I received an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.,

I enjoyed this, however I'm left feeling like I missed something. As the ending approached, I feel like I missed a chapter or two. Things kind of jumped from one place or time to another without an explanation, maybe that is because I read an ARC and that was resolved in the final copy. I felt these jumps were confusing and either needed a few lines of explanation to how the characters got from where they were in the last chapter to where they are now or there needed to be another chapter to explain things. This was especially true at the end. Hopefully this was resolved in the final version, as I see some of the other ARC reviewers mention that they were also confused.

Much like with the first book, I felt like this was far too long and meandering. Certain scenes are repetitive and don't really add to the plot. I also am left with just as many unanswered questions as I was in the first book. There are things mentioned that are left without an explanation and characters that seem important that aren't really given an ending. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, I'm not a fan of books that leave me with more questions than answers when I'm done and this duology did just that.

This picks up where book 1 left off, Kallia has fallen through the mirror devoid of her magic. It introduces an almost entirely new set of characters. If you were a fan of the characters of the first book, some of them are present in the beginning but the focus of the book is on the world behind the mirror where Kallia landed. Daron is desperate to find her despite the consequences and destruction that might bring. Both Kallia and Daron find that they are pawns in a dangerous magical game, and they both must decide if they want to play or fight against the man who holds all the cards.

When Night Breaks, the conclusion to the Kingdom of Cards duology, is less exciting than its predecessor and ends abruptly.

Kallia finds herself in a new world when her most amazing show to date changes the world she knows. Entering the mirror, she is trapped in a world that will either drive her crazy or empower her. Left behind, Demarco doesn't know what to do without Kallia. he makes it his mission to find her, still guilt-ridden from not finding his sister. he works with Kallia's friends to find a mythical ate that will take him to her. But does Kallia want to leave, or has she embraced her new magical world?

The world isn't as enchanting as the world of Where Dreams Descend. The dark side always seems exciting, but it is truly just a shadow of the Glorian of the original book. Luckily, Kallia's accomplices really shine. The Diamond Rings are powerful, confident ladies who help Kallia. They also show how spoiled Kallia is; she can't even look at her old performance and look for issues she can improve. They also embody what happens to people in this other world. That being said, the villain wasn't really scary and was disappointing in the end. His job was just to spur the characters into action, and I was never worried his “nefarious” plan would come to pass.

The book ends without fixing or explaining issues in the real Glorian. Things are implied in the early chapters, but a full explanation is never given. The other side of the mirror takes over the whole story and there is no balance to the issues the author set up in the first book. This is sad as our characters deserved so much better.

Simply, this ending isn't as good as it began. Janella Angeles creates a beautiful, magical world that, in the end, doesn't get to shine again,

3/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

This felt like an average sequel. I do enjoy the writing, but I will say this author is much more someone who slowly builds their story. I felt like I had to be very patient and wait before getting any real resolution. I will admit that if the story was faster paced I probably would've enjoyed it more. overall it was a decent read.

What a finish!! This series was amazing, this story was magical and I loved every minute of it!! Pick this series up immediately. You won’t regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A good end to this story and highly recommend the series.

A wonderful continuation of this series! Such beautiful writing and great storyline! This author is now an auto-buy for me!

This confused me as much as the first one. I was fairly interested in the first half, but by the second half I just didn’t care anymore. Maybe I should reread the duology to see if it will make more sense, but I’m not too highly motivated to do so.

Rating: 2*

I am sadly disappointed with the second book in this duology. I just felt like everything was moving at such a slow pace. So many characters were introduced and it was hard to keep up. Also, the book ends with a ton of unanswered questions. I did love that we got to know Jack more and I really enjoyed the character Vain. There was just a lot of repetition and it left me confused a lot.

I really enjoyed this sequel. It picks up almost right after the last book left off. A wonderful world with wonderful characters. I will definitely be rereading this in the future.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

So I did not know that this was a sequel before I requested it, however, I did go ahead and read it with little knowledge from the first book. The extent of the world building with this new mirror world is absolutely astounding. This mirror world where magicians live alongside devils where everyone who lived their was born a new and beloved for their talents. This story was one of heartache and longing. I could truly see all the Places the author was influenced from and this book was truly such a lovely tribute to them. It was such a fitting end to the series. I absolutely love this story and can’t wait to see what Janella has in store for us next!

