Girls of Storm and Shadow

Second books in a trilogy have a challenge, especially with such a debut to follow.

After the smoldering intensity of the first book, Lei and Wren’s relationship quickly took a turn for the worse in the second book. Lei was still committed, but Wren distanced herself. She didn’t want to reveal their relationship to her father, and also didn’t appreciate Lei’s questions about her father’s intentions for the rebellion. And yet there’s also an ex that immediately pulls Wren’s attention once they come back into contact. Both of these story lines are not bad relationship story lines in general, necessarily, but they were not what I was expecting from the tone of the first book.

There is also the typical second book of a dystopian trilogy “everything gets unbearably worse” happening, but it’s not just the rebellion’s prospects of winning that seem dim.

There is much traveling to secure allies, politics the art of the possible is not how Lei understands you change the world for the better, however her lover and partner Wren was raised in these politics, and they struggle to reconcile these different beliefs.

There are also some large discoveries that I don’t want to spoil, but that change things dramatically. Lei miss identifying a sister to Wren leads to some pretty messed up results.

The conclusion is very cliff-hanging and I would recommend before starting this novel have a copy of the Girls of Fate and Fury to continue reading.

Even if I hadn't been trying to read this in the midst of a full house renovation and move whilst working full time and having a hyper 3 year old, I STILL would have struggled with this.

What the hell was this? It was just so dull and that's the worst a book can be. Be offensive, be problematic, be badly written at least then we have something to comment on but don't be boring.

I really loved the first book, the world was unique and it was well written but this was just plain filler.

I've not read the third book yet (and I don't know if I will) but it seems this should have been a duology and not spread thin into a poor trilogy like this.

i really loved gopaf but this one kind of had the second book slump. it was a lottttt of traveling and battles with no real end goal or climax. those are the things i don't really love in fantasy. some moments did have me tear up but the two main characters really really annoyed me in this book as well
 

This series was started as a healing process for the author (READ the Author's Note) and turned into a journey immersed in a fantastical world of magic and the quest of fighting wrongs.

In the first book we get to know Lei (the Paper with yellow eyes) and Wren (the secret Xia warrior) and live their quest to vanquish the king and pave the way to a better kingdom.

In this follow-up secrets are revealed, hearts are broken, lives lost (as happens in war), and friendships frayed...all written with beautiful imagery and amazing characters.

Yet how can they come back from the darkness to overcome this vile leadership and bring about peace? Alas...there is another journey waiting to be read....