This book was absolutely amazing, and I loved every minute of it. Ngan's writing is stunning, drawing you into a world brimming with magic, intrigue, and fierce characters. It continues Lei's journey with even more twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. What I liked the most was the depth of emotion woven into the story, making the characters feel incredibly real and their struggles all the more poignant. If you're looking for a captivating read that will transport you to another world, this book is it!

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This was a really enjoyable and well constructed sequel that expanded the world in interesting ways and added more depth to the characters. I thought that it was really fun to travel around to different locations in this installment, given that the first book was so hyper-focused on the palace and the court. It allowed for exploration of the different cultures in the world and we got to see moon cast individuals who weren't repellent, which I appreciated. I also thought that Natasha Ngan tackled trauma and recovery with empathy and tact, which was great to see. Both Wren and Lei were given more depth here and their relationship was explored and evaluated, making it feel more authentic. Overall, I thought this was a very accomplished second book and I am intrigued to see how the story will conclude in book 3.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4.5 stars

Girls of Storm and Shadow is a sequel, so I’m not going into too much detail. I don’t wait to spoil anything for readers who haven’t read this one yet. So I’ll keep this one short, but sweet.

We start off where Girls of Paper and Fire left off and their journey hasn’t gotten any easier. I read a few reviews saying that there was no action or plot and I really feel like I read a totally different book. Our characters were constantly on the go and so many things were happening. Especially the last 100 pages were just non stop. Once again this isn’t a fun read, but it is amazing. Our characters go through so much and it’s amazing that they’re just still standing.

“Being vulnerable isn’t a flaw. It is the most beautiful thing in the world. If you were invincible, being brave would be easy.”

What Girls of Storm and Shadow did a really good job of was showing the consequences of trauma and war. All the events from the previous book have clearly impacted our main characters and the decisions they make. Of course it’s hard to read, but the author was definitely honest in the fact that you don’t get out of something like that without at least a scratch.

During this book we’re introduced to some interesting new side characters. I loved them and even more so as we got to know them. Also, this book does throw some events at you that I was never expecting. No way did Girls of Storm and Fire suffer from middle book syndrome. My only criticism is that I still really want just a bit more about the magic system. We see more of it, but I just wanted some more information or background.

“But there is one thing that is infinite: greed. The ability of humans and demons to want. To desire. To hunger after things that don’t belong to them.”

All in all, Girls of Storm and Shadow got me hooked and didn’t let me go. I already have the third and final book waiting for me to read to see how this all plays out! I highly recommend this trilogy, but like I said in my review of the first book please be aware that this book deals with a lot of difficult subjects and can be difficult for some readers.

Natasha Ngan really knows how to mess with a girl's emotions! This book started out at a much more relaxed and fun pace than Girls of Paper and Fire, which I needed after the intensity of the first book. So many new characters are introduced and there's a lot of humour - I adore the Cat Clan! As expected though, this book gets dark...who do I even trust in this series anymore? With a bounty on her head, will Lei ever be free from the evil monarchy? I cannot wait for the third book, especially after that ending!

I'll admit I'm kind of torn on this one. I loved the first book, and I love the setting and the concept of the universe. I think about Lei and Wren and I'm thinking, yes, those are my girls. The world-building is imaginative and original, I love that the main character is in a lesbian relationship, and I love that this series is prepared to talk about sexual assault and the aftermath when so many avoid the issue, especially in YA.

You can feel the big but coming, so here it is: the problem is that not much really happens in this book. It is the most middle-book-in-a-trilogy of books. I'm not sure how much the developments in the plot really matter, in the long run. The first book had me gripped; this one kind of dragged.

Still, middle books are hard, and I'm still excited for the final installment, out later this year. Especially because apparently we're getting Wren pov, hello. I'm hopeful that will also ease my other problem in this book of not enough Wren (she's the most interesting character, prove me wrong.)

Thanks to Hodder and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is the sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire, so I can't say too much about that without giving away too much of the first book.

We continue to carry on following the characters from the main book, which I really enjoyed, and we also get new characters which are thrown in, even if they are thrown in to twist the plot. This was cleverly done by Natasha Ngan, and made the last quarter of the book even more gripping.

