I loved this book but not quite as much as the ...
356012
I loved this book but not quite as much as the first one - An Unreasonable Woman. Diane Wilson is a true American Hero trying to protect those she loves and the land/sea she loves
4396482
I didn't love this as much as the first book but it's  still a great read. There are well developed characters while the story is suspenseful with a little romance and humor, I definitely recommend this book!
2095616
4 Stars

Even though I enjoyed this book, I didn't love it quite as much as the first one in the series.

I still liked the pretty, flowery writing, and even though I didn't find it to be a struggle in Book 1, it was even easier to understand this time because I already knew what all the specific fae things were (e.g. the different creatures, the fae objects, etc.).

I also still liked Jeremiah. I liked his roughness, but I also liked his humor. A lot of people find these books to be really dark, but honestly, I don't feel like they're particularly dark. Maybe its just because I read a lot of dark books and have become desensitized to it, but I actually found this book, much like the first, to have some humor. It wasn't a laugh-out-loud type of book, and maybe its not the type of humor the whole trailer park theme suggests, but I had some chuckles, and that was mostly due to Jeremiah and his POV. He has this very dry humor and sarcasm, and I guess it just clicks with me.

I also really liked a new character, Crenn, and his relationship with Jeremiah. He was so interesting to me, and I really wanted to know more about him. Plus I love those types of complicated relationships in which two people used to be the closest of friends but then something happened and now they're enemies, except some part of them still cares about each other because of that strong bond they once had. Im still not quite sure exactly what led to the terrible event that happened or why Crenn blamed Jeremiah, but Ill be really happy if I get to see more of their ex-friendship in the next book.

Robin, however, was again a hard character for me to connect with. I loved that she was such a fighter and never gave up, but she was just so *serious* all the time. I understand why, but it still makes it hard to connect.

The main problem I had though was that the plot seemed kind of repetitive. It was really just Robin and Jeremiah running from the cruel faeries who were hunting them. I don't think the book really had a goal other than don't get caught.

So overall, even though I found the plot a bit lacking, I still found the characters interesting and enjoyed the book, and I definitely look forward to the next one!

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)
2205374
Not as good as the original, but i still give it 5 stars because I could not put it down until I read the whole thing which is the sign of a really good book
4275382
loved this book not a lot of mystery as to what was going to happen, but still loved the story
1105296
Book two in The Illumination Paradox was not quite as good as the first. I felt as though we lost the main reason for the stories and it became more of rescue missions instead of the main plot of the story. I also am not a fan of four POVs. I rather one or two since I feel it can be rather confusing. That being said, I did however enjoy the story between Eyelet and Urlick as well as the other two characters. Adventures abound with extraordinary gadgets and new ways to turn normal things into awesome ones... horse flying.

I am happy to have read the first two books and am looking into the next one. Inventions, tentacles, and lots of steam....
1620305
I love Nalini Singh's work! This book is quite a departure from her usual and it shows. I like how she resolved the conflicts between the hero and heroine. But I feel like there was a little too much fluff and not enough actual storyline in this book. I will definitely continue the series and I hope that changes in the next book.
4097082
Awesome book - it didn't seem to move as quickly as the first 2 in the series.  Not sure if it was the writing or just me getting a bit burned out on all of it.  Still loved the entire series.
208206
I read the first book in about two days and absolutely loved it.  This one was not the same for me as the author bounces around a bit with various background story telling and/or changing the point of view from some of the other characters.  I found myself needing to go back to the 1st book way more than I normally do when reading a sequel.  It improved slightly more than half way thru the book but stayed true to the same format throughout the book. This book was just "okay".
771120
I loved this book.  I loved the interplay between the past and the present  While the ending was not as tidy as I would have hoped, it was still satisfying.
2863271
I enjoyed reading this book but it seemed more of a follow-on to the material in the earlier books.

There was more tension and more risk in this story,  but i did not quiet get the emotional connection to the characters like I did in the first couple of books.
1496616
I loved hearing about Jay, Leo and the other felines and dogs.  I loved watching the relationship between Tom and Janet and to see where it is headed.  Overall it was a great book.

What I didn't like:

The mystery in this book wasn't central to the situation, there seemed to be too much other stuff going on so it felt like a bit of confusion when I read the story.  That is just my thought someone else may love all the little mysteries in the middle of it.  That part of the story the little mysteries intertwined in the story felt rushed.
3181618
I liked this book quite a bit but it felt more like filler than a full-fledged book. I read all of the other four very quickly and was very excited for this one to come out and although I thought it was still good, I felt like the plot wasn't driven forward as much as I expected and not a lot happens when you stop to think about it but I think it was probably necessary to set things up for the upcoming sixth book.
4431332
I really loved this book and the books that follow this one, but I didn't really like the way the people's feelings are. I mean the way Ayla treated as some stupid animal then next she's treated like a savior come down to help them.  But other then that it was a wonderful book. The way Ayla makes the bad things in her life seem like they were put there so she could be tested to see if she was worthy enough to do other things that the woman of the clan are not supposed to do.  Though the parts that confused me were the mogur ceremony and the earthquakes.  Because in a way it makes it seem as if all the magic is real.
3678948
I loved this book very much. I noticed that it touches more on the topic of feminism, how an eventcan cause more harm to a girl than a guy. I really hope that maybe another book can come after, possibly about kitty growing up or what happens to Genevieve and the main characters friendship.
2701897
I loved these books, but a tad bit disappointed, I would have preferred more storyline than Alayna's over analysing every thought, I know it's important to her character, but was it necessary to have the whole book just being about her thoughts. I also would have liken the book to be longer, way to short. I would have loving more stories from other characters in the book or at least more of confessions from Hudson & Alayna's. Still though I am looking forward to Forever With You, hope that it will be much better in storyline, that this book was.
1386209
I loved this book even though it was not my favorite in the series (those would be 3 & especially #5!).  The biggest flaw I found was that there are too many threads and I am not sure that they weave a coherent tapestry.  I just felt that I wanted more to the many story lines, more substance, more description, and felt somewhat like the plot was being hurried along.  I know Erickson can do better and as a devoted fan I hope the next few books return to the intricate and well written level of thought and detail that the earlier novels had.