Claire Legrand, you have outdone yourself. This was a phenomenal sequel! I am obsessed with Farrin and Ryder. Please give me bonus content; I need more scenes of them being all cute together.

A Song of Ash and Moonlight picks up where we left off in A Crown of Ivy and Glass, except now we follow the story from Farrin, the eldest Ashbourne’s perspective. And let me tell you, I adore her. Farrin’s childhood ended when she almost lost her life in a fire at the age of eleven; the burdens of adulthood befell her a year later when her mother left. Ever since that day, Farrin has not only been taking care of her younger sister, Gemma but she’s also been responsible for the entire Ashbourne estate because her father lost himself to grief after her mother left. Not only is that an immense amount of pressure for one person, but she’s also never fully dealt with almost dying in the fire. Farrin is haunted by the fire in her dreams every night. She has no one to confide in about it because she’s used to being responsible and put together.

Enter Ryder, our love interest. Not only is he broody with a heart of gold, but he’s also the son of her family’s arch-nemesis. The Ashbourne and Bask families have been rivals and enemies for as long as anyone can remember. Except now. After the events of the first book, Ryder and his sister want to mend the rift between their families. Ryder and Farrin are similar in a lot of ways. He can see when she needs to be pushed and when she is not okay. Have I mentioned how much I adore him?

Legrand beautifully progresses the story from the first book. We’re introduced to new mysteries as we learn more about this world and its history. I love the vibes of this book. It's a romantic fantasy with hints of classic fairytales and stories. The author has stated each book in this trilogy is inspired by a different classic romantic ballet. This book is inspired by The Firebird.

I loved this book from start to finish! I hated having to put it down. Fans of fantasy and romantasy, please check out this series!

Picking up right where book 1 left off, I found this story to be a much smoother read than I was anticipating! To be honest, I feel like it completely exceeded my expectations … and actually surpasses Gemma’s story in world-building, plot and romance!

I loved Farrin’s development throughout the story and truly enjoyed diving in to her connection with Ryder!

Bravo to Claire Legrand and thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for ARC. I received my copy in exchange of an honest review.

Claire Legrand does it again! What a plot, characters, world building and romance! I just swallowed all of it and now I can't wait for the 3rd book.
One of my all-the-time favorite fantasy series is The Empirium Trilogy which is written by Claire Legrand and now... I am happy that my favorite author is back with another masterpiece.
I enjoyed reading A Crown of Ivy And Glass but I fell in love with A Song of Ash And Moonlight!
This book begins where the previous book ended but this time Farrin is the main character and naratior. Also we have Jemma and all of the pack as side characters too.
There were more notes and details about the world building, Gods and Godesses and magic system in this book that I loved.
Plot was much more interesting than the previous book and those plot twists were great.
And the love interest. Well... I like Jemma and Talan and I enjoyed reading about them again in this book but I stand for Farrin and Ryder. Just look at them? They're beautiful and a lovely couple. Ryder is one of the best male characters among all fantasy books that I read. Farrinryder reminds me of Nesta and Cassian but they had their own chemistry and personality.
I have so many guess about the final book. What's going to happen? Who will be Mara's love interest after all? And please Clair! give us more Farrinryder in the 3rd book.
At the end, I just want to say that I found every trop and janre that I like in this book. Classic Gothic Fantasy with Enemies to lovers trop and Claire Legrand as Author.

Firstly, thank you for allowing me to read A Song of Ash and Moonlight in advance! Since finishing A Crown of Ivy and Glass I have been impatiently waiting for the release of the second book in the trilogy. As always, Claire is builds vivid and almost cinematic-like worlds. The return to the Middlemist is both familiar because of the known characters and places, and new because of the new POV and Moonhollow. The story is fast-paced and it is easy to read. I did not re-read the first book in the trilogy and still was able to follow along the storyline nicely, which makes me think that this book could do well as a stand-alone or even a starter book. Farrin and Ryder are wonderful, well-developed characters, as were Gemma and Talan. We get to explore more of the lore of Edyn and Middlemist and understand the origin of the three sisters a bit more. I really enjoy that the protagonists are all strong female characters, and yet they are all flawed. None of them is overly strong or powerful in a way that would feel unrealistic (considering the world they're set in and their magic). Reading the second book in the trilogy I got the same feeling as I did reading the first: I cannot wait for its adaptation to screen. Claire's Middlemist trilogy has all the elements that would make a very successful visual adaptation of the world and the characters. Brava, Claire!

