Breath and Starshine: Medicus Corpus Book Two

by Kami King Larsen

There’s nothing like the taste of a miracle.

It has been two months since Aurelia, Roe, and Hale survived their trek across the desert and arrived in Devil’s Meadows. They’ve thrown themselves into service as practitioners of medicine for Medicus Corpus and barely have time to think of anything aside from their duties and responsibilities to the patients they treat.

Amid sleepless nights and an oppressive environment, Aurelia must learn to wield the miracles and wonder working she possesses while also keeping her ability a secret—or risk her job, her friends, and even her life.

But danger is lurking in the dark desert nights. When Aurelia and Roe are attacked on their way home one evening and young women start turning up dead in the settlement, the trio are once again thrown into a perilous fight.

Tenuous alliances are tested and new enemies emerge as the young practitioners struggle to protect one another and the people they have come to serve.

Re-enter a world of magic, medicine, and miracles in the stunning follow up to Blood and Wonder.

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2023

About the author

Lover of stories, writer of fiction, doctor for children, and enjoyer of wine and whimsy

Reviews

[Emily | EMVZ.woodandbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

"ɪ’ʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪꜱ: ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡᴇ ʟɪᴠᴇ ɪɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ, ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ɪᴛꜱ ʀᴏᴀᴅꜱ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.”

🩺 Post-Apocalyptic
🩺 Secret/Hidden Magical Ability
🩺 Best Friend's Brother
🩺 Grumpy x Sunshine
🩺 Fade to black 🌶
🩺 Medical Aspects
🩺 Multiple POVs
🩺 Subtle Cliffhanger

Great second book in the series!

The story continues now that they have settled into DM and their medical roles. Therefore, there were fewer adventures and wild west feelings to this book compared to the first. BUT there was more of Hale and romance, which I definitely wanted, and it was delivered! A new character, Campbell, was introduced and briefly got the surface of him. I think he has the potential to be a good character. I look forward to reading more about these characters and their world to come!

Overall, I would continue to recommend this series to others! ✨️

Thank you to the author, Katie, and Brey PA for an ebook copy of this book. This is my honest review.

[Crystal Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to my favorite fantasy/western/dystopian (so dystopian, it's basically a western) series! This was so good! Dare I say better than the first! I loved it so much I actually stopped reading because I didn't want it to end. I loved checking back in with Roe, Hale, and Auri to see them settle down in their new home of Devil's Meadow and find their rhythm between working at the Medicus Corpous clinic, settling in, and the slow burn brewing between Hale and Auri.
In a weird turn of events, I found this book to be very cozy. Even though there was a bit of action and danger surrounding Auri reading about the medical mystery she faced and the overall mystery within DM, it just felt cozy. Like I could have a cup of hot chocolate reading this with a rain storm happening outside wrapped in my favorite blanket, which I probably will do when I inevitably reread this. I loved how everything was so intertwined and how it all connected together in the end. None of it was an isolated incident and that had me at the edge of my seat wanting more.
Roe was great loved him the little sweety pie can do no wrong. Despite the one little tense moment I loved that he was able to just be and do his work.
Auri, love her, she's amazing, talented, brilliant, incredible. Really proving to be the Tiny Badass that Roe knows she is in this book! Plus, the slow burn with Hale had me kicking my feet and giggling like a school girl. Speaking of Hale, I loved that we got more chapters from his point of view and they were longer than in the last book. It felt like it was him opening up more and feeling more comfortable with where he is and who he's with hes able to show case more and more of his personality while still being the broody, gifted surgeon we all know and love. 10/10 would recommend!

[Peter McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the long and arduous journey through the desert, Aurelia and her best friend, Roe, and his brother, Hale, have finally arrived at the place called Devil’s Meadows. They have been assigned to practice medicine here for the rest of their lives, but where medicine fails is where Aurelia’s special gifts come in. On the way to their destination, Aurelia discovered she has the power of “wonder-working” where she can treat ailments oftentimes more effectively than modern medicine. The only problem is, in the dystopian future they live, this practice has been outlawed. Balancing a need to help with a fear of breaking the law of the land, Aurelia finds herself in a moral quandary. But when women around the settlement are found mysteriously murdered, she’ll soon find that her abilities have made her a target for entirely different reasons.

