What do you think?
Rate this book
Witches Steeped in Gold #2
Empress Crowned in Red
Iraya, her revenge taken and magic unfettered, turns her sights on a bigger goal: freeing Aiyca for the Obeah. But first she must shed the guise of the rogue warrior and become the Lost Empress her people need.
Jazmyne has crowned herself the doyenne and is prepared to go to extreme lengths—and court ruthless danger—to prove to her people she deserves the throne.
But there is more at stake than Jazmyne or Iraya know: a new threat is awakening on the other side of the island that could destroy everything they’ve been fighting for.
Trust is scarce, and betrayal a breath away. But Iraya and Jazmine once again find themselves turning to each other—after all, better the witch you know than the nightmare you don’t.
Jazmyne has crowned herself the doyenne and is prepared to go to extreme lengths—and court ruthless danger—to prove to her people she deserves the throne.
But there is more at stake than Jazmyne or Iraya know: a new threat is awakening on the other side of the island that could destroy everything they’ve been fighting for.
Trust is scarce, and betrayal a breath away. But Iraya and Jazmine once again find themselves turning to each other—after all, better the witch you know than the nightmare you don’t.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2022
90 people are currently reading
7313 people want to read
About the author
Ciannon Smart
6books755followersCiannon Smart grew up in a small town in the south-east of England. As the only daughter in a house full of boisterous sons, she developed a voracious appetite for reading from an early age, preferring anarchy in stories rather than real life. In YA she loves her heroines exactly as she loves her villains: wilful, wily, and unpredictable. When not writing, Ciannon can be found reading, painting, or taking the long way home to listen to a good song more than once.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1636739475i%2F5520447._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 11, 2023
I found Empress Crowned in Red too slow paced. Smart's writing is great to read and I did love this world she created, but it came a point where it felt like this book was about 200 pages too long. I also had the impression that the resolution was a little too rushed? Which isn't the best, considering how chunky this book is.
The political scenes and all the scheming that went into getting the characters where they needed to be was probably my favorite part in all of this. I was also very surprised that I enjoyed Iraya's perspective way way more than Jazmyne's here when the opposite happened in the first book--I guess because Iraya had a clear goal while Jazmyne was left floundering a lot of the time? Their dynamic was still really fun to read about, though!
The political scenes and all the scheming that went into getting the characters where they needed to be was probably my favorite part in all of this. I was also very surprised that I enjoyed Iraya's perspective way way more than Jazmyne's here when the opposite happened in the first book--I guess because Iraya had a clear goal while Jazmyne was left floundering a lot of the time? Their dynamic was still really fun to read about, though!
dnf
May 16, 202316/05/23
⚠️Time to BeReal.⚠️
i have absolutely 0 intention of finishing this book and i've already put both books up for sale lol. no shade at all to ciannon smart and i really hope she does well going forward, but i just can't bring myself to finish this series after how my WSIG reread left me just as unmoved as the first time around. i hate to admit it but i only picked this up once in one month and haven't had any desire to go back, so i think it's time to call it.
18/10/21
we have a cover + title reveal! truly hoping for great things from empress crowned in red. ciannon smart is a talented writer!
⚠️Time to BeReal.⚠️
i have absolutely 0 intention of finishing this book and i've already put both books up for sale lol. no shade at all to ciannon smart and i really hope she does well going forward, but i just can't bring myself to finish this series after how my WSIG reread left me just as unmoved as the first time around. i hate to admit it but i only picked this up once in one month and haven't had any desire to go back, so i think it's time to call it.
18/10/21
we have a cover + title reveal! truly hoping for great things from empress crowned in red. ciannon smart is a talented writer!
May 29, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Unfortunately, I don't think this series is for me. Empress Crowned in Red is an epic conclusion to Witches Steeped in Gold, and I think if you loved the first book, you're gonna love the second one, because it follows the same pattern. However, I didn't enjoy the first one very much, and it's meant that I didn't really enjoy the second one either. It's 700 pages long, and it got painfully slow at times. I also found it difficult to distinguish between the two POVs - they felt very similar. However, the writing is really beautiful, as it was in the first book, and I think Ciannon Smart is insanely clever for imagining up this complex world. At times it felt more like an adult fantasy than a YA, with how complex the characters, plot and world are. I would definitely recommend picking up the sequel if you enjoyed the first book, because I think you would also enjoy Empress Crowned in Red.
Unfortunately, I don't think this series is for me. Empress Crowned in Red is an epic conclusion to Witches Steeped in Gold, and I think if you loved the first book, you're gonna love the second one, because it follows the same pattern. However, I didn't enjoy the first one very much, and it's meant that I didn't really enjoy the second one either. It's 700 pages long, and it got painfully slow at times. I also found it difficult to distinguish between the two POVs - they felt very similar. However, the writing is really beautiful, as it was in the first book, and I think Ciannon Smart is insanely clever for imagining up this complex world. At times it felt more like an adult fantasy than a YA, with how complex the characters, plot and world are. I would definitely recommend picking up the sequel if you enjoyed the first book, because I think you would also enjoy Empress Crowned in Red.
June 9, 2022
Originally posted on .
Content warnings:
Empress Crowned in Red starts off from where the first book left off � I think. It felt very abrupt and there was hardly any padding to ease the reader back into the flow of things. I’m not a fan of authors rehashing the entire story of the last book just to resettle readers, however, if you’re going to string the story along so closely a little reminder of the immediate events that happened in a book I read a year ago would be much appreciated. I will say that it definitely made me feel as unsettled as Iraya did, so if that was the intent then it worked perfectly.
It took me a while to get settled into Empress Crowed in Red; about fifty percent of the book to be exact. This book is a huge tome, and normally I’m all for massive books. That’s just more story and that’s usually not a bad thing. Usually. The first half of this book felt like it dragged on, and while I won’t say it was unnecessary, it just personally didn’t work for me. Then after that halfway mark everything started to piece together as if Smart had just been playing with us, setting the stage for the finale of her duology. The first half of Empress Crowned in Red is basically one big tease and then Smart drops the curtain.
Smart introduces a lot of new elements in this book, and it mixes things up nicely. I expected book two to be still be Iraya vs. Jazmyne and while that rivalry is still present, there is more happening. It was a relief, actually, to see that Smart has grown her world even more. While Iraya and Jazmyne’s rivalry is interesting, I felt like book one covered that, and I wasn’t sure how another book of them duking it out was going to work. Adding a mystery assailant and monsters provided Smart with the chance to delve deeper into so many parts of her already fantastic world-building, and let me tell you, it only gets better in Empress Crowned in Red.
As expected this sequel is the battle for Aiyca and the throne, and some things happened as I expected and were perhaps a little predictable. This book is all about the journey though and how all the characters get where they do. It’s their journeys and their developments over the course of the book that I never expected, and that’s one of the brilliant parts about Smart’s writing. She keeps you on your toes throughout the book. You know that X is going to happen, but how it happens? Guess again.
The physical battle for Aiyca is very well paced. Unlike battles in other books where they end abruptly in one or two chapters, Smart takes her time. As a result it actually feels like a battle with stages. At one point at the start of the battle, Iraya’s narration changes slightly to echo tradition oral storytelling. She talks about how the residents of the Island saw what was happening, how they told the story of it happening later on. It’s a nice change of pace and has the effect of highlighting the enormity of the moment. Whatever happens, what they’re doing is still so momentous that stories are told about it.
Characters and relationships develop much more in Empress Crowned in Red. In the previous book there were a lot of new relationships being forged, and this time around those relationships are beginning to solidify and grow. Trust is built even if it takes time in some cases. The way characters and relationships developed was fabulous and realistic, and I loved the way Smart writes dialogue between her characters. Whether they’re friends, enemies or lovers, the way she has with words is just perfection. Iraya is the queen of banter and sass and some of her lines are amazing.
There was one character that developed in a way that personally I did not find believable at all. I kept waiting for there to be an additional explanation for what happens because the change in them felt very sudden and quite false. Other characters seem to develop very naturally, and this one just felt out of place which is odd for Smart’s writing as all the other character’s journeys were very smooth, believable. There were some signs for what happened, it just didn’t seem like a natural progression to me.
This was a book that I was immensely looking forward to, and while it was a fantastic conclusion to the duology, Empress Crowned in Red just didn’t reach the same levels as its predecessor for me. That has nothing to do with how the book ended, I’d like to emphasise. I’m happy with the conclusion and I enjoyed the book a lot, I just felt that there were a few parts that just weren’t quite as good as Witches Steeped in Gold. As mentioned, the first half of the book didn’t quite catch my attention, and then there’s the out of character development of that character. Additionally, there was something related to a sub-plot that felt unfinished to me.
Empress Crowned in Red is a wonderful book, and it made me laugh and cry. It also has one of the best battle scenes I have seen in a fantasy series. It just wasn’t quite a five-star read for me.
