This was an excellent conclusion to the Gravemaidens duology. I was very excited for this read and I loved everything about it. It was filled with plenty of action, there were several twists I didn't see coming and I loved the relationship between Kammani and Dagan. The visions with the Boatman were also a great addition to this already good book. This is a series that I will definitely recommend to my teen patrons if they are looking for a short series that has fantastical elements.

This is the sequel to Gravemaidens, I really enjoyed book 1 and when I was approved for Warmaidens I was happy to be reading soon!

I however enjoyed the first book more than Warmaidens, I found myself skimming through parts of the book because it was more focused on the romance instead of the problem from the first book. There wasn't much character development for Kammani, the MC, and I was struggling to read this, but the world building in the books is amazing.

Even though I was not a fan, it doesn't mean you won't like it so please give it a go if you are intrigued by the storyline and I highly suggest to read the first before starting this one.


Thank you Netgalley, Delacorte Press and Kelly Coon for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year. And it did not disappoint. I am not a huge fantasy fan but these pull me in each time! This is a fabulous series.

Warmaidens was interesting dark fantasy that revolved around Kammani and her friends working together in saving their own life and lives of Alu citizen. It was about good vs evil, consequences of oppressive usurper and war, following gut feeling, inequality, patriarchy, traditions and practice that oppress women, courage, kindness, family, and friendship.

Writing was thrilling, immersive, and engaging. It was first person narrative from Kammani’s perspective. Her voice and view gave more depth to her character. Middle eastern based fantasy setting of kingdom, beliefs, and traditions made the story atmospheric. Plot was great, better than first book and my only complain of predictability in first book was dealt with in this one. It was twisty and action packed from the beginning.

It started with wedding in Manzazu city where gravemaidens, who escaped their death, found protection under Sarratum Tabni, an old friend of Arwai’s mother. Kammani earned respect, honour and protection of Sarratum Tabni and her Koru warriors by healing their warriors and citizens back to health. But while everyone was enjoying and relaxing wedding, Assassins attacked Arwai and killed a healer he believed was Kammani. Sarratum Tabni planned to wage war against usurper of Alu throne to avenge death of healer and her warrior in her city. Kammani and Arwai had to remove threat from Alu’s throne and reinstate Arwai to save their own lives and save Alu citizen from war. And then there were visions from boatman Kammani kept seeing. I was curious to find out what boatman was indicating, how they were going to face Uruku again, how a healer would act as killer and if they would succeed in their plan before war.

Characters were realistic and interesting. Kammani made many mistakes this time, had self-doubts and had problem in believing in her gut feeling. It made me role my eyes when she kept questioning Degan’s proposal for marriage but at the same time I could understand her. I wouldn’t want to be shackled to a husband in this world and loose freedom and give absolute control to any man who can ruin life. Well, everyone and even she could see Dagan was different and it took her whole book to understand it which was annoying. I’m glad she developed more in second half and I liked seeing changes in her. She was more confident and courageous. I admired her kind and determined nature. She stood strong even though many were against her, was unshakable from her belief and what she thought was right. She showed kindness to those who didn’t deserve it. What made her most likable was her fight for women’s right and voice against traditions demeaning women.

Kammani’s siblings Nanaea and Kasha were more developed and responsible than first one. What they went through brought out best in them and I loved how much they supported and helped Kammani at every step. Iltani was my favorite. She was fiery and strong in first book but in this we see vulnerability behind her nonchalant brave face. I didn’t understand her reason to alcohol addiction at first but it was great Kammani could understand it as story progressed and tried to help her in every possible way. I admired Koru warriors. They were fierce and deadly and loved their determination and dedication.

Dagan was great. I loved him for his love for Kammani and his family. When he returned to Alu and found out what happened to his family never once he regrated his decision of leaving or pointed anyone about it. I didn’t like it when he couldn’t understand Kammani’s voice against forceful marriage and I sided with Kammani at that moment but even with this minute flaw I loved him for staying with Kammani even when her visions clouded her mind and reacted badly.

There was little romance and I loved reading Dagan and Kammani’s growing relationship. Both Kammani and Dagan were emotional mess in this, both struggling with their own thoughts and feeling and yet they both supported each other and stayed together. I was really happy when Kammani got some sense at the end.

There were many twists and turns. There were schemes, poison, fight, mistakes, consequences, destruction, war, struggle, emotions, and a little bit of traditions and myth. What drew me in the story was healer trying to be killer and Kammani’s constant inner battle to use her skills for death than saving life and sticking to her principle of ‘do no harm’. What I loved most was dark vibe boatman gave. I enjoyed reading his story and what he was trying to say through Kammani’s dream. I loved to explore other kingdoms, their traditions tradition of bridal gifting and characters’ thoughts on it, and a little more about Gods and Goddesses.

