This was a really fun sequel! I like the characters, and it was nice to revisit them. I don’t expect a third book, but I would love one. The narrator was great; she really brought the story alive. I had both book and audio and kept returning to the audio version.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for an electronic Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

I was so excited to be able to read Icon and Inferno, the sequel to Stars and Smoke. The second book takes place a year after the events of Stars and Smoke. Korean pop superstar Winter Young is back to his musician life and trying to put his adventure with super spy Sydney Cossette behind him. Sydney is also back to her spying way. But they can't forget about each other and the connection they shared.

Sydney is forced to draft Winter again when an undercover agent called the Arsonist has failed to report on time - they fear he has been compromised and the next place he is to make contact is during the Warcross games (a welcome callback to the Warcross series). It doesn't help that he is also Sydney's ex.

Marie Lu always writes compelling plots and characters, and this is no exception. It's always fun to delve into one of the worlds that she has created, I really enjoyed this one and liked the continuation of Sydney and Winter's story. I hope that this series continues!

This was such a fun sequel! I had such a great time with this story, which never seemed to slow down. It hard to put down because I needed to know what would happen!

I thought the characters had great growth as well. It made this sequel completely worth the read on it's own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for an advanced copy!

I have been a Marie Lu fan for a long time, so I was super excited to read this one! Icon and Inferno is the sequel to Stars and Smoke, which I really enjoyed reading last year. And this second installment did not disappoint! I loved being able to follow Winter and Sydney on their next mission. It was especially fun to see characters from one of Marie Lu's previous series, Warcross (but reading the previous series is not needed to understand this book). Filled with action and romance, this will appeal to all Marie Lu fans and anyone who is looking for an exciting read.

This is a spectacular YA spy thriller. Marie Lu crafts such magnificent characters with Winter and Sydney. Their chemistry and their longing is so addictive to read. I am desperate for more in this setting. This series surprised me with the depth of its world building; it’s a very layered secret society. Overall, this is a deeply thought provoking YA spy thriller that I highly recommend. Marie Lu is such a talented writer that I am so excited to read more from!

5 stars

I loved Stars and Smoke and was so to hear there was going to be a sequel. I love Sydney and Winter’s relationship so much and how it was continued in this book. I also loved the story and plot twists. I don’t think Marie Lu knows how to write a bad book because everything I’ve read by her is perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

Another fun adventure with Syd and Winter and what can go wrong when you a mission, exes, danger and jealousy. Lu always writes such great character driven stories and with this duology it is perfect style for the pacing of the book.

Thank the stars, Sydney and Winter are back.

You all read Stars and Smoke (you didn’t? Stop now and do so) so you know we needed back into their story and Marie Lu found the perfect mission. London. Winter hasn’t been able to get Sydney out of his head since their last mission and this time the stakes are even higher - ahem, the President of the UNITED STATES.

But nothing ever goes as it’s planned and car chases, secret agents, songs no one was supposed to hear and relationships tested and I was hooked. Need a third one pretty please, this story is not over.

Thank you Netgalley, Maire Lu and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of 'Icon and Inferno' in exchange for an honest review.

I had the first book in this series on my TBR for a while. Now having read 'Icon and Inferno' I am upset I didn't read 'Stars and Smoke' earlier. This BOOK IS SO GOOD. First off the cover of 'Icon and Inferno' is beautiful and the title made me wants to read it on the spot. Second this is a YA book,however I didn't feel like it pandered to a younger audience. When they talked about the spy tech and gadgets, it could have been cheesy or juvenile but it wasn't! Those were some of my favorite part of the book. And it wasn't the same spy tech we have seen in movies since James Bond in the 60's. Even if it was something as simply as a hologram on a phone or an AI mirror, it was well done. On top of that we get the will they won't they romance. You get it all, spies, romance, thrills and suspense. What else could you ask for?

You didn't need to read 'Stars and Smoke' to read 'Icon and Inferno 'but I would recommend it. Everything you need to know it explained to you and characters are reintroduced to you in Icon and Inferno but they do keep mentioned Winter and Sydney's mission in the last book. So while you are waiting for 'Icon and Inferno' to drop on June 11,2024, RUN and go read 'Stars and Smoke'. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I love Marie Lus novels and this one was no different. The continuing story of Sydney and Winter was a tion packed and tender all at the same time. You could enjoy this as a stand alone but having read the first one made this one even better. I loved the balance of characters and how human they were with their emotions of just wanting to be loved. Well done and 5 stars!!!!!

