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.

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.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!

Wow o wow. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Again r.r. virde shines through and through when it comes to his writing. I can't find anything negative to say. Highly recommend

3.5 - One thing I loved about this book is how it was focused on the magic of storytelling. I think the concept of an epic fantasy following a character as they learn about stories and how to tell a story was really unique and interesting! I think that Virdi has some of the best writing in fantasy books that I've seen and I think using this strength and tying the plot of the book to the magic of storytelling was griping, because of the way that he is able to write such beautiful stories.

Following from the first book, I loved that this book followed the timelines of past Ari and present Ari and wove those timelines together. I really loved how Ari's character was developed even further throughout this book and how Virdi continued to paint such a vivid world, bringing together so many different aspects of lives and parts of the world. It felt like Ari really learned from his lessons and past mistakes in this book and started on a journey to growing as a person. Again, I thought the pacing of the book was a bit slow at times, especially for such a long book. But really, the pacing and length is my only complaint with this series!

Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review!

With The Doors of Midnight, R.R. Virdi delivers the second epic installment in his Tales of Tremaine series. This is a meaty tale, clocking in at over 800 pages…which means I’ll need to rearrange my bookshelf to make room for the hardcover, lol. Before the first book in the series released (The First Binding) I’ll admit I hadn’t read any of Virdi’s work, despite the fact that he’d put out quite a few novels in genres I normally enjoy. But when the The First Binding was released I kept hearing it being compared to The Kingkiller Chronicle, and that instantly got my attention. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love The Name of the Wind and A Wise Man’s Fear. So naturally I had to investigate. Well the comparisons are warranted as there are most definitely similarities. Excellent characters, fantastic world building, a complex and epic story, and even structurally/stylistically you can see similarities.

Now as for this second volume, there is honestly just way too much happening to try to give a plot summary. Let me just say it’s a wonderful continuation of The First Binding. If you enjoyed that book, you won’t be disappointed with this one. The adventures, the expanded world building, expanding lore of the lands, it’s everything you’d want in a sequel and everything you’d expect from an epic fantasy.

Now I’ll leave it to others to argue over which series is better. (Kingkiller vs Tremaine) But what I can unequivocally say is that Virdi has one major advantage over Rothfuss. The speed at which he writes. I’ve been waiting 13 years for the third volume in Rothfuss’s series, and I’ve honestly come to terms it may never happen. (No hate or animosity here. I don’t know his process or what has stopped him from making it happen.) I’ll be thrilled if it eventually releases, but I’m no longer counting on it. As for a third book in the Tales of Tremaine series? I have faith Virdi will deliver another epic adventure in a timely fashion. And for that I thank him. Speaking of thanks, thanks so much to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an ARC of The Door of Midnight. This is definitely a series fantasy lovers shouldn’t sleep on.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-doors-of-midnight-rr-virdi/1142826991?ean=9781250796189&bvnotificationId=78b1aef1-599e-11ef-a377-0e3f8668aec7&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/316557857

This book is for high fantasy, lovers people that like really detailed and poetic stories this author really pops in those deep, thought-provoking poetic moments throughout his stories. This story definitely held my interest more than the first book did that one seems slower paste and this one felt a little more picked up. Thank you for giving me the chance to read this book and given honest review.

It was so good to be back in the world of Tremaine. In The First Binding we get hints of how large the world is, but in The Doors of Midnight, we truly see the world for the breadth of building that has been done. There are so many layers to this story that you could read it several times and still find something new and interesting.

It is so well written. It is a story about stories and what makes the world. There are so many good messages and poetical storytelling mechanisms throughout this and Virdi uses these to pull at your heartstrings over and over. Ari has had so much happen to him throughout his life and it does seem like he is finally starting to learn from his mistakes and grow to be better and more like the legends surrounding him.

Thank you to @torbooks for sending me a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Virdi can write, there is no doubt about that. There is a lyrical quality to his words that I love. This book picks up where the other left off and is once again an interesting story. The book would benefit from being shorter, however.

This continues the adventures (misadventures?) of our protagonist Ari introduced in the first book in the series. It picks up right where the previous volume left off with the Storyteller in trouble because of the events at the end of "The First Binding". With nothing but time on his hands, he once again picks up the tale of his life as a youth in the halls of the Ashram.
This is a weighty volume like the first, and we get introduced to more intrigue with the adult characters, and the continuation of the trials and tribulations of young Ari. I forgot how long these novels were and actually picked this one up too late to get it completely read, but I am enjoying it quite a bit. I still enjoy the prose and how it dips into lyrical tones every so often with certain characters. Looking forward to reading more and finding out how the tale continues!

The writing style in this book is so beautiful!! I love that we were able to dive deeper into the world building with this second installment in the series. I also enjoyed the journey we were taken on while learning more about the magic and the importance of storytelling.

Just like the first book, this story was so dense and long that it did take me a long while to get through which had me needed to take breaks and pick up something I could read quickly.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Beautiful prose. A coming of age murder mystery fantasy - which I am always down for. It also tackles one of my favorite topics: the magic and importance of story telling. Admittedly, the 1st 60% was great and interesting, super fast paced. The last 40% began to slack for me and I found myself getting distracted.