I thoroughly enjoyed The City of Dusk but this book I loved. I’m attached to all the heirs, I love all of their flaws and misgivings. I love the intricacies of the magic system as well as the political aspects of the book. I can’t wait for the third book.

dnf pg 189 (32%)

I LOVED the first book, so I really wanted to also love this one... but unfortunately I got really bored. Not a lot has happened so far, and all the heirs are spread across several realms, so their plots don't intersect each other like the first book. I think what I enjoyed during the first book was the characters and character interactions, and not much development has happened so far. Also there's way too much going on and a bunch of new characters, it seems like all 4 heirs are doing something completely different.

I really wanted to love it like I loved the first book.

The sequel in The Dark Gods trilogy, picking up where the first book left off with the heirs of the kingdom fighting off against manipulative gods, each other, and trying to restore peace before the gods destroy everything and war breaks out. In a world where there are gods and their descendants hold powers, the gods wait in shadows manipulating and scheming against one another and their descendants must find a way to save each other from being possessed and to save their loved ones and the world from the impending war that the gods would bring about. Taesia is the shadow-wielding rebel of House Lastrider and Nikolas is the reluctant soldier of House Cyr, both of them have been cast into Noctus, the realm of eternal night and forced to battle off against the dangerous god of light who will do anything to have cosmic control. Thankfully there is Julian there with Taesia, the hunter who has a beast lurking beneath the surface. Risha is the peackeeping necromancer from House Vakara who has to navigate her way through the realm of death, Mortri. She finds herself traveling with the spirit of Jas, and has to find a way to survive the realm inhabited by dangerous spirits and she has no way of figuring out how to get out alive. Angelica is the elementalist of House Mardova and has to keep Nexus from unraveling while dealing with the fact that she is ill. All of these heirs will have to find a way to work together to stop the gods from starting a war and possessing them as well as saving each other. I really loved the first book but this one ran into the same problem as the first one for me, it felt really slow and dragged out, this was over 500 pages and honestly could have had 100 pages or more taken out. The entire book felt a bit lackluster in plot progress and really didn't feel like much was happening. The first one had better pacing and this one just didn't move as much. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the overall story and am looking forward to how the last book ends, I just felt that this one was a bit slower and lacked a bit of action. Overall it was a fine continuation of the first book but I am looking forward to how everything finally wraps up in the last book.

*Thanks Netgalley and Orbit Books, Orbit for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

(3.5 rounded up)

A strong entry in The Dark Gods trilogy.
Unlike the first book, we explore much of the wider world of Vitae here. Our characters find themselves travelling to different countries, continents and even different realms! I was surprised at how much lore and world-building is expanded upon here, it was magnificent!
We meet many new interesting characters and the plot takes some unexpected twists and turns. Each of our main POV’s had such an interesting story but the one that stood out to me was Rishi. Her inherent circumstances tugged at me the most.

A couple things I enjoyed much less here than the first book. First, the romance was quite predictable and given much more page time. This also ties in with the second, which is that this felt very YA. There were some adult themes but most of the time, the dynamic between the characters (especially the romance) felt like a YA novel. I understand that much of the author’s works are YA but here it was unexpected and became tedious to read at times.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing where this story went and the ending had me very intrigued. Looking forward to book 3!

OH MY GOD I CANT WAIT FOR BOOK 3 WTF I really enjoyed COD BUT this one I absolutely loved soo sooo much. I'm blown away by the character development, you truly can feel the difference and growth in app of the characters.

although i really enjoyed the first book, i'm afraid i found this second book quite disappointing.

it's not that it's terrible; it's just that it did not get to where i thought it would go and the story's potential felt wasted. i enjoyed the predictability of the first book but here it felt exhausting to read, as it did not subvert any of the usual tropes and themes. when i enjoyed the careful mix of the different magic systems, it quickly became old for me (again, i grew tired of it).

even so, i would still recommend this novel to my audience as i think this is more of a me problem.

This book was fine. Not amazing, but not bad either. It picks up right after book 1 ends, but there are several disparate plots going on. I usually don’t mind this, but the jumping between made it very choppy. And honestly, I didn’t really like many of the characters. I probably won’t continue this series.

Thank You Orbit Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I enjoyed the book so much! Each character pov had me hooked! Every chapter ended up feeling like a mini cliffhanger and I kept wanting more! Taesia, Julian, Fin, and Nik are stuck in Noctus with Phos in Rian’s body. Meanwhile Risha is stuck in Mortri and determined to get back home, but also determined to return with Jas by her side. Angelica is on her way to Azuna to make alliances and to find a way to beat Deia. And Dante, on the run, is on his was to Seniza looking for his aunt and a way to get his sister back. Will they all return home? Can they find a way to stop the Gods? Will they be able to control their powers? A fast paced, exciting, on the edge of your seat sequel to The City Of Dusk! Absolutely fantastic! I would recommend rereading The City Of Dusk first as there were a few things I couldn’t quite remember. Also give yourself plenty of time to read because Tara Sim creates a world that’s so complex, all the details matter! Highly recommend reading! Can’t wait to read it again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: August 22, 2023

This picks up right where the first left off, following all the heirs in the various places they ended. I think it was a really solid second book in a fantasy series with a lot of character development and story line development. We also learned more about this world/universe, how it works, and it's background. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Midnight Kingdom on August 22, 2023.

