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The Brilliant Death #2
The Storm of Life
The sumptuous and powerful conclusion to the gender-fluid duet begun by The Brilliant Death, hailed by Kirkus as "a delicious and magical intrigue too tempting not to devour" (starred review).
Teodora diSangro and Cielo, the strega she loves, are on a mission to save their country of Vinalia from its manipulative leader, who wants to exploit streghe and use them as his weapons. But will marshaling a small but powerful band of streghe be enough to wrest power from a cunning dictator? And what if Teo's been setting her sights on the wrong enemy all along? This epic sequel to The Brilliant Death completes the Italian-inspired fantasy duet with shocking twists, steamy romance, and magic that will dazzle your imagination and make you wish Vinalia were a real place.
Teodora diSangro and Cielo, the strega she loves, are on a mission to save their country of Vinalia from its manipulative leader, who wants to exploit streghe and use them as his weapons. But will marshaling a small but powerful band of streghe be enough to wrest power from a cunning dictator? And what if Teo's been setting her sights on the wrong enemy all along? This epic sequel to The Brilliant Death completes the Italian-inspired fantasy duet with shocking twists, steamy romance, and magic that will dazzle your imagination and make you wish Vinalia were a real place.
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First published January 28, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 22, 2020
2020 Popsugar Reading Challenege
Read a book by an author with flora or fauna in their name
Pretty forgettable but still enjoyable. I still love Teo and Cielo. I just wish we got more of those two. I feel like they were separated a lot. But when they were on page together 🥰🥰🥰
Read a book by an author with flora or fauna in their name
Pretty forgettable but still enjoyable. I still love Teo and Cielo. I just wish we got more of those two. I feel like they were separated a lot. But when they were on page together 🥰🥰🥰
Want to read
January 29, 2019Okay can someone please explain to me WHY this is... not listed as a sequel to The Brilliant Death on goodreads, despite the blurb making it very clear that it is??? Because I totally though The Brilliant Death was a standalone...
I'm all of a sudden a whole lot more satisfied with how The Brilliant Death ended...
Anyways I NEED THIS ASAP. I need to see how my darling Cielo and Teo are doing! And ahhhhhh how am I supposed to wait?!?!?! I NEED IT. NOW PLEASE.
I'm all of a sudden a whole lot more satisfied with how The Brilliant Death ended...
Anyways I NEED THIS ASAP. I need to see how my darling Cielo and Teo are doing! And ahhhhhh how am I supposed to wait?!?!?! I NEED IT. NOW PLEASE.
July 15, 2020
3.5 stars
I have around the same feelings about this book that I had about the first in the series, The Brilliant Death. This series is fun, it's queer, it's bloody, and it's romantic. While I remember The Brilliant Death was marketed as a kind of mafia-inspired fantasy, having finished the duology, it seems more like it's based on the Italian unification (going off of my limited knowledge of the Risorgimento), which made the concept way more interesting.
I did feel like the execution felt a bit rushed in this book, though. I couldn't quite tell where the plot wanted to go, and I think this book could have benefited from another round of edits just to figure out the central plotline. And as much as I do enjoy the romance, it did seem like it took over this book a bit. The more tumultuous parts of their relationship were well-written, but since I'm generally not someone who likes a ton of mushy romance in my fantasy, the rest of it did get a little boring.
Overall, this is a very fun series that also explores the complex concepts of gender, family, power, and violence, but it doesn't really stand out among all the history-inspired YA fantasy out there. I still like Echo After Echo better, so if you haven't read anything by Amy Rose Capetta yet, I'd recommend you start with that. The Lost Coast and Once & Future are next on my list, and hopefully those will be even better. Capetta definitely strikes me as an author with a broad range of skills and ideas, so I'm excited to see what she comes up with next.
