**3.5 STARS**

Content Warning: violence

I enjoyed Curious Tides, which is the first book in this series so I was very curious to see where this story went. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ I like the dual stories going with Romie and Emory in one place and Kai and Baz in another. I think it worked well seeing both worlds happening at the same time. I thought the world building was really good and expanded.

+ There was a little romance stirring in this book between two people that was hinted in book one. I love to see it, but it definitely comes at the end of the book and we’ll see what happens in book three. It’s definitely a slow burn. On the other hand where Emory had all the romance in book one, her relationship with Romie is what needs to be fixed and I liked to see their friendship journey.

+ There is magic, lots of action and so much going on in both worlds. Baz as a Timespinner even gets to go into the past with Kai to the point where I’d say things really changed for these magic wielders. I thought that part was very interesting and realized how large this world building is.

Dislikes:

~ I found this one a little too long and the pacing was off and there were parts that dragged. I do think it’s long because there was so much happening with the story, and lots more characters being introduced. But I did take a few weeks to finish this one.

Final Thoughts:

I did like how this world opens up in this book. There is so much going on and different worlds to explore. There is also a lot more characters introduced but at times I felt it dragged and was a bit too long for me. I think people who love fantasy though will love this one.

This book was SOOOO good! The plot was very well thought out and the story flow was easy to follow. I enjoyed being able to read additional characters point of view that we missed out on in the first book. There were also many surprises and I now have so many theories and questions that I cannot wait for the third book! I loved being able to meet new characters that helped build the story and gain more background on some we already knew from Curious Tides. 10/10 would read again.

Ok phew..let me catch my breath..that was an insane ride. If “don’t look away you will miss it” feeling is a book, it’d be this one! with a mad dash plot and twists constantly that constantly fire off before you could take a breather. If it isn’t apparent, I am saying I loved the book. I think I loved it more than the first book which is always a good sign, you better buckle up before you start this chunky adventure because it’s definitely worth it. Now if you are a patient person you’d reread Curios tides before jumping in(actually recommend it), but my fellow impatient readers like me fear not! The author did a great job of including key details from the first book smoothly without making it feel redundant to bring us up to the speed

The multiple POV- adding Kai and Romies’s made a world of difference for me, it expanded the world on itself allowing me to get perspective from these characters. That being said I thought the author did a brilliant job expanding the world even further, while it continues to be intricate I devoured it. It is narrated in two time lines which was super fun to read! the friction between Romie and Emory felt so realistic with how their friendship takes a hit after the events that take place in the previous book

Kai and Baz time go on a time traveling trip to 200 years the past meeting more wonderful characters(mostly) to fall in love with while Emory (my fav shade of grey) Romie traverse the different worlds mentioned in the previous books, there were more new characters introduced via them that I absolutely enjoyed reading about. The two timelines and the simultaneous plots happening in them would converge towards the end making sense of the plot as a whole. While undoubtedly it’s complex, I thought it’s pulled off quite well

There are quite a few twists and turns, you might see some while others might completely take you by surprise. There were times I felt pacing was off specifically with Romie/Emory's POV's.However, I really ended up enjoying the sequel and looking forward to the next book obviously but next time I think I’d have to reread this book in order to continue haha because it’s a lot to remember till then.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Edelweiss, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
If you have not read the first book in this series, Curious Tides, stop here. There will more than likely be spoilers for that book below. And you'll need to read that first book to understand what happens in this one.
Curious Tides was my favorite book of 2023. I will admit, when it was sent to me I was unsure I'd really want to read it. The length was intimidating but I also judged the book by its cover and it just didn't look inviting to me. Boy was I WRONG! Not only do I now love that cover, but I am in love with all the characters and the world Lacelle has built. It's a very unique magical system and the world building was amazing.
I was super excited to jump into this one seeing as the first one pretty much ended on a cliff hanger. I needed to know what happened to all the characters! This installment of The Drowned Gods series is full of action and adventure. It delves deeper into the magical system and gives a ton of history and background world.
This book is told from four points of view. Yep, two new POVs are added and I'm sure you can imagine that changed the story up quite a bit. Having Romie's POV really expanded how the story progressed. And we got a dip into Kai's POV at the end of the first book so I knew he was going to be included! Plus we still hear from Baz and Emory. It's great to watch the story unfold from all these characters who are complex, real, and very reliable. Do their emotions get involved? They sure do. But it brings just the right amount of drama and intrigue to pull the reader along. I loved seeing the two characters we got to know so well in book one through the eyes of their best friends. We're also introduced to a slew of new characters. One of which is the author of the story which started all the characters down the road of this story.
The romance takes a bit of a turn in this book. We did see it somewhat towards the end of book 1 but it ramps up much more in this book. And those you thought were pining for each other turns out to be a bit different than what we first thought. It's a very slow burn so if you're expecting it to pop out and be real early on, you're in for a surprise. Expect a build until things combust.
This book introduces time travel. Lacelle does a good job with is, as well. I'm always worried that time travel books will have too many complicated things happening and make it hard to understand but that is not the case here. I will say I was surprised at what was reveled by the characters who did travel. I was worried how it would alter the other timeline. The alternating time lines were easy to understand and keep up with. We don't really see the intersection of the timelines until the end, so I'll be interested to see how it plays out in the third book of the series.
Often times the second book of a trilogy suffers from middle books syndrome where the book becomes just filler to get you to the third book that wraps the story up. This is not that book. This book absolutely lends so much to the story. Especially because it explores more worlds than what we saw in the first book. It expands the universe so well. It gives more depth to the characters, plot, and world.
I loved the mystery and intrigue in this book. I will admit it was a long one. I am very intimidated by long books. I did have to take a few breaks. And I did find myself jumping back at times to make sure I understood what was happening as it did get complicated at times. And I love that Lacelle continued using the dark academia introduced int book one in this book. She doesn't take you away from that part of the book which really is so important to the overall story.
While I wanted to love this book as much as the first, I did feel the pacing was not quite as on point with this installment as the first. I struggled at times to understand some of what was happening. There was so much new stuff introduced, such a large expansion of the universe, I sometimes had a hard time keeping it all straight. This brought my rating down. But overall, this is a great continuation of interesting and unique lore with complex characters and time lines that keep you turning the page. Once again we're left with a cliff hanger which leave me wondering just how the author is going to solve the pickle these characters have gotten themselves into! Excited for the next book already!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This book was action packed from the first page to the last page. Myths and magic along with ley lines and how the lines amps up the magic. I’ve heard of key lines and it made me want to read more about them.

