Pretty mid honestly. I rated the first one so high because I thought it was just growing pains, but I really didn’t care for book 2 either. Great concept. Rough execution. The main character's plot twist was pretty obvious from the beginning, and I think it took way too long for us to get to the point where she knows too. There was one good twist, but overall too much explanation that broke up the flow of the plot.

I had high hopes for this book. The concept sounded so intriguing. unfortunately, It was tough for me to get into it. The writing and timeline felt really disjointed. I've heard other people like this book, so it is possible that it's just me, not the book.

Unfortunately, I have one word to describe this book to summarize my experience with it. That word is "long."

I'm not opposed to long books, but this book felt like it dragged on forever. I'm a fast reader, but I kept looking at the amount I had left in disbelief. Part of the problem is that the book has several things that probably just didn't need to be included. We didn't need to see the point of view from as many characters, for example, and some things happened over and over again (how many times does Kaylin need to be threatened by his sea dad? We get it. Sea dad is scary. There are big stakes. How many of these meetings of learning nothing do we need?) It also made it hard to follow. There are so many things going on that I found myself sometimes forgetting what the main plotline was actually supposed to be. And did we HAVE to have the weird love triangle that wasn't entirely a love triangle but sort of?  Overall, the length made it hard to follow the important points and became overwhelming. The length of it, unfortunately, detracted from the good things the book had for me. In general, there's a lot of second book syndrome happening.

So the book things. First of all, the cast of characters is entertaining. Even with more characters, the additions and returning people don't feel shallow. I do particularly enjoy the dynamics between the characters: the ones that are friends, the ones that are less comfortable with each other, the ones that don't like each other much, etc. With most of the characters, the POVs add depth and interest. Many times with POV characters, it can be hard to differentiate the voices. This book doesn't have that problem. 

The book also has some interesting reveals that are well done. There's exciting, life-threatening danger, and some interesting lore developments. This series does have some incredible world building that I don't often see in fantasy. The ending is shocking and emotional, ending with a lot of questions fans of the series will be dying to have answered. However, I did feel some small annoyance that we had two such long books and Ash doesn't realize key things about herself until the very end.

If you love rich, detailed worlds and don't mind taking a while to get there, I would absolutely recommend this book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy to review.

I was obsessed with Crown of Bones when it came out. Reread it to make sure I was familiar with the book when this one came out as well. It was so good. Now, I really liked this book but it didn't have the same affect on me as the first one did. This one was more concentrated with gathering the original bones but it didn't feel as adventurous. It's a little hard to put into words what didn't really work for me. However, I still immensely enjoyed it. I loved learning more about this world and the lore behind the bones. They went to different lands so there was more exploration there. However, the pacing was a little slower and there were too many side things going on. But I swear, if this isn't a trilogy - I'm going to be very upset. I definitely need conclusion because the end of this book is what I was looking for the whole time. It was epic and that very, very, very ending that happened - did not see it coming!

The first thing I'm going to say is that Rhiannon's point of view was totally pointless and I hated it. I was so tempted to skip these chapters as they provided no insight at all. It was obvious what she was doing and these interjections didn't help with the pacing issues I was facing. Marcus' and De'Ral were probably the best characters in this book. I loved reading their bickering and how they are really learning together their power. It still seemed so weird to me that Ash still didn't realize who her "inner voice" is, even after losing it! But I'm excited to see what she does in the future. Kaylin is still amazing as ever. I loved that we still has Sampson and Piper throughout the book as well.

Overall, Curse of Shadows by AK Wilder was still an amazing book, but didn't hit me the same way Crown of Bones did. I immensely enjoyed the exploration of the other lands in this book and learning more about this world. I had some issues with the pacing but the end of the book was definitely a ride! Rhiannon's point of view was such a waste of book space but I really enjoyed getting Marcus' and De'Ral along with the others. If you enjoyed the first book, then absolutely pick this book up because it is a great continuation of the story!

Curse of Shadows by A. K. Wilder
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Started: Oct 7, 2022 - Finished: November 30, 2022
Favorite Quote(s): “The red star twinkling in the sky is not an omen of joy and prosperity. It’s the second sun, herald of the next Great Dying. And according to prophecy, it marks the beginning of the end of the world”

I loved this book. I loved getting more of the world and characters and meeting more characters and seeing more places. I didn't trust Rhiannon or Peten, who ended up sick. Everything with them was so intense to read and I also found myself annoyed with Rhiannon. It gave me anxiety. The whole thing with the Second Sun was wild. I kept feeling like Brogal was hiding something. Teern was very suspicious and messed up. Rosie was interesting to read about as well. I loved how nothing that happened was expected and especially the ending. This was such a great second book and cannot wait to read it again or for the next one. And I hope we get more of the characters we know and love and new ones. And I highly recommend this series.