I liked being back in this world, and following them journey across the lands in their quest to overthrow the monarchy.

Overall, a solid 4* and looking forward to book 3!!

Following on from the previous book, Lei and Wren have escaped the palace and have gotten away from the demon king of Ikhara who is now planning his revenge against those who have gone against him, mainly Lei. Unaware that he made it out alive of the previous book, Lei is disturbed by what she had to do survive him including sleeping with him as his former concubine. Now she and Wren are on the run to find support from rebels to help them overthrow the kingdom from its corrupt system that she grew up in. What doesn’t help them though, is that there is a bounty on Lei’s head. What could go wrong?

Through out the novel, Lei is constantly questioning about what she is doing is the right thing to do. Questioning herself about her past trauma’s and whether this is the right way to go about change. She finds herself distancing from the people that she loves due to the fact of this. She begins to question what their motives are and wonders if they really want a better life for all or whether they just want the power for themselves. Making sure that she does what’s right, she learns to fight for herself, both literally and mentally and begins combat training.

In this book, we look at how men can manipulate those around them to get what they want. Ngan takes a deeper look into things such as these and makes us realise that women can be powerful even when men can push them down and make them feel inferior.

Overall, the plot was moving steadily and Ngan’s writing was what I feel in love with in the previous book, I can’t wait to see more from her in the future.

4 out of 5 stars.

Despite loving book one I could not get into this. I struggled from the beginning. It wasn't like I forgot book one as I had recently re read it. I did take a few days break to see if that helped but sadly it didn't. I ended up DNFing this. Which I'm sad about. I wanted to love this like book one.

Girls of Paper and fire really is an amazing book with challenges to overcome, romance, sacrifice and bravery.
The whole of this book was mesmerizing and breathtaking the characters were beautifully written and developed really well , the story its self flowed really well.
With many twists and turns, this book really did well to show that with determination and faith you can overcome a lot along the journey.

This one is a hard one for me. I absolutely adored Girls of Paper and Fire; it was thought provoking, had an amazing amount of rep and discussed so many other issues that I simply COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. With Girls of Storm and Shadow though, I was left a little disappointed. It could have been when I read it, it also could have been me remembering its predecessor through rose coloured glasses.

So once again the girls are back after having killed creepy king and escaped his pervy little harem of human teenagers. They make an epic trek through the wilderness to attempt to gain the help of other and find shelter from the Palace's pursuit for vengeance. The whole thing is all about finding one's identity and battling with your past. It should have been an amazing novel.

Unfortunately though it just seemed to be missing the je ne sais quoi that the first book in this series had. While it expands upon the story and still has themes of abuse, mental warfare and an absolutely amazing LGBQTI+, it didnt have that shock value that made me want to wrap up the characters in cotton wool while violently swatting away their oppressors.

On top of the previously discussed themes, GoSaS also seems to have an underlying theme of horrible things being done for good reasons make such acts less horrible. There's also character self discovery following abuse and throughout there is discussion at multiple points of PTSD. The addition of these issues, while not making it the heavy hitter than GoPaF were, allows the reader to find a renewed interest in the cast.

So, I know this seems like a confused kind of review but this is what Im trying to say. The introduction of new issues and themes throughout broadens the scope of the novel but alas doesn't deliver the same heartstopping quality that the previous volume had. The characters all undergo a period of self discovery and reevaluation of their inner values. While the big bad was identified very early on, the addition of other lesser evils kept the narrative from feeling a little repetitive. While the whole thing was above average and I will definitely be reading the final instalment in this series, I don't feel quite as strongly about thrusting it at unwitting passersby

I was unable to read and review this digital galley of Girls of Storm and Shadow in time for its official publication. Since its release, I have managed to purchase a physical copy (hardback) for myself, and I have decided to read and review the finished product itself.

I hope you understand where I'm coming from. Nonetheless, thank you for the lovely opportunity!

So having adores and read Girls of Paper and Fire a little while ago, I was not prepared for Girls of Storm and Shadow. For me this was must better than the first book and much stronger.

