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Spirits and Thieves #2
The Darkest Magic
In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes's highly acclaimed Falling Kingdoms spin-off series, danger looms and the mystery deepens as two warring evils vie for possession of one elusive, powerful book.
Modern-day Toronto: Sisters Crystal and Becca Hatcher are reunited after reclaiming the Bronze Codex and narrowly escaping death. They have no one to trust but each other, and the only thing keeping them safe is the book that sent Becca's spirit to Ancient Mytica--the same book that their enemies would kill them for.
Ancient Mytica: Maddox grapples to keep his newly discovered powers under control, while the ruthless goddess Valoria hunts him down.
Modern-day Toronto: Farrell embraces his dark side as he unwittingly falls further under the spell of Markus, the mastermind leader of the nefarious Hawkspear Society, who will stop at nothing to find Crys and Becca--and the remarkable book in their possession.
New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes takes readers into exhilarating new high-fantasy territory with volume two of the Book of Spirits and Thieves series, an epic contemporary saga perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander.
Modern-day Toronto: Sisters Crystal and Becca Hatcher are reunited after reclaiming the Bronze Codex and narrowly escaping death. They have no one to trust but each other, and the only thing keeping them safe is the book that sent Becca's spirit to Ancient Mytica--the same book that their enemies would kill them for.
Ancient Mytica: Maddox grapples to keep his newly discovered powers under control, while the ruthless goddess Valoria hunts him down.
Modern-day Toronto: Farrell embraces his dark side as he unwittingly falls further under the spell of Markus, the mastermind leader of the nefarious Hawkspear Society, who will stop at nothing to find Crys and Becca--and the remarkable book in their possession.
New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes takes readers into exhilarating new high-fantasy territory with volume two of the Book of Spirits and Thieves series, an epic contemporary saga perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander.
426 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2016
54 people are currently reading
6329 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Rhodes
24 books6,647 followersMorgan Rhodes lives in Ontario, Canada. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess -- the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, reality TV, and is an extremely picky, yet voracious reader of all kinds of books. Under another pen name, she’s a national bestselling author of many paranormal novels. Falling Kingdoms is her first high fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
February 9, 2017
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
The Darkest Magic was everything I wanted, expected, and more in a sequel. Morgan Rhodes can do no wrong in my eyes. The Falling Kingdoms series kept getting better and better with each installment and she's doing the exact same thing with the ABOSAT series.
The story does start off a little slow, which is no surprise to me since The Darkest Magic starts off with Maddox's POV. He's probably the least exciting and the most irrelevant character in the book. I find that he's the ABOSAT equivalent of Jonas's character in the Falling Kingdoms series considering how I think Jonas is also the weakest of the core four characters. But thankfully, the storyline does pick up when we get to modern Toronto.
With that being said, I was looking forward to Crystal's Farrell's, and Becca's chapters the most because that's where all the action was. I was actually dreading Maddox's chapters because even though I love the world of Mytica and the goddesses, I couldn't care less about Maddox. I don't hate him as a character but I just find him dull compared to everything that is going on with everybody else. Barnabas, Liana, and Al, who joined our cast of characters in this book, actually made Maddox's POVs bearable with their bickering and sarcasm.
Crystal and Farrell were, of course, my favorite duo in this spinoff series and they did not disappoint. In fact, these characters got even better in this book. They're obviously the Magnus and Cleo of this series so how can I not ship them when Magneo is clearly EVERYTHING. I love Crys and Farrell as a couple but I also love them as individuals because they're the ones that make A Book of Spirits and Thieves great on my opinion. Their relationship is so complicated and slow burning, it makes Morgan Rhodes literally the queen of slow-burn romance!
Becca is Lucia's equivalent in this series and although I hate Lucia in Falling Kingdoms, I'm surprisingly tolerating Becca. I think Becca is actually the second least interesting of the four characters next Maddox but at least she's not annoying as Lucia or dreadfully as dull as Maddox.
In short, a lot happened in Toronto and Mytica but everything that happened and all the characters in Toronto took the cake. I was actually feeling a bit disconnected with Maddox and Mytica because he was all by his lonesome while the other three main characters were together for most of the book. That probably played a huge role in why I didn't really care for what was going on with Maddox's chapters. It wasn't until maybe 90 percent in that Becca finally goes back to Mytica and becomes that bridge that links modern Toronto and Mytica together. I absolutely loved finally meeting the goddess Cleiona in the flesh and seeing how different she is from Valoria.
A Book of Spirits and Thieves wasn't the strongest start to this series but Morgan Rhodes just manages to keep building that momentum and making it up with these outstanding sequels. Although I still believe that ABOSAT doesn't come close to the greatness that Falling Kingdoms is, I believe that this spinoff is holding up on its own. The ending to The Darkest Magic was absolutely crazy and it definitely set up a high standard for the finale!
July 8, 2016
I really like the insights this series gives into the Falling Kingdoms backstory, but I don't really care about any of the characters. To me, they are just plot devices to tell the origin story of this world and not much else. They pale in comparison to my Falling Kingdoms babies, and this makes me way less invested in this series's story.
August 31, 2016
SPOILER BOOK TALK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8jVEw...
That cliffhanger tho...
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!
That cliffhanger tho...
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!
September 17, 2020
I’m not sure where to start with this review. I am really liking the dive we took with the gods and their …sibling gods/relationships with other gods? And the fact that we learned their history and how certain gods were banished and how it is affecting everything around them.
What I didn’t like is the lack of character growth. The characters are pretty firm in their standing and didn’t really mature at all or make smarter decisions (have you ever noticed that Rhode characters always make really rash and really stupid decisions that only make matters worse?).
If you haven’t read the last book, this is where you should stop because I will spoil things from the previous book, just not this book.
So, we have the book. The whole idea that this book is the most powerful thing on earth and the most powerful being on earth doesn’t just snap his fingers to retrieve it again is beyond me. They hid in in a drawer… and he can’t just go in there and get it? That’s a little silly to me. He knows who has it and he always knows where they are soOoOoOoOoOo…
That Magnus-like character in this book is kind of annoying to me. Magnus is everything I have ever wanted in a gray-area character. Farrell just pities himself but also praises himself for being the best there ever was. He doesn’t really have a dark-past but he’s dark anyway…?
I love the sisters though. The relationship between the sisters is probably the best part about the Modern-Day Toronto group. They try to understand each other even though one seems to be seeing things and is a little crazy after she woke from a coma and the other is in love with the guy in a very Romeo/Juliet way.
My favorite part of the whole series though is Maddox and his newly found father. Their whole journey is what I live for. Maddox is trying to stay sane and light even though his power is complete darkness. There’s a “twist” you see coming a million miles away towards the end though. You can bet your bottom dollar I rolled my eyes at it.
