I loved the first book, but this one dragged on a bit too much for me. Around 75-80% through I realized I had lost interest in the book. I did enjoy the creepy monsters and atmosphere. If the third book gets good reviews, I will probably still finish the trilogy.
I was a big fan of the narrator of this audiobook. He made the book come to life in a cool way.
Thanks to NetGalley for this audio ARC.

Compared to the first book, I was much more into this second one! It delves deeper into the characters and is far darker and more intricate. This time, I thought we truly got to know them better. The other youthful talents are attempting to return to their friend Marlowe, who has become trapped in the afterlife. They quickly discover that the world of talents is much larger than what they were exposed to at Cairndale. They move around the continent in search of solutions.

TBH, this has been on of my favorite audio listens this year. The narrator, Ben Onwukwe, has such a theatrical voice, that it feels like an immersive experience. The amount of voices he can do for this very full cast is crazy impressive.

I’m feel fiercely protective for these fictional characters. 😩😅 So I’m grieving with that bittersweet ending.
I’m hoping J.M. Miro handles are hearts with care in the next and final book.

My thanks to @Netgalley & @Macmillan.Audio - So happy to confirm, there is no book 2 slump, here.

Recommended:
- When you are looking for a long read.
- When you want are looking for fantasy x thriller
- If your Fall/Winter TBR vibes need a solid win.

Due out 17 September 2024
Book 3 Release date TBD, but don’t sit on this series.
4.25/5

Book two in J.M. Miro's Talents Trilogy is just as long as the first. Is it necessary for it to be so long, you ask? No. The first one didn't need to be and neither did this one. Will I read the third book, you ask? Yes, I will put myself through another 24 hours of audio again. While the execution and pacing leave a little something to be desired, the story is so, so creative. Do not attempt to read this without reading the first one, as it picks up immediately after book one and you will be epically confused. If you didn't like the first one, I do think the second one was slightly better. I would say 3 stars for the first, and 3.5 for the second. Part of this is because at times I was able to totally space out and still not have any trouble following along. There are key scenes were you get important info, and oh, what a fascinating and rich backstory Miro has created! But the entire book is not like that, there is a lot of nothing that happens also. There are so many characters and overlaps and interweaves and it can be quite confusing at times, but it all ties together at the end. I appreciate the ARC!

This is the second novel in the Talents Trilogy and if you haven't read Ordinary Monsters, please go do that before even attempting this novel. Otherwise, you will have no understanding about what is taking place inside this novel and it is A LOT. (The audio was literally one whole day long.)
Bringer of Dust picks up where Ordinary Monsters ended. Cairndale is destroyed, along with its orsine and Marlowe is missing, maybe never to return. His friends all have their own journeys to complete before getting him back and it seems like the First Talent is rising. (This is not a good thing.) Monsters, Talents, Glyphics and unholy terrors are all crammed into this novel and of course, there is a crazy epic battle at the end of the book and we lose still more beloved characters. BUT, there is one more book coming from this trilogy and hopefully, a beautiful ending.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this e-arc.*

Oh my. I didn't want to start this, because it would soon be over, and now I am sad to have to leave this band of magical kids once again.

I am a huge fan of J.M. Miro's Talents Trilogy. I loved Ordinary Monsters and was so captivated by the next chapter of this saga in BRINGER OF DUST, out on September 17th by @flatiron_books and, luckily for me, the audio by @macmillan.audio via @netgalley!

At seconds shy of 25 hours, this next installment will be as beefy as the first, but rest assured, it will fly by. I have spent the last 2 days immersed in the world of the Talents (kids with a specific magical ability), magical dust, adventure, and a journey that uncovers secrets and changes the story!

I loved the continued world building and character development. The friendship and care of Charlie and Marlowe, the leadership and confusion of adult influences, the struggles against darkness all deepened my investment in these characters. I loved the complexities brought into this novel, and already cannot wait for the next, though I may have to reread it, just to keep from letting go!

The audio was a way to keep me working in a fog while I kept rapt attention! Narrated by Ben Onwukwe, I was easily able to disappear into each character. I did feel like my ideas of what they sounded like as a bit different, but it was easily overcome with the strength of the story! I will have to grab a physical copy of this one since I never won any giveaways of the ARC!

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and the second did not disappoint. I have to say that this narrator has perhaps one of the best voices I have ever hear for narration and is perfectly suited to the material, He's amazing. Highly recommed and. cannot wait for the thid book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the second book in this series. I read the first one and listened to the second one so I think some of my perspective is affected by that. The start of this book was really confusing, there were so many characters and the perspectives jumped around a lot. This isn’t marked by new chapters so in the audio it is hard to differentiate. Once I got used to it, I was able to follow the story a lot better.

