The cover put me off a bit after how stunning the first book was but the story didn't disappoint. Solid YA fantasy with great characterisation and an engaging plot.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

A great follow-on from the first book, with amazing world-building, excellent characters, and at times had me on the edge of my seat!

If you haven't picked up this series yet, I urge you too!

I have decided to temporarily dnf this book as it's been a very long time since I read the first one and I don't remember anything, therefore I don't know what's going on and who the characters are. I think that I'd continue after the series has been finished

I absolutely adored A Dark and Hollow Star so I had high expectations for A Cruel and Fated Light, unfortunately I’m not quite sure it lived up to the hype.

Like it’s predecessor, ACaFL follows Arlo, Nausicaa, Vehan and Aurelian and the actions of the first book, this time focusing on the Summer court, as well as giving greater backstory and depth for Queen Riadne as well as Arlo’s cousin, Prince Celadon. The backstory for Riadne is interesting, giving her more depth to understand her plotting is a good move, that’s not to say she’s not still an insufferable person!

My main issue is that I just didn’t really care about Vehan and Aurelian still felt like a side character whose ultimate existence is to bulk up Vehan. I still adore Arlo, although she is hopeless in this book at times, yes her mother is often busy but she is literally followed to the summer court by 2 people who absolutely adore her and she doesn’t think people care about her. It’s frustrating, as a reader, for something to be so obvious, nearly shouting at the page and knowing the character can’t hear you. I didn’t really get the vibe from book 1 that Arlo was so vulnerable and naïve. Nausicaa is still the absolute highlight of this book, it’s just unfortunate this book doesn’t have enough Nos. What you do get though is delving into what led to Nos’ banishment, the grief of losing her sister and a delightful vulnerability when it comes to Arlo and her feelings. If there was more romance between these 2, and more Nos in general, I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. It’s a big book, actually too big really, but it just feels a little too busy, going on missions with Nos, Arlo’s magic, Vehan’s pain, Riadne’s backstory and plotting, the King, the whiplash that is Lethe, Celadon’s big reveal, Theo … and yet, at times, also very slow. I think it just tries too much at times while not really covering anything sufficiently enough.

I’m still invested in these characters (Nos and Arlo) so I’m sticking with this series, but the end of this book is INTENSE so I have NO idea the direction of this story as it’s completely on fire right now!! But it’s got fun characters, great representation and some quality action and romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this book after getting the first in my Illumicrate subscription and really loving it but sadly I can't say that this one lived up to the amount of hype I had for it.

I still enjoyed all the queerness and social problems the book tackled but I found myself getting incredibly frustrated by how these characters seem to at the same time be completely in love and almost fated to find each other and save the world but don't even have the strength to denounce their murderous, torturing parents or kiss the other. These are not children, they are supposed to be young adults and centuries-old creatures and it got to a point in which I simply stopped caring about them, because they just kept going around in circles.

I did enjoy the new povs a looot more than I thought I would, the author did a really good job out of making the reader sympathise with the villains, no matter how bad they were but this book left me so frustrated I'm not sure I'll want to read the conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this DRC.

I have similar thoughts to this book as I did the first. There was a lot going on, a lot of people to follow and a lot of intricate plots and side plots on the go. Now that's not a criticism, it just took me a while to find my feet with the characters and storylines again as had read book one over a year ago.

Once I did though, this book was just great, very enjoyable read. Again, similar to book one the end was just a great climax to what the book was building up to. The wait for book three is going to feel so long! I just love our little gang we have here and their dynamics with each other that continue to develop from the foundations built before, and can't wait to join them on whatever happens next!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

A Dark and Hollow Star was a surprise hit for me last year. Surprise, because unfortunately the cover is a massive deterrent. I have seen this book in YA sections at book stores and honestly the cover makes it look like adult erotica, I really do hope it gets a new design as I really think it will be preventing people from getting it.

Anyway, to the actual review.

A Cruel and Fated Light did not disappoint, this time we get to experience the summer seelie court, and secrets are exposed 😱

I love Arlo as a MC, but I also really enjoyed the other POV, including the “interlude” chapters of this books main protagonist. I really like how the author has these chapters, giving the reader a greater insight into these characters and their motivations. I hope they continue to do this in the following books.

I am impatient for Arlo to come into her maturity so we can see the full extent of her power-and also just so she can be acknowledged as fae, and everything that comes with that.

Excited for the next book!

