Cover Image: The Monarchs

The Monarchs

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Member Reviews

I absolutely loved the classic sorority paranormal story from the first one and I was so glad to revisit the world with the second one! This one gave me the same vibes as the first one -- kind of a 1990s paranormal story vibe and it brought me right back to high school! Can't wait to see what these authors do next.

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🦋✨Happy release day to “The Monarchs” by @kassmorganbooks & @daniellempaige ✨🦋



Standout Quote: “Often times we waste precious time and energy searching for answers that lie within ourselves. There is no greater truth than the magic which seeks to flow through a powerful witch. But first, we must remove the obstacles to knowledge. We must cut through fear, peel back doubt, and drain away the arrogance that clouds true wisdom. Magic is in the air, but you must be willing to let it in.”



My thoughts:
✨This book hit the ground running. It really grabs your attention from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the very end.
✨I feel like this didn’t feel like the end. There just seems like there is so much left of the story to tell so it was a bitter-sweet finish.
✨Again it felt like the romance in this story wasn’t the main focus, and at the forefront was the characters struggles with themselves, what was happening around them, and learning to trust each other and work together.
✨This book was a touch darker than the last, which I didn’t mind but I thought I would mention in case you or a child on the younger side of the suggested age range is sensitive.
✨Some of the character's conclusions made me a little sad, but I also understood these endings served a greater purpose to the plot as a whole.
✨I just wanted to highlight the diversity and also the characters acknowledgment of exclusivity, especially in Greek life. As someone who participated in Greek life in college, I always find it refreshing to see characters and real-life humans acknowledge when they are being exclusive and try broadening their horizons or reach in attempts to change.

Overall: I thought this was a really fun read! It had a slightly faster pace than “The Ravens” which helps grab your attention from the start.

I want to reiterate what I said in my review from yesterday that they should be read as close together as possible! They really compliment each other and feel like an extension rather than two separate books.



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#themonarchs #releaseday #bookrelease #daniellepaige #kassmorgan #clarionbooks #bookreview #netgalley #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreviewer #bookish #readmore

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Give me a third book with a Jackson pov please and thank you. 🥺

The Monarchs picks up after a short break from the events of The Ravens. Everyone is still picking up the pieces of their lives when suddenly a whole new set of mysteries start popping up. Is it related to everything that happened in book one? It sure seems like it. But there's also some new characters and a lot more supernatural *stuff*. With even more secrets and betrayals, with the movie The House Bunny meets the CW's Nancy Drew vibes, The Monarchs definitely makes a great spooky sequel.

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“One witch, two witch, three witch…none.”
The Monarchs by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige is the much-anticipated sequel to their witchy college drama The Ravens. Last semester the girls of Kappa Nu felt the ultimate betrayal from one of their sisters and must now find a way to move forward knowing that despite their magical abilities they are still vulnerable to the most human of threats.

This is written in a dual POV of Scarlett our legacy and Vivi, her little, who is new to the witch life and only beginning to scratch the surface of her powers. Scarlett has been appointed president in the new semester and the weight of the sorority’s reputation and her family’s expectations are solidly on her shoulders. Vivi is coming to terms with the fact that not only is she an actual Witch with actual powers, she is also a member of the most popular sorority on campus and must now live up to their status.

Scarlett comes from a long line of prestigious witches and along with ensuring that the Kappas remain the campus it-girls she also feels the pressure of living up to her family name. All of her sisters are looking to her to find a new normal and when things don’t go exactly right, they begin to lose faith that she is the right person for the job.

Vivi is determined to prove her place among the more experienced witches, and with elaborate parties to plan she has ample opportunity to show off everything she has learned. But just like with Scarlett, suspicious things start to go wrong despite her best efforts, and she must track down whether it is just bad luck or someone who is determined to bring the Kappas down.

After the reading the first on my own I was so excited when The Monarchs was offered up to the Hive. Morgan and Paige have shown a version of magic that I have yet to see displayed in any other series having it tied not only to the elements but tarot as well. We get a closer look into their practices in the sequel that shows a growth in the girls as they mature in their abilities.

