I enjoyed this book, although not as much as I'd hoped. We see things mostly from Sebastians point of view in this book. It carried on from the world building in book one

This might just be the first time I've enjoyed a sequel more than the original.
There are things that aren't great. There are still lots of patently evil characters lurking half-full the page plotting mysterious, but also patently evil schemes that are mostly revenge driven. At times the writing style, which takes a brave stab at the lush, overwrought language of Anne Rice, slips into clumsy ("She slept the sleep of dreams.") And, perhaps my biggest sigh, the love triangle. I'm not a fan of the tropes at the best of times, and this was one of the worst of times. The issue isn't the characters, as it so often is, so much as how endlessly predictable it was. Céline and Michael have less than no chemistry and all of their interactions are borderline awkward. By contrast, Céline and Bastian spend an awful lot of time talking about true love lasting beyond eternity. There's none of the usual drama or mystery of a love triangle, and I often just ended up feeling bad that Michael was being strung along.
But, and it is a big but. I had a lot of fun. Ahdeih seems more confident here, and more comfortable with the language and style. The first third of the book is an utterly divine little rendering of the tragedy of a new vampire, full of baroque excess and quick dialogue.
The characters too seem to have used the time and experience to grow. They all feel more solid and more sympathetic. Céline especially really steps into the role of a heroine with serious panache. I liked her in the first book, and I loved her in this one.
I want to avoid dropping spoilers, so I'll be a bit vague with regards to the plot. It's not the plot I could have guessed. It's not even the plot I would have chosen. But it's a brave choice and we'll handled, so I applaud Ahdeih for that.

4.5 stars

Damn but that was good (see what I did there). THE DAMNED utilised all that world-building from book one and just pressed launch. This read was full to the brim of vampiric content and I came to love these characters so much more in this installment. It was an exciting read from cover to cover with a reasonably fast-pace, peppered with lulls to catch your breath.

Sometimes when a book is really good, I highlight and highlight text but with THE DAMNED, I forgot about highlighting, I was that absorbed. The characters I’d come to like from THE BEAUTIFUL became characters I loved and of course, Bastien and Celine were central to this. With that ending to THE BEAUTIFUL, you just know that the world was a confusing place for both these characters at the start of this book.

The story was complex and cleverly woven, but some of the confusion I felt in book one was not a factor in this book. That previous world building paved the way for the characters and different beings to play out with ease. There were so many unexpected factors and plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed particularly the Wyld and the Vale components to the story.

This book /series has delicious side characters and Odette continued to float my boat and I enjoyed getting to know Jae, Ahrun and even Nicodemus better. Pippa had some low level involvement but I see more from her to come.

The chemistry between Bastien and Celine was like a vampire sizzling in the hot sun (snort). These two had a journey and I had no idea where it was going to end up. I will say that Bastien was the kind of hero I could get on board with.

“Do you wish you could make this decision for me?”
“I do. More than I care to admit.”
“Then why have you given me the choice, against this inclination?
“Because I should not make your story about me.”

THE DAMNED blew book one out of the water for me. It gave me all the vampire I wanted and needed and a story to grip consistently. I want more from this series and the end indicates that’s the case.

Thank you to Hodder Books for the early review copy.

I really enjoyed The Beautiful so as soon as I got approved for this book oN Netgalley I couldn't help but dive straight into it. It did not disappoint, in fact, I think I loved this one more than the first book which took a lot of doing.

Celine is by far my favourite character, and I love her so much more in this book. She irritated me a bit in The Beautiful but it was amazing to see her character grow in The Damned and I really loved to see this develop. My opinion on her has completely changed and I really really do love her. Talking about characters I think the development of the characters in this book was really prevalent. Bastian. Bastian! You are so intriguing my friend.

I will say that the beginning of this book is focused on dumping information. At the time I didn't know if this book was for me but as it continued and the action began I realised why it was the way it was at the start and was so grateful for all of the information I had been given and learnt. I am so glad I persisted.

I really love this series and I love the author so much. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Definitely recommend.

Really enjoyed this book it's very well read. Great description writing. Very gripping and a massive go to read and well recommend.

