First off, I want to say that the attack on Medair in the first chapter I fully expected to happen in the first book. I was more or less predicting the person would strike out against her, for the reasons that Medair concludes (much later in the book) and was only marginally surprised by it. Well mostly that it was so sloppily handled considering the source, I really expected more from an assassination attempt orchestrated by that person.

I think that I enjoyed the book a bit less than the first one. Maybe because I read them back to back in rapid succession, a lot of the fears, doubts and insecurities Medair felt seemed to be the same as in the first book. Medair didn't really GROW in the first book--not as a person at least. She still held onto to the same fears, the same prejudices and same reactions when she didn't want to face the truth.

And quite frankly she spends a decent portion of the second book repeating those mistakes, even as she's rationalizing how ridiculous her arguments seem in the light of day. The book however had Princess Sendel and she was freaking awesome. She was a good counterpoise to some of the other characters--her life was pretty rotten by the time we meet her, but she doesn't let that steamroll her. She quickly understands the situation, the best route of action, and how to make it all happen as quickly as feasible to save the most lives. I really was hoping Medair was taking notes on how to react in a crisis situation from her because she really could have used that wisdom earlier.

Things go from bad to really bad emotionally and otherwise for Medair and her new (reluctant as she is to call them as such) friends. Wild Magic flares up again with...interesting results. Now not only Medair is stuck in a world she doesn't really fit in, but an entire city and the effects are not particularly encouraging at first. I wanted this to be explored a little more--the subtle shifts that turned a lot of people's lives inside out because of one man's insane wish. Even though its frequently referred back to and examined, its not really explained. What exactly changed that made the 'new' reality so different yet very similar? Why were some memories tweaked just a little, while others were shifted a lot?

Medair and Ilukar reach something close to an understanding after a lot of trial, error and earnestness. On the one hand I could understand why Medair was so reluctant to admit to anything--Ilukar is the closest she'd get to the 'White Snakes' of her time (being purebred) yet she spends an equal amount of time justifying that they are not the same. Even after a surprising visit while hanging around tombs, Medair finds it hard to have the two warring emotions co-exist within her.

The eventual resolution was...okay. I guess form Ilukar's perspective it is what it is, and he's fairly pragmatic about most things, but despite her confessions and why she ran from Isekar to hunt the Horn, I found it hard to reconcile that it would all work out. I wasn't convinced that Medair had moved past the anxiety and guilt she constantly felt. I would have liked that portion of the story to have a bit more time to grow, instead of the last chapter or so of the book. ( )

The 2nd book of the Medai duology has two plot twist I didn't like at first. Then I realized that, besides being foreshadowed in the first volume, they both serve to further explore the subjects of the book, without being a Zaunpfahl. That's a rare gem, even in speculative fiction, and I'm glad the story went that way. ( )

I gave a decent rating to the first book, but I cannot give this book anything besides one star. I close this book feeling utterly annoyed.

This is the romance book, straight up. It's what all the romance lovers wanted from book one where Illukar and Medair declare their love for each other and get together. Oh yes, there's some vague plot in the background, but not really. It's mostly about these two. Who could have possibly guessed that a convenient fog would leave these two together on their own, all primed and ready to spill some emotional words. Someone must have spilled the pheromones in this book.

And I am so pissed off about the vague plot! I think it's completely frustrating that the author keeps dropping us in different timelines randomly at will. It's disorienting and it doesn't do a freaking single thing for the book. It's like the book has no direction at all except for the romance slant. Oh, nothing is happening? I guess we'll just change the timeline/dimension! No problem. Infuriating because it just strings the reader along thinking that something is actually going to happen.

The ending sucked. Majorly. What the freaking heck? I don't buy it for a second. How in the world does she end up loving someone she hates in the span of 40 pages? Nuh uh. It doesn't work that way. And what a stupid way of resolving a character death. If you're going to build up the emotions for someone dying, I want you to follow through with it. Please, thank you.

But even beyond the ridiculous two-in-one package deal Medair gets to play with, for goodness sakes, even her romance with original pretty-boy ice perfect was fake enough. The only reasons we knew they liked each other was because we were explicitly told through our ability to know the character's thoughts. Nothing in their actions or dialogue would suggest their interest in each other. And the author's reasoning for when they "fell in love"? Bull crap.

One star. It does nothing for the "series", if you can call it that. This is pure fan service, in my opinion, where she just gives the romance lovers from the first book something to squeal over.

And if I really wanted to break down what I thought about Medair... ah, that would probably get me in another rage. I thought she was a strong character from book one (besides the suicidal idiocy for a few stupid moments -not deriding those who actually struggle with suicidal tendencies, but this stupid character who does it even though it's not in her already established nature and has so many more options), but then basing romance as her reason for living and how she continues on afterwards? Excuuuse me. Ridiculous.

I didn't give a crap for any of the characters by the end of this. Or the plot, because really, what plot?
And the world? Haha, which world? There was no world because it was always arbitrarily changed. So in the end, what's left of this book? A wish-fulfillment romance.

One star. No more.
Not recommended for anyone. Unless you read the first book and are longing to see the two main characters hook up. ( )

I gave a decent rating to the first book, but I cannot give this book anything besides one star. I close this book feeling utterly annoyed.

This is the romance book, straight up. It's what all the romance lovers wanted from book one where Illukar and Medair declare their love for each other and get together. Oh yes, there's some vague plot in the background, but not really. It's mostly about these two. Who could have possibly guessed that a convenient fog would leave these two together on their own, all primed and ready to spill some emotional words. Someone must have spilled the pheromones in this book.

And I am so pissed off about the vague plot! I think it's completely frustrating that the author keeps dropping us in different timelines randomly at will. It's disorienting and it doesn't do a freaking single thing for the book. It's like the book has no direction at all except for the romance slant. Oh, nothing is happening? I guess we'll just change the timeline/dimension! No problem. Infuriating because it just strings the reader along thinking that something is actually going to happen.

The ending sucked. Majorly. What the freaking heck? I don't buy it for a second. How in the world does she end up loving someone she hates in the span of 40 pages? Nuh uh. It doesn't work that way. And what a stupid way of resolving a character death. If you're going to build up the emotions for someone dying, I want you to follow through with it. Please, thank you.

But even beyond the ridiculous two-in-one package deal Medair gets to play with, for goodness sakes, even her romance with original pretty-boy ice perfect was fake enough. The only reasons we knew they liked each other was because we were explicitly told through our ability to know the character's thoughts. Nothing in their actions or dialogue would suggest their interest in each other. And the author's reasoning for when they "fell in love"? Bull crap.

One star. It does nothing for the "series", if you can call it that. This is pure fan service, in my opinion, where she just gives the romance lovers from the first book something to squeal over.

And if I really wanted to break down what I thought about Medair... ah, that would probably get me in another rage. I thought she was a strong character from book one (besides the suicidal idiocy for a few stupid moments -not deriding those who actually struggle with suicidal tendencies, but this stupid character who does it even though it's not in her already established nature and has so many more options), but then basing romance as her reason for living and how she continues on afterwards? Excuuuse me. Ridiculous.

I didn't give a crap for any of the characters by the end of this. Or the plot, because really, what plot?
And the world? Haha, which world? There was no world because it was always arbitrarily changed. So in the end, what's left of this book? A wish-fulfillment romance.

One star. No more.
Not recommended for anyone. Unless you read the first book and are longing to see the two main characters hook up. ( )