Ghosts & Ashes

3.5 stars. Second books of trilogies are hard...neither the interesting set up or the exciting conclusion. And I was warned in advance that this one ended in a cliffhanger, so I was very wary. But Lukens pulled if off better than I anticipated. Yes, there is angst to the max, and the HFN that Ren and Asher found at the end of [b:The Star Host 27830154 The Star Host (Broken Moon, #1) F.T. Lukens https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447534529s/27830154.jpg 47811227] is quickly shattered. Asher is arrogant, Ren is surly and they both keep way too many secrets from each other. But the story moves quickly, the world-building is adept, and the plot thickens as it gets harder to tell the good guys from the bad guys. I don't like reading books that give me a lump in the throat, which is how I experienced about 75% of Ghosts & Ashes, but I am confident that the final book will bring the warm feels.