In conclusion, the writing style is the same as all of her other books, the story is developing just as she always does. So really, if you love Rhodes books, read this book. If you don’t, then you should probably move along.
---
Surprise surprise, Rhodes leaves me on a cliff. Just dangling there like a fish on a hook. UGH. RTC.
- - -
Why don’t more people like this series? I’m loving the feels of Mythica in this.
What I didn’t like is the lack of character growth. The characters are pretty firm in their standing and didn’t really mature at all or make smarter decisions (have you ever noticed that Rhode characters always make really rash and really stupid decisions that only make matters worse?).
If you haven’t read the last book, this is where you should stop because I will spoil things from the previous book, just not this book.
So, we have the book. The whole idea that this book is the most powerful thing on earth and the most powerful being on earth doesn’t just snap his fingers to retrieve it again is beyond me. They hid in in a drawer… and he can’t just go in there and get it? That’s a little silly to me. He knows who has it and he always knows where they are soOoOoOoOoOo…
That Magnus-like character in this book is kind of annoying to me. Magnus is everything I have ever wanted in a gray-area character. Farrell just pities himself but also praises himself for being the best there ever was. He doesn’t really have a dark-past but he’s dark anyway…?
I love the sisters though. The relationship between the sisters is probably the best part about the Modern-Day Toronto group. They try to understand each other even though one seems to be seeing things and is a little crazy after she woke from a coma and the other is in love with the guy in a very Romeo/Juliet way.
My favorite part of the whole series though is Maddox and his newly found father. Their whole journey is what I live for. Maddox is trying to stay sane and light even though his power is complete darkness. There’s a “twist” you see coming a million miles away towards the end though. You can bet your bottom dollar I rolled my eyes at it.
In conclusion, the writing style is the same as all of her other books, the story is developing just as she always does. So really, if you love Rhodes books, read this book. If you don’t, then you should probably move along.
---
Surprise surprise, Rhodes leaves me on a cliff. Just dangling there like a fish on a hook. UGH. RTC.
- - -
Why don’t more people like this series? I’m loving the feels of Mythica in this.
March 21, 2017
“Memories of one's past are tainted. There are no truths to be found in them.”
Just a little disclaimer: I'm going to mark spoilers BUT I won't be marking ship spoilers so if you don't want to know the ships, don't keep reading.
I LOVED THIS BOOKS. Honestly, anything Falling Kingdoms related is amazing and I cannot devour these books quick enough. These books are honestly just incredible and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I'm constantly left shook and I'm always being blindsided by twists and turns and DEATH.
Let me just tell you that Morgan Rhodes is the QUEEN of the slow burn romance and then randomly throwing you in the deep end of the ship and I'm always left shook. Farrell and Crystal is 10/10 the Mageno of this series and I'm absolutely fucking obsessed with them. I wanted to rip my hair out because I just wanted them to hurry up and kiss and stop god damn fighting and being so difficult because they only have this book and next book to get together before THE END. THANK FUCKING GOD THEY KISSED AND YOU CAN BET THAT I SCREAMED FOREVER. I'm shook. I just love them. Shit. This is a problem. My favourite scene was definitely at that ballroom event because it was a hot god damn mess and the second everything was fine, EVERYTHING WENT TO HELL.
"We're in a beautiful ballroom, and a band is playing beautiful music. You're a beautiful girl, I'm a beautiful guy. Why let this beauty go to waste?"
Okay, when I first read A Book of Spirits and Thieves, my favourite character was Maddox and my least favourite was Farrell. BUT, now all of that has changed. My favourite character is definitely Farrell and I think Becca is my least favourite of our main 4. Now, that doesn't mean that I don't like her - because I actually do like them all. I don't think I have anyone I don't overly hate but I'll give it some time because I'm sure to hate one of them eventually.
Morgan Rhodes is also Queen of changing the bad guys mid series. We have Markus, who is the actual shit and now we've introduced Damen WHO IS WORSE. And then to make matters worse,
Everything in Toronto is going to shit and everything in Mytica is going just as crazy. I actually enjoyed the plot line in Toronto more than the Mytica story line purely because more of our characters were in Toronto and a lot more action was going on there. The introduction of Liana and Al (plus more Barnabas) definitely made Maddox's chapters more interesting.
The last 4 or so chapters were honesty just full of stress. I am still trying to process everything that happened.
Just a little disclaimer: I'm going to mark spoilers BUT I won't be marking ship spoilers so if you don't want to know the ships, don't keep reading.
I LOVED THIS BOOKS. Honestly, anything Falling Kingdoms related is amazing and I cannot devour these books quick enough. These books are honestly just incredible and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I'm constantly left shook and I'm always being blindsided by twists and turns and DEATH.
Let me just tell you that Morgan Rhodes is the QUEEN of the slow burn romance and then randomly throwing you in the deep end of the ship and I'm always left shook. Farrell and Crystal is 10/10 the Mageno of this series and I'm absolutely fucking obsessed with them. I wanted to rip my hair out because I just wanted them to hurry up and kiss and stop god damn fighting and being so difficult because they only have this book and next book to get together before THE END. THANK FUCKING GOD THEY KISSED AND YOU CAN BET THAT I SCREAMED FOREVER. I'm shook. I just love them. Shit. This is a problem. My favourite scene was definitely at that ballroom event because it was a hot god damn mess and the second everything was fine, EVERYTHING WENT TO HELL.
"We're in a beautiful ballroom, and a band is playing beautiful music. You're a beautiful girl, I'm a beautiful guy. Why let this beauty go to waste?"
Okay, when I first read A Book of Spirits and Thieves, my favourite character was Maddox and my least favourite was Farrell. BUT, now all of that has changed. My favourite character is definitely Farrell and I think Becca is my least favourite of our main 4. Now, that doesn't mean that I don't like her - because I actually do like them all. I don't think I have anyone I don't overly hate but I'll give it some time because I'm sure to hate one of them eventually.
Morgan Rhodes is also Queen of changing the bad guys mid series. We have Markus, who is the actual shit and now we've introduced Damen WHO IS WORSE. And then to make matters worse,
Everything in Toronto is going to shit and everything in Mytica is going just as crazy. I actually enjoyed the plot line in Toronto more than the Mytica story line purely because more of our characters were in Toronto and a lot more action was going on there. The introduction of Liana and Al (plus more Barnabas) definitely made Maddox's chapters more interesting.
The last 4 or so chapters were honesty just full of stress. I am still trying to process everything that happened.
June 29, 2016
Eu estou chegando à conclusão que primeiros livros não são o forte de algumas autoras. Que o segundo livro é quando elas soltam os dedos e realmente atingem alturas inimagináveis. No caso da Morgan Rhodes foi assim em A Queda dos Reinos e agora em Spirit and Thieves.