“Breath and Starshine” from Kami King Larsen is the second book in the Medicus Corpus series. The first book presented an enthralling conceptual duality between science and magic that really captured my interest from the beginning and the sequel picks up right where the first left off. The writing was stellar and the plot tight and well thought out. There was action, there was suspense, there was drama, all wrapped together in a high-stakes fantastical mystery. At its heart, the story also holds a blossoming love story and after reading a few of the author's books now, I can say with certainty that she has an undeniable knack for writing romance. Whenever the next Medicus Corpus book drops, I will undoubtedly be toward the front of the line to get my copy.

[Kassyreadsalot]

Title: Breath and Starshine

Author: Kami King Larsen

Synopsis: There’s nothing like the taste of a miracle.

It has been two months since Aurelia, Roe, and Hale survived their trek across the desert and arrived in Devil’s Meadows. They’ve thrown themselves into service as practitioners of medicine for Medicus Corpus and barely have time to think of anything aside from their duties and responsibilities to the patients they treat.

Amid sleepless nights and an oppressive environment, Aurelia must learn to wield the miracles and wonder working she possesses while also keeping her ability a secret—or risk her job, her friends, and even her life.

But danger is lurking in the dark desert nights. When Aurelia and Roe are attacked on their way home one evening and young women start turning up dead in the settlement, the trio are once again thrown into a perilous fight.

Tenuous alliances are tested and new enemies emerge as the young practitioners struggle to protect one another and the people they have come to serve.

Review: This book was so engaging! I felt very invested in this world and the characters that the author has created! The world felt so unique and I was invested in figuring out what would happen! The relationships the characters had with one another was very engaging! If you like post apocalyptic series pick this up!

[Kinsey Bullock | bookemkinzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Upper YA Science Fantasy/Dystopian
Spice: 1/5 (kisses and a fade to black scene)
Overall Rating: 4/5
KU: Yes!

Review: This book picks up a few months after the events of book one, leaving more than a few loose ends in limbo during the time in-between. Our fmc slowly begins to understand and secretly use her magical talents thanks to some coaching from Holden, who is definitely still on some people's bad side. The pacing of this book was slightly quicker than book one, which is good because while primarily the characters stayed in one place this time around, they covered more ground, plot-wise. The world expands to include surrounding areas outside of DM and introduces new characters who will likely have further impact on the story in later books.

One thing I really liked about this was the little hints we got about what happened to the world to make it the way that it is and that perhaps something nefarious is afoot with the governing practitioners. Though personally I would have liked more of those answers to be revealed here, I'm really excited to see more of that in books to come.

Bonus points: our favorite grumpy doc, Hale, gets a lot more page time!

Tropes:
⚕️ grumpy x sunshine
⚕️ best friend's brother
⚕️ wild wild west vibes
⚕️ dystopian
⚕️ secret/hidden abilities

A massive thank you goes out to the author for supplying me with the ARC! 💕

[Jahara - Jarjarbindings · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The sky was black velvet dusted with starshine debris. The air around us warm and quiet. So incredibly still, it felt like the four of us were alone in the universe."

I have been not so patiently waiting to find out what comes next in Aurelia, Roe, and Hale's journey, and I was not disappointed! I love these characters so much, their passion for what they do in helping people medically, helps me believe in humankind. I love how different this story is, and as I was driving thru the desert that this book is close to being set in about a month ago, I couldn't help but think about this series, and think there's no way I could be as amazing as these characters! I also love the new characters that Kami introduces you to and see how they tie into this intriguing storyline! You guys need to check this series out!! They are available on Kindle unlimited!

Swipe to see the lovely book mail when i got this book! That character art is so gorgeous 😍
Also see 3rd picture, I got to meet this Author in person and I absolutely adore her! Thanks so much Kami for letting me continue to be in your fantastic ARC team!

I give Breath and Starshine by Kami King Larsen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Autumn Brimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventure continues! I was so pleased to jump back into this world! Breath and Starshine by Kami King Larsen is the second book in the Medicus Corpus series and after reading book one I knew I was in for a treat. The plot was engaging and the prose was very atmospheric. It was easy to lose myself in this book. I just had to note who the killer was! I loved getting to see more of Hale. I enjoyed watching the relationships between everyone grow throughout the story. And like the first book, the magic system in this was amazing. I really liked the blend of medicine and magic. I'm already excited for the next book!