Climax was surprising and exciting. I couldn’t predict what would happen next. The final battle was great. I liked how Kammani’s vision helped her and the end was amazing with another vision. I would have enjoyed this book even more if I hadn’t have to take breaks.

Overall, Warmaidens was epic fantasy, even better than Gravemaidens, with thrilling plot, well written theme and characters, dark setting, perfect ending of this duology.

Last year I read Gravemaidens, and while I felt somewhat mixed about parts of it, for the most part I liked it. I feel more mixed about the conclusion to this story.

Where Gravemaidens had a very tight plot, Warmaidens kind of flopped around. The goal was to kill Uruk but on the way we went from left to right, from up to down and more sideways. I was being dragged around for the ride and I'm not sure if I enjoyed it. It was a bit of a mess and I kind of lost interest. 

The plotting on the parts of our characters did not exactly go well. Especially Kammani seemed to refuse to want to listen to others. She second-guessed herself and others endlessly. Making a decision, any decision, seemed to be one of the hardest things to do and none of her endless thought cycles made it any easier to read. The group of character is also very split, and while the discussion of what is a 'worthy' price to pay for the choices they are making in this war, I felt like a lot of them weren't actually listening to each other. Which created much more mess.

On the other hand I loved the fierceness of her sister in this, even if she was more put to the sideline. She had taken her new chance to learn something new and was working hard to be good at it. Dagan was also such a sweetheart and didn't deserve some of the distrust he received from Kammani.

I also think that the discussion around marriage and what would make it equal was a good one to see throughout the book. Traditional marriage, especially the way marriage is portrayed here, is not always equal. Often leading to sacrifices to the women and less the man. Even in today's age there is some of that.

I'm sorry everyone, but this is going to sting a bit. Unfortunately, Warmaidens was a disappointment for me. I enjoyed Gravemaidens quite a bit when I read it last year. In fact, I felt overall it was underrated.

The world of Alu was very interesting. The whole concept of the gravemaidens, the competition that led to their selection and the fact that even though it was essentially a death sentence for the women chosen, the position was revered within their society. I also loved reading about the relationship between the main character, Kammani, and her younger sister, Nanaea.

They were complete opposites, with Kammani being responsible and serious, while Nanaea was more vain and emotional. Their relationship had some volatility to it that kept it interesting and there were some beautifully written, emotional scenes involving them learning to love one another even through disagreements. Those scenes were some of my favorite of the first book.

Since Gravemaidens ended on such an intriguing cliffhanger, I was super stoked to get into this sequel. Unfortunately, this continuation was lacking all of the things I enjoyed the most about the first book. Nanaea was unrecognizable in comparison to her character in Gravemaidens. While I understand that her character would have grown based on what she went through in the first book, would there be no shred of her original personality left?

Also, I never felt any real high stakes drama. It was just fairly bland the entire way through and read extremely slowly. It was so singular in focus, taking forever to get anywhere, and my eyes definitely glazed over on more than one occasion.

The conclusion was in no way exciting, or surprising. At the end there was this odd scene that was like the end of a Saturday Night Live episode. You know, where the whole cast gathers on stage as the music plays them out, hugging and congratulating one another. It was a choice.

With all of this being said, even though this didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. If you read the first book and enjoyed it, you should absolutely try this one for yourself. Don't take my word for it!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my thoughts and opinion.

Warmaidens is book two in the YA fantasy Gravemaidens duology.

Warmaidens takes place nine months after the group flees their home city for refuge in Manzuzu. Kammani has a busy healing business and has even received recognition from their queen. But, there is trouble back home and the new ruler Uruku is making life miserable for the poor and war is brewing. If the Princess in hiding Arwia can come back and reclaim her throne the people of Alu will be safe but first Uruku will have to be eliminated.

I appreciate how the author does not make every plan go perfectly. The road back to the throne truly isn’t smooth and hard choices are made along the way. I thought this was a well-written and imaginative duology. Kammani is not your typical boy obsessed teen and there is a good message about keeping your autonomy as a woman even if you are in love. There is also a storyline about addiction that you don’t always see addressed in YA fantasy.

Overall, I recommend both Warmaidens (and it’s predecessor Gravemaidens) and give it a 3.75. Rounded up to a 4 for Goodreads.

Even though this one started a bit slow for me, Warmaidens was a fantastic conclusion to this duology. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I am going to be vague on my thoughts (sorry!).