Lei, was a much stronger character. More determined and able to help herself. Yes she does still have her weaknesses but she now has a lot more people around her who care. At least if not for her personal, then what she stands for in the rebellion - hope.

I especially loved new characters -Nitta, Bo and Merrin- who are steels. Especially Bo as he always managed to put a smile on my face and make me laugh in the most serious of situations. I can see some of their motives for joining the resistance (I think!) but I would love to know more about why they made that decision.

Throughout we see not only Lei point of view, but also the views of others as we see the fallout of Lei and Wren's actions the night of the moon ball.  I loved that we didn't just focus on just Lei and her companions. It made the drama more dramatic. Also there was a couple of characters that I had forgotten about and I now really need to know what happens to them.

Girls of Storm and Shadow was pacy and great at setting up for the next book. I honestly cannot tell what will happen and who will survive (come on be honest with yourselves). This was a book that I flew through and I know the next one will be no different.

Themes - magic, revenge
Likes - atmospheric, character interactions, Bo/Merrin romance
Dislikes - typical middle book
Other - cloud palace feels like a familiar concept, breaks down into a lot of angst/fall-outs between characters, lots of descriptions of food

For the love of everything that is holy WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS BOOK. HOW DARE YOU NATASHA NGAN. MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS 😭

Story: The storyline in this book was very different than the first one. This story was about the difficulties of war and being on the run whereas the first book held more court intrigue and politics. Both books are awesome let that be clear.

Characters: We're introduced to a lot of new characters which in a lot of books is very confusing but Ngan wrote it so well that it felt like you've known them since page 1 of book 1. I love Bo and Nitta, leopard demon twins, they constantly mess around and they have put many a smile on my face. I also love their friendship with Lei. Merrin is so grumpy and yet so loving and caring, I can't help but love him. I could do without shifu Caen, damn that guy is annoying. Hiro is such a sad small bean, I felt a great need to protect him.

LGBTQ+ representation: our main character is in a gay relationship after book 1 but Ngan doesn't stop there. There's a former love of Wren's that turns up and is also female. Two males end up loving each other even though they're demon kinds do not like each other at all. AND, yes there's more... A man turns out to have a male lover even though he was happily married to a woman. Interesting stuff right? And the best thing of all. Ngan writes it so beautifully as if they're in a 'normal' heterosexual relationship. No one is weirded out by anything. Everyone's happiness is more important than the gender of whom you're sleeping with (as things should be but aren't yet in our world).

Deaths: I won't spoil who dies but I just want to say HOLY FRICK FRACK WHYYYYYYYY NGAN WHYYY. One death broke my heart, the other didn't come as a surprise but it still broke my heart to read about this character's death. But omg that one death... I'm not over it. I'll never be over it.

Ending: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH (just read the book you'll know why I don't need to type more here.)

Wow this is a looooong review. Goes to show that this is a book I can say a lot about. I could keep going but these are the things that are most important to me. The book gets 3,5 stars because I feel like there's something missing. Plot twists didn't run me over, they just happened and that was that. It's still a great book and everyone should read it!

A great follow up to one of my favourite reads of 2018, looking forward to seeing what's next!

I loved where the second book in this series took the characters and really enjoyed the new characters that we met, along with some surprising twists to the plot this book definitely did not disappoint.

Oh my what an ending! I need to read the third instalment as soon as possible! I think I have been spoilt because I read the first two books one after the other so I didn't need to go through the agonising wait to find out what happens next.

Although I didn't think this one was quite as good as the first I did really love it and the new characters it brought along. I have to say that I am no longer a Wren fan - I kind of wish that she would just go off with Lova now and leave Lei to find someone nice and morally un-problematic. However, I am not sure this is going to be the case.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder for the review copy!

Sorry for the delay. I read my own copy in the end.

I really dont know how to rate this one. It suffers from middle book syndrome. To me alot happens but nothing substantial. It seems very slow paced and difficult to carry on reading for long periods of time. This one took me a while to read as I just kept losing interest.

