Girls of Storm and Shadow is an epic journey of a story. A journey that evolves distance travelled and the growth of the characters.

Although on a dangerous mission and dealing with past traumas their is humour, friendship and love in the story. It shows even in the darkest of time there are glimmers of light.

Girls of Storm and Shadow introduces us to a diverse bunch of characters. It's interesting to see how the different castes behave around each other. It also shows Demons that are kind to Paper. The animosity between the birds and cats that make me want to find out more about the Night wars. Also, I want to lock Cats and Birds into a room just for their barbed banter.

Girls of Storm and Shadow has moments in the book that will bring you to tears, make you laugh and make you gasp.

Lei and Wren are an interesting couple, the ying to each other yang. Wren up bring bringing and training has darkened her view and what she is willing to do to win. Where Lei still sees the good in people even after everything she has gone through. Although I worry that Lei seeing the good in people won't last.

As my copy is E-ARC the below quote might be in, but I hope it is as I want it on a t-shirt. If it wouldn't get me into trouble .

"What Can I say? Explosions make me happy"
The LGBTQ representation is high in Girls of Storm and Shadow. It's not just seen in Wren and Lei, but other characters. Also, no one is bothered that others are in same-sex relationships.

The last 25% of the book really had me on tenterhooks. The ending, I won't say anything but SERIOUSLY.

My rarting for Storm and Shadow is 4.5 out of 5.

I already enjoyed the first book a lot, but this was even better. There was a lot of action, a lot of sarcasm and a lot of character development. And after the cliffhanger ending of Girls of Paper and Fire, this was exactly what I needed.

For the war against the king, the Hannos need allies. For that reason, a small group sets out to talk to clan leaders and win them for their side: Lei and Wren, Wren’s teacher Caen, the shaman Hiro, the owl-demon Merrin and the leopard-demon-siblings Nitta and Bo. So. I love groups on quests. I love reading about their relationships and their dynamics and how they might change in certain situations. And Natasha Ngan did a really good job writing this group. All of them are such different characters, Hiro being quiet and mostly alone, Caen being the dad who hasn’t got anything under control and the siblings wreaking havoc wherever and whenever they can. The group feels like a little family that grows closer but there are always secrets looming, as well as the war that is right before starting. There’s a tension, in the group as well as the whole book itself, like a bowstring drawn, ready to be released. Because you as the reader knows there is something going to happen eventually. You know and it makes you nervous and fear for this group. I enjoyed the dialogues between the different people, the banter and the serious talks. Generally, this group is amazing and I fell a little bit in love with them all.

I also enjoyed the action scenes immensely. There was a lot of fighting, with hands and weapons and magic. They were fast paced and bloody and I could imagine it all really well, it felt like watching a film, seeing the characters run and stab and cry. And I think that the consequences of an (impending) war and the fights before were written well, as well as the consequences of betrayal, of loss and rape. The trauma felt raw and my heart hurt and I just wished I could help these characters. This book shows really well how differently people deal with bad things happening to them, how it may strengthen them or weaken them, how they affect the mind and body. And how they often affect not only people involved, but also their environment.

To sum this up, this book was a lot. It was dark, but also full of hope. The plot was fast paced and full of action, while still having a focus on the characters, which weren’t perfect. But they were perfect for this story. I enjoyed this a lot, but I also felt a lot.

Girls of Storm and Shadow also had me thinking a lot. What makes a villain? When does one become a villain? What goal justifies hurting others? What makes us who we are? How do our actions affect other people, especially those we love?

3.5 stars

My favourite part of this book were some of the new characters. Bo is so much fun, and I loved his devil-may-care attitude. He and his sister, Nittia, steal the scenes they're in with their antics. The banter and dynamic they have with Merrin is great too, making me giggle and wanting the relationship to grow.

My love for these characters meant there was a VERY emotional scene at maybe the 50%, 2/3 mark. The later emotional scene didn't hit me so hard, though.

It was nice to see the world expanded, to see beyond the palace and the different clans. There was a real diversity in locations - snowy mountains, plains, an archipelago and then a desert.

The book was interesting, but struggled to fully hold my attention. Part of me wanted to pick something else up. It was disappointing, even though a friend had warned me that it really feels like the middle book in a trilogy - filler to explain how the MC is in dire straights come the finale.

