I love that this series is a duology. When I started reading book one, I thought the series would be a trilogy. Trilogies are great, but a duology is so much more manageable for me to read.

In my review of the first book in the duology, Shades of Rust and Ruin, I noted that I’d expected more romance based on the cover copy, but the tale was more focused on the relationship between the sisters. That focus holds true in this second book, too.

What’s different about Seasons of Flesh and Flame, though, is that it follows both sisters’ perspectives. I loved that. I also liked that Lark, who we only met at the end of the first book, isn’t the benevolent sister we expected based on Nix’s memories of her. She’s got her own agenda and fresh trauma to work through.

The romance subplots (there’s one for each sister) remain very sidelined. There are a few references to how the girls feel for the boys they love, and the end brings resolution to the relationships, but even there, it’s not really the focus.

A lot of the story takes place in the Mystiquel landscape. It’s lush, strange, and capricious. I enjoyed how the events there kept me on my toes.

If you’re looking for a fall read that’s more atmospherically spooky than actually creepy, you might want to give this series a try.

Have you ever read a book that just went places you didn’t think it would go and that you didn’t see coming, but in a bad way?

This was my experience with Seasons of Flesh and Flame.

I quite liked Shades of Rust and Ruin, enough that I preordered Seasons of Flesh and Flame and was truly excited to get my hands on a eARC. In my opinion, Shades of Rust and Ruin may have had a slight tendency to slip into over-description too often, but the plot was entertaining and the characters were extremely interesting. The ending was absolutely perfect, and so I wanted to see more of that fearlessness and audacity in Seasons of Flesh and Flame.

Instead, I felt like this book could’ve been 100 pages shorter and felt less like a Disney Channel movie.

I’m sorry to state it that way, but there it is.

I was provided a copy of this title by the publisher and the author via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews rated three stars or under will not appear on my social media. Thank you.

File Under: Book Series/Fantasy/Fantasy Series/YA Fantasy

Ok, so when I first started this book, I was not super impressed. I don't really know what it was. But once I hit one plot twist about halfway through, everything changed, and the second half was fantastic.
So in the first book, we only have Nix's POV. This is obvious because we don't know Lark is alive until the very end of the first book. The second book is from both of their POV's which makes so much sense, but at the same time, we get so many (long) flashbacks from Lark that it almost felt like the first book should have been a dual POV so we understood how Lark was living without it taking up so much of the second book. Reading this book felt like doing a puzzle without knowing what it was supposed to be. I fumbled around at the beginning, I didn't really know what our end goal was, but then you start to figure out the picture and everything starts making sense. Once we get to one specific plot twist, everything just clicked into place and I was so excited to see how it would end. Things just kept getting thrown at me that I wasn't expecting but it made so much sense. And it was one thing after the other for the entire second half of the book which just made me so intrigued. I absolutely loved the resolution of a specific thing. I had no idea how it was going to turn out and everything that happened, I feel like couldn't have ended any better.
At first I didn't like Lark. She was so mad at Nix and her uncle for "taking her life" and for moving on without her after she died. Even though people told her that Nix was so broken for so long that that's even why she thought she stopped seeing colors, Lark didn't believe them and was so mad at Nix. Honestly, she didn't get much better until the end, but I enjoyed her character arc and who she ended up being. Nix was so worried about doing her best for Mystiquiel until she found out Lark betrayed her. Her poor emotions went on a rollercoaster ride throughout this book. So many things were revealed to her and she did her best to navigate it all.
The writing style of this book was just ok, I feel like there were super out there words that were used. It just was so jarring reading these words that I had never even seen before and it almost took me out of the story every time. I feel like more common words could have reached the same thoughts and made it flow better. That's the only complaint I have about it though and once I got into the second half, it didn't bother me as much because I was so interested in what was going on.
While there were things that weren't my favorite, I was so entranced by the entire second half of the book that it made up for everything that I didn't love in the first half. It was just so good!

Picking up where the first book left off, two twins swap lives, one thrust back into a human world she's forgotten and another sacrificing herself to take her sister's place in the fairy realm as it's new architect.... yet their family curse must find a way to end and it can only end with one of them dying. Phoenix "Nix" Loring and her sister Lark have swapped places, ever since Nix took Lark's place in the fairy realm as it's new architect to stop the rot that was growing and to help the Goblin King fix it.... she still yearns to go back to the human world. Meanwhile Lark, the other twin who has only ever known the fairy realm... who's own blood is now different is forced to take Nix's role in the human world while her heart yearns to be back with the Goblin King. Lark and the Goblin king share a connection but Lark was not the twin meant to fix the fairy realm and so she was sent away... yet as she is back in the human world her body is changing... and shes no longer human. As Nix repairs the fairy realm she begins to discover her sister's dark secrets and the betrayals... all the while trying to stop an evil force hell bent on taking over. Can Nix and Lark find a way to end their family curse and get both their happily ever afters without sacrificing one another? This was a nice ending to the series and I was happy to see both sisters get their happily ever afters. I loved the first book and this was a nice twist to the original story and inspiration. It's a overall really interesting series and one I'd recommend for anyone who likes the Goblin Market/Labyrinth themed stories with a dash of romance and intrigue!

Release Date: September 17,2024

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

*Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books | Bloomsbury YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

**I was given an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I can't think of a better way for this duology to end! To be back in this world with these characters, unravel more of the mystery and yearning for a HEA. This gives all the gothic vibes that you would want for your fall reads. Definitely make sure you start with book 1 which is Shades of Rust & Ruin. The backstory, the reason why her family members die every halloween and so much more are revealed there.

I'm sad that this story ended but I think it was so fitting on where the characters ended up.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was a stunningggg addition to the Shades of Rust and Ruin world. This series is imaginative, the descriptions are top tier, and I really loved every minute I spent engrossed in the story. A.G. Howard had an impressive handling on world-building, and I can't believe that I haven't heard of them until this series.


A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

This is a sequel! Which I didn’t know when I read it. That being said, after a chapter or two I was totally and fully invested without reading the first book. I wouldn’t recommend reading it the way I did— because when referenced things in the past I kept thinking “it would be so cool to read some of that stuff!” Uh, yeah. It would have. 🤦‍♀️😂 Anyway, I’ll read it. But I didn’t realize I was missing it till 1/3 in. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyway, it is a very interesting fantasy novel that bleeds with our world. I love the twins and the tone of the book. The lore is interesting, and the way it resolves is satisfying. Definitely with a read!