Ainda mais que no primeiro livro, nesse ela conseguiu conectar muito melhor o mundo de Mytica e o mundo real. Os elementos da história começaram a fazer mais sentido e estou curtindo muito onde ela está levando essa história. Gosto muito que essa autora não tem medo de levar alguns dos seus personagens para lugares negros, só para depois trazê-los de volta em belos arcos de redenção.
Não quero falar nada sobre o enredo, pois nesse livro houve revelação atrás de revelação. Qualquer comentário que eu faça irá dar uma indicação do que aconteceu.
Muita gente reclama que a escrita da Morgan Rhodes é básica e simples. O que de certa forma é verdade. Mas ninguém pode negar a capacidade que ela tem de fazer você continuar virando as páginas dos seus livros, impacientes para descobrir o que acontece em seguida. Um bom autor às vezes não é apenas aquele que escreve belas frases, mas também aquele que sabe como contar uma estória envolvente.
Se você gosta de A Queda dos Reinos da mesma autora, não hesite em começar essa série!
Ainda mais que no primeiro livro, nesse ela conseguiu conectar muito melhor o mundo de Mytica e o mundo real. Os elementos da história começaram a fazer mais sentido e estou curtindo muito onde ela está levando essa história. Gosto muito que essa autora não tem medo de levar alguns dos seus personagens para lugares negros, só para depois trazê-los de volta em belos arcos de redenção.
Não quero falar nada sobre o enredo, pois nesse livro houve revelação atrás de revelação. Qualquer comentário que eu faça irá dar uma indicação do que aconteceu.
Muita gente reclama que a escrita da Morgan Rhodes é básica e simples. O que de certa forma é verdade. Mas ninguém pode negar a capacidade que ela tem de fazer você continuar virando as páginas dos seus livros, impacientes para descobrir o que acontece em seguida. Um bom autor às vezes não é apenas aquele que escreve belas frases, mas também aquele que sabe como contar uma estória envolvente.
Se você gosta de A Queda dos Reinos da mesma autora, não hesite em começar essa série!
July 21, 2017
I skimmed this. I skimmed this hard.
I just couldn't get into it. It was different from the authors other works for me and I felt disconnected from the characters and storyline. To be completely transparent, I was bored. I don't know if I'll read book three, probably will. I may even try this again another time because from 40%-100% I have absolutely no clue what even happened in this book.
I just couldn't get into it. It was different from the authors other works for me and I felt disconnected from the characters and storyline. To be completely transparent, I was bored. I don't know if I'll read book three, probably will. I may even try this again another time because from 40%-100% I have absolutely no clue what even happened in this book.
July 11, 2016
Farrell Grayson pretty much sums up the reason for my enjoyment of this book. Really, that's all I have to say.
I am always looking forward to his chapters, not caring much about Becca or Maddox tbh. There is just something so compelling and enticing to read about him as his character development gets more intense and darker. I love myself a morally grey character and Farrell fits it perfectly. Also, his obsession with Crys, despite his denial, is just so cute I cannot even. I am so on board this ship you don't even know and I need it to develop MORE in book 3! (This totally reminds me of Magnus and Cleo and I just melt and swoon<3) NEED. BOOK. 3 like yesterday and just more insanity of the plot, craziness from Farrell and sass from Crys!!
I am always looking forward to his chapters, not caring much about Becca or Maddox tbh. There is just something so compelling and enticing to read about him as his character development gets more intense and darker. I love myself a morally grey character and Farrell fits it perfectly. Also, his obsession with Crys, despite his denial, is just so cute I cannot even. I am so on board this ship you don't even know and I need it to develop MORE in book 3! (This totally reminds me of Magnus and Cleo and I just melt and swoon<3) NEED. BOOK. 3 like yesterday and just more insanity of the plot, craziness from Farrell and sass from Crys!!
July 12, 2017
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! You seriously wanna tell me that that's how this book ends?????? Oh my, how I'm supposed to wait until next year with that kind of cliffhanger, I have no idea...
December 17, 2016
“Memories of one's past are tainted. There are no truths to be found in them.”I don't think I'm ever, ever, going to be able to write a coherent review for this book because it's quite possibly one of the best things I've read.
I'm so shocked by how few people - who have also read the Falling Kingdoms series - have read the Spirits and Thieves series. If you haven't already, you need to give this series a chance. If not for yourself, then for Farrell Grayson. (And for the girl Farrell will 110% fight you for, Crystal Hatcher.)
This series is full of as many plot twists and betrayals as Falling Kingdoms, except these ones hurt me a lot more. It's also full of as many ships, and I've honestly fallen head-over-heels for Farrell and Crystal, Liana and Barnabas, and Becca and Maddox. Of course, though, this is Morgan Rhodes, so all of them are likely to end in either death and/or heartbreak.
This series also answers a lot of questions about Mytica and it's history; specifically the history relating to the Immortals, Eva and her Mortal Hunter, and Cleiona and Valoria. The tales we've been told is present day Mytica aren't, I believe, one hundred percent true. One thing I will say with absolute certainty though is that Her Goldeness, Cleiona, is one of the best things to ever happen to Mytica and I will protect her until my dying breath.
Those last few chapters destroyed my soul, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself for six months. I have so many theories, and most of them are causing me actual heartbreak. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pull a Becca Hatcher and fall into a coma until the next book comes out.
Want to read
October 9, 2015FARRELL GRAYSON. I CANNOT WAIT.
Want to read
December 7, 2015COVER + TITLE REVEAL I'M OBSESSED ITS SO BEAUTIFUL PROPS TO WHOEVER DESIGNS THESE COVERS I CAN'T WAIT YES
July 10, 2016
2 1/2 stars. Just not as gripping as the last book. And the only character I really like is Farrell.
December 19, 2016
3.5 Stars
September 27, 2016
Holy crap, that cliff hanger!
The second half of this book definitely got more shocking and crazier with each passing chapter. The title of this book is so fitting to the story. Legit, the magic in this book gets more complex and grittier. I really liked how we are uncovering the backstory to Mythica with Maddox and Becca, but my personal favorite chapters are the ones with Farrell and Crys. They are definitely one of my favorites in my Hate-to-Love Relationships. Also, who knew that there was other immortals more dangerous than Markus himself. Geez, made Markus look like a saint.
Something that really irked me was how we are left with so many unanswered questions. I get that in the third book we are getting out answers, but I much rather prefer them to be answered now. I have no patience. I can't wait for the final book in this trilogy, and see how everything comes together. I'm hoping that the last book in the ABOSAT trilogy and the last book in the Falling Kingdoms series have some sort of connection. Like, an event that will not only impact the ABOSAT world, but as well as the Falling Kingdoms world.
