Cloak of Night

Circle of Shadows #2

by Evelyn Skye

After the devastating Ceremony of Two Hundred Hearts, Sora, Daemon, Fairy, and Broomstick are truly alone in the fight to save their kingdom. Empress Aki is missing, and everyone else who could help them is a prisoner to the Dragon Prince’s mind control.

At least Sora understands what they’re up against. Or so she believes, until she overhears the Dragon Prince bargaining with the god of war for immortality and learns that ryuu magic may be a more insidious danger than she realized.

Suddenly, the stakes are higher and even more personal for Sora—not only must she stop a seemingly indestructible Prince Gin, but she must also unravel the secrets of ryuu magic before it is too late for nearly everyone she loves.

And as Sora, Daemon, Fairy, and Broomstick face dangerous obstacles at every turn, the greatest challenge may be discovering who they truly are, and what, if anything, they are capable of.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, Audiobook, Romance, Fiction, Magic

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 11, 2020

About the author

EVELYN SKYE is a New York Times bestselling author of novels for adults, young adults, and children, including THE HUNDRED LOVES OF JULIET, DAMSEL, and THE CROWN'S GAME.

She is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, and she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these groups of people! The end!



Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 3 out of 5]

En esta segunda parte de Circle of Shadows, Sora, Daemon y los demás tienen que enfrentarse nuevamente al Emperador Gin que no solamente logró hacer la ceremonia sangrienta que se proponía, sino que secuestró a Aki (su hermana y legítima emperatriz) e hizo un pacto con uno de los dioses más oscuros para asegurarse su inmortalidad. Con todo esto en su contra, el equipo de los renegados debe hacer todo lo posible por restaurar el orden en Kichona, salvar a quienes están bajo la hipnosis de Gin y salvar a los guerreros ryuu del destino fatídico que les espera por usar magia prohibida.

Creo que esta bilogía de Evelyn Skye tiene un gran ritmo y en ningún momento me aburrí. Las aventuras por las que tienen que pasar Sora, Daemon, Broomstick y Fairy son peligrosas, interesantes y siempre los llevan al límite de sus capacidades. Además, me gusta cuando se separan y abarcan un mayor terreno, pues de esa manera la trama también se expandía y conocíamos los diferentes frentes de este desastre de Kichona.

Ahora, algo que dije en la reseña del libro pasado es que no me convencía mucho el romance y, además, me cabreaba que Daemon no aceptara sus verdaderos sentimientos por Sora y, en su lugar, se conformara con Fairy. ¡Y menos mal toda esta perspectiva cambia en este libro! Sí, las relaciones entre Geminas siguen estando prohibidas, pero es que lo lógico siempre fue que Sora y Daemon estuvieran juntos, son absolutamente perfectos el uno para el otro. Y, lo más importante, es que antes de ser cualquier cosa románticamente son amigos.

Más allá de todos los corazones, sentimientos y momentos absolutamente espectaculares entre ellos dos, debo decir que la trama estuvo genial. Todo esto de derrotar al Emperador Gin, pedir la ayuda de los dioses y los semidioses e intentar revertir la maldición de los ryuu me pareció tremendamente interesante. Además, este no es el típico libro en el que sabes que, sin importar lo que pase, los protagonistas van a estar seguros. Para nada, mientras lees esta historia sientes que todos pueden morir o caer en las garras de los dioses malignos.

Y qué decirles del final… ¡es muy bueno! Tiene un toque agridulce por cierta cosa que no puedo comentar, pero creo que es un final digno de la saga y que va muy bien con los caminos que se fueron labrando los personajes. Después de esto, definitivamente quedo con ganas de leer la otra bilogía de la autora.

[Adah Udechukwu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cloak of Night was awesome, awesome, spectacular.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLY CANNOLI GUYS!

No, seriously, oh my 'lanta guys. Cloak of Night was so freaking amazing. Spectacular even. What a wild ride/adventure to be on. I enjoyed every second of this audiobook. I was honestly surprised it was out already because I didn't think it was. Boy was I wrong and mad at myself for not knowing.

Lord almighty, I am so freaking happy that certain people realized that they basically loved each other. It just took way too long for my ears. Way, way, way, waaaaay too long. Yet, I'm completely content with how things went for everyone. I do kind of wish that I got more stuff from the gods though... but that could just be me.

Overall, really enjoyed this book and I'm sad to see it end. I sort of wished there was another book in this series just because I know I'm going to miss all the characters. Not going to lie, I look forward to my next book written by Evelyn.

