DNF at about 40%

I enjoyed the first book, and although it was long and slow-paced, it kept my interest and I was able to finish it over the course of several sittings. In that case, I did feel the urge to keep picking the book up. However, I put this down one day and never felt the need to pick it back up again because I didn't particularly care about what was going to happen. While this is still a story within a story, there is something about it that was just not as compelling as the first. I will not be continuing in this series.

This is the longest book I've tackled in a while, and while it took me three months to get through it, that was by choice rather than pace—I wanted to savor every richly woven moment. R.R. Virdi's prose is nothing short of enchanting, reaffirming his place as one of the finest wordsmiths in epic fantasy today. My digital copy is brimming with highlights; there's at LEAST one on every page!

Ari's journey continues to captivate me. His growth, both in his skills and as a person, is what keeps me entranced with his story. His big heart and innate desire to help and protect the weak shines through, making him a hero you can't help but root for. Watching an older Ari reflect on his brash younger self adds a layer of depth, making his earlier flaws feel more like charming quirks. As with the first book, the framing narrative expertly blends a coming-of-age tale with a reflective political murder mystery, and most of the time I'm irrationally mad when we have to switch, because I want both to continue. The slow-burn tension of the present-day plotline kept me hooked, even if there were moments when I was desperate to know what would happen next. It’s a testament to Virdi's skill that he can balance anticipation with satisfaction so deftly.

This novel is truly epic in scope. So much happens that it would take multiple seasons or multiple films to do it justice on screen. From extended time at the Ashram to exploring a new city with a desert (dare I say Dune-like) setting, and even venturing into otherworldly realms, the world-building is expansive and immersive.

One of the most compelling aspects is the book's profound exploration of stories themselves. Virdi delves into the power narratives hold—not just as tales to entertain, but as forces that can shape reality and influence the world around us (in more ways than you might think). This concept is slowly and masterfully developed, and I can't wait to see how it will be woven into the magic system.

Such a monumental achievement in epic fantasy. If you appreciate rich prose, complex characters, and a story that you can truly immerse yourself in, this book is a must-read. I can't wait to see where Ari's legend takes us next!

Oh, Doors of Midnight, you were such a beast. I had a love/relationship with this book. I found some of the same issues in book one appearing in book two. Mostly, it’s slow and has terrible pacing.

We start pretty much where we left off in book one! I was so into this book for the first 35%. My favorite parts of the story are by far, when he’s in the Ashram and his present circumstances. The characters in this book are fantastic. I love how they all intertwine and bring important lessons to each other.

I think that Virdi has such amazing and beautiful prose. This book is full of beautiful and quotable moments and lessons. It is where his writing shines. At times, it can get repetitive and becomes too much. Virdi also has a lot of humor, which I’m glad he does. It’s needed throughout many instances in Ari’s life lessons. One thing to note- he’s narrating this story from the present, so you know he doesn’t ever die during all his “close calls.” My biggest issue with the writing is that Virdi does too good of a job making things so slow and hard to read. The middle of this book is arduously slow. I’m a huge mood reader and it is hard to continue.

The dessert is where he spends most of this time and it just didn’t seem all that important. Sure, he learned a lot of lessons, but it was so boring. Even though it was hard to get through, I adored Enshae. She was an amazing character, and I was glad to see their ‘one hundred and one’ nights together. The doors at midnight section of the book was fascinating but also felt slow. The last 20% of the book is where it picked back up for me.

The characters will keep me coming back for more. The plot and story we are chasing is fascinating, and want to know more about. Ari’s story and all the stories told about him were so fun to see. It’s so interesting how stories take off, and he didn’t have to do much. One of the things I adore is that Ari is always about rooting for the underdog. Ari doesn’t move away from that, and it’s appreciated.

Again, this book is too long. It is the biggest and same issue I had with book one. There are so many fascinating things going on, plus complex and interesting characters. We have a book of over 800 pages and little movement in the plot, which is frustrating. I do want to see where this story goes, and will probably pick up the next.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I personally found The Doors of Midnight to be a book that I found myself constantly struggling with. It is extremely well written and you can tell that R.R. Virdi has put an immense amount effort into his poetic style of prose, but ultimately after two different attempts at reading this book I have come to the conclusion that it just might not be for me. It is not like this book is objectively bad, it isn't, but I just could not find myself to get hooked on this second chapter of Ari's journey. I want to give this book one more try, but I am going to give it some time and hope to come back to find myself more enthralled by the novel at a later date.