There wasn't a clear end point to head towards. Being a trilogy, I knew the book had to end on a big cliff-hanger to set up the final book - and for that to be something horrible. The big battle/climax would be the final book, so I had no idea what the second book was building towards. That made it hard to work out what the plot was, which I don't like.

It felt like there was no major through line to the story. They were looking for allies, but the villains felt so far away that there wasn't the tension to make that feel like the central idea.

There are four chapters from additional POV, one per character: Naja, Akoi, Kenzo and Azami. It took me a while to remember who Azami was, despite having just read GoPaF. I'm not sure what they added to the story, as there wasn't a plot unfolding through their POVs, just a little reminder - I guess - that these characters existed and to bring the villains a little more present.

Overall, I liked the new character, but didn't think the story was particularly strong or necessary.

I genuinely really really enjoyed this but my poor little heart can't forgive what happened in this book.

To put this in a round about term, I came very connected with a character and the BAM! I'm still pretty shook from it! I loved seeing more of the rebellion and seeing them connect and go to different places to try and recruit new members for the fight.

Ooooooh another thing that I really enjoyed seeing was seeing POVs from different characters, I found that really interesting and I kind of wanted more from it instead of one chapter for three characters maybe add in a few more from those characters to actually get an insight into what's happening in other places and catching up with other characters.

Due to what happened in Girls of Paper and Fire you can still see the trauma from what had happened inside of the Palace and I think that is extremely important. You could see how they dealt with it and that Lei was coping through the use of alcohol. I have never gone through anything like this so I can only assume, but sometimes people drink to forget and my heart went out to them.

I think my ONLY gripe with this is maybe Wren? I only say this because you can see changes in her that's slightly cruel... however that is because of her background.

There was quite a lot of back stabbing throughout that had me SHOOK and that ending, I mean I think we're all curious to discover what is going to happen with Lei!

Overall this is a solid book, it went in ways that I didn't expect, it dealt with hard hitting topics and you get to see old and new(ish) characters. I'm scared of what's to come!

I was so happy to receive the ARC of book 1 and after reading it, was hoping to get book 2 as soon as it came out, so getting this ARC meant a lot!

Where do I start? This was such a fantastic sequel! The world-building, character development and relationships only got stronger. I loved the writing as always, and that ending blew me away. I can't wait to reread this before the 3rd book comes out next year!

I highly recommend this to fans of the first book- this is on par with it and might be slightly better!!
Also, that cover is gorgeous!

A fast paced and action packed sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire. I have really enjoyed this series with its female led fantasy and Sapphic romance. I especially morally dubious MCs – not all girls have to be sweetness and light! No spoilers but it was well worth the wait – highly recommend.

Slightly disappointing.

I loved Girls of Paper and Fire and expected to feel the same for the sequel, but this book felt different somehow. I didn't love the writing as much this time and I didn't particularly care for the relationships. Lei irritated me a lot in this sequel and the characters that I loved and found interesting were either killed off or made a very brief appearance at the start of the book and didn't really add anything to the story.

Nothing really came as a shock either, things were hinted at or happened off screen and it didn't have me on the edge of my seat or make me feel any strong emotions other than 'oh'.

This felt like a filler book for the series. Sure there were battles and fights etc but I didn't feel like it added anything particularly new to the story. It finally started to get somewhat interesting at the end but then it just...ended.

A disappointing read. The whole book follows Lei, Wren and friends' mission across the country to gather allies from the upcoming war with the King. We get to know different states and some of the clans but nothing much else seems to happen. There are several action scenes that lacked suspense and there was also a lack of character growth.
POV of main characters, apart from Lei, would've added an interesting twist to the book. Instead we get POVs that don't add much to the story. Main plot twists were delivered in conversation without much build-up or consequences.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read if you like 'we're-on-a-mission'-type of books but as a sequal it didn't deliver what I was hoping for.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book for review.