A Song of Ash and Moonlight is the 2nd book in the Middlemist Trilogy and reading this book. I was unable to put down this book. Eagerly waiting to find out how the sibling put there difference aside. Seeing how each character grow and developed made my heart grow and i love every second of it. Thank you for the amazing art

So book one was definitely not my favorite as far as fantasy books go. Gemma was not at all likable to me and the sort itself was just okay. This one was definitely better and much more plot and adventure driven, with way less romance. I thought the portrayal of Farrin’s neurodivergence was really well done. Ryder was a perfect MMC, almost too perfect if we’re being honest. I think I’m most excited for book 3.

While I ran into a few stumbling blocks in my read through of the first book in this series, there was still plenty to recommend the series as a whole and to specifically recommend the second book in particular. I struggled with Gemma, but even the few glances we were given were enough to convince me that Farrin sounded like a fantastic main character. With this in mind, I went into this book with high hopes!

I’ll say on the top that this book wasn’t a perfect read either, but it is also a definite step up from the first one. Let’s start, as usual, with the most positives aspects of the story. First of all, the more time I spend in this fantasy world, the more intrigued I am by it! The first book was promoted as a sort of “fantasy/Bridgerton” mash-up. And while that did fit that book in a sort of round-about way, the “Bridgerton” aspects of it all were lacking (if you count having ball scenes as “Bridgerton” and not just any old fantasy book that deals with courts, lords and ladies, etc. ) So I was pleased to see that this second book leaned even more fully into the fantasy aspects of it all.

As the summary hints at, this book massively expands the scope of the world and the brewing conflict. It’s no longer one demon and a mysterious arch villain; now we have gods reborn, complicated linages explored, and long-suppressed secrets revealed. All of these new layers to the world and story were fascinating and used in creative ways. There were a few twists that genuinely took me by surprise. On top of the magical elements of the world, I enjoyed the further exploration of Farrin’s musical magic. In the first book, hers was the sort of magic that felt least approachable and the most foreign. So I enjoyed the deeper dive into how exactly her magic worked and the potential ways in which she could manipuate this particular ability. What seemed like a magical ability that could seem weak in comparison to the other two sisters, by the end of this book, readers will truly appreciate what Farrin brings to this team.

As for Farrin herself, this is where my feelings became a bit more complicated. Something very strange happened as I was reading this book. As I read, I kept having the thought “Gemma? Is that you?” In that, somehow Farrin seemed to have morphed into Gemma between the first book and this, with all of the same character flaws that I found so tiresome the first go around. And on the other hand, Gemma, now a background character, began to read like a fantastic character whom I’d love to read an entire book about!

Now, I’m all for complicated and flawed characters who have to explore challenging inner struggles over the course of a book. The problem here was that Farrin’s voice, Farrin’s personality, and, most notably, Farrin’s inner struggles all seemed to be so, so similar to Gemma’s. It almost began to feel as if Legrand is incapable of writing a main character in different voice, or to explore a different inner life/inner struggle in her lead heroine. Somehow background characters suddenly morph into the interesting ones, while the main character is dragged under by such a mire of anxiety, indecision, and self-loathing as to become tiresome.

I noted in the first book that while Gemma’s struggles were of the sort that often made her a bit unlikable, that didn’t make them not worth exploring. What I definitely DIDN’T want was to explore many of those exact same themes again with Farrin. Farrin is an entirely different character! Why didn’t we learn more into her crippling sense of responsibility? Her inability to trust or rely on others to get things done? Perhaps an unwillingness to work as a team? (To be fair, we do get bits of this, but it falls to the way side with other issues). All of these would be grounded in not only her personal story and history, but would fit by the personality of the character we were originally introduced to. The Farrin of the first book was secretive, but confident. Distant, but sure-footed. There was so much potential here, and to find myself reading another story where our heroine is almost frozen by her own self-loathing and anxiety…it was incredibly frustrating. And, again, made me start to question the author’s ability to write a variety of main characters. Further, I remain very interested in reading the third book in this series, but I’m increasingly worried that I’ll pick it up and find the warrior woman sister I’ve been reading about now in three books to somehow magically turn into yet another self-loathing ball of anxiety.

