Torn

Selfish Myths #2

by Natalia Jaster

Spicy mythology romantasy. NOTE: This is the previous edition and is no longer available. For the revised second editions of this series with 18+ explicit adult content, changes to worldbuilding, magic systems, and character development, plus rebranded covers, GET IT HERE.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Mythology, Magic, Contemporary, Romantasy

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2019

About the author

Natalia Jaster is a romantasy author who routinely swoons for the villain.

She lives in a dark forest, where she writes spicy fantasy romance tales about rakish jesters, immortal deities, and vicious faeries.

Wicked heroes are her weakness, and rebellious heroines are her best friends.

AMAZON: www.amazon.com/Natalia-Jaster/e/B00OE...
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/nataliajaster
NEWSLETTER: www.nataliajaster.com/newsletter
TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@nataliajasterauthor
WEBSITE: www.nataliajaster.com

Reviews

[julia ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the full review on my blog: here!

"She feels merry, so very merry.
That's the impression Merry gives,
That's the perception."

When people ask me for my favorite indie author, my answer is immediate: Natalia Jaster. Ever since reading the Foolish Kingdoms series two years ago, I've been obsessed with her romantic fantasy blends. It's not only the Foolish Kingdoms series that has enamoured me, her series Selfish Myths also massively managed to peak my interest. Torn is the second instalment in this beautiful series and comes out on June 20th, which means it's high time for me to review this beauty.

What is this book about?
Torn takes place three years after Touch, and follows Anger's POV. Because Anger has fallen in love with fellow deity Love, which is impossible in the world of the Gods, he's banished to live far away. Meet Merry. Merry is very merry, or at least she likes to think so. She was banished a long time ago as a baby for not living up to her full potential as a deity. Merry might be Anger's solution to regaining his magic and returning to the Peaks, however, in doing so, he'll have to break her heart...

"He doesn't want the sunrise.
He wants her glowing in the dark.
He wants her light back."

What did I think of Torn?
Torn follows up Touch, but takes place three years later. I really liked that Natalia has opted for a time jump, which meant that we got to see the same characters but a few years later. This entailed seeing how they ended up and how some of them progressed. We get glimpses of Love and Andrew, the protagonists of Love, and what they're up to now, which I really appreciated. We also see how Anger has potentially degressed or developed, which in that regard, I think the time-jump was a good choice.

Much like her other books, Natalia's writing is again superb in Torn. I'm a huge fan of her whimsical prose that seems to slightly change whenever she takes on a new character's POV. There's puns, but also tons of lyrical quotes that make her writing so very unique. Considering this is a mature YA Romance novel, kind of along the tones of The Bargainer series and A Court of Thorns and Roses, her writing is a mix between New Adult and Fantasy writing but in a way that is unlike anything I've ever read before.

As for the characters, I didn't think any of Natalia's books was able to trump Trick for me. Trick was my first discovery, and remained the most precious. However, she might have just done it with Torn. Torn was an absolute gem in terms of characters, story and development. Merry might be the new love of my life; her bubbly, quirky personality sharply contrast the abrasive, intense nature of Anger, but the two manage to make it work somehow. I loved the scenes in which Anger gains a noticeably soft side for Merry's antics; their dynamic was absolutely phenomenal! The theme of found family has always been a strong factor within Natalia's books, which I really appreciate considering it's one of my favorite tropes. In light of this, I loved getting to see how Anger's character seemed to develop as the book went on. Merry manages to slowly break all of Anger's walls down until they've become best friends, which was something we didn't get to see a lot in Natalia's writing (since most of it is Hate to Love and not Friends to Love, which I LOVE!), but Torn provided a breath of fresh air.

Lastly, I think the plot of Natalia's books is always very original, but I have such a weak spot for the Selfish Myths series; the concept of deities falling in love in a romantic fantasy setting is everything I didn't need and more. Torn, then, is filled with plot-twists, but also heartfelt moments.

All in all, this book was another solid five star read. It's rare for me to not give Natalia's books a five-star rating, so this is certainly no exception. However, I think this might actually be my new favorite book of hers. Make sure to pick this up when it releases at the end of the month, because it sure is worth it!

Massive thank you to Natalia Jaster for supplying a review copy!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC received from an author in exchange for an honest review*

"Time is an assortment of ease and tension, understanding and misunderstanding. It’s confidence and self-consciousness, grins and frowns, subtle touches and awkward distances. It’s never just one act, one element, one feeling."

This quote perfectly captures my own feelings towards this book.

Facts:

1) I've been anticipating Anger's story ever since I read "Touch"
2) Natalia Jaster is one of my very favourite authors and I love her writing style
3) The characters and worlds she creates are mesmerizing

And last, but not least...

4) This book? Not my favourite.

And I'm not sure what exactly went wrong here. Something just felt a little bit off. It was an assortment of contradictions stretched over 250 pages.

Was it full of poetically woven words and lines? Indeed, and it's one of the traits of Natalia's writing that I'm very much in love with. But in this particular story...sometimes it flowed beautifully and felt touching and sometimes...Sometimes it seemed as if the author used Thesaurus on every other word just for the sake of making it sound fancy.

Did it have a pairing of Soft™ and Grumpy™ characters? Yes, and again, I love this trope but still, something was missing. Perhaps it was the amount of exposition we were treated to when it comes to Anger and Merry's connection. If there was more of the ACTUALLY getting to know each other part, through dialogue and such, instead of long passages reporting what had been said and done between them, I suspect I wouldn't have any problems believing they were meant to be.

I could pick this apart, piece by piece, of course. Mention how the start was kind of slow and the pacing always felt just a tad off. Express my impatience with a constant usage of "male" and "female" as nouns. Why though? The gist of it is, for some reason, I wasn't able to connect to this story the way I've always had with Natalia's books. It didn't affect me as deeply as the others.

Perhaps it's because I've come to expect nothing but high quality from the author. Or perhaps it's because it's been such a highly anticipated release for me.

Why 4 stars then? Well, it's more of 3.5 if I'm being honest. Moreover, this is still a magical story and it deserves to be praised for the worldbuilding and intriguing characters. And for lines like these:

"...there have been others,” he says, then glances drowsily at Merry. “But this...tonight. It’s never been like this with anyone.”
“Like what?” she mumbles, her eyes fluttering closed.
Anger rolls to face her. When he gathers her to him, she gets a whiff of sandalwood and dark chocolate infused with rainwater.
He whispers, “Like I’ve made a choice.”

Natalia can still give my heart premature ventricular contractions with a simple line. Can still make me read a passage over and over again, just because it sounds SO GOOD. Can cause my eyes to shed a tear or two because the Angst™ seems just so real.

What more there was to like in this one?

