War of the Wilted was one of those second books in a trilogy that could totally have ended the series and everyone would have been fine with it! It had everything you could have wanted- romance, drama, strife, a villian who was poisoning our main characters against each other, strong characters, and so much action! Rose wasn't always my favorite (nor was Rayce), but I did really enjoy how the whole book ended up coming together into a whole. This is definitely a really fun series and I for sure recommend it!

I liked the concept of the first book and they have really nice covers but I couldn't reall get into the second book.

I absolutely love the titles and the covers. They are just so pretty. Don’t you think? I definitely think I would love to own the physical copies of the books.

Since this basically picks up where Garden of Thorns left off I won’t get to deep into my review because I don’t want to spoil it for you if you want to read this new exciting series.

The main character Rose is set to take down the Gardener with the help of her trusty rebels. They are determined to ruin any plans the Emperor might have. Rose has come to the realization that she has to join forces with her arch enemy if they have any hopes of that happening.

There is a love interest, Rayce in the book and a lot of the time it just seemed like they both were playing the cat and mouse game with each other but you could definitely feel the tension between them and I think that’s what made it so intriquing for me to want to see where it was heading and where it will still head.

Rose has definitely grown from book one and it was nice to see that transition happen. I love watching this happen and I should point out that the book is told in her point of view which is always nice because you always want to know more from the character that we did.

You do have to read the first book in order to fully understand this storyline and thankfully I was able to read them back to back without having to worry. I think had their been a spacing between them I would have definitely had to reread it in order to fully get the book.

This was definitely one of those books I had a hard time to put down because I wanted and needed to know what was going to happen at all times. It was a fun, fast paced sitting on the end of your seat kind of read.

I totally didn't know this was the second book in a series. As a result I was utter lost but I liked it enough to keep me interested all the while having no idea what is happening. Will definitely re-read after I properly read the first book.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

I tried to pick this book up two or three times thinking that maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it but I ended up not being able to complete the book. The writing was great but something about the flow and the story just didn't mesh well with me.

I love this series so much! It manages to fill my love of romance without taking away from the action or being too sweet. It's difficult to write details because I don't want to accidentally spoil this or Garden of Thorns. I was thrilled to learn there will be a third! Highly recommend the series.

I was aware that this book was part of series so I wasn't able to read it because I didn't have book one to read first. But I do love this cover and the summary sounded interesting. Hope I will be able to read it in the future once I have all the books.

❝ What do you do when your heart wants two different things and in order to achieve one, you must lose the other? ❞

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

After surviving so much in Garden of Thorns, Rose and Rayce are still just as far from their goals as before. For Rayce, it's facing the question of whether or not he'll be able to defeat his uncle the next time they face off. It's not just a matter of skill, but heart--will he be strong enough to end the man who once meant so much to him? For Rose, it's facing her past and trying to grow into the leader everyone expects her to be. Will she be brave enough to claim her title, or will her insecurities and thirst for revenge pull her and Rayce apart.

It was such fun being thrown back into Amber Mitchell's world of Garden of Thorns. Although Rose was able to tear down the Garden, she is still haunted by the memories of it and presence of the Gardener in the rebel base. Rose knows she can't trust the Gardener and they would be better off without him, but when she lets her opinions turn into actions that go against Rayce's wishes they find themselves drifting apart. This was a major point of the story and sadly--for fans of romance--you won't be seeing much of Rose and Rayce as a couple.

❝ She had a fire in here, an unquenchable flame that would devour all that stood in her path. ❞

While I didn't necessarily love that this pairing wasn't moving forward romantically (seriously, love them <3) I think their differences and disagreements made them stronger in the end. It added some complexity to their relationship and challenged them personally. Both Rayce and Rose had to reevaluate what really mattered to them and it made them grow as characters.

And although it wasn't really terrible, I found that the plot was a bit predictable. I think we all saw betrayal coming and expect things to blow up in some characters' faces. It made me feel frustrated with some characters at times because I wanted to shout at them ("What are you doing?!" That's a terrible idea!). You really wanted to expect better.

I also wanted to talk about the ending. Can I just say that all the "fight" scenes with the emperor end too fast? It seems like they're never long enough and it ends up feeling anticlimactic. But aside from that I really enjoyed the ending. I loved the twist with the whole dynamic of the Garden coming back for Rose. I would've loved to see that situation go on longer, but I think it was a good twist either way.

