Should you audiobook? YES! Hiro Diaz and Felicity Munroe (with an American accent) are back! He has the deepest voice I have ever heard but more importantly, their rambunctious energy brings all the characters in this wacky world to life. (Note: you absolutely have to read these in order!)

I dove in with high hopes after devouring the audiobook for book one, and this still managed to blow my expectations out of the water! Set in the same world, we follow Gwena, the former maid now working for the Guild until she can reapply to become a fledgling artificer.

I love the direction Ruby Dixon took here—pairing up two characters completely opposite from the first book’s couple. Where Aspeth was naive and clumsy, Gwena is practical and clear-eyed about what she wants from life. But both women are extremely motivated and determined, so I felt like the energy was carried well into the sequel. Hawk was steady to the point of grumpiness, but Raptor is a people person—though not because he actually likes them. He just knows how to manage everyone around him to serve his own goals.

The story also feels fresh because the couple hooks up early, and much of the tension comes from navigating the fallout. Add in a brand-new conspiracy for the group to unravel, and Gwena's new-found ghost problems, and the world keeps expanding in exciting, layered ways. It’s a great balance of immersive fantasy and sizzling romance.

My only critique is that the characters’ inner thoughts sometimes get repeated too often, which also popped up in book one. It’s a minor distraction in an otherwise excellent read.

I couldn’t put down First to finish and ended up reading it in a single day. From the start I felt drawn to the story and lost track of time. It was fast paced and had a good amount of spice without taking away from the actual plot. My favorite scene was the music festival which felt so heartwarming and I could visualize it so well. I also loved how I could feel the anticipation building up during the world championship. The characters were amazing and I especially loved their friendships. The only critique I have is it felt slightly flat and the story would’ve been stronger with more moments between the two main characters. Overall this was such a fun read and I’m excited to read more books in this series! Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.