The second half of this book definitely got more shocking and crazier with each passing chapter. The title of this book is so fitting to the story. Legit, the magic in this book gets more complex and grittier. I really liked how we are uncovering the backstory to Mythica with Maddox and Becca, but my personal favorite chapters are the ones with Farrell and Crys. They are definitely one of my favorites in my Hate-to-Love Relationships. Also, who knew that there was other immortals more dangerous than Markus himself. Geez, made Markus look like a saint.
Something that really irked me was how we are left with so many unanswered questions. I get that in the third book we are getting out answers, but I much rather prefer them to be answered now. I have no patience. I can't wait for the final book in this trilogy, and see how everything comes together. I'm hoping that the last book in the ABOSAT trilogy and the last book in the Falling Kingdoms series have some sort of connection. Like, an event that will not only impact the ABOSAT world, but as well as the Falling Kingdoms world.
August 12, 2016
★★★★★
It's a goddamn relief that this book was not a disappointment, because I had been worried that it might have been, especially with the first bit of the story.
But I continued reading and I became swept up in these worlds and characters, just as I had been in the first book. Morgan Rhodes is so brilliant how she can create twists and turns that will leave you open-mouthed and speechless and hungry for more.
I can't wait for the next book!!!
It's a goddamn relief that this book was not a disappointment, because I had been worried that it might have been, especially with the first bit of the story.
But I continued reading and I became swept up in these worlds and characters, just as I had been in the first book. Morgan Rhodes is so brilliant how she can create twists and turns that will leave you open-mouthed and speechless and hungry for more.
I can't wait for the next book!!!
April 14, 2017
“Memories of one's past are tainted. There are no truths to be found in them.”
AHHH SO GOOD!!❤️
This series just keeps getting better and better, and this book was not the exception, because it was freaking fantastic! From the plot to the world and the characters, I absolutely loved every second of it and now I'm so excited for the last book!!
If you love the Falling Kingdom series I highly recommend this books!
4.5/5★
AHHH SO GOOD!!❤️
This series just keeps getting better and better, and this book was not the exception, because it was freaking fantastic! From the plot to the world and the characters, I absolutely loved every second of it and now I'm so excited for the last book!!
If you love the Falling Kingdom series I highly recommend this books!
4.5/5★
July 21, 2016
Great sequel! It does fall a bit into the typical middle book issues that many trilogies face. I still really enjoyed this book and that crazy ending is going to make me die waiting for the third and final book!
July 12, 2016
the more i think about it, the more i feel that this was a 'it's not you, it's me' kinda book.
is it strange to feel that i've outgrown morgan rhodes' books? because it's starting to feel that way for me. i was never entirely a fan of her writing--i actually kind of found it blunt, vague, boring. after finishing a few books prior to this, ones with more of a cadence to the writing and a sort of liveliness to the characters, The Darkest Magic just fell flat to me.
i want to say that i liked the characters, as i did with the first book, but i would be lying--and if you've been reading my reviews, i'm fond of saying 'if i'm being honest...' a lot.
but, no seriously. this book added a fourth POV--becca's, crys' less interesting sister--and while i guess it was necessary, it also made the book as a whole extremely dull. that, paired along with maddox's chapters, were enough to keep me away from the book whenever crys' and farrell's chapters. those two still remained the only interesting characters and that's probably because farrell's dealing with some dark shit and crys isn't so bland.
for now. [cue dun, dun, dun]
i also want to mention the dialogue: i hate it.
i hate it, i hate it, i hate it. it is so BORING. some of the comebacks are just downright made me flinch. there was no life to it--i couldn't picture the characters saying any of these things because they were just so flat and boring and uninteresting and i'm wondering how many more synonyms i can use to get my point across.
this mostly happened with maddox's chapters. after something huge just happened, the characters would freak out a bit and then.... it's just.
you know how some authors can make a scene with the right adjectives and action words and whatnot? i think morgan rhodes kind of forgets that. her writing doesn't evoke any kind of emotion--be it good or bad--in me.
that being said, i think it's just the story that's keeping me going at this point.
overall rating: 2.5
---
TITLE!!!!
BLURB!!!!!
ETA: AND NOW COVER!!!!!!!
is it strange to feel that i've outgrown morgan rhodes' books? because it's starting to feel that way for me. i was never entirely a fan of her writing--i actually kind of found it blunt, vague, boring. after finishing a few books prior to this, ones with more of a cadence to the writing and a sort of liveliness to the characters, The Darkest Magic just fell flat to me.
i want to say that i liked the characters, as i did with the first book, but i would be lying--and if you've been reading my reviews, i'm fond of saying 'if i'm being honest...' a lot.
but, no seriously. this book added a fourth POV--becca's, crys' less interesting sister--and while i guess it was necessary, it also made the book as a whole extremely dull. that, paired along with maddox's chapters, were enough to keep me away from the book whenever crys' and farrell's chapters. those two still remained the only interesting characters and that's probably because farrell's dealing with some dark shit and crys isn't so bland.
for now. [cue dun, dun, dun]
i also want to mention the dialogue: i hate it.
i hate it, i hate it, i hate it. it is so BORING. some of the comebacks are just downright made me flinch. there was no life to it--i couldn't picture the characters saying any of these things because they were just so flat and boring and uninteresting and i'm wondering how many more synonyms i can use to get my point across.
this mostly happened with maddox's chapters. after something huge just happened, the characters would freak out a bit and then.... it's just.
you know how some authors can make a scene with the right adjectives and action words and whatnot? i think morgan rhodes kind of forgets that. her writing doesn't evoke any kind of emotion--be it good or bad--in me.
that being said, i think it's just the story that's keeping me going at this point.
overall rating: 2.5
---
TITLE!!!!
BLURB!!!!!
ETA: AND NOW COVER!!!!!!!
July 2, 2016
Wow! That ending. Everything I thought I knew about the history of Mytica is so much more complicated & unreal! I was very entertained the whole time. Loads of fun adventure! Morgan, I loved it! Thank you for another fabulous book!
July 4, 2018
Oh my goodness - what a rotten cliffhanger! Especially since book 3 is on hold indefinitely...very sad.
I loved the Falling Kingdoms series and the spinoff series is just as good. There’s a lot of action and excitement and quite a lot of bloodshed.
Farrell reminds me of Magnus - he’s kind of a bad boy you can’t help but love. I picture him to look like Ian Somerholder from The Vampire Diaries. I think I liked his chapters the most. It was interesting to see his inner turmoil.
I like Crystal a lot too. She’s matured a lot and I really like how snarky she can be in threatening situations. She doesn’t get intimidated by anything.
As with book 1, I liked Maddox the least. I’m not sure why, but I never warmed to him like I did with Farrell and Crystal. I wanted Adam to be in the book more - he’s a good brother to Farrell.
