by Amélie Wen Zhao
ASIN/ISBN: 9780593809228
Publication: January 2, 2024

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DESCRIPTiON

The epic sequel to the book Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is a fast-paced, riveting YA fantasy inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.

Years ago, the Elantian colonizers invaded Lan’s homeland and killed her mother in their search to uncover the Last Kingdom’s greatest the location of its legendary four Demon Gods. Lan’s mother devoted her life to destroying the Demon Gods, and Lan is determined to finish her mission. Yet, there are others searching for the gods, too.

Zen knew his soul was forfeit the moment he made a deal with the Demon God known as the Black Tortoise, but he’s willing to lose himself if it means saving the Kingdom–and the girl–he loves. But to crush the colonizers who have invaded his land he needs more power than even a single Demon God can provide. He needs an army. And he knows exactly where he can find it–in the undead army his great grandfather lead decades ago.

The Elantians may have stolen their throne, but the battle for the Last Kingdom has only begun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amélie Wen Zhao（赵雯）was born in Paris and grew up in Beijing, where she spent her days reenacting tales of legendary heroes, ancient kingdoms, and lost magic at her grandmother’s courtyard house. She attended college in the United States and now resides in New York City, working as a finance professional by day and fantasy author by night. In her spare time, she loves to travel with her family in China, where she’s determined to walk the rivers and lakes of old just like the practitioners in her novels do.

Amélie is the New York Times bestselling author of the Song of Silver, Flame Like Night duology and the Blood Heir trilogy.

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REVIEW

Similar to the first book, Dark Star Burning is also plot-driven. Everything moves relatively quickly as our favorite characters and not-so-favorite characters race to find what they’ll need to either save the Last Kingdom or destroy it. 

Lan and Zen grapple with their decisions from the end of Song of Silver, which may pit them against one another even as they both strive to eliminate the Elantians. While I thought their initial feelings for each other arose too quickly in the first book, I was still invested in where their relationship would lead–I am very much a romantic. It plays a much larger role in this novel and even tugged at me. It was hard seeing them at odds with each other.     

The struggle for power remains an overarching theme throughout the book as well as the internal struggle between right and wrong. These are common themes and I often like seeing how different authors tackle them. For this particular book, it does get a little frustrating because they are discussed frequently and it becomes repetitive. 

Those who enjoyed the first book will likely appreciate the answers the sequel provides as it ties up loose ends. 

**Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to be part of the tour. Remember to check out the schedule and visit more posts. Also, thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with access to the book and a finished copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.**