This book puts you through the emotional ringer and has you on the edge of your seat.
This book was amazing, I love the plot and the characters.
This book did keep me engrossed throughout.

There is something I really enjoy and also really struggle with when it comes to this series. It happened with the first book and it happened with this one. It starts off really slow and it takes me a super long time to get into, almost halfway through in this case, but then all of a sudden there's a turning point and I am racing to the end! Something shifts in the plot or the pacing, I don't know, and now I just cannot wait to finish and stay up until 3 am because I cannot stop reading! (true story). Because this one is almost companion-like, I think that contributed a lot to the struggles in the beginning. Lydia as a character was introduced before but very briefly so it was interesting to see more of her and see her growth. I thought it was kind of wild how she ended up involved in something so complex and political but it made the story super interesting. I lovedddd Killian! From his name to his personality and his choices. I just think he's my favorite male character in this series so far. This book also ended very bittersweet. Victory but tragedy all wrapped in one. I am really pumped to read the third book and see how the two separate stories collide now!

Why the fuck are these books not more widely known or more popular? I swear, this series just keeps getting better! I swear I nearly went into cardiac arrest a couple of times as this was pretty much non-stop action after the 25% point.

This book is set at the same time as the first book, but follows a different leading duo: Lydia and Killian. Twas was way more policital and strategy-based than the first book but I enjoyed it just as much. And just when I thought nobody could top Teriana as leading lady, enter Lydia. I adore her. She is strong, she is fierce, she is loyal, she is selfless.

I like Killian too, but I also had some problems with his unwavering loyalty to his task. For gods's sake, I wish he'd choose Lydia because his loyalty always seems to get them both in trouble.

I can't wait for our four main characters paths to surely cross in the last two books. I adore this beautiful and detailed word with its gods and marks and everything in between!

I loved the concept for this series but unfortunately it seems to be a miss for me and I won't be continuing with it at the moment.

The plot of this book really didn’t capture me, possibly it just wasn’t my kind of book so not saying other people wouldn’t enjoy, just not for me this time. Writing style was easy to read and characters were interesting

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at around 15%. I just could not connect to the story, and I found both of the main characters extremely unlikeable. It seemed like they enjoyed complaining about their situations more than actually doing anything about them, and for me, that just didn’t make this compelling enough to continue on.

3.5 stars
This was fun and engaging! Although I did like the first book a bit more, this was a welcome surprise. Dark Skies follows a new set of characters, some we already know and some new. It was interesting to see Lydia's side of things after what had happened in the first book and the journey she went through. The character dynamics between Lydia and Killian were great and I enjoyed how the plot moved quickly. A lot was at stake and I enjoyed the action scenes. Overall, I enjoyed the sequel and I am looking forward to more.

I had a great time reading this book..
The pace is incredible. I read the first 300 pages kind of slowly but ended up taking the last half in a crazed four hour sitting where I don't think I breathed or blinked. The intrigue, assassinations, BLIGHT ZOMBIES, reckless chases, magical evil army leaders, more scheming, and a race against a huge deadly clock just made it impossible to stop.

The magic of the world was hinted at in Shores, but in Skies we learn all about it. The God-Marked people each have an ability like strength, healing, growing/restoring, water breathing, and it seems they were meant to create teams of people. A great theme this is, and I appreciate the idea that healing is a drain on someones life force. The triage they use is so interesting. The seventh god's power is just terrifying and that will continue in book 3.

Wow! It's a hard feat to get to enjoy a sequel more than the first book but this definitely blew Dark Shores away!

I think it's probably because this book covered events at the same time as book one so it was an expansion instead of continuation. The characters are more likeable, the events are action packed, and the overall vibe just felt like there was more at stake and so it left you on the edge of your seat!

I can't wait to continue this series and watch these two stories converge!

I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

I did really like the first book so I excited for the second, but once I started reading I could not really get into it like I hoped I would. So, I was not the biggest fan of the book, nothing personal about it I just found it a bit boring compared to the first one.

Loved it! It was just as good as dark shores, and the characters were amazing. If you like fantasy just read this series already it’s soo good!!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me with an ARC of Dark Skies in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I love Jensen’s writing and her storytelling. It’s beautiful, captivating and always a welcome retreat from reality.

