Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing Sunsplitter by S.A. MacLean. I really enjoyed the first book in this duology, Voidwalker. So much so, that I’ve actually read it twice in the last year. As such, I was super excited to get an ARC of the second book. Did it live up to my lofty expectations? Read on to find out!

Fi has toppled immortal beasts. Antal welcomes being conquered.

After helping the Lord Daeyari reclaim his territory, semi-reformed smuggler Fi dons a daunting new role: rebuilding a city alongside her monstrous partner, a haven free from bloody sacrifice. So when Antal’s father unexpectedly summons him home, Fi’s first instinct is to ready her claws.

Only, claws won’t be enough for this adversary.

Antal faces his first homecoming in five decades, dreading two truths. From his father’s seat on the governing council, he could undo everything Antal has built. And their last argument ended with Antal’s lover dead on the floor.

But a greater danger lurks: the appearance of a creature that even the daeyari fear, burning its way through the Planes. With Antal’s father leading the hunt, he and Fi must ally with a team of immortals who could turn fangs on them at any moment.

Or worse, strain their still-fresh love until it snaps.

From the author of Voidwalker comes the conclusion to the Beasts of the Void duology where spicy monster romance meets the epic fantasy of the Cosmere.

***Thank you to Orbit Books for providing an advanced copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

Gosh. Where do I even start? I guess by saying that Sunsplitter was a brilliant follow-up to Voidwalker. The end of the first book was fairly self-contained, and I was curious to see why the author thought the story needed a second part. Thankfully, the continuation felt quite natural and provided so much more depth and context to Antal and his relationship with Fi. The plot was interesting with steady pacing, and I quickly got sucked back into this world and the drama of these characters’ lives.

I was so happy that Antal’s POV was added for Sunsplitter. It gave such a fascinating window into the broader world of the daeyari while also really digging into the meat of him needing to deal with being ostracized for so long from his entire society. Everything he and Fi worked to build was entirely at odds with what his family wanted for him and what daeyari society expected from him. I really enjoyed following his perspective as he tried to navigate rebuilding his relationship with his family and friends without compromising his ideals. I adored seeing him learn to stand up for himself, especially against his father, and truly embrace his own self-worth and his role as a leader and change agent. It took some time for him to get there and truly believe it, but Fi’s unwavering belief in him helped spur him on.

Speaking of Fi, I felt like her growth in Sunsplitter was a bit more subtle. She was still rash and extremely stubborn, but I noticed a change in how she approached her feelings and her relationships with others. Simply put, she tried to let others in even when it was uncomfortable rather than always having a wall up. I was surprised by how insecure she felt in her relationship with Antal given all of her bravado, but it made a lot of sense that under the bluster she wondered whether she’d be enough for him. She lacked antlers, a tail, claws, and immortality, all of which became more glaringly obvious as Antal reintegrated with daeyari society. So, of course she’d feel some type of way, and the conflict that arose from those feelings of inadequacy was the perfect hiccup for their relationship to overcome in this story. I liked the way it mirrored Antal’s growth, with both he and Fi needing to learn to own their differences and come to accept that they were more than enough to be successful and loved, respectively.

As for the plot of Sunsplitter, it was interesting and exciting. The new immortal race was really cool, and the hunt for the scouts as they tore a path through the planes was tense. There were some surprises I didn’t expect, and the entire time I loved to hate Antal’s dad, Avroz. I also really enjoyed the daeyari politics and getting to see more detail about how the different immortals governed. That being said, I would have loved the story to delve a bit deeper into the history of the war between the immortals. What started it? Why was there such animosity? How did aedari society differ from the daeyari planes? I just had so many questions because the aedari seemed so interesting. I also need a book on Veshri’s background, pronto. He’s such a fascinating character, and the glimpse of his history in this book made me need SO MUCH MORE.

Finally, I can’t end a review of Sunsplitter without talking about the smut. lol. It was even hotter than the first book, and the author doubled down on the monster smut of it all in this installment. I loved the focus on Antal’s tail in how he showed affection, and the primal nature of the sex scenes was out of this world. So, if you’re into hot monster smut with a great plot, characters with compelling emotional journeys, and a fascinating fantasy setting, I can’t recommend this duology enough. Therefore, I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

There you have it! My thoughts on Sunsplitter by S.A. MacLean. Have you read this duology yet? Leave your thoughts down in the comments!