Warmaidens eARC Review

                       

GoodReads:

Warmaidens is the dark, action-packed conclusion to the heartwrenching Gravemaidens fantasy duology. Kammani and the maidens are now going to war against the ruler who tried to entomb them.

Just a few moons after escaping the tomb in Alu, Kammani and the other runaway maidens have found refuge in the city-state of Manzazu. There, Kammani has become a respected healer, especially among the warriors she’s brought back from the brink of death. Now that the nightmares of Alu are fading, she can finally decide whether or not to take Dagan’s hand in marriage.

But when an assassin murders a healer he believes is Kammani and attempts to kill the displaced queen of Alu, the maidens realize they’ve been found. 

Hungry for revenge, Manzazu’s queen wants to strike back at Alu with her fiercest weapons—her scorpion warrior maidens—but Kammani knows that war harms more than it heals. To save the innocents and any chance of a future with Dagan, Kammani must take down Alu’s ruler before their lives burn up in the flames of war.

Book Details:
Title: Warmaidens
Duology: Gravemaidens (#2)
Author: Kelly Coon
Format: eBook, Hardcover
Publication Date: December 15, 2020
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House)
Page Count: 384

My Review

If you need a reminder on Gravemaidens, here’s my review for it.

The start to this was just a complete dunk in the presence for where our favorite characters are at. They had escaped last book and were on the run, and I’m so happy they settled in nicely.

But this wouldn’t be much of a book if that was the story.

Kelly Coon decides we will have no early endings, happy or not, and Kammani and her friends are unable to leave the past in the past, it’s a bit of a Lion King moment, realizing you gotta go and help take down some a**hole to regain your home.

The problem is that getting home isn’t as easy as storming Pride Rock.

This is definitely more heavily focused on not just on the girls, but on Kammani and her decisions and consequences. Also, this is a plan of action rather than the mystery of the last book. So a totally different feel in every way but still completely cohesive from book one. Where book one was more about the actions of those around Kammani, this time it’s all about her actions, and still focuses on her choices and her story.

Kammani has so much on her shoulders and she tries so much to juggle it all and she has such a pure heart, but, POOR DAGAN HE TRIES SO HARD HE IS THE GIFT I NEEDED IN A YA BOOK. Dagan is a sweetie, he is soft, and strong, vulnerable, and supportive, he’s an icon against toxic masculinity and the best part is that this story isn’t about him, it’s still about Kammani. He does not take center stage but he plays a very important role.

There was so much to come home to for the characters, people have changed, places, and of course the political workings. Can they get the rightful ruler back on the throne, save Alu from the pretender’s corruption and not lose everything they’ve gained? Guess you all will have to find out, but I will say, I approve of that ending wholeheartedly.

One thing I really have to point out is that Coon’s writing style is so effortless and I love her descriptions, it just takes you completely to where the characters are. And there are so many vastly different settings in this book, it’s just overall so impressive, in fact I loved Gravemaidens MORE during my reread and I suspect that will be the case with this book as well, the emotions in this are so genuinely written and I can’t wait to go through this journey with them again.

My favorite characters were all back together and they went through so much in this book to get to their endings. 4.5/5 cups of coffee from me, thanks so much to the publishers and Netgalley for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ve definitely already preordered this and can’t wait to hold my final copy.

EXTRAS

Gravemaidens Playlist

Gravemaidens Pinterest Board

Warmaidens Playist

Warmaidens Pinterest Board

And Because I’m extra, a song for you all