3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. “When Night Breaks” is a Hadestown-inspired sequel to Angeles’ Phantom of the Opera-inspired “Where Dreams Descend.”

what I liked:
- alternate povs between Kallia and Demarco showing the juxtaposition between the two worlds
- Angeles’ writing is very immersive and vivid! It really helped me visualize the world Kallia was sucked into
- whether I should love or hate Jack!!! I think he had an interesting character development
- the Diamond Rings trio were amazing 🤩
- magic aspect was well written
- I’m happy with the conclusion and think it fit the overall story

what I didn’t like:
- felt slow paced up until the halfway mark
- we didn’t get to see characters from the first book as much (I missed Aaros)
- some parts did get confusing and repetitive or cut short

I loved When Dreams Descend when and thought the world building was well developed and unique. When I got approved for When Night Breaks I was so excited to get back into the world. Unfortunately I was disappointed. This book was an info dump compared to the first book which made it slow paced and I found myself dreading picking it back up. The only reason why I finished was because I was buddy reading it and only had to get through a few chapters a day.

The romance between Kallia and DeMarco did do much for me. I'd have preferred her to be with Jack's even if he weren't a real person. To me they had a better dynamic. I wanted more from this story given how much I enjoyed the first book.

Overall thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this and I will be curious to pick up more of her books in the future.

This picks up right after the first book which I really like, because there's no catch up. Kalia and Jack are now in the mirror world and DeMarco has to find a way to get her out. I thought the mirror world was cool and liked the new characters we met. We also learned a lot about Jack and he became one of my favorites. He's so mysterious and aloof, but he does love Kalia in his own way.

The pacing seemed very slow and there were a few scenes I thought could have been cut out. I'm not sure why the author decided to make this so long with so little action and magic. Even the duel that Kalia prepares for was over within a page and I'd hoped for more. I also felt like the chemistry between DeMarco and Kalia was lackluster and they would have been better as friends.

The ending wasn't really what I wanted but at least it's fairly happy. I also enjoyed Jack's point of view interspersed throughout the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

This was a wonderful YA fantasy novel and I highly recommend it. Janella is a fantastic writer and world-builder.

So, unlike a ton of people I saw around, I didn't actually love the first book in this duology. I did love the vibes of the story and many of the other aspects, but it just didn't check every box for me. I went into this one just hoping to tie off the loose ends from book one (and there were many) and maybe get some nice Jack moments (I mean, is he not why you are here too?).

In the end, my small amount of hope that this book would find its stride and be really good just didn't come to fruition. Instead, I just didn't care. It had been too long since reading book one and all the questions I was left with then were basically forgotten by the time I started this one (and no time to reread).

There were some good moments (yes, most of them were with Jack), but overall I just didn't connect with the characters enough or care enough about what was happening to fully enjoy this end to the series. I'm glad all the loose ends were tied, but I was disappointed in a few choices.

Aside from Jack, the main characters still didn't really float my boat. Kallia was, in some ways, a bit less annoying than the first book, but still not quite strong enough. The side characters were fairly good, though, as with book one again. Vain and the rest of the trio were fun to read.

The magic still didn't feel fully fleshed out, but at least we got a much more in-depth look at the mirror world. That was probably the most interesting thing about the world-building.

The plot, though... This book was just long. And seriously, like half of it could have been cut because it had already more or less happened. So many scenes and conversations felt receptive and unnecessary. I made it through, but it wasn't an easy feat. I think I would have enjoyed even these flat characters and confusing plot if the pacing alone was fixed.

I just don't think this series is for me, but I'm sure fans of the first book will enjoy this one as well. I'm curious to read more from Janella Angeles in the future, but I have to say I would go in with fairly low expectations. Which I really hate saying about anyone who's put in so much work writing.

Hey book lovers! I'm here with a book review for When Night Breaks, the final book in the Kingdom of Cards duology by Janella Angeles. I am grateful to have received a digital arc from the publisher and deeply apologize for the late review. I read this in October, and it was published on October 5, 2021.

I liked the dedication:
"For those who thought they'd lost their light and kept walking in the dark regardless. And the ones who never left that dark, who know night is not the end."
Title: When Night Breaks

Author: Janella Angeles

Publication Date: October 5, 2021

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books

Suggested Reader Age: Teens (I'd say 14+ due to sexual content and language)

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

› The story picks up after the cliffhanger ending in the first book, Where Dreams Descend. The night of Spectaculore was exciting, scary, and left everyone confused. The star performer, Kallia, disappeared into thin air and her boyfriend, Demarco is left grieving the loss of his love and his magic. He's been searching the Dire Woods for weeks trying to find Kallia. Demarco's Aunt Cata makes the long trip to come and see him but doesn't give him much hope. As the reader, we know Kallia fell through the mirror and is stuck in an upside-down version of Glorian. She isn't alone in the mirror world - Jack is there too. She escaped his cage once, and now here she is stuck with him again. Jack isn't calling the shots in this world though. How will Kallia escape this world on the other side of the mirror? And will Demarco ever find her or forgive himself?