For more of my reviews please visit !
Content warnings:
Empress Crowned in Red starts off from where the first book left off � I think. It felt very abrupt and there was hardly any padding to ease the reader back into the flow of things. I’m not a fan of authors rehashing the entire story of the last book just to resettle readers, however, if you’re going to string the story along so closely a little reminder of the immediate events that happened in a book I read a year ago would be much appreciated. I will say that it definitely made me feel as unsettled as Iraya did, so if that was the intent then it worked perfectly.
It took me a while to get settled into Empress Crowed in Red; about fifty percent of the book to be exact. This book is a huge tome, and normally I’m all for massive books. That’s just more story and that’s usually not a bad thing. Usually. The first half of this book felt like it dragged on, and while I won’t say it was unnecessary, it just personally didn’t work for me. Then after that halfway mark everything started to piece together as if Smart had just been playing with us, setting the stage for the finale of her duology. The first half of Empress Crowned in Red is basically one big tease and then Smart drops the curtain.
Smart introduces a lot of new elements in this book, and it mixes things up nicely. I expected book two to be still be Iraya vs. Jazmyne and while that rivalry is still present, there is more happening. It was a relief, actually, to see that Smart has grown her world even more. While Iraya and Jazmyne’s rivalry is interesting, I felt like book one covered that, and I wasn’t sure how another book of them duking it out was going to work. Adding a mystery assailant and monsters provided Smart with the chance to delve deeper into so many parts of her already fantastic world-building, and let me tell you, it only gets better in Empress Crowned in Red.
As expected this sequel is the battle for Aiyca and the throne, and some things happened as I expected and were perhaps a little predictable. This book is all about the journey though and how all the characters get where they do. It’s their journeys and their developments over the course of the book that I never expected, and that’s one of the brilliant parts about Smart’s writing. She keeps you on your toes throughout the book. You know that X is going to happen, but how it happens? Guess again.
The physical battle for Aiyca is very well paced. Unlike battles in other books where they end abruptly in one or two chapters, Smart takes her time. As a result it actually feels like a battle with stages. At one point at the start of the battle, Iraya’s narration changes slightly to echo tradition oral storytelling. She talks about how the residents of the Island saw what was happening, how they told the story of it happening later on. It’s a nice change of pace and has the effect of highlighting the enormity of the moment. Whatever happens, what they’re doing is still so momentous that stories are told about it.
Characters and relationships develop much more in Empress Crowned in Red. In the previous book there were a lot of new relationships being forged, and this time around those relationships are beginning to solidify and grow. Trust is built even if it takes time in some cases. The way characters and relationships developed was fabulous and realistic, and I loved the way Smart writes dialogue between her characters. Whether they’re friends, enemies or lovers, the way she has with words is just perfection. Iraya is the queen of banter and sass and some of her lines are amazing.
There was one character that developed in a way that personally I did not find believable at all. I kept waiting for there to be an additional explanation for what happens because the change in them felt very sudden and quite false. Other characters seem to develop very naturally, and this one just felt out of place which is odd for Smart’s writing as all the other character’s journeys were very smooth, believable. There were some signs for what happened, it just didn’t seem like a natural progression to me.
This was a book that I was immensely looking forward to, and while it was a fantastic conclusion to the duology, Empress Crowned in Red just didn’t reach the same levels as its predecessor for me. That has nothing to do with how the book ended, I’d like to emphasise. I’m happy with the conclusion and I enjoyed the book a lot, I just felt that there were a few parts that just weren’t quite as good as Witches Steeped in Gold. As mentioned, the first half of the book didn’t quite catch my attention, and then there’s the out of character development of that character. Additionally, there was something related to a sub-plot that felt unfinished to me.
Empress Crowned in Red is a wonderful book, and it made me laugh and cry. It also has one of the best battle scenes I have seen in a fantasy series. It just wasn’t quite a five-star read for me.
For more of my reviews please visit !
April 3, 2022
I enjoyed witches steeped in gold, but definitely should have reread the book prior to picking up the arc, as there was a lot of information and character's I couldn't remember.
As with wsig the book is told in dual pov from main characters Jazmyne and Iraya, and just like previously, I was struggling to keep track of the pov as both character's were written very similarly, and were not distinguishable. Whilst I wasn't particularly attached to any of the characters, I liked that they were not wholly good or bad, but morally grey and protective of what they thought was right, it added a lot of depth and thought to the story, and made it impossible to pick a side. There was a perfect amount of tension between Jazmyne and Iraya and definitely built on from the previous book, and helped with character development.
The plot, when picked up, was enjoyable, but the story did slow down at times, and risked becoming quite boring, especially since the book was so long. I think I struggled at times, as there was no detailed world building and some of the language felt misplaced, and more complex than needed. I stumbled across a few synonyms I was unfamiliar with and had to keep stopping to understand what I had read, and that threw my pace off a lot. A few examples were within the first few pages.
Regardless, the actual writing was beautifully written, at times deeply emotional, and almost lyrical and there was enough to the story to keep me engaged. Empress crowned in red was a great conclusion to witches steeped in gold, and I would be interested in seeing more from this world, or reading anything else Ciannon Smart writes, as it is just so well crafted.
As with wsig the book is told in dual pov from main characters Jazmyne and Iraya, and just like previously, I was struggling to keep track of the pov as both character's were written very similarly, and were not distinguishable. Whilst I wasn't particularly attached to any of the characters, I liked that they were not wholly good or bad, but morally grey and protective of what they thought was right, it added a lot of depth and thought to the story, and made it impossible to pick a side. There was a perfect amount of tension between Jazmyne and Iraya and definitely built on from the previous book, and helped with character development.
The plot, when picked up, was enjoyable, but the story did slow down at times, and risked becoming quite boring, especially since the book was so long. I think I struggled at times, as there was no detailed world building and some of the language felt misplaced, and more complex than needed. I stumbled across a few synonyms I was unfamiliar with and had to keep stopping to understand what I had read, and that threw my pace off a lot. A few examples were within the first few pages.
Regardless, the actual writing was beautifully written, at times deeply emotional, and almost lyrical and there was enough to the story to keep me engaged. Empress crowned in red was a great conclusion to witches steeped in gold, and I would be interested in seeing more from this world, or reading anything else Ciannon Smart writes, as it is just so well crafted.
June 11, 2022
3.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book before I say anything else!
�
I don't think the style of writing is exactly the sort of thing I enjoy reading, I was hoping that it would have gotten slightly better for me because I was dying to immerse myself in the plot (which I loved). I think the length here also didn't help if I'm honest, but I liked the characters just enough that I didn't mind to much. However, since the characters are the most important part only liking them a little bit really lowered my motivation to carry on regrettably. I loved the characters being a bit morally grey though, who doesn't like a bit of a morally grey character?🤣I definitely enjoyed this book way more than the first!! I'm definitely very intrigued to see where this world ends up going!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book before I say anything else!
�
I don't think the style of writing is exactly the sort of thing I enjoy reading, I was hoping that it would have gotten slightly better for me because I was dying to immerse myself in the plot (which I loved). I think the length here also didn't help if I'm honest, but I liked the characters just enough that I didn't mind to much. However, since the characters are the most important part only liking them a little bit really lowered my motivation to carry on regrettably. I loved the characters being a bit morally grey though, who doesn't like a bit of a morally grey character?🤣I definitely enjoyed this book way more than the first!! I'm definitely very intrigued to see where this world ends up going!
June 8, 2022
What I liked about this book is the characters. How each one has their part to play, their own missions and goals but how they interact with each other for the overall good of the place they call home.
What I disliked was how a lot of time was spent just seeing these characters interact that not much time was left for action. So when there was action, it felt rushed and lacking in details.
How this affected my enjoyment was sadly it slowed my reading right down so I could only read a little at a time. Not being familiar with the language used as well also had me stumbling through and made it jarring to read.
However, despite my issues with this book, I did enjoy the overall story and plot.
Thanks to NetGalley for the E-ARC despite me not finishing it in time for the release date x
What I disliked was how a lot of time was spent just seeing these characters interact that not much time was left for action. So when there was action, it felt rushed and lacking in details.
How this affected my enjoyment was sadly it slowed my reading right down so I could only read a little at a time. Not being familiar with the language used as well also had me stumbling through and made it jarring to read.
However, despite my issues with this book, I did enjoy the overall story and plot.
Thanks to NetGalley for the E-ARC despite me not finishing it in time for the release date x
June 7, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this on NetGalley.
This wasn't for me, but it was for one simple reason... I just didn't gel with the characters. Had I liked any of them, i would have loved this.
I thought the writing was good, the plot was good, it was action packed and a true ending to the duology but if you don't care about the two main characters (or anyone else) it's a bit hard to love it overall.
This wasn't for me, but it was for one simple reason... I just didn't gel with the characters. Had I liked any of them, i would have loved this.
