~~Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for the ARC!~~

4.5/5 rounded down.

I didn't expect to like this more than its predecessor, but, I gotta say, my expectations were completely blown out of the water.

The worldbuilding elements I thought were lacking in The Third Daughter was fully answered here. The religion of the Second Son was explored in depth, of its sinister nature of bringing out anger and resentment out of its followers (primarily men) and how the cult spread like wild fire once Sabine was revealed to be the New Maiden in order to assassinate her (metaphorically and literally) and the church. I really liked how it was a representation of toxic masculinity, despite it being a bit on the nose (Though what may be obvious to me could be eye-opening for this book's teen demographic, so I completely don't fault it on that). The Second Son's origins being mostly because he was mistreated by the men around him, which later he turned to resenting the Third Daughter for being allowed to freely express what he could not, was so interesting. It made quite a dynamic between Sabine and Tal while making excellent conflict for the story.

Speaking of conflict, there is definitely so much more stakes than TTD. With the rise of the Second Son cult, they're an ongoing threat to both Elodie and Sabine in very significant ways, with the Son setting their neighbors on Velle for war and luring away the New Maiden's believers. It made me more invested into the girls and the struggles they were forced to face throughout the story, as well as giving both girls rounded characters and development.

Despite this being the indefinite finale, I still had two questions that the story didn't fully address by its end.

1. Where is Chaplain René, and why the hell wasn't he arrested? He popped up to Elodie during the 4th to last chapter, revealed he killed her mom (I knew I was right to suspect foul play), unleashed the guy who's been threatening/harassing her all throughout the story, and just left, never to be seen again. He literally admitted to killing the former queen just to install his daughter on the throne, but nowhere is it mentioned in Elodie's last chapter that he was arrested or anything. I think Tooley forgot to include that part, but I don't know if there's enough time between now and when the final copies release to fix that.

2. Why has Tal not been arrested? I understand that he was being controlled by a magical deity, and Sabine had it in her heart to forgive him and all, but that doesn't really excuse him conspiring to destroy the whole kingdom. Sure, he's lost and sad in the aftermath, but I don't believe he was punished enough after all he did throughout this book.

Despite that, I still think this was a mass improvement, and that this is still a really good duology. The exploration of religion, depression, toxic masculinity, and all the themes between those were still portrayed in a emotionally impactful way. I just really enjoy Tooley's works, and I will eagerly be awaiting whatever she may have next.

I thought I really enjoyed The Third Daughter and then this book sort of blew that out of the water. Absolutely stunning, amazing sequel and conclusion to a series. I like it when the last book feels like the last book; where plots are all neatly tied up and the endings all make sense. But still there’s that sense where you could very well spend 3 more books in this universe. That was me with this series – fantastic ending but I wouldn’t mind spending more time here.

That’s definitely due to the characters. Tooley fully shines in her characters – dialogue, development, just how they live in the world. It was even better than the previous book. Especially with the two main female characters – Sabine and Elodie – how they interacted with everyone around them, whether friends or enemies. How they interacted with each other – so sweet and special, I loved every second. And even with themselves as they try to navigate their new roles and their purposes in life.

I really liked Sabine and Elodie in the first book and I liked them even more in this one. Reading the first book’s review I said I liked Sabine’s chapters more, and here I liked Elodie’s chapters more – so that was interesting. Both of them had changed so much with all they’ve been through and they continue to go through so much more this time around. To me their personalities were better in the sequel – maybe because Tooley spent more time with them or they’re put through rougher circumstances in here.

Either way, it just works so well and I was here for it all the way. I want to dive into Grace’s other books because of how well she writes these characters. I can only hope that the characters in her other books are as well-written as in here. The side characters in here are so well-written too that they don’t feel like they’re actually side characters. They’re fully fleshed out, you see their emotions clear on their faces and dialogue. You know their personalities even though they’re only seen in a few scenes. That’s what I love to see in a book.

The plot rolls over from the previous book but it also brings up new plot points and Grace balanced them all very well. I really like a good balance of typing up the old plot points from the previous book and dealing with new ones. To me that’s the mark of a good author as it shows not only that they’re able to juggle it all but they do it well enough so that you, the reader, understands it all.

9.43/10
Characters-10

I loved the characters in this novel. Elodie and Sabine were fantastic and had a great dynamic. There were also supporting characters in this book, like Cleo and Brianne, that I enjoyed reading about. Sabine and her family had an interesting dynamic because they all had different personalities and worked together. Tal brought an interesting dynamic to this book, which I loved.

Plot-9

This story was interesting. I enjoyed how the themes of family, war, and personal thoughts played a role in this story. I liked how the dynamics between the characters played a role in the story. A sense of duty, doing what you want versus what you should do for your kingdom, was also a theme of this story, which I enjoyed. The Second Son had religious undertones to this story, and I enjoyed how this world's religious system worked.

Writing-10

Adrienne Tooley is a great writer. I was drawn into the writing style of this book, and I wanted to read more. There were many heavy themes in this book, and the tone of the story was reflected in that which I loved. There were some lighter moments in the story, and I loved that because you could tell the characters were enjoying themselves. The world-building in this duology was great, and in this book, we got to see more of the world the characters live in. From the castle to the harborside, I loved seeing how this world came together. This was a book with a lot of inner monologue and dreams where you find out what the characters are thinking, and how they're feeling, which I enjoyed.

Enjoyment-9

I enjoyed this book. I had a great time reading it even if it was heavier at times. The characters were wonderful, and I was rooting for them over the course of the story. The plot was interesting, and I was engaged in the story.