I meant to read Dark Skies right after I had finished Dark Shores, but life had other plans.

The Details
I don’t know how it is possible, but Dark Skies was even better than Dark Shores, which I thought impossible. Jensen was able to avoid the dreaded sequel curse that always makes a sequel feel like nothing more than a set-up for the third and final installment of a trilogy.

I have read quite a few books in my life, among them a fair number of trilogies or multi-volume stories. Yet very few of them take the time to dedicate an entire book to the perspective of other characters, characters that were originally introduced as secondary characters. I appreciated this approach, since I was very interested to know what had happened to Lydia.

I liked Lydia a lot. She felt relatable, human, and natural. And Killian certainly piqued my interest and had a tension-filled connection with Lydia.

I must say one or two things about a secondary character that made my hair stand on end and had me rolling my eyes constantly: Malahi. Oh boy! I could not stand the sight of her. Even now having to think about her raises my hackles. She is the perfect foil character to Lydia and kept the conflict just slightly below the boiling point.

The Verdict
Overall, if you read and liked Dark Shores, you must read Dark Skies. You will not be disappointed.

I loved every minute of it. I would definitely recommend it.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series and went into this one hopeful that the amazing content would continue. Alas I found myself thoroughly uninterested in the two main characters.

I really liked that it filled in the gaps of what was happening while Teriana and Marcus were off doing their thing but for some reason it just didn't grab me like Dark Shores did. I think it could have simply been because Killian and Lydia weren't leading as intriguing a lifestyle before it all began.

I am however glad that I forced myself to finish this one. The ending finishes in such a way that I cant wait to read Gilded Serpent and work out where its all going.

Most series’ sequels suffer from “middle book syndrome,” but not Dark Skies. Dark Shores may have introduced readers to the world that Danielle L. Jensen created, but Dark Skies raises the stakes even higher. Both books examine war and its costs. The first book, Dark Shores, explored war’s effects on soldiers, and the second book, Dark Shores, explores war’s effects on civilians at the home front.

While the first book focused on Teriana and Marcus, the second book focuses on Lydia and Killian. I adored reading about Teriana and Marcus, but I feel like I can relate more to Lydia and Killian. We all regret decisions we have made, and like we often come to realize, Lydia and Killian learn the hard way that their actions have consequences. Throughout most of the novel, both attempt to seek redemption for their past actions. Lydia and Killian's selfless desire to help others makes it easy for readers to root for their success.

I cannot wait to read how Lydia and Killian’s storylines converge with Teriana and Marcus’s storylines in Gilded Serpent. Many thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.

It's really cool that books one and two happen at the same time. You theoretically could read them in either order, but I think it made more sense to do so in publication order simply based on the way the characters were developed in book one. I ended up liking book one just a tiny bit more than this one, but the characters, world building, and plot of this series have all been very good so far.

Lydia and Killian were great MCs! They were both very likeable and had awesome growth. Their motivations and internal struggles made for some interesting decisions that shaped the plot. And their budding romance was super cute!

I read this book really quickly considering how long it is - I finished it all in one day! The alternating perspectives and fast pace really kept my interest and constantly made me want to know what would happen next. (And let's be real: when the romance would develop more!) I am definitely looking forward to what will happen once the all characters and plot lines from the first two books collide in book three.

Dark Skies
4 stars
I think I liked this one more than the first book but that’s usually a sign of a good series. Honestly I don’t see anyone talk about this one as much as they should. Since I did a reread prior to this it felt like the book just picked up where the first left off and I loved it! It was so great. I love the characters, and there was not a dull moment in this book!

Dark Skies
4 stars
I feel like this book is so underrated. I feel like I haven’t heard anything about it. It was so wonderful. I loved it more than the first one! It was more like an extension of the first instead of a continuation. It was so great. I definitely recommend reading them back to back though! I just love the characters, it was so action packed from the very first sentence! It’s definitely a nail biter and they have a lot more at stake but I was here for it! Such a great fantasy adventure story! Highly recommend 💗

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

Dark Skies follows Lydia and Killian along the same timeline as Dark Shores. Trying to hide her newly marked gift, Lydia is on a quest to return to the East and try to save her father and friends before it’s too late.