2 ⭐️

Let's start with what I liked. Nat, I loved nat. He is the best part of the book, and I'm glad we got to see a lot more of him. I liked the premise of them trying to free themselves by finding the torc and the inner battle this puts our MC through. I found myself enjoying the relationship she had with Nat, even if it was one side of a love triangle.

Unfortunately, I found myself a little bored. It felt like there was little consequence to the events of the book. The last few chapters undid the emotional impact of the final fight. Not that it was much of a fight, everything was very easy. The premise of the story was good, but the execution didn't capture my attention, I doubt I'll remember the plot in a few weeks' time.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Having really enjoyed the first book, it took me a little while to get into this book. Once the story started going and when I remembered what had happened in the first book, it was an enjoyable read with an unexpected happy ending (although I wish for a different love interest)
Looking forward to reading more books by this author

Heading back into the underworld? lets go!

I absolutely loved Daughter Of Darkness and I was so excited to dive into the second book in this duology, Queen of Gods, and it did not disappoint me at all, The fun and games certainly did not stop.

Queen of gods had a really nice pace to it, if i remember correctly, i finished this in 1 day, maybe 2. the world building and characters were beautifully written This is certainly a worth Greek mythology retelling

I really enjoyed this one but it took me a little while to get into. As it’s been a while since I read the first one, it took time to remember who was who and where the first had ended. (A recap at the start of the next book in a series is always a fab idea)

Deina had so many battles to fight in this one, and had some or little support. She tackled each with planning and cunning, some successful, some not so. But all page turning!

I alway enjoy Ancient Greek stories and this was no exception. Just wish there was more, maybe a spinoff with Nat….?

Let’s talk about one of my favourite books from 2023! Queen of Gods by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr was probably my most anticipated books of the year and I was engrossed from start to finish!

This is book 2 in the duology and if you have a great memory you will remember that I LOVED book one, it just appealed to me! It picks up exactly where book one left off so if you are binging it’s more like turning a page than picking up a new book.

It is hard to explain the plot without spoilers for book one so I would say you definitely have to@have read that first.

I really enjoyed how the gods were portrayed in these books and I enjoyed the character of Nat who was more fleshed out in this book. But I am a sarcastic miss so that could be why!

As always I loved the world building and felt like I was there in person, it all felt so vivid whilst I was reading and I (sometimes) wanted to be there too.

If you love Greek mythology, ya fantasy and complex family relations then this might be just the book for you!

Queen of the Gods is the sequel to Daughter of Darkness, and follows Deina as she deals with the consequences of her actions book 1. I absolutely loved the first book and was so excited to see how it would end. The sequel takes us deeper into the world of the Gods, not only do we see more of the underworld, but we also visit Zeus and Poseidon!

Throughout all the danger Deina and her friends must face, she's also coming to terms with her newly discovered parentage. This really is a journey of growth for Deina with the added high stakes from a war with the Gods. There was a hint of a love triangle in the first book but it's a larger focus in this one and I have to admit this isn't my favourite trope. I did like how it ended though, and the climax as a whole was amazingly written! Definitely read this duology if you're looking for a new take on Greek mythology!

We’re welcomed back to the world of the Gods with an action packed conclusion to the duology.

Overall I really enjoyed the development of our FMC Deina, although I cannot say too much without revealing major plot points. However I found myself far less invested in the side characters in this book compared to the first (not including Nat of course who is my favourite).

The plot is interesting and fast paced however at times everything felt a little too simple and like things could be explained away rather quickly.

A satisfying conclusion to the series - if you liked the first book you’ll enjoy this one too.

Return to the Underworld...? Yes please!!! That's exactly what we do! We instantly find ourselves at the end of Book One, something I love when moving onto the next book in a series. I felt the characters continued to grow and develop during this one - I also felt that we got more perspective too!

It just makes me wonder following the conclusion if I'm actually finished reading into this world.... like.... surely we could squeeze out book three? *Doe eyes*

I really enjoyed this. Great plot. The ending was really good even though i didnt like it! This made be buy the first book in the series

A perfect sequel... I don't even know where to begin!

We pick up where we left off and we get to see these characters go on an even more adventurous adventure, visiting different god's realms and on a mission to help and save humanity.

They grow as characters and yeah it's got everything it action, adventure, love, loss all of it. Highly recommend!

3.5 Overall I enjoyed the story but just a few little niggles. Certain things were just too convenient and easily solved and, as with many YA stories, there were just not enough lasting consequences. But good characters in general.

Loved this as much as the first one- usually I despise retellings but these two authors made it fresh and kept me involved with the characters

I do think that this was a good sequel to Daughter of Darkness, but it hasn't made this duology into one of my favourite series.

I love Greek mythology stories, and I do love the take of this duology on Greek mythology, I love the way the gods are represented and the various demigods including the Soul Severers. However, I found that there just weren't really any stakes involved for this book; anything that can be undone, pretty much is, which just takes all the emotion out of the ending, and you could easily skip 5 chapters anywhere in the book and still know what's going on. A lot of the dialogue also felt quite stiff and awkward at times, particularly when it was coming from one of the gods.

I think if you loved the first book, you will love this sequel, but unfortunately neither were really for me.

An extraordinary second installment in this series... Again, I loved every moment and found myself lost in this incredible world. I loved everything about it and these two authors are two of my auto buys now!