The storyline is great, the characters are great, the romance(s) are great.
Dear Morgan Rhodes,
Please finish this trilogy! I need to know what happens!
Sincerely,
Me
I loved the Falling Kingdoms series and the spinoff series is just as good. There’s a lot of action and excitement and quite a lot of bloodshed.
Farrell reminds me of Magnus - he’s kind of a bad boy you can’t help but love. I picture him to look like Ian Somerholder from The Vampire Diaries. I think I liked his chapters the most. It was interesting to see his inner turmoil.
I like Crystal a lot too. She’s matured a lot and I really like how snarky she can be in threatening situations. She doesn’t get intimidated by anything.
As with book 1, I liked Maddox the least. I’m not sure why, but I never warmed to him like I did with Farrell and Crystal. I wanted Adam to be in the book more - he’s a good brother to Farrell.
The storyline is great, the characters are great, the romance(s) are great.
Dear Morgan Rhodes,
Please finish this trilogy! I need to know what happens!
Sincerely,
Me
July 12, 2016
I have to admit that I enjoyed the first book a tad more than I did this one. The main reason for that is Maddox; his chapters were incredibly slow for a large part of the book and I constantly found myself wanting to go back to Crystal, Becca and Farrell’s chapters. However, I still really enjoyed a large number of events throughout the story and every character, protagonist or antagonist, grew on me.
January 15, 2017
Bored bored bored FARRELL bored CRYSTAL bored bored whyyyy bored CRYSTALFARRELL.
Yep. I'm here for those two characters and not much else.
Though, that ending? Rhodes knows how to hook even the more uninterested of readers with these excellent cliffhangers.
Yep. I'm here for those two characters and not much else.
Though, that ending? Rhodes knows how to hook even the more uninterested of readers with these excellent cliffhangers.
July 28, 2016
This book was insane. I can't get over the ending. WHAT THE FUCK.
July 31, 2017
That ending though!!!!!
February 25, 2019
Okay this review is going to be more like a rant than a good structured review. But I can’t ignore the frustrations and struggles that went along with reading this sequel. I often overanalyse things but this one was a real struggle.
First, this book is the sequel to A Book of Spirits and Thieves, a spinoff of the Falling Kingdoms- series. It again follows, Maddox, a necromancer in Mytica, Becca and Crystal, sisters in Toronto going up against the Hawkspear society and Farrell, a wealthy young man “struggling” to stay loyal to his master of the secret Hawkspear society.
The Falling Kingdoms series is incredible and I expected the same amazing storytelling in the spinoff series. But sadly it didn’t meet my expectations, actually it was far from it. The story moved really slow, the main characters in this sequel were irritating, some of the romances were incredibly forced (from my POV) and there was just too much talking, dialogue and repeating oneself for the story to move any faster. A fair warning I am going to compare The Darkest Magic a lot with its sister series Falling Kingdoms. First, because it’s within the story world and hard to ignore its connection. Second, because I’ve read FK, it was difficult to ignore the various similarities and dare I say: recycling.
If any of you want to know, the are the main issues I had with the story:
1. Separating her main characters.
Although having multiple POV gives you the chance to widen the story and story world, here it slowed things down. In Falling Kingdoms and its sequels, two or more characters often shared chapters. It made the story fast paced and more intriguing because the reader and the chapter often focused on a single event from multiple POVs. In The Darkest Magic, everyone is separated and it causes the plot to move slow and what bothered me was the divided focus on two worlds (Modern-day Toronto and Mytica). In Falling Kingdoms, chapters from different characters complemented each other and focused often on one event only.
2. Talking. So much talking.
When characters did sit together (or shared chapters), there was a lot of (unnecessary) dialogue and sometimes a lot of repetition. There were even chapters that consisted of merely the characters talking to each other and the plot not moving any further which I wasn’t used to with Morgan Rhodes’ writing. To give you an example why the dialogue bothered me so much: (warning spoiler alert) there is this scene where Farrell tries to kill Crys in Markus his mansion and just their dialogue and bittering, whatever you call it, slowed down the entire point of the scene. He’s standing in this doorway with the dagger and the constant back and forth dialogue takes away the tension and the suspension. After a while I didn’t even bother with the question is he going to kill her? because she kept him talking anyway.
3. The question burning on everyone’s lips for almost 300 pages.
I have a question I want to ask whoever is reading this review and has read the book. Why was it necessary to keep it a secret that Becca was the daughter of Markus? I’ll give you a second. What is that? you can’t come up with any reasons? Me neither! There was literally no reason to keep that a secret from her. Except for the fact that Jackie wasn’t ready to face that truth, I literally can’t come up with any other reason. It could’ve helped Becca understand her magic, the group would’ve worked better together with Becca aware of the problems at hand. When you’re using the ‘I’m-keeping-a-secret-from-you,-for-your-own-good.’-trope, you need a good reason for it. Here there wasn’t one provided. This frustrated the hell out of me.
4. The Crys and Farrell combination.
I dislike the whole Crystal and Farrell thing a lot. I didn’t like it from the beginning in ABOSAT. Their relation started with manipulation and deceiving from both sides, they hated each other afterwards right? There wasn’t a single scene where I saw the two of them having chemistry. Not once did I think they genuinly liked each other. I do love hate-love romance or the enemies to lovers trope but here I only saw their hate towards each other till the moment they kissed. It felt incredibly forced and I started cringing whenever one of them did brought up the possibility of being attracted to the other because it was often a joke or an insult more than a genuine thought. When were you in fact attracted to one other? Don’t tell me, show me.
If I can make you understand this, let me make a comparison to a similar duo: Magnus and Cleo. These two were not initially endgame and it’s noticeable but that’s good. Neither of these character existed purely to fill a romantic plot. Yes, it was a villain+heroine combination, however Magnus showed moments of humanity without needing Cleo to drag it out of him. Readers saw a redemption in him and so he got it and eventually earning Cleo’s love along the way.
Now Crys and Farrell don’t have that kind of love. They exist purely for the enemies to lovers trope but it is poorly executed in my opinion. But while Crys all of a sudden sees the good in him (to be fair with a little push from Damen) and decides to make out with him in the f-ing closet. I couldn’t see it. There wasn’t one point where Farrell showed me the chance of redemption except when Crys is trying to convince me of it. For me this romance felt forced and just upright wrong. I rather have one of them die, preferably Farrell, because that would make the plotline line more interesting. This whole enemies to lovers trope together with the ‘I’m coerced to kill you but I’m not telling you and I don’t want to’ isn’t just mixing well with me. It isn’t only poorly executed it’s a bit recycled if you’ve read FK.
In addition, I’m sorry but I hate Farrell as a character. I don’t see the good in him, compared to when I read Magnus’s story. There is no shown chemistry and that’s why I don’t see him with Crys, it just makes me uncomfortable.
