The hunt for the old king’s lost heir is on, and the first to find them wins the throne. A tale of dark secrets, power struggle and loyalty.

I love that this second book in the "Dark Descent" duology continues with a different narrator for each point of view. The cover is almost as stunning as the first one. Just like in the first book, we delve deeper into Jewish folklore, exploring themes we touched upon previously. The story addresses significant political themes, corruption, and classism, while also continuing to explore friendship and the importance of forgiveness. There’s a hint of romance as well.

I wanted to love this book since the first one was so compelling, and the character dynamics were both robust and intriguing. There was danger and intrigue in the first installment. While some of that is present here, the overall tone felt a bit off for me. The book is complex, and the characters are dynamic, particularly Ari, who plays a larger role this time. However, it just didn’t have the same magic that the first book had.

As a massive fan of Kalyn’s, I was so excited for this conclusion. And it didn’t disappoint. It’s full of scheming, rebellion, and political intrigue, all mixed in with a fantastic fantasy world. It’s a stunning conclusion.

I was so excited after book 1 to hopefully get more of a Reid romance because I was really looking forward to him getting more time to shine but this just wasn't it. His storyline was what kept me going and I'm sad he didn't get more romance.

I thought I would like this more than This Dark Descent because there isn’t a tournament in this one, but I think the author’s writing just isn’t for me. The plot drags on a bit and I’m just not very invested in the characters or their relationships.

That said, I think there are interesting themes in this about the nature of power, forgiveness, and government corruption, that you wouldn’t necessarily see in most YA novels about rebellion. I also really enjoyed the Jewish culture and folklore.

If you liked the first book, you’ll likely enjoy this, but if you were mixed on it, there isn’t much here that will change your feelings.

The audiobook narrators were talented and read well, though the narrators for Mikira and Ari were a little too similar, and both sounded a bit older for the characters.