I thought the writing was good, the plot was good, it was action packed and a true ending to the duology but if you don't care about the two main characters (or anyone else) it's a bit hard to love it overall.
July 27, 2024
light spoilers (I won't name names and will keep it general)
I may have started the book in April and only finished it now. But that's a me issue and not the books fault. I may also have binged the second half of the book today in one sitting.
I love this world. I love the magic system.
I LOVE the characters. They are some backstabbing bitches, but good god, THEY ARE MY BITCHES!!!
I LOVE the fact that after the first book I should have been prepared for all kinds of betrayals, BUT ONCE AGAIN, they fooled me and I was so damn shocked at the BIG betrayal that broke my heart into little pieces cause these two had my favorite friendship and UGH!!!!
The action scenes in this book were truly incredible.
It was truly a great resolution to the duology.
I got the happy end that I wanted for my two favorite idiots who are so in love.
The only reason this didn't get 5 stars from me, is that I was truly suffering through some of Jazmyne's chapters.
I may have started the book in April and only finished it now. But that's a me issue and not the books fault. I may also have binged the second half of the book today in one sitting.
I love this world. I love the magic system.
I LOVE the characters. They are some backstabbing bitches, but good god, THEY ARE MY BITCHES!!!
I LOVE the fact that after the first book I should have been prepared for all kinds of betrayals, BUT ONCE AGAIN, they fooled me and I was so damn shocked at the BIG betrayal that broke my heart into little pieces cause these two had my favorite friendship and UGH!!!!
The action scenes in this book were truly incredible.
It was truly a great resolution to the duology.
I got the happy end that I wanted for my two favorite idiots who are so in love.
The only reason this didn't get 5 stars from me, is that I was truly suffering through some of Jazmyne's chapters.
January 15, 2024
Very slow and bored me to no end! I like the first one better! I listened to it, that's why I finished it. If I was reading it, I would have put it down. It picked up a bit in the last few chapters!
June 7, 2022
First of all, thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this arc.
Empress Crowned in Red is the stunning conclusion to its first book, Witches Steeped in Gold, and epic it was. 700 pages long and full of deep emotions, twists and turns, betrayal like you've never seen, and emotional turmoil of our two heroines.
Written in dual points of view, Ciannon Smart delves back into her fantasy world as both Iraya and Jazmyne tackle new obstacles in their loves. Jazmyne, nearly crowned, has a uphill battle in terms of her emotional stability and character development in this book; she has many ups and downs but I did CM's characterisation of her again.
Iraya, my favourite (sorry), enthralled me yet again with her charisma and sharp tongue. She's the kind of fiesty heroine I enjoy reading about.
Again, Ciannon Smart writes a world full of magic and awe, and I was hooked again by the plot, but it was too long for me. It took me absolutely ages to finish this book, and honestly, a 700 page conclusion is expected with a fantasy series like this, but it dragged for me. Some parts were very slow and I needed the pace to pick up a bit more. But other than that, I really enjoyed this epic finale.
I'll write more once I've finished brushing up my thoughts and reread bits, but if you want a two-book series about magic and witches, this is a great duology to pick up.
Rating currently 4.5/5�
Empress Crowned in Red is the stunning conclusion to its first book, Witches Steeped in Gold, and epic it was. 700 pages long and full of deep emotions, twists and turns, betrayal like you've never seen, and emotional turmoil of our two heroines.
Written in dual points of view, Ciannon Smart delves back into her fantasy world as both Iraya and Jazmyne tackle new obstacles in their loves. Jazmyne, nearly crowned, has a uphill battle in terms of her emotional stability and character development in this book; she has many ups and downs but I did CM's characterisation of her again.
Iraya, my favourite (sorry), enthralled me yet again with her charisma and sharp tongue. She's the kind of fiesty heroine I enjoy reading about.
Again, Ciannon Smart writes a world full of magic and awe, and I was hooked again by the plot, but it was too long for me. It took me absolutely ages to finish this book, and honestly, a 700 page conclusion is expected with a fantasy series like this, but it dragged for me. Some parts were very slow and I needed the pace to pick up a bit more. But other than that, I really enjoyed this epic finale.
I'll write more once I've finished brushing up my thoughts and reread bits, but if you want a two-book series about magic and witches, this is a great duology to pick up.
Rating currently 4.5/5�
April 22, 2022
I had enjoyed Witches Steeped in Gold so was very excited to read Empress Crowned in Red. I must admit that I enjoyed the sequel a little more than the first instalment.
The beginning of the book set the scene for an amazing sounding quest. I really enjoyed seeing each of the protagonists being set their own tasks in order to meet their goals
The middle of the book was where it fell a little flat for me. I felt that the middle 40% of the book was a little lacklustre. It felt quite slow and at times was a bit of a slog to get through
The last 30% was so exciting though! I genuinely applauded at one point. The battle was really quite epic and so enjoyable
At times I found myself getting a little lost with the volume of characters, there was a character list at the beginning of the book but it only listed 6 characters (4 of whom were deceased before this book started).
I really enjoyed the dual narrative aspect of the book, I love a dual narrative!
I did enjoy this book and I would give it 3.5 but rounding down just due to the slow middle
The beginning of the book set the scene for an amazing sounding quest. I really enjoyed seeing each of the protagonists being set their own tasks in order to meet their goals
The middle of the book was where it fell a little flat for me. I felt that the middle 40% of the book was a little lacklustre. It felt quite slow and at times was a bit of a slog to get through
The last 30% was so exciting though! I genuinely applauded at one point. The battle was really quite epic and so enjoyable
At times I found myself getting a little lost with the volume of characters, there was a character list at the beginning of the book but it only listed 6 characters (4 of whom were deceased before this book started).
I really enjoyed the dual narrative aspect of the book, I love a dual narrative!
I did enjoy this book and I would give it 3.5 but rounding down just due to the slow middle
September 17, 2022
I gotta be honest, this felt about three hundred pages too long. It just dragged for me starting around the midway point and the stuff I liked - like Kirdan and Iraya's chemistry - ended up being stuff I just didn't care about anymore.
March 6, 2025
Mood: 🙂😵💫😴😪�
Jazmyne finally has the golden throne, but without her magic, she cannot be named doyenne, only regent. Unfortunately, that’s not her only problem. Kirdan has saved Iraya, and they’ve escaped together, leaving the Lost Empress still a viable threat to Jazmyne’s throne. The council members aren’t thrilled with having a magic-less doyenne, the pirates expect her to lead them to a lost treasure she had no clue how to find, her mother’s ghost needs to be put to rest, and there’s a whole new threat in the Unlit, with an old enemy coming for revenge. Meanwhile, Iraya is fine with leaving Jazmyne in charge--until Kirdan and her loyalists convince her that Aiyca will suffer under Jazmyne’s inept rule. When Jazmyne realizes that she needs Iraya’s power to face the Unlit and comes crawling to her, Iraya realizes that Jazmyne simply isn’t ready to rule, and promises to come back with an army to help fight off the Unlit. But Jazmyne has to hold the line while she waits, while Iraya has to step into the unwanted role of politician and Lost Empress.
There was a lot happening in this book, and it was very overwhelming. I had a hard time keeping up with everything that was going on. Jazmyne is on her way to compete for pirate queen--wait, no she’s not. Wait, yes she is--ope, she’s passing the title to one of the pirates� No, she has to go on the pirate quest after all--oh, they’re NEVER going on the pirate quest? The map is good enough? Okay. Iraya is on her way to the Skylands--oh, no she’s not, she has to go to Kirdan’s kingdom and deal with his family, but she still REALLY wants to go to the Skylands! She rejects Kirdan’s romantic intentions, then tells his family they’re engaged. Delyse is pushing Iraya to do things her way, then seems to respect Iraya’s rise to rule, then is honored when Iraya makes her her second, then tries to kill her. There were THREE betrayals in this book. There was just SO much going on! But Jazmyne’s hate-fueled obsession with Iraya did make me cackle. It seemed like the girl could barely go three paragraphs without thinking about Iraya or comparing herself to Iraya, while Iraya was busy trying to get everything together and bring back the army as she promised. In my opinion, there needed to be fewer side quests for this book to be enjoyable.
Jazmyne finally has the golden throne, but without her magic, she cannot be named doyenne, only regent. Unfortunately, that’s not her only problem. Kirdan has saved Iraya, and they’ve escaped together, leaving the Lost Empress still a viable threat to Jazmyne’s throne. The council members aren’t thrilled with having a magic-less doyenne, the pirates expect her to lead them to a lost treasure she had no clue how to find, her mother’s ghost needs to be put to rest, and there’s a whole new threat in the Unlit, with an old enemy coming for revenge. Meanwhile, Iraya is fine with leaving Jazmyne in charge--until Kirdan and her loyalists convince her that Aiyca will suffer under Jazmyne’s inept rule. When Jazmyne realizes that she needs Iraya’s power to face the Unlit and comes crawling to her, Iraya realizes that Jazmyne simply isn’t ready to rule, and promises to come back with an army to help fight off the Unlit. But Jazmyne has to hold the line while she waits, while Iraya has to step into the unwanted role of politician and Lost Empress.