CWs: suicide of a side-character, implied sexual violence, homophobia, transphobia, organized crime, sex, familial abuse, gore (all challenged)
read for 2020 O.W.L.s Readathon for Transfiguration
I have around the same feelings about this book that I had about the first in the series, The Brilliant Death. This series is fun, it's queer, it's bloody, and it's romantic. While I remember The Brilliant Death was marketed as a kind of mafia-inspired fantasy, having finished the duology, it seems more like it's based on the Italian unification (going off of my limited knowledge of the Risorgimento), which made the concept way more interesting.
I did feel like the execution felt a bit rushed in this book, though. I couldn't quite tell where the plot wanted to go, and I think this book could have benefited from another round of edits just to figure out the central plotline. And as much as I do enjoy the romance, it did seem like it took over this book a bit. The more tumultuous parts of their relationship were well-written, but since I'm generally not someone who likes a ton of mushy romance in my fantasy, the rest of it did get a little boring.
Overall, this is a very fun series that also explores the complex concepts of gender, family, power, and violence, but it doesn't really stand out among all the history-inspired YA fantasy out there. I still like Echo After Echo better, so if you haven't read anything by Amy Rose Capetta yet, I'd recommend you start with that. The Lost Coast and Once & Future are next on my list, and hopefully those will be even better. Capetta definitely strikes me as an author with a broad range of skills and ideas, so I'm excited to see what she comes up with next.
CWs: suicide of a side-character, implied sexual violence, homophobia, transphobia, organized crime, sex, familial abuse, gore (all challenged)
read for 2020 O.W.L.s Readathon for Transfiguration
Want to read
July 16, 2019When did it get a cover???? 👀👀👀
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Nothing makes me happier about the rapid linear passage of time than release date saying 2020 and my calendar saying 2019
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Nothing makes me happier about the rapid linear passage of time than release date saying 2020 and my calendar saying 2019
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April 13, 2020
4 stars
I really enjoyed this conclusion to the Brilliant Death duology. I absolutely loved reading about nonbinary people falling in love and saving their kingdom and I thought this was a really solid installment in this series. It wasn't my favorite, as I thought there were definitely some things plotwise that hadn't been tied up as neatly as they could have been and I found myself still harboring some unanswered questions at the end of the story.
That said, I did really enjoy all the development that we see the characters go through. Teo, the main character, is especially challenged in this book and I loved seeing her adapt to the challenges and develop into a better person!! And I also loved seeing her explore her powers more, especially her shapeshifting ones. The romance was also delightful and I would, in fact, die for Cielo because I love them with my entire heart. I did appreciate how their relationship wasn't perfect, though, and how it was evident that they both needed to put in work to make sure their relationship lasted!!
Besides what I said at the beginning of the review regarding the plot, I did really appreciate how Amy Rose Capetta didn't pull any punches because you could really tell what the stakes were in this book and I was genuinely terrified because I recognized that no one was safe in this story. I also thought the pacing was done very well and I never wanted to put the book down because I was really invested in this story!!
I absolutely adored the way familial relationships were explored in this one and I loved seeing how far Teo's family had come from book one to the ending of book two. I especially loved seeing Teo's relationship with her father develop in this book.
I once again really appreciated the discussion on gender in this book because it hit so close to home in so many places. But most of all, I just really loved reading about two nonbinary people saving the world and being unafraid to love each other.
I really enjoyed this conclusion to the Brilliant Death duology. I absolutely loved reading about nonbinary people falling in love and saving their kingdom and I thought this was a really solid installment in this series. It wasn't my favorite, as I thought there were definitely some things plotwise that hadn't been tied up as neatly as they could have been and I found myself still harboring some unanswered questions at the end of the story.
That said, I did really enjoy all the development that we see the characters go through. Teo, the main character, is especially challenged in this book and I loved seeing her adapt to the challenges and develop into a better person!! And I also loved seeing her explore her powers more, especially her shapeshifting ones. The romance was also delightful and I would, in fact, die for Cielo because I love them with my entire heart. I did appreciate how their relationship wasn't perfect, though, and how it was evident that they both needed to put in work to make sure their relationship lasted!!
