After having finished “Daughter of No Worlds”, I wasted no time diving into “Children of Fallen Gods”. And once I started, I could not stop.

The world building that began in book 1 is deepened and in book 2 we are treated to not just the POVs of Tisaanah and Maxantarius but also a new and unknown character, Aefe, a former princess of the Faye. And just like that, the world of TWOLH expanded into an even more gloriously complex and engrossing tale. Politics, war, power and passion are threads that are woven together beautifully in a way that you will not soon forget.

At its core, this story explores both sides of the political divide and how wanting to do the right thing can go horribly wrong with devastating consequences. 

As I read, I found myself drawn deeper into the world that CB has created, unable to look away and fearful of what would come next. Interlaced with this action packed story is one of love and connection where duty to others and the need to be with the one you love are constantly at odds. (Wow - I realised that my description is one of a nearly personal conflict and not that of fictional characters — props again to CB for the depths of feelings she provokes.)

Keep a box of tissues handy - you will need it in those God tier - 5 star read.

These books are amazing! Definitely under represented, I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about them! Def not what I was expecting and not just another run-of-the-mill romantasy with a strong FMC! (Although she does kick ass!) 
Reshaye is such a unique concept and is really fascinating to me (and no spoilers, but that reveal 😲). Definitely recommend!! Only not a 5 ⭐️ read for me because the middle felt like it drags a bit to me. 

Definitely gets darker than the first book, but in a way that adds to the story and characters, not just for shock. The romance was cuter and more enjoyable. Pacing was a little weird, especially with three or four POVs. It felt like long build up for a mostly off page battle. I did like actual character development, seeing Max

connect with his troops, but then struggle with what that bond means, and then at the end, choosing that bond over the idea of running

. Same with Tisaanah, who spent book 1 and a good amount of book 2 performing, putting on shows and great displays of power, but by the end

she finally goes to the people and is real and vulnerable with them

. Nura is interesting, idk if I necessarily wanted more time with her, but i wish there was more of A) an emotional impact of her discovering

fey still exist

, B) the change in her strategy to prepare for

the war she saw

, and C) the way

kidnapping and trying to extract powers from fey

impacts her mentally. 

I did really enjoy Aefe's story. It was a bit of a leap in character for her to go from trusting, loving, and compassionate to

someone who murdered Max's whole family and was then confused about why he was upset (as Reshaye)

and then another leap to

sacrifice herself for Tisaanah after one "selfless act" to protect Max, when both of them have done a good number of selfless things across the two books

. Like I know she's been through a LOT, but it did feel a little disjointed. 

In all honesty, I was a little thrown by this second instalment of the War of Lost Hearts series. I enjoyed the story and continue to fall for Maxantarius, the brooding hero who's secretly a hopeless romantic optimist with a heartbreaker's smile, but there was a lot that felt quite disjointed in terms of the writing and character development throughout. It does come across very much as the bridging book between start and end - while it absolutely moves the overall story arc forward and drops some great plot points, it doesn't really have enough going for it to stand on its own merits.

My favourite part of this book is the continuing development of Max and Tisaanah's relationship. IMO, these are the scenes which showcase the writer at her best. There is a small amount of spice, but for the most part their blossoming romance is shown through moments of touching calm amongst the chaos. To see the cranky old man lighten up, smile and surrender to his feelings is beautiful, and makes him all the more lovable. And Tisannah's growing confidence is also well conveyed, complete with setbacks and strife that really add to her complexity as a character. 

A new character POV, that of Aefe, is introduced in this book with basically no warning, which is very disconcerting. Especially when it's not immediately obvious how this is going to tie in with the main narrative. However, overall I found this element if the book more interesting, and loved how it developed. There were a couple of twists and turns I did not see coming; it's certainly something of a rollercoaster! 

Otherwise, the book's pacing seemed a bit all over the place to me. I know a lot of books build up to an epic war that seems to be all over in five minutes flat, but this war really did feel like something of a damp squib. Part of that is explained by the characters' motivations, but equally it just feels like nothing hugely significance happens and it's over before it starts. Likewise, there are a lot of events and plot points that seem to happen without sufficient explanation or backstory, or that are resolved with minimal effort or effect on the plot - I'm hoping some of the threads will be picked up in book three, but for now it just leaves me scratching my head a little. It just leaves a lit of the secondary characters feeling a bit murky in terms of motivations.

The other thing I noticed is that there are a couple of plot devices recycled from the first book. While they remain effective as it's nice to see one character turning something back on another, at the same time it feels like the author may have reached the edges of the imagination.

It does end on a very good moment though, and I am certainly invested enough in the story to want to read book three ASAP!