Well, I DEFINITELY DID NOT see that coming! This one is a can't miss! And I think my students will love the twists and emotional arcs.


Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.

Adrienne writes so well and I love that she talks about depression in such a way. The characters are so real and feel so much. The fact that it is so normal that these characters are LGBTQ is wonderful.

I enjoyed this well-written and exciting sequel. The story weaves surprising twists and emotionally deep characters in a satisfying conclusion to the duology. This is a great YA series because it does have some topics such as depression, anxiety, and the importance of mental health. This book was a satisfying end to a series I will never forget.

The Second Son (Betrayal Prophecies Book #2)

✍️ By: Adrienne Tooley-I read The Third Daughter and gave it 4⭐

🗣️ Narrator: Rebecca Lee voices all characters. The narrator's voice fits the characters. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along with the E-book and audiobook.

Format: e-book, 314 pgs. | audiobook run time 7:55

🗓️ Publication Date: 7-16-24 | Read: 8-16-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers| Christy Ottaviano for this e-ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: YA, Romance, Fantasy

🌏Setting: Velle

Tropes:
-Sapphic romance
-LGBTQ+ rep
-slow burn
-friends to enemies

POV: multiple, 3rd person

💭 Summary 💭Sabine and Elodie have to work together to defeat the Second Son who will destroy Velle.

Heroine: Elodie-Queen of Velle,17

Heroine: Sabine-The New Maiden,17

🎭Side cast:

* Sebastien-the second son

*Tal-Elodie's friend but loyal to the 2nd son

*Silas-the new bishop and later Chaplain

*Brianne-Elodie's younger sister, The Third Daughter who was put in a deep sleep so Elodie could ascend the throne

* Cleo-Elodie's middle sister

*Rob-Elodie's brother

*Edgar DeVos-Senator of the Sixth Republic-wants to marry Elodie and won't take no for an answer

* Tera and Duke Antony-Elodie's parents- her mother is deceased, father estranged

*Orla Anders, Artur, and Katrynn-Sabine's mother, brother, and sister.

🤔My Thoughts: At the core, Tal, Sebastien, Elodie, and Sabine pushed down their darkness. Sebastien and Tal both had abusive fathers and mothers who didn't care about them. Elodie sacrificed her little sister to take the throne and Sabine sold sadness before becoming the Maiden. Sabine took away Tal and Sebastien's pain, but she learned that she wasn't meant remain the Maiden. Elodie knew she wasn't meant to be Queen, so she changed Velle from a monarchy to a democracy, Maxine-the Velle's military commander- was my MVP because she took charge and did her duty.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 2/5-off page, 1 scene between Elodie and Sabine
🎧: Narration 4/5
😭: Emotion 4/5
❤️: Couple 4/5
⭐️: Rating 3.5/5

The Second Son by Adrienne Tooley

What a finale and stunning conclusion to the Betrayal Prophecy duology. This book captured me and I read it in one sitting. I absolutely loved this book. It was worth it, worth the wait.

Top 5 reasons to read this~

° the plot, I loved how everything unfolded. It was intense, emotional and really something.

° the characters, brilliant! What an immense growth they had and part each of them played. Exceptionally done.

° the secrets, politics, power, family, duty, this book had it all.

° it isn't just fantasy. The author touched upon many deeper topics be it related to emotional abuse, societal expectations, family drama and an individuals growth in such scenarios.

° Elodie and Sabine growing throughout the book with their individual journey was a treat to read and experience.

Go ahead and get this. I am adding my favourite quotes too to lure you in.

• “that anything worth doing will always feel just a little bit like a sacrifice.”

• “Platitudes without passion cannot stand the test of time.”

• "But sadness and anger were intrinsically linked. And if a person was allowed to feel only the half of it, the rest would echo emptily."

The above are just some teasers if I could say so, there are more and I won't be doing justice if I don't have another post just with the quotes.

As excited as I was for this book, I struggled with it and ultimately DNF at 53% (Chapter 18).

One of the biggest hurdles was that it’d been a year since I’d read The Third Daughter, so I was having trouble remembering what had previously happened and who everyone was. I definitely recommend tackling both books in this duology back-to-back because this book dives right into things without any reminders to refresh the reader’s memory.