There was a lot happening in this book, and it was very overwhelming. I had a hard time keeping up with everything that was going on. Jazmyne is on her way to compete for pirate queen--wait, no she’s not. Wait, yes she is--ope, she’s passing the title to one of the pirates� No, she has to go on the pirate quest after all--oh, they’re NEVER going on the pirate quest? The map is good enough? Okay. Iraya is on her way to the Skylands--oh, no she’s not, she has to go to Kirdan’s kingdom and deal with his family, but she still REALLY wants to go to the Skylands! She rejects Kirdan’s romantic intentions, then tells his family they’re engaged. Delyse is pushing Iraya to do things her way, then seems to respect Iraya’s rise to rule, then is honored when Iraya makes her her second, then tries to kill her. There were THREE betrayals in this book. There was just SO much going on! But Jazmyne’s hate-fueled obsession with Iraya did make me cackle. It seemed like the girl could barely go three paragraphs without thinking about Iraya or comparing herself to Iraya, while Iraya was busy trying to get everything together and bring back the army as she promised. In my opinion, there needed to be fewer side quests for this book to be enjoyable.
November 2, 2022
Witches Steeped in Gold duology by Ciannon Smart
Including: Witches Steeped in Gold & Empress Crowned in Red
Overall: 2.5
Storyline: 3.0
Characters: 3.0
Writing Style: 2.0
This may have been a very good story, though I am not sure because the writing style and world building was confusing. I found I had to go back several times and re-read a sentence or paragraph, sometimes numerous times, to understand what was being relayed. Maybe a person more familiar with Jamaican heritage would understand this story, but I had difficulty following exactly what was going on a lot of the time.
From what I gather, the story is about two young witches who want the same thing: to protect and become the leader of the island they live upon. Though they have a deep-seated hate and mistrust for one another, they have a common goal that forces them to work together. Simple right? Hah! You would think! But this is so convoluted with so many different aspects to try to keep straight and very few details provided to understand who or what is doing what and with whom. Let me give a short rundown, a score card if you will, to help explain some of the hurdles that have to be overcome to read this series and try to make any sense of it:
1. The series takes place mainly on the island of Aiyka, but also the neighboring islands of Zesia and Oscuridad play a role, but the main premise is concentrated on Aiyka and protecting it.
2. The main characters are Iraya Adair and Jazmyne Cariot, and the story is told from their POV in alternating chapters.
3. Jazmyne Cariot is the daughter of the Doyenne Judair Cariot, who had staged a coup approximately ten years prior and killed the Empress Adair and her husband, Iraya’s parents.
4. Iraya Adair, who has hidden her identity for the past ten years, reveals herself and is now out for revenge and to reclaim the crown for her people.
5. There are other major players, such as Kirdan Divsylar, the emissary from Zesia who works with Jazmyne and Iraya, Roje, the pirate who befriends Jazmyne, Anya and Delussa the confidants of Jazmyne and Iraya respectively.
6. On this island there are two sects of witches, the Alumbrar and the Obeah. The Cariot’s (Jazmyne) is an Alumbrar, and Iraya is Obeah. The difference between the two factions was never really clear, the only thing that was evident is their hatred for each other and their feeling of superiority over the other clan.
7. There are three rebel groups who want to overthrow the Doyenne and take control of Aiyka: The Unnamed, which is a group of Alumbar witches dissatisfied with how the Doyenne runs things; Jazmyne is a member of this group. The Jades, which are Obeah witches and aligned with Iraya, and the third group is the Unfit, Obeah witches who had their magic stripped from them by Iraya’s mother when she was empress.
8. Also, there are other groups who play a significant part in the story beyond the rebel factions. There are the pirates who pretty much controls the seas and have an interests in Aiyka, there are Virago, a secret and believed to be extinct set of Obeah witch warriors, the Simbarobo and J’Mortinet of Zesia, the Skylanders from Oscuridad who have winged beasts they ride into battle, and there are more subsets that only muddle the issue so will not be included here.
I was disappointed in this series. It sounded very interesting and could have been if it wasn’t so obscure. The world building could have been stronger, explaining the aspects more clearly about the magic and the peoples involved. It is apparent the two main witch factions hate each other, but it is never explained why there was so much animosity and unwillingness to compromise. There is a listing in the back of the book of the seven faces of the deity worshipped and an explanation of the different magical powers of the two sects of witches describing how their powers are identified, though neither ever really plays any significant role in the story. It is neither helpful or necessary. Instead, a reference guide of all the different sects and individual involved would have been more advantageous in its place.
The “twists� in the story were predictable. Completely telegraphed prior to reveal, they were no real surprise when revealed. It was so disappointing because they were so expected and obvious.
The sentence structure and writing style was difficult to follow and distracting to the narrative. A person has to be resolute and committed to completing this series, getting past all the complications and incomprehensible aspects of this series, otherwise it will be a DNF. In other words, do not expect this to be an easy relaxing read. Determination to persist until completion is required. A persons must be committed to completing it no matter how agonizing and confusing it may be at times. Is the payoff worth the commitment? That is something the individual has to determine for themselves. Speaking for myself, I would not have initiated it if I knew prior what I was getting into with it.
That is not to say an individual should NOT read it. I would not dissuade anybody from giving it a chance, but a person should be forewarned of some of the obstacles facing those who choose to wade into it. I did find some aspects of it enjoyable, for example, I really enjoyed the character of Iraya. She was cocky and sharp tongued. I also like the basic premise of the story. Ms. Smart was able to keep the story moving so it was difficult to put down at times anticipating how a situation would be resolved.
I cannot say that I would read another of Ms. Smart’s works mainly because her writing style is not my type.
In summation, I cannot recommend this series unless you have the determination and resolve to stay with it regardless of all the complications involved in reading it. You have been forewarned.
Including: Witches Steeped in Gold & Empress Crowned in Red
Overall: 2.5
Storyline: 3.0
Characters: 3.0
Writing Style: 2.0
This may have been a very good story, though I am not sure because the writing style and world building was confusing. I found I had to go back several times and re-read a sentence or paragraph, sometimes numerous times, to understand what was being relayed. Maybe a person more familiar with Jamaican heritage would understand this story, but I had difficulty following exactly what was going on a lot of the time.
From what I gather, the story is about two young witches who want the same thing: to protect and become the leader of the island they live upon. Though they have a deep-seated hate and mistrust for one another, they have a common goal that forces them to work together. Simple right? Hah! You would think! But this is so convoluted with so many different aspects to try to keep straight and very few details provided to understand who or what is doing what and with whom. Let me give a short rundown, a score card if you will, to help explain some of the hurdles that have to be overcome to read this series and try to make any sense of it:
1. The series takes place mainly on the island of Aiyka, but also the neighboring islands of Zesia and Oscuridad play a role, but the main premise is concentrated on Aiyka and protecting it.
2. The main characters are Iraya Adair and Jazmyne Cariot, and the story is told from their POV in alternating chapters.
3. Jazmyne Cariot is the daughter of the Doyenne Judair Cariot, who had staged a coup approximately ten years prior and killed the Empress Adair and her husband, Iraya’s parents.
4. Iraya Adair, who has hidden her identity for the past ten years, reveals herself and is now out for revenge and to reclaim the crown for her people.
5. There are other major players, such as Kirdan Divsylar, the emissary from Zesia who works with Jazmyne and Iraya, Roje, the pirate who befriends Jazmyne, Anya and Delussa the confidants of Jazmyne and Iraya respectively.
6. On this island there are two sects of witches, the Alumbrar and the Obeah. The Cariot’s (Jazmyne) is an Alumbrar, and Iraya is Obeah. The difference between the two factions was never really clear, the only thing that was evident is their hatred for each other and their feeling of superiority over the other clan.
7. There are three rebel groups who want to overthrow the Doyenne and take control of Aiyka: The Unnamed, which is a group of Alumbar witches dissatisfied with how the Doyenne runs things; Jazmyne is a member of this group. The Jades, which are Obeah witches and aligned with Iraya, and the third group is the Unfit, Obeah witches who had their magic stripped from them by Iraya’s mother when she was empress.
8. Also, there are other groups who play a significant part in the story beyond the rebel factions. There are the pirates who pretty much controls the seas and have an interests in Aiyka, there are Virago, a secret and believed to be extinct set of Obeah witch warriors, the Simbarobo and J’Mortinet of Zesia, the Skylanders from Oscuridad who have winged beasts they ride into battle, and there are more subsets that only muddle the issue so will not be included here.
