TL;DR: Becky and I have finally continued our buddy read of this series and I’m glad not too much time has passed between our reads of books 1 and 2. A couple of days have passed since I finished reading this and the more I think about it, the more I realise that I enjoyed it a little less than I initially thought. That’s not to say this was a bad book and I’m still rating it 3.5-4 stars but compared to the intensity, action and excitement that book 1 roused, this one fell rather flat. By the end, this very much felt like a filler book to set the scene for the finale, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I expected more.

One thing that Roanhorse never fails to do is reel me in. As the story picks up immediately where book 1 ends—with the world shrouded in a darkness that leaves everyone feeling uneasy and restless, I found myself falling easily back into this world, the character’s lives and their stories. I loved that we got more world-building. We learned in greater detail the history of Tova and the Meridian, and how this world as we know it today came to be formed. There was a new type of magic that was introduced that I found cool, especially after it was thought to be a lost art due to its banishment following the Treaty. In this book, we’re also treated to some old perspectives from Xiala, Naranpa, Okoa and (partially) Serapio, and we also learn more about certain characters such as a certain assassin priest… 👀 I loved Iktan. For me, xe was probably the most interesting of characters to follow and even though I’m still trying to figure out xir true motives and end goal, I’m glad that we got to know more about xir in this book as xe is quite an interesting character! Naranpa’s character got the most focus in Fevered Star and I understand why, I’m admittedly bummed that Serapio, Okoa and Xiala did not get as much of the focus, although Xiala was more present than the former two. While they undergo experiences that significantly impact their character arcs, I wanted so much more from Serapio and Okoa. But I’m looking forward to seeing what becomes of Xiala—who is still as sassy, snarky and sharp—and if the cover is any indication, I have a feeling she will be the main focus of the finale. I’m both scared and excited for it!

Turning to the things that didn’t entirely work for me the biggest issue I had was with the pacing. The first half of the book is fleshed out with a lot of character exploration—and I loved that—but it made the pace feel slower and as if the story was building up to something greater. However, while the “second half” was full of shocking events and revelations, it was almost too much in too little time and it very much felt like the payoff of the big build-up didn’t come through in the way the author intended (possibly?). With one big thing happening after the other, with little time to absorb and process it all properly, it made the story feel imbalanced. The ending in particular was slightly disappointing because I most definitely expected more from it but it just kind of… Ended and that was it. 😂 But knowing that I don’t have to wait to continue with the final book softens that blow significantly (if I had to wait I’d probably be well peeved about it)!

Despite this disappointment, I’m keen to finish the series. I’m invested in these characters and what happens to them but, as always, Roanhorse leaves me with so many more questions than when I started! 😂 I’m hoping they will be satisfyingly answered in the conclusion to her trilogy and that the final big build-up that she has brought to us will ultimately pay off in the end.

Have you read Fevered Star or is it still on your TBR?
Check out my review for book one in this trilogy, Black Sun.

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