While I eventually warmed back up to the characters, the story still fell flat for me because I wanted more decisive action from both of the protagonists.

Both the queen and the New Maiden seemed strangely powerless in their stations. I’m not convinced either of them were fit for the roles they were born into, which made the Second Son’s seem like he had a valid point that the New Maiden should step down. Even taking into account her lost magic, the New Maiden still could’ve done so much more with her position of authority. And despite being queen, Elodie’s M.O. seemed to be ignoring threats and hoping they’d go away.

After the identity of the Second Son was revealed, I grew frustrated with Elodie for not locking him up in a dungeon so he couldn’t meddle more or cause harm. The plan they decided upon instead felt rushed and rash. It undermined the New Maiden’s already precarious position and was overly reliant on the Second Son’s lust. Plus I didn’t understand why both Elodie and Sabine kept blabbing about their ruse to everyone they knew—a move almost guaranteed to backfire.

Politics are hard to pull off well in YA, and I’ve only felt like it was handled smoothly in Holly Black’s the Folk of the Air series and Audrey Coulthurst’s Of Fire and Stars duology. I probably would’ve enjoyed this more if it’d focused more on romance and magic, like my favorite book by this author, Sweet & Bitter Magic.

The cover and prose were beautiful, and I enjoyed the tiny glimpse of romance. While I loved the magical system in the first book, reaching the halfway mark without any magic whatsoever was disappointing. While I don’t doubt that magic makes a reappearance at some point, it seems like wasted world building to leave it out of the story for so long.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the author’s next book won’t be quite as politically driven and will be more my cup of tea.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

The Second Son is an amazing fast paced sequel to The Third Daughter, and helped continue the story seamlessly.

This book helped explore the feelings of unworthiness and insecurity in young boys and men that are instilled in them to not express openly and are forced to deal with them inwardly and alone. Tal's POV helps showcase this and gives us a better understanding on what he's feeling and going through internally.

The story develops immensely from the first book and watching Sabine and Elodie's relationship blossom even through adversity is beautiful. This was a wonderful conclusion and helped tie up loose ends left behind in book 1 with the full range of emotions. I enjoyed the LGBTQIA+ representation in this well written story and the well thought out and executed magic and political systems helping the reader feel the depth of the world. This is a must read duology on my list.

Thank you to Adrienne Tooley and Little, Brown Books for the ARC!

2/5 Stars

Thank you to TBR & Beyond tours, Christy Ottaviano Books, and Adrienne Tooley for providing me with an earc to read.

I absolutely loved book 1 in this duology when I read it last year so I was truly excited for this one but it was disappointing. I was bored most of the book and then there was pretty much no consequences for anyone at the end of the book even for those who committed crimes. Most were forgiven or their actions ignored and I have learned I want some kind of consequences for those who do bad things in books. I have never seen a book where truly it seems like nothing happens at the end even with all of the build up to the big battle between the two rival deities.

This picks up not long after book 1 ends and continues to follow the same two characters and their journey’s dealing with the growing tensions and fighting between the two groups of worship.

I still do recommend book 1 but I personally hate this book. I liked the main relationship but wish we saw more of it. I just wish it felt like the war in this book actually happened as in the end if felt like there was no bad outcomes for anyone, even those who admitted to crimes.

Can we talk about satisfying conclusions? Why are they so hard to come by?
The end of this duology does not disappoint. Third Daughter built the world and the plot - Second Son slayed.
This series does an amazing job showcasing tough emotions, ways we inflect judgment on ourselves. Especially Second Son. What an amazing example for young adults, especially young men, to witness emotional growth and complexity.
Highly recommend!

I thought I really enjoyed The Third Daughter and then this book sort of blew that out of the water. Absolutely stunning, amazing sequel and conclusion to a series. I like it when the last book feels like the last book; where plots are all neatly tied up and the endings all make sense. But still there’s that sense where you could very well spend 3 more books in this universe. That was me with this series – fantastic ending but I wouldn’t mind spending more time here.

That’s definitely due to the characters. Tooley fully shines in her characters – dialogue, development, just how they live in the world. It was even better than the previous book. Especially with the two main female characters – Sabine and Elodie – how they interacted with everyone around them, whether friends or enemies. How they interacted with each other – so sweet and special, I loved every second. And even with themselves as they try to navigate their new roles and their purposes in life.