I was disappointed in this series. It sounded very interesting and could have been if it wasn’t so obscure. The world building could have been stronger, explaining the aspects more clearly about the magic and the peoples involved. It is apparent the two main witch factions hate each other, but it is never explained why there was so much animosity and unwillingness to compromise. There is a listing in the back of the book of the seven faces of the deity worshipped and an explanation of the different magical powers of the two sects of witches describing how their powers are identified, though neither ever really plays any significant role in the story. It is neither helpful or necessary. Instead, a reference guide of all the different sects and individual involved would have been more advantageous in its place.
The “twists� in the story were predictable. Completely telegraphed prior to reveal, they were no real surprise when revealed. It was so disappointing because they were so expected and obvious.
The sentence structure and writing style was difficult to follow and distracting to the narrative. A person has to be resolute and committed to completing this series, getting past all the complications and incomprehensible aspects of this series, otherwise it will be a DNF. In other words, do not expect this to be an easy relaxing read. Determination to persist until completion is required. A persons must be committed to completing it no matter how agonizing and confusing it may be at times. Is the payoff worth the commitment? That is something the individual has to determine for themselves. Speaking for myself, I would not have initiated it if I knew prior what I was getting into with it.
That is not to say an individual should NOT read it. I would not dissuade anybody from giving it a chance, but a person should be forewarned of some of the obstacles facing those who choose to wade into it. I did find some aspects of it enjoyable, for example, I really enjoyed the character of Iraya. She was cocky and sharp tongued. I also like the basic premise of the story. Ms. Smart was able to keep the story moving so it was difficult to put down at times anticipating how a situation would be resolved.
I cannot say that I would read another of Ms. Smart’s works mainly because her writing style is not my type.
In summation, I cannot recommend this series unless you have the determination and resolve to stay with it regardless of all the complications involved in reading it. You have been forewarned.
October 13, 2022
I so love this book, it’s a wonderful imaginative world , full of diverse characters and I love the surprises, the twists you always think you know where it’s going to go but you really don’t, I love it when an author does that, such amazing writing and beautiful too. If you enjoyed the first book, you’ll love this
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
February 27, 2023
The sprawling epic continuation of Witches Steeped in Gold satisfied on many levels. With its extensive world-building and complex characterization, this is a book to be savored. I read both novels in this series via audiobook, and the narration is phenomenal. Iraya’s swagger and Jazmyne’s subtle ennui come through beautifully. I hope there will be a third book!
Read
May 19, 2023DNF @43% perhaps this just doesn't work well as an audio book or maybe the pacing is too slow because it really wasn't holding my attention at all! 🤷♀�
June 18, 2022
Massive thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eArc of the book, in exchange for an honest review. If you loved the first book, I can promise you are going to love this one even more. Iraya and Jazmyne both have beautifully haunting character arcs that I know are going to stay with me for a long time. I'm sad that I won't see certain relationships resolved and healed in a third book in the saga but I couldn't have wished for a better ending. Aiyca had the ending I had always wished for it to have.
The story was rife with tension between Iraya and Jazmyne as to who would emerge on the Golden Seat of Aiyca, although sometimes the pacing was too slow for my liking. Barring that this book was everything I wished it to be and more.
The story was rife with tension between Iraya and Jazmyne as to who would emerge on the Golden Seat of Aiyca, although sometimes the pacing was too slow for my liking. Barring that this book was everything I wished it to be and more.
May 9, 2022
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, what an ending to this powerful duology. Without wanting to give away any spoilers, this book gave me everything I wanted after finishing Witches Steeped in Gold, and then some things I didn't even know I was hoping for. Having two protagnosists on opposite sides of an ancient divide, forced to work together again and again means that throughout the series you truly have no idea who will eventually succeed which is a refreshing change in a fantasy series, where often the endings seem assured even if the method of getting there isn't. Making two such opposing characters equally likeable and relatable is a challenge that I think the author met well. Personally, I'm Team Iraya but I've always had a weakness for impatient, impulsive warriors, and Jazmyne as a counterpoint demonstrates that there is more than one way to be a strong female lead, which is a message I can always get behind. As with the first book, my only complaint is one of pacing, the plot dips a bit in the middle before picking up speed to race toward the end, but overall I loved this, even more than the first book.
Wow, what an ending to this powerful duology. Without wanting to give away any spoilers, this book gave me everything I wanted after finishing Witches Steeped in Gold, and then some things I didn't even know I was hoping for. Having two protagnosists on opposite sides of an ancient divide, forced to work together again and again means that throughout the series you truly have no idea who will eventually succeed which is a refreshing change in a fantasy series, where often the endings seem assured even if the method of getting there isn't. Making two such opposing characters equally likeable and relatable is a challenge that I think the author met well. Personally, I'm Team Iraya but I've always had a weakness for impatient, impulsive warriors, and Jazmyne as a counterpoint demonstrates that there is more than one way to be a strong female lead, which is a message I can always get behind. As with the first book, my only complaint is one of pacing, the plot dips a bit in the middle before picking up speed to race toward the end, but overall I loved this, even more than the first book.
September 3, 2023
I have so many mixed feelings on this book.
‘Empress Crowned In Red� quickly picks up after the events in ‘Witches Steeped In Gold.� The Doyenne is dead, Jazmyne is adjusting to her new role as the Doyenne, Iraya must learn to become the empress her people need, and a new threat has emerged that needs to be stopped. The opening chapters got me very excited for this book and I was very intrigued. However, this excitement I had while reading quickly dwindled as the progression of things suddenly stopped to a slow crawl rather than a nice walk.
This is what I believe to be the biggest flaw of the book: it’s pacing. This book has very high highs, but also very low lows. The exciting and eventful chapters of this book are exceedingly well written and want you coming back for more, but they’re unfortunately spread out a but far from each other and most of the events in between are not nearly as interesting. I also feel at times things were just happening all over the place, and I had a hard time keeping up with who’s who and what’s happening.
As for the characters, I also feel like they exemplify this book’s extreme highs and lows very well. Iraya is great. She goes through a consistent arc and constantly evolves as a character, learning to become a leader and learning to trust other people and gain friendships. Her romance subplot she has with Kirdan is also well executed and feels like it progresses very naturally. By the end of the book, Iraya really grew and I felt very proud of her. Jazmyne, on the other hand, was not great. Like Iraya, Jazmyne too needs to learn to become a leader her people need. However, I find this isn’t explored nearly as well or to the same extent. Jazmyne instead gets a side story involving pirates, which should be very interesting in concept, but unfortunately is not well executed. She does receive some character growth by the end of the book, but the journey to get there was not nearly as interesting as Iraya’s. Because of this, I found myself kind of dreading Jazmyne’s chapters, which is not a good thing when she is one of the two protagonists of the novel.
The other character of note in this book is one that frustrated me greatly throughout the novel: Kirdan. It feels like Kirdan’s role in this book was reduced to only being a love interest and a person that needs to be saved/fretted over by the main characters. He does not really have a lot of effect in the events which take place and is only really important to the story when he is in danger. The amount of time’s characters fretted over Kirdan and his wellbeing was irritating to have to keep reading about, which is unfortunate because he’s essentially been reduced at times to a damsel in distress and Iraya’s boyfriend.
The villain of this book was ok, though I feel they were underutilized. The characters constantly reflect on how dangerous this person is, but aside from the beginning of the book and the end, they aren’t very present. It was a little hard to feel intimidated by this threat or worry for the characters� wellbeing when the villain wasn’t super involved.
Overall, I was excited for ‘Empress Crowned In Red�, and when it delivered, it delivered well. However, there were also things that weren’t great, causing me to not rate it as highly as I hoped it would be.
‘Empress Crowned In Red� quickly picks up after the events in ‘Witches Steeped In Gold.� The Doyenne is dead, Jazmyne is adjusting to her new role as the Doyenne, Iraya must learn to become the empress her people need, and a new threat has emerged that needs to be stopped. The opening chapters got me very excited for this book and I was very intrigued. However, this excitement I had while reading quickly dwindled as the progression of things suddenly stopped to a slow crawl rather than a nice walk.
This is what I believe to be the biggest flaw of the book: it’s pacing. This book has very high highs, but also very low lows. The exciting and eventful chapters of this book are exceedingly well written and want you coming back for more, but they’re unfortunately spread out a but far from each other and most of the events in between are not nearly as interesting. I also feel at times things were just happening all over the place, and I had a hard time keeping up with who’s who and what’s happening.
As for the characters, I also feel like they exemplify this book’s extreme highs and lows very well. Iraya is great. She goes through a consistent arc and constantly evolves as a character, learning to become a leader and learning to trust other people and gain friendships. Her romance subplot she has with Kirdan is also well executed and feels like it progresses very naturally. By the end of the book, Iraya really grew and I felt very proud of her. Jazmyne, on the other hand, was not great. Like Iraya, Jazmyne too needs to learn to become a leader her people need. However, I find this isn’t explored nearly as well or to the same extent. Jazmyne instead gets a side story involving pirates, which should be very interesting in concept, but unfortunately is not well executed. She does receive some character growth by the end of the book, but the journey to get there was not nearly as interesting as Iraya’s. Because of this, I found myself kind of dreading Jazmyne’s chapters, which is not a good thing when she is one of the two protagonists of the novel.