I have also purchased a physical copy of the book to show my appreciation to Tor and the author for giving myself an opportunity to read an early review copy of The Doors of Midnight.

Thank you to Ronnie for an early copy of this outstanding sequel to one of my favourite series.

I want to start by putting two fingers up to all the plagiarism accusations. This book took The Tales of Tremaine to a whole new level. I love Ari and his journey so far.

One of my favourite things about Ronnies writing is the mythology and stories behind it. These are not shortcoming in this there are lots and for those who love lore this is for you.

Remember this is not a John Gwynne or high battle fantasy book, but the pacing is fast and you don’t miss the few and far between battles. This is an epic fantasy and won’t disappoint you.

I love the prose and I love Ari’a voice. No matter what character he is in, he never fails to tell a phenomenal story.

Overall I loved this, and I cannot wait for the official release to through out an official review over on the blog.

The second installment and it held my attention just as much as the first.

The Doors of Midnight picks up right where the first book left off and continues the same pacing and writing style. I really enjoyed Book One so I was really excited that Book Two was similar in tone and pace.

Ari continues to be a great main character and I'm enjoying watching the character development as we continue through his story in the flash back timeline.

Ari's present day timeline is just as exciting honestly. It's really picking up in the second book and I'm really torn on what timeline I like more!!

I can't wait for the next book!!!

In this follow-up story, we return to Ari’s world. A mesmerizing tale of magic and mystery, overflowing with lyrical prose.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and TOR Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #TheDoorsOfMidnight #TORPublishing

Book two was everything I was looking for after finishing the first book. I was curious about this one as the first on does have a lot of similarities with Name of the Wind, I was wondering what direction Virdi took this one. I am glad I checked this book out and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the prose of the first book and the storytelling trope like Name of the Wind but also wanted a fresh story.

I like a story inside a story. With additional stories being told by other characters. Plenty of that in "The Doors of Midnight" which continues the Tales of Tremaine books from R. R. Virdi.

Ari is in a bit of sticky wicket, being imprisoned for (spoils for book 1) killing a prince of the country he is currently in is not great. The fact that he was framed is also not interesting for many folks who are of the best first and blame the foreigner persuasion. While dealing with that we find out more of his story, the legends he crafted from just his cleverness and the things every Binder needs. Though, what do you think when the stories are lies?

Thanks to Macmillan Audio I received an audio copy, which gave my wrists a break from curling tomes. Vikas Adam narrates, can hear the depth of pain and joy as Ari navigates his growing myth.

Reasons to read:
-Two plot lines that hint at what are the goals
-Rather fond of the story breaks, reasonably sure I know a few things that are going down in the third one now
-Love a good tome to stay with the characters for a while
-Travel occurred so we met new people
-Honestly figured that person would live longer

Cons:
-Didn't have time for a reread so I was checking names in the first book

This was an excellent follow up to the previous book. Ari’s story continues to intrigue me and I love the magic system. Eloine is delightful and still an absolute mystery. Even though this is a big book, it doesn’t feel like it. I’m interested to see what happens next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC!

4.25/5 stars

This was magical, absolutely amazing. Was it probably too long? Sure, and it had what I would consider more "fluff" than the first one", - it was long and dense and had a ton of content - but it was exceptionally well written, just like the first, and I was captivated by Ari's stories. Every part of magical and every story important. So much happens and it was all wonderful.

The writing quality was amazing - my attention was captured from the first moment and the story never let it go. Every character had a distinct voice was it was clear that Virdi knew what he wanted to say and had his voice going in. The worldbuilding was beautiful, the characters amazing, and the plot captivating. He builds wonderfully on The First Binding and sprinkled enough from the first book that I was able to remember the important parts.

This is one for the major fantasy lovers - it's got everything we love in a long, well-written fantasy with all the depth and detail we could ask for.

As a sequel, this really impressed me. I think it’s more mature and better crafted than the first book - although perhaps that’s just our narrator, who is a little older and perhaps a bit wiser. I found both Ari and Eloine slightly irritating in the first book, but they’ve mellowed into characters with realistic foibles here for me.

