Hell Bent

Hmm, okay, so....not as gripping as the first one, and it seemed sort of repetitive at times? I don't know, Bardugo is so talented and there were certain scenes and lines that made me stop and appreciate what a gifted writer she is, but the plot here was....ehhh. And normally, I can handwave wonky plot stuff in favor of good characters, because that's what I really look for in a book, but I didn't feel the connection with any of the characters like I did in the first one. It felt like their personalities sort of...stagnated, I guess? Even Demon!Darlington was still basically the same and tbh I found him a bit cringey when he was acting more demon-y.

I still like the magic and the world-building, and I'm vaguely interested in the next book. Mostly because I want to see Turner just have a good day. Y'know, maybe get some ice cream, pet some dogs, pop some bubble wrap, anything to get him away from those meddling kids and their secret societies and magic. Overall, 3 Cosmo the Cat appearances out of 5.