Now by no means is this a bad book. I was just hoping this would be an improvement over the first book in the series and sadly it wasnt. Although on the plus side we did explore more places in the world rather than being stuck in one place like the last book.

I did guess everything that would happen at the end, but maybe that would not be the case for everyone.

I'll still buy the last book as I'm 2 books in now so might aswell see how it ends. If this was a series though I think I might have called it quite.

Overall 3 or 3.5 stars I cant decide.

This was a great sequel and it felt really nice to be reunited with Lei and Wren and the expansion of the world was incredibly interesting.

At times it wasn't easy to read but the trauma didn't feel gratuitous and was handled well in my opinion.

So. I am not sure where to start when it comes to this book, because it is perfect and powerful and beautiful in every way. Easily my second favourite read of 2019 (Girls of Paper and Fire comes first), this story was mesmerising and heartbreaking. Be warned, mild spoilers for book one ahead, but of course none for this one.
Lei and Wren have finally escaped the Hidden Palace and the clutches of the King. Lei has joined Wren and her family's rebellion, as they prepare to take over after the King's death. But bonds will be tested, secrets kept and fires raged, for all is not as it seems, and the path to peace will be harder than Lei could have even imagined, with more than just her strength put to the test.
Okay let's start with the good (all of it was good but like,,,the happy stuff). Found family trope is my FAVE and we finally have it with this gang! Lei and Wren, Bo and Nitta, Merrin, Hiro and Shifu Caen have the best dynamic. GOSAS was full of wonderful, hilarious banter that lent a lighter touch to the heart wrenching storyline. Okay so that's the only positive thing because Natasha Ngan has decided to RIP ALL OUR HEARTS OUT.
I was so happy to see more of Lei and Wren and their beautiful romance, but it was so painful to see their troubles and what happened when they were both under so much stress. My poor heart. But these two are a truly iconic couple that means so much to sapphics everywhere and I am eternally grateful to them.
Bo and Nitta were such awesome new characters. All the new faces were wonderful but these two were my favourites, especially Nitta. Bo is fun and positive, a constant beacon to the team as they endure countless hardships, and I love my queer demon boi. Nitta was elegance, grace, beauty, magnificence, my true love. I'm going to marry her and this is not up for debate. I was lucky enough to take part in a small tour of the GOSAS ARC in which readers have annotated the book with their thoughts as a gift to Natasha and I genuinely just underlined Nitta's name again and again because I'm in love with her.
There are so many powerful topics in this book, that I'll get to, but since we're on Bo and Nitta - these two were Moon Caste, which of course is the ruling caste, and it was so powerful and beautiful to see the way they handled this privilege. There is a scene where Nitta apologises to Lei on behalf of her people, and Lei says it's not her fault and Nitta replies something like "No, but I do not suffer like you do, and I may not do enough to help." And WOW, that struck a chord, because it is something I would love to see in today's society.
Natasha's world building is so rich and beautiful. She has created a stunning, cultural, Asian-inspired fantasy world. It is wonderful to see many different Asian ethnicities shown on the page in such a beautiful way. I think it is far too often in fantasy we see just one Asian race when there are so many ethnicities within the umbrella term "Asian" that are not represented, or are clumped into one ethnicity, and it makes me angry.
Girls of Paper and Fire dealt with sexual assault, but GOSAS does so in a way that, if possible, impacted me more. In Girls of Storm and Shadow, Lei is suffering from PTSD after her life at the palace, haunted by a spectre of the Demon King and trying to drown her sorrows in alcohol. Wow, this portrayal of the effects of sexual assault was so powerful, and it hurt but healed me down to my very core. I'm so so grateful to Natasha for creating a high-stakes, exciting fantasy adventure which includes so many loved tropes and then not being afraid to incorporate such important topics and lift women up.
Natasha did a lot of cruel things to my heart in this book, which I cannot go into. But it hurts. A lot. I am not okay. I will NOT FORGIVE YOU NATASHA.
Girls of Storm and Shadow is a powerful, mesmerising and exciting follow up to the iconic Girls of Paper and Fire, and I beg you to pick these books up.