[Narra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review will follow soon

[Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cloak of Night was a great follow up to Circle of Shadows. The characters I loved were back and there was a new character in this one. I adored him. The pacing was great and I really enjoyed the magic.

Empress Aki was captured by her brother, Prince Gin. He's keeping her alive for now, but using torture to punish her. Gin is going by Emperor Gin now and is in control of Kichona. Gin wants more power. He summons a bad God and asks for help. The plan is to capture the leader from all the kingdoms and give the hearts to the God. In return, he'll be immortal in Evermore. Gin uses his powers to create an army loyal to him. The only ones not affected are Sora, Daemon, Fairy, and Broomstick. They managed to get away, but they're at a loss on what to do. They know they need to find Aki and they need to kill Gin.

The four start asking for Daemon's likely God father to help. Someone else shows up and reminds Daemon about his life before. Daemon has to learn how to use his powers to be useful to the group. They come up with multiple plans that change often when another obstacle presents itself. They also find out something very dangerous about the ryuu magic and what it means for their souls.

The group splits up at times, but the Gemina bonds keep them connected. Hana is still Gin's number two, but she finds herself questioning things about him and what he really wants.

The book had action from start to finish (mostly). There was a lot of Daemon and Sora thinking about their feelings for each other. But mostly, it was magic, fighting, and risking everything to save Kichona from Gin.

I gave this book 5 stars. Warnings for violence/death, family issues, and a mention of suicide (doesn't happen).

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4

*Thoughts*

Cloak of Night is the second and final installment in author Evelyn Skye's Circle of Shadows duology. In this finale to the fantasy duology that began with Circle of Shadows, the author has created a story full of jaw-dropping action as well as a bit of a twisted romance. The story picks up after the devastating events of the Ceremony of Two Hundred which saw Empress Aki dethroned by her own brother, Gin making a deal with a God named Zomuri to purse his dream of bring Evermore to the entire world, and hypnotizing the entire society of Taiga which are the best fighters in the land to fight for him.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Dreximgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I love the characters and the clunky romance aspect was kind of righted eventually. It was perhaps a little simplistic plot wise and seemed to wrap up very quickly (I assumed there was another book to follow as didn't think things would be done in time but I was wrong). Overall though it was enjoyable and I had fun listening to it.

[Anja · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Circle Of Shadows being my biggest disappointment of 2019, I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to read the sequel. But I'm grateful for social distancing, because I'm glad that I did.
I really enjoyed Evelyn's world-building, and descriptions of the characters and the events. That was good. Evelyn still remains one of my favourite authors because of that alone.
However, I didn't like that the Daemon/Sora romance was tossed in there at the end, similar to how the Fairy/Daemon romance was tossed into the end of Circle of Shadows. I figured that Daemon/Sora would get together since they're each other's geminas and everything, but I didn't see the point of having Fairy/Daemon together if they were just going to break up. I'm glad that they broke up--don't get me wrong, but Daemon and Sora could've gotten together earlier if Fairy/Daemon weren't in the picture at all, or at least would've broken up earlier.
Overall, I'd say that Cloak of Night deserves the lack of hype it received, but it was a good follow-up to Circle of Shadows. I wish that it was better than Circle, but I'm glad it wasn't worse.

[Ashley Mustard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed with this series! I’m sad it’s over Wolf and Spirit were my favorite 😍

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5 Stars

[Ziska Who · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich liebe diese Charaktere und diese Welt und ich hab hier Bücher gefunden, die ich wirklich mag.

[your friendly neighborhood bibliophile (Gabi) · Rating 2 out of 5]

No.

This ain’t it, chief.

Am I the only one who didn’t absolutely adore this book?

What a strange reading experience. At some points it was spectacular, and so much better than Circle of Shadows, and then it just got bad again. But the PACING.

The pacing is SO BAD. Everything that happens in this book seems to easy.

Hey, Hana!

S-Sorry, vIrTuOsO!

Yeah, you! Do I have your attention?

Okay, good.

Listen girl, I have something real important to tell you!



I hate you.



Hana’s redemption arc came out of NOWHERE, and I don’t get how Sora seemed to instantly forgive her. I seriously don’t understand how she just SUDDENLY felt sorry for Aki during the acid drip scene. Hana beating up Aki at the end of the chapter was much more true to her character. But it says she still felt bad!

WHY?! She’s been trained her WHOLE LIFE to hate Aki. She was BRAINWASHED by Gin for years. You’re telling me hanging around Sora for two seconds and one torture scene is enough to turn her around?!

YOU’D BE WRONG.