MALICE. Malice and Wonder aka Hades/Persephone retelling, which, despite this current gentle wave of disappointment, is a story that I can't wait to get my hands on. The crumbs we got in "Torn" will have to keep me fed til publication date but those crumbs were some of the most interesting aspects of this book.

Then we have Envy and Sorrow as well. I'm not going to lie, I was a little bewildered when it was announced that book 4 of this series will focus on Envy and Sorrow. This is not how I imagined the story of my suave bisexual darling (and if there's a story I cared about getting more than I did Envy's, I truly can't name one as of now). Yet, after the introduction of them as a couple (or fuck buddies, to be precise) in "Torn", I CANNOT WAIT, OK?

OK.

All in all, this was not my favourite by this author but still, it was enjoyable. For a mixture of disillusionment and poetry, this has been a mighty potent, colourful one.

[Kat (Bookish Blades) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*TI received the book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

**This review was originally posted on my blog Kat from Minas Morgul

I absolutely loved the first story in this series, Touch, so of course I was hyped as soon as Natalia Jaster announced that there would be a second book (and more!). To be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Anger in this first book, but he grew on me a bit more in this one. And generally I enjoyed Torn, but there were a few things off for me.

The story is told from two perspectives, Anger’s and Merry’s. They’re quite different, Merry’s PoV is exactly what her name makes it out to be: merry, upbeat, sometimes a bit confusing, many thoughts and ramblings. Anger’s is more held back, darker and calmer. Even when he actually gets angry, his chapters just have a much calmer atmosphere. I liked the differences, it was easy to distinguish the two characters.

Anger and Merry are opposites in almost everything. But you know how they say, opposites attract. While Anger takes his time to really, really notice Merry, for her it’s instalove. When she see’s him for the first time, they rescue each other and then she takes him home to care for him and immediately thinks about doing the do with him? Which I found a bit weird, but ok. Anger more or less flees from her endless chatter and right into Malice’s arms. Malice is Merry’s archenemy and seeks to get his power back and destroy Merry in the process. Anger reluctantly agrees to help but has his own motives. In winning and breaking Merry’s heart, he and Malice will both get their powers back. But they haven’t thought of Merry who has her own plan to get her powers and her true love.

So with everyone having their own goals, it gets complicated and twisted, everyone kind of helping each other while not really wanting to? Of course that causes a lot of drama and a lot of making up and some more drama, especially because Anger isn’t over Love yet.

So yeah. I was a bit annoyed with Merry from time to time. She was hellbound on making Anger love her and with her whole optimistic, chatty character it was just too much. I couldn’t really connect with her and her goodness. But as I said before, Anger grew on me. He’s torn (lol) between his own needs, his past and what he thinks – no, knows – is the right thing to do. I could follow his actions and thoughts very well.

And I gotta say. I wasn’t a fan of the body contact scenes. I mean, the sex scenes really were okay. But the kissing? Sorry, but no. I really, really don’t need all these description of their tongues licking, flicking, fighting and doing god knows what else. And sucking on them. Eh, I’ll pass.

What I really enjoyed though, was the writing. It was poetic and some points with beautiful descriptions and bringing this whole semi-magical atmosphere to life. I say semi-magical because the story is set in the real world, but a fictional city with deities. The whole atmosphere really was magical as well, I could imagine twinkling lights and laughing people and all those feelings in the air.

That said, I did enjoy the better part of the book, but there were some things I just couldn’t ignore. I’ll definitely read the thrid book though, because like Anger, Malice grew on me and I have a feeling that it’s going to be enemies-to-lovers…

[Jazzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars! Super cute love story with a super cute ending.

[『 jaelyn ♛』]

hdhhhdh im so excited for his story !!!!!!!

ahhhh

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) Touch ★★★☆☆

"She’s a female the likes of whom he’s never met or conceived of. Someone who’s been conjured by the stars and then overlooked. Someone who’s blindsided him while casting a new light on the world, revealing layers that he hadn't noticed before. Colorful layers. Bright layers. Imperfect layers."

This sequel follows Anger three years after he was banished for falling in love with another deity, Love, our main protagonist in the first book. While we get to see the life of Love and Andrew now (which was very nice), the story follows our two main characters in Torn, Anger and Merry. I like how Natalia Jaster writes series where the books could be considered as standalones, but are very much connected to each other, and how well she does it. I cannot wait to read the story of Malice and Wonder in the third book as well as the story of Envy and Sorrow in the fourth and last book of this series!

Anger isn't in a good place at the beginning of this book, which is understandable. Until he meets Merry, who is... well... very merry. It could be annoying to have characters with names so obvious, but I find it funny. But there's more than meets the eye to Merry, who has something in common with Anger. Like him, she was banished, although not for the same reason. While Anger and Merry grows closer, he has a choice to make: regain what he's lost by breaking her heart... or not. This can seem like an easy choice to make, but it's definitely not and Anger was probably my favorite character so far in the Selfish Myths series. Once again, the author's prose is beautiful and lyrical, her world is enchanting, but I felt like it didn't give enough room for the romance to win me over. I did like it, but it could have been better developed.

Torn is still a beautiful second book and I still recommend for those who have never read Natalia Jaster to pick up one of her series because she truly is a talented author.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review .... First of all, I have yet to be disappointed by any of Jaster's works. She's just so good at world building and creating characters. And her descriptions are often unique and intriguing. She pulls from something that is part of the canon (myths in this case; fairy tales in the other series) and kind of turns them on their head without disrespecting the originals. This book (or this series) is no exception. As always, I do find that the start is a bit slow, and there's almost always a bit of dislike for one of the main characters. In this case, I didn't love Malice or Anger which I think is what we're supposed to feel. Merry is such a quirky and fun person, although sometimes I found it hard to keep track of her personality and her quirks. That being said, it's a great book and well worth picking up if you enjoy fantasy with a romantic twist.

If you are considering reading the series out of order, I'd recommend starting with book 1, but it's not absolutely necessary. Jaster usually does enough to fill you in on the important bits from previous books without hammering you over the head.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, this is the story that I desperately needed! I found myself in sweet Merry the whole time. It was amazing to see how Jaster crafted a character in the same ways that I think and look at life. She was unabashed with her determination and stayed true to herself throughout the whole story despite the obstacles that she was faced with. I love how Anger went through the entire spectrum of thoughts and feelings to arrive at the conclusion that he does, in fact, have the ability to love again after a broken heart and that he is worthy of that love.
This story was an emotional rollercoaster and when I flipped the very last page I bellowed in rage that it was over. I could read about these characters for days on end and not get bored. Their story ties so closely in with what humans, us, experience. I cannot recommend Jaster's glorious lyrical way of writing and how she knits her stories into your soul.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalia Jaster completely pulled me back into the world of Selfish Myths with Torn. Her writing is rich, emotional, and just the right amount of wicked. This book follows Anger who was once a powerful leader but is now a fallen god, as well as Merry, a banished but bold goddess determined to shake the very foundation of divine control.