This was so much fun. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed the first book, but as soon as I started reading this it all came back to me. I really like how Marie Lu doesn't ease you into the story with reminders of what already happened. You're just dropped in and bam! it goes 0-60 and the rest of the book is an adrenaline rush.

It's very clear to me, as a BTS Army, that Winter is based on various members of BTS. He felt so familiar and it made me instantly connect with him and be on his side. It's like, yes, obviously, any member of BTS -- I mean Winter -- could easily live a double life as an international pop star and also a spy. And obviously they'd be great at it.

Sydney is a great partner for Winter. She challenges him and doesn't let him get away with anything. And their chemistry is off the charts. They're both very charismatic and pop off the page. The secondary characters were good too and added a lot of drama, but I'm here for Winter and Sydney.

The political stakes are raised even higher in this one, and of course not everything about their mission is as it seems.

I really hope we get more books in this series. I will continue to happily devour them as soon as I can get my hands on them.

The audiobook was fantastic. The narrator did a great job conveying the tension and high stakes and I listened to it in one sitting and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The voices were great and believable and distinct.

Highly recommend, especially in audio format.

*Thanks to Netgalley, Roaring Book Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review.

Every time I pick up a new Marie Lu book I think I couldn’t possibly love it as much as the last and every single time she proves me wrong.

Icon and Inferno takes you back to the world of secrets and spies with our beloved characters Winter and Sydney on a new mission where their feelings for each other and their job will be put to the test.
This time they will be forced to confront everything they have been trying to avoid since their last mission together and face what the future might hold.
Icon and Inferno is glitzy and glamorous and takes all the best from the world of a famous pop star and combines it with the excitement and danger of operating in the shadows.

This is a book I would recommend to any and everyone. I hope everyone else loves it as much as I do!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc of this book! Let me tell you, when I got approved for the arc of this book I was over the moon excited and literally read half of the book in one sitting. Sydney and Winter have been on my mind since the ending of Stars and Smoke and whenever I look at the cover of Icon and Inferno my heart skips a beat. If you enjoyed the first book you will love this book even more. This book is similar to the first book but everything is heightened. The stakes are higher, the tension is amplified, the plot twists kick you in the face, your emotions are pulled every which way. My jaw dropped multiple times while reading this. The mission in this book is definitely more intense, so this explains a lot of the amplification. This time, the characters are in Singapore for a rescue mission, but let's be real, a rescue mission is way too boring for Sydney and Winter and things switch gears right away, with many lives on the line. The tension between Sydney and Winter could cut as well as any knife and did I mention that both of their exes are in this book. The perfect factors for jealousy and ANGRY LOVE CONFESSIONS. The last fourth of this book was my favorite, all the plot twists left me gaping and I could not put the book down. If you've watched the show Alias or the K-Drama called Flex Cop you will devour this book just like I did. It was amazing and if you can't tell by now, I very much enjoyed it.

Marie Lu has done it again. With the first book, Stars and Smoke, I instantly knew I needed to add this spy meets k-pop book into my classroom library for my students to experience. When I learned there was going to be a sequel, I could not wait to get my hands on it. I think I enjoyed this book as much, if not more, than the first one. I am definitely going to pre-order Icon and Inferno to add to my classroom library!

After absolutely loving Stars and Smoke, I was thrilled to receive an early digital copy of the sequel. This was such a fun ride with twists and turns and lots of spy-filled action, plus plenty of swoony romantic moments. I loved Sydney and Winter and their chemistry felt so natural. Both characters are intelligent, strong, and seem made for each other.

Both Winter and Sydney are vulnerable and have experienced great losses in their lives--some more recently than others--and yet, to successfully continue their mission and chosen lives, they must hide their personal feelings and ignore the pain. This made my heart ache for them.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat reading and not wanting to stop; so many chapters ended on cliff hangers that made me gasp out loud. Please, someone tell me there will be another book or even more! The ending left me instantly wanting to continue Winter and Sydney's journey.