Besides what I said at the beginning of the review regarding the plot, I did really appreciate how Amy Rose Capetta didn't pull any punches because you could really tell what the stakes were in this book and I was genuinely terrified because I recognized that no one was safe in this story. I also thought the pacing was done very well and I never wanted to put the book down because I was really invested in this story!!
I absolutely adored the way familial relationships were explored in this one and I loved seeing how far Teo's family had come from book one to the ending of book two. I especially loved seeing Teo's relationship with her father develop in this book.
I once again really appreciated the discussion on gender in this book because it hit so close to home in so many places. But most of all, I just really loved reading about two nonbinary people saving the world and being unafraid to love each other.
December 17, 2021
5/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: fantasy, court intrigue, magic, genderfluid characters, pansexual characters, LGBTQ rep, fantasy, fantasy Italy
Teo and Cielo are back with even more action, and trouble, than before. After the ending of the last book, this one opens with the two of them traveling to warn other streghe of the Capo's plans to kill them to acquire power. There's definitely some romantic and magic shenanigans on the way, but true to form they rather quickly end up in an even larger mess than the one they left in the last book.
Teo's grown as a character since The Brilliant Death and grows even more over the course of this one. At the opening, she's struggling with her magic again due to the morbid manner in which it grew. Her confidence in her magic increases during her character arc as she learns some other rather important things about herself and life in general. Teo does a lot of scheming in this book, seemingly already having another scheme ready as soon as the first one fails...though things don't really work out in her favor for most of the book, so there's that. I think some of the best moments in the book were when Teo was desperate to figure something out and had to rely on wits, magic, intelligence, and the people around her. I think it really showed her growth as a character throughout these past two books and emphasizes the changes she undergoes in this one.
Cielo grew less, I think, but he definitely also underwent some growth. During most of this book and the last one, he has this seemingly idealized view on family life, having grown up mostly without blood family, and so he gets a bit of a wake-up call having to deal, directly or indirectly, with Beniamo in this one. We get to see him call in some more of that 27-part favor he mentioned in The Brilliant Death, and thus we also get to see some of his deeper motivations behind things. I don't remember every reveal that happened in the last book, but I feel like we get to delve a lot deeper into who Cielo is as a person and what he thinks about and cares about (other than Teo) than we did in the last one.
Cielo and Teo are far more romantic in this book than in the last one. They get a lot of time alone with one another, or with people who already know about their relationship, and so there are a bunch of cute scenes with the two of them. There were also some rather steamy scenes involving the two of them (nothing explicit) and we get to see them shedding more of their defenses, both in regards to one another and with the rest of the world. There's also a mix of steamy-funny scenes in the book, such as one that involves them ending up naked and making out in the garden of a church. Regardless of what they're doing, I feel their relationship is more evolved and developed in this one than the last one. They're more solid as a couple, more hands-on than before, more clear of each other's emotions and intentions, so that was nice to see.
Conversely, hardest parts of the book to read were when the two of them were arguing. They work so well together as streghe, characters, friends, and lovers, that it was so hard to watch them fight and be apart for part of the book. I mean, they don't really stay apart that long, but it was still difficult to read. However hard it was, it was also necessary for both of them to grow as characters. Both were so stuck in the way they thought and acted and what they wanted that they couldn't truly see the merits of what the other was suggesting when it seemed to go counter to what they wanted. The time apart helped both of them round out more as characters, I think, and contributed to their character arcs.
For side characters, we get to see Mimi and Lorenzo again, Mirella, Vanni, Favianne, and Nicolo...and Beniamo, but I feel that's kind of a given. We also meet some new characters, such as baby Luciano, Xiaodan, and Dantae. Mimi we already met, so it was awesome to see her again and read as she and Teo rekindled the friendship they'd begun in The Brilliant Death. I also enjoyed seeing the kind of magic she could work, since elemental magic is so different from anything we've seen Teo or Cielo do so far. Vanni we also know, vaguely, from the previous book, and we get to know him better in this one. He's super devoted to Mirella and Luciano, though he's also a bit of a goofball. Like Mimi, he works a different kind of magic, but instead of with the elements, he can shape/bend light to his will. Xiaodan is a new character we don't meet until we're a couple chapters into the book. She's more soft spoken than Mimi or Vanni, but she has nerves of steel and definitely has her humorous moments as well. Her magic is the ability to feel and dampen or amplify someone's emotions. Dantae is a fun, slightly murderous and slightly older character who's actually rather similar to Teo once we're past the...violent introductions.