This sequel fell flat for me. Curse of Shadows picks up fairly quickly after the end of book 1, which was great after the crazy ending. I like that some characters we didn’t get to see much of in book 1 were more present, but I also felt that with the larger cast of characters we were missing some depth and development. I didn’t particularly connect with any of the characters and just wanted to feel more invested in them. 

Of course the romance was my favorite part of this book! There are some sweet and swoony moments that I loved. 

This was an okay read, but I’m not sure that I’ll pick up the rest of the series when it comes out.

I read this Crown of Bones for the first time about a month after it came out and I have been anxiously waiting this release for SO LONG!! im really happy that the book lived up to my expectations and then some. The characters were even better this go around and I was really happy to get more from Ash this time around too. I think it is so amazing when an author can give us an even better sequel. It did end on a cliffhanger like the last but it was one that made me even more excited to see where this phenomenal series goes. I will forever talk loudly about these books. The writing is fun, it's so original and the concept is so creative. I love the way this magic system works and I love even more that we get a deeper look into the magic system and the history of this world! LOVED THIS!

Unbeknownst to me, I went into this novel without reading the first book. It explained to me why the beginning felt so confusing, but it was still a very nice read. I found the characters likable and the plot extremely intriguing. The fact that I managed to enjoy and understand this book even after my mistake, clearly shows how clear and smooth the plot is. I look forward to the next piece of work that this author comes up with!

Curse of Shadows is the second installment of the Amassia series by A.K. Wilder. 

We continue to follow an elite group working together to save their country from the next Great Dying.  As seen in a prophecy, the second sun has returned to the sky and will bring with it a war between the nine realms. This group must collect the original twelve whistle bones which are spread out across the work in an effort to keep the destruction at bay..

Wilder has developed a beautiful and unique world with characters who are flawed and yet lovable. The multiple points of view allow you to get a fresh perspective on the storyline. I would recommend to any fantasy reader.

Book Summary:

Ash fell during the battle of Baiseen – but they didn't stay lost. Though it certainly feels like they have lost over such a short time span. Somebody will have to get back up and put the world together again.

It looks like someone is going to have to be Ash. And so a quest begins, with many others (friends and foes) hoping to complete the same task – for their own gain, naturally.

“Sometimes, the heart is afraid to speak, for fear of breaking the spell ," my wise inner voice says.”

My Review:

Ohhhh! Curse of Shadows is the second novel in the Amassia series, and I have been looking forward to this release! It's a creative take on fantasy worlds, and that worldbuilding is perfection! Obviously, I have a lot of good things to say about this book.

The trick is putting my thoughts into non-spoilery words, which is a challenge for this particular review. I guess I have a lot of feelings this time around! This isn't too much of a surprise because Curse of Shadows will put readers on one heck of an emotional roller coaster. Seriously, get those tissues ready. Expect a few strange looks from those around you because keeping your emotions in check will NOT happen. Speaking from experience here.

Highlights
Fantasy World
Worldbuilding
Multiple POV
Secrets galore

And the adventure continues... We picked up right where Crown of Bones ended, and thank goodness for that! There's not much I can say about this without spoiling anything (and we all know how I feel about spoilers...). So I'll just say this- Expect lots of adventure! High seas, a fantastic magic system, a tiny bit of romance, and a whole cast of awesome characters! Hints of Atlantis, Mar (think mermaid), battles, political intrigue, the whole shebang! Seriously a great read!

This is the second installment of the Amassia series, readers who have read the first installment will most likely enjoy this book.  Wilder captivates with a new fantasy world with robust characters and lots of action and adventure.  I like that we get different perspectives through multiple POVs. 

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Entangled Teen for my eARC in exchange for my honest review~

—

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

—

This book revolves again around Marcus, Ash, and the gang doing their best to complete their quest with everything stacked against them. There were so many moments that I liked, and I’m a sucker for romance so I devoured any crumbs I could get. 

Curse of Shadows picked up not long after the end of Crown of Bones’ absolute insanity of an ending. We find that Ash has memory loss, which I linked to the ending of the previous book, though maybe I was wrong. I don’t think we ever get a clear explanation on why that was happening, but with more books to come, that’s to be expected. 

We see the return of some more mysterious characters from the last book, like Salila and Teern, the Mar people that dwell in the sea and can communicate mind-to-mind. We also see the return of some characters we barely got to see in the first book, like Larseen, one of Marcus’ best friends and one of the people that was supposed to accompany him on his journey to Aku, but he seems a bit off. Like he’s hiding something. 