4.5 stars

A Cruel and Fated Light is the sequel to a Dark and Hollow Star and basically just expands and improves on everything I loved about that book to create what is probably now one of my favourite YA fantasies that feels both nostalgic and new/exciting at the same time. Additionally when you make the main focus of the plot an evil unhinged milf with a tragic backstory it is pretty much inevitable I will love it.

My favourite thing about this series series is the characters - I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH!!!! I love how literally everyone is queer and that makes me very happy <3 My favourite characters in this book were actually Celadon and Theo, which surprised me because neither of them are big characters in book 1 (I don't think Theo is even in book 1) but they really snuck up on me with how much I loved them! Celadon is such a precious cinnamon roll prince and I loved his arc in this book and how he is dealing with a lot of heavy revelations about his past and trying to protect Arlo from vicious court politics but still maintains his kindness and grace throughout. Theo is my other favourite brand of character which is the charming, cheeky and slightly asshole-y character who is clearly hiding things with uncertain loyalties.

I also of course love Arlo/Nausicaa and their relationship. Arlo goes through a really beautiful journey in this book with figuring out both her sexuality and her magic/alchemy and growing in confidence. Nausicaa doesn't have as much of an arc in this book as book 1 but she has such a strong personality she always steals the show when she in on page and I love how she is always there for Arlo whilst giving her space to figure stuff out.

I also really liked Vehan/Aurelian and their arcs throughout the book. There was quite a lot of (possibly unnecessary) angst with their relationship but I eat that shit up lol. I thought Vehan and his relationship with his mother was a really interesting exploration of complicated family dynamics and how despite Riadne repeatedly treating Vehan badly and gaslighting him, he still loves her and refuses to see her faults at first.

Riadne was also a highlight of this book for me. I know she is technically the "bad guy" but she is exactly the type of evil character (read: unhinged milf) I can't help loving. And give her a tragic backstory as well just UGHHH.

The plot was really good throughout the book, there were quite a lot of slower moments just building the tension in the summer court but I actually thought this worked really well (and I'm also a fan of books with lots of quieter character moments) and lead to an excellent pay off with a very dramatic conclusion.

My only minor criticism of this book is that it was quite long for what it was, however I would probably read about these characters going food shopping so I'm not sure how much of a criticism it is. The only other thing was that the ending cuts off a little abruptly however since there is going to be a sequel I don't think this would be too much of an issue once all the books are out; it will just make the wait painful T_T

Overall I would highly recommend this series if you like YA fantasy with disaster gays, excellent and imaginative world building, fairie shenanigans and exploring complicated family dynamics.

After the events of the last few months, Arlo is looking forward to a quiet and peaceful summer, but even as Luck's Hollow Star she can't control all possibilities. Someone is still trying to summon the mythical seven deadly sins and Arlo isn't the type of person to sit back and watch people die. So when she gets an Invite from Riadne, Queen of the Summer court, to spend her summer there with her son Vehan and his friend Aurelian, Arlo jumps at the chance, especially when Arlo learns she will be able to learn about her alchemical powers whilst there. But trouble is brewing between the courts, secrets kept for years are coming into the light and before long Arlo will have to rely on all the different parts of her, hidden and known to make sure her, and her friends have the safe summer they were promised.

If there is one thing Shuttleworth does spectacularly well, it's writing characters. The main players in this book vary in age but Shuttleworth nails every single one. We get most of the same POV's from book one: Arlo, Nausicaa, Vehan and Aurelian, but this book also gives us Cel's POV and I was SO EXCITED because he was my favourite character in the first book. Through his POV, we get to see more of his relationship with Arlo, and his chapters are vital in uncovering some pretty hefty secrets that will impact the overall story massively. I finished this book and instantly wanted to give him a hug, he goes through such a big emotional journey and I'm excited to see what repercussions will come of it in later books. We also get little throwback snippets courtesy of Riadne, these also link in with Cel's chapters, giving us an insight into her as a child as well as a look into how she turned out to be the vicious and deadly woman she is today.

I said it for the first book and I will say it again, this series is epic in so many ways, but at some points there's just a little too much going on and it would be so much better with some kind of glossary or Index to make it easier to keep all the courts, different magic beings and systems together. There are Fae, Titans, Gnomes, Sprites, Reapers, I could go on and on, and they all have their own magical powers that play parts in the stories from the courts all having magic linked to their season and members of the Wild Hunt who have the ability to manipulate/remove memories among other things. I just struggled to keep who could do what straight in my head in parts, and I feel like having a glossary would make it so much easier. Through Arlo we also get a deep dive into Alchemy (although this does play a smaller part in this book) and Luck's magic dice she got when she agreed to become their Hollow Star. Any fans of D&D will certainly love this addition to the magic system, and I have to admit it added another depth to an already intricate magic system.

