This is book 2 in a YA fantasy time travel series. You need to read book 1 first as it is not a stand alone.
I love this series! This book has Tasha caught in a love triangle between Braxton and Killian while she time travels to Renaissance Italy to find the “moon”.
There is mystery and suspense plus the added historical world building. I like historical fantasies because it puts a creative spin on history. A few mysteries from the first book are revealed, but there is still more to solve as it does end in a cliffhanger. I like how Tasha doesn’t know who to trust: Braxton or Killian. It will keep you guessing until the very end.
I can’t wait for the third book!

Thank you Entangled Teen for the ARC! ⌛️🖼️🌕

Ruling Destiny is the second installment from the thrilling saga Stolen Beauty by Alyson Noel.
It continues right where we left in Stealing Infinity and continues with answering plenty of questions from book 1 but only to surprise you with more twists and turns and fresh set of questions, keeping you on your toes.
As Natasha continues her life in Gray Wolf Academy and tries to build for herself some kind of normalcy, she soon realizes that everything and everyone around her is built on lies and secrets and there's no such thing as true connection in this place… even she is forced to keep a few under her sleeve.
Determined to seek answers and unravel the truth, entering the whirlpool of deceit and lies is her only choice, with the hope she'll manage to sift through them and gather the bits and pieces that'll allow her to see clearly.
I love Natasha's character arc through book 1 and 2 – she went through all the phases' of denial, rebellion,grief, acceptance at the end of book one and the beginning of book 2, and finally, she got out of her accepting slumber and started to question more and starting to play her game and act to get what she's seeking.
Killian, to be honest, was the most intriguing character for me since book one and continued that trend thought book 2. His poker face, his accent, and bravado, combined with a sharp and observant mind that gives nothing away. And that makes the blink it, and you miss it moments his mask is off, only for Natasha all the more strong and emotional.
And also in my opinion he is the main catalyst,the spark that makes Natasha get out of her slumber/defeated state since the end of book one and start questioning the things around her and start seaking answers.He is a good influence to her in a weird way too ,ushering her to start living and not merely existing. Moreover, he is more upfront with her in comparrison to Braxton.
As to Braxton, I love that Ruling Destiny gave us more understanding of his internal struggle and turmoil but also why he is the character we see.
Ruling Destiny gripped me even more than Stealing Infinity and after that amazing ending I'm at the edge of my seat to continue the journey in the next book of this wonderful series.

So even though I had a couple of issues with book 1, I wanted to continue with the series. Natasha was too much for the bulk of Stealing Infinity, but she calmed down and became a likable character. Well, now we’ve backslid. Any character growth she may have had is gone, and she’s back to being impulsive, to being a right pill, and though I made it to roughly 60%, it is here that I bail.

There was no lead in to this book at all. You’re just supposed to remember exactly what happened a year ago in book 1. There are a few reminders further in, but it does the reader a disservice to just jump right into a story, which doesn’t work unless a reader finds the series for the first time after it’s finished.

We’re also back to the “Braxton is doing or saying something sketchy, but we’re going to ignore it, because I love him and kittens and rainbows,” or whatever. And he's so utterly boring, it feels like he's an afterthought in the plot of the Natasha and Killian will they won't they. Finally, far too many chapters end on something important or something of note, only to be a forgotten vein of story where the next chapter has nothing to do with the way the previous chapter ended. This is so confusing, and I don’t understand any of it, so I’m calling it a day.

Rarely have I ever read a book that has made me second guess myself as much as this one. This captivating sequel to Stealing Infinity left the main character as confused on who to trust as I was.

Some absolute bombshells dropped. New enemies. Unexpected friendships. Adventures to great and terrible places and times. Natasha really is an utter baddie in this book.

Caution: this book may have you DMing @alyson_noel to yell at her about you never being able to emotionally recover from this book. Or is that just me?

Either way, preorder your copy today because it comes out soon and you need it!

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

Such a great follow up to the first book! This series just keeps getting better and better. Figuring out the pieces to the puzzle alongside the characters was such fun! If you liked the first, you will love the second!

This book ripped my heart out okay and I’m not sure if I’m going to get it back. This was such a fantastic sequel!

I love how alyson can always suck me in i didn't think anything could top stealing infinity until i read this. I love the twist and turns in it she keeps you guessing whats going to happen next. I cant wait for book 3 thank you netgalley, Entangled publishing llc for the opportunity to this

I struggle with reading series, because cliffhangers will be the death of me. I always want to keep reading to find out what happens next, but I'm terribly impatient. But I do appreciate when a story is intriguing, and love short chapters. I will likely continue the story to find out how the story continues.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was the most exciting and anticipated sequel to this series I have waited for! This pulled me in and kept me wanting for more. How can I wait to see what happens to my most favorite time tripper/timekeeper.

If you have not stared this series please run and get the first book and read it. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Please bring in the next book soon I just cannot wait!