I really liked Sabine and Elodie in the first book and I liked them even more in this one. Reading the first book’s review I said I liked Sabine’s chapters more, and here I liked Elodie’s chapters more – so that was interesting. Both of them had changed so much with all they’ve been through and they continue to go through so much more this time around. To me their personalities were better in the sequel – maybe because Tooley spent more time with them or they’re put through rougher circumstances in here.

Either way, it just works so well and I was here for it all the way. I want to dive into Grace’s other books because of how well she writes these characters. I can only hope that the characters in her other books are as well-written as in here. The side characters in here are so well-written too that they don’t feel like they’re actually side characters. They’re fully fleshed out, you see their emotions clear on their faces and dialogue. You know their personalities even though they’re only seen in a few scenes. That’s what I love to see in a book.

The plot rolls over from the previous book but it also brings up new plot points and Grace balanced them all very well. I really like a good balance of typing up the old plot points from the previous book and dealing with new ones. To me that’s the mark of a good author as it shows not only that they’re able to juggle it all but they do it well enough so that you, the reader, understands it all.

I really loved the ending to this one. It definitely could have gone one way, and I’m happy about the route chosen.
At it’s core, the book is about the power of emotions and how important it is to feel. When bottled up, the damage can be catastrophic. Released, it can be powerful. The men don’t show their emotion, which is why the Second’s Son armies were so numbered. On the other hand, the Maiden does show emotion, and her power stems from that.
There’s a lot of loneliness, anger, and betrayal in this book, but also communication (eventually). While executed as a fast paced and thrilling narrative of a monarchy on the brink of collapse, I think the underlying meaning shines through just as much and is very important.

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for having me on this tour and for the copy of the book.

I DNF this at 70% after trying for a week or so to get fully immersed in this book.

Now I did not read the first book and honestly did not remember this being in a series, so I will probably read the first book then try this again.

Personally, I feel there was way too much going on for not only what seemed to be no reason but also it was predictable.

TL;DR: Objectively, I think this was a well-written story. It has an engaging plot, complex characters, and compelling relationships. While I wouldn’t say anything surprised me as I saw the twists and reveals coming from a mile away, I appreciate how Tooley formed her story around the chosen themes. The way she weaves emotion into faith was unique and I think the way it was written allows readers flexibility in how they interpret the story. Ultimately, I think The Second Son is a great conclusion to a dark-tinged fantasy duology.

I’m going to start by saying that what I found missing in the first book, which was a deeper emotional connection to the characters, was also an issue for me in this second book. I can’t lie and say this didn’t affect my reading experience with the duology as it meant I didn’t feel as invested as I’d expect to be with a story that has so many intriguing moving pieces and that I know should be emotionally charged. I’m not sure what exactly made the emotional depth feel lacking but I was still able to appreciate what the author did with this story.

There’s the political aspect that tackles issues like having a monarchy vs democracy and I liked how Tooley dissects this through Elodie and the Warnou siblings’ experiences. While I wasn’t always the biggest fan of Elodie, I appreciated the complexity of her character and her relationships with her siblings, Tal, and the citizens of Velle. Elodie experiences a steep learning curve as both a monarch who wasn’t prepared to rule but also as a young woman raised by a ruthless woman who loved herself more than her children or anyone else. She endures many hardships as a young leader and that too a young woman leader. As the story progresses, Tooley examines gendered roles and societal expectations and how harmful the impact can be on society as a whole, not just the girls and women in it. This message hit and I think anyone who has experienced this in any form IRL will be able to relate.

The second perspective comes from the religious pov with Sabine as the New Maiden. Sabine also experiences so much change following what happens in book one as she learns what it means to shoulder this monumental task. Something that I don’t recall from the first book is how big a role emotion plays in our character’s arcs but also the faith of this story. The importance of allowing yourself to feel emotions, particularly to embrace the darkness in you and to thrive not in spite of it but in coexistence with it, was a huge part of what Sabine learns. Also, the importance of learning to let go of ego and fear to ask for help when needed. I thought the way Tooley presented this through the deities' manifestations was unique and perhaps my favourite part of this story!