“Being a good witch is good for all the witches”
While the first half of the book was following the girls as they were recovering from the damage of the previous semester and attempting to regain their elite footing, the second half was where it really shined. If you were a fan of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer this will help fill the hole the end of the series left in all our hearts. As Scarlett and Vivi follow the clues to figure out where the root of their problems are we are introduced to other sources of power that not even the witches of Kappa Nu could have predicted.

If you love teen dramas with a heavy dose of magic The Ravens and The Monarchs is the perfect addition to your collection!

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The Monarchs by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige is the second book in the young adult fantasy The Ravens duology. As with most fantasy series the second book of the series picks up shortly after the end of the first book so to best understand the series they should be read in order beginning with the first book, The Ravens. The story in this series is mainly told from the dual point of view of two of the sorority sisters of Kappa Rho Nu which is not your normal sorority.

In the first book of this series readers were introduced to Scarlett Winters who is a legacy in the elite Kappa Rho Nu at Westerly College. Scarlett expected that the upcoming year as a Raven she would become the Sorority President as those in her family before her and planned to let nothing stand in her way. Vivi Deveraux was a freshman at Westerly College and new to the whole college experience. Vivi never expected anyone at the most exclusive sorority on campus to take notice of her so she was shocked when she received an invite to pledge. What Vivi also didn’t expect was to find that the sorority is actually made up of witches and she herself has powers.

After rather enjoying the opener of this series I was excited to find out what The Monarchs would bring to the table and thankfully I still enjoyed this second book just as I had the first. The story picked up after a slight break as the students returned to school and dove right back into the action I expected from reading the opener. As with the first book of the series everything flowed well and I’d never guess if not already knowing that this was written by two authors. The story also still progressed at a nice pace and the characters were still likable in their new adventure. I still can’t say that there’s anything overly original brought into the mix but it’s an enjoyable young adult witchy fantasy all the same.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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*2.5

After reading The Ravens, I was looking forward to returning to the witchy sorority and the atmospheric setting that came with the first book. Unfortunately, The Monarchs didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the miscommunication happening in the first book, but after what the Kappas went through, I thought this would have been kept to a minimum. Instead, this book was a series of miscommunications, hiding secrets about things that should have been shared, and ultimately a lot of bad decisions. The most bizarre part of this to me is how Scarlett and Vivi decided not to tell their parents anything (or at least with any persistence), which is an understandable thing to do, but after so many instances of people hiding things and not telling the truth it was just getting old.

I also felt like the Kappas were less likable in The Monarchs than in The Ravens. The whole plot of them competing with the other sorority to reclaim their status felt superficial, and I found myself really not caring or rooting for them despite their situation. I also felt that this book could have been a great opportunity to develop the main characters further (especially Scarlett, who is struggling to find confidence in her new leadership role), but we don’t see as much of this aside from the ending.

All in all, I prefer The Ravens over The Monarchs. While this book did have some remnants of the previous book that I enjoyed (the setting mainly), I felt like there was so much more that could have been done in terms of plot and character development.

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So I read book one and it was ok at best. But I wanted to check out this one. I have to say that this one upped the creepy factor ten fold. I hope to get more stories by these two amazing authors.

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Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed The Ravens and was so excited going into The Monarchs to see how this story would end. I, for the most part, wasn't disappointed. I really enjoyed this. I also enjoyed throughout the book the little nods to plots and their conclusions from The Ravens. It allowed me to stay up to date without having to go back and reread The Ravens before continuing The Monarchs. With higher stakes and more intense magic, The Monarchs really gives you a story sparkled with bada** witches, a sisterhood bond, and a thriller story that you can't wait to see what happens next!

While at times, I did find this a bit of a cluster of thoughts, it was still easy to read and follow along with. I liked that this is very campy and fun, but still serious and full of drama. It makes for such a compelling combination of a story that flows well and keeps you attached to the pages. I think there is a lot of intense scenes and the higher stakes make it a hard read to put down. Besides the few lulls and clustered thoughts, this was overall a well done book.