On another positive note, however, I definitely enjoyed the romance and the romantic lead in this book more. Ryder was a fantastic hero and, if a complaint is to be found, almost too perfect. But as romance readers are not known for whining about perfect leading men, I won’t even bother. That said, I do think this book might have been served better to have strayed further from the structure of the classic romance novel. In that set-up, there’s always the late third act conflict between the hero and the heroine that must then be resolved before the HEA. And this one was just ridiculous.

I don’t want to spoil it (though it’s obvious not only from the beginning of this book but probably even the first, to the astute reader), but Farrin’s reaction to being told one of Ryder’s secrets is so overblown for the actual situation as to be not only ridiculous but to paint in her an unlikable light (again, this is not helped by Ryder’s perfection throughout this book). Yes, she quickly realizes her mistake, but then the final quarter of the story is spent with her waxing on about her fears that he won’t forgive her for this reaction. Again, “tiresome” is the only word that comes to mind. And, frankly, it was totally unnecessary. This book is action packed and built to an excellent climax of magical fighting and wonder; there was no reason to waste page time on a frivolous fight between love interests (seemingly only included to meet this romance novel standard of structure).

This is already an incredibly long review, but I do want to end on one other positive. For all of my complaints about Farrin’s inner life, I did appreciate the way that Legrand explored her discomfort with her body. This isn’t the sort of struggle you often find in romances, and I think it was generally well done. I do wish more time had been devoted to exploring how Farrin developed this particular anxiety, as it was crippling at times and not something one would imagine to pop up with out an instigating event. That said, I still appreciated its inclusion.

So, all my ranting aside, I actually enjoyed this book quite a lot! While I struggled with her more than I anticipated, I still liked Farrin’s story overall. The romance was better than the first, and this book took massive strides as far as the world-building goes and in setting up the third book and its conflict. I’ll definitely be checking out the third (please, PLEASE, don’t let Mara turn into another cut-out of this same character), and fans of the series will likely enjoy this one!

Rating 8: Not without flaws, but an improvement on the first and laying the groundwork for what could be an excellent final entry!

Link will go live on Sept. 4 on The Library Ladies blog.

5/5

Claire Legrand returns to her Middlemist Trilogy and a world on the brink of change as the Ashbourne siblings set aside old grudges and work to rebuild a relationship with their family’s sworn enemies, the Basks. In this brilliant sequel, Claire Legrand elevates her foundations to create a beautiful slow burn enemies to lovers romance between steadfast sister Farrin Ashbourne, and the eldest son of the Bask family, Ryder. A Song of Ash and Moonlight weaves a cunning mythos and romantic arc in a sequel that showcases its characters at their height and brings old gods and new smashing together in cataclysmic ways. The stakes are the highest they can be with old barriers breaking down, and new horrors descending on the Ashbourne family and the world entire. A Song of Ash and Moonlight is exactly what I wanted from a sequel, revealing hidden ancestry and an unexpected connection to the gods while flawlessly merging high-stakes fantasy and devastating romance. The Middlemist Trilogy is an incomparable fantasy series and this sequel only has me more excited for its conclusion next year.

THE fantasy sequel of all fantasy sequels!!! after not being too impressed with the first book, i still had high hopes of this one redeeming itself and i feel like it did justice to not only her writing but to the series as a whole. we follow a different sisters pov and that helped heaps because gemma in the first book…oh boy. the romance was romancing and i love the world legrand has built (very bridgerton-esque, as suggested by the description)

A Song of Ash and Moonlight picks up where A Crown of Ivy and Glass left off. Instead of following Gemma, the story features Farrin, the eldest Ashbourne sister with the power to enchant with her voice. Farrin and her family thought they earned a reprieve after the events in the house by the sea, but monsters are stirring in the Mist and their old foe waits in the shadows. Enter Ryder Bask, heir to the rival family, who the queen commands to help the Ashbourne sisters get to the bottom of strange disappearances. As sparks fly and ancient things wake, Farrin must find the power within herself… or die trying.