This book picks up at the ending of The Beautiful. Bastien has been turned into a Vampire and Celine has lost all memory of him. When the Brotherhood learn another Vampire has been created, something that goes against the treaty all hell breaks loose. Not only does Bastien have a city of Werewolves after him to deal with, but Celine is remembering things that shouldn't be possible and as more and more of her memories come to the surface, so does something about her past. Something unthinkable, something that she's not sure she wants. Especially when she learns it could be the one thing to truly keep her and Bastien apart.

Though this is obviously Celine and Bastiens book, the author gives us a multitude of perspectives to read from. We learn more about the History of the Court of Lions and the backstories of it's members, as well as the story behind how Emilie, Bastiens sister, came to become a Werewolf and her reasoning for her actions. This added a whole extra depth to the story, making all the side characters come to life and ensuring you fall a little in love with every single one. Bastien spends the majority of the book coming to terms with the fact he is now one of the Fallen, a life he never envisioned for himself and certainly never asked for. The worst thing about it though, is that he feels like he no longer deserves Celine, and staying away from her may be the hardest thing he has ever had to do. Celine is sure the people around her are lying to her. She has flashes of memories and nightmares about a faceless boy dying in her arms, but between her best friend Pippa, and saviour Micheal she is kept busy enough to try and keep those memories at bay. They both have an awful lot of character growth in this book, filled with revelations about their pasts and their undecided future.

This book was well paced, with no chance of it falling into second book syndrome. Though, in the grand scheme of things, not a lot happens until nearer the end the author builds the story by giving us the history of, not just the characters, but the magical world in general. We get introduced to a whole host of other magical beings, some of which play a massive part in the general plot. We learn how Vampires and Werewolves were exiled from their world and left to survive in the mortal one we know and love, and how that exile formed the resentment that still holds today between the Fallen and the Brotherhood.

The authors writing style is delicious. Inviting you to take bite after bite with an ending that leaves you hungry for more. Lush and rich I could almost taste the words on my tongue, and this is one of my main reasons for loving the book. Her descriptive writing brings New Orleans to life, with the smells and sights as well as the snippets of French, you easily fin yourself transported to a world, I for one, did not want to come back from.

As with most of the authors works the romance plays a large part in the story line, and boy was this book filled with steamy moments, heated glances and lingering touches. We already know the depth of the characters feelings for one another, but seeing Celine regain her memory bit by bit, knowing that she feels something for this boy but not sure what it is. Seeing Bastien struggle to keep his promise and keep his distance from Celine, even when he see's her with his mortal enemy. The romance is all kinds of tortured and I am so here for it.

Like the first book we get an ending that had me write knuckled, on the edge of my seat and desperately wishing that book 3 was out sooner than it is. We are left with a multitude of questions, as well as heartbreak and the desperate hope that everything will turn out alright, but I know how much this author likes torturing her readers so I'm not holding out much hope. All in all I enjoyed this book more than the first and am eagerly awaiting the final book in the series.

*3.5 stars

This book was wild!! It was kind of a mess but an enjoyable mess 😂 I loved the interaction between the characters and the writing. There is so much information revealed in this sequel about the characters and the world they live in, but in my opinion not quite specific enough? But the developments were definitely interesting! I wouldn't have wanted to miss it 🙌🏻 I'm really curious about what is going to happen next 👀

If you liked The Beautiful, I'd definitely recommend you pick this up!

Sadly, this sequel is like The Beautiful but with nowhere near enough sexy vampness to keep it thrilling.

To be fair, I thought The Beautiful was only okay. I gave it three stars. It was a bit of mindless entertainment and I'm a sucker (ha, pun!) for sexy vampires, let's be honest. But the world itself was quite weak, the setting felt nothing like 1872, and the whole supernatural politics aspect was not interesting to me. With this book, I really just wanted some Bastien/Celine smut, lol. Or, like, more makeouts, at least.