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

I loved Daughter Of Darkness (the first book in the duology) so was super excited to read the sequel, though I was a little disappointed as it wasn’t as good as the first. This is mainly because the pacing was slightly off the entire way through. There would be action-packed, fast-paced chapters followed by super slow chapters where nothing really happens. Also, a lot of information is repeated over and over throughout the book which made it feel a bit repetitive.

That being said, there was great character development for all the main characters following on from the first book and it was nice to see relationships grow too. I also enjoyed seeing more of the gods and their powers. The plot was also interesting and definitely had plenty of plot twists, action and mystery but I did get a little bored in places as parts.

I had to jump into reading this as soon as I finished Daughter of Darkness.

With all the revelations at the end of it as well as the start of a new quest in Queen of Gods as a consequence of that the fun and games didn't stop.

There were so many things going on in this with various machinations from both the gods and mortals all wanting different things for themselves it was a very clever web that was woven that I really enjoyed the telling of.

There isn't a huge amount I can say without spoilers but it was a great read and a worthy greek retelling epic.

I started off reading an arc of this from netgalley and ended up buying the book from Waterstones halfway through reading it. I fully intend on re-reading this series at some point in the future.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

Another victim to second-book disappointment. I really loved the first book, the premise was new and exciting and I loved the world building and characters. This book just fell flat for me.

The story just wasn’t as compelling and the secondary characters weren’t as engaging or interesting. The female MC also isn’t as compelling, and just doesn’t seem to do a whole lot. It was all just a very meh conclusion to this story for me.

Queen of Gods
House Of Shadows #2
Fantasy
Katharine and Elizabeth Corr
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I really enjoyed the first book, Daughter of Darkness and I couldn't wait to read this one.

I love the writing style of Katharine & Elizabeth Corr. I find it very detailed and immersive. The world building was heavy and intense at times.

The pacing was good the majority of the time, although it did slow down a little, here and there.

The characters were very likeable (except the ones you're meant to hate, of course 😂). I particularly liked Thanatos, the God of Death, because he was so cheeky with his banter but he felt lonely, like he just wanted a friend or two even though he's a God. I find feel like Deina was a little too reckless at times, she didn't really consider the consequences of her actions properly.

I did predict one of the main plot twists so I wasn't surprised when it happened but, that being said, I did like the build up and the reveal.

I liked the ending. It tied everything up nicely and I'm glad things were left on a happy note for Theron and Deina.

Although I recieved an e-ARC, I purchased a signed copy before I finished reading 😂.

*Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

Title: Queen of Gods (House of Shadows 2)
the unmissable sequel to Daughter of Darkness
Written by: Katharine & Elizabeth Corr
Pub Date: 20 Jul 2023
Publisher: Bonnier Books UK, Hot Key Books
Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy | Teens & YA

At the end of the first book I was devastated and couldn't wait to find out what happened to Deina and her friends. I was obsessive about checking NetGally for the squeal.

Finally when it came up I requested it the same day. But I am sure this is a case of be careful what you wish for.
As annoying as I found the "Love triangle" in the first book, it was background noise to the main plot so I could ignore it to some degree. However in the second installment it is very much in the forefront and that of course made it hard to ignore.

I also failed to brush off Nat's multiple sexual assaults. in fact no where in this book did I find any verbal consent. It's almost as if romance writers find consent boring or un-sexy. Which is just a lack of imagination.

Even if Nat did have her consent can we take a moment to replay Deina taking on the gods?!
She is told in the threshold that she must give up something she loves, which in the end is Theon. And this works. However, up to this point Deina has made it quite clear that her feelings for Theon are weakening, to the point that she wonders if she feels anything for him and that now it is Nat she wants. So how did the spell work?! we as the reader understand she regains more control of her feelings once she has enacted the rite. So then should it not have been Nat she sacrificed. IF by some miracle she did still love Theon, when she comes back he is laying at her feet dead and she kisses Nat, albeit on the head but still.

Little over half way into the book I stopped caring about most of the characters. There was no longer any real soul to the book and I could already see what was coming, not all of it but the majority.

It kills me to say all this because I really wanted to love this book. The truth is that misogyny, ownership and abuse have put me off to the point where at 50 pages from the end I have just given up. I already feel like I know what is going to happen and it's gotten to the point where reading the book feels like pulling teeth. This book has put me into a right reading slump.

I expected so much more.
one star for description, one star for plot, one start for adventure.
Minus one star for predictability, minus one star for misogyny

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Hot Key Books for approving me for an ARC of this book. After reading the first book in the series last year, I was excited to see how this duology ended.

⭐We pick up exactly where the first book left off and from there the story is a whirlwind of action and adventure. Deina’s new challenges proved to be very tense and had me on the edge of my seat.

👩🏻Deina is continually conflicted about what she needs to do. She’s trying to keep everyone safe, help Theron regain control of Thebes and try to free herself from Hades and her destiny. Whilst I could see where Deina would end up we did have a few surprises getting to the epic finale.

💓I loved Nat, he was one of my favourite characters and underwent quite a transformation himself. His complicated feelings for Deina and sarcastic attitude gave this story a lighter feel at times.

✒️Once again the world-building was fantastic, I could vividly picture each scene. This book was one huge adventure and I’m sad that it is all over. I would love to see further stories about some of the other characters too, I’m not quite ready to leave Thebes, and all its adventures, behind.