Gaia

Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers.

This series is so addicting! I thought that the first book was great, but this one was so much better! The first book was intriguing and got me hooked. This book dove deep into the world of Watchers and got me lost in the world.

I loved the introduction of new characters in this book. I loved the characters from the first book, and I continued to adore them throughout this one. Ivan is such a gem of a character. He is the absolute sweetest sidekick and I love him to bits. If anything happens to him in this series I will riot! Seriously though, he’s awesome. And Horas is just as noble and lovable as Ivan. He is a demon and yet he helps Ember without question. He is loyal to her and her friends and he doesn’t let his demon side overtake his actions. He is not evil. I am looking forward to more of him in this series. I liked Ember’s character progression. She has been thrust into a brand new world that she is a part of but knows nothing about. She has to struggle with learning about her powers and where she fits into the puzzle. The Watchers and the Angels are at odds and Ember doesn’t know which side is in the right and which is in the wrong. In this book, she faces more heartache, betrayal, and forgiveness. She is a strong and stubborn character and I truly like her. She doesn’t blindly follow anyone and she makes her own choices regardless of outside opinions. She always does what she thinks is right. Sawyer is still loyal to Ember. He loves her and he is waiting patiently for her acceptance. My favorite new character is Insepth. He is a very fun character. He is kind of arrogant, but in a playful way. I love his personality. I was leery of his character at the beginning since his intentions weren’t really known. Insepth is a tricky character. He does things in this book that are unforgivable, but he didn’t do them out of malice. He did them because he felt they were the right thing to do. So that always makes things complicated. Ember’s forgiveness is really inspiring. We also get to meet some other Watchers and even some Angels in this book. I look forward to getting to know them more.

The plot becomes so much more clear in this book. Not everything is revealed, obviously, but the reader definitely has a better understanding of the stakes and the struggles ahead. I really love where the story is going. I love how creative Hopkins’ take on Angels and Demons is.

The world-building is definitely expanded upon in this book. I loved getting a deeper look at Watchers and I also liked that we get to see Angels in this book.

I am actually liking the romance in this book. It was so tentative throughout this book while Ember decided what her real feelings for Sawyer were. She kept him at arm’s length throughout most of the book. Not unkind or unloving, but cautious. She just wanted to make sure that her feelings for him were true and not something brought on by the guardian bond. And she wanted to take things slow since she hadn’t had any previous relationships. I like where things are going and I’m curious how they will turn out. I feel like Insepth may be a potential love interest at some point. He definitely gives off the vibe that he is into her. I guess we’ll see.

Overall, this was an excellent second-in-series book! The stakes were raised, the conflict was brought to the forefront, and things get real. This book had plenty of action, magic, and great character development. I am excited about the next book and I totally recommend this series to all paranormal fans!