Unfortunately, that part was lacking. I mean, when the makeouts did happen, it was deliciously steamy, but the problem is that The Damned tries to get bigger and wilder with the plot and the result is an odd mishmash of mythologies and supernatural creatures. There is so much wishy washy paranormal info about vampires, werewolves, enchantresses, ethereals... but none of it had much depth.

Also, the first 150 pages of this book were a struggle because they consist of moving through different POVs and talking about what they want but can’t have and what they don’t remember and mysterious dark plans that they can’t tell you about *evil laugh* Nothing actually happens, though. And when it does happen, it all hits at once in a seemingly random stream of supernatural occurrences. That part where one minute they are in New Orleans and literally the next minute they are in Maharashtra visiting the Lady of the Vale gave me whiplash.

I predicted, correctly, that Celine, Michael, and Bastien would end up in some faux love triangle. One where Michael is clearly the third wheel and never a realistic candidate for Celine's heart, making any romantic scene between the two of them boring because there's absolutely no tension or excitement. This is paranormal YA-- is she really going to pick the safe boring detective over the sexy naughty vampire? What do YOU think?

The secondary characters overall were kinda bland, even this book's villain. Everything is built up around Celine and Bastien, so I was indifferent to the other characters' subplots and betrayals.

For some reason, I had assumed this was a duology (perhaps because Ahdieh's previous books were) but it is clearly left open for a sequel. Given the way this resolved, I am thinking the next book will more of the same so I will probably give it a miss.

I absolutely love this book. When I finished The Beautiful, I couldn’t way for the continuation of the story. It was a long wait for me, but I loved it!

The evolution of Celine is great, and it was interesting to learn a few things about the background of everything, which did not happen in the first book. I can’t wait for the next book to learn more about Pippa.

The world buildings is so complex and fascinating, the author does a fantastic job building it for the readers. I can’t wait for the next one to see what is in store for the characters.

Arc generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I'll try not to include any spoilers about The Beautiful in case anyone hasn't read it yet (but please read The Beautiful, its an incredible vampire fantasy). I am so glad we're learning more about the vampires in this story. In The Beautiful, from what I can remember it's heavily implied that some of the characters are vampires but the v word is out in full force in The Damned! We learn more about their backstories and some of the points of view (POV) are from some of these characters which I really liked.

A lot of The Damned is from Bastien's perspective, along with the Court of Lions which I enjoyed. It was interesting to see Bastien's transformation from human to vampire and the challenges he faced during this.
I also really liked Émilie's POV, hearing her side of the story and how she came to be the was she is was interesting. I liked seeing the family dynamics between the Saint Germain and how the family works, and also between the Grimaldi family .I'm intrigued to see how this will play out in the next book, especially after the events that occurred towards the end of the book.

The romance is out in full force in this book, I really love Bastien and Celine, I truly believe they're soul mates but I also couldn't help but ship her with a certain detective.. Saying that, there was a chapter at the end of The Damned that has me shipping him with someone else so I'm back on the Bastien and Celine ship haha. I also love the friendships Celine has with Pippa and Odette, Ahdieh can really write about female friendships and the power they can have. The women Ahdieh write about are strong, fearless, loving, dedicated, brilliant role models people reading YA should have.

The Damned is bringing out the supernatural creatures out in full force and I'm here for it! Like I mentioned earlier, things are implied but they weren't fully explored in The Beautiful and I'm so glad they were. There's a whole host of supernatural creatures involved and the supernatural background of these creatures and how they came to live in New Orleans or the Crescent City is explained. There's no info dumping though which is always appreciated.

I love Ahdieh's world building, it's so rich, yet still believable, and thankfully not overwhelming. The details are just enough to make you believe a world like the one she's created could exist if you just squint hard enough. I'm also gonna need to visit New Orleans asap!

I'll be honest though, this book TOOK A TURN.. I really didn't expect some of the fantasy elements to be explored in the way they were. I loved the Crescent City Ahdieh created in The Beautiful and carried on exploring in The Damned but I did not anticipate this, I loved it though so it was a welcome surprise. So bonus points for catching me unawares, we love a good twist!