It's incredible that both Morgan and Paige can come together so seamlessly to build this cohesive, interesting story. If you love witchcraft, sisterhood bonds, and a mix of lighthearted fun and high stakes magic- I recommend jumping into this great duology!

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I love the premise of this duology: a college sorority is actually a front for the country’s most powerful coven of witches. The story started off strong with the witches of Kappa processing the tragic events of The Ravens, with Scarlett vowing to make their sisterhood stronger and Vivi determined to increase her magical abilities for protection.

However, much of the drama in this book became petty and shallow, focusing on a popularity contest with a rival sorority even when the fate of the world was at stake. The characters felt a bit bland and immature compared to book 1. The romance didn’t get enough attention, and therefore felt forced. And as a sorority alumna, it’s such a pet peeve of mine when sororities are represented inaccurately, like throwing parties in their own house. This book made me roll my eyes a lot.

There were some delightfully creepy scenes that brought a light horror element into the book, and I wish there had been more of that. Even though I thought the tone of the story was inconsistent, it was a fast-paced read, and I was curious to see how everything would work out in the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

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The Ravens wrapped up so nicely, I wasn't expecting a sequel. Although probably a bit unnecessary, I still enjoyed this book. It resolves some of the plot threads from The Ravens & I’m so happy I read this one. I loved all the shocking plot twists in this one. I also enjoyed seeing how all my favorites from the first book had grown so much in this second installment. I still love Vivi. Her romance subplot in this one has some beautiful chemistry. The ending did feel a little rushed in this but overall I thought it was a fantastic conclusion.

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What a great second book and conclusion for the duology. I like that this connected to the first book but still has its own original plot. If you like watching tv shows set in college with lots of drama this book series is for you. Lots of witch vibes, Greek life, boyfriend trouble, etc. I enjoyed the character arcs, specifically for Scarlet. Enough new characters were introduced that I wasn't able to accurately predict who was the demon or how each new male character would play into the plot.

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The cover is gorgeous!
Interesting premise and love the whole witchy sorority thing. The character were a bit two dimensional and a little flat. But would still recommend to a teen audience looking for this vibe in a book.

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I was a bit disappointed by the ending of this duology. The pacing was so stilted that nothing of consequence happened until about 60% in, and that means the story didn't progress until then either. Whereas I was starting to warm up to Vivi in the last book, I felt she regressed. Scarlett was a stronger character but even she didn't get the chance to shine this book. I also hate having a character brought in who only exists to die to further something along. maybe reminiscent of my GoT reading days. Anyway, I was disappointed to see them use such a throwaway character that didn't even make a dent in the story. The story was interesting but when you only get the last 40% to know about it, you don't get to be as invested.

3/5 cups of coffee from me, thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. Full RTC on my blog.

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This was a great way to round out the duology. I love that I was left with no lingering questions but there’s room for more books. Scarlett, Vivi and the other Ravens are thrown back into the gauntlet after an already exhausting first semester. I love how Scarlett struggles with her new found responsibilities, I love how Vivi struggles with her powers/new relationships. It took a twist that I was not expecting and again, was overall pleased with the story. Sisterhood forever!!!

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"In this thrilling conclusion to New York Times best-selling authors Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige’s The Ravens duology, loyalty, love, and friendships are tested as sorority sisters Scarlett and Vivi must face the forces of hell itself when a rival sorority threatens to wreak havoc on campus.

The ultra-exclusive Kappa Rho Nu - the Ravens - are determined to restore balance to the world. After destroying an ancient talisman and barely saving their sorority in the process, they’ll go to any lengths to keep their secret as Westerly’s most powerful coven of witches.

Scarlett Winter, a legacy Raven, has finally gotten what she’s always wanted: Scarlett is Kappa Rho Nu’s newest president. Unlike her mother or older sister before her, Scarlett has a vision for a more unified Kappa, one where no sister falls to the forces of wicked magic. But the powers of the presidency have their own pitfalls. And with the pressures of alumni bureaucracy and past failures weighing on her, Scarlett finds herself at risk of losing the very thing that defined her: her magic.