In the di Sangro family: Nicolo gets the same kind of role he did before, though he actually pays more attention to the sociopathic son he raised as well as to the magic in his own blood. Mirella features a bit more in this one, though she remains pretty frosty to Teo throughout the book. Luciano is her young son, whom we get to meet around chapter 3 or 4 and who doesn't seem to like very many people holding him. He seems to like Mirella, Vanni, and Cielo and that's about it. Beniamo comes back again, this time in a far more sinister role. He's no longer an owl, but he's still a di Sangro and he's still out for blood, which spells major trouble for everyone in the book, not just our main heroes.
In terms of plot, this one wraps up the threads Capetta began in The Brilliant Death and neatly ties off threads that began in this book. The flow made sense from one book to the next and nothing seemed out of place for the world. We get to see a bit more of Vinalia in this one, so the setting was also developed more and played a key role in the plot a couple of times. For both plot and setting purposes, Capetta also gave us more background information about the world. We get some mythology, some facts about streghe magic, about family and country history, etc. I think she also set up the twist rather well so that it felt like one part of the story closed as the twist opened up the next section.
Recommended for people who like: fantasy, court intrigue, magic, genderfluid characters, pansexual characters, LGBTQ rep, fantasy, fantasy Italy
Teo and Cielo are back with even more action, and trouble, than before. After the ending of the last book, this one opens with the two of them traveling to warn other streghe of the Capo's plans to kill them to acquire power. There's definitely some romantic and magic shenanigans on the way, but true to form they rather quickly end up in an even larger mess than the one they left in the last book.
Teo's grown as a character since The Brilliant Death and grows even more over the course of this one. At the opening, she's struggling with her magic again due to the morbid manner in which it grew. Her confidence in her magic increases during her character arc as she learns some other rather important things about herself and life in general. Teo does a lot of scheming in this book, seemingly already having another scheme ready as soon as the first one fails...though things don't really work out in her favor for most of the book, so there's that. I think some of the best moments in the book were when Teo was desperate to figure something out and had to rely on wits, magic, intelligence, and the people around her. I think it really showed her growth as a character throughout these past two books and emphasizes the changes she undergoes in this one.
Cielo grew less, I think, but he definitely also underwent some growth. During most of this book and the last one, he has this seemingly idealized view on family life, having grown up mostly without blood family, and so he gets a bit of a wake-up call having to deal, directly or indirectly, with Beniamo in this one. We get to see him call in some more of that 27-part favor he mentioned in The Brilliant Death, and thus we also get to see some of his deeper motivations behind things. I don't remember every reveal that happened in the last book, but I feel like we get to delve a lot deeper into who Cielo is as a person and what he thinks about and cares about (other than Teo) than we did in the last one.
Cielo and Teo are far more romantic in this book than in the last one. They get a lot of time alone with one another, or with people who already know about their relationship, and so there are a bunch of cute scenes with the two of them. There were also some rather steamy scenes involving the two of them (nothing explicit) and we get to see them shedding more of their defenses, both in regards to one another and with the rest of the world. There's also a mix of steamy-funny scenes in the book, such as one that involves them ending up naked and making out in the garden of a church. Regardless of what they're doing, I feel their relationship is more evolved and developed in this one than the last one. They're more solid as a couple, more hands-on than before, more clear of each other's emotions and intentions, so that was nice to see.