The last few chapters.. I cannot, I really was not expecting that, I won't spoil it but strap yourselves in for a ride! This book has consistently surprised me (in a good way of course) and I really cannot wait for the third installment. This is definitely my favourite Renée Ahdieh series! If you're into fantasy, romance, historical fiction, paranormal creatures you'll love this series!

***ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review, all opinions are my own***

3.5 stars

I'm disappointed, that's my main feeling regarding the book. I had such high hopes as I really liked book 1. Book 1 had so many things going on, but here? Nothing in significance, nothing dramatic or important.

The whole evening yesterday, I was thinking about how I must be remembering wrong, there MUST have been something dramatic or big to have happened before the 50% mark of the book.
But nothing came to mind. Not that all the good action happened after the 50% mark. I mean, there was more action, more things going on but not as much as book 1? Quick side point: POVs? Too many, in my opinion.

It wasn't horrible. There were very good moments that I really liked, especially towards the end. The characters were great, the plot was good, much much better than the rest. There was a plot twist that I hadn't seen coming really. I mean there was a spoiler at the end of book 1, but I hadn't seen how it would come into the book.

In conclusion, I would still read the final book but unfortunately, this book seemed to suffer from middle book syndrome, where the quality just went down.

[MY MOST ANTICIPATED SEQUEL]

*there might be spoilers in here for the Beautiful*

Thank you Hodder & Hodder for providing me an EARC via Netgalley!

The Damned starts where the Beautiful ended. Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.

Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.

Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.

Where overall The Beautiful was more of an introduction to the world and mostly New Orleans. In the Damned we dive into the darker underworld of New Orleans, which has more secrets than ever expected! I loved the writing style of Renée Adhieh so much, and how she explained how everything worked was so good!


Where in the first book we mostly followed Celine, in this book we follow more different characters and the focus mainly lies on Bastien and La Cour de Lion, due to all the characters having their own journey after the events of the Beautiful. I loved having the focus on Bastien, it was something I loved. Thanks to all the different views, we get to know La Cour de Lion really well. I loved understanding everyones motives and getting to know their history.

The family of the Cour de Lion is one of the main topics in this book, The family is one filled with loyalty, which is something that was made really clear in this book, due to getting to know all the characters in the family. Love and loyalty are two things that are priority in this family. Even though the love is born out of loyalty. Loyalty that is sometimes born out of fear thanks to a *strict* Nicodemus, or other events that are happening, that have to make sure the family is one.

The book has a slowish part, and a super fast-paced part. The second, fast-paced part was a bit shorter, and things that happen do feel a bit too “perfect”, there is no hesitation in any character, which was different than things that happened in The Beautiful, where things didn’t feel too “perfect” at all. This made mainly Celine a bit of a bland character, which was a bit disappointed, since she had a great start in this book!

Certain things where wrapped up a bit strange and got pushed to the background, but I only noticed it after finishing the book and going through my notes. I wasn’t that noticeable while reading, since there was so many things happening.

I really enjoyed the sequel, and I’m pretty sure we’ll get more books in this world, since I really need more!

I ended up rating it 4,5 out oof 5 stars!

I am so grateful to NetGalley and the Publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for providing me with a copy of The Damned by Renée Ahdieh.

I was incredibly excited to read The Damned, especially after The Beautiful left us on such a cliffhanger. But this book somehow manages to leave us on an even bigger cliffhanger, but I am living for it!

The Damned was a weird book for me, I really enjoyed the first 40% and the last 40% of this book, but there was this strange 20% in the middle that took me a while to get through, there was no particular reason for this. I had just completed a big readathon the previous month, plus I think I was building up my expectations for The Damned so high but in turn was afraid it wouldn't live up to them. An added feature for this book was the increase in POV's, we heard from Odette, Arjun, Michael, Emilie, plus obviously Bastien and Celine. I feel like although these extra POV's were needed, it did take a bit of getting used to for me and that is why I struggled because this book does have a lot of story lines running throughout that intertwine as you get closer to the ending. But before you get around 85-90% through this book, the story lines are a tad messy, not confusing but hard to see how they might tie together.