"Ruling Destiny" was a decent sequel. I particularly liked Natasha meeting Leonardo da Vinci, as well as how she puzzled out the clues he left regarding the location of the “moon.” I also liked the revelations about some of the staff and how and why they arrived at Gray Wolf.

However, there are some pretty obvious “secrets” involving Natasha, her father, and Killian that have either been revealed to the reader or hinted at, but which Natasha will not learn/discover until near the end of the story. As a reader, I shared Natasha’s frustration at the secrets being withheld from her. I would have preferred less of the boy drama with Braxton and Killian and instead for Natasha to learn the “truth” earlier, so the story could focus on how she responded to the revelations. That being said, I am looking forward to the third book.

There was a lot that I really liked about this second book, but there were a few things that I really really didn’t like and unfortunately these few things kind of hindered my enjoyment of the book. I don’t want to dwell on these few things so I am going to start with what I didn’t like.

Natasha really got on my nerves this time around. I had a few issues with her in the first book, but these issues were really prevalent here. Her total self centered attitude and her constant whining were just too much this time around. I also had trouble with her attitude toward Elodie, and why she thinks she is out to sabotage her all the time. Some of her issues come from the paranoia she is constantly feeling at Gray Wolf Academy and I get that, but it just seemed a bit much.

The love triangle thing didn’t work for me and there was way too much focus on it. Also, Nat does this thing towards the end that I don’t want to spoil, but it just felt so wrong for her character. But I did really enjoy the banter between Nat and Killian. I really like both Braxton and Killian, even when one of them turns out to be the villain.

Finally, there were some ‘big reveals’ towards the end, that fell totally flat, mostly because I had already figured them out, some even in the first book. This book also didn’t feel like it was moving the main story line along either. It was just stuck on Nat’s love life and anxiety.

What I really liked about this book is the setting and the whole time travel sections. I love that this group of kids go back in time to steal, or sometimes purchase, great works of art, so that Arthur can supposedly save them. The author does a pretty good job of describing the historical places they go and all that they eat and wear. You can feel what it is like to be there. I also really liked the link between the tarot cards and numerology and how they related to historical events. This was added into the narrative very seamlessly. The pacing was for the most part fast, and with the short chapters I felt like I flew through this book.

The characters are also well written and except for Nat getting on my nerves, I really enjoyed the diverse cast of characters. I just wish that Nat spent a bit more time interacting with some of them. Mason is suppose to be her best friend but she spent little time with him. Although there are a few scenes that were very sweet and I just loved those.

I know that a lot of people will have issue with the keeping secrets and the miscommunications that run rampant in this one, but for once this didn’t bother me. Mostly because it fit with the setting. Everyone is paranoid and everyone knows that they are constantly being watched. How could you tell your secrets or even communicate with others when you know it might be recorded and used against you? When you can’t trust anyone, not even your boyfriend, then you tend to keep a lot to yourself.

This was a second book and it left a lot of things unanswered. I am looking forward to reading the third book and hopefully all will be revealed, like what is Arthur really up to? If you like time travel and dark academia mixed with a bit of mystery and intrigue this is a series you want to be adding to your TBR list.

Breathtaking second in Stolen Beauty series! This was heart pounding and left me completely conflicted- do I rush through the book to figure out what is happening here? Or do I slow down and enjoy the absolute roller coaster of emotions and feelings that this book puts me through! I tried to do both and enjoyed every second of this YA fantasy/ romance!

In this book, Natasha is still at Grey Wolf Academy. As she works to uncover the secrets and lies that are building on top of each other at this school, she has to figure out who to trust. Does she trust Braxton- the boy that she loves but is convinced is hiding something from her? Maybe Killian who was stuck in the past until she rescued him. He seems to care for her but he and Braxton hate each other and somehow he knows Braxton’s secrets. Or does she trust Elodie who was her friend but also seems to be behind earlier sabotaged trips?

While Natasha is trying to figure all of this out, she is also trying to identify why memories of her father keep surfacing and what she can learn from those. Natasha must travel back in time and solve puzzles to acquire the secret pieces that Author says that only she can get including Regency England and the Renaissance Italy.

Thanks NetGalley, Entangled, and Alyson Noel for allowing me to have an early copy so I could review and provide my honest feedback! I literally squealed with excitement when I could read this early as I’ve been anxiously waiting for it’s arrival!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book, provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We have reached the second installment of this enthralling series, and I devoured it! I loved Stealing Infinity so very much, and I absolutely couldn't wait to get my hands on Ruling Destiny. The tension is thick between Natasha, Braxton, Elodie and Killian, and secrets abound through the halls of Gray Wolf Academy. But who should Tasha trust?

Committed to Braxton, Natasha is still trying to unravel the mystery of what went down in the long-ago Trip where Braxton left Killian behind. Neither man will share specifics, and Tasha is about to blow her top - enter Elodie to, well, stoke every freakin flame against everything. I swear, Elodie is Regina George. And when lines are crossed and secrets are revealed (one I saw coming and one I didn't!), where will the dust fall and who will be unscathed?