I loved the first book in the series, so, if I said I went into this one with low expectations, I’d be lying. Fortunately, this book met and surpassed those expectations.
Although the world was rich in the first book, this one made it look almost bland. The world of Girls of Paper and Fire was beautiful and magical, but it was mostly confined to the walls of the palace; in this one, the readers and Lei get to see into corners of the kingdom unimaginable in the first. Not only do we get to see new kingdoms and cultures, but we see more of the different castes of characters, and how each interact with each other.
This means a lot of new characters and new characters have to interact. A lot hate each other or love to hate each other, meaning the readers gets a new family to replace what the Paper Girls essentially were in the first. The new and old characters are so full of mystery - to keep their plan safe - meaning there were so many things that happened or decisions that were made that I would not have been able to predict. We do also get the occasional chapter from the POV of a character in the last book, letting us check up on characters we may have grown to love before or that we wanted to keep an eye on because of the bad things they could be doing.
With new characters come new romances. And, not only new romances, but new LGBT+ romances - no one bats an eye, it’s completely normal for a relationship like that. We get to see more of Lei and Wren this time too, falling in love and just getting to be young. Their relationship is beautiful and their trauma is shared, which made some parts of their relationship even more heartbreaking.
And my heart really does break for Lei. Natasha Ngan writes her trauma so painfully as something just brewing beneath the surface. It’s something that’s helped, but not solved, by being in love, and there are now added challenges to her life - some I’m sure she never expected to face - that make coping with them even harder.

But, that ending? I need the next book now! I want to know they’re all okay and, after that ending, I can’t possibly be sure!

I really enjoyed Girls of Paper and Fire when I read it last year, so I was super excited to get the chance to read an e-arc of its sequel! Unfortunately, I didn't love it. What I loved from the first one was the setting, the friendships, and the budding relationship, I felt this one had a different tone that I wasn't too keen on

The first book in this series follows Lei, a young girl who is taken from her small village to become one of the Demon King's Paper girls: a courtesan. This book explores repression, power, secret romances, rebellion, and magic. The second book follows Lei and her girlfriend Wren after the events, and explosive ending, of the first book...

This book had a slow start, which felt a bit odd for a sequel. The first book ends with such a bang that I was looking for that momentum to continue in this one. It reminded me of Siege and Storm...and not in a good way (I don't particularly like that series). It definitely felt like a middle book

I did still enjoy the characters of Lei and Wren, though I felt less invested in their relationship than in the first book. The world and politics still interested me, and I enjoyed learning more about them

Some bits of the writing annoyed me, but I'm not sure if some of is it because it's an arc? For example "slither" was used instead of "sliver" at one point. I also felt like things were so over-explained and I was given no chance to figure things out myself (things that were not at all complex in the first place, and they were stated so unnecessarily bluntly)

Overall, I would still recommend this series. It has great rep of Asian and lesbian protagonists, and the world is interesting and original. I'll definitely be reading the next (final?) book

3.5 stars

I really don't know how I actually feel about this book. I thought the first one was okay, and although I liked this one better, I still feel like I can't connect with this series as much as everyone else seems to be doing.

I liked Lei and some other characters but I'm not the biggest fan of Wren. I generally liked some elements of this book, like seeing how people deal with trauma and how doing some things in the name of justice isn't always good.

Although I didn't love this, I'm definitely interested in seeing what happens next.

A long-awaited follow up to the wonderful Girls of Paper and Fire. After a slow start to the story, it picks up pace and we rejoin Lei and her friends as they try to find a way of defeating the King of the Demons. There was a sense of middle-book-itis with this as the story and characters seemed to wander from one location to another and the intensity of emotion that carried you along in the first book was more diluted. However, it was still an interesting and fun story, with richly-created characters that leap off the page and make you love them (Bo for one!) or hate them. Despite the slower pace, it is still a great story and I enjoyed reading it.

Really enjoyed the second installment to this series though it is very different from the first! It was interesting to learn more about characters we only met briefly in the first and to see them all rallying for war. I do think I enjoyed the setting of the first more but saying that the journey aspect of this was still engrossing. Looking forward to reading the next book now!

Overall
This was a well-formed and well written middle book in a trilogy. It's been a while since I've read a middle book that flowed like this.

I continue to love Lei for her sweetness and goodness and find the world magical.

I felt there were less Asian references in this book that the first book, but that may just be me.

The Story
The story continues after the first book with about a two-week time gap. It takes Lei around the country as she is trying to escape from the memories and the PTSD, though the bottle helps a bit too, and tries to recruit people for their cause. She has joined the Hannos and tries to fight against the King and stay out of his way at the same time.
The story flowed naturally throughout the book and the decisions and events occurred naturally too.

The World-building
As a second book the world-building of the basics where done, but the book added to the first book due to travelling around and exploring the extent of the country. A typical feature for a second book and well-done in this series.

The magic/science
The magic is not something our main character get involved with apart from her new knife (I think there is something more to that knife than we are told...). But both Wren and Hiro get deep into the magic which is all focused on the balance of the world.