5. Speaking of forced romance: Barnabas and Liana (aka Cleiona)
Aside from the bickering and some characters telling them they look cute together. I read zero romance or was it just me? I was genuinely confused when Barnabas kissed Liana, not surprised, I was confused. It was unnecessary and there was no built up towards the betrayal when she revealed her identity. No hints or notions that showed who she was or that there was any affection between the two.
I really do not want to come of as a mean reviewer. I really like Morgan’s books but this one was really disappointing compared to her other works.
What should have been better in my opinion?
• More chemistry and affection. It would’ve supported the romances more. Don’t tell me they’re meant for each other, show it.
• The plot. Twists are revealed with often a poor built up and the plot itself moved really slow. In my opinion, it just needed a few tweaks more before it was published.
• Leave out some dialogue.
What was good?
• Maddox is still my favourite character here but I would’ve liked it more if the story paid more attention to him struggling with his dark magic.
• Mytica’s lore.
First, this book is the sequel to A Book of Spirits and Thieves, a spinoff of the Falling Kingdoms- series. It again follows, Maddox, a necromancer in Mytica, Becca and Crystal, sisters in Toronto going up against the Hawkspear society and Farrell, a wealthy young man “struggling” to stay loyal to his master of the secret Hawkspear society.
The Falling Kingdoms series is incredible and I expected the same amazing storytelling in the spinoff series. But sadly it didn’t meet my expectations, actually it was far from it. The story moved really slow, the main characters in this sequel were irritating, some of the romances were incredibly forced (from my POV) and there was just too much talking, dialogue and repeating oneself for the story to move any faster. A fair warning I am going to compare The Darkest Magic a lot with its sister series Falling Kingdoms. First, because it’s within the story world and hard to ignore its connection. Second, because I’ve read FK, it was difficult to ignore the various similarities and dare I say: recycling.
If any of you want to know, the are the main issues I had with the story:
1. Separating her main characters.
Although having multiple POV gives you the chance to widen the story and story world, here it slowed things down. In Falling Kingdoms and its sequels, two or more characters often shared chapters. It made the story fast paced and more intriguing because the reader and the chapter often focused on a single event from multiple POVs. In The Darkest Magic, everyone is separated and it causes the plot to move slow and what bothered me was the divided focus on two worlds (Modern-day Toronto and Mytica). In Falling Kingdoms, chapters from different characters complemented each other and focused often on one event only.
2. Talking. So much talking.
When characters did sit together (or shared chapters), there was a lot of (unnecessary) dialogue and sometimes a lot of repetition. There were even chapters that consisted of merely the characters talking to each other and the plot not moving any further which I wasn’t used to with Morgan Rhodes’ writing. To give you an example why the dialogue bothered me so much: (warning spoiler alert) there is this scene where Farrell tries to kill Crys in Markus his mansion and just their dialogue and bittering, whatever you call it, slowed down the entire point of the scene. He’s standing in this doorway with the dagger and the constant back and forth dialogue takes away the tension and the suspension. After a while I didn’t even bother with the question is he going to kill her? because she kept him talking anyway.
3. The question burning on everyone’s lips for almost 300 pages.
I have a question I want to ask whoever is reading this review and has read the book. Why was it necessary to keep it a secret that Becca was the daughter of Markus? I’ll give you a second. What is that? you can’t come up with any reasons? Me neither! There was literally no reason to keep that a secret from her. Except for the fact that Jackie wasn’t ready to face that truth, I literally can’t come up with any other reason. It could’ve helped Becca understand her magic, the group would’ve worked better together with Becca aware of the problems at hand. When you’re using the ‘I’m-keeping-a-secret-from-you,-for-your-own-good.’-trope, you need a good reason for it. Here there wasn’t one provided. This frustrated the hell out of me.
4. The Crys and Farrell combination.
I dislike the whole Crystal and Farrell thing a lot. I didn’t like it from the beginning in ABOSAT. Their relation started with manipulation and deceiving from both sides, they hated each other afterwards right? There wasn’t a single scene where I saw the two of them having chemistry. Not once did I think they genuinly liked each other. I do love hate-love romance or the enemies to lovers trope but here I only saw their hate towards each other till the moment they kissed. It felt incredibly forced and I started cringing whenever one of them did brought up the possibility of being attracted to the other because it was often a joke or an insult more than a genuine thought. When were you in fact attracted to one other? Don’t tell me, show me.
If I can make you understand this, let me make a comparison to a similar duo: Magnus and Cleo. These two were not initially endgame and it’s noticeable but that’s good. Neither of these character existed purely to fill a romantic plot. Yes, it was a villain+heroine combination, however Magnus showed moments of humanity without needing Cleo to drag it out of him. Readers saw a redemption in him and so he got it and eventually earning Cleo’s love along the way.
Now Crys and Farrell don’t have that kind of love. They exist purely for the enemies to lovers trope but it is poorly executed in my opinion. But while Crys all of a sudden sees the good in him (to be fair with a little push from Damen) and decides to make out with him in the f-ing closet. I couldn’t see it. There wasn’t one point where Farrell showed me the chance of redemption except when Crys is trying to convince me of it. For me this romance felt forced and just upright wrong. I rather have one of them die, preferably Farrell, because that would make the plotline line more interesting. This whole enemies to lovers trope together with the ‘I’m coerced to kill you but I’m not telling you and I don’t want to’ isn’t just mixing well with me. It isn’t only poorly executed it’s a bit recycled if you’ve read FK.
In addition, I’m sorry but I hate Farrell as a character. I don’t see the good in him, compared to when I read Magnus’s story. There is no shown chemistry and that’s why I don’t see him with Crys, it just makes me uncomfortable.
5. Speaking of forced romance: Barnabas and Liana (aka Cleiona)
Aside from the bickering and some characters telling them they look cute together. I read zero romance or was it just me? I was genuinely confused when Barnabas kissed Liana, not surprised, I was confused. It was unnecessary and there was no built up towards the betrayal when she revealed her identity. No hints or notions that showed who she was or that there was any affection between the two.
I really do not want to come of as a mean reviewer. I really like Morgan’s books but this one was really disappointing compared to her other works.
What should have been better in my opinion?
• More chemistry and affection. It would’ve supported the romances more. Don’t tell me they’re meant for each other, show it.
• The plot. Twists are revealed with often a poor built up and the plot itself moved really slow. In my opinion, it just needed a few tweaks more before it was published.
• Leave out some dialogue.
What was good?
• Maddox is still my favourite character here but I would’ve liked it more if the story paid more attention to him struggling with his dark magic.
• Mytica’s lore.
July 29, 2016
Magic duels, mysteries deepen and hearts burn brightly as kingdoms and worlds clash in this high-stakes second installment in The Book of Spirits and Thieves trilogy by Morgan Rhodes.