"Glorian is a city built on cards. That had stuck with Kallia, ever since the mayor said it across a dinner table a while back. The irony in it was just the truth. How fragile a city of cards could be."

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<p>›<strong> </strong>The story picks up after the cliffhanger ending in the first book, <em>Where Dreams Descend</em>. The night of Spectaculore was exciting, scary, and left everyone confused. The star performer, Kallia, disappeared into thin air and her boyfriend, Demarco is left grieving the loss of his love and his magic. He's been searching the Dire Woods for weeks trying to find Kallia. Demarco's Aunt Cata makes the long trip to come and see him but doesn't give him much hope. As the reader, we know Kallia fell through the mirror and is stuck in an upside-down version of Glorian. She isn't alone in the mirror world - Jack is there too. She escaped his cage once, and now... here she is...stuck with him again. Jack isn't calling the shots in this world though. How will Kallia escape this world on the other side of the mirror? And will Demarco ever find her or forgive himself?<br><br>"<em>Glorian is a city built on cards. That had stuck with Kallia, ever since the mayor said it across a dinner table a while back. The irony in it was just the truth. How fragile a city of cards could be."</em><br><br><strong>›</strong> I use the <a href="https://youtu.be/iZhinxtTMFQ">CAWPILE method</a> to rate books.<br>0-3 Really bad<br>4-6 Mediocre<br>7-9 Really good<br>10 Outstanding<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Characters:</strong> 4<br>My favourite characters are Kallia and the Diamond Rings. Reading about their performance was exciting and the best part of the story. I found the character development to be lacking.<br><br>› Atmosphere: 5<br>The setting of the nightmarish Dire Woods, Glorian, and the upside-down world are all fantastic pieces of this world, however, there is a lack of description and emotion.<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Writing Style: </strong>5<br>An easy plot-driven story. Quick read, great for reluctant readers. The repetitiveness drove me up the wall.<br>"nostrils flared" was used 28 times (I searched for it on the ebook).<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Plot: </strong>4<br>The big twist of someone's identity blew me away. The beginning and middle are muddled and boring. The last quarter is the best part of the book.<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Intrigue: </strong>3<br>I didn't want to keep reading. I probably would have DNF'ed if it wasn't an arc.<br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Logic: </strong>3<br>I had to re-read many parts because I was so confused. <br><br><strong>›</strong> <strong>Enjoyment: </strong>5<br>I really, really, really wish I had enjoyed this more. I will read more from Angeles because I think she has the skills to write an incredible story.<br><br><strong>Average</strong> 4.14<br><br>1.1-2.2 = ★<br>2.3-4.5 = ★★<br>4.6-6.9 = ★★★<br>7-8.9 = ★★★★<br>9-10 = ★★★★★<br><br><strong>My Rating </strong>★★<br><br><strong> › Final Thoughts</strong><br>• <em>When Night Breaks</em> is about illusions, deceptions, dreams, nightmares, friendship, love, and finding the truth, no matter how painful it is. This book wasn't for me, but I will definitely check out Angeles next book!</p>
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<p class="has-background" style="background-color:#92e491">Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.</p>
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The perfect sequel to Where Dreams Descend, When Night Breaks is as beautiful and enchanting as its cover. Equally as fascinating and mysterious, too. It also cemented Kallia's place in my favorite protagonists list.

What a stunning sequel and end to a magically immersive duology! I loved the whimsy of where dreams descend and while this one didn’t pull me in as much as the first book, I still enjoyed the time I spent in this world!

Thank you NetGalley for sending this arc for an honest review!

Ok I’m going to be honest I was super lost reading this book. And then it turned out I ended up requesting a book that isnt even the first in this series hence why I was so lost. That being said from what I read I know I would love this story so it’s time to head to the first book.

This book was everything I wanted and more. I feel like it's safe to say that I really loved Where Dreams Descend, and I was nervous about if it's sequel would live up to the hype. And I'm glad to say that it did. Where the first book embraced its Phantom of the Opera inspiration, this was straight up Hadestown in the best way possible - the reader gets to explore a whole new world past the mirror, meet a cast of new characters, and get to see magic work in a way that hasn't been shown before. There was angst, high stakes, and an ending that felt like a satisfying enough goodbye, even though I didn't want to leave this world behind just yet. Janella Angeles has an amazing way with words and I'm excited for whatever she ventures towards next.