Their first encounter? Violent, chaotic, and unforgettable. From that moment, their chemistry is undeniable. While Merry is open and unafraid of what she feels, Anger clings to the past, still haunted by his unrequited love for Love. But as their paths intertwine, what starts as a calculated alliance becomes something deeper, messier, and magnetic.

The tropes here are everything:

♥️ Grumpy/sunshine
♥️ Forced proximity
♥️ Immortal banter
♥️ Betrayal and groveling
♥️ A delicious slow burn where she falls first, and he falls harder.

And yes, it’s spicy in all the best ways! 🥵🔥

I’m really curious about Malice, another outcast god introduced in this book whose story is clearly just beginning. There’s so much promise for the rest of the series, and I’m eager to dive deeper into this world.

Jaster has a gift for weaving desire, pain, and power into something that feels both mythic and modern. If you love tortured characters, high stakes, and romance that cuts deep then Torn will absolutely deliver.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torn is the second book in Natalia Jaster’s Selfish Myths series and it has me eager to see what comes for the rest of the series. Although it can be read as a standalone romance, I do encourage reading the first book to fully understand the fantasy storyline that is growing throughout.

As eager as I was to dive into Torn, I was also unsure. There were elements lingering from the first book that had me uncertain about how I would feel about this one, aspects I’m not crazy about in my romance reads. I confess, due to this element it took me a while to really fall for the romance between these characters. In the end, however, I found myself addicted.

I may not have enjoyed Torn quite as much as I enjoyed Touch, but it certainly has me excited for the rest of the series. It’s an important book that has introduced elements that have me desperate to see what comes next.

Well worth the read if you enjoyed the first book in the series.

[Meg (fantasybook.adventurer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Torn: 2nd Edition✨

Author: @nataliajaster
Release: OUT NOW!

I’m back again in this incredible world by Natalia in the next installment of what I have dubbed a cozy-dark Romantasy. It’s an interconnected stand-alone with an overarching plot. It’s amped up. It’s NA. It’s spicy. This round we go from a spin on Eros and Psyche in book one to Aphrodite and Icarus! And what a spin it was! I loved that part of the premise was what happened AFTER Icarus fell to the sea. 🥰

Anywho, in this sequel we get a DUAL POV from both Anger and Merry. Having been banished from his crew, Anger seeks out the city where outcast humans and gods alike live in chaos and frivolity. Upon interrupting a vibrant chase, he meets his newest dilemma: Merry. A goddess that was shunned from birth and harboring quite an interesting secret, Merry takes it upon herself to kindle Anger’s heart in hopes to claim her spot amoung the Dark Gods. Little does she know, though, that Anger also has it out for her heart for the same reason, except he doesn’t plan to be so kind. No, rather he plans to break her instead.

Meddling gods and intrigue run rampant in these streets of neon colors and fair rides. But free will and choice are still fighting for their place- and they cause almost as much chaos as those cocky gods.

I had so much fun living in these pages. Being in Anger’s head was so hilarious but also swoony and heartfelt. Our FMC, Merry, is perceptive, observant, and honest in an emotional way that sees deeper than Anger would ever allow. Her transparency and openness are beautiful and I admire them so much. The spice is SPICING and it is passionate, harsh, and desperate. The romance was beautifully done and I thoroughly enjoyed our dysfunctional found family reuniting.

Tropes you may find in Torn are grumpy x sunshine, winged & tattooed MMC, FMC who is bubbly and sassy with pink hair and a motorcycle, she falls first x he falls harder, high spice, opposites attract, found family, Greek mythology spins, banter, and a HEA.

Natalia, thank you so much again for this gifted arc. It is such a joy to read your work and to yell to others that they need to read your work!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalia Jaster does it again with her eloquent prose and steamy spice.

Selfish Myths follow reimagined ancient gods as they scheme and meddle not only with the human but also with each other!

Torn is the second book in this spicy series and follows Anger, the fallen deity of anger, and Merry, the outcasts goddess of 🤭.

Although a few years have past, Anger is still pining for Love (his unrequited lover of book 1) and he’s desperate to find a way to connect with her again. Merry, being an outed goddess,is determined to break the molds of the deities to help not only the gods and goddesses to have free will but also the humans who have been the play toys of the gods for centuries.

While Merry has an instant attraction to the hunky former god of anger, Anger is a bit more reserved in admitting his feelings. We follow Anger and Merry through their relationship based on ulterior motives and watch as story starts to piece together. I loathed and loved meeting a new deity, Malice, another outcasted god and I am very intrigued where his storyline is going! There is definitely a tormented past fueling him and I need to know more! Although this book does not focus around Love and Andrew you will get to see two of our favorite star-crossed lovers and they did play a big part in the going ons of the storyline!

This book is filled with all the banter and I loved that about it!! I am so intrigued by the overarching storyline and can’t wait to see where Natalia brings us next!!

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

for my full review click here
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Natalia Jaster usually toes the line separating YA and NA. And Torn is no different. The feelings are (almost) all new: first love, first time, first feels.

But the characters are definitely not teenagers. They are the equivalent of early twenty year olds. Because of that, the emotions and smexy times seem a little deeper, a little heavier. They seem as though the emotions have more meaning.

Now, I haven’t read Touch since last year so I forgot how seemingly convoluted the language and characters are. Sometimes, its as though I’m talking to Tweedledee and Tweedledum from the original Alice in Wonderland. “Contrarywise it couldn’t not be”. <—– that’s the kind of language I’m talking about. It doesn’t happen often in the book but just enough for you to slow down your reading. I repeat: this is not a book to speed read.

The twists and turns Torn takes make that an impossibility. You have no choice but to sit back and enjoy the scenic route, so to speak. If you’ve read The Foolish Kingdoms Series, of which you can find my reviews here , here, and here, but you have yet to pick up The Selfish Myths Series, y’all need to get on that.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: Torn (Dark Gods: Selfish Myths Book 2)

“𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘐’𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.”

Once the leader of an elite team, Anger grapples with his new reality. When an opportunity to outsmart the Dark Gods presents, Anger must decide what he’s willing to risk and sacrifice to take back what he’s lost.

Tropes:
🌶️Spicy Romantasy
🌦️Grumpy/Sunshine
🗣️Immortal banter
🫂Forced proximity
🙋🏻‍♀️She falls first, he falls HARDER
🧎🏻Betrayal & groveling
🚫Touch her/him & 💀
🌶️: open door

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘬𝘺.”

Anger takes center stage and in the most vioIent meet-cute ever, meets Merry, a spirited exiled goddess. Their story flows effortlessly, their connection magnetic and tension bouncing off the pages. To get what they want, can they ensnare each other in a dangerous game of seduction and manipulation?