Something is going on with Wren though and her magic powers. I'm not sure what it is, but it's hinted at.

The characters
Lei is the main character and the narrator for the book. I really like her. She is good and kind and loving and also badass when needed.

Other characters like Wren and Bo and Merrin are great supports to Lei and her story. Oh, Bo...

There are the occasional chapters throughout the book which is narrated by someone else not part of the main story in book 2 but was featured in book 1. This is a great way to show what is happening elsewhere in the kingdom and to say hello to an old character.

LGBT+?
Oh yes! Lei is very much a lesbian, but there are other queernesses in this book too.

It was interesting how the queerness wasn't only a feature in the story on the side, it was part of the story. At some points, it caused some tension and in other parts is eased the tension and made things sweet.

The Writing
It's a well-written book but didn't grip me completely and I'm not sure why. I had the same feeling about book 1 in the series.

Summary
Well done, looking forward to the third and last instalment!

The new band of friends on a mission was a really nice touch in this second title and I really liked the new characters that were introduced. However, I felt that the realisation of Wren's involvement in some of the more heinous acts came a bit late as it was fairly obvious from early on what her and her father were doing. I felt that Lei was ridiculously naive and frankly didn't particularly like her or Wren. I also felt that this book suffered from 'middle book syndrome' and felt a little bit that it was just filler. The most interesting bits of it were the fighting.

Girls of Paper and Fire was one of my favourite, if not my favourite, book of last year. It was bold, daring, had captivating characters and I finished it in pretty much in one sitting. In contrast, Girls of Storm and Shadow had terribly slow pacing, characters with evaporating personalities and perhaps one of the most uneventful plots I've come across in a long time.

In Girls of Paper and Fire we see Lei and Wren escape the clutches of their captor, a sadistic demon King who Lei later aggressively stabs in the eye and leaves for dead. Wren, it turns out, is some sort of badass warrior princess and that's all it took for Lei to fall in love with her; I loved them both. This next instalment shows us what life looks like for them now they're on the run.

I can only assume something big is in store for the concluding book, because this book is pure filler. We see Lei and Wren attempting to gain followers for the upcoming battle against a King they learn is merely eyeless as opposed to dead and hellbent on revenge, and that's about it. Wren has an influential family of power, so this is relatively easy work, and Lei is being hunted so has to keep moving at any cost which results in lots of travelling scenes.

This book promised dark magic and vengeance and it just did not deliver. Absolutely nothing happened, nothing at all, until at least 50% of the way through. At which point the plot began to take shape but still failed to deliver anything of any significance to develop the larger storyline. Remember Lei discovered her word was "flight"? We still don't know why. Remember the paper girls she left behind? We see them for two fleeting chapters but learn almost nothing of what will happen to them now. It's just a complete waste of time.

On a positive note, there are new characters introduced and they're quite likeable - the banter between the cat and bird clans just about held the book together for me. Unfortunately Wren and Lei felt like completely new characters too - they both had interesting personalities in the last book and very clearly defined character traits you could easily recognise them by. In this book its like they've been entirely rewritten; I barely recognise them at all. Wren was full of mystery and intrigue, a dark sense of humour and huge sex appeal beforehand, but she shows none of this now. Lei was curious, kind-hearted but daring and fought for what she believed in; she still does some of that, but it's so half-hearted. Many difficult situations are solved with Lei fainting, so we have no idea what happens in the interim period. This is true for Lei and Wren's relationship too which seems to have hugely developed since the last book, and I feel robbed from having seen this development take place. The dialogue between the characters is also so deliberate, full of obtuse hints which were unnecessary and ruined any plot twists and just didn't suit them at all.

I really wanted to believe this book was going to be amazing and this forced me to push through 416 pages. I can't believe I'm saying this, but this should have been a single book standalone .rather than a series, because I am deeply regretful for having read this and ruined my love for it.

This is such a good sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire! I've loved meeting Lei and Wren again and nearly cried during all the hardship moments they faced together. The worldbuilding is expanding and I loved every minute I've spend in this universe!

I loved the first one. I loved the second one!
One tiny criticism - I would liked to have seen more from the King and the hidden Palace and the girls that were left behind.

Yes we can argue we have seen this sort of set up before but the way this is portrayed is different. I love the world building, the characters and the general story.
I love how different it is to see a love story with the paper girls together 👩‍❤️‍👩

Strong series. Worth the read!