SYNOPSIS

After discovering Sera has the Primal powers of life, Sera and Nyktos meet with Araes, who keep an eye on people’s fates. During the meeting, they learn that a small act unknowingly committed has led to Sera’s demise. She is fated to die, one way or another, as long as the embers live inside her.

What could happen?

RECAP AND REVIEW

This is the second book in a prequel series. A review of the first is here. This book is a romance fantasy book, told in the first person of Sera.

It picks up directly after the first one ends, so if you haven’t read the first, there will be missing context. Some of it is reexplained, but I’d imagine it doesn’t leave the same impact as reading the first book does. Plus the first one is enjoyable.

Throughout this book, we follow Sera and her acclimation to living with Nyktos. Whereas the first book was about Sera’s backstory – an introduction to her family, powers, and mission – this book is about Sera learning the truth of the world of the gods, learning more about the origins of the power she shouldn’t have, and still wanting to fulfill her mission from the first book.

Don’t let the time it took me to read this represent how I feel about it. I love Nyktos and Sera and reading them fight with each other and together, make up, and give in to their temptation never fails to put a smile on my face.

After a reckless decision to fulfill her mission, Sera grows to be a little less reckless and I think it’s because she unconsciously found a reason to stay (her feelings). She experiences a rollercoaster of emotions, and I experienced them alongside with her.

I’m surprised about what we learn about Sera. Then, happy, hopeful, anxious, and heartbroken as I follow along. I didn’t see the ending coming at all, though I feel like I should’ve. I underestimated the situation and some of the characters.

I have no idea what’s going to happen, how they’ll get out of this predicament, or how it’ll end. I have the next book already on standby when I’m ready to continue on. It was looking a little bleak at the end, but of course Sera pulls the ace out of her back-pocket and it ends on a hopeful cliffhanger. See, all the emotions.

The messaging from this book that I got was about fate. How maybe fate isn’t set in stone because we have free will. Or maybe fate is inevitable, occurring as a result of actively trying to change it. Maybe there are parts of life that are bigger than fate, overruling it in a way. Maybe you can change your fate.

OVERALL

Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. I like the first one more, but I still give it a 5 because I’m invested in these characters and what will happen to them. I also appreciate that seemingly throwaway information or observations have come back around to mean or be more.