Natalia never fails to excite the reader with devious prose and tortuous slow burns! Torn is no exception. I loved the unique modern romantasy spin on Icarus and Aphrodite and how the story sets up the rest of the series. I cannot wait to return to this world!

So grateful to the author for the ARC opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Donna (BookDragonGirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Love LOVED this!!! This series is sooo great!!! Anger and Merry are my favorite characters, so far. On to book three!!

Natalia has such a beautiful way of writing, I wonder if she speaks the same way. She conjures up feelings inside of you, and breathes so much life into the story. The world seems so real and the characters are living, breathing entities. When the book ended I felt as though I had lived in the pages, and didn’t want to stop. I wanted to reread it all over again. If you haven’t read something she has written, you are missing out on a very special delicacy of words.

“She’s a female the likes of whom he’s never met or conceived of. Someone who’s been conjured by the stars and then overlooked. Someone who’s blindsided him while casting a new light on the world, revealing layers that he hadn’t noticed before. Colorful layers. Bright layers. Imperfect layers.”

[Kiley Gallentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Selfish Myth series. This is a retelling of Icarus and Aphrodite. While it can be read as a standalone novel, the characters in book 1 (Touch) are also in this book and it's helpful to have read that book.
Anger (Icarus) and Merry (Aphrodite) alternate telling this story. This story takes place a year after Touch. The setting of this story is a beautiful backdrop that lends to the healing Anger does as he falls in love with Merry. As with all of Natalia's books, the language is beautiful and poetic. This is a really slow burn but then it ignites and scorches! We were introduced to the characters in the third book and I can't wait for their story!

I received this Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[MaRy-Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalia Jaster has a way with words.
'Torn' is superbly written, with perfectly drawn characters who come alive trough Jaster's unique writing style.
Merry and Anger's bantering made smile a lot.
Her sweet, lively self and his brooding personality clashing together, connecting and accepting each other made them to one of my favorite book couples.
I enjoyed every minute with them.

[Nite0wl29 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t care how many times it’s been done the soul mate trope never ever gets old!!! So glad I came back to this series after reading Touch earlier this year. Natalia never disappoints 🖤

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book! It was amazing and I just loved every single line, everything was perfect, the characters, the plot, the worldbuilding... everything. I love the way that Natalia writes and the totally unique voices she gives her characters, you can just feel their personalities jumping from the page.

Merry is just such a sweetie, and I love the zest she has for life, mortals and neon signs. She is a girl after my own heart with her approach to fashion -  I just wish I could be as colourful. She is such a wonderful, innocent character and reading her chapters were just like taking a stroll through the clouds at sunrise, an inspiring mix of colour and fluffiness and hope.

I don't quite know where to start with Anger, he is everything I love when it comes to enemies to lovers. He gets things oh so wrong but my goodness he really tries. I adored his character development and the way that whilst Merry is the catalyst he has really work and come to his own conclusions. I don't want to give away too much, but the message he sends to Merry towards the end of the book melted my heart!

The worldbuilding is wonderful in this one, and I love that we get to know more about the Peaks and more about other exiles. The Celestial City where Torn takes place is a wonderful playground for these immortals and there are so many settings which were just perfect. I love that we also got to spend a bit more time with Wonder, Envy and Sorrow, and the way their personalities are developing as we learn more about them. I know this is a little spoiler but I just adored the friendship between Merry and Wonder - it was tender and when they called each other 'kindred' it was just so lovely. It's great that we have a great example of a female friendship, the world is so much better when we have women (and goddesses) building each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Torn for me felt like an exploration of letting yourself be vulnerable after rejection, whether that be romantic rejection or otherwise. Both Merry and Anger are dealing with totally different types of rejection and the fact that they help each other through this it just wonderful and that Natalia gives us insight into both minds through of their own chapters. The dual POV works perfectly in this book, as it does in all of Natalia's other books. I am so excited that there are still two more books left in the series for me to read, as I need to know more!

I really loved Torn and I would definitely recommend this series to any fans of Urban Fantasy / Romance. I will be definitely be rereading it

[G W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I begin? (said lovingly)

First off, thank you a million times over to Natalia for this ARC. I ride hard for Natalia AND her books, and this book reminded me of why I loved her writing in the first place.

Though tamer in spice than her Trick series (for fairness, I'm comparing it to Trick which felt like it had more spice than Touch did but I could be wrong), this book goes HARD. Say what you want about Natalia Jaster (and they better be nice, or constructive, words or I'll find you!!!), but Natalia Jaster can write a gooooood smut scene. That's what initially drew me to Natalia's book was just how fucking good she was at writing a kiss scene (the first one in Trick.... iykyk!!!) Natalia knows what we want and ALWAYS (and I do mean ALWAYS) delivers. Case in point: the last Merry POV chapter we get is a sex scene when the book could've EASILY ended on the Anger's POV the chapter prior. I remember getting to the last line of Anger's last chapter and *knowing* it was going to end, but I wished I had just ONE more scene of them together. I should've known that Natalia is one of us, and treats her readers better than that! Their last scene together was so heartwrenchingly beautiful and intimate. It really ended the book well. It felt like a true full-circle moment.

Natalia is just a good writer. I don't have other words to describe how Natalia is as an author. I'm glad that writing is her craft. She has a knack for creating stories that make the world disappear, and the hours turn into mere seconds. As an example, I read this book in one sitting which isn't usual for me. Something about me is that I'm very, very, very picky with what books I read. It takes a few chapters into a book for me to know if I'm going to painfully get through it, enjoy it, or have to DNF it. I rarely stray from my gut feeling. It takes a lot for me to change my thoughts from bad --> good when reading a book, so when I find one I love, I cherish it as much as I can. While reading, I seriously debated waiting until the next day to finish it because I wanted to badly to stay with Anger and Merry, but the story was so tempting, I had to finish it.

Natalia's writing/characters have a knack for just hitting home. I remember sitting on my couch reading and only thinking "This is what reading is supposed to feel like." Basically, I felt like reading felt good again. As I have established, I am a very fickle mood reader and can often be hard to please. Because I am a mood reader, I can be charmed by a cozy fantasy or want something high-stakes, who knows? I say that just to impress upon you how much this book reminded me of simpler times when reading just felt good . Great, even. Fantastic, one might say. It felt like coming home to see your family after a long solo vacation away.

There is such a beauty in Natalia's writing. Natalia did a GREAT job with infusing literal and subtle influences of the Icarus myth into Anger. If I was an English teacher in high school and it was appropriate to have this book in my class, I cold wax poetic about the symbolism of the sun and **THAT SCENE AT THE END YOU KNOW THE ONE** and how there are elements of her future books that are woven so excellently (peep Malice and his pomegranates or how he compares himself to Hades...he literally says "At least think mythical, not biblical. Think, Hades.") into the text. A good writer gives you all the tools you need to make a decision and guides you there. A GREAT writer does all the above, but lets the work speak for them. Natalia lays out the groundwork so well that you don't need to work hard to find the symbolism of her work. When you see it, it makes reading that more fun--like Hansel and Gretel with the breadcrumbs. The crumbs lead you to only one obvious place, and you don't see it coming either. Now, unlike Hansel and Gretel, there will be no death or destruction (well... maybe some destruction), just a really good story welcoming you with open arms!