The other character of note in this book is one that frustrated me greatly throughout the novel: Kirdan. It feels like Kirdan’s role in this book was reduced to only being a love interest and a person that needs to be saved/fretted over by the main characters. He does not really have a lot of effect in the events which take place and is only really important to the story when he is in danger. The amount of time’s characters fretted over Kirdan and his wellbeing was irritating to have to keep reading about, which is unfortunate because he’s essentially been reduced at times to a damsel in distress and Iraya’s boyfriend.
The villain of this book was ok, though I feel they were underutilized. The characters constantly reflect on how dangerous this person is, but aside from the beginning of the book and the end, they aren’t very present. It was a little hard to feel intimidated by this threat or worry for the characters� wellbeing when the villain wasn’t super involved.
Overall, I was excited for ‘Empress Crowned In Red�, and when it delivered, it delivered well. However, there were also things that weren’t great, causing me to not rate it as highly as I hoped it would be.
May 1, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Empress Crowned in Red is the epic conclusion to Witches Steeped in Gold. Brimming with magic, hope and heartbreak, this is a stunning finale you won’t want to miss. The sequel follows rival witches Jazmyne and Iraya in their tentative alliance to save their home from a new, unknown enemy. Tempers clash and betrayal lurks at every corner, making this impossible to put down.
This book is dual POV, which can be confusing at times, but is necessary for the storyline to work. It is action packed and the pacing is good, but it is a long book (so be prepared). The writing style is definitely aimed at more mature readers, it reads more like an adult book than YA, the wording can be quite complex. Saying this, the writing was lovely, almost lyrical and the descriptions were excellent. I would also recommend re-reading the first book before starting this, I didn’t and it took me a while to catch up with characters and events that took place in WSIG.
Personally, I think this book almost did an injustice to Jazmyne, she was portrayed as being quite weak at times, I think she deserved more of a character arc. I also thought the final chapter felt too short, I expected to see more of an epilogue. However, besides these small observations, this was an enjoyable read and I was emotionally invested in the characters and the storyline.
Empress Crowned in Red is the epic conclusion to Witches Steeped in Gold. Brimming with magic, hope and heartbreak, this is a stunning finale you won’t want to miss. The sequel follows rival witches Jazmyne and Iraya in their tentative alliance to save their home from a new, unknown enemy. Tempers clash and betrayal lurks at every corner, making this impossible to put down.
This book is dual POV, which can be confusing at times, but is necessary for the storyline to work. It is action packed and the pacing is good, but it is a long book (so be prepared). The writing style is definitely aimed at more mature readers, it reads more like an adult book than YA, the wording can be quite complex. Saying this, the writing was lovely, almost lyrical and the descriptions were excellent. I would also recommend re-reading the first book before starting this, I didn’t and it took me a while to catch up with characters and events that took place in WSIG.
Personally, I think this book almost did an injustice to Jazmyne, she was portrayed as being quite weak at times, I think she deserved more of a character arc. I also thought the final chapter felt too short, I expected to see more of an epilogue. However, besides these small observations, this was an enjoyable read and I was emotionally invested in the characters and the storyline.
April 26, 2022
I received an advanced reading copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an epic follow up to Witches Steeped in Gold that does what every great sequel should do, more of the same mixed with fresh elements and expansive vision. Empress Crowned in Red takes us on a wild journey for the fight for Aiyca with more allies, more enemies and higher stakes than before. Smart weaves the dual perspective story with complex characters in a lyrical way that thrusts you into their world so deeply I wasn't sure who I was ultimately rooting for because I was emotionally invested in all the characters journeys. While this is professed as a conclusion to the witches story I can't help but hope there will be more stories set in this world because there is so much depth to the world building or maybe just a killer adaptation in the future. Either way I enjoyed the novel I'd love to see more.
This is an epic follow up to Witches Steeped in Gold that does what every great sequel should do, more of the same mixed with fresh elements and expansive vision. Empress Crowned in Red takes us on a wild journey for the fight for Aiyca with more allies, more enemies and higher stakes than before. Smart weaves the dual perspective story with complex characters in a lyrical way that thrusts you into their world so deeply I wasn't sure who I was ultimately rooting for because I was emotionally invested in all the characters journeys. While this is professed as a conclusion to the witches story I can't help but hope there will be more stories set in this world because there is so much depth to the world building or maybe just a killer adaptation in the future. Either way I enjoyed the novel I'd love to see more.
October 3, 2022
It took me a while to get into the book and to remember what had already happened - this was partly because of when i read the first book but also with how content heavy it is.
The first half felt like it was dragged along quite a bit with all the action happening in the last third of the book, i liked the betrayal and differencing alliances between new people as well as the new characters (Taal is one of my favourites after her conversation with Jazmyne in the mountains) However i felt that because of the story being plot driven i never connected with the characters so any events didn’t create an emotional response.
I felt there was a divide between Iraya and Jazmyne with power but neither was belittled for their way of handling things, Iraya with brute force and her magic and Jazmyne being more diplomatic. I liked the split between the two POVS as it provided new, amusing content when the book became very focused on plot.
I would have liked a map to be featured in the book as the characters travelled to different countries which became very confusing at times and the different orders were hard to keep track of.
Personally, i would have liked to read more about the race for pirate queen and the Virago as i found them to be entertaining.
I did expect a different ending from Jazmyne inheriting her magic and becoming Doyenne with Iraya being Empress and would have liked to see the wider affect of the battle with characters like Anya, Roje, Taal etc.
The first half felt like it was dragged along quite a bit with all the action happening in the last third of the book, i liked the betrayal and differencing alliances between new people as well as the new characters (Taal is one of my favourites after her conversation with Jazmyne in the mountains) However i felt that because of the story being plot driven i never connected with the characters so any events didn’t create an emotional response.
I felt there was a divide between Iraya and Jazmyne with power but neither was belittled for their way of handling things, Iraya with brute force and her magic and Jazmyne being more diplomatic. I liked the split between the two POVS as it provided new, amusing content when the book became very focused on plot.
I would have liked a map to be featured in the book as the characters travelled to different countries which became very confusing at times and the different orders were hard to keep track of.
Personally, i would have liked to read more about the race for pirate queen and the Virago as i found them to be entertaining.
I did expect a different ending from Jazmyne inheriting her magic and becoming Doyenne with Iraya being Empress and would have liked to see the wider affect of the battle with characters like Anya, Roje, Taal etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2022
Saying this right at the start: this is book 2 of 2. So if you haven't read book 1 then you should (and I reviewed that here). If you decide to read on and open the spoiler section, you'll find spoilers from the first book.
Right here is good if you need a memory refresh though, because I'm going to recap some of the things I'm thinking are probably important for this book, before I start reading.
Alrighty then, onto the book!
I am getting more and more needy about wanting to know details about this world. Everything around the story is so rich with life and history–and secrecy–this book just adds to it. I desperately don't want to be forced to leave this world behind.
Some of the writing strikes me anew. As we see Roje the pirate more, Smart uses nautical words to describe his voice, his tone, his mood. It's a neat touch, that just speaks again to the detail with which Smart has written.
The plotlines from book 1 were numerous, so the introduction of a bunch more was worrying at first. There was an awful lot happening, and it was all going kind of slowly. But suddenly you realise everything actually led somewhere and it's time for the Big Finish!
I loved these books and the world they're set in. Grab them both if you can.
Queer character info: Anya from the last book, some hints of others - definitely there. Vea has died offscreen.
Right here is good if you need a memory refresh though, because I'm going to recap some of the things I'm thinking are probably important for this book, before I start reading.
Alrighty then, onto the book!
I am getting more and more needy about wanting to know details about this world. Everything around the story is so rich with life and history–and secrecy–this book just adds to it. I desperately don't want to be forced to leave this world behind.
Some of the writing strikes me anew. As we see Roje the pirate more, Smart uses nautical words to describe his voice, his tone, his mood. It's a neat touch, that just speaks again to the detail with which Smart has written.
The plotlines from book 1 were numerous, so the introduction of a bunch more was worrying at first. There was an awful lot happening, and it was all going kind of slowly. But suddenly you realise everything actually led somewhere and it's time for the Big Finish!
I loved these books and the world they're set in. Grab them both if you can.
Queer character info: Anya from the last book, some hints of others - definitely there. Vea has died offscreen.
March 10, 2023
I personally couldn’t finish reading it. But I really wanted to hear how the story further plays out so i finished it as an audiobook and this way it was definitely enjoyable. Especially because Iraya‘s and Jazmyne‘s perspectives were much easier to keep apart, since there were two different narrators.