Wow! Tara Sim truly knows how to create an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat ending. The last 100 pages flew by as I wondered how these characters could possibly resolve everything. I shouldn't have worried, though I do want to know what will happen next after that cliffhanger!

I'll admit this book started a bit slower for me (mostly because I was in the mood to read something else) but by the time the characters settled themselves in all their new locations, things picked up a ton. I loved the multiple POVs, seeing inside every character's head to understand how they processed all the new changes and challenges thrown at them. Taesia and Risha are still my faves, but Angelica and Dante also grew on me so much in this book!

This world and magic system are complex in the best way. Do I fully understand all the mechanics? No, but the way they're integrated into the action made it easy to roll with everything. Also, major props to Tara for creating such an incredible world to begin with (and keeping track of everything!).

I also appreciated the slowburn romances picking up in this book, All the relationships feel earned, and the queer representation is literally top-notch. I can't wait to see more of these fleshed out in Book 3!

If you're looking for Game of Thrones-level politics with awesome magical fights and inter-dimensional god-fighting, this is the book for you!

The Midnight Kingdom is an excellent follow up to The City of Dusk. While it does suffer a bit from middle book syndrome, it feels warranted given the fact that our characters are not only exploring outside of Nexus, but into other countries AND realms. It's ambitious and done well, but also means that while stuff happens, the overall plot does not move much.

The same can be said for our cast of characters. While Taesia stole the spotlight in book one, I think Risha and Angelica really shine in book two. They have the most character growth, while the other heirs sort of remain the same. I loved the expansion of secondary characters. I think they really added to the story--though I greatly missed the chemistry between all of the heirs. I hope we'll be able to return to that in book 3. The romances are also done so well; it is one of my favorite aspects. Everything feels natural and well written. Risha and Jas especially gave me all the feels.

Multiple POVs is never easy, and with a cast this large it was one of my biggest complaints from book one. The POVs were much easier to follow in The Midnight Kingdom (perhaps being in differnet places helps?) and only a couple of moments near the end where I wasn't sure whose perspective I was reading.

Overall, I thought this was a solid read and am definitely looking forward to book 3. I'm giving it a weak 4 stars simply because of the ending. I can't decide if it really makes sense for that character or not, but maybe I will have greater clarity upon re-read or in book 3.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read the first book and it was good. This one was so much more action pack, and so many things happen. I really enjoyed diving back into this world, characters and the gods. This one has some pretty intense moments and some pretty creepy moments that are really well written. Congratulations on book 2 looking forward to your next book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Orbit for letting me get this ARC for review.

I was so excited for this sequel. After the way the first book ended, I didn't even really care to read the description before knowing I had to get this book. For the first 120ish pages I flew through this with a giddy feeling. Now let's get into what happened with this book.

In the sequel novel, we are still following the same cast of characters. This go around I feel for the most part Nikolas's chapters were shorter due to his condition. While Dante might have gotten a bit more time than the first book. If you wanted character growth out of this book then you will be somewhat disappointed. Angelica is the only one that I believe actually started to change for the better. She was still somewhat annoying and self-important at the end but actually thinking about helping others.

This book follows the heirs each in their own parts of the realms. Taesia, Nik, and Julian are in Noctas trying to survive against Phos who is determined to turn that realm into his own. They are able to find allies in the royal family there. Their storyline helps to grow Julian's powers and blood connection to the lost god. While the other two I was not as okay with how their storylines progressed. Angelica and Dante are forced to agree on a matter of how to best get the other heirs back. Dante is looking for his aunt and the conjuror who could help get the portals open again. Angelic accepts a mission to Azuna to look for an item of Diea. I did like that Angelica was able to expand her abilities into more of an ethereal element with her singing. Risha traveling through Mortri actually felt normal compared to the others.

That might have been a really confusing breakdown of character info. The plot of this book is kind of either finding a way home or how to get back at the gods. In the first book, the heirs were trying to get in touch with the gods and try to get them to help save the realms as surely they couldn't know it was dying. This book is we have to stay away from the gods or ignore them as much as possible. I feel like the conversations that were had between heirs and gods were a bit repetitive. The majority of this book is slow plot. Then we will have big action events but back to a slow story from another character. The ending of this book was a fight scene but it didn't feel as impactful huge as the conclusion of the first novel.