The cast of characters got larger, but the characters didn’t seem shallower, which I think was really well done. They were all fully fleshed out, and while we still don’t know everything about them, they don’t seem two dimensional. 

One thing that really detracted from the story for me was just how long this book was. I love when books have more than 500 pages, especially fantasy books, but this one just seemed like… it could’ve been condensed. It was also really hard for me to get into every time I would sit down to read it. I don’t know, it just felt like it kind of dragged on at points. It was either fairly slow or so fast paced you could barely tell what was happening at times. There were so many moments I had to go back and read because I just didn’t know if I had comprehended it properly, which, a time or two is fine. Sometimes my brain is so busy that I miss something, but as often as it happened in this book? Not my thing. 

I did like this book. And I’ll most likely read the next ones if I have the time! I just hope that they’re better executed.

Can this series get any better?!
Yes, it can!

Thanks Kim, Netgallery and Entangled Teen for this advanced copy. I’ve really enjoyed the ride.

So what twists and turns are going to happen in Book 3?!

Curse of Shadows is the sequel to Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder; in the first book, we learn all about the savants, non-savants, and the raising of phantoms. We also know that creatures thought long gone the Mar are not gone and have been in hiding saving all the children thrown to the sea. We are given so much action and personal turmoil as the heroes face multiple villains and challenges. We get more info about the mysterious Mar, and the lore of the world and whistles bones thread throughout the book. Wilder crafts a wonderful intense world and knows how to move the plot line along in classic fantasy quest series.

I was so happy to receive this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book picked up right where the first one left off.  I was so excited to jump right into this book after been given the copy of the 1st book.

I loved how we got multiple POV's and were able to learn the characters more.  This world was vibrant and kept me intrigued.

I had a hard time in certain parts because I felt like the plot or pacing was slow but all in all I had a great time reading it!

4.5⭐️ 

Wow! 
So much is happening during this book but I enjoyed every second of it- more than the first. There is less world building in Curse of Shadows, so we are able to get right into all the meaty parts of the story. And boy do I need more! 

>> YA
>> Fantasy 
>> Action
>> Adventure 
>> Friendship
>> Multiple POV
>> Magic 
>> Cliffhanger- that I wasn’t mad at actually. 

I don’t want to give away any spoilers since this series is fantastic and you should read it BUT I had every emotion while reading this. Ash and Kaylin 😭 

But how about Ash! Goodness. 
Please just read this.

Curse of Shadows is the second installment of AK Wilder’s Amassia series - a YA fantasy set in a world where Savants have the power to raise phantoms from the ground. These phantoms enable the Savant to call forth objects, oust, alter forms, fight, and heal. In this second book, we follow Ash, Marcus and the rest of the crew as they race across the entire continent to collect the whistle bones from different realms in an attempt to save the world from total destruction. 

The world completely expands as new realms and characters are introduced; the stakes are higher with new villains and danger lurking in every corner. I was quite impressed how the story has improved from the first book, with new developments, more complex plot lines, shocking revelations and exciting twists and turns. It was fast-paced with no shortage of action and kept me engaged throughout most of the book. It’s sad that I’d have to wait for the 3rd book because I really can’t wait to see what happens next!

#CurseofShadows #NetGalley Another addition to this adventurous series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

This is the continuation of the series and it starts from book 1s cliffhanger. It starts fast with so much fighting and searching for power.
Ash and Kaylin are getting closer. They both seem to be holding some things back. Though Ash is not aware. Marcus returns home to many surprises and is sent on a quest. There's so many powers and politics at work. 

This is the continuation of the series and it starts from book 1s cliffhanger. It starts fast with so much fighting and searching for power.
Ash and Kaylin are getting closer. They both seem to be holding some things back. Though Ash is not aware. Marcus returns home to many surprises and is sent on a quest. There's so many powers and politics at work.

This book is so fast paced. It's told through so many of the characters' povs. Right when I think I know who is the one behind everything their pov trips me up.

This book also has a bit of a cliffhanger to go into the next book with some racing hearts and some open questions like what the heck? Ash is my favorite character but I do like the tortured ones usually. Those she trusted were lying to her so I feel she might shift dramatically in the next book.

Marcus with his crew are still searching for the whistle bones while the other power plays are happening right under their noses. I am really enjoying De'ral and Salila's relationship as they are both very powerful beings but also the banter between De'ral and Marcus as he tries to control his phantom is great.

I still don't know what Brogal, Rhiannon and Teern are planning. Anyone have any ideas?

Thank you entangled_publishing and netgalley for the eARC for the honest and voluntary review.