The Bitter Twins

Dnf for now @50%. I'm bored, and I hate when books want me to feel something, and I don't. Makes me feel like a psychopath

So I didn't totally love The Bitter Twins quite as much as I loved The Ninth Rain BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I DIDN'T STILL ABSOLUTELY LIKE THIS. This book starts out slow – there's a definite build up to what comes, but still. It took a little bit for me to actually sink into this one. But that's okay, to me, anyway. I knew I loved the characters already, so I was willing to sit and wait for the story to unfold before me.

I loved the additional world-building in this book, and how we learn so so so much more about what is going on in Sarn. I do wish we had gotten more insight into Noon's personal thoughts. She felt very much like a background character for most of this book - we rarely get a look at how she's dealing with all the new developments as they occur. Instead, we have new POV characters in Aldasair and Bern which are both equally lovely!! I just wish we had gotten more from Noon as well. (Also, Tor? Just freaking talk to her, man!!!)

BUT REGARDLESS –

I really enjoyed The Bitter Twins, and I'm thoroughly thoroughly looking forward to finding out how this series wraps up in The Poison Song. I hope there is a good, happy ending or this is going to feel like I read three books for nothing. Heading right into the next book, The Poison Song!!

Compared to the first in the trilogy, this was more solid than compelling. It felt like some events in this were simply there to propel the plot, rather than being natural extensions of the plot. Also, I am not entirely convinced by the way to action scenes are written; they feel underwritten and confused (one scene of conflict felt more like slapstick than action, and I am not sure that was intended).

In any event, this kept me involved enough to want to read the conclusion of the trilogy (if only to discover if the slightly weird reveal that Eborans were created by aliens pays off in some way).

4 - 4.5 ⭐️

This was a great second entry - we got way more revelations (some of which straight up crazy), way more character and relationship complexity and all things hit all the fans.

Beware though, this was a rather frustrating read at times, mostly because so many bad things happened in so many unexpected ways.

P.S.: Vincenza “Vintage” De Grazon is a saint and deserves way better!!!

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4,5 stars ⭐️

I came to The Bitter Twins with high expectations! After investing 3/4 of the Ninth Rain figuring out with our characters what the heck was going on, now I expected to understand the whole plot, and to continue unraveling the drama that unfolded at the end of the first book.

And girl, did I receive what I expected? YES!

This book starts very strong, continuing with the last scene that the Ninth Rain gave us! and getting into the aftermath of what happens- diving deep into how the different characters fare after the events.

The story unfolds in a very satisfying way- opening new threads that were SUPER interesting in my opinion and the book manages to pack a punch at the end - which I didn't expect. It doesn't have at all the second book syndrome!

As a minor concern, I am a bit unhappy to see how Tor and Noon's relationship gave a step back- they invested so much time in the first book to get to know each other, and I felt like we were again repeating the pattern here. But well.

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4,5 stars ⭐️

I came to The Bitter Twins with high expectations! After investing 3/4 of the Ninth Rain figuring out with our characters what the heck was going on, now I expected to understand the whole plot, and to continue unraveling the drama that unfolded at the end of the first book.

And girl, did I receive what I expected? YES!

This book starts very strong, continuing with the last scene that the Ninth Rain gave us! and getting into the aftermath of what happens- diving deep into how the different characters fare after the events.

The story unfolds in a very satisfying way- opening new threads that were SUPER interesting in my opinion and the book manages to pack a punch at the end - which I didn't expect. It doesn't have at all the second book syndrome!

As a minor concern, I am a bit unhappy to see how Tor and Noon's relationship gave a step back- they invested so much time in the first book to get to know each other, and I felt like we were again repeating the pattern here. But well.

This was a repeated DNF starting in February. But at page 250 I finally pushed forward due to increased action and at page 400 figured out my issue: every character was in conflict with each other and this really put me off. But wow, that action really picked up and the last half was fantastic. “The Ninth Rain” felt a bit more like an adventure and mystery, while this one was a bit more character development (not in a great way) and it turned into a battle. I'm definitely excited for the final book.

I enjoyed The Ninth Rain a lot. The characters were unusual for epic fantasy, and the world was intriguing, so I am happy to report that The Bitter Twins maintains this standard. It really is a good read, with strong character relationships that you will care about, some excellent action sequences and a nice line in sarcasm. That said, it's hard to review as a standalone book. A plot breakdown would spoil the first volume, and with the third as yet unpublished, it'd be rash to look too far ahead. It's very much the middle volume of a series, with the standard tropes of our heroes splitting and going on different far flung missions, and while the climax is certainly exciting, there's an awful lot left unresolved. It is great fun while it lasts, however, and I reckon the finished trilogy will stand as one of the best of recent years. Bring on the third volume!