Overall, I think this was a good sequel and I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes!

War of the Wilted was released on October 1st, it's a book that's worth checking out!

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
This is the second book in a series
Like flowers denied water, people are wilting under the emperor's tyranny.
Rose will not rest until the Gardener is dead. But there are bigger battles to fight, and Rayce—leader of the rebellion and the only man Rose has ever loved—believes their best chance at winning the war is to join forces with her sworn enemy.
Saving innocent people is more important than her quest for revenge. But their new ally can’t be trusted—and he knows her darkest secret. One betrayal could leave the war and Rayce’s life hanging in the balance, and Rose will need to make the ultimate sacrifice to save them all.
This was my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3.5 star rating!

I liked this sequel, but I will say that the overuse of descriptors almost killed it for me. There's so many flowery stuff (not sure how else to explain it) that it made it difficult to concentrate on the situations going on that I needed to focus on to stay into the storyline. Really interested in the next book and hopefully learning more about Rose's people. Giving this book a 4 star rating, because even though I struggled in the beginning, I was still able to get past it and enjoy the storyline.

My Review: I really loved book one of this one and this one was very good. The only real issue I had was that in parts it felt very reptative and that messed the story up if you ask me. Other than that this story was a great follow up to Garden of Thorns. I came out very satified with this book two. We got the story wrapped up with no cliffhangers which was nice. This story is just so immersive with the world building and the writing. You don't have to worry about getting lost in this world in the normal way with fantasies where you have to keep a secret list of who everyone is. This one was very stright forward with the story. The twists were great and the characters were alive. I can not wait to contiune the story!

War of the wilted is a fantasy unlike any other and a wonderful sequel to Gardener of Thorns. This novel is told from Rose's POV, and if filled with romance, enchanting moments of lust, love, and happiness. In this young adult action-packed thriller, we that the characters are built up and never falter, the plot thickens and we are left with a wonderful end that will leave you wanting more.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great story! Like any fantasy, knowing the world they live in is one of the best parts and this does not disappoint in letting you know how it is without dragging down the story. The characters are compelling, they are part of the story not just added details. I am intrigued to see what it going to happen next with Rose and the rest of the characters!

*I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

War of the Wilted is very much a second book. The happiness from the first book was just begging to be disrupted, right? Well no fear—it was disrupted quite thoroughly. However, despite the destruction of so much happiness, the book still managed to draw me in and keep my attention without me hating it. The story is still well crafted, and the writing style is enjoyable to read.

That’s not to say that I was pleased with every detail of the book. It could easily have been named Wedges Between Rayce and Rose. They were both so unyielding when they disagreed that it drove me crazy. Previously I believed each of them was pretty willing to view things from the other’s perspective; however, neither even tried. Instead, Rayce would wave around his position as leader of the rebellion, and Rose would exploit loopholes in his orders better than my 9-year-old son. And this is why I say it was unmistakably a second book—as with other books of its number, the romance aspect that previously appeared to be resolved at the end of the first book takes an obligatory hit. Or more. As it is, we are left not with a cliffhanger but with our toes at the edge of the cliff, peering over it.

I am anxiously awaiting the release of the third book and hoping my library purchases it in some form. I have the most terrible luck when I buy books in a series that I haven’t first read till the end. Either the final book ends up being a complete disappointment (hello, Allegiant), or publishers decide not to finish the series. I realize that sales of the available books in a series determine a publisher’s willingness to commit to subsequent books, so it’s all a vicious cycle. I wait to buy it because I don’t want to be stuck with an incomplete series (and potentially a cliffhanger that remains unresolved forever), and publishers see the lack of sales as an indication that the series isn’t worth the investment.

But this is supposed to be a book review—sorry for the tangent.

So yes, hopefully I am able to find the third book somewhere when it is released. Thus far, my library lacks both of the available books. This is a series I would consider buying, particularly if I like the ending. Okay, ONLY if I like the ending.

Note: Many editing mistakes and inconsistencies that I hope were resolved in the final publishing. I still don’t know how old Rayce is, though I’m going to assume about 20.

'War of the Wilted' is the exciting second installment in the young adult fantasy series, Garden of Thorns. It picks up where the first book left off, with Rose and her fellow rebels taking down the Gardener and thwarting the plans of the emperor. You really need to read the first book before this one so you don't get confused and are caught up on what has happened and what's currently being done. I loved reconnecting with Rose and her world and I fell right back inside the fascinating world the author created right from the beginning of the novel. The plot was taut and tense, with political problems coming from both sides of the Blue Gate - from the emperor and from Rose's homeland of Varsha. The rebellion is doing what they can, but they need to score a big win to turn the tables. I liked following along with their daring feats and all of the political intrigue and deception was fascinating.

