking a famous pop star and using him as cover to get into places that the Panacea group (Offshoot of the CIA) might not be able to get into. Winter and Sydney get a second chance at both another mission and exploring the feeling they have for each other as they team up again to find a missing agent and try and stop an assassination.

This is a really good follow up story to Stars and Smoke and while I don’t think it was better than the first book, it was a great book for some character growth and overall story development. The chemistry between Winter and Sydney is undeniable and even though both have their exes a bit in the picture for this story it never really felt like a love triangle or square, it just pushed them into really evaluating their pasts and prior relationships to discover what they want in their futures.

The plot to the story was fast paced and fun. There is a plot to assassinate the President of the United States and it is really hard to tell who is on team good or evil in this. In an attempt to thwart the assassination true alliances and huge deceptions will be revealed. It looks like Sydney might also be targeted in this story, which means her cover has been blown and someone in Panacea can’t be trusted. Sydney and Winter will learn that they can only trust themselves and possibly find a bigger bond in that.

The story ties up in the end really well and I think we will get to see more Rock Star Spy stuff in the future. Marie Lu has set this up well for at least one more story to the series. I liked the tone of the story and the nice blend of all the action with the romance between Winter and Sydney. Both were balanced well and never overshadowed the other aspects making it a really fun read. Sure you have to suspend some disbelief in this book, but I think that is known going in based on the concept of the story.

Overall a great YA read with a good blend of both action and romance. Just a fun series so far.