Another part of this book that was really well-suited to someone like me was the pacing. While going through my DM's with Natalia trying to find my thoughts, I came across a picture I sent her when I reached chapter 28. This review is spoiler-free so I'm not going to say what happens in chapter 28 (but iykyk), but it could very easily have been a moment that ruined the pacing of the entire novel. It didn't (obviously not). Yet, when I saw what happened in chapter 28 after finishing the book, I remember thinking in the moment that ch. 28 was where the story met its climax and would then begin to decline. I was, again, obviously wrong (this book has about 40-ish chapters). What a beautiful part of art, for an author to be able to craft a journey that surprises a reader in such a positive and endearing way! Not many can do that.

Now time for the characters. Damn, I loved Merry and Anger. I DM'ed Natalia and said how I wished for one of those motorcycle additions where a third person can ride because I want to go to the carnival with those two :( Their story was one of choice, and beautifully told. I wish I had the lexicon Natalia has to describe their romance, but I am but a mere human who is exhausted at 11pm but who has to write this review before she forgets everything (!!!). All that you need to know is that it's beautiful, full of pleading and begging (both positive and not!), and such a lovely connection. Their relationship was raw and honest, and their fights felt real and believable. There is so much beauty in the way Anger would burn the world for Merry, and she in return.

Now, for Merry. I really liked her. You can immediately tell it's grumpy/sunshine, and I usually stay away from those types of books as I often see the sunshine character as too annoying or overly optimistic. I'll admit, I was worried that I would struggle with Merry's character but I absolutely did not. She's fierce, loyal, and yet, prone to dramatics and flair, but she was definitely not annoying. She stands for justice and equity (shouldn't we all), and would die for the ones she loves. She's hopeful in the best ways. I found Merry's dramatics to be quite fun and a breath of fresh air when the novel heated up action-wise. She's just a funny character who loves and cares deeply. She is a bona fide optimist, but again, not in a preachy, annoying way. She takes absolutely no shit from anyone and is NOT afraid to make you grovel. Also, she's low-key a dommy mommy and we don't see many of those represented in fantasy books (YES they exist, but not as much as they should!!). I'm absolutely here for her telling Anger EXACTLY what he can do to her as much as I'm absolutely here for Anger listening to Merry and asking!! Consent is sexy! Merry's care for others and selflessness truly knows no bounds. The ending speaks for itself.

For Anger. I loved his character arc. I really, really enjoyed reading about his journey. He, like Merry, cares very deeply, but is scared of showing it. Male characters can be hard to write, but Natalia just has a way with words!!! Angry male characters are also hard to write because you don't want to make them too standoffish and their anger has to be justified, but they also can't be too mean to the FMC or unlikeable. Writers of grumpy MMC's deserve a salute, because that type of character trait can't be easy. However, I never once felt like Anger was unlikable or too much. In fact, I loved him more for it. When he and Merry fight, it opens wounds for him and you get a glimpse into his life and what made it so difficult. Now, we as the readers know that, but Merry doesn't (at the time). Once you know more about his background, his actions have more of an impact.

ALSO, the side characters/arc they contribute to the overall story. While this is technically a standalone as in you can read this but not the other books, you really shouldn't. Natalia is setting the stage for an incredible story (can't wait to see it all come to a head with Envy and Sorrow) that will culminate in what is seeming to be an epic battle. I was wondering how she would tie it up as I got to the end of Touch, but knowing that this is it's own little series, it makes sense. And going in with that knowledge makes this read sweeter because you get to collect a cast of found family along the way to a brutal climax. It's like bringing your new friends along with you for a ride! But shoutout to this quote (another example of how Natalia is just GOOD at words) "So these are the side effects of love: envy, sorrow, and anger." THIS QUOTE HITS WHEN YOU KNOW THE CONTEXT OKAY.

All in all, this book was incredible. Here are some of my favorite quotes and unhinged reactions to them!!

"Enough with the fuckingS riddle...I'm just Anger." "Of course you are. And I'm just Merry." His pupils blaze like candlewicks. "You are not just anything." UGH ARE WE SO SERIOUS RIGHT NOW
"Go ahead and tease like a g-ddess." "Go ahead and take it like a g-d." PLEASE
"Perhaps I will demonstrate heat to you one day. Provided you behave yourself." I'M SAT.
"Grabe the bars." SWOON CLOSELY FOLLOWED UP WITH MERRY SAYING "You like facts? Here's one: My home. My rules...Grab the headboard" NOW THIS IS GOOD SHIT.
"Do you think I might learn how to be tender? How to be affectionate for your liking?" ARE WE FOR REAL
"She loves him. Somehow, by some miracle, this g-ddess has found him worthy of that almighty emotion. This feeling. This is what it means to reach the sun. This is the truest of powers." THE ENGLISH TEACHER IN ME IS LITERALLY SCREAMING AT ALL THE KIDS TO TAKE FUCKING NOTES OF THE SYMBOLISM!!!!
"Never do that again." "As you wish...only for you will I burn to cinders." "Is that a promise?" "It's a fucking vow." JAIL!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been thinking about how I feel about this book for the better part of the day and my conclusion is that I enjoyed it, but I don't think I loved it as much as I loved Touch. Still a good story, but not the kind of great story that we got with Love and Andrew. However, I can probably bump it up to 3.5 stars, especially for that ending.

This NA series from Natalia Jaster is still unlike any other NA series I've ever read and all things considered, it's probably up there in my list of favourites. It feeds into that balance between the things I love in YA and the things I love in NA and borderline caters to my every need. When I first read Touch this year, I was incredibly affected by the story and the way Jaster crafted her story and immediately knew that I needed more. Finding out that we'd be getting a story about Anger definitely intrigued me but wasn't quite sure of where his story would take us, given how we left him, but I knew he deserved for his story to be told. And I feel like Jaster did a really good job with not just exploring parts of his past to understand his character but handling where he is now and dealing with the aftermath of getting banished. The story here was a good one and I feel it did Anger a lot of justice, but it just didn't invoke the same feelings in me that Touch had. I enjoyed it, but not quite as much.