Rose continued to be a wonderful main character and I loved getting to know her even better in this installment. She's changed a lot since her days as a flower/dancer for the Gardener. She's more proactive, mature, brave, courageous, and determined to do what's right and stop the injustices against the people. The story is told in the first person point of view, from Rose's perspective, which I loved. I think the reader gets to really know the narrator in this writing style, and that holds true with this book as well. I loved getting to peek inside Rose's heart and mind throughout the story and see exactly what she was thinking and feeling.

Of course, I have to mention the romance in the book because it does play a large part. I normally don't like a lot of romance because it tends to overshadow the rest of the plot, but it didn't happen that way with this book. I loved seeing Rose and Rayce together - watching their relationship grow and change. It was sweet and I adored them together - I was definitely rooting for them the entire time. I'm not going to go into the plot that much because I don't want to accidentally do any spoilers, but I'm really excited to see where the next book will take us and what's going to happen when everything comes to an end. Very highly recommended for fans of YA, fantasy, and romance.

Oh goodness! I was super excited to read this story. The first book was awesome. Great concept. Something new and never before seen. That is a rare thing in the world of books. This second installment seemed more generic to me, not that the story was bad, but it was something I had already heard. This was the only reason I gave it a four star and not a five star. Love the author and her writing style. She really brings her world to life in a very colorful way. Loved the characters and how they interact. This was a great book and should be read ASAP!

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

War of the Wilted is book 2 in the Garden of Thorns series and is an excellent continuation. It picks up right where book one left off. It is fast paced and action packed and I would recommend reading them close together so you don't forget anything.

I felt this book really focused on Rayce and his plans for the rebellion even though this series is told from Rose's POV. There is a lot of conflict between the two of them so the romance isn't dominant in this story and I'm actually kind of glad. While I enjoy Rose and Rayce together, I really enjoy the action and the plans of the rebellion more.  Rose grows a lot throughout this book as well and I really enjoyed seeing her find her footing.

This does end on a cliffhanger but I thought the author did a nice job of writing the ending in a way that leaves you wanting more without making you feel like screaming because it can't end there. I am most definitely looking forward to the next book and highly recommend this series.

*This review contains a spoiler for the first book.

War of the Wilted is a fantastic sequel to Garden of Thorns! I'm glad I continued with the series. Not to mention the beautiful titles and covers complement the story so well I'll never get tired of looking at them.

In the beginning I had a hard time remembering everything that happened before. But the more of War of the Wilted I read the clearer things became again. I was eager and very happy to see new events unfold. However, at times, the story felt inundated with descriptions and repetitive inner monologues. The usage of gardening analogies were very pretty though.

For the majority of War of the Wilted Rose and Rayce were at odds on what to do with the Gardener. Not an exciting prospect for my romance-loving heart but the resulting tension between them was actually kind of exciting. Both stubborn, they were frustrating but delicious together. The more disagreements and misunderstandings they had the more invested I was to see them make up. The Borenite problem they encounter near the end of the book has my attention.

Rose struggled in War of the Wilted. She had a hard time believing in herself and the conflicts she had with Rayce didn't make things any easier. I didn't like seeing her make sacrifices for him/the rebellion but her tremendous growth couldn't be ignored. "But if a leader can find the strength within themselves to confront their own fears, then the reward is oftentimes much greater than the effort." (eARC, Loc 745). I'm beyond excited she has finally found her footing!

Even though Amber Mitchell could have given us a cliffhanger, she didn't. I'm very satisfied with where War of the Wilted ended things. If Garden of Thorns was a duology then this second book finished it perfectly. Yet I can see why there will be a third book. Roots of Ruin will surely bring the characters full circle.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. All quotes were taken from the eARC I received.

War of the Wilted is fantastic and I'm so happy to have read it!! The author's continuity with her worldbuilding and characters never disappoints as you quickly find yourself immersed in the storyline. This story does pick up where Garden of Thorns ended so in order not to find yourself lost while reading, you must read the books in order. I will also note that I simply love the beautiful covers and cannot wait to see where things go next! - YA/NA Book Divas