March 8, 2025
I don't normally write reviews here but I made a great one and it needed to be shared but it was too long for IG so here it goes:
My Tenacity vs. This Book: A Battle I Barely Won
I hated this book so much that I had to have full conversations with ChatGPT just to keep my sanity intact while reading it. And yet, despite every instinct telling me to run far, far away, I powered through. Why? Because the plot had potential, the premise was unique, Iraya was an absolute badass, and I wanted to see how it all played out. But that’s where my praise ends. By the end, I was left with one overwhelming thought: this book had the potential to be great and instead chose to be pretentious.
Let’s start with the writing—or, as I like to call it, the literary obstacle course. This book is the literary equivalent of a marathon through wet cement—needlessly verbose, frustratingly overwritten, and so convoluted that I could barely care about the 500 side characters (or their betrayals, which at some point just became white noise). Did the author have a word-a-day calendar that she was determined to use in full? I am all for broadening my vocabulary, but I shouldn’t need a dictionary while reading a fantasy novel that is supposed to immerse me in its world. Sentences stretched past 50 words, packed with unnecessary thesaurus plugs, and at one point, the word mellifluously was used to describe bells ringing in a market. Was the author trying to win a spelling bee? Because ‘mellifluously� in a fantasy book? Really??
And that leads me to the worldbuilding—or lack thereof. The Jamaican-inspired setting? More like a handful of clichés and random slang words thrown in like seasoning on an underwhelming dish. We get moments of pickney and yeh mon, dropped into a sentence, but where is the cultural depth? Where is the immersive integration? The magic system had so much promise—metiers, ancestral magic, a matriarchal society—but instead of exploring these fascinating elements, we got convoluted prose that made it impossible to fully grasp what was happening. There were creatures and technology, but I couldn’t tell you what half of them were because the writing buried any chance at clarity.
Then we have the characters—so many, yet most felt distant, buried under layers of overwrought prose. Jazmyne, in particular, was the bane of my reading experience. Meanwhile, Iraya’s chapters at least had purpose—she made decisions, grew, and actually did things. Jazmyne, on the other hand, floundered through an exhausting side quest no one asked for, bogged down by endless subplots—advisors turning on her, family drama, a pirate race (??). It should have been compelling, but her constant indecision and self-doubt made it unbearable. Instead of a strong arc, we got noise. By the time she finally made a choice, I no longer cared. And the POV switching? With chapters so short I barely had time to settle in before being yanked to the next? Infuriating. Iraya, thankfully, was the book’s saving grace. She had agency, she was making moves, and her chapters carried the momentum that kept me going. But even she wasn’t safe from the book’s biggest issue: predictability. By the time her second-in-command betrayed her, I was numb to it—because of course she did. It wasn’t even an interesting betrayal; just another tired repeat of something we’d already seen. And the antagonist? Exactly who I suspected it was 300 pages ago.
Speaking of predictability, the plot could have been fantastic, but the execution was a mess. Betrayals happened left and right, but instead of shock, my reaction was usually, Wait� who is this again? Too many side characters, too many words, and too little impact. And don’t even get me started on the plot holes—because wow, were there some doozies. Case in point: Iraya literally jumps into the ocean to bargain with a monster, and in her next chapter, she wakes up days later on a ship, docked at her home island, with no memory of what happened. The book tries to pass this off as suspense, but when you never actually explain the missing time, it just feels lazy.
Now, let’s address the romance. The slow burn between Iraya and Kirdan? Amazing. The tension, the build-up—perfectly executed. And then, the moment they finally cross the line? A fade-to-black scene that immediately reduces them to constantly being all over each other, despite the literal war happening across three islands. I love romance in fantasy, but I need it to make sense. And when we get back to the mainland the writer starts alluding to a love triangle like really? UGGH just end already!
And finally, the ending. Surprisingly, it was good. So good, in fact, that I had to sit with it for a while and ask myself: Does this ending make up for everything else? The answer? No. I spent seven days slogging through overwritten, convoluted prose for an ending that, while satisfying, did not justify the suffering.
Final verdict? 2.25 stars. This is my lowest-rated book of 2025 so far, and if anything dethrones it, I will be shocked. If you enjoy literary obstacle courses, thesaurus abuse, and a book that takes a rich culture and reduces it to vernacular, then by all means, read this exponentially. As for me? I just want the past week of my life back.
My Tenacity vs. This Book: A Battle I Barely Won
I hated this book so much that I had to have full conversations with ChatGPT just to keep my sanity intact while reading it. And yet, despite every instinct telling me to run far, far away, I powered through. Why? Because the plot had potential, the premise was unique, Iraya was an absolute badass, and I wanted to see how it all played out. But that’s where my praise ends. By the end, I was left with one overwhelming thought: this book had the potential to be great and instead chose to be pretentious.
Let’s start with the writing—or, as I like to call it, the literary obstacle course. This book is the literary equivalent of a marathon through wet cement—needlessly verbose, frustratingly overwritten, and so convoluted that I could barely care about the 500 side characters (or their betrayals, which at some point just became white noise). Did the author have a word-a-day calendar that she was determined to use in full? I am all for broadening my vocabulary, but I shouldn’t need a dictionary while reading a fantasy novel that is supposed to immerse me in its world. Sentences stretched past 50 words, packed with unnecessary thesaurus plugs, and at one point, the word mellifluously was used to describe bells ringing in a market. Was the author trying to win a spelling bee? Because ‘mellifluously� in a fantasy book? Really??
And that leads me to the worldbuilding—or lack thereof. The Jamaican-inspired setting? More like a handful of clichés and random slang words thrown in like seasoning on an underwhelming dish. We get moments of pickney and yeh mon, dropped into a sentence, but where is the cultural depth? Where is the immersive integration? The magic system had so much promise—metiers, ancestral magic, a matriarchal society—but instead of exploring these fascinating elements, we got convoluted prose that made it impossible to fully grasp what was happening. There were creatures and technology, but I couldn’t tell you what half of them were because the writing buried any chance at clarity.
Then we have the characters—so many, yet most felt distant, buried under layers of overwrought prose. Jazmyne, in particular, was the bane of my reading experience. Meanwhile, Iraya’s chapters at least had purpose—she made decisions, grew, and actually did things. Jazmyne, on the other hand, floundered through an exhausting side quest no one asked for, bogged down by endless subplots—advisors turning on her, family drama, a pirate race (??). It should have been compelling, but her constant indecision and self-doubt made it unbearable. Instead of a strong arc, we got noise. By the time she finally made a choice, I no longer cared. And the POV switching? With chapters so short I barely had time to settle in before being yanked to the next? Infuriating. Iraya, thankfully, was the book’s saving grace. She had agency, she was making moves, and her chapters carried the momentum that kept me going. But even she wasn’t safe from the book’s biggest issue: predictability. By the time her second-in-command betrayed her, I was numb to it—because of course she did. It wasn’t even an interesting betrayal; just another tired repeat of something we’d already seen. And the antagonist? Exactly who I suspected it was 300 pages ago.
Speaking of predictability, the plot could have been fantastic, but the execution was a mess. Betrayals happened left and right, but instead of shock, my reaction was usually, Wait� who is this again? Too many side characters, too many words, and too little impact. And don’t even get me started on the plot holes—because wow, were there some doozies. Case in point: Iraya literally jumps into the ocean to bargain with a monster, and in her next chapter, she wakes up days later on a ship, docked at her home island, with no memory of what happened. The book tries to pass this off as suspense, but when you never actually explain the missing time, it just feels lazy.
Now, let’s address the romance. The slow burn between Iraya and Kirdan? Amazing. The tension, the build-up—perfectly executed. And then, the moment they finally cross the line? A fade-to-black scene that immediately reduces them to constantly being all over each other, despite the literal war happening across three islands. I love romance in fantasy, but I need it to make sense. And when we get back to the mainland the writer starts alluding to a love triangle like really? UGGH just end already!
And finally, the ending. Surprisingly, it was good. So good, in fact, that I had to sit with it for a while and ask myself: Does this ending make up for everything else? The answer? No. I spent seven days slogging through overwritten, convoluted prose for an ending that, while satisfying, did not justify the suffering.
Final verdict? 2.25 stars. This is my lowest-rated book of 2025 so far, and if anything dethrones it, I will be shocked. If you enjoy literary obstacle courses, thesaurus abuse, and a book that takes a rich culture and reduces it to vernacular, then by all means, read this exponentially. As for me? I just want the past week of my life back.