Readers who were put off by similarities to Name of the Wind - rest assured Virdi is definitely telling his own story here, although in a story that’s about stories and storytelling there are sly nods to other tales. Anyone concerned about a hero spending an impressive amount of time seducing fairies can put their worries away.

And the plot! The plot is exciting enough that it kept me going even through about 800 pages. A lot happens. The pacing is mixed - sometimes it is a bit slow, and Virdi leans into his poetic descriptions. But he’s not afraid to layer in the action scenes and the drama too. There is a lot to enjoy, from your smaller set pieces where Ari confronts bullies at school, to the eerie magic of otherworldly realms, to courtroom dramatics and politics, to desert battle showdowns. Epic is surely the word. Settle in for the long haul and enjoy!

This was a highly anticipated sequel for me as I truly was amazed at the world that RR Virdi had created in the first novel of this series. And the way that he ended it made me curse his name for a couple of days but also bow my head in respect as it left me craving for more after devouring 800+ pages. I finally got this sequel and in many ways, RR Virdi delivered. But I did have a struggle with parts of this book.

The strength of this novel is most definitely the prose that the author uses throughout the novel. It is a beautiful work of art through the entire thing. It pulls you in and makes you vividly see the scenes as they play out on the pages. It makes a reader want to keep reading and just enjoy the beauty. The beginning and ending of this novel are the classic that I remember from the first book, but the middle, while necessary did not hold me like the rest of it. I still highly recommend the novel but did think that some of the middle was a tad repetitive of what we had already seen from the characters previously. They do learn new lessons, but it was slower going than what had previously happened in the series.

The slow parts don't take away from the intrigue and beauty of what has been created. I look forward to seeing where the story continues to take us. The characters are interesting and definitely have the foundations for something that could be truly epic. I look forward to where the story continues to go and seeing the conclusion of some of these breadcrumbs that the author has left dangling for me. I look forward to sweeping them up with candle, cloak, and cane at my side.

This sequel had a lot to live up to, especially after how much I enjoyed the first book. We pick up with Ari in prison, reliving his past, and while his growth and leadership are great to watch, the story slows down a lot, especially during the desert and alternate world sections. These parts felt a bit dull and dragged out, making it tough to stay fully engaged.

That said, the magic system and Ari’s passion for helping the underdog still shine. The storytelling style is a mix of coming-of-age and a murder mystery, and the way Virdi explores the power of stories is beautiful. Even though the pacing dipped towards the end, it’s still a solid read, and I’m excited to see where the series goes next.

Thank you TOR for the ARC! This was a great continuation of the first binding. I still think it follows kingkiller chronicles very closely but I like this better.
I do think this story could have been edited down some and that the multiple stories told inside tended to really bog it down. Other than that though I was very intrigued by both main storylines.

R. R. Virdi will end up being right up there with the modern fantasy greats in my opinion. His world building is right on par with Sanderson and his storytelling is excellent.

The prose in this book is undeniably beautiful and lyrical, but the story itself felt overly long and winding. While the writing is gorgeous, it just didn’t come together as effectively this time around

Book two once again is written from the dual perspective of young and adult Ari. I liked how young Ari continues to learn more of the magic bindings in unique & dangerous ways, builds upon his knowledge & power, and finds trouble wherever he goes. While adult Ari, on a quest to find the answers he seeks in lyrics of old and songs forgotten, finds himself imprisoned and condemned as a Prince Killer, all before he can utter a word of innocence.

3.25 The First Binding and its sequel The Doors of Midnight are very focused on world building through stories, which I know will work really well for some.

Unfortunately, I may not be some. I struggled quite a bit with the slow plot development.

The magic system is interesting. The plot that is there is interesting. I like Ari, mostly. The audiobook narrator is great. But it was definitely an exercise in patience and perseverance for me to get to the end.

That being said, I’ve spent so much time in this world at this point that I’ll probably get nostalgic and convince myself to read the next one.

Thanks to Tor for providing me with an advanced copy to review through Netgalley!

The prose is so over-wrought it's hard to take seriously. Meandering. Self-indulgent. There is no compelling story to be found here.