Even though Gravemaidens did not shy away from its dark tone and gore, Warmaidens really digs into these themes, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

As far as our characters go, I still very much enjoyed Kammani. Even though her love for Dagan is even more clear, her hesitation and fight against marriage and being confined to the wife roles designated by the patriarchy are relatable. I love that Dagan doesn't try to change that about Kammani.

So, Nanaea really grated on me in Gravemaidens because she was just so immature and petulant. Nanaea undergoes a massive character arc in Warmaidens and I was here for it. She ended up really surprising me, and I loved it.

Overall, I can't recommend this duology by Kelly Coon enough. It boasts wonderful characters, lush world building, explores dark themes, and takes you on a wild ride to hell and back.

Thank you to Delacorte Press for providing a review copy through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I think, unfortunately, that this is not quite the series for me. I was intrigued enough by Gravemaidens to want to read the sequel, and enjoyed both books well enough, but while I felt like Coon introduces decent critiques on the structure of marriage and its complicated relationship with freedom, the writing doesn't quite deliver the impact I was looking for.

Huge thanks to #NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Warmaidens by Kelly Coon is a wonderfully crafted plot driven young adult fantasy novel. About Kammani and her friends epic journey to depose a corrupt ruler. Kammani is a healer, who learns to embrace different aspects of herself and those around her as the journey evolves in this fast paced novel. I am not one for spoilers in my reviews. I highly recommend both of the novels in this duology. Check them out!!

Thank you Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm so thrilled to dive back into the world of Gravemaidens. This duology has one of the most unique settings I've encountered in YA fantasy.

Kammani at this point has a few wins under her belt, but as someone who experiences imposter syndrome, I totally related to some of her hesitation over what was right for her own life, what was right for the country as a whole, and how to fit the two together, if it was possible to do so. I also applaud how the stakes kept climbing and the tension kept ratcheting up! I was constantly worried for the whole ensemble of characters and what dastardly fates might befall them.

My biggest gripe throughout the book is Dagan, whom I found less and less romantic, particular in the first third of the book. I found myself having apprehension every time he was in a scene, especially if he started being lovey-dovey. My conspiracy theory brain was on high alert, wondering if he was the real deal or not. It certainly added tension and tied Kammani's internal struggles to her external ones. But I worried that he would give her an ultimatum of some sort, forcing her to choose between him and the life she wanted to live as a healer and warrior who cared about her country and justice.

i didn't love the first book, and i was hoping to like this one a lot more, but i think it's a case of this duology just not being for me. i don't think there's anything inherently bad about this series, so i would definitely still recommend this to YA fantasy lovers, but it just wasn't my taste.

one thing i really liked was the discussions of traditional marriage, and how it is disadvantageous for women even if you marry because of love. that's not necessarily the case in our society anymore, but i think it was an interesting theme and i liked how it was handled.

the biggest thing i didn't like was seeing how naive Kammani still was, especially after the first book. it would have been nice to see at least some development there, but i didn't see much. i didn't love Kammani in this book, but i liked seeing how supportive and loving Dagan was, and i enjoyed most of the side characters as well.

overall, i don't have too many strong feelings on this one, but i would still recommend it to some people!

If you’re wanting to read a book about fiercely stubborn young women who’ll do anything to save a kingdom from destruction from a usurper, then look no further. Despite being a sequel, I launched myself headfirst into this story, longing to find out what was going to happen to Kammani, who wants to do what’s right, and that’s by putting the rightful heir of Alu on the throne. The story is gritty and filled with this fierce intensity of rebellion and war, and is strengthened by its strong exploration of sisterhood and female empowerment. If you enjoyed Gravemaidens, then you’re definitely going to want to pick up Warmaidens.

Now, before you go off adding this to your TBR, this is a sequel to a duology, so make sure to read Gravemaidens first! Also, you may want to stop reading this review here, so you don’t get any spoilers!

Okay, so when we last saw Kammani, she was escaping Alu with the other maidens chosen to die with the king. They’ve fled to Manzazu, where she’s become a respected healer. As the horrors of Alu begin to fade, Kammani starts to consider Dagan’s offer of marriage. Unfortunately, before they can get very far, an assassin attempts to murder who they think is Kammani and the displaced ruler of Alu. This time however, the kingdom of Manzazu is ready to help them with revenge at the cost of war, a war that Kammani knows will bring more suffering than healing. Kammani will have to return to Alu and dethrone the usurper herself before war can destroy their home entirely.