A big thank you to the author for this gifted arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Adrianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the first book the adventure and magic was predominantly one of my favorite aspects. Now that they have settled it is a little different but still the mystery surrounds this story. I really like that we got more of Hale in this one like I think most of us wanted. I definitely liked the pacing a lot more in this one.

This was a wonderful addition to the series and I was excited that it started with the action right away. The issues and events that happened in the first book all three of them are still kind of plaguing them and with the new issues they are facing I loved watching their relationships grow and how they came together once again to get through it.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aurelia, Roe, and Hale have finally made it to Devil’s Meadows after a harrowing trip across the desert and can now focus on their jobs as medical practitioners. But what happened to them in the desert cannot be easily forgotten. Aurelia’s secret becomes harder and harder to hide, and worst of all, young women are being targeted and killed within the settlement.

As this new enemy emerges, the trio will be forced to create unlikely alliances to protect themselves and the patients they’ve dedicated their lives to.

Action-packed and fast paced right from the start, Larsen wastes no time pulling the reader in. I love the development of conflict around the Medicus Corpus and miracles aspect of the novel and want to know MORE!

And for those of you out there who were itching for more Hale? You got it! 😏

However, the character that really grabbed my attention in this book was Roe. I feel like his character had the most growth throughout the novel and I really enjoyed that.

I do wish we had a little more exposition at the beginning of the book to remind the reader of the hardships the trio had faced in the previous book (it came later, but I felt it was too late). And Campbell (new character) had so much potential to be a gripping character, but we only brushed the surface.

This is a wonderful series from a wonder indie author, so please check it out!

[nx74defiant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aurelia, Roe and Hale have arrived at their assignment. They begin working at the clinic. There is a killer on the lose. A young girl is suffering from an unknown cause. We see the relationship between Aurelia and Hale develop. Not as exciting as the first book, but I look forward to the continuation of the series.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally the most unsurprising rating for this author at this point

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting, in a good way. I’ve never read anything quite like it. There was healing, magic, romance, and action. I enjoyed most of the characters as well. I do wish the ending had a little more detail, bbut I still enjoyed it.

[Karen Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Breath and Starshine author Kami King Larsen brings back the trio of Aurelia, Roe and Hale. The three new doctors have finally made it to Devils Meadows and have been settling into their new home and work. A few new characters are introduced, one is Campbell and a character I hope has more of a role in her next book.
The DM has had alert of women being murdered in odd way so the men are to protect Aurelia. Can Hale, Roe, and the rest of the group protect Aurelia from an unknown?
Meanwhile the work must be done.

I do like that the story goes more into what happened to all the modern Convenience.

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

Breath and Starshine is second in the Medicus Corpus series and while I saw some mentioning you could start the series here, it was better to read book one first. I'm here to say it is better, BETTER to start with book one and not two like I did. This one seems to pick up right after the first ended and I was totally lost and struggled to connect with the characters and world; y'all, I was downright wishing for an info-dump. Told in three alternating povs from characters Aurelia, Roe, and Hale, it probably took until around forty percent before I felt like I could understand some whos, whys, whats, and hows and then try and get into the story.

Medicus Corpus was my new family. Devil's Meadows my new home.

This seems to be set in a post-apocalyptic world with the settlement of Devil's Meadows being somewhere around the Hoover Dam (I'm guessing that was the big dam they visited in the story). I feel like it was the current contemporary world when wars started and then a veering into fiction when the author writes that The Grand Divagation happened. The Divagation was when some form of leaders got together and decided to shut-off modern conveniences (electricity, travel, plumbing, wifi (HORRORS), etc.) and cut-off, stop distribution of medicines. After the chaos and numerous deaths this causes, a new group of leaders create the Medicus Corpus, an institution that seems to run how hospitals, medicine, and healthcare are run and provided. This story is pretty focused on the hospital and healthcare aspect of this world and we don't get much outside of it as our three pov characters all work in the hospital. Maybe more of background world setting was giving in the first but after I got to the halfway point I thought I had enough to have a good enough understanding of the setting I was in.