I absolutely adore this world Alyson Noel has created - I've likened it to Back to the Future meets The Italian Job. The mystery will be concluded in the third book, and so far, it's kept me guessing! I really liked the twists this book took and the secrets that were revealed. I actually breathed a sigh of relief at one point haha!

I ended up DNFing this story. I should have read the description closer, because I did not realize until after I was approved that this was the sequel. So, I went to go read the first book and immediately didn't mesh with the writing style, but I continued, hoping I would maybe grow use to the style. Unfortunately, it was difficult to continue into book two. The style of writing just didn't mesh with me. I often was cringing at some of the dialogue, or found myself skimming pages. I think this story premise is definitely interesting, and there are definitely people out there who will like this style of writing, I'm sadly not one of them.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. It was the perfect compliment to Stealing infinity!
This book took me on an adventure. The twists and turns that occurred were shocking, and had me just as a paranoid as Natasha on who she could trust. If you loved the first book you will love this book just as much, if not more. While reading it I was torn with I need to know what happens and I don’t want it to end. Now that it’s over I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book!

Ruling Destiny is an okay addition to the series but to me, it felt like it suffered from middle-book syndrome. Natasha and Braxton was a lot overdone, the will they won't they was overkill and I got bored reading about how swapped between loving and not loving him. I didn't care about Killian either.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the theme of not trusting anyone. not even your lover. I don't think it's done right in this series because usually every chapter ends with "they said xxxx I wonder if that's the truth"

There was a lot of lore dump that I kind of skimmed over as I kind of felt like it was a lot at once and did not care toward the end of it.

It ended on a cliffhanger and I am keen to learn how the author ties this series up (I assume this is a 3 book series).

I was not sure about this book at first. But I am so so glad I kept reading. I didn't realize it was a sequel in the series, which may have helped. I loved the character and world building within this book. I really enjoyed the time travel and the different time periods that this book visited. This will be on my list to recommend to students in my classroom. Thanks NetGalley and Entangled Teen Publishing for the ARC of this book!

2/5 stars

Honestly, this book was a big improvement from the last one. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of ground left for this book to cover for me personally.

Pros:
- I definitely liked the writing of this book a lot more than the last one!
- References to art, tarot cards, and historical events were all done really well and integrated very nicely
- Nat was less insufferable with her personality in this book, as was Braxton, so yay character development
- The chemistry in the love triangle was actually so good

Cons (buckle up):
- Literally all of the relationships between characters
- Nat and Mason: Supposedly "best friends" but Mason rarely shows up at all in this book even though Nat should be helping Mason acclimate to Grey Wolf as a friend??
- Nat and Braxton: Oh my god. I hate them. <spoiler> How is Nat GONNA LEAVE BRAXTON BLEEDING OUT ON THE FLOOR IN A DIFFERENT CENTURY TO DIE AND THEN IMMEDIATELY KISS KILLIAN BECAUSE SHE WAS "HEARTBROKEN" AFTER TRUSTED KILLIAN INSTEAD OF COMMUNICATING WITH HER BF????? </spoiler> One of the few times I will say the male lead in a YA novel deserves better because... Nat.
- Nat and Killian: ?????????????????????????????? is all I have to say on this. Nat, girl, if your boyfriend doesn't want you to talk to him and says you shouldn't trust him maybe ask him why??? Maybe DON'T trust this guy blindly at the very least????????
- The plot: Honestly, it was just... not there. This book is unfortunately a victim of second book syndrome - (slight spoilers) even the big "twist" reveal about Nat's dad at the end was essentially given away at the start of the book (spoiler over) and I was expecting there to be more on the Antikythera Mechanism or something but there was not really anything added to the worldbuilding or series plot at all :(

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

If you're looking for a young adult, dark academia, time traveling romance, then look no further than here! Natasha is a 17 year old normal high school girl, but one day her world flips upside down as she is recruited into the top secret, elite school of Grey Wolf. Once there, she discovered the world of time traveling. Arthur, the school's founder, has a hidden agenda, and Natasha is determined to find out what is really going on.

This series has an amazing premise. It's rich in history, culture and science, and it allows you to step into different time periods as you take these Trips with Natasha and co. That was my favorite part of this book. I feel like I was able to learn about art and history without it feeling like it was a boring school lesson.

The story is fairly juvenile, but I felt like it picked up more in the second book. I will say that this book has multiple of my most HATED tropes. First, miscommunication. Just talk. Seriously. Just be a grown ass person and have the hard conversations. Second of all, freaking love triangle. Thankfully that doesn't appear until Ruling Destiny, and it's resolved before the end of the book. There are some good tropes though, like forced proximity, "touch her and I'll kill you", and some other good ones I can't even think of at the moment haha.

After finishing Ruling Destiny, I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, I'm just sad it's going to be a while. I recommend this series solely for all the history and the fun time traveling and puzzle solving that goes on!