The Darkest Magic ratchets up tension as the worlds of ancient Mytica and modern-day Toronto tangle in a swirl of magic and mystery.
The story unwinds from the perspective of four young people thrust into magical mayhem: Maddox, Farrell, Crys and Becca. There’s a struggle for power among many, while the understanding of who is good and who is bad has never been more blurred.
Maddox wrestles to control his necromantic powers, keeping the darkness from taking over. His abilities seem bottomless, a dangerous realization. Along with a small crew, he must dethrone the terrifying and ruthless Valoria, who is hot on his trail. Along the way, they encounter heart-wrenching tragedy and betrayal, and unearth truths that not only change their perspective, but also their entire game plan.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, Hawkspear leader Markus King tightens his control of Farrell, whose true self fades as his marks darken and multiply.
Becca and Crys hide from Markus’ powerful clutches, knowing that their efforts are likely useless. Markus will never stop looking for the Bronze Codex, especially as his magic begins to wane and he needs the book to survive.
But having been sent to Mytica in the past, Becca begins to connect the dots between those she’s met in Mytica and Markus. She realizes that those who vie for power have been entangled in ways she can only begin to understand.
Worse yet, a darker evil emerges shifting everything she thought was true. In this dangerous game of power, everything changes, including its players and their alliances, and now both Mytica and her world could be destroyed … unless Maddox, Farrell, Crys and Becca can do their part to keep the very darkest magic from taking over.
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Follow Vilma's Book Blog: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The Darkest Magic ratchets up tension as the worlds of ancient Mytica and modern-day Toronto tangle in a swirl of magic and mystery.
The story unwinds from the perspective of four young people thrust into magical mayhem: Maddox, Farrell, Crys and Becca. There’s a struggle for power among many, while the understanding of who is good and who is bad has never been more blurred.
Maddox wrestles to control his necromantic powers, keeping the darkness from taking over. His abilities seem bottomless, a dangerous realization. Along with a small crew, he must dethrone the terrifying and ruthless Valoria, who is hot on his trail. Along the way, they encounter heart-wrenching tragedy and betrayal, and unearth truths that not only change their perspective, but also their entire game plan.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, Hawkspear leader Markus King tightens his control of Farrell, whose true self fades as his marks darken and multiply.
Becca and Crys hide from Markus’ powerful clutches, knowing that their efforts are likely useless. Markus will never stop looking for the Bronze Codex, especially as his magic begins to wane and he needs the book to survive.
But having been sent to Mytica in the past, Becca begins to connect the dots between those she’s met in Mytica and Markus. She realizes that those who vie for power have been entangled in ways she can only begin to understand.
Worse yet, a darker evil emerges shifting everything she thought was true. In this dangerous game of power, everything changes, including its players and their alliances, and now both Mytica and her world could be destroyed … unless Maddox, Farrell, Crys and Becca can do their part to keep the very darkest magic from taking over.
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Follow Vilma's Book Blog: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
August 6, 2016
4.5/5 Stars!
Summary:
Jumping back into the world with Crys and Becca who are desperately trying to keep the codex away from Marcus. Proving difficult when you have people from the society hunting you down. Meanwhile, Maddox is still in Mytica trying to figure out life without Becca and powers he is rapidly growing into.
Dislikes:
I wish I would have read the first book and this one back to back because it has been a year since I'd been in the world. Forgot a few things and didn't get enough recap until a bit later in the book.
Likes:
The writing is absolutely beautiful, Rhodes has an incredible way with words. I am enjoying the twists and turns this book is taking. The characters are facing some of the toughest challenges yet and its really interesting to see how they grow and adapt.
Overall:
Really enjoyed this book and now I need more. Becca and Crys are proving to be freaking badasses and I love the growth of some side characters :)
Summary:
Jumping back into the world with Crys and Becca who are desperately trying to keep the codex away from Marcus. Proving difficult when you have people from the society hunting you down. Meanwhile, Maddox is still in Mytica trying to figure out life without Becca and powers he is rapidly growing into.
Dislikes:
I wish I would have read the first book and this one back to back because it has been a year since I'd been in the world. Forgot a few things and didn't get enough recap until a bit later in the book.
Likes:
The writing is absolutely beautiful, Rhodes has an incredible way with words. I am enjoying the twists and turns this book is taking. The characters are facing some of the toughest challenges yet and its really interesting to see how they grow and adapt.
Overall:
Really enjoyed this book and now I need more. Becca and Crys are proving to be freaking badasses and I love the growth of some side characters :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2017
After a much too long wait—but considering the final book is still over a year away, I may have read it TOO soon—I’ve finally read Morgan Rhodes’ The Darkest Magic, the second book in the Spirit and Thieves trilogy, which is the prequel series to our beloved Falling Kingdoms. Once again, I dove into this one with no memory of the first book—yet again I couldn’t find a recap anywhere and just did my best to dive in! And luckily, I feel like I was able to follow along fairly well. Better than most other books it would seem. And let me tell you, this book was pure magic! It was exciting and captivating and OMG I NEED THE NEXT ONE NOW!!!!!!
Life hasn’t exactly turned back to normal for Crys and Becca now that Becca is out of her coma like state and is back in reality. Things are pretty chaotic! Farrell is still under Markus’ thumb, Jackie is determined to kill him and possibly vice versa. The book has some sort of magical effect on Becca that’s positively dangerous and Markus still wants it no matter the cost. Lives will be lost. Destruction will reign. Oh, and there also seems to be a new enemy is town who’s even more unsavory than Markus! We’re talking zero morals at all! And that’s not even mentioning the trouble in Mythica that Maddox and Barnabas are dealing with in regards to Valoria!
Needless to say this book was pretty chaotic, but I loved every single moment of it! Chaos reigns…and it’s definitely a most entertaining time! This time around (or possibly last time, but if so then I totally misread my review!) we have four points of view, which are Maddox, Becca, Crys, and Farrell, I can’t remember if this was the same way as the previous book as I read that way too long ago. And if you’re a reader who fears multiple points of view, never fear! For while it may seem scary—which considering her other series has more, four is a piece of cake—it’s really easy to change points of view back and forth! I mean there are times when I get upset to leave one view and cross into another, but by the end of the chapter, the process repeats itself all over again! And since this time 3/4 view points are in the same world, there’s no extra confusion with crossing dimensions!
For a while in this book, it seems as if we’re just reading about events in two different worlds but a connection is definitely established more firmly in this one (Again, maybe it was still established in the first one but again I sooo can’t remember that! Lol). While nothing is concrete just yet, there are these little hints and things that are happening. The ball is being sent into motion and we’re definitely going to have an explosive and amazing book to come next year. I am only saddened that it will bring this series to a conclusion.
