Good sequel but let me a bit disappointed.
353800
In this sequel I found Damian being a bit less intense than in the first book. I didn't feel the intensity of their relation.
Maybe it's because there was many characters pov and the change end of time and places and pov break the intensity. their relationship, even if it is in the front place is not as strongly there than in the first book. And it didn't feel like the sociopath from the first book, but a surviving possessive guy, not the strong headed dominant unmovable man. I don't really know. I just can speculate. Even if it's was interesting to know all the new and less new characters I found it broke the rhythm. Not of the story which is a fast pace one. But the essence of what and who is sociopath. The huge and ultimate presence.
I love to see them having there HEA. I just have to try to conciliate myself with the jumps in time the author used, 12 years later is a good long time. And I had always had some difficulties to accept that for the heroes in books. Because it's a long time which in a few lines has already gone so quickly... Maybe it remind me how life goes so fast!
I really want to know more about Dominic and will follow his next series.
3295239
I liked this book but it wasn't as good and action packed as the first. To be honest I'm getting sick and bored of the same story with a few turns, mainly at the end. I'm still going to read the last book because I am ready to find out answers. Hopefully I'll get them in the 3rd one.
4278294
I still loved this book and couldn't put it down but it was still missing a little something from the first book. I hope the quality of these books don't go down with each one but so far I'd still recommend this one.
2445359
A good sequel to "No More Black Magic", "Deathly Magic" just didn't grab me like its predecessor did. There were definitely some similarities between the two, but the fact that there didn't seem to be much in the realm of new information into the characters was a bit of a letdown. There were pieces here and there that hinted at bigger things, but none of it was explained in this book. One thing that was also missing was the tying together of all the different storylines, leaving this novel feeling fragmented in places and repetitive in others.
Overall, I'm still interested in what Kessler has to offer in this series, but "Deathly Magic" was merely a step between the first book and the next for me.
886128
A good sequel to No More Heroes.  The open world has been replaced with a menu based mode of transport, which was not an improvement in my opinion, but the upgraded clothing and weapons helped make up for it.  The story isn't as good as the first one, but the boss fights are much better.  All things considered, it is my second favorite after No More Heroes 1.
3786935
This one was good but not as good as the first.  I wanted to see more development of Ella's skill.  She's read two Everman books but seems to stumble at the ability to pierce an illusion.  For that matter, a more three dimensional development of all the main characters would have been more interesting.  Miro is intrepid and more intrepid and a little more, but not acting like a Lord Marshal.  So, read it.  It's good but it could be great.
93570
It wasn't bad but I wasn't satisfied. I'm guessing there will be a part 2, so I'm hoping for next time around.
1851277
This is going to be a very hard review to write, especially when it comes to rating due to high expectations. I absolutely LOVED Not a Drop to Drink, so when I saw this companion novel, I knew I would have to read it. That being said, while I enjoyed IN A HANDFUL OF DUST, I wasn't completely sucked in like I was with the first book. Don't get me wrong, it was a good read, but it just didn't have the same all consuming feel that the first one did. The first time around the bleakness was all consuming, but this time it didn't have the same sucker punch feeling, which I was hoping to be repeated.

I think a lot of my different feelings this time around had to do with Lucy's character. She's so stark in comparison to Lynn. Sure Lynn came a long way in accepting others, but Lucy just seems to be way too far on the opposite spectrum. Their world is harsh, and she just seemed too trusting, naive, and somewhat selfish to match that. It just didn't seem to jive for me. That being said, it was interesting to see their harsh world from a different perspective. Granted this story did pick up 10 years down the road from where Lynn's book left off, so perhaps Lucy really was sheltered that much "off page" to make this naiveness make sense, but somehow I just doubt it as the circumstances just wouldn't have allowed too much of an easy life. And I think that's where my sticking point lies. The first time around it was the stark world that drew me in as much as the characters and Lucy's different view of things lessened the harsh feel a bit.

But putting all that aside, let's get onto the things I enjoyed. IN A HANDFUL OF DUST opened the stark world up even further, bringing us looks into how others have survived this bleak landscape. There were so many horrors along the way, some of which were so shocking they turned my stomach. What some people will do to survive is both incredible and horrifying it's hard to wrap your head around it. I really have to give the author kudos for expanding this world realistically (When you look outside of Lucy's view and really take in what's going on that is.) Things are not easy, nor are they all bad, and I feel the balance was well played as I never lost hope despite the terrible situations they found themselves.