As a new member of Kappa Rho Nu, Vivi Devereaux finally knows what it’s like to belong. She has her Kappa Rho Nu sisters behind her and, with Scarlett’s blessing, Vivi’s happily dating her first college crush (who also just happens to be Scarlett’s ex). When Scarlett assigns Vivi the coveted role of social chair, Vivi is determined to live up to her Big’s expectations. But Vivi’s studies in witchcraft take a deadly turn when she uncovers a new form of magic, one that has mysterious ties to Kappa Rho Nu’s past and the vengeful demon once tied to their talisman.

With the weight of their newfound roles and the terrible price of destroying the talisman haunting them, Scarlett and Vivi must save their sisterhood when the forces of hell itself and a rival sorority threaten to unleash havoc on the Ravens."

Anyone else just love duologies? Longer than one book but not too long like a trilogy or an unending series.

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Thank you Netgalley so much for this wonderful Arc!!

I loved the first book in this series, The Ravens. I love love love the idea of a Witch coven sorority so much. And, when I got the opportunity to read The Monarchs, you can imagine how thrilled I was! (YAYY!!)

This sequel will not let the readers down. At least not in my opinion! I felt the story had an interesting start, but a little before halfway through this quick read I was completely drawn in. There is even more focus on the occult parts of witchcraft and some really exciting new developments that had me at the edge of my seat!

This book is more than just thrilling and exciting. I love how the sisterhood grows stronger and even becomes more inclusive by letting others in and making new friendships on campus.

It's sweet, it's thrilling and exciting, it had me at the edge of my seat and it gave me some nice feel good vibes! I highly recommend reading this sequel and if you haven't read The Ravens yet, now is a great time to jump in!

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I really enjoyed The Monarchs! It's the sequel to The Ravens and concludes the duology, so if you haven't read book 1, go do that first. :) Seeing Scarlett and Vivi grow into their next adventure was so satisfying, and this story built upon everything I loved from book 1 while giving new and more advanced twists. I appreciated that the authors continued including the theme of sisterhood, while also exploring different ways of practicing sisterhood and who might be included/excluded depending on how one approaches it. I feel like it was a wonderful way to highlight the positives of sorority life, while also acknowledging the problems it can create and showing that people can always improve on the way things have been done in the past. I also enjoyed exploring more of the magic system the authors have built for this world. I'm excited to see what each author writes next, and I would definitely read more collaborations from them!

Buy, Borrow, or Bypass: I will probably buy a finished copy of The Monarchs for my collection at some point, as I own the first book. However, it isn't on my high priority list to purchase at the moment since I just read it and probably won't reread it in the near future. I enjoyed the duology enough to want to reread it at some point, though, so buying a copy will be a great option for me. :)

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i have been waiting for the end of the duology for a while and i am so happy with the end!! kass morgan and danielle paige need to write an an adult thriller or something because i love this duo and their writing.

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Witch coven disguised as a sorority! I was immediately interested.

While full of action and magic, the stereotypes threw it off a bit for me.

There is definitely more character development in this one, though some characters could stand to be more fleshed out. The romance was on the bland side.

The twist at the end is what gained its three stars.

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Thank you so much for an advanced copy of The Monarchs. I really appreciate it!

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pub Date: January 11, 2022
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book! I usually love books about witches, and The Monarchs was the perfect conclusion to The Ravens. I thought this book was engaging, interesting, and fast-paced. I enjoyed the plot a lot, and a lot of my questions from the first book were answered in this one. I also really enjoyed the characters. I am a very character driven reader, and I really liked these characters.

I also really liked the continuity from the first book to the second. The plot picks right up where the Ravens left off, and that made the story really easy to follow. Overall, I would highly recommend this duology to a fantasy lover, especially if they want a duology they could finish quickly.

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