I really enjoyed this second book (and hopefully not the last) in this fun YA spy thriller series that also has a wonderful romance. I did have a few issues with the plot, but hopefully things were smoothed out in the final edit.

Sydney and Winter are so good together. Both of their characters really grow and change throughout this book. I loved the scene where they finally admitted their feeling for each other. The dialog was perfect and full of things that people would say to each other. I love them both. I also love how they refuse to leave the other one behind, even when they could be in peril themselves. They always seem to find a way to save each other.

We had some solid secondary characters in this one, two of which were new, the rest from the previous book. I loved Gavi, although I wasn’t sure how she really fit into the narrative of the mission. But she did add some tension and backstory to Winter’s life. Tems, the agent they are trying to rescue, was also a bit confusing as to his motives for what he was doing in Singapore. His role was part of my issues with the overall spy part of the plot.

The setting was great! I loved seeing Singapore and there were even some cameos from the Warcross series. I don’t think I realized that this series was set in the same timeline as that one. The near future aspect of the story was also well done, with just enough new tech to make it believable.

The romance is very well done, with Sydney and Winter finding time for each other and finally admitting their feelings. The other storyline of the rescue mission, was a bit confusing and felt very muddled at times. There were also some aspects of this that stretched the believability mark even for a spy thriller. But it was fast paced and had lots of action, so that kind of makes up for it. The targeted YA audience also might not notice the flaws as readily as me.

I really hope that this is not the last time we get to see this wonderful cast of characters. But given that ending, which I loved and hated at the same time, it very well could be the last. But I will hope and pray for another in this series at some point. I am not ready to give up on these two having the happy ending they deserve.

If you enjoy fast action and thrilling plots than you really need to read this series. There is also a great slow burn romance that will make you want more. The characters are also endearing and relatable. If you are a fan of the author, you will not be disappointed by this one. If you haven’t read her books before, this series is an excellent place to start.

3.5 rounded up.

Ugh this was a good one, albeit there were some things I had issues with.

First and foremost the ending 😭

Sydney and Winter agreeing to MAYBE see each other once they’re done with their respective careers—idk man that kinda hurt. Especially considering how much they both cared for each other. I don’t like not knowing what happens to them.

And Winter’s cover?? They talked about how his cover wouldn’t survive another mission, but he didn’t really have a cover. They just used him to get into Singapore… no one besides Panacea knew about his involvement so it just didn’t make sense.

The whole assassination of Pres Rosen didn’t make sense and this whole “two plans” caused some confusion and I spent some time going back and forth between those pages trying to make sense of things but again, in the grand scheme of it all, I did enjoy the book. I loved that we got more Winter and Sydney scenes and interactions; I don’t like we didn’t get to see Leo at all and Dameon had minimal interactions. We don’t know what happened to them, to Claire, Winter’s mom, etc. it just doesn’t feel like a good enough conclusion, I guess.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as the first one but it was still pretty fun. I'll definitely read the next book!

A year has passed since Winter and Sydney last saw one another. A year of thinking about the other constantly but knowing there was nothing they could do. They can’t be together. Winter is still a very famous pop star and Sydney is an undercover agent. But their paths are about to cross once more when Sydney lands a new mission that requires Winter’s help. A mission that perhaps is even more dangerous and the outcome catastrophic if they fail. The pull between them is still as strong as it was the last time they saw one another and with everything that happens on this latest mission… maybe just maybe they can find a way back to one another. I really enjoyed another story about Winter and Sydney! They have great chemistry and I love learning more about them. It was fun being back in this world and also seeing some cameos of those in the Warcross series. I will say some plot points were a little predictable but there were definitely still moments that took you by surprise. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing more stories in this world and with Sydney’s agency. I’m sad to see Winter and Sydney’s story finished!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid follow up to Stars and Smoke and a decent second book for the series. I’m a sucker for anything Marie Lu puts out and this was no exception. Its pace moves quickly without forgoing the character development. I wish this one had a little more plot and honestly just a little more content. I do enjoy where Winter and Sydney’s relationship is heading and I’m already ready for the 3rd installment in their story and to dive back into the world of undercover spies.