The main goals of this one involves Becca and Crys trying to keep the Codex away from Markus and Farrell while they are trying to get it back. Farrell has been give orders as well to kill Crys and then of course we have the new big bad in town who is someone from Markus’ past who has no shame in killing to get what he wants. He’s definitely one of the scariest bad guys I’ve ever met!
It always amazes me how much information Morgan can weave into her books and never have it feel too overwhelming. There have been many times where other authors attempt to do this and I do feel rather lost and confused. Perhaps the execution wasn’t quite right in those instances, but Morgan is on the ball with this method! We learn quite a bit in the 426 pages that make up this book and I would’ve happily read another 300 more pages and never batted an eye about it! The pacing was so on par! There never really seems to be a dull moment. Everything just escalates from one level of amazing to another! It’s the prefect kind of read!
There wasn’t as much romance in this one either. I feel like last time we had this situation too. There’s of course the unlevelled amount of tension between Farrell and Crys. Not only is Farrell still in some sort of relationship with the girlfriend his family approves of, but obviously Farrell and Crys fall on opposing sides when it comes to the magical book. And since Crys is an enemy by proxy to Markus, he orders Farrell to kill her. You can naturally assume how that resolves. Farrell is a stubborn sort of guy despite how loyal he is to Markus. Then of course we have the star-crossed lovers, Maddox and Becca, but they are once again worlds away from each other. But that doesn’t stop the bizarre dreams and other whatnots that occur!
The ending to this one was pure shocking! Again, I am kicking myself for choosing to read this one NOW when I still have 365+ PLUS days until the final book! I really, really should know better by now since Morgan holds no bounds when it comes to cliffhangers. I can only hope my tears truly do feed her muse! Lol! The ending was pure shocking and it’s definitely setting the ball rolling at a fast clop into next year’s exciting conclusion to the series. I positively cannot wait to read it either! I live for these magical worlds that Morgan creates and reading them is a trip I never quite get over! What I will do with myself once both series come to an end next year I haven’t the faintest idea. No good will come from it, that’s for sure!
If you haven’t read Morgan’s books yet, I would highly recommend that you do for both series are made of magical awesomeness that are meant to be devoured page by page! Better yet, as I said, both series conclude by the end of next year, so a binge reading could be in your future if you make the right choice (Nudge, nudge)! While I do love reading a series book by book, year by year, there is nothing more satisfying than having a series binge available! As a side note as well, you can read either of these series without reading the other—though why you would want to I couldn’t explain, lol—but as always I would HIGHLY recommend reading them both because you will not regret it at all!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Life hasn’t exactly turned back to normal for Crys and Becca now that Becca is out of her coma like state and is back in reality. Things are pretty chaotic! Farrell is still under Markus’ thumb, Jackie is determined to kill him and possibly vice versa. The book has some sort of magical effect on Becca that’s positively dangerous and Markus still wants it no matter the cost. Lives will be lost. Destruction will reign. Oh, and there also seems to be a new enemy is town who’s even more unsavory than Markus! We’re talking zero morals at all! And that’s not even mentioning the trouble in Mythica that Maddox and Barnabas are dealing with in regards to Valoria!
Needless to say this book was pretty chaotic, but I loved every single moment of it! Chaos reigns…and it’s definitely a most entertaining time! This time around (or possibly last time, but if so then I totally misread my review!) we have four points of view, which are Maddox, Becca, Crys, and Farrell, I can’t remember if this was the same way as the previous book as I read that way too long ago. And if you’re a reader who fears multiple points of view, never fear! For while it may seem scary—which considering her other series has more, four is a piece of cake—it’s really easy to change points of view back and forth! I mean there are times when I get upset to leave one view and cross into another, but by the end of the chapter, the process repeats itself all over again! And since this time 3/4 view points are in the same world, there’s no extra confusion with crossing dimensions!
For a while in this book, it seems as if we’re just reading about events in two different worlds but a connection is definitely established more firmly in this one (Again, maybe it was still established in the first one but again I sooo can’t remember that! Lol). While nothing is concrete just yet, there are these little hints and things that are happening. The ball is being sent into motion and we’re definitely going to have an explosive and amazing book to come next year. I am only saddened that it will bring this series to a conclusion.
The main goals of this one involves Becca and Crys trying to keep the Codex away from Markus and Farrell while they are trying to get it back. Farrell has been give orders as well to kill Crys and then of course we have the new big bad in town who is someone from Markus’ past who has no shame in killing to get what he wants. He’s definitely one of the scariest bad guys I’ve ever met!
It always amazes me how much information Morgan can weave into her books and never have it feel too overwhelming. There have been many times where other authors attempt to do this and I do feel rather lost and confused. Perhaps the execution wasn’t quite right in those instances, but Morgan is on the ball with this method! We learn quite a bit in the 426 pages that make up this book and I would’ve happily read another 300 more pages and never batted an eye about it! The pacing was so on par! There never really seems to be a dull moment. Everything just escalates from one level of amazing to another! It’s the prefect kind of read!
There wasn’t as much romance in this one either. I feel like last time we had this situation too. There’s of course the unlevelled amount of tension between Farrell and Crys. Not only is Farrell still in some sort of relationship with the girlfriend his family approves of, but obviously Farrell and Crys fall on opposing sides when it comes to the magical book. And since Crys is an enemy by proxy to Markus, he orders Farrell to kill her. You can naturally assume how that resolves. Farrell is a stubborn sort of guy despite how loyal he is to Markus. Then of course we have the star-crossed lovers, Maddox and Becca, but they are once again worlds away from each other. But that doesn’t stop the bizarre dreams and other whatnots that occur!
The ending to this one was pure shocking! Again, I am kicking myself for choosing to read this one NOW when I still have 365+ PLUS days until the final book! I really, really should know better by now since Morgan holds no bounds when it comes to cliffhangers. I can only hope my tears truly do feed her muse! Lol! The ending was pure shocking and it’s definitely setting the ball rolling at a fast clop into next year’s exciting conclusion to the series. I positively cannot wait to read it either! I live for these magical worlds that Morgan creates and reading them is a trip I never quite get over! What I will do with myself once both series come to an end next year I haven’t the faintest idea. No good will come from it, that’s for sure!
If you haven’t read Morgan’s books yet, I would highly recommend that you do for both series are made of magical awesomeness that are meant to be devoured page by page! Better yet, as I said, both series conclude by the end of next year, so a binge reading could be in your future if you make the right choice (Nudge, nudge)! While I do love reading a series book by book, year by year, there is nothing more satisfying than having a series binge available! As a side note as well, you can read either of these series without reading the other—though why you would want to I couldn’t explain, lol—but as always I would HIGHLY recommend reading them both because you will not regret it at all!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
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