Evelyn Skye’s biggest problem is endings. Everything wraps up way too quickly, and this was the same problem with the Crown’s Fate. I don’t think this ending was as bad as the ending of Crown’s Fate, but it was up there.

Can I just say something else, too?? Okay, here we go....









FAIRY AND DAEMON SHOULD HAVE STAYED A COUPLE AND SORA AND DAEMON SHOULD HAVE STAYED FRIENDS. GEMINAS, WHATEVER.

I thought it was stupid how their romance was just tossed in at the end of Circle of Shadows, because I knew they would break up.

However.

Fairy and Daemon had so much adorable chemistry together in this book! Honestly, their romance was better than any other romance I’ve read in YA. I’m not even joking, it was so cute.

BUT THEN EVELYN SKYE IS GONNA RUIN IT WITH THIS “FAIRY AND DAEMON ARENT MEANT TO BE TOGETHER BULLSH*T????”

WHAT??!

Listen, I knew it would happen, but I wanted to cry when Fairy broke it off with Daemon. I would have loved it if the two main protagonists (Sora and Daemon) had just remained friends.

But of course they don’t.

Whatever, I guess Evelyn Skye’s books just aren’t really for me.

[Tulika (books_and_raves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you think of a demigod, I automatically imagine magical lakes and hoof-footed best friends and pens that can also be used as a sword.

But oh well. This was not nearly half as bad as the first book. And yet, the ending was underwhelming. It was progressing really well in the plot from the beginning, and the structuring and planning of the ambush and the beginning of a war - everything had the expected intrigue and shock that invites a restless anticipation. But then I don't know. The way Prince Gin was neutralized at the end, that whole scene with Zomuri...it felt ridiculous and funny (not in a good way) and just badly constructed. The epilogue felt like it was written with an HEA in mind or rather, to fit the idea of it. Everything was tied in TOO nicely.

Daemon and Sora's sudden bloom of a romance - for like a half a minute there in the story and then at the end - was so badly managed. I mean, it was like the romance was crammed there as an afterthought, before the author ran out of pages. Also, it sucked reallyyy. I mean one minute Daemon was all hot and upset over Faery and the next, he is confessing to Sora? I do *not* understand boys. Love triangles are sooo frustrating. And the end kiss? Cringe. I am sorry to be harsh here but really.

Mainly I just didn't like how the story was told, or rather, the writing style. It was too flat and dull, the sentence structures and phrases too simplistic and curt for my taste, not the kind I immediately take a liking to or even warm up to. I am not explaining it well, but yeah.

Some more annoyances:

~ And let's talk about the fact that they were discussing the future status of their relationship *in the middle of a takedown*? That dude was literally there waiting to be killed, floating overhead, and Daemon thinks it's more important to reassure his girlfriend about his love rather than save the kingdom, you know, actually what they were there for.

~ Also why do fantasy writers feel the need to invent new swear words? Except they are actually *not* new, but just the old ones reincarnated added with a new letter maybe.
Ex. Goddammit ~ Gods dammit

WHYYY it seems so unnecessary and annoying.

~ Okay, this is a SPOILER SO DON'T READ OR READ AT YOUR OWN RISK: what do we call a boy who can turn into a wolf? Oh I wish there were a word for that. Oh wait, isn't it *werewolf*? And yet, there was not one mention of the actual creature, instead he was described as "sometime-wolf/sometime-boy" yes he was also magical and a demigod but I didn't know gods have something against werewolves.

But I think it had a great potential to be incredible and till 80%, the plot at least did accomplish that.

[Raji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own .

With the completion of the Ceremony of Two Hundred Hearts, Sora, Daemon, Fairy and Broomstick are the only taigas in the kingdom not under Prince Gin’s mind control. Now that Zomuri is the patron god of Kichona, the ordinary people too are being affected, and their personalities are changing, making them cruel and selfish. With Empress Aki still missing, time is running out fast as our heroes discover that the price of using ryuu magic is far more dangerous than anyone realizes.

Cloak of Night is much better paced than the first book, and I was quite surprised at how much of an adventure it turned out to be, with several unexpected and shocking twists that raise the stakes with every chapter. Sora and Daemon continue to be strong central characters, though I could have done without that angsty and very odd love triangle that made no sense, and I really appreciated how the story stayed on track throughout and never veered off into unnecessary scenes or exposition. While this book is much lighter in terms of world building – the main focus being on stopping Prince Gin – we do get to see a little of some of the mainland kingdoms that have been previously mentioned as the ryuu turn their sights towards taking over them one by one.