Similar to book one, A Cruel and Fated light has some truly epic, WTF is going on, on the edge of your seats moments, and these are the parts that I lived for but it has this annoying habit of reaching these peak emotional moments, massive eureka moments and then just does nothing with them. We never get the aftermath, see the fall out, it just jumps ahead to something significantly more mundane & while some people might not mind that I LIVE for those moments, seeing the characters come to realisations, having them deal with the effects of them. Plus for a book which is such a chunk, there is definitely room for us to be able to delve into those moments more. But what Shuttleworth does extremely well in the slower moments is give us meaningful, humorous and sometimes steamy character interactions. Through these, they ensure that we fall in love with every single one of their characters, even those that don't get much page time (I'm looking at you Lethe) and this ensures that when the big, emotional, impactful moments do hit, we feel them more.

The romance in this series is incredible slow burn, tension filled, humorous and all of this is thanks to how well Shuttleworth writes their characters. Arlo and Vehan are such stereotypical teenagers, fawning over their love interests, even in the moments where being distracted because of how good Nausicaa or Aurelian looks could cost them their lives... seriously though guys, I get they look hot all sword wielding and broody but check you're not gonna get your head lobbed off before you stop and look. If you're a fan of the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, forbidden love, longing glances and meddling friends who just do not give a shit what issues you have then you will LOVE this book and both of the relationships take a slightly steamier turn in this book.

This series is truly epic and, after the absolute shocker of an ending... seriously though, I'm still not ready to forgive Shuttleworth for it yet... I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book! If you love incredibly realistic characters, yes even the badass immortal, intricate magic systems and plenty of mystery and intrigue, make sure you check this series out.

The first book in this series was good, this one is excellent. Fast paced, riveting, a well plotted and gripping fantasy.
I was glad to catch up with the characters and the plot kept me hooked.
Great world building, good storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I guess I could summarize this but I don't want to risk spoiling the first book and I'm a bit all over the place so I won't.

This was great. I had a little trouble getting into it at first because it had been so long since I read the previous book, but quickly, things got back to me and I was enthralled.
I love this entire cast of characters. They're all so layered and flawed and complex and each bring something special to the story.
Also, I love the LGBTQIAP+ rep, it just keeps getting better and better.
I also loved that we got new, or at least more prominent points of view in this second book. I really enjoyed being in Celladon's head and I loved to hate being in Riadne's.
Nausicaa was once again everything and the only drawback for me in this entire book is that I wished I could have had even more of her point of view but at the same time, i loved all the points of view, soooooooo...
The plot itself took me on one hell of a rollercoaster and while I was expecting some shit to go down, I sure as hell was not expecting THIS.
The romances were also very well woven and I was in from beginning to end, I'm also quite intrigued by what might arrived next on that front...
Basically, I had a hell of a time, I love all my children and I CANNOT wait for book 3. I would give my first born to get this book now actually.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc for this book.

A Cruel and Fated Light is an extremely fun read, and improves upon the already strong base set by the first book. The plot and mystery here was so entertaining and although I felt a step ahead when unraveling the next twist for most of the book it was exciting to see the characters encounter them and that tension and anticipation was well executed.

The characters, and in particular Nausicaä and Arlo, are the highlights here. For the most part I loved seeing their interaction and growth together throughout the story, and the diverse range of identities portrayed was refreshing and it is so important that LGBTQ+ representation like this is getting published.

The main reasons however, that this wasn’t a five star read for me were some things regarding Vehan’s arc around the midpoint of the novel. The book briefly became frustrating and tough for me to read due to miscommunication and jealousy portrayed. While I understand why this was included in the story in its execution it really lacked for me and left me a little tired of this plotline, waiting for more engaging and interesting things to happen. I personally found this book to be a little too long for its content, as in places it felt spread thin with its 600+ page count, however these factors did not stop me having a fun time overall.

I am aware of how my personal tastes may affect my opinion of this book, with urban fantasy settings as well as YA not suiting my preferred reading, nevertheless I enjoyed this book regardless. The world was interesting and engaging and the pop culture references were a certain brand of nerdy that really worked for me. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next and carry on following these characters I have really come to care about!