For me, this book was more gruesome than the first one. There were parts that were hard for me to listen to because it was so descriptive as to be disturbing. I think listening to someone describe horrible acts is also harder than reading about them because I could skim over any really brutal scenes in the first book. I like the magic and the ideas in this book but I would only recommend it with the caveat that you need to be ok with violence and gore.

This second book really had me more than the first book! It’s so much more dark and twisty and it goes more in depth on the characters. I felt like we really got to know them more this time around. The other young talents are trying to find a way back to their friend Marlowe who is stuck in the land of the dead. They learn quickly that there is so much more to the world of talents than just what they saw at Cairndale. In order to find answers they disperse across the continent.

There were a couple sections that I really had to concentrate to figure out exactly what was going on. Overall though it was really good and there were a lot more twists in this second book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this book.

This was a decent installment in the series. Continues on where the first book left off. If you enjoyed book one you will enjoy the second books as well.

I listened to this on audio and Ben Onwukwe was amazing. His narration brought this to life for me. I was there. The writing was richly detailed and had a lyrical haunting feel just like the first book. The audiobook is 19 and 30 minutes and eagerly took in every minute.
It’s lengthy but did not drag and I flew through it. This book was about rescuing Marlow and it took me on quite a journey.
The talents (all of them) are unique and precious. The world building was incredible and I could clearly see it. Believe it.
I highly recommend this.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Miro has done it again! I originally picked up the first book in this series, Ordinary Monsters, due to the cover looking very similar to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and the fact they both took place in Victorian England and were fantasy books. It was not like Jonathan Strange, not in a bad way, and I fell in love! I snatched up the sequel ASAP when I saw it available on NetGalley and it was another amazing book!!

Bringer of Dust picks up not too long after the mind blowing conclusion of Ordinary Monsters. All of our characters are splitting up to tackle different challenges that are keeping them from saving one of their friends. We go to France and Italy and meet new characters, friends and villains, along the way. There are revelations, twists and turns, and if you enjoyed the first book, you'll love this one too! Ben Onwukwe is one of my favorite narrators and he does such a good job creating a voice for each person. I could listen to his deep, rich voice all day!

This book is just.... amazing, I'll say it again! You see the size of this book, and it might seem intimidating, but holy cow it flies by! Even when there's a lull in the action, Miro's writing sucks you in and before you know it, you're in love with all of these characters and the book's climax is in sight and you're reading furiously to see if your favorite ones make it through alive. There are so many characters but they are so well fleshed out and developed, each with their own distinct personality. No one gets it easy in these books and you get to experience every emotion with them. The story is so deliciously complicated and 600 pages doesn't seem to be enough! I cannot wait for the third in the trilogy to come out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a phenomenal second book to the series and the narrator giving each and every voice its own twists and personality helped keep everyone's story separate. When you have a book featuring this much detail and this many characters having a good narrator who can help the reader distinguish who is who is vital. We dive right back in figuring out what happened to all our characters and how all of them are on a similar journey to find the second orsin and find a way to get Marlowe home, but there are new groups of bad people seeking the tainted dust. There is also the threat of drughrs, a tale of a dark talent, and a lot of back story and information into the origin of the talents and what all is now at risk. This series definitely gives me a Harry Potter mixed with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children vibes. I will say the beginning takes a little bit to pull you back into the story, but for me that's to be expected because before we can truly start the story we need to figure out where everyone is and also reference book 1 in a way readers can remember the details. Once it gets going though its easy to get drawn into this world and stay with it.

Love how imaginative this series is but still feels realistic in fantastical way? The characters are just bad ass and kinda give you a umbrella cadamy vibe? This continues into this book but bigger

An epic follow up to the equally incredible start of this trilogy. After reading Ordinary Monsters, I was regularly checking for the second installment. This was undoubtedly my most highly anticipated book this year…and I was not disappointed. Full of terrifying villains, unlikely heroes and nonstop action, this book has created the perfect set up for what will (hopefully) be an astounding conclusion.

After reading the first book in the Talents Trilogy, I expected the follow-up to be eerie and dark, but Bringer of Dust blew me away. Just as detailed in its creation of a horror fantasy world as Ordinary Monsters, if not more so, the story goes beyond its British settings into Europe and the beyond. The pacing of the story and mix of action and explanation are similar to the first book but the eldritch factor is definitely heightened (I doubt anyone will be comparing this book to X-Men). We follow some familiar characters and encounter some new ones while the narrative plunges deeper into the supernatural mystery. There are curves and twists and revelations that come to light while other questions bubble to the surface. The mysteries surrounding Charlie and Marlowe get more complicated and I can't wait to get answers in the last book of the trilogy though I'm sure the road to those answers will wind through a dark chilling trail.
I enjoyed the experience of Bringer of Dust as an audiobook and praise the voice actor's performance that made the characters come alive and occasionally make a chill run down my spine.
I received advanced access to this audiobook thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.