5/5 WOW!!!!
I read a lot of amazing five-star books this year but I think this has been my favorite! Children Of The Earth started off with a bang and rarely slowed down; this was an emotional rollercoaster of a book in the best way! It was exciting to learn more about the characters’ lives, especially Pallah. The writing is superb and I can tell Amanda really put all her talent, effort, and heart into this book. This book is definitely darker than the first but I enjoyed it and didn’t think there was anything overly distressing. Did my heart hurt for the characters who were hurting? Of course, but that means it’s an excellently written book. Plus, I think the darkness is setting up a beautiful story of hope and light for the third.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether you like fantasy or not, whether you like Chosen One stories or not, whether you like darker stories or not, I’m confident anyone who reads this will enjoy it. For my full review, with some slight spoilers, keep scrolling!
AAAAAHHHHH!!!! My emotions! My emotions, Amanda! 😭 I mean this in the best way! But man did she put our girls Solyana and Pallah through it in this book, especially Pallah. Pallah is one of the most interesting, complex characters I’ve ever seen. She’s a main character in the overall book and the protagonist in her own timeline, but she does messed up stuff and becomes kind of like the villain in Solyana’s timeline. BUT we learn her motives in COTE and honestly, why she’s done what she’s done makes sense. It’s still messed up what she’s done to Solyana and her people, but I see how she got to this point. It also broke my heart how much Pallah was used and abused.
My heart also BROKE when Solyana used the Taka Reu, but as a Christian, I think I see the story that’s being set up. In this fantasy world, people are told if they use Taka Reu they can’t connect to the Celestials, but I think this is a setup for a story of forgiveness and redemption. We’ll see in the next book!
ERVAL. He’s the worst and I’m scared to see what he does next 😬
The world-building was amazing, getting to know the characters even more deeply was great, and the overall writing and the themes of faith/Christianity are so cool. It’s subtle, but if you’re a believer and know scripture it’s easy to spot and I love it.
This is also a fast-paced book, so much so that I think I may have to go back and reread it before book three comes out because I'm sure I missed some clues and details. The book is action-packed, heart-pumping, and heartbreaking, but Amanda balances it with a couple of sweet, romantic moments that made me kick my feet (don't worry, all very PG), comedic relief, and glimmers of hope.
The writing in COTE is just amazing and I can’t gush enough about how great this book is. Do yourself a favor and read it!
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