Conversely, hardest parts of the book to read were when the two of them were arguing. They work so well together as streghe, characters, friends, and lovers, that it was so hard to watch them fight and be apart for part of the book. I mean, they don't really stay apart that long, but it was still difficult to read. However hard it was, it was also necessary for both of them to grow as characters. Both were so stuck in the way they thought and acted and what they wanted that they couldn't truly see the merits of what the other was suggesting when it seemed to go counter to what they wanted. The time apart helped both of them round out more as characters, I think, and contributed to their character arcs.
For side characters, we get to see Mimi and Lorenzo again, Mirella, Vanni, Favianne, and Nicolo...and Beniamo, but I feel that's kind of a given. We also meet some new characters, such as baby Luciano, Xiaodan, and Dantae. Mimi we already met, so it was awesome to see her again and read as she and Teo rekindled the friendship they'd begun in The Brilliant Death. I also enjoyed seeing the kind of magic she could work, since elemental magic is so different from anything we've seen Teo or Cielo do so far. Vanni we also know, vaguely, from the previous book, and we get to know him better in this one. He's super devoted to Mirella and Luciano, though he's also a bit of a goofball. Like Mimi, he works a different kind of magic, but instead of with the elements, he can shape/bend light to his will. Xiaodan is a new character we don't meet until we're a couple chapters into the book. She's more soft spoken than Mimi or Vanni, but she has nerves of steel and definitely has her humorous moments as well. Her magic is the ability to feel and dampen or amplify someone's emotions. Dantae is a fun, slightly murderous and slightly older character who's actually rather similar to Teo once we're past the...violent introductions.
In the di Sangro family: Nicolo gets the same kind of role he did before, though he actually pays more attention to the sociopathic son he raised as well as to the magic in his own blood. Mirella features a bit more in this one, though she remains pretty frosty to Teo throughout the book. Luciano is her young son, whom we get to meet around chapter 3 or 4 and who doesn't seem to like very many people holding him. He seems to like Mirella, Vanni, and Cielo and that's about it. Beniamo comes back again, this time in a far more sinister role. He's no longer an owl, but he's still a di Sangro and he's still out for blood, which spells major trouble for everyone in the book, not just our main heroes.
In terms of plot, this one wraps up the threads Capetta began in The Brilliant Death and neatly ties off threads that began in this book. The flow made sense from one book to the next and nothing seemed out of place for the world. We get to see a bit more of Vinalia in this one, so the setting was also developed more and played a key role in the plot a couple of times. For both plot and setting purposes, Capetta also gave us more background information about the world. We get some mythology, some facts about streghe magic, about family and country history, etc. I think she also set up the twist rather well so that it felt like one part of the story closed as the twist opened up the next section.
February 27, 2024
The first like 30% felt a bit rushed, especially since some conflicts seemed to be solved a bit too easily and I felt like I missed some developments. I had the same feeling at the end but it wasn't that bad and overall I enjoyed the representation of gender fluidity, the depiction of feminism, choice, family, and freedom and what these mean in the end. I really liked that the message is less "you can be succesful as a woman too" and more "screw gender roles, they shouldn't decide whether someone is succsesful".
Teo is certainly not a perfect protagonist but that makes Teo even more interesting. I sometimes just wishes that Teo had gotten more room for development - same for some side characters. The story felt much more plot-centered which was okay, it was fun to read, at least if you like some politics (and romance, because there is a lot of). It also felt like a satisfying ending for the series that is never really predictable and therefore quite captivating.
Teo is certainly not a perfect protagonist but that makes Teo even more interesting. I sometimes just wishes that Teo had gotten more room for development - same for some side characters. The story felt much more plot-centered which was okay, it was fun to read, at least if you like some politics (and romance, because there is a lot of). It also felt like a satisfying ending for the series that is never really predictable and therefore quite captivating.
July 10, 2021
I enjoyed seeing Teo and Ceilo's relationship develop and the world building expanded. However, the plotline of this felt messier than book one making it a bit difficult to tell what is going on and I don't think this was the best ending we could've given to Teo and Cielo.
Overall, it's a good sequel and I would recommend this duology.
Also that was really some SJM weird smut huh. Didn't expect that.
Overall, it's a good sequel and I would recommend this duology.