This had a YA feel to it, unless I missed it, our main characters ages were never given. Book one obviously had them going through an adventure that started with Aurelia and Roe, paired to work together by the Medicus Corpus and became bestfriends, and then brought in Roe's brother Hale, who has a very barely there romance with Aurelia in this one, and other side characters like Holdan, who has a mysterious magical(?) healing gift like Aurelia that he has been helping her learn to control but must be kept secret because the Medicus Corpus would jail(?) them for it, and a married couple who seem to be protectors/guards for the hospital workers, Geneva and Asher. Their friend and relationship dynamics are already set in this one and I missed some of that development.

I would call this mostly a slice of life story as it seems done with the first book's adventure, they start on a new one with mysterious deaths of young women are happening in their settlement and a new character, Campbell, comes into the picture alluding that he is from a not well known other settlement and is on the trail of an almost, energy vampire illness struck person, an illness that befalls men at random from where he comes from. There's a lot of following our characters to the hospital and back, with Aurelia getting attacked and then having to be protected, and an ending bait set-up that ended that storyline pretty abruptly.

That was the first night I slept on the ground outside Aurelia's door.

I did have problems at times trying to distinguish the different voices of our povs and for Hale supposed to be a big part of Aurelia's life, he was very absent. The end did give a scene where, I guess, they decide they're dating and have a couple kisses that leads to a firmly shut-door scene. The magic aspect of Aurelia's “wonder-working” is the obvious thread that will keep going (the ending definitely alludes to at least a book three) and while I can see the path of keeping it going through the serious, I would have liked more of it worked into the world-building, again, could have been developed more in the first.

This did read quick but not having read the first in the series had me lost for most of the first half and the second half fell a little short in the plot momentum, somewhat stagnated and time jumping abrupt at that same time and fell a lot short in the romance aspect. This did read quick and if looking for a post apocalyptic slice of life this is the adventure they have to get through in this book, some medical jargon, and with a YA tone, this maybe is one of the few out there to fit that particular bill.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auriela, Roe and Hale have made it to Devils Meadows and are starting to settle into their new lives. With a string of murders though, the team worries for Auriela's safety.

Auriela becomes the next target, and with a patient with a mysterious illness, she can't stay away from the clinic. Will Auriela be able to save her patient before it's too late? And will she be able to protect herself?

I really enjoyed this book. It's a great combo of mystery, science fiction, and medical drama with a little romance (no spice, only some kissing and one fade-to-black scene) mixed in, and I am a fan of all of these.

The characters are well developed and there's great representation. The characters are lovable, at least most of them 😉 , and I found myself really invested in their lives.

Without the advancements of modern medicine, this post apocalyptic world has to make do with what they have and they tend to be very resourceful.

I have a feeling this isn't the end of the trio's story and I can't wait to read more.

[Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌵Medicus Corpus Book Two brings us back to Devil’s Meadows, post Grand Divagation. Along with the whole crew (good and bad) Roe, Hale, and Aurelia continue medical work for the desert community.

🏜️Roe and Auri are best friends, and as a romance author, I was excited for the love and relationship blossoming between Auri and Roe’s older brother Hale.

“The starshine was bright, and the desert air a welcoming breath on my skin as I looked up into the green eyes of the man I’d been falling in love with for the past few months. That night was magical and for the first time in my life, I experienced a new kind of wonder.”

🩺More than the underlying love story is a medical adventure. Healing and curing people in this deserted area is the forefront of the novel. Looming in the darkness are dangerous people, and even Auri’s magical healing powers can’t save them alone.

[CMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so happy to be back in this world and especially to be back with Roe, Hale and Auri. Such great characters. The slow burn romance with Hale is just perfect. He continues to be one of my favorite characters, and not just in this book! He and the others really come to life, thanks to the author and her crafting of a tension-filled but lovely story. The writing is top notch and the dystopian world engaging and interesting, just like it was in the first book of this series.

I'd highly recommend this continuation and I can't wait for more!

[Linda Stopani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in the Medicus Corpus series. I didn’t read the first one. Once I got into the story, I was able to follow the plot. There was action, drama, suspense, magic and romance all rolled into one great story. I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well-developed. However, it might help to read the first book to get a better sense of them at the beginning. I found myself really invested in their lives. I look forward to reading more.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, it wasn’t your typical plot line. Apparently, this is the second book in a series but works as a standalone. I plan to read other books in the the series, it was just a fun diversion!