As with its predecessor, I want to enjoy A Cruel and Fated Light more than I do, if nothing else than for its joyful queer representation. But I simply don't think the series is living up to its potential. This books feels far too long for the amount of ground it covers, and it particularly sucks for it to end so abruptly. The world of the series seems to be overpowering the actual narrative: there are so many abilities, rules, creatures, and categories that it all just feels arbitrary and even functional rather than intricate worldbuilding (Arlo's dice, for example, is just too game-y and plot-convenient for my taste). The characters still aren't that deep and again feel like pieces moved around more than feeling agents. I do think Riadne is an intriguing villain, but even there I worry it's skewing too simple. And for all the positive queer representation, I feel uncomfortable at how this series portrays such a European/colonial dominated world (North America ruled by two fae "Old World" monarchies with no acknowledgement of where Indigenous peoples come in). There is a fun story in there, but I just think it's being overworked.

This was an excellent follow up to the first installment. It had been a while so I had forgotten who everyone was but withing about 50 pages I started to remember who and what had happened. I think the first 20% was very slow in setting up what was going to happen in this book, and I remember the first book was very much world building and character driven with plot in the background so I was thinking maybe it would be slow paced as well this time round but it definitely picked up after the first 20%. These characters are so amazing and diverse and the personal growth and friendship/relationship growth we see throughout this book was stunning. Nausicaä is still my favourite right from the start and I loved her background story that we got to learn. I loved reading from all the main characters point of view. I think there is around 5 point of views and none of them annoyed me to the point of skipping like some books do. I liked all the characters and how different they all are. The LGBTQ rep is amazing. It's such a diverse set of people and it's all so normal and that's such an amazing thing to see. The writing is definitely loaded.. in the sense there is so many words and descriptions, that I sometimes felt unnecessary but not bad. They are beautiful descriptions I just would rather get to the dialogue then a page of thoughts and describing the room they just walked into.
Obviously as far as plot goes I think I enjoyed this much more then the first. It had the whole Philosopher stone continuation and I loved how that progressed but I love Arlos lessons with Luck and the adventures in the middle of the night with Nausicaä. The boys had more of a better roll in this book and the "friendship" group we followed when they were all together was hilarious
Last of all that epilogue?! Wow oh wow I was stunned. I knew this person had to be more in the story somehow. It was impossible for them not to be but I never excepted that. It got me 10 times more excited for the next in the series. I can't wait.

Thank you so much for this ARC!
I read A Dark and Hollow Star when I received it in a monthly book box. I fell in love with the characters and as soon as possible I had already preordered this book as I had to read what happens next.
One thing I love about these books is the inclusivity. Whether its gender identity or sexual orientation there's a wide range covered in the books and for me personally it is refreshing and eye opening as I don't have much experience with non-binary or other gender identifications. I enjoyed the fact that these 'differences' if you may, in characters are not what make the plot line or character personality. It is just part of them that isn't in dispute throughout.
I loved seeing new Courts, characters and some flashback storylines that created great context for the current events. The dry sarcasm and comedy between characters was brilliant and apart from a few instances where nothing much really happened, I loved the plot and relationship development among the main characters.
I can't wait to receive my hardback copy and then I will definitely be preordering book 3!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this before release, I genuinely appreciate it.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the first one and I found this to be a decidedly great sequel! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc!

I'm keeping this completely spoiler free because to mention even one tiny thing that happens in this book would spoil EVERYTHING. So, here goes.

This was a stunning sequel to A Dark and Hollow Star. It was great to be back with the gang - it felt so familiar being back in their individual POVs, like old friends. With the new additions of Celadon's POV and some memories from Riadne, which were fantastic additions to the story.

It picks up right where we left off, and you go into this book with so many questions. You get SOME answers and just as many questions in the second instalment.

The gang, especially Arlo and Nausicaa, go on some adventures and you get to see a lot more about the fae/faerie world, its different inhabitants, and you delve deeper into the alchemy side of things too, which is fascinating.

This is definitely a slower pace than the first book, and there is a reason for that. Everything is building to the final few pages and the pay off is worth it. So many secrets are revealed that will leave your mind blown and the ending is such a cliffhanger.

Plus, this entire book is full of the sarcastic Nausicaa goodness we know and love. Solid second instalment in the series.

An enjoyable read that was well written with a compelling plot premise, well developed characterisation and good world building. I will definitely read more by this author