After being disappointed by the first Middlemist novel, I tried not to get my hopes too high for A Song of Ash and Moonlight, but I was still beyond excited to read this book. Legrand’s Empirum Trilogy remains one of my favorite series of all time and I adored her standalone Winterspell, so I kept hoping ACOIAG was a fluke. After reading ASOAAM, the first novel was unfortunately not a fluke.

My first issue with this novel was the love interest. In theory, I loved Ryder. He was brooding and commanding a little bit barbaric with a hint of a gentleman—the perfect Stark look-alike, if you will. Unfortunately, his character was surface-level. He had no depth or growth, remaining stagnant and boring. The romance between him and Farrin that was supposed to dominate the book felt passionless and instant. A "rival families" set-up offers tension and yearning and mistrust. Rather than capitalizing on the abundance of conflict that would have driven the plot forward, the romance felt rushed and almost too easy.

The side characters also felt like shadows rather than fleshed-out individuals. Part of that may be because the author spent so much time having Farrin explain everyone’s relationships that she forgot to show them. Additionally, the characters spent more time talking than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I love banter and politics and characters fighting verbally, but there wasn’t conflict in most of the conversations. Instead, there was a lot of worldbuilding and description that did nothing to drive the story forward. In fact, the entire middle section of the book was essentially travel montagues and conversations that needed more conflict to remain interesting.

There were also some smaller plot threads that the author forgot about or let disappear entirely. Collateral damage was massive in this story, but it went completely unaddressed. The only lives that mattered were those of the main cast, and while I understand that page-time can’t be spent on every person who died in the conflict, I wished the characters had reflected on the cost of their decisions. Or at least had to deal with the very real repercussions of their inaction.

Thankfully, the last hundred pages felt like the incredible Claire Legrand novels I love. The pace ramped up, the stakes rose, and there were action scenes. Legrand’s fight scenes are incredibly vivid, and I only wish that there would’ve been more of them in this story. By the last chapter, I couldn’t wait to read book three and escape into the world all over again. Just like the first novel, A Song of Ash and Moonlight set up an amazing sequel. I hope I can love the next book as much as I wanted to love this one.

That being said, this novel—and this series—remains one of the rare honest portrayals of female mental health in fantasy. Farrin was neurodivergent and I loved her way of viewing the world. I could empathize with her anger and grief and fear, and I appreciated that her neurodivergence didn’t disappear the moment it was convenient for the plot. Her struggles felt incredibly real and human. Additionally, the way the author handled intimacy was so amazing I wanted to cry. Without getting into spoilers, Farrin has issues with physical contact, and Ryder responded perfectly. There was no judgment or harshness or condemnation: only understanding. I may not have liked how quickly the romance developed, but I nevertheless appreciated how physical intimacy was handled.

All in all, I enjoyed most of A Song of Ash and Moonlight. I’m so glad that most of the early reviews have been positive and that readers are able to fall in love with the story more than I did. For those who loved A Crown of Ivy and Glass; you’ll love this one even more. For those who are new to Legrand’s work, I highly recommend reading Furyborn because this book’s premise is just a little too good to be true.

Claire Legrand does it again!!! If you’re looking for a swoon worthy fantasy romance look no further!! I LOVED Farrin!! She’s such a well written character. She’s insecure and angry yet she tries her best not to take it out on others, mostly internalizing it. And Ryder OH RYDER ARE YOU KIDDING ME. He’s everything- so sweet and caring 😍 They are perfect for eachother, both healing from trauma and taking that journey together. I loved seen snippets of Gemma and Talan (who are my fav couple so far!) and the quests they had to go in in this story were captivating! Some definitely plot twists I didn’t see coming. Very much looking forward to book 3 !!!

The story was much more plot and quest driven. I wish there was more romance. I'm a mood reader, and I think if I read this at a time where I'm in the mood for more of the fantasy side than romance, I would've absolutely loved the book. I loved the main characters in this. I was rooting for Farrin & Ryder since book one.