This story begins with a bit of relief before it starts in on some of the harder things. Now, while I loved Kammani’s fierce protectiveness of those that have become family, I had a hard time with her stubbornness in Warmaidens. It made her a little harder to connect with, but not completely. I loved her relationship with her sister Nanaea and her friend Iltani. They’re all so different but accepting of each other. Then there’s Dagan. I absolutely adored how much of a cinnamon roll this man is, but there were moments were I had a hard time with the way Kammani treated her. A lot of this boils down to the rampant sexism that exists in Alu, but there were moments that could have been more tender had it not been for Kammani.

Everything felt like it progressed quickly, but not at a breakneck pace. I love how carefully Kelly was able to plan every piece of this story and looking at how each choice might affect the characters. Now, while I’m all for happily ever afters in stories (with no character deaths), I have to say that there’s something more powerful about stories where actions have consequences, and boy are they going to make our characters suffer before all of this is over. Kammani has to deal with quite a bit of her choices, and I loved the accountability of it all.

Something that I was delighted by was the fact that the Boatman and the mythology of Alu and Manzazu was featured more heavily in this book. The significance of his presence becomes more prominent as the story progresses, and I have to say that I loved what winds up happening with this storyline. Since the story is taking place in another kingdom, I loved exploring different customs (in this case a queendom) and the warrior women, the Koru. They’re warrior women who’ve taken a vow not to marry and to put the queen above everything.

While the whole story leads up to an epic climax with the antagonists, there’s also several smaller storylines happening that are worth paying attention to. They’re the ones that help build the story up to what it is, and while Kammani is involved in them in some way, Kelly also takes the time to make the reader care about the other characters that are being featured. The most prominent characters in this are Iltani and Assata, who have starkly different personalities and life paths in mind than Kammani.

Overall, this was quite an enjoyable sequel and end to the duology!

Thank you Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this title.

Kelly Coon follows up Gravemaidens with its sequel Warmaidens, concluding the duology. Kammani continues with her efforts as a healer, and must learn how to balance her love for her work, her love for Dagan, and her love for her home.

While all of the characters were developed, this was definitely a plot driven story. The pace was fast, everything was high stakes, and nothing came easy for Kammani and crew. Kammani had to plan, re-plan, and plan again before finding her way around an obstacle, which I appreciate.

I do find that, while the characters were all solid, I never really found a favorite, which is odd for me and also impacts my ability to give a higher star rating.

I absolutely enjoyed reading Warmaidens, and look forward to future works from this author.

Thank you Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this title.

Kelly Coon follows up Gravemaidens with its sequel Warmaidens, concluding the duology. Kammani continues with her efforts as a healer, and must learn how to balance her love for her work, her love for Dagan, and her love for her home.

While all of the characters were developed, this was definitely a plot driven story. The pace was fast, everything was high stakes, and nothing came easy for Kammani and crew. Kammani had to plan, re-plan, and plan again before finding her way around an obstacle, which I appreciate.

I do find that, while the characters were all solid, I never really found a favorite, which is odd for me and also impacts my ability to give a higher star rating.

I absolutely enjoyed reading Warmaidens, and look forward to future works from this author.

I received an advanced copy of Warmaidens as a member of Kelly Coon’s street team so that I could share my review with you! Warmaidens is the conclusion to the Gravemaidens duology, so there are some spoilers for Gravemaidens in my review. If you haven’t read the first book yet, I would recommend checking out my review for that title over on Goodreads!

Kammani escaped the tomb, but that doesn’t mean she’s escaped those who want her dead. After fleeing the Alu with the other maidens, Kammani is doing her best to put the past behind her. She’s carved out a new life in Manzazu, complete with a thriving healing practice. But just when she thinks that she could get used to this new life, an assassin attempts to kill Kammani and the former Queen of Alu. Her carefully constructed future crumbles as Kammani realizes that there can be no future without confronting the evils left in the past. Kammani will have to take out the corruption on Alu’s throne, or else risk losing everything she fought so hard to keep.

You can get your copy of Warmaidens on December 15th from Delacorte Press!

I’m always a sucker for niche jobs in fantasy, which makes me adore Kammani and her healing work! She’s got a certain practicality in her character that makes her feel more real and likable than many young adult novel protagonists. My favorite part of Warmaidens, though, was the growth we got to see in Nanaea, Kammani’s sister. Nanaea sheds her naivety in this story, stepping up to become a force to be reckoned with! The ending of the story (no spoilers!) was perfection, I felt like it was the best imaginable way to conclude the duology!

My Recommendation-
The Gravemaidens series would be a great pick for readers who love complex fantasy worldbuilding! If you love Kiersten White or Sara B Larson, you won’t want to miss this thrilling duology!

