Our Deadly Designs (This Dark Descent, #2)
Kalyn Josephson
The Shadows Between Us meets The Scorpio Races in the epic conclusion to NYT bestselling Kalyn Josephson's This Dark Descent, called "a fierce and darkly magical thrill ride" by acclaimed author Ava Reid. The Illinir may be over, but the race for Enderlain’s future has just begun. The hunt for the old king’s lost heir is on, and the first to find them will win the throne. Mikira has allied herself with the rebels in pursuit of the lost heir, but the deeper her search takes her, the closer she gets to the royal family's wicked past. Ari is struggling to control her own growing power as she grapples with a dark secret that may be her undoing — and the truth behind Damien's greatest foe. Damien, the new head of House Adair, joins the race to find the heir and secure the crown. But as his influence at court grows, so does his paranoia and hunger for power. Reid is trying his best to stay true to the friend who's always had his loyalty — and the flame who has his heart — while trapped in a web of chaos and lies. But a darker force is festering in Enderlain’s underbelly, and Mikira, Ari, Damien, and Reid will need to find a way back to each other — and themselves — before the kingdom is torn apart. Hearts will be broken and new bonds will be forged in this explosive finale to This Dark Descent, where spellbinding fantasy meets Jewish mythology in a cut-throat race for the throne — and Enderlain’s survival.
Publication Year: 2024
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~~Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!~~
4.5/5 stars rounded down.
I mean, it's not the perfect ending I wanted it to be, but I still enjoyed it! I'd still enthusiastically recommend this duology to anyone I can.
Josephson's characterization is still incredible. Not only do Mikira and Ari's POVs offer so much personality and depth in the world, but we got Damien this time, too! I really liked getting to know what was going on in his head, and it really fleshed him out. Additionally, I really loved the voicework of all the voice actors (Alex Wingfield, Laurel Lefkow, and Rebecca Norfolk); they performed their characters so well and brought so much life in their respective roles.
The only thing is that Reid was pushed aside heavily throughout most of the book due to the focus primarily being on the romance (Or platonic partnership. Mikira is confirmed to be ace, though it's not directly stated in the story. Only heavily implied in the text) with Talyana. It sucks, because Reid and Mikira had such good chemistry in the last book. I only wish Josephson either made room for Reid's POV or had him reunite with Mikira sooner.
The story was strong for a solid 90%of the book, but I found myself disconnecting at the last 10% or so. Plus, the lost prince plotline got kind of confusing to me, especially when certain twists were made that I didn't really feel like they needed to me. Or maybe I just missed all the hints because I wasn't looking for them. Other than that, I still really loved the themes of war, democracy, and, the most apparent, working together / connection. All 3 of our main characters try so hard to do something on their own and believe they have do do it alone, but then they're shown it doesn't have to be that way. I dunno, I just think Josephson handled it really well through showing how the different ways people handle isolation in pursuit of fixing problems.
All in all, despite some minor problems, I still loved this series a lot. I think I'll think more back to the first one, but this book still has great moments and worldbuilding that builds on what I adored about its predecessor.
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