3.25 Stars!!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Netgalley along with Claire Legrand for the opportunity to read this book in advance.

This book being a book that is the 2nd in a series, does not suffer from the “middle book” syndrome especially when it is in a trilogy. It is actually, in my opinion better and builds upon the 1st book in a way that I felt it was lacking. This book focuses on the oldest sister Farrin and I really enjoyed reading from the older sister’s pov given her background that we received in book 1 from Gemma’s pov.

Farrin, is the typical older sister in a fantasy universe who feels her life is centred around helping to raise her younger siblings after the supposed passing of her mother during a fire that breaks out in the home. This book follows Farrin as she struggles to find her identity in a world where she is supposed to help her father raise her younger siblings while also needing to seek out her own place in the world. This is where we get more information about the world but then are also introduced to her love interest and the MMC, Ryder.

Ryder, being the MMC was a good pick for Farrin and how similar their stories were with one another. As well how supportive he was of her journey into finding her own identity away from her younger siblings but especially with Gemma being the FMC from the last book. Ryder is also a typical fantasy MMC boyfriend who says what he needs to say and when he says it, it holds meaning. Especially when it related to the physical aspects of their relationship and how he completely respected her in those moments but also he made sure that she felt safe in this moments of deep emotional and physical intimacy. .

Ryder and Farrin are so perfectly matched for the people within this world. They’re both dealing with the trauma of their upbringings, the feuds between their families, and an impending war. Despite it all, they find the strength to trust each other and I loved watching their friendship grow into romance that blossomed on page. Plus with being friends in the beginning and how evolving your relationship especially on the levels of a physical relationship felt very honest for a friends into lovers situation where the lines of what both characters view as ok vs what society deems another was interesting. Them both wanting their relationship to work despite it all was sweet to read. This book I would give it a similar rating to the first book being 1.75 🌶️ on my own personal scale. There was spice but there wasn’t too too much.

After reading book 1 after a prime day deal, and having the opportunity to read book 2 now, im more excited to read book 3 and see how this story ends.

Claire Legrand can do no wrong and this is a clear representation of why. I read book 1 and was hopeful that book 2 would be as good, but this is so much better. I know I’m early, but I cant now wait for book 3. One of my favorite tropes is enemies to lovers and this book did such a great job building on the plot slowly. Now, the book is not slow- its perfectly balanced. The hidden ancestry was a nice surprise. Farrin and Ryder have now moved up as some of my favorite character couples. Top 10 for sure.

Im so happy I got to read this book (in two seatings!) and will be impatiently waiting for the finalization.

A Song of Ash and Moonlight builds upon the narrative begun in A Crown of Ivy and Glass and expands the world of Edyn in new and exciting ways. This sequel far surpasses its predecessor with rich world building, the perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, and a fast moving plot that raises as many questions as answers.

I absolutely adored Farrin - she is such a realistically developed character. One thing I love about all the Ashborne siblings is how well their personalities line up with their unique experiences and how this informs their actions, including their outlook on love and life.

Ryder and Farrin are so perfect for each other. They’re both dealing with the trauma of their upbringings, the feuds between their families, and an impending war. Despite it all, they find the strength to trust each other and I loved watching their friendship grow into romance. I can’t wait to see how the Middlemist trilogy concludes and for Mara’s POV!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is one of the few times the sequel was better than the first book in a series. The world building here was remarkable and creative. I didn’t feel as I often do that I was reading a repeat of other fantasy tropes. As a reader I could feel and appreciate the complex emotions and motivations of the characters. The romance was powerful. The ending suspenseful. If I had any criticism it is just some things happening without reason or explanation like the sinkhole and the queen’s behavior throughout. However it is still one of the best fantasy books I have read all year!

This book is a breathtaking gem in the world of romantasy! This second book in the trilogy dazzles with its grumpy x grumpy dynamic and the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance where he falls first, heart-meltingly tender and intense. The integration of the mythical creatures add an otherworldly charm that I couldn’t get enough of. The way it delves into childhood trauma, body insecurity, and deep desires makes it incredibly moving. Add in the powerful sisterhood and you have a fantasy romance that is both epic and emotionally rich. I was completely captivated and can't wait for the next instalment.