After finishing the book and thinking about it for a few days, I'm still mad at the ending. It had felt that this character, while not having much real growth, had gotten past the particular way of acting. However, the end was horrible for her. There were some "twists" that were a little too predictable. Also, the realms are still dying, no time spent thinking about that yet. Even with all of this, I'm going to read the next one.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit, for the free digital book in exchange for a review.

The Midnight Kingdom elevates The Dark God's series to new heights, immersing readers in an epic fantasy that embarks on a thrilling journey across multiple realms. The author skillfully presents a detailed backdrop of these realms and their respective deities in this book. With four distinct settings within the story, the inclusion of character names in the title serves as an informative guide for readers, ensuring clarity regarding both point-of-view and realm to prevent any confusion.

The world-building is vividly portrayed, with the writing flawlessly capturing the desired mood and atmosphere while staying true to each character's essence. While all characters in this book leave a lasting impression, my favorite is Taesia—the rebel. Throughout this novel, marked by significant character development for everyone involved, Taesia captivates me most due to her intriguing nature filled with conflicting thoughts.

What I find particularly compelling about this book is how its characters fiercely fight against predetermined destinies while asserting their own free will—a testament to their unwavering belief in shaping their paths. Moreover, it becomes evident that these characters rely on one another; they forge unbreakable bonds born out of necessity.

This enchanting tale revolves around themes of gods and beliefs intertwined with concepts such as free will and friendship—an exploration that leaves readers contemplating profound ideas long after finishing its final chapter.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This is the second book of the series, it continues off right away from The City of Dusk! There’s a lot of world building going on in this book, the author demonstrated a fantastic ability to describe countries and realms and the diversity in each and every one. The details were great! It felt like I could see it in front of me, like I was experiencing the story. There are also many new characters that come into the story in this second book, which I liked, and the old group of characters are still in the book and just as important.

The plot remained coherent, and while it did not blow me away like the first book did, there were many instances where I could see the multiple storylines and elements combine in a beautiful way, and it made me satisfied as a reader to see this! The development of different relationships in our cast of characters was fantastically written, the romance especially was portrayed beautifully. There’s poetic and emotionally quality to the language used to describe these emotional and romantic moments between the characters and I loved reading these passages especially.

Overall I highly recommend reading this series, I can’t wait for the next book! It’s such a dark and brutally complex world and the group of characters are just wonderful, it’s such a rich story. The only thing to comment on is the beginning of this second book is slower in comparison to book 1; therefore you need to read a little bit before things start happening and the turns and twists come into focus.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC! I was very exited for this ARC, with so many exiting premises. A fight against the heavens, found family, powers!!!! Sadly though, I struggled with the numerous POVs and information from all those POVs on top of the gods and their world. The pacing feels a bit slow at times and then will feel too fast in others, it just doesn’t feel consistent. To be honest, the amount of information isn’t the killer, it’s just the execution in my opinion. And while I enjoyed the premise, I don’t think the book as an end result was for me.

I have been DYING for this book. It was everything and more since the last one. I CANNOT wait to have the physical copy in my hand. If you enjoyed the first one, this sequel will blow you away.

The writing is phenomenal and mysterious. But. Is. This. THE end????

review on goodreads and tiktok will be posted in august two weeks before the sale date!!


the midnight kingdom review

"eat shit and die" i absolutely love taesia

The Midnight Kingdom is the sequel to The City of Dusk and boy oh boy it has lived up to the expectations and been amazing. i LOVE multiple pov high fantasy books. i love them. i think that they are the peak writing style and more authors should do it.

we follow to stories of the main characters from book one as they duel the earring gods and fight their way to try and get back to each other and save the world, literally. they all face gruesome and heartbreaking challenges that test them to their limits throughout the book. there are plot twists, tragedies, mysteries, and more throughout the second installment of this story.

this book is good. it kept me hooked the entire story which is rare for me these days. i really do love the multiple povs we get throughout this book, it's nice knowing what's happening everywhere and to everyone.

the ending of this book is so perfect? this book is perfectly executed. the sort of cliffhanger was amazing, i'm going to need book 3 immediately.

this was a 5 star read for me, i loved it. tara sim is an incredible author. thank you to the author, publisher (orbit), and netgalley for the chance to review this arc!

"The Midnight Kingdom" by Tara Sim, the second book in the series, offers a refreshing queer element that adds depth to the story. While the multiple viewpoints and character challenges are engaging, the world-building feels somewhat lacking, making the narrative occasionally drag on. Nonetheless, it remains a worthwhile read, providing inclusive and diverse representation in the fantasy genre. Looking forward to any and all this author writes.

To no one's surprise, there's still a LOT going on. And as their paths converge, it becomes more and more chaotic which is just my speed. I loved the ensemble cast and being able to explore more of the world, but it felt like it dragged for the first 70% of the book. (For any other book, I would've DNFed tbh) I'd forgotten so much of the lore that some of the elements didn't quite make sense, but I think that's a personal problem. Much of the political intrigue is bogged down by violence, but I'm still strangely excited for Book 3....

*Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*