Storm of Secrets and Sorrow by Melissa K. Roehrich

4/5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

Okay, I must admit that I've been putting this review off for a couple of days because I haven't really been feeling the desire to write as much the past couple of weeks, but I did enjoy this book so I'm going to power through and get this out there. So cut me some slack this is just going to be rambling.

I'll start by saying that this one wasn't as good as the first book, but it is a solid second book in a series. I think it's really hard to write a series where every single book is an easy 5 star, but this was pretty successful. It definitely continues to give Zodiac Academy vibes, which I'm obviously obsessed with.

I have absolutely no idea what happened in this book. How is it a 4 star book then, you ask? I don't actually think I could tell you if I tried. I've said it before in past reviews and I'll say it again here, I am a vibes reader at my core. There was a lot of politics and research and lineage talk that got pretty confusing to me, but because I'm a vibes reader and the vibes in this book were high, I just kind of skipped over everything that didn't make sense to me. I know that that is not the way a lot of people read, so I understand why people may not like this book that much, but for readers who are just here for a good time and can kind of just ignore things that get confusing, it's worth it. 

I found myself struggling a little bit with my feelings on Tessa. On one hand, I do feel bad for her and all of the torment that she's experienced in her life, but on the other hand I'm like girl, let's just figure out a way to work with the hand we've been dealt and make it work to your advantage. She gets so caught up on every little lie that Theon and Luke and everybody else tells her, which is valid, but she's having a full on crash out over it every single time instead of just acknowledging that she's never going to know everything. I was shocked when she said she wanted to stay with Theon when she was presented the opportunity to leave him and not get the rest of the Source bonds. It just started feeling kind of naive and annoying. 

On that note (not really?), I am so suspicious of the Achaz Lord, there is something really off about him. And Dex. I didn't like him much in the first book and I definitely don't like him now. He's got to be from a different planet or something and I definitely don't think he cares for Tessa at all. All I could think about during the week she was "training" in Faven was that they were just wasting so much time. I feel like there was no real training going on. I also feel like there were conversations that we aren't told about, and I'm hoping those come to light in the third book. 

I still feel the same way about Theon as I did in the first book. He's a piece of shit, but it isn't really his fault because, holy shit daddy issues. He should have just been straight up with Tessa from the beginning, but of course he has trust issues. He did a lot of damage to his relationship with Tessa, a lot of unforgivable things at that, but I really feel like he just doesn't know any differently. I'm hoping for a redemption arc in his future…

Luka. I am a Luka girl, I'm so sorry. I love him. He's just so much kinder to Tessa and he has all of these feelings that he keeps shoving down to let Theon and Tessa be together, and I just want to smooch him and tell him it'll be okay. I was giggling and kicking my feet when Valter said that once the Source bond was severed Tessa and Luka would be Matched. Every time the three of them could feel each other's emotions or hear each other's thoughts or woke up in bed together I was dying. I love a love triangle and I love tension. 

I like Axel and Katya, but it is giving insta love and I really don't like insta love, so we'll have to see what ends up happening there. I think spiriting her away and hiding her somewhere was a bit dramatic, and now he's being tortured god only knows where and for god only knows how long. Kind of a rash decision. They're probably mates or something.

I get that Tessa's whole purpose is to end the Arius line for some spiteful reason on behalf of the Achaz god, but I have no idea why. I don't know that I care that deeply to learn, but I am confused since she's apparently a descendent of Arius too? They keep quoting the prophecy and how she's stuck between salvation and destruction and beginnings and ends and all that, but I just don't really get it. There's probably some nuance to it that's going right over my head, I don't know. I also don't understand the wolves, the Augury, the Hunter's, who the hell Auryon is, or really anything else. Why the hell do they have four Source marks when there's apparently only one? Why is Devram even a place and why is Tessa actually there? How did Mother Cordelia know who all these super powerful kids were going to be and get them to all end up at her estate? What even is the Underground? Who is Tristyn really because there's got to be something else going on with him.  

"A daughter of Temural." "And her mother?" "A daughter of Achaz." "That would make her beginnings and endings. The balance forbids it." 

You think that would clear it up for me, and yet here we are. There's some Witch in there, too and who knows what else. Life must give and death must take and all that, but what does that even mean!!!

As I write this, I also am confused why this is 4 starts for me if I have no idea what's happening in the actual deeper plot, but the vibes were vibing and we're just going to roll with it. Slow clap for Tessa leaving Theon - literally - on his knees, stuck as HER Source. A powerplay if I've ever seen one. A lot of people are upset about this being a MFM book and there not having been any heads up or warning that it was going to turn into that, but I'm honestly okay with it. I don't hate Theon the way a lot of people do, and I definitely love Luka, and our girl Tessa could use a little extra love so having both of these men inevitably be obsessed with her will probably be pretty healing for her.

Okay, word vomit done and I'm too tired to read back through and edit so it will remain a random stream of my consciousness.