However, this book took a direction that I wasn't expecting and one character definitely has a huge character arc that I think will only continue over the course of this series. Plus I did really enjoy that we saw more into the past of La Cour de Lion's, how this found family became so close and the lengths that they really would go to for each other.

It's safe to say that I really did enjoy this book and I will be buying a physical copy of this book on July 7th because the cover is gorgeous and I need it in my life, next to the equally gorgeous copy of The Beautiful.

Yet again another amazing book by the author, she amazed me, had me on the edge of my seat and muttering "oh god oh god" repeatedly at my kindle, this was utterly shocking the hole way through and I loved it, I don't think I laughed this much at a book in a wile and it was perfectly balenced with action and romance.
I can't wait for the next installment

I need the third book! NOW!

I was a bit worried that I would be a bit confused at the start of this one because it has been a while since I read the first one but I just fell right back into it and was desperately waiting for the moment when Celine and Bastien were reunited! This did mean that, although I loved the different perspectives, I was just hoping to turn the page and be with one of them. It left me with so many unanswered questions so I know the next instalment is going to be jam packed with drama! I cannot wait for the third book and am so excited to see what stunning cover they come up with next!

Thank you for the review copy!

I really enjoyed the story and the authors way of writing . Entertaining and twisted , everything I love In a book !!I would like to read more by this author !!

Romantic and divine, Renée Ahdieh plunges readers back into New Orleans, promising more passion, mystery, and vampires. 

"Who am I? He wonders. Dark amusement winds through him. He is nothing. No one. Nobody."

The Damned starts where The Beautiful ends, with Bastien taking center stage. Bastien's character is enriched with development, show casing his angst, passion and family orientation. His emotional range expands as he struggles to come to terms with his new life. I found the opening scenes really intriguing, and was so excited to see more of the vampire world. Ahdieh places a strong focus on the Court of Lions, with chapters from the points of view of Odette, Arjun and Jae. It was really nice to see more of the vampire content which was promised in The Beautiful, and The Damned proves that it's here to announce the return of the vampire in YA Fantasy. 

"My City. My Family. My Love. Who am I? From the fires of his futy, a name emerges. Bastien. My name is Sebastien Saint Germain."

The Damned takes on a different tone, slowing transitioning out of urban fantasy, setting up the rest of the series which will no doubt provide us with more twists, turns and betrayal's. This is definitely Bastien's story, however we still see Celine. While embers of her self remain; her passion for both fashion and fighting, her determination and independence, she is the shell of her former self. After her ordeal in the first installment, she is struggling to understand why she remembers a boys screams, and cannot attend mass. Looking for some sense of stability, she is courted by Michael, who, unknowing to her, knows all the secrets she tries to uncover. 

"Everyone knows that is what a vampire craves most . . . to be loved above all." 

If vampires aren't for you, don't worry. With ease. Ahdieh weaves in werewolves, widening the scope of the supernatural creatures in New Orleans. The Brotherhood maintains a tender treaty with the vampires, and learning about the politics of it all was a treat. 

One aspect I adore about this series is the strong feminist stance it takes. Pippa and Celine traveled to New Orleans to secure a marriage, and thus, a safe life. The conversations surrounding this subject open the aspect of marriage and its subsequent barriers and doorways for women in 1872. 

While this book was enjoyable and mysterious, it lacked the tension of the mystery in the first installment. The Beautiful had a plot driven by mystery, asking readers to determine the Crescent City killer's identity, while The Damned had a more varied plot. We learned about Jae's life, Bastien's family, Michael's compassion, how vampires came to New Orleans, and the Wyld across the vale. There was a lot going on, and while the The Beautiful was full of vivid descriptions, I would've loved to have known more about the creatures in the Summer Court, more descriptions of the world they hunted through to find the Sunan. The last third of the book felt rushed, there was a constant switching between POVs and story lines and I would have quite happily have had an extra 50 or 100 pages. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read by a beloved author. Given all the vampire content, I enjoyed it much more than the first. This is a story about Bastien, which was brooding and intriguing, but I would have loved a little more clarity and development at the end.

I fell back into this world easily. I had thought I would need to reread The Beautiful before picking this up but thankfully I didn’t.

