Yadriel and Julian survived a battle against an evil god, complete with Julian being brought back from the dead and getting the ability to see and talk to spirits. They've been slowly getting back to living their life as a couple, but the secrecy of Yadriel's world and a darkness from their past will push everyone they love to the limit and force Julian to choose how far he's willing to go to save what he loves.

It's like Thomas decided that all the pertinent characters had been introduced and the worldbuilding is nice and solid, so it was time to go straight for the emotions. And it's not just the sadness of loss and anxiety of not feeling accepted. There are so many great moments of love, joy, and just all-around wonderfulness that had me tearing up almost as much as the moments that touched on grief and trauma. Even almost 6 years after reading the first book, the characters and their stories hit hard. It's a testament to how well Thomas writes that it felt like no time had passed since we last followed Julian and Yadriel's adventures with spirits, and the stakes are even higher now because you know what they've already survived and that they deserve to be happy.

This book focuses a lot more on Julian than on Yadriel and puts the romance a little on the back burner. It more than makes up for it by highlighting the importance of family (be it blood or found), which worked to strengthen their characters and motivations. It's still mainly a story about two souls who found each other in difficult circumstances and prevailed, but it's also about their support system and others being open to accepting who people say they are and trusting in them when they say they can take something on.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the emotional read!