However, I have to say that there was so much wasted potential here with regards to the magic system, both taiga and ryuu. The story never really takes the time to develop it – instead, the sudden addition of the Gods to the story detracts from it. That wouldn’t normally be a bad thing since getting to know this other aspect of Kichona was quite interesting, and the odd POV from Zomuri were a nice addition – but this plotline wasn’t used to full effect either. The reveal of Daemon being a demigod was introduced rather late, and not as engaging as it could have been, particularly evident in that the entire scene where he speaks to his father happens off page. It almost felt like the unexpected secret of ryuu magic was brought in just for the purpose of Daemon needing to reconnect with his celestial family, though I did like the scenes where Liga, his half-brother, comes down from the skies to meet him and the training scenes were quite amusing too. And once again, I found it impossible to take this story seriously with absolutely childish and ridiculous taiga names like Fairy and Broomstick.

Cloak of Night resolves the storyline in a satisfactory manner, tying up all the loose ends rather neatly – impressive considering how much more there was in terms of plot this time. If you enjoyed Circle of Shadows, this is worth a read, but while Cloak of Night was definitely an improvement on book one, I find myself rather disappointed with this series as a whole, especially in comparison with The Crown’s Game.

[Krishnaveni Subbiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thank the whole universe for not giving up on this series. The first book (Circle of Shadows) promised me a good story ahead but there were lots of plot holes and stuffs that made me like the book less. But WOW!!!! Cloak of Night did make every second that I spent on the first book worthy.

There were couple of stuffs that could have been in a different way but I love everything about this book, the world in it and OMG!!! I can trade anything for the characters and to live with them (especially Daemon😉). There were so many places that made me smile, laugh out loud, loss myself, just stare without words in utter shock, shout in anger and of course! She'd some tears (yet I didn't break down as such).

I WANT SO MANY PEOPLE TO READ THIS BOOK AND TALK ABOUT IT SO MUCH.... THIS DESERVES MORE APPRECIATION❤️. I am so so glad that the sequel is far better than the first book and this duology holds a special place for me (as if not all my favourite books doesn't😐) Anyways... I would rate it 4.7 ish stars...if you can get me😅

[Ricky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion to Evelyn Skye's second YA fantasy duology picks up pretty organically where its predecessor left off, working to stop the existential threat we were left with last year before it can subsume the kingdoms across the sea. This time, of course, the stars of our show have a few more secret powers on their side - namely, Daemon's newfound ability to well and truly be one with the wolves, even if it may come at the cost of his humanity. Though the story runs a tad bit slow at times, it's a damn fine ending if ever there was one, bittersweet - but sweet for sure in all the ways, even when Skye raises the stakes into the stratosphere right at the last minute. To this series, I now say ave atque vale, and hope to see more awesomeness in the future from one of the Bay Area's best and brightest.

[Mono9000 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was curious to read this conclusion. And, if I'm being honest, I wanted to find out how the author was going to deal with the romance part ;)

First, this second book is a nice conclusion. It's a bit slow and spinned through the pages but it was a nice read. I was hoping for more danger and more tension between the taigas and the ryuus. It was sometimes too easy for our heros. They deal with great ennemis, with powerfull gods but...nope, they manage to overcome avery traps on their path.

And the romance...it was a bit clumsy. Since the beginning, we knew Sora and Daemon's feelings but teh author decided to try something else...It didn't work out very well with me. But, it might seem cute for others :)

Not a perfect read but totally enjoyable. If you want ninjas, magic and an easy read...try this series^^

[Chelsea Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars: ‘Cloak of Night’ (Book #2 of ‘Circle of Shadows’) by Evelyn Skye.
→ Age Range: Young Adult.
→ Genre: Adventure, Magical Fantasy.
→ Trigger Warnings: Death, Tyranny, Mentions of Suicide.

In-depth Rating:
→ Plot: ★★★★
→ Character Development: ★★★★
→ Setting: ★★
→ Entertainment Level: ★★★★★
→ Writing: ★★★

General Comments: Full of menacing action, heart-breaking romance, and incredible magic; an exciting end to this thrilling duology, where the stakes are higher and even more personal. It resolves the story-line in a satisfactory manner, tying up all the loose ends rather neatly – impressive given the broad and immense structure of the plot; however, the magic system was wasted potential, lacking development.

Favourite Quote: ‘Work hard. Mischief harder.’

Time Read: Four Days.
→ Audiobook: Yes.
→ Audiobook Narrator: Eileen Stevens.