We get one other POV at the end of each part, but I won’t expand on this cos spoilers. That said, I liked the additional POV but also felt that more could’ve been done to bring depth to one of the plot lines. However, the weaving of everything was done very well and it kept the momentum moving at a solid and fast clip. A lot happens over a short period which means there’s little room for boredom while reading, lol.

The Second Son was a satisfying conclusion to the Betrayal Prophecies duology. While I recognise this story might not be for everyone, and though I also had some issues with it, I would still recommend it to those who enjoy their fantasies that are both political and philosophical with heavy leaning towards the latter. It was a unique blend!

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Christy Ottaviano Books for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up

Adrienne Tooley ‘s The Third Daughter is a book I have often seen across queer bookstagram as a must read. When I saw the sequel, The Second Son, was coming out soon I knew it was time to bring this series to the top of my TBR pile. Well, folks, I read this medieval fantasy duology in two days and couldn’t put it down! 👑

This book picks up where The Third Daughter ends: the centuries-old prophecy has been fulfilled and the New Maiden (religious savior of the kingdom of Velle) has returned. But instead of all the world’s AdrienneTooley solved, there are dark forces at play. The malicious Second Son’s elusive prophet is converting the New Maiden’s followers away from compassion and care to his side of vengeance and hate. As his influence grows, Velle’s queen and the New Maiden have to figure out how to dismantle the root of his power before it is too late (and while navigating sapphic feelings of course). ⚔️

I knew it was a sapphic romantasy but I wasn’t expecting to be completely immersed in the political drama, the twists and turns of betrayal, and ancient shadow-y schemes and coups. And perhaps most unexpected was the moving commentary on the power and strength that comes from accepting our emotions. Instead of feelings being a weakness, they are the foundation of true magic. ✨

If you’re looking for something to sweep you away this summer, check this out! 🌈

Thanks so much for having me on this tour, TBR and Beyond Tours !

Deities to fight against, a prophecy fulfilled and a sapphic love story all wrapped in the final conclusion to the epic duology! Picking up where the first book left off with Elodie on the throne at last and Sabine in a different position of power. Both of them should be able to stop the culprit yet they both have their own secrets that could threaten their relationship. With the prophecy being fulfilled and the New Maiden having returned to Velle, there is also the issue of an evil demi-god bent on turning the followers of the New Maiden. The Second Son is a vengeful and angry deity and they are out for blood. Elodie and Sabine have to work together to find out how to stop this and with the cult of the Second Son on the loose and the monarchy in upheavel.... the odds are stacked against them and their chances of making this out alive with everything they care for are slim. I've always been such a fan of Adrienne Tooley's writing and this series has been such a fun one to read. I enjoyed the slow burn romance and the magical world that was created. I had a lot of fun reading the ending to the duology and would definitely recommend this duology to fans of sapphic fantasy romances!

Release Date: July 16,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

TBR And Beyond Tours: schedule

Author Info: insta

Book Purchase: amazon

*Thanks Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | Christy Ottaviano Books and TBR And Beyond Tours for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review and for letting me part of the book tour*

📚The Second Son (Betrayal Prophecies 2)
🖋️Author: Adrienne Tooley
🗂️Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
📆Publication date: July 16
🖌️Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Pages: 320

ARC REVIEW

5/⭐️

📌Summary:
An epic clash of deities explores the two facets of pain—rage versus sadness—in this rousing conclusion to the Betrayal Prophecies, a dark crown fantasy duology with a sweeping sapphic romance.

The centuries-old prophecy has been fulfilled at last: the New Maiden has returned to Velle. Unfortunately, so has a malicious demi-god, whose elusive prophet is intent on converting the New Maiden’s followers.

The Second Son is a vengeful, angry deity, whose psalm resonates with the disenfranchised. With Elodie on the throne and Sabine in her own unique position of power, it should be easy enough to track down the culprit. Yet even as they’re falling in love, both girls are keeping dangerous secrets from each other.

While the cult of the Second Son threatens to overthrow not only the Church of the New Maiden but also Velle’s monarchy, Elodie and Sabine must navigate impossible odds to dismantle the root of his power, all while their lives hang in the balance.