It's funny, at the close of Not a Drop to Drink, I was completely content with the world to have ended there stay a stand alone, but now that I've read IN A HANDFUL OF DUST, I'm no longer content as after that ending I want more. I feel like there's so much more of a story to be told either from Lucy or Lynn, although I'd prefer the latter of course. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like there will be more books. But either way, Mindy McGinnis has more than earned herself on my authors to watch out for list, and I'll be on the lookout for what she has coming next. If you enjoyed Not a Drop to Drink, then IN A HANDFUL OF DUST should be on your must read list.
1675823
I feel as though the sex in this one wasn't as great as the first book, but it was still pretty good. The story was a little better this time around, with the author giving us more concrete world building. I'm looking forward to the next book and hope to see more of the knight Duncan and the selkies.
384788
I'm happy the second book is already out otherwise I would be really upset with this cliffhanger. It's a good story but I'm hoping for more action in the second book.
2628172
It was good to the see the series continue and the addition of new characters.  But I felt a bit flat after reading it, it just seemed to miss something.  Some sections seemed to drag on a bit, especially the brick painting
833225
I have enjoyed the book but the second did not really have a sub-conclusion - a lot of loose ends like it was the middle of the final story.  It did make me ready for the next book.
3333506
A good return to the series although now I am saddened by the wait for the next book. It was really good. Just not quite up to par as Blood Song. I don't know if it's because the Author now has Corporate Publishers and Editors now, but I felt this addition to the series could and should have been much longer and detailed than it was. It just felt kind of Abrupt and Abrasive..not as fluid as before. Maybe if he would have went on to 800-900 pages and rounded it out more like he did with Blood Song. I really liked Riva but she needed more time drawn out with her character not crammed in and poor Vaelin..so explosive and commanding in the first book to being an after thought in the 2nd book. I did enjoy the book and it was very readable and grabbed you at many points and I look forward to the next book in the series as Anthony Ryan is a 1st Class writer and while this 2nd addition is not at the same level as the 1st book it is still a great read and does bring some answers and understandings to the overall scope.

Good Book Mr. Ryan and I eagerly await the third addition to the series.
4251768
From the first book I was ADDICTED to Khi, and Cuba! So, I had no other choice but to latch onto book two. Good read and kept me interested, but I felt something was missing. The ending to me was not Myss Shan. I do know that authors like to change up but the last few chapters I was missing something and the book started skipping at the end. I was left guessing what should have been there. Will I read part 3, Yes. Why because I know this author is a true BEAST to be RECOGNIZED. I have followed My Shan from the first book she every wrote. But parts of this book didn't feed me. Looking forward to the next one, and I know Myss Shan will represent!
4424543
First of all spoilers bellow:

I want to start by say I still liked the book I was great as is all of chima's work. With that said there were a few things that I was hopeful for but got let down.
I liked that they came back to the fells and the queendom we love. This book gave us some really good new charecters like Alyssa, Capitan Maelston, Shadow, etc. I liked them all and I added some awesome new color. But this book felt less like a second book and more like a parrralel to the first book. I disappointed me that Ash wasn't given even a single P.o.v. . Even though he was mentioned a few times I felt a little empty without him.
It did occasionally make me happy the Jenna had a P.o.v. but there was only a single mention of him from which was confusing because i thought they had a deeper conection than that.
The ending started with a cool siege at the Chalk Cliffs. I was really cool until all of a sudden the book was over and I thought there could have been much more.

For the next book/last book I would love to see something that is up ward of 700 pages to tie all the characters together.
2637740
I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first. Vince was a free spirit in the first book. Traveling around doing his own thing.
Now he has a bunch of responsibilities, he is trying to hold his kingdom together, he has kids to worry about and overall is full of self-doubt and just...ugh. Such a different tone from the first book.

But I am still giving it 4 stars because I did enjoy it. Many of the characters remain interesting to me, Red and Mouth made me laugh. The elven girls that hold everything together are quite good.

I enjoyed the parts where the group was traveling around the most, the beastmen scouts were cool.

I hope the author can recapture some of the tone of the original book in the next one.
4819838
While I definitely enjoyed this installment in the Continuum Trilogy, it didn't quite grab me the way book 1 did. I suppose I didn't feel like I got the character growth and answers to questions I was hoping for in book 2. Now don't get me wrong, this is certainly time well spent, and there are moments of gorgeous writing just begging to be highlighted and shared. However, and I try not to have too many expectations, but the first novel set the bar a bit higher than this one reached. I'm hoping that in the third piece of the puzzle, more things will become clear and we'll feel like we learn some truths and personal history for our two main characters and their various cohorts. At the least, I would like to see their hopeful journey continue to express some meaningful beliefs about the greater good and what freedom truly means. As well as survival adventure and sweet romance, such as we've seen so far. I like that this doesn't really fit into any one genre only, and that even though there are predictable points we're still surprised along the way. Aero still annoys me but it's not his fault. I bet he'd be cute enough to get away with it IRL anyway.

3.5 stars and my thanks to the publisher for the review opportunity!