Goodreads Synopsis

“It’s the right thing to do—just make sure to do it for the right reasons.”

Orion has never felt at such a loss. His best friend Max is growing desperate to find his girlfriend, Briar, who has vanished into a demon dimension. To rescue her, Orion and Max must track down a thaumaturge who can open a portal between dimensions—and then fight their way through demons, a warlock, and a monstrous terrain to reach her.

Alongside Elsa, a warrior from another world haunted by the people she didn’t save, Orion embarks on a journey that tests the limits of both his magic and his conviction. Guilt over his feelings towards Max will only get in the way.

And so will his fear of the truth about himself.

My Mini Review

***Thanks to BookSirens and the author for providing a copy of the book. My review is made up of my honest thoughts and reactions to the book.***

I loved this book even more than the first one. It was truly a fantastic sequel. This story picked up approximately a week after the end of the first book, with Max and Orion working to find out how to save Briar. It went full speed ahead from there with great pacing, engaging writing, and a tight, interesting plot. Many fascinating details about the magic system and the history of the Phyrian War were revealed, and it was all done organically as we learned it alongside Orion. Guilt, fear, and self-doubt were some of the major themes explored in this story, and the author did an excellent job of using each character to display important lessons about each of them. The story also tackled the dangers inherent in seeking power and the importance of understanding your motivation for wanting to obtain it. Additionally, the warlock ended up being an excellent example of the importance of context in understanding people’s actions and not judging all people of a group the same based on preconceived ideas. Each of the characters was complex, and the relationships between them were rich and well-developed, just like in the first book. I especially enjoyed learning more about Elsa and seeing some of the story from her POV. I hope the new POVs continue in future novels. All in all, I didn’t want to put this book down and thought it was a thrilling adventure from beginning to end. Therefore, I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.