Author: Helen Scheuerer

Pages: 

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: 13 September 2018

Thank you to Helen Scheuerer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

It feels like it's been ages since I've been in the world of the Oremere Chronicles, but here we are again. Reign of Mist is the second installment in the series and what an absolutely fantastic sequel it was! Fair warning, this review may just be full of me gushing about how much I loved this book.

Plot:
The end of Heart of Mist had me quite literally screaming so to say that I was excited about continuing the series is an understatement. It picks up right where book one left off with Bleak arriving in the land that she's sure has the answers to her past. We also follow several other characters that are spread out across the world and who are trying to handle their own quests. Henri travels to Havennesse to employ the help of Queen Eydis after King Arden threatens her kin, Swinton is with Princess Olena who is off to marry Prince Nazuri and has been tasked to gain the confidence of the Prince and bring him to King Arden's side, and Dash is still in Heathton missing Olena. There was so much going on within the pages of this book (there could be 1000 pages and I still would want more) but I never got confused as to what was happening. I think that's one of the many things that I love about reading Helen Scheuerer's writing is that she has such a talent for keeping her readers not only engaged with the plot but also not confusing them. Every character has such a unique voice and their own story going on but you get invested in them all as you read. Seriously, this book was such a wild ride and it does not stop until the very last page. If you loved the political intrigue and feminist themes that were present in book one, then Reign of Mist will not disappoint you. It brings back so many of the things that I loved from the previous book and throws in some rebellions and alliances, high stakes and plot twists, morally grey areas and hot deserts with literal firestorms. Reign of Mist keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time you're reading and by the end, you're scrambling to start back with book one just to experience everything all over again!

Characters:
Most of the time, I really dislike reading multiple POV's in a book. I can't seem to keep up and keep the characters straight in my head because they typically all begin to blend together and have the same "voice" so to speak. With this series, I want to read about all of the characters! This series is absolutely full of amazingly fleshed out and realistic characters that you can't help but love. If you thought that Heart of Mist had super kick-butt feminist characters, then Reign of Mist will not disappoint you. This world is full of strong and smart female characters and that's one of my favorite parts of the story! From Bleak to Princess Olena and even a surprise character that I definitely was not expecting to show up (but don't worry, you don't have to wait long to meet them), there is no shortage of empowering female characters in this world. And if the characters you loved in Heart of Mist weren't amazing enough, we get introduced to a whole new set of characters in the sequel! Every character brings something to the table, something new to the story and the world. This truly is a book for everyone. You want surprise appearances? Check. Alliances between characters you weren't expecting? Check. Displays of friendship that will tug at your heartstrings? This book has an absolute plethora of that. Sisterhood, brotherhood, a certain romance that we were all hoping would show up again? Check, check, and a huge beautiful check to that last one. Trying to describe how large this cast of characters is may come off as daunting, but every single one of them has a unique voice and story of their own that you'll never have any trouble deciphering who is who while reading. It's hard to say whether this is a plot or character driven story, but the characters are definitely a huge part in what makes this such an incredible installment in the series.

Writing:
I'm almost positive that I've gushed about Helen Scheuerer's writing in my reviews for her prequel stories and Heart of Mist, but I just can't help myself! There's something mystical about the way that she writes and brings this world to life. While reading a fantasy book, you almost expect to be whisked away to another world and pulled into the shoes of the characters that you read about, right? Helen Scheuerer does this seemingly effortlessly. You can't help but become invested in the lives of these characters that you're reading about and the world actually feels like it's a place you could pinpoint on a map. The world she's created is so vast and detailed that you could get lost in it for hours and never discover the same place twice. I loved getting to venture to the frozen land of Havennesse and experiencing the dangerous firestorms of Battalon. There is just so much history and richness to the environments that you get to read about and detail is not something that is lacking when it comes to these new lands. The characters could step out of the pages of the book and I wouldn't think twice about it. There's just something in the way that this author weaves her words together to create this fantastical and magical series that will keep you reading until the last page and still want more! In short, once again Helen Scheuerer has captured my soul with her words and kept me hooked from start to finish.

If it wasn't glaringly obvious, I adored this book. I'm so invested in everything related to this world and the characters and while I know that the wait for book three is going to be long and grueling but worth every second. If you're looking for a fantasy series that will absolutely consume you, then The Oremere Chronicles is the series for you! Reign of Mist releases on 13 September 2018 so be sure to pre-order it and prepare to dive back into Bleak's beautiful, terrifying, and magical world.

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Thank you so much to Shealea from The Bookshelf Bitch for allowing me to take part in this tour! I had such a fantastic time getting back into Bleak's world and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to share my thoughts with everyone on this book. Let me know in the comments if you've read Heart of Mist and if you're excited about Reign of Mist! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!