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A review by iam
All Souls Near & Nigh by Hailey Turner
4.0
Super fast-paced, engaging and expanding the awesome big cast cast of characters, the second book in this series manages to trump the first one by a mile!
Content warning include: graphic violence and gore, graphic describtions of mutilations and torture mainly against teenagers, attempted rape, protagonist is forced to take drugs, PTSD and trauma; mentions of human trafficking.
Before I started reading this I was a bit afraid of finding my way back into this world - there was A LOT going on in book1, tons of institutions and basic how-the-world-functions stuff, not to mention the very big cast of characters most of who I only vaguely remember. I'm very pleased to say I didn't have a hard time in All Souls Near & Night at all!
Most things were simply explained again, with short recaps and context jogging my memory. I didn't even have to use the glossary at the end of the book (which is a bit spoiler-y anyways as it turns out.) I would be lying if I said my understanding of everything was 100%, but it was high enough to follow the plotlines and enjoy myself immensely.
One of my favourite things about this series is the huge cast of characters. They are all interesting and fleshed out, and while not all of my favourites returned with significant on-page time (I MISS YOU NADINE) there were several new introductions that I love already (looking at you, Wade) and others who were in the background before became more important and thus dear to me (you're awesome Sage!!)
I also loved the wide range of different ethnicities of the characters and the high percentage of women among them instead of 99% being white men like in most action-focussed media, which is something this author does very well in her other books too! There is a refreshing lack of the casual misogyny that is so present in, well, most things these days still.
There were again quite a few gods involved in the main plotline, and instead of the typical Greek ones this time the Aztec pantheon stood in the foreground, along with a Navajo/Diné deity.
I especially enjoyed the god pack storyline and I can't wait for it to continue and hopefully become more important in the next book(s)!
Which isn't to say there weren't a few minor things that bothered me. There was a weird comment about addicts in the beginning that felt off to me, as well as opening up to the people close to one being equalled with weakness. Another minor pet peeve for me was all the false parking the characters did, using their government-issued-you-can't-tow-my-car plates even when there were no emergencies (which I wouldn't have mentioned except it happened in the last book I read by this author as well and it mildly irked me there too, so this stood out to me here. It actually made me laugh because that's such a weirdly specific thing to happen in two books in a row.)
I was also a bit thrown by the extremely graphic describtions of violence, gore and mutilations. That stuff was on the same levels as the worst horror movies. There was a content warning for the attempted rape at the beginning of the book, which I appreciated, and I wish the rest had been listed there as well. Luckily the worst of the mutilations were rather secondary and not a focus, though it was made worse by most of it being done to teenagers.
I'm also a bit on the fence about the main romance. It just doesn't seem very romance-y to me.
I do like Patrick and Jono together, and I do think they care more about each other with each passing day, yet somehow I missed the point where they actually developed romantic feelings for one another and I'm still not seeing them. I see their physical attraction and their care, as well as the soulbond, and slowly growing feelings, too, but not the ones that are supposed to be already there.
As the romance is not the main focus of the book this didn't bother me much, though, and I do enjoy seeing them grow even closer!
Overall I just felt way more engaged with All Souls Near & Night than with book 1, [b:A Ferry of Bones & Gold|41793518|A Ferry of Bones & Gold (Soulbound, #1)|Hailey Turner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536608623s/41793518.jpg|64618265]. I'm curious to see where this series is headed next and looking forward to the next book!
I received an ARC and reviewed voluntarily.
Content warning include: graphic violence and gore, graphic describtions of mutilations and torture mainly against teenagers, attempted rape, protagonist is forced to take drugs, PTSD and trauma; mentions of human trafficking.
Before I started reading this I was a bit afraid of finding my way back into this world - there was A LOT going on in book1, tons of institutions and basic how-the-world-functions stuff, not to mention the very big cast of characters most of who I only vaguely remember. I'm very pleased to say I didn't have a hard time in All Souls Near & Night at all!
Most things were simply explained again, with short recaps and context jogging my memory. I didn't even have to use the glossary at the end of the book (which is a bit spoiler-y anyways as it turns out.) I would be lying if I said my understanding of everything was 100%, but it was high enough to follow the plotlines and enjoy myself immensely.
One of my favourite things about this series is the huge cast of characters. They are all interesting and fleshed out, and while not all of my favourites returned with significant on-page time (I MISS YOU NADINE) there were several new introductions that I love already (looking at you, Wade) and others who were in the background before became more important and thus dear to me (you're awesome Sage!!)
I also loved the wide range of different ethnicities of the characters and the high percentage of women among them instead of 99% being white men like in most action-focussed media, which is something this author does very well in her other books too! There is a refreshing lack of the casual misogyny that is so present in, well, most things these days still.
There were again quite a few gods involved in the main plotline, and instead of the typical Greek ones this time the Aztec pantheon stood in the foreground, along with a Navajo/Diné deity.
I especially enjoyed the god pack storyline and I can't wait for it to continue and hopefully become more important in the next book(s)!
Which isn't to say there weren't a few minor things that bothered me. There was a weird comment about addicts in the beginning that felt off to me, as well as opening up to the people close to one being equalled with weakness. Another minor pet peeve for me was all the false parking the characters did, using their government-issued-you-can't-tow-my-car plates even when there were no emergencies (which I wouldn't have mentioned except it happened in the last book I read by this author as well and it mildly irked me there too, so this stood out to me here. It actually made me laugh because that's such a weirdly specific thing to happen in two books in a row.)
I was also a bit thrown by the extremely graphic describtions of violence, gore and mutilations. That stuff was on the same levels as the worst horror movies. There was a content warning for the attempted rape at the beginning of the book, which I appreciated, and I wish the rest had been listed there as well. Luckily the worst of the mutilations were rather secondary and not a focus, though it was made worse by most of it being done to teenagers.
I'm also a bit on the fence about the main romance. It just doesn't seem very romance-y to me.
I do like Patrick and Jono together, and I do think they care more about each other with each passing day, yet somehow I missed the point where they actually developed romantic feelings for one another and I'm still not seeing them. I see their physical attraction and their care, as well as the soulbond, and slowly growing feelings, too, but not the ones that are supposed to be already there.
As the romance is not the main focus of the book this didn't bother me much, though, and I do enjoy seeing them grow even closer!
Overall I just felt way more engaged with All Souls Near & Night than with book 1, [b:A Ferry of Bones & Gold|41793518|A Ferry of Bones & Gold (Soulbound, #1)|Hailey Turner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1536608623s/41793518.jpg|64618265]. I'm curious to see where this series is headed next and looking forward to the next book!
I received an ARC and reviewed voluntarily.