[Katharina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't do much for me. Cloak of Night wasn't bad, just not the book for me.
The pacing was off, nothing was at stake, everything was easy for the characters. There was no real struggle and/or fight. None of the characters had a further developement after book one, except Hana. Cloak of Night felt like a lot of tropes bundled together without an actual plot happening. Protagonists got to be the love interests, the heroes save the day without any losses *SPOLIER* (ok, the mom died) but that's it. I didn't feel or fear for the characters, Daemon's negociations with the gods would have been soo interesting. It was all told, nothing shown.
In short: I was bored.
Which is a pity, I liked the characters and the story in book 1 .

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun sequel. It was paced well, and wrapped up the story nicely. It definitely didn't need a third book, so I was glad it was only two. I liked most of the characters, though I thought Broomstick was a little underdeveloped, since he was one of the main 4 warriors. And the love triangle was a bit random -Wolf clearly liked Spirit, and everyone knew they'd end up together from the start. It seemed like she threw that in there just to check a box on a YA novel list or something. But, the magic was fun, and the story kept me interested. I needed a good, light, fun read, and this was just right!

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was such a toss-up. Some of the world-building and mythology was interesting, but then the same elements that were silly in the first book were still in this book and STILL SILLY. And Sora and Daemon getting together was predictable and fine? But using Fairy as a plot point to do so was dumb and she deserved better. A lot of the scenes that were supposed to be emotionally deep just felt "there" to break up the action sequences. So idk. Do I regret reading it? No. Am I glad it's not stretched into a trilogy. Yes, because I'm fine being done with this world and the characters.

[Andge (Down the Rabbit Hole) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

Adventure continues with action and drama, picking up from where book 1 ended. However, the romance I was cheering for was more angst than steamy with far fewer scenes and reunion than I'd have liked. I mean, half the time Daemon and Sora are split up, and there's more kissing scenes with Fairy. Ah, I guess we can't all get what we wish for.

The pacing was okay but I wished for a bit more in some ways. Maybe more development in the demigod lore or something. Needless to say, it was nice but averagely nice overall. Maybe my expectations were too high. But yes, happy ending with a bow on top. That makes me happy too.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like there is so much potential within this magic system and world that was left untapped, especially given how Circle of Shadows ended. There were so many unique elements that I found myself wanting more from the story and the characters than I was getting. More of the Gods. More of the magic. More of the brutality the last book ended with. Despite that, I still found myself flying through the pages, soaking it all in. I did absolutely enjoy this book in series. Overall it was fun and worth the read but It didn’t leave its mark.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

[Becca Mee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cloak of Night was such a treat to read, an exciting, fun and satisfying conclusion to Circle of Shadows. I loved watching The League of Rogues scheme and kick butt to reclaim their kingdom from the evil Dragon Prince. My favorite thing about this duology is the comraderie between the main characters. They have each other’s backs unconditionally and give each other hope when things seem dire. They’re a lot of fun to watch. Cloak of Night is a story of friendship, hope and redemption that fans of the first book will enjoy.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

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This was great, it picked up from the first one with ease and the plot and characters were entertaining

However I did feel like everything was a little tooo silver plater for our characters and everything just worked out easy and they didn't have too struggle too much

[Ginny Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book, it picked up right where it left off last time and it was so action packed. I just kept going and reading fast. So happy that Sora and Daemon ending up together but bummed that they have to live apart (and that Mina died :( ) seriously so happy that they are together I’ve been shipping them since the first book. In the end I really liked it and would love to see a short story based on their lives after.

[Nicole Alycia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 rounded up
This was a solid ending to a very good duology. I don’t want to give anything away about the story but I will say that you can tell Evelyn Skye’s writing has evolved immensely from her first duology to this one.
I thought the characters were better developed, the writing was much better, and the story telling in general had improved.
I thought this series was exciting and entertaining to read and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

[Cora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of triumph against all odds. And while it came at a hefty cost, it still showed that as long as there is life, there is hope. There were definitely some discrepancies for me... areas where there seemed to be easier answers given the powers at their disposals, but there was also some shocking turn of events that I never could have seen coming. All around this series is a great read - go for it, you won't regret it. Work hard, mischief harder.

[Callie LaBelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plotline: 4/5
World-Building: 5/5
Romance: 4/5
Themes: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Review: This continued the fantastic storytelling of great physical and mental battles that all these characters go through. I love how we got the POV from the side characters it really added to the story as a whole and I enjoyed how this duology wrapped up. I was never bored, there was no lull in the story and I wasn't able to predict the ending!