RUTHLESS GODS is dark, atmospheric, and completely enchanting. It was everything I hoped a sequel to WICKED SAINTS would be and then some. Everyone is completely broken and yet somehow forging a way forward. After the first book, Nadya is still reeling from the betrayal by Malachiasz, Serefin is trying to hold the kingdom together as its new ruler while also fighting the powers speaking to him and corrupting his vision, and Malachiasz is something else entirely.

Their journeys all feel different and yet somehow aligned. Motivations are unclear and ever changing. The gods that are revered in one country and scorned in another are hiding secrets which are deeper than expected and raise more and more questions. The complexity of the plot is matched by the complexity of the characters, and this book is completely impossible to put down.

What I loved: It is hard to even say how many things I loved about this book. It is atmospheric and engrossing, and I felt completely transported to this unique world. The characters are deep, complex, and evolving. All flawed, all gorgeous, and all fantastically well crafted. Secrets cover secrets and questions grow in a completely amazing way. Dark and beautiful, this book is an absolutely incredible sequel that I highly recommend picking up. This is a book that you need to experience for yourself.

Final verdict: Fans of dark and compelling fantasies will delight in this gorgeously crafted series. Atmospheric, enchanting, and engrossing, RUTHLESS GODS is a powerful sequel in a must-read series. I highly recommend for fans of Roshani Chokshi, Sabaa Tahir, Leigh Bardugo, and Adrienne Young.