WARMAIDENS is a thrilling conclusion to an intriguing duology. In this world, women have few rights and those only last as long as the whims of the men around them. Kammani had taken on the healing mantle after her father was excommunicated for failing to heal an impossible injury. She has gained some renown for her abilities. However, at the end of the second book, she, her sister, and the other selected wives were entombed with the deceased lugal (ruler).

They have tried to move on and live their lives outside of Alu (the kingdom from where they came), but when assassins arrive with them in their sights, they realize that the current lugal will never be content to let them live their lives. The ensuing fray and battles will determine not only their lives, but the lives of those who live throughout Alu.

What I loved: This book hits the ground running, and it is definitely helpful to have recently read the first, as no words are spared to recap it. This book begins with a fast pace that continues throughout the pages, making it quite an intense read with many dark moments. There are some excellent themes in the book that make it one that would be perfect for book clubs, including marriage, gendered roles, gender equality, war, and the morality of death, such as whether it is worth one life to save many. I found this to be quite a thought-provoking read, and I appreciated the depth of these themes in the overall complex story.

This book was quite dark at times, but I found this really added some heft behind the themes and showed the brutality and difficulty of war, death, and gender inequality. Kammani is a strong main character, who is still troubled by the decisions with which she is faced from potentially entering into marriage to the actions she would need to take to prevent war. Seeing through her eyes reveals the complexity of the world around her.

Final verdict: Dark, bold, and unflinching, WARMAIDENS is a fast-paced conclusion to the GRAVEMAIDENS duology. Highly recommend for fans of GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS, THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT, and EMBER IN THE ASHES.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This duology was fine. The characters were only nominally fleshed out; the action felt rushed, and the world-building was good but not great. I wanted to know more about everything, but it was overshadowed by the action.

One of the things that bothered me about this pair of books is that the author is white and the people in the book were explicitly not. It wasn’t disrespectful or appropriating in my estimation (as a white biracial Hispanic woman), but I think that the issues with plot over world and culture stem from writing about an African-ish fantasy world without that lived experience.

Honestly if I’d realized she was white, I don’t think I’d have started the series at all.

Gravemaidens was an incredibly dark book (the premise is, after all, young women being sacrificed to death so the king doesn't have to die alone), but Warmaidens upped the ante.

Obviously the title indicates that there is going to be a war at play, and wars are generally not peaceful events. But this battle is brutal. Kammani and her friends and family just wanted to build a peaceful life now that they've escaped entombment, but you know what happens to the best laid plans. It's clear that they won't be able to rest until they've defeated the current ruler- or die trying.

I loved that Kammani wanted to opt for the most peaceful, least loss of life choice of unseating this jerk. But as is often the case, she faced opposition at every turn. While Kammani was able to see the value of all life, not everyone else was. I won't say more, as I don't want to give much away, but it was wonderful to have the whole cast of characters back together and fighting against the awful regime.

Bottom Line: Just as dark as its predecessor, though in different ways, Warmaidens is a strong and satisfying conclusion to a great duology.

Following the events of Gravemaidens, Kammani is acting as a healer in the city-state of Manzazu. She's contemplating marriage to Dagan, even as what happened in Alu lingers in her thoughts. The maidens cannot rest easy, however, because an assassin makes an attempt on the life of the former queen of Alu, and kills an innocent healer that should have been Kammani. Even as the maidens fear for their own safety, Manzazu's queen prepares for war against Alu, one that Kammani is sure will destroy all of their lives. To prevent calamity and find peace with Dagan, Kammani must eliminate Manzazu's enemy and unseat Alu's corrupt new leader Uruku.

Warmaidens is the second book in the Gravemaidens duology, and the two stories tie together very well, as the events of the previous book directly play into the proceedings of this story. I enjoyed much of Kammani's journey here, and her internal dialogue was particularly interesting, if sometimes repetitive. Much of her time in Manzazu is spent deciding whether or not marriage is right for her, because if she marries Dagan, he effectively controls her life, which could even preclude her from being a healer. Other topics concerning women's rights and struggles feature heavily in this entry, so from that perspective I think it's effective. I also liked that Kammani is a healer at heart and not a warrior, so her goal is to minimize pain rather than to cause it, as is common for protagonists in many other stories. I found Warmaidens to be a fitting end to this duology, and it has enough going for it that I think it's worth the time spent in Manzazu and Alu. If you're interested in a read that focuses on a different sort of protagonist who is concerned with peace and her own rights, Warmaidens definitely fits the bill, and I'd like to see more interesting protagonists with internal conflicts from Kelly Coon in the future.