Loved the ending! Can't wait for book 3! ( )

Okay, this was my most anticipated sequel of the year, and it didn’t disappoint but it wasn’t as good as the first one. I still adore Renee’s writing style. The plot started slower for me this time. I don’t think I was super hooked until maybe 1/3 of the way in. It took me a little bit to adjust to the many different perspectives. I don’t remember the first one having as many as this book did. I loved the continued development of Celine and Bastien, especially Bastien. He seemed more of the focus of this book, and I was okay with that. It was also fun getting to explore the magical realms in this book, and I honestly can’t wait to see what awaits us in the next book. ( )

3.5
Thought this was going to be a two book series. Now I hear it's four, not super keen on that. I enjoyed this more than the first. Not sure I enjoyed it enough for two more books, as the path and ending look pretty clear. ( )

Oh my gosh this book was a rollercoaster of emotions. The book immediately picks up where The Beautiful left off. Renee Ahdieh is a magnificent storyteller. The first part of this book is building more of the backstory of the story and characters that are essential to this book. Once that’s all sorted, the book takes you by your shirt and doesn’t let go. I had a knot in my stomach for the majority of the book due to not know what was going to happen. Bastion is my favorite in this book simply for his POV and everything he has to fight again. My second favorite character is someone who’s pushed to the back of the story but shows up when she’s supposed to (and I shed some tears in the last part of the book as she dies!). There are a lot of pleasant surprises within this book and more than twice my jaw dropped as I didn’t see something coming!!! I was a bit sad when the book came to an end due to a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m hoping there’s a third book! Two of my favorite quotes were “beauty often masks the decay beneath” and “what you are has no bearing on who you become”. This book is so worth the read and the adventure Renee takes you on in 401 pages. ( )

Many thanks to Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers, and Renee Ahdieh for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review of The Damned. My thoughts and opinions are my own and independent of receiving an advanced copy.

The second book in the series “The Beautiful” picks up right where the first one leaves off. Sebastien is now cursed and the cost of loving Celine has come at a high price. War is imminent between the Fallen and the Brotherhood. Celine is recovering from her injuries but she can’t seem to remember what has happened. Her dreams are troubled almost like the truth of what happened is not something she is ready to face.

This story is told from multiple perspectives. You get to learn more about Arjun and his backstory. The wold building continues and expands with magic and other mythical creatures. There is a love triangle between Michael, Celine and Sebastian but we all know how that is going to turn out so it doesn’t seem to be much of a triangle. There really isn’t any sizzle with Michael and Celine. There is distance between Sebastian and Celine since she doesn’t remember that she loves him, so I can see why some fans don’t like this book as much.

I read all three books in a row and I loved them. I thought the world was exciting and something a little different. I like the tension between Sebastian and Celine. Celine is an admirable character full of spunk and grit. She even inspires her friend to break out of her shell and dream a little. There are more stories from different characters so I didn’t find it boring waiting for Sebastian and Celine to get together. I liked it enough to dive into the third book and can’t wait to see where it goes from here! ( )