This is how you do a sequel! Stranger Skies picks up where Curious Tides left off and it was non stop the entire time. It was stunning and adventurous! I absolutely love these characters and how they are complex and imperfect. The difficult friendships and budding romances were so good! I was a little nervous when I learned this was changing from a duology to a trilogy, but Pascale Lacelle did not disappoint. This isn’t a filler book. This book expanded on book 1 and added more depth to the characters, plot, and world. We’re also introduced to new characters and povs. It was beautifully written and entertaining. I loved seeing all the little pieces coming together even though I still have so many questions! I cannot wait for the conclusion!

When I first read Curious Tides, it was immediately a perfect five star read. It felt like it was written specifically for me and I loved everything about it. I’m so happy to say that the highly anticipated sequel is even better than the first book. I just love the prose and starting the sequel reminded me exactly why I loved the first book so much. The lunar magic of this series is one of the most unique magic systems I’ve ever read. The powers you have are determined by the phase of the moon when you were born and the magic is stronger depending on the phase it’s currently in. This series is set at a university with students split into houses based on their moon phase, and there’s nothing I love more than a book with a magical academy. The Drowned Gods series has secret societies, an ancient mysterious storybook, a dark academia setting, multiple points of views, and powerful characters always trying to save the day. One of my favorite parts of the first book was the romance as well as the subtle hinting at a potential relationship. The romance in the sequel was even better with some huge slow burn payoffs. I don’t want to spoil anything but let’s just say if you wanted a certain potential couple to get together, you are going to be very happy reading this book. The build up was so worth it, I love them so much. Stranger Skies had a lot of answers to questions from the first book and so many plot twists that left me once again on the edge of my seat for the next one.

I was quite surprised by the multiple POVs in this second installment. I never felt disconnected from the characters even with changing perspectives. I welcomed these new insights into Romie and Kai. The thing that shines the most here is the character development, it is quite obvious now that Emory is not the same person as when we first start reading the series. And she’s slowly coming to terms with who she is and eventually who she is becoming. But even with that, my favorite is for sure Baz. Another great character development but Baz’s is more diverse than Emory’s. Not only is he helping the eclipse-born movement, he is also saving his family and then he is also going after his friends. He has gone way out of his comfort zone and I like that he realizes he quite likes it.
All in all, the lore in this book is so original and complex. It might not be for everyone but I loved it. The traveling and the cultures they experience everytime they go to another ley line portal. Definitely a high fantasy book to read since it will keep you entertained the whole time

I found the first to be compelling story with interesting characters and themes. The narrative had its exciting moments, but I struggled with the pacing and writing style, which didn’t always resonate with me. While I can see why others might enjoy it, it ultimately wasn’t a perfect fit for my taste.

The story was interesting, however, I could have used more character development to get me to like the characters.

I am not sure what @pascalelacelle puts in these books, but they are everything that my dreams are made of. The first book had me in a chokehold and I read through the entire thing in 1 day, the second book is EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST, as someone who thinks pretty much every second book in a series is bad... That is the best compliment I could give. I finished the entire thing in 5 days and she is THIC. 

You follow the story of several students as they attend a MAGICAL SCHOOL BASED ON MOON MAGIC. Like what?! How could you not love this just right off the bat? Each of the students are broken up into their own houses based on the phases of the moon, each having their own special and unique powers from healing, to controlling nightmares, controlling time, reanimation. The outcast house is those in Eclipse house, those born on an eclipse, whose magic is mysterious, destructive, and dangerous... or at least that's what the authoritative figure heads want you to believe. But why?!

A group of students, one from each house, discover a hidden door to other worlds, except something dark and dangerous is hiding there... and they let it out. 

I can't even begin to tell you how absolutely phenomenal this book is. Go read it, like RIGHT NOW. 

Pascale's writing is unlike anything I have ever read before, her imagination and prose are beyond compare. I will forever be a fan. Her writing just keeps getting better and better, as someone who has a DNF-second-book-curse, this is the best second book in a series I have ever read. Bravo. 1 million stars, in the real world, the book world, and the sleep scape.

OH MY GOSH! This is what a sequel is all about! I could not put this book down and devoured in 3 days. The world building, magic system, different timelines, relationships...all of it was so good and that ending!! I did not think there was going to be another book but holy moly I cannot wait for it!