I think it'd be easier just to get what I didn't like out of the way, and then focus on the good stuff, but the relationship between Anger and Merry didn't just feel insta-lovey, but it was precisely instalove because that was Merry's exact thoughts when she first met Anger. She fell in love with him right then and there and even labelled it as being instalove. The one thing I dislike the most is when authors fall into the instalove trap and the fact that instalove is what Jaster deliberately set out to do with this relationship really turned me off of enjoying it the way I wanted to. I knew going into the book that obviously Merry and Anger would eventually fall in love and be together but I didn't expect Merry to immediately fall in love with him and while I'm a believer in love at first sight and all, I don't believe in it quite like that. For me, love at first sight is more of a feeling deep in your gut about a person and not a "I love this person right here" kind of vibe. And I think because I knew it was instalove, at least for Merry, I couldn't really get on board with the relationship for the longest time and why I didn't love the book as much as I loved Touch, which had its own instalove vibes but it was handled in a better way. I also think that this was why I wasn't the biggest fan of Merry because she hyper-romanticized things and gave in to the instalove, but I did appreciate her other qualities rather than flat out hating her. Their relationship was still good but it was knocked down a few pegs for me.

What I did love about the book was the further exploration of Anger's character and his feelings for Love, and having him see the difference of what he felt for her and what he now feels for Merry. I'm always a bit wary when we meet a side character who's initially in love with the main character because you wonder how it's going to carry over to their own story and how much it'll cloud their judgement about their new love interest. But on the other hand, you want to see the character develop into a better person because of these new feelings, if that makes sense, and I think Jaster accomplished that with Anger. One thing I did notice about him was that he actively wanted to let Love go but the issue was that he needed an outlet, or some kind of way to accomplish that. He needed closure, and while Malice's stupid plan was, well, stupid, it would let Anger achieve that goal. I think Anger did accept the fact that Love is gone and is in love and happy with Andrew, and he can't change that or make her feel something for him, but his issue is that he still has some residual feelings but no outlet, and that's why he needs to see her one last time. I get it and I feel it. But when he meets Merry, he finally sees what the idea of love actually is and how it's more than what he felt for Love because it's two sided, and he needs to receive love as much as he gives it. And the biggest lesson he learned was not just that he can love again, but he can love someone more than he has before, and I liked that this was the lesson he learned. His character went on a good journey and I really enjoyed what Jaster did with him.

The climactic drama was pretty interesting here and I thought it was right for the characters and the story. Anger gets the chance to see Love again, and attempt to make her somehow remember him, and he mostly takes the opportunity to get the closure he needs. He'd taken the deal with Malice to break Merry's heart to get a few minutes with Love where she'll see him again because he needs to close the door on her. While Malice forced his hand on this, Anger took the opportunity nonetheless, and Merry followed him and saw what happened. It's understandable for her to be upset at Anger, given how she knows what he felt for Love and it seems like he's choosing her again, but Anger knew that it was a goodbye for him. He knew he was choosing Merry, and he'd continue to choose her, and that's the moment where you see how much he's changed. And later, when Malice has Love captured and points arrows at both her and Merry, Anger knows who he chooses, much to the chagrin of Malice. But again, that shows what Merry's love has done for him and how it's changed him. I think that these moments showed not just how much Anger grew but how important the relationship he has with Merry is and I thought these moments were fitting for the story.

I loved the ending where the entirety of Love's and Anger's class came back together, albeit banished, and decided to make a plan to go after the Fate Court and try to have them change their ways. The theme of free will is incredibly important in this book and the Fates believe that humans don't need free will, but rather need the gods to wield emotions for them, and giving them free will makes their purpose obsolete. But Love and Merry, and now Anger, all believe that the humans deserve free will and it's not fair for the gods to take that decision away from them. I like how going after the Court has brought the five back together, and now with the addition of Merry and Andrew, and potentially more banished gods, it's possible to overthrow the Court and give humans back their free will. I love seeing ensembles come together and work toward a common goal and this ensemble is absolutely a found family type, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

Just a quick note on the writing, I am still over the moon in love with Jaster's prose. I loved seeing the difference between how she'd write for Merry and how she'd write for Anger, of how his prose felt more urgent and to the point, and lacked the typical flowery language, but with Merry, it had an almost elegant flow to it and had romanticized language to it, which fit her character. I liked that there was an effort to differentiate the two and it's how you knew which POV you were in even if you weren't told about it. Merry's prose made me feel what her character and what her goddess was supposed to feel like while Anger's prose also made me feel why he's a rage god, if that makes sense. I just love Jaster's prose and fell in love over and over again.

This book is a great addition to Jaster's Selfish Myths series and shows me how great a paranormal/fantasy NA series can be. It's the right kind of series to introduce to the NA genre, but is filled with great characters and wonderful life lessons. I loved the journey Anger and Merry took here, instalove aside, and I can't wait to see where they go next.

[Nurlely · Rating 3 out of 5]

I lost interest in finishing this book when Love is said to have the possibility of becoming Goddess again and inevitably, Andrew too, since they are one now.

Seriously?
I finished book 1 with how a goddess live her life as a human and does not regret it but now it is all sort of nothing?
They have to be immortal?

I actually like Anger in book 1. Less in this book. Merry is okay. Her flaws make her a better character.
Malice is awesome. Well, an awful character but awesome.

To be honest, when I get bored, I rushed to the ending simply to see what will happen and skip pages.
This sequel is probably rather disappointing for me but I am eager to read about Wonder.


*For mature readers only: sexual content and language is more than its sequel*

[Restless Isabelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 80% - I’m totally down for poetic and ‘magical’ prose but this went too far. It felt dense, jarring and frankly, was just plain weird sometimes. I swear there was a sentence where she described her desire to nibble his teeth like candy corn - whaaaa.

That being said, I have enjoyed all of Jaster’s other books so definitely recommend checking them out.

[vitória · Rating 3 out of 5]

o malice é tão gostoso

[lexi ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book through the author in exchange for an honest review!

When I read Touch for the first time following my interest in the Foolish Kingdoms series, I was not prepared for the engagement, emotions, and excitement I felt reading about the tale of these incredibly imperfect archers, mainly Love. Aside from the writing, I was genuinely engaged in the story, the romance, and the characters. While the first book left Love and Andrew in a perfect place, I was still wondering where the rest of the archers would end up.

Imagine my joy when Natalia began writing Torn, and imagine it now that I can happily say the second book in the Selfish Myths series delivers all of the enjoyment and magic of Touch, but expands upon the lore, characters, and character relationships in even better ways.

It goes without saying that Anger is a complex character, so much so as his namesake. He suffers with his own internal conflicts and delivers that externally in imperfect ways, knowing whether unintentionally or not that he will hurt those he loves. However, he is still a kind and empathetic character, one I rooted for without question. Seeing the story he brings with him from Touch, it is easy to call him the boy left behind or unchosen by the girl he loves. However, his emotions did not feel disingenuous.

