I started this book with lower expectations than the previous one, after the initial question- who is the Prince and who is the Assassin - was solved. But this book blew my mind. I could see where some of the storyline were going but the end just took me by surprise and I reached a point where I didn't know whom to trust anymore. There was more scheming, bad-ass people and feels. The love triangle in the series is one of the best I have ever read, as it doesn't really focus so much on the indecision of the protagonist which can easily get annoying. I really like Lia in both book, as she is a fierce, brave and headstrong character who doesn't really make any stupid decisions as so many heroines do. Looking forward to the final book ! AND THE CLIFFHANGER!

3,5 Solide! Aber leider nicht so gut wie Band 1. Hauptinhalt war: 1. Wir lernen den "Super Villain" kennen, der dann doch irgendwie ein bisschen nachvollziehbar handelt. 2. Lia entwickelt auf Menschen um sie herum eine Sogwirkung. 3. Love Triangle Zeugs. Hätte es dafür ein ganzes eigenes Buch gebraucht? Oder hätte man alles vielleicht im Rest der Geschichte "miterzählen" können? Ich hab nach dem Buch zu viele Fragen, die noch gänzlich ungeklärt sind. Allerdings habe ich große Hoffnungen, dass mir das Finale entsprechend wieder super gefallen wird.

Ich konnte und kann mit der Romanze nichts anfangen. Es ist einfach absurd, dass ausgerechnet die Person, die kaum Screentime bekommt, die allergroße Liebe sein soll, und man einfach kaum Szenen mit beiden sieht. Das Love Triangle bekommt dann auch noch eine vierte Person dazu, die als Antagonist agiert, aber manchmal eben doch romantisiert wird. Hm hm hm. Abgesehen davon und dass ich Lia als Protagonistin, immer wenn sie ihre Prinzessinnen-Vergangenheit rausholt, immer noch für hilarious unrealistisch halte, hat mir der Fantasyanteil sehr gut gefallen und die Geschichte hat einfach Tempo. Deshalb diesmal ein Stern mehr als der erste Band, ich weiß nun schließlich, auf was ich mich einlasse und was ich einfach akzeptieren muss, um Lesespaß zu haben.

OH. MY. HOLY.SHIT. I have never EVER felt the urge to scream after having finished reading a book so desperately before. What has just happened? I am in love with this story. It tore at my stupid little heart. It wrecked me completely. Stories taking place in magical kingdoms, at courts where everyone can betray everyone, where fragile alliances can formed in one moment and broken in the next. I love visiting castles. The Sanctum was a highly intriguing and captivating place to read about. The Komizar was such a well-written character. There were side-characters I have grown to love. Here I just have to mention Aster and Calantha. Jeb, too. Going on this journey with Lia, I got to know her even better, in a different way from what we learned about her when she was in Terravin. She is so strong, witty and I loved accompanying throughout these 400 and somewhat pages. Rafe and Kaden stole my heart, too. Both in a different way and at a different level, but still. This novel has me feel so many things, and I just love love love when that happens reading a book. I do not know what to do with myself now. More specifically how to pass the time until I can continue with this freakingly awesome story. oh shit

Holy cow what a fantastic book. I believe this second installment is even better then the first. I can't wait to read the first one. This is one of those books that even when you have to stop reading you are wondering what's going to happen. I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Habe dieses Buch mehr oder weniger Verschlungen, da es im Vergleich zum Vorgänger für mich keine Längen hatte. Inhaltlich gab es zwar keine großen Überraschungen, ich wollte aber dennoch wissen wie es mit den Charakteren weitergeht und wurde nicht enttäuscht. Auf dieses Übersinnliche Gaben-Zeugs könnte ich zwar verzichten, aber es stört auch nicht die Intrigen-Kriegs-Liebesgrundhandlung. Freue mich auf Teil 3 und hoffe, dass Teil 4 schnell in der Bibo verfügbar wird :)

The second book in this trilogy starts off as Lia is taken prisoner to Venda and entering the City. I thought it would start slow again, just like the first one, but it didn’t. Reading and learning all the new things about Venda at the same time and way Lia does is thrilling. Realizing that almost everything you thought you knew about Vendands and Venda wasn’t true, that nothing was at it seems – it made me read this book 10 times faster than the first. I was also very excited about how the relationships with Kaden and Rafe would unfold. At that time I could not say for whom I was rooting, because I didn’t know if they were now honest and truthful, or if they just had more lies and deceiving strategies up their sleeve. Lia has a major character development in this book. It seems to me that somewhere in between the lies and deception of Rafe and Kaden, the not only physical torturing of the Komizar and the acceptance and knowledge of the gift made her a strong, fierce woman, who knows what she stands for and what she has to do to save not only her people, but all the peoples. She risks her life, playing a dangerous and also deceiving game with the Komizar, all while she starts to feel for the Vendan people and all while she starts to grasp the real, underlying plan of the Komizar, that threatens not only her and her kingdom but everyone on the continent.