Content warnings:descriptions of anxiety and depression, depictions of self-harm, parental death (off-page), parental neglect, physical abuse at the hand of a parent, religious trauma

📌Review:
This is the second book of the series “Betrayal Prophecies” and it’s an example of how the sequel can be even better than the first one in the series. I got so invested in the character’s life and how the author really managed to convey their feelings. One of the best elements of the book is the worldbuilding.

📌Thoughts:
If you love young adult fantasy, you should definitely check out this duology.

📌Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201627019
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316465909/

📌Author’s links:
http://www.adriennetooley.com/
https://www.instagram.com/adriennetooley/

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2024/06/12/tour-schedule-the-second-son-by-adrienne-tooley/

#TheSecondSon#TBRBeyondTours #AdrienneTooley#BetrayalProphecies

Characters-10

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I loved the characters in this novel. Elodie and Sabine were fantastic and had a great dynamic. There were also supporting characters in this book, like Cleo and Brianne, that I enjoyed reading about. Sabine and her family had an interesting dynamic because they all had different personalities and worked together. This was a book with many characters and some big personalities to follow, which made the book interesting. Tal brought an interesting dynamic to this book, which I loved.

Plot-9

This story was interesting. I enjoyed how the themes of family, war, and personal thoughts played a role in this story. I liked how the dynamics between the characters played a role in the story. A sense of duty, doing what you want versus what you should do for your kingdom, was also a theme of this story, which I enjoyed. The Second Son had religious undertones to this story, and I enjoyed how this world’s religious system worked. The Second Son had several plot elements I loved. I just wish that the pace had been kept throughout.

Writing-10

Adrienne Tooley is a great writer. I was drawn into the writing style of this book, and I wanted to read more. There were many heavy themes in this book, and the tone of the story was reflected in that which I loved. There were some lighter moments in the story, and I loved that because you could tell the characters were enjoying themselves. The world-building in this duology was great, and in this book, we got to see more of the world the characters live in. From the castle to the harborside, I loved seeing how this world came together. This was a book with a lot of inner monologues and dreams where you find out what the characters are thinking, and how they’re feeling, which I enjoyed.

Enjoyment-9

I enjoyed this book. I had a great time reading it even if it was heavier at times. The characters were wonderful, and I was rooting for them over the course of the story. The plot was interesting, and I was engaged in the story.

I enjoy this series a lot and I'm sad to see it as a duology. I loved the worldbuilding, the relationship between the two powerful and yet so different characters. This second volume shows more of their romance, but also how they restore/attribute matriarchal power to institutions that were basically patriarchal. I felt it was calmer than the first volume but more mature and confident writing. I love both covers as well. Tal is a great character to balance the others.

*Actual rating is 4.75 stars*

The Second Son is the fast paced sequel to the sapphic YA fantasy book The Third Daughter. Once I got invested into the story, I was glued to the pages until the end. There was never a dull moment as there was constantly something new happening in this world of deities, royals and politics.

With a growing conflict between two religious groups, Elodie and Sabine find themselves having to maneuver threats from every side. The lines between friends, allies and enemies are thin and ever changing, causing relationships to strain and twist. There’s a strong emphasis on family that serves as a red thread through the book, and adds an endearing feel to the otherwise somewhat dark tone.

There were some things, like ignorance of the characters over things that’s obvious to the reader and that clearly only served to cause tension in the story, that keeps me from giving this book 5 stars. But overall I really liked the book and the ending, while somewhat bittersweet, was hopeful and wrapped everything up nicely.

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley for this arc.

I had just finished reading the third daughter when I saw the ark available on NetGalley and I jumped at the opportunity. I fell in love with book number one, it completely blew me away. I had my suspicion that the Queen‘s death was a little too convenient and I wasn’t surprised to find out who the culprit was.

What I really enjoyed about the second son was how I could see a lot of today’s society and struggles in this book. The topic of toxic masculinity was definitely at the forefront. The world building was a lot better in book and it answered a lot of questions for me that I was left, wondering about at the end of book one. I will say, though I know that this is the ending like it’s final. There’s not gonna be another book after this however I am struggling with the fact that the chaplain Rene Was never caught or not that I’m aware of anyways.

I really really really did enjoy this and I am excited to get the book when it comes out. Thank you again to NetGalley!!