In addition to this, because it does relate to Anger's character, the way Natalia expanded upon the would-be relationship of Love and Anger and how genuine Anger's love for Love was very refreshing, to say the least. It is so often I see readers, including myself, wondering about the what-ifs of certain characters being together. However, Natalia addresses this by simply saying that maybe these characters could have been in love the way Love and Andrew or Anger and Merry are, but in fact didn't . And that's okay, because they found people to love regardless and who love them back for who they are.

And since I mentioned here, I should talk about Merry now, who I loved with my whole heart. Jumping into her character, I was intrigued by her voice and how she would compare to Anger. That being said, her quirkiness, ability to jump into talking and animation, and unadulterated expression of herself was a sight to behold. I love Love, and will always love her, but I definitely resonated with Merry in more ways beyond the points I've already discussed. While she is vocal and expressive, she can be vulnerable and afraid of addressing her fears, her yearnings, her love for a boy who is cold on the outside. And I loved her for that, and Anger too, not because of their mythological power, but for their realism outside of the fantastical elements.

Were you expecting me to say I didn't like the romance? If you did, you're sadly mistaken. The relationship between Merry and Anger had me gasping, crying, laughing, and yearning. Their development up to the moment they meet to the minute we can sense the two are in honest and deep love is authentic and valuable. Not just because they are the main characters of this story, but because they slowly reveal who the two are to each other, something Anger himself acknowledges he had never done with a lover previously before. I loved the two together because they felt both fated and gradually magnetized to one another, because the feelings involved were as genuine as possible. And sure, the two are scheming in their own ways, but in the end, everything between them is as real as they are.

Of course, I could go on about Natalia's descriptiveness, the world-building, and how all the other little details are impeccable, but I think with the gigantic rant I just went into about the characters, it is safe to say this is one of my favorite reads of the year. It was such a nice surprise during my birthday month for this book to come out, and to read and review it early was an outstanding pleasure. While I may be insanely biased since Natalia is my favorite writer, the stories never fail to impress me, and I am sure I would still feel this way objectively, too. Her stories are filled with heart, tragedy, triumph, and self-exploration in a way that not only questions the self, but how we understand the world at large. What fate is, if there is fate, and if free will exists. These were all questions I pondered in between turning the pages for the characters and love story, and it doesn't necessarily have to be there for the story to be engaging, but these questions the author brings up I must say are commendable.

So yes, Torn was and is one of my favorite reads of 2019, not that I was expecting any less! Thank you Natalia for continuing this series, and I cannot wait for the third book in the Selfish Myths series ♡

[MiraJane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dang it! I was so psyched for this book and had so much hope for it following such an amazing and hard to forget predecessor that was Touch and written by the genius behind Foolish Kingdoms. Clearly a lot of people seems to love Torn so maybe the issue is with me, but I did not feel that Torn measured up to the first book.

The intrigue was there for sure with polar opposite characters like sweet and perky Merry and distant and and regal Anger. Their first abrupt meeting and their different but yet the same goal with getting to know each other was the hook reeling me in. Among that there were both sweet and intense moments and twists that pulled me in. However, this was not enough for me to keep my nose stuck between the pages from start to finish, because inbetween those moments were just ... I don’t know exactly what. Nothing was distinctly bad or dull or anything, but nothing really seemed to be going on either to keep me fully invested.

Building the base of the relationship and Merry and Anger developing a romance should have been the main plot of the story considering what they both were striving for, and I guess it technically was since it was a lot about Merry and Anger getting to know each other and learning about one another. However, instead of writing their interactions out on page and letting me follow the development a lot of it was me being told about what they did and talked about and then a lot of skipping. It left me out of the buildup of the relationship and the characterization. It also took away that needed depth and made the story seem like it stood still. It simply took away what was necessary for me to get fully into the story.

Instead of giving the romance the room it needed the story went into many unnecessarily long ramblings and tangents that also made me lose interest in the plot. It all seemed to be for building a bigger plot with the whole free will and breaking free from the traditional way the Fate Court preached. In a way it actually was kind of similar to Foolish Kingdoms with fighting for a big change in the world and recruiting people to a new side for the greater good. In FK this worked well with the world and story given to us, whereas in this book though this theme felt forced and a bit overkill. One, because it forced the focus away from a deeper relationship that was the main plot and two, it ruined that beautiful and slightly bittersweet ending Touch delivered. Although it was great to see Love and Andrew again, that perfect ending they had was rendered pointless with the turn this book took.

What I can truly appreciate in Natalia Jaster’s books is her unique and poetic writing and, even though it was a tad too much in Torn which made it a bit too gooey and sappy, it still was this books strongest quality, along with the drama and betrayal between Merry and Anger, their sweet reconciliation and last but not least the foreshadowing of Tempt. I loved both Wonder and Malice in this story and the mysterious bond between them. It has made me very curious to read Tempt!

[Nyx (Nikki) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Themes
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Sharp & Sexy Banter
• Forced Proximity
• Pining & Grovelling
• Spicy Icarus x Aphrodite Retelling
• She Falls First, He Falls Harder

THEY STRIPPED HIM OF HIS POWER. NOW, HE'LL TAKE HERS.

Torn is book two of the Dark Gods: Selfish Myths interconnected series. This review may contain small spoilers from book one.

Imagine Icarus didn’t just fall from the sky, but also from grace? Known by a different name, but a traitor, nonetheless, banished from the Pantheon for his transgressions. Forced to live in a world of outcasts he finds himself blinded by a new sun, no, a shooting star… A rebellious female with secrets of her own, and his key to redemption. To regain his former glory, he must manipulate and charm. Gods don’t fall in love, but can he tempt her heart without losing his own?

Yet another magical retelling by the wonderful Natalia Jaster. Continuing our journey with our favourite myths, book two in the series rejoins Anger and introduces Merry, a whimsical outcast and overall badass. Torn had me hooked in from the very first page, immediately diving into an action-packed battle. I won’t spoil, but Merry’s weapon? Perfection and a stroke of genius from the author.

Now listen, I adored Love and Andrew, but Anger and Merry? I have fallen, hard, for these characters. Merry’s sunshine perfectly complements Anger’s grumpy, I felt myself grinning like an idiot at almost every interaction. Merry desperately wants to be the heroine of her own story, all I can say is mission accomplished. Sweet, kind, loyal and funny, with a deep love of music – I wanna chill and listen to tunes with her. Anger is brooding, stubborn, yet logical, and most importantly, accountable. Oh and he’s damn fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine….

Torn is filled to the brim with absolutely top tier banter and scorching spice. Again, the mythology was effortlessly woven to perfection. The author’s writing is almost lyrical in its prose and full of soul. Natalia just hits every mark, every time, with archery Anger would be proud of. I will never stop recommending her writing to anyone that will listen.

