From the cover:
"You are a daughter of queens.
The world is balanced on the edge of a knife, and war is almost certain between the empire and the Phoenix Riders.
Like Nefyra before you, your life will be a trial by fire.
Veronyka finally got her wish to join the Riders, but while she's supposed to be in training, all she really wants to do is fly out to defend the villages of Pyra from the advancing empire. Tristan has been promoted to Master Rider, but he has very different ideas about the best way to protect their people than his father, the commander. Sev has been sent to spy on the empire, but maintaining his cover may force him to fight on the wrong side of the war. And Veronyka's sister, Val, is determined to regain the empire she lost - even if it means inciting the war herself.
Such is your inheritance. A name. A legacy. An empire in ruin.
As tensions reach a boiling point, the characters all find themselves drawn together into a fight that will shape the course of the empire - and determine the future of the Phoenix Riders. Each must decide how far they're willing to go - and what they're willing to lose in the process.
I pray you are able to pass through the flames.
This is the sequel to Crown of Feathers, which you may recall I previously reviewed here. You may also recall that the book was so long I ended up reviewing it before I had actually finished. Well...here we go again! I'm just over halfway through Heart of Flames, and once again, I'm reviewing before I'm done reading. In the former case, I was writing on a fake deadline I gave myself and didn't want to post the review late. For this one, I'm honestly not sure I'm going to finish the book.
Yes, you read that right. I'm not sure I can do it - shocking, considering my rave about the first book. I debated whether I should wait to post this review, because it doesn't seem fair to post a not-positive review without finishing a book, but honestly, if halfway through the book I'm still waiting for shit to happen...come on. With the world built and things coming to a head at the end of Heart of Flames, I expected Crown of Feathers to hit the ground running. Instead, it's been chapter after chapter of twiddling thumbs, Veronyka obsessing over her shadow bond with Tristan, Tristan second-guessing himself, and Val grumbling to herself about needing to get Veronyka back on her side. Swear to god, if I have to read one more chapter of Val talking about how a forced bond using shadow magic isn't the same as a true bond...half of her chapters so far could have been cut.
I was pumped for this sequel, and I wanted to love it, but it is so. effin. boring. Which is upsetting because I am dying to know what happens! With so many other books waiting to be read, though, including the entire Throne of Glass series that my husband just bought me for my birthday, I don't know if I can sit through another three hundred and twenty pages to find out. If I make it and the ending is so spectacular that it changes my mind about the first half of the book, I'll post an update, but man oh man...I am not holding my breath.
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