3.75/5

Thank you Netgalley and HarperVoyager for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

While I didn't like this book as much as the first book, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, I still found it enjoyable. I really adore the way Zhao writes descriptions of her world, it is always so atmospheric and conjures such beautiful images.

The characters surprised me with their honesty. I found some aspects of their arcs, as well as some of the story arcs, predictable at times, however because they were written so emotionally, I found that I didn't mind. That's what held true for me whilst reading, especially at the climactic ending; the emotive writing is what really pulled me through.

I thought some of the plotlines and endings were a tad simplistic, and I did find myself wishing we delved into some of the heavier aspects more deeply. I particularly wish the politics of the world were more complex. I did appreciate that this book showed not only the violence of the Elantian colonisers, but also that of the imperial family in the eradication of the clans. That was something I wish we could've gone into even deeper. But I understand, too, that this is a YA story and it's still an incredibly meaningful adventure.

I think this is a very fun and engaging YA fantasy series. If you like xianxia, Chinese mythology retellings, or the shamanism aspects of The Poppy War (without any of the brutality of The Poppy War since this is YA), then I think you'd have a great time reading this series.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Amelie Wen Zhao and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

I was genuinely so excited to read the second book in this duology after falling in love with the first book. It is steeped in chinese mythology and folklore, which I am finding is where my heart is at.

The writing is beautiful, descriptive and almost poetic in parts. I loved the plot of this installment and how it all played out. Our main characters Lan and Zen are really brilliant counterparts, the yin to the yang. We get to see even more character development and insight into their pasts, particularly Zen's. We are also introduced to some new characters and parts of the world.

The use of magic in this book is really unique and easy to understand. I love the concept of the qi of everything. Although the concept was new to me in this duology it made perfect sense and was described brilliantly. The descriptions of everything in this book make it so easy to see everything play out, even though I often struggle to 'see' what I am reading.

This book has shattered by heart in to a million pieces and I am not sure I will ever be the same again. I think Lan and Zen will live on forever in my heart.

If you love the celestial kingdoms duology then I'd highly recommend this duology too.

A really enjoyable read in this second book in the duology. An action packed read from start to finish.

I think the intended audience would really like this book. I liked aspects of it but I don't think book is really for me (which I didn't know when I requested access). Solid book though.

I did enjoy this first book in this duology but this one fell a bit flat for me unfortunately. I found the first 50 pages to be very info dumpy with not a lot of character dialogue or development. Saying that I did like how this book wrapped up - even though it made me a bit sad, poor Zen☹️

★★★★★ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amélie Wen Zhao
Book 2 - Song of the Last Kingdom Duology
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️4/5
🌶️ slight spice
YA Fantasy, Chinese Mythology Inspired, Genre
Multi POV
➳ Asian Mythology 🌏
➳ Quest for Power
➳ Betrayal
➳ Redemption
➳ Forbidden Love
➳ Epic Battle
➳ Yin & Yang ☯️
➳ Hero’s Journey

✨“This was different. This love was broken and remade, imperfect in the way their sharp, jagged edges had fit together, yet it was the deepest thing she had ever felt, and the most immutable truth she had known. Tonight, she wanted to know how it felt to be loved.”✨

📚📚📚
Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White picks up years after the Elantian colonizers invaded Lan’s homeland, leading to her mother’s death in their quest for the legendary four Demon Gods. Determined to finish her mother’s mission, Lan embarks on a quest to destroy the gods, while Zen, having made a deal with the Demon God known as the Black Tortoise, seeks power to save the Kingdom and the girl he loves. As they navigate their intertwined fates, they face challenges from others also seeking the gods and the power they hold.
Lan and Zen went thru significant growth as they grapple with their pasts, their desires, and their roles in the ongoing battle for the Last Kingdom. I felt the introduction of Erascius and Hong Yi, added some much needed complexity to the narrative.
This book explores themes of power, morality, and the consequences of war through the characters’ struggles and interactions… and will leave you bittersweetly broken hearted.