Finally, I want to take a moment to acknowledge our side characters, Malice, I see you over there… I cannot wait for the next instalment!
Keep the wings out…5🌟

[Brin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very lucky to be on Natalia Jaster’s ARC team but I honestly wasn’t expecting to get the chance to read Torn ahead of its release date (June 20th) because for some silly reason, I had it in my head that I was only on the team for her Foolish Kingdoms series! So when this little beauty found its way into my inbox last month I may have screeched and jumped around a little (it wasn’t pretty!)

Torn was one of my most anticipated reads after finally reading (and loving) its predecessor Touch (my review for this was posted yesterday – I can’t believe I forgot to write one when I read it! *face-palms self* I was going to do my utmost to get this review out on release date but since I had to scramble and get Touch up, I’ve decided to hold off until today (it’s only a day late after all).

Anger was one of the most intriguing side characters in Touch and his unrequited feelings for Love made my heart ache. When I found out he was getting his own story; I was overjoyed. He definitely deserves a happily ever after of his own.

After the events of Touch, Anger has been left in a difficult position. Although his own feelings for Love were very strong, he still did everything he could to secure her future with her lover Andrew even if it meant giving up on her himself. He still cannot forget that trouble-making former goddess even though she no longer has any memories of him. Torn between his feelings of love, and also no small amount of bitterness at the predicament he has found himself in (exiled among the mortals but not one of them), Anger stews.

Merry is an aberration. A discarded goddess who was deemed to be a failure and cast aside without the chance to ever wield her own bow and arrow. She lives among the mortals, unseen, spending her days whimsically exploring on her trusty skateboard with the earbuds in her ears an almost permanent fixture.

Merry isn’t the only exiled outcast though and not all of the inhabitants of the celestial city where she dwells are friendly. After accidentally encroaching on another cast-off’s territory, she catches Anger’s eye and he feels compelled to help her fight Malice, who has issues with Merry even as he has schemes of his own.

Merry is instantly taken with Anger, immediately infatuated. Anger finds her to be somewhat lacking but ends up spending a great deal of time in her company when Malice tells him there may be a way to return to his celestial home in the sky. The only problem is, in order to do this he must break Merry’s heart…

You know, despite been a massive Natalia Jaster fan (she has more than earned the rank of auto-buy author for me) I wasn’t initially sold on Merry and Anger as a pairing, despite liking them individually.

I love Anger, don’t get me wrong, but the connection between them seemed very one-sided on Merry’s part – at least initially. Merry was instantly in love with Anger and instalove is something that I side-eye at the best of times. At first they seemed too different: Anger too broody, Merry too airy-fairy and flighty. It also seemed to not be a relationship of equals and they both had an agenda albeit they went about it in very different ways.

However, at about the half-way mark I realized that Merry wasn’t anywhere near as delicate and fragile as she initially appeared. She had a spine made of pure iron – and she didn’t let Anger get away with his less than stellar behaviour. Anger in turn, showed a softer, more gentle side. That was it – I was sold on them as a couple. I probably slightly still prefer Love and Andrew’s love story but Anger and Merry came damn close.

It was also amazing to see the rest of the class again. Wonder is a favourite of mine and I am so happy she will have her own story next (and I was super intrigued by her connection with Malice). Malice… was a deeply troubling character yet I was drawn to him in a way I didn’t expect. Some of his actions were downright horrible but I couldn’t help but have some small empathy for him. I an eager to know more about him so the next book can’t come quick enough!

All in all, this was another beautiful story from Natalia Jaster. Anger and Merry broke my heart time and time again. There relationship was not without its bumps in the road but felt earned and deserved by the end of the tale. I am glad Anger found someone to love him and also got over Love (while still caring about her as a friend). I am glad that Merry got a chance to finally shine and show her worth to the world (both celestial and otherwise). The journey they took together was breath-taking (my favourite bits were at the empty fair ground – so much spark and energy between them!)

I cannot wait to see where the story takes these amazing characters – I have no doubt at all that I am going to love the journey every step of the way!

[Cara (Wilde Book Garden) · Rating 3 out of 5]

We've got Anger's story!

I did enjoy this one, though I have a few personal preferences that mean Trick, Dare, and Touch are still my favorites:

-I didn't bond with our leads as much as I have with previous protagonists. Of course it makes sense for Anger and Merry to embody their respective descriptors, but I don't feel like I knew much about their personalities outside of that, unlike with Love in book 1.
-the setting of the Celestial City was unique and interesting but didn't steal my heart like the world of the Foolish Kingdoms series did, or even the icy human town in Touch
-I'm not generally a huge fan of romances that start out with an instant connection on one side, and while I actually really enjoyed the way this one was done because of how it fit into the context of the story, I do think it made some of the relationship development uneven (i.e., the reader was told some deep meaningful conversations had taken place that helped change the way the characters felt about each other, but we didn't actually see them on-page)
-I think the descriptions of music and skateboarding were great but would have been more effective in smaller doses?

Now on to the things I LOVED!
-avoidance of some annoying romance tropes! miscommunication, "I'm protecting you by not telling you anything," etc.
-the friendships! Especially Wonder, Love, and Merry
-Wonder gets her own bullet point because I really feel like she stood out among the cast of secondary characters. And she's plus-sized!
-the fact that the ending of Touch is directly addressed and actually affects events in this novel: Torn felt like the perfect balance of companion novel and sequel
-the wider themes of free will vs. fate and how those are continuing to be explored in really interesting ways
-I actually LOVED the flashback scenes, which never happens for me with books--great backstory for the characters and how they related to each other
-This left me SO excited for Wonder's story!!!

Bottom line: a good installment in the series! and can I just reiterate my excitement for the next one?!

*I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderfully written novel by Natalia Jaster. This world is very different from her Foolish Kingdom’s world, and I was interested to see how she would expand it enough to create a series out of it. I think she did a fantastic job. There’s a bigger picture she is painting that involves Fate vs. Free Will, and I’m looking forward to seeing this unravel in the next books.

I thought Merry and Anger were interesting characters that fit well with each other. Their personalities were complete opposites, and it was fun to see them work through that. I loved Merry because she really tried to keep her positive outlook during hard situations, and she didn’t let those situations change who was as a person. I admired the way she handled herself in those times. I also enjoyed getting to know Envy, Sorrow, and Wonder better. Their friendship was fun to read, and I can’t wait to get to their books and see their personalities more.

My only complaint was that it almost felt like it was a love triangle for a large portion of the book. Anger is coming into this novel still heartbroken over the events in Touch, and he really struggles to move on and open a place in his heart for Merry. In a sense, it made for a more realistic depiction of how a person needs to take time to fall out of love before they can fall in love again, but I guess I’m used to that happening off the page lol. It just made for a lot more angst than I anticipated, but this was a personal preference that didn’t take away from the writing.

This book also did a good job of setting up Wonder’s story, so I’ll be impatiently waiting until it’s out!

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review