I don’t know what it is about this series that has me hooked… Honestly, I have no idea, but here we are.

To Snap a Silver Stem is the second book in the Crystal Bloom series, which is supposed to be a dark Rapunzel reimagining. Well, Orlaith’s out of her tower, well past her safety line, and it’s sink or swim time (literally, in one instance). She is trying to adjust to a new world and new reality with Cainon as she tries to secure the ships needed back in Ocruth. As expected, Rhordyn refuses to let her go, and things get quite messy. Fighting the push of her future and the pull of her past leaves Orlaith straddling a fine line. She has to learn how to navigate on her own, learning to trust herself while breaking past the limitations placed on her, both past and present.

Orlaith honestly makes me want to shake her most of the time, but then I remember that these things are what make her such a real character. Anyone going through the challenges she has faced will not have a linear, seamless path forward. This book is largely focused on her own self discovery, while the romance plays a significant, but lesser role. The political maneuvering and the secrets everyone seems to be keeping will leave your brain struggling to keep up at times. We also get more on Baze’s backstory, and Kai seems to be getting his own arc too. I’m interested to see how he ties back into the main plot.

Overall, I think this is a solid read, despite the fact that it frustrates me at times. I feel like I don’t know half of what is going on in this book most of the time, but I also think that is by design. Then I got absolutely backhanded by that ending… and now the wait begins for book three.