❧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*❦*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧❧

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White excels with its rich asian mythology, intricate worldbuilding, and dynamic character development. It has unique wuxia and xianxia elements that make it a beautiful essential in the YA fantasy realm.
Lan and Zen’s struggled and grew, taking us anlong for a journey. Whilst the growth wasn’t as obvious and what we saw in the first book, they still transformed in this one. I loved the side characters in this book as well and appreciated the multidimensional aspects we found in all of them.

The escalating tension and the characters’ personal journeys kept me engaged throughout. I really appreciated the different schools of practitioners and the grey areas of magic in this novel. Themes of morality, redemption and the pursuit of power are heavily expressed.
While I felt the conclusion was slightly rushed, it did provide (a shocking and somewhat painful) closure to the duology’s overarching narrative and left room for reflection. Upon finishing the book, I felt a mix of satisfaction and longing for more of Lan and Zen’s adventures, underscoring the emotional investment I had in their journey. I do wish we had an epilogue to satisfy the yearning left from that bittersweet ending.
The pacing felt a little uneven at times, especially in the latter part of the book, where the story moves quickly, and there was a bit of infodumpiny.
As always Amélie Wen Zhao’s writing style is eloquent, with vivid descriptions and lyrical prose immersing you in the world of ancient China and its folklore. Her prose is poetic and never misses 5⭐️prose every time.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

💖
LIKES:
⋆ Rich Worldbuilding
⋆ Engaging Plot Twists
⋆ Bittersweet Ending
⋆ Asian Mythology Elements

❤️‍🩹
DISLIKES:
⋆ Slightly uneven plot pacing in the latter half of this novel

**Fantasy Scoring**
Worldbuilding ➷ ✅ 4/5
Foreshadowing ➷ ✅ 4/5
Plot ➷ ✅ 4/5
Relationships ➷ ✅ 4/5

Thank you to the Amélie Wen Zhao, Harper Collins UK, HarperFiction, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion on the ARC of this book.

I liked the first book in this duology which is why when I saw an ARC for the second book on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read it as I was excited to see where the story would go.

- NEGATIVE REVIEW -

However, I was definitely disappointed with this instalment. The writing is slow yet somehow the plot seems rushed at the same time because the focus seems to be all over the place with even more info-dumping than the first book. I quickly lost interest as a result!

Furthermore, I really didn’t enjoy this book: the plot didn’t grip me; the characters weren’t engaging despite going through what should’ve been an epic journey and battle scene.

Overall, I found this book really boring and I world only recommend it to people who loved the first book otherwise this duology and author’s writing is a miss for me.

I received an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A massive thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book!

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amélie Wen Zhao was a sequel that I was looking forward to since reading the first installment at the end of last year/beginning of 2023. But I never imagined that the sequel would have topped my experience of book 1.

The book kicks off right after the events that ended the first book, and things start escalating quickly. The two groups that were split by some drastic, desperate decisions continue their search for answers and a way to reclaim their homeland - at any cost.

Dark Star Burning introduces some new characters - some good, some not - and widens the scope of what we know about the country. I would love to explore a few of the newer characters more as they have some pretty interesting backstories that have the potential for their own series.

The duology wrapped up in a bittersweet way that was a worthy conclusion to the scale of the story told. I really enjoy Amélie Wen Zhao's writing style and I look forward to any new books she brings out in the future!

I had only been semi-excited about part 1 of this dilogy, my main critique being that at one point the story only seemed to be interested in Zen, and wonderful Lan had been sidelined.
However, I was still intrigued to read part 2, and gladly it did not disappoint at all.
With Lan and Zen separated at the beginning of the story, both their journeys could be treated equally, and both had enough time in their POVs to develop their own arc. This warmed my heart, and then I found myself wanting them to reunite and oh...all the feels.
Both are still on a quest to destroy the Demon Gods, and I don't wanna tell more about it so that I'm not spoiling.
I loved this world full of Asian mythology and so incredibly rich. I sure hope we'll get a chance someday to journey there again and learn more.
The characters are great - besides Lan and Zen there's really interesting and funny side characters.
The story is being brought to a satisfying end (but beware: all the feels), and I left this series satisfied and with a really good feeling.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for the eARC!

#LastKingdom #netgalley #bookstagram