I flew through this. As in I read it within 24 hours. Faster than I expected. But I just couldn’t put it down. On one hand I didn’t want it to end. But I also needed to know what happened. Yet again I’m left wanting more. But more on that later.

I went into this nervous. I thought I knew where this would go. I was mostly wrong. In fact I was not expecting the Celine reveals. Although it’s a popular trope I liked it in this case. Maybe because I didn’t see it coming. I don’t think I had a reason to think this was coming. But it worked I think. It added another layer to Celine and the story itself. Where the book can go anywhere now.

Arjun and Pippa are a couple I would happily get behind. Their interactions made me smile. Even when Arjun teases Celine about Pippa. I just want more from them.

Obviously Celine and Bastien still own my heart. Their chemistry. I just find myself smiling some many times when they interact. The type of relationship they have. I just love it. I need them to be happy.

Yet again I am left heartbroken. But needing more. The story is left so open. I have many questions. There’s multiple stories waiting to be told. Odette? Michael? Pippa mission? Celine and Bastien? The Brotherhood? I need answers for all of these characters and their stories.

An epic conclusuon to an atmospheric & seductive tale! Impossible to put down with characyers you'll love (& loathe) for a long time to come. Renee Ahdieh is a must-read author!

The EARC of this book was provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Damned is the second book of the Beautiful saga by Renée Ahdieh. This is little-known news, unknown even to me until I finished reading, because the other two books have not yet been announced, but only spoiled in some articles. Anyway already from the first chapters, it is possible to understand that the story is far from its conclusion.

The Beautiful proved to be the tip of the iceberg of a much more complex world. The Damned opens immediately after the events that conclude the first volume but pushes us in an unexpected direction. The various characters have to work out what happened and Celine is perhaps the one who paid the most, but her journey takes time. Therefore the writer initially focuses on Bastien and La Cour de Lion.

In the first book, my major criticism was the lack of La cour de Lion, which leaves us fascinated but in some way hungry. Here, describing the story from their point of view, these characters, starting from the queen of my heart, Odette, up to Jae, manage to appear complete, and true. But in my opinion, Bastien also has an extra spark here. He has always been drawn to the darkness and has somehow always considered it his business card, but now that he is forced to deal with the real darkness, he starts chasing the light. His path will be to find out who he wants to be and to understand that he is light and dark and that he can control both.

"He is nothing. No one. Nobody."

The found family is the main topic, together with Bastien. I have already said that the various characters of the cour de lion finally manage to emerge from the background, but their bonds are the real protagonists. Their family was born of loyalty, a loyalty sometimes dictated by fear, sometimes by necessity, sometimes by time. But from this quality love was born. However, doubts torment everyone from the first to the last and wonder if their bonds are true if they can trust if they are the only ones who love their family unconditionally.
But above all, they wondered if loyalty and love are the same things.

Their sadness and terror are accentuated by the almost spasmodic way in which they continue to use words like brothers and sisters (which I think are the most repeated words).
This is truly one of the saddest and somehow sweet found family I have ever read.

Loyalty and darkness are therefore the two main themes of the first part of the book. The book is not made up of two parts, it is more my division that separates a slower and more reflective part from a richer action and twists. I liked the first part very much, I found it perfect. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the second half because it happens too much too quickly. The author does not give herself the right time to explore the various discoveries and characters' reactions. Celine finally takes the reins of the book, but there is no real evolution, and she looks almost too perfet to be true.

" "You won't like my dreams."
He paused, glancing at her over one shoulder. "Why is that?" "

Not even Michael, one of the most important characters, has the space he deserves. His relationship with Celine ended up in the background.

One of the characters who instead showed how much she is worth, but who still has a lot to show us, is Pippa. I can't wait to find out what Renée has in store for her.

The Beautiful's worldbuilding is undoubtedly the richest and most complex of Ahdieh. In the first book, it is only presented to us, but here we have the opportunity to get to know it much more deeply.

I can say that this book is bittersweet, it surprises you at times and disappoints you in others. I hope that with the next volume the author will be able to erase the bitterness and create a perfect work from start to finish.