February 13, 2023
I would reread this book in a heartbeat if it wasn't 750 pages
4.5 rounded up to 5. Yes I recommend (but recommend reading book 2 right after book 1 or you'll spend the first 100 pages confused)
Summary: Smart's mastery of imagery and world building kept me going through the slow burn (both romance AND plot). Iraya is the smart a$$ protagonist, brave to the point of reckless, we love to cheer for, while Jazmyne fights the internal struggles many relate to. I loved their character arcs, the self realization of both, and the connections they form with secondary characters. At times I was very confused (especially in the beginning, I really should've read the two books closer together) both due to the long prose (that were beautiful) and the complex world building. There were a few too many important secondary characters. I really wish this would've been a trilogy instead of a 750 page book.
Characters:
Iraya - Too perfect sometimes, hilarious others, always my favorite. She was witty, cunning, and an overall bad a$$ that kept me so invested in the story.
Jazmyne - At times she was whiny and annoying. I wanted to skip through her chapters to get back to Iraya in the first half of hte book, but Jazymne truly had the best character arc (in my opinion) so by the end, I wanted more of her.
Kirdan - I loved the conflict between Iraya and Kirdan. It gave their relationship more depth than "I think you're hot" because he truly had his own motivations and was so much more than many love interests in fantasy romance are (not that this is truly fantasy romance but has similar tropes/feels).
Other secondary characters - the deaths hit HARD, the betrayals harder. They were main characters in their own lives, each with selfish motivations and realistic reactions to the horrors of what their leaders must do to win the war. I could've done with a few less of them, however.
Plot
Here's where I took off the half star, it does drag at points. It's 750 pages, of course it's going to drag when you have chapter after chapter of political intrigue because they have to amass the armies and make alliances and develop as characters, however, I think a good 200 pages could've been cut without damaging the plot or character development. During the slow parts, I really just had to focus on the beauty of Smart's prose and the one liners that HIT.
The ending did feel a bit rushed, especially since the rest of the book was so long, and definitely had a "power of friendship" vibe that I knew was coming but kind of hoped wasn't.
World building
The world was both immersive and too much. I felt lost through many parts and had to scour back through the book to find small points that made things fit together. Part of this is a me-problem, as it's Jamaican-based fantasy so many words and titles were unfamiliar (that is not a critique of the book at all, but of my ability to adjust from primarily medieval based fantasy). I was a bit confused on distances between locations, and time skips between the dual POVs did not help as we'd jump back and forth.
4.5 rounded up to 5. Yes I recommend (but recommend reading book 2 right after book 1 or you'll spend the first 100 pages confused)
Summary: Smart's mastery of imagery and world building kept me going through the slow burn (both romance AND plot). Iraya is the smart a$$ protagonist, brave to the point of reckless, we love to cheer for, while Jazmyne fights the internal struggles many relate to. I loved their character arcs, the self realization of both, and the connections they form with secondary characters. At times I was very confused (especially in the beginning, I really should've read the two books closer together) both due to the long prose (that were beautiful) and the complex world building. There were a few too many important secondary characters. I really wish this would've been a trilogy instead of a 750 page book.
Characters:
Iraya - Too perfect sometimes, hilarious others, always my favorite. She was witty, cunning, and an overall bad a$$ that kept me so invested in the story.
Jazmyne - At times she was whiny and annoying. I wanted to skip through her chapters to get back to Iraya in the first half of hte book, but Jazymne truly had the best character arc (in my opinion) so by the end, I wanted more of her.
Kirdan - I loved the conflict between Iraya and Kirdan. It gave their relationship more depth than "I think you're hot" because he truly had his own motivations and was so much more than many love interests in fantasy romance are (not that this is truly fantasy romance but has similar tropes/feels).
Other secondary characters - the deaths hit HARD, the betrayals harder. They were main characters in their own lives, each with selfish motivations and realistic reactions to the horrors of what their leaders must do to win the war. I could've done with a few less of them, however.
Plot
Here's where I took off the half star, it does drag at points. It's 750 pages, of course it's going to drag when you have chapter after chapter of political intrigue because they have to amass the armies and make alliances and develop as characters, however, I think a good 200 pages could've been cut without damaging the plot or character development. During the slow parts, I really just had to focus on the beauty of Smart's prose and the one liners that HIT.
The ending did feel a bit rushed, especially since the rest of the book was so long, and definitely had a "power of friendship" vibe that I knew was coming but kind of hoped wasn't.
World building
The world was both immersive and too much. I felt lost through many parts and had to scour back through the book to find small points that made things fit together. Part of this is a me-problem, as it's Jamaican-based fantasy so many words and titles were unfamiliar (that is not a critique of the book at all, but of my ability to adjust from primarily medieval based fantasy). I was a bit confused on distances between locations, and time skips between the dual POVs did not help as we'd jump back and forth.
April 18, 2023
Stats
Writing - 10/10
Plot - 6/10
Characters - 7/10
World-Building - 8/10
I loved book 1, and book 2 picked up right where the first left off, but the pace dropped off dramatically from book 1.
For the writing, I still thought it was just as beautiful as in book 1. It maintained the writing-style that I loved where I really felt like I was immersed in the world.
The plot, however, is where I feel book 2 really dropped off. The entirety of book 2 was longer than book 1, and the plot had already been drawn out. Here, it was severely drawn out. There was quite a bit that could have been taken out of the book and it would have accomplished the same goal. The underlying plot was mostly political as Iraya and Jazmyne worked to secure allies for Aiyca, but I felt that it really halted the story. It felt like it was way too long without much substance.
The characters also dropped off a bit for me. I felt that Jazmyne's development from book 1 was swept aside in book 2 and she reverted back to the person she was at the very beginning. I also felt that Iraya did not really progress as a character. She remained the same as she was at the end of book 1. Additionally, I felt that everything in Iraya's plot was far too easy for her, and Jazmyne's plot was extremely difficult. It was meant to be a point of contention between the two witches, but Iraya was always harsh with Jazmyne that she could never do anything right, and I couldn't really get on board with it.
Lastly, the world-building. It was still great, through we did not expand much on the world. The main idea was that we are battling monsters from beyond the veil, but that wasn't really expanded on much. We also only got hints of the Skylands and their island, but the book is still enjoyable without those details.
Writing - 10/10
Plot - 6/10
Characters - 7/10
World-Building - 8/10
I loved book 1, and book 2 picked up right where the first left off, but the pace dropped off dramatically from book 1.
For the writing, I still thought it was just as beautiful as in book 1. It maintained the writing-style that I loved where I really felt like I was immersed in the world.
The plot, however, is where I feel book 2 really dropped off. The entirety of book 2 was longer than book 1, and the plot had already been drawn out. Here, it was severely drawn out. There was quite a bit that could have been taken out of the book and it would have accomplished the same goal. The underlying plot was mostly political as Iraya and Jazmyne worked to secure allies for Aiyca, but I felt that it really halted the story. It felt like it was way too long without much substance.
The characters also dropped off a bit for me. I felt that Jazmyne's development from book 1 was swept aside in book 2 and she reverted back to the person she was at the very beginning. I also felt that Iraya did not really progress as a character. She remained the same as she was at the end of book 1. Additionally, I felt that everything in Iraya's plot was far too easy for her, and Jazmyne's plot was extremely difficult. It was meant to be a point of contention between the two witches, but Iraya was always harsh with Jazmyne that she could never do anything right, and I couldn't really get on board with it.
Lastly, the world-building. It was still great, through we did not expand much on the world. The main idea was that we are battling monsters from beyond the veil, but that wasn't really expanded on much. We also only got hints of the Skylands and their island, but the book is still enjoyable without those details.
June 27, 2022
Y’all. When I tell you it took me almost a month to finish this book I mean it. It was a really good book I loved the elements added the suspense the plot twists that happened every so often the heart break I felt with every betrayal like I would absolutely tell someone to read this series. I love a good witch story and this was absolutely something i expected from witches. The feminist plotting the enemies to lovers The Who did this to you and touch her and you die tropes the creatures that were used that weren’t JUST witches I loved it all. Now let me tell you why it’s only four stars. Ciannon, girl! You did my girl jazmyne sooooo dirty!!!! From book one to now o felt like jazmyne deserved soooo much better! Like if her hair wasn’t grey I feel it would’ve eventually turned grey!!! And the ending?? I know you said this book was a duology but I felt like the ending could have been considered a close hanger! At the very LEAST put an epilogue of all the rights done a decade or so later so I can be SATISFIED by the characters developments and plots that you so generously left holes for. Roje? I need to know! What did the island look like afterwards? Are you going to make stories on the other surrounding islands on the future?? I have sooo many questions. And that’s fine! I feel like later down the road you will answer some of these and I’ll be happy getting another book from you to appease my appetite for more. Because in all honesty that’s what this is; an appetite for more of the story. If an author does not leave me craving more of their work on the future then something is wrong THANK YOU for this story it was everything I needed an more. 10/10 would recommend to someone else starting on YA to NA in high fantasy ❤️❤️
Still upset I didn’t get a map though :(
Still upset I didn’t get a map though :(
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.