Also that was really some SJM weird smut huh. Didn't expect that.
March 7, 2020
this was a mixed bag, but I think despite how much it dragged and the problems I had with it, I'm happy with it and I'm glad I read it so that I could get to their happy ending 💕
July 29, 2020
All of the stars
This duology is EVERYTHING. the magic system and the way it works in this series is so cool, and the romance is just so beautiful I could cry
This duology is EVERYTHING. the magic system and the way it works in this series is so cool, and the romance is just so beautiful I could cry
April 8, 2024
Mixed feelings -
I was liking this one more than the first because it felt more character driven and less political but there were holes.
I really love Teo and Cielo’s relationship and I also enjoyed the concept of uniting all the streghe and redistributing power. It was fun and cute and the gender element was also lots of fun, so that’s where my rating is coming from.
Areas for improvement…
I would’ve liked to see more character development for Beniamo. He felt pretty one dimensional as a villain, and his violence was never really explained (or maybe it was and I wasn’t paying attention, I think I missed something few things from the first book).
I also feel like they missed the mark a bit on the found family concept. Uniting the streghe (cool) and naming them the 6th family of Vinalia (also cool) felt more like creating a new political faction than true found family. I know that the families in this book are also deeply political but I would’ve liked more character development for some of the side characters and more personal relationships forming between the streghe.
The fight between Teo and Cielo was never really resolved, they just found each other and decided problem solved! I would’ve liked to see them put more thought into repairing their relationship.
And then the last bit - kissing to share magic rather than death??? I get it - It’s YA and supposed to be a happy sappy nonviolent romantasy in the end, but I’d rather they just left it at death. That felt corny and also very Snow White.
I was liking this one more than the first because it felt more character driven and less political but there were holes.
I really love Teo and Cielo’s relationship and I also enjoyed the concept of uniting all the streghe and redistributing power. It was fun and cute and the gender element was also lots of fun, so that’s where my rating is coming from.
Areas for improvement…
I would’ve liked to see more character development for Beniamo. He felt pretty one dimensional as a villain, and his violence was never really explained (or maybe it was and I wasn’t paying attention, I think I missed something few things from the first book).
I also feel like they missed the mark a bit on the found family concept. Uniting the streghe (cool) and naming them the 6th family of Vinalia (also cool) felt more like creating a new political faction than true found family. I know that the families in this book are also deeply political but I would’ve liked more character development for some of the side characters and more personal relationships forming between the streghe.
The fight between Teo and Cielo was never really resolved, they just found each other and decided problem solved! I would’ve liked to see them put more thought into repairing their relationship.
And then the last bit - kissing to share magic rather than death??? I get it - It’s YA and supposed to be a happy sappy nonviolent romantasy in the end, but I’d rather they just left it at death. That felt corny and also very Snow White.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2023
This was honestly such a disappointment. I just didn't know what was happening most of the time and there were a lot of things that just weren't developed enough to make sense for me. I'm also a little bit disappointed that there was not a single mention of how the mafia can be problematic and instead continued to romanticize Mafia life and these rolling 5/6 families.
I'm really sad because I have a lot of this author's books to get through after I loved the heartbreak bakery which is one of their newest and decided to read some back list. The duology didn't really deliver. The queer rep was good but that's about the only thing I liked in this.
I'm really sad because I have a lot of this author's books to get through after I loved the heartbreak bakery which is one of their newest and decided to read some back list. The duology didn't really deliver. The queer rep was good but that's about the only thing I liked in this.
April 18, 2023
The Capo went out a bit like Hux in Star Wars Episode IX, which is to say very suddenly and anticlimactically.
Fun book, just not one I expect I'll revisit when I'm forgetting the details of it so quickly.
Fun book, just not one I expect I'll revisit when I'm forgetting the details of it so quickly.
April 13, 2021
Felt like this was a little bit more anti-climactic than it should have been but it was still a decent read and definitely better than the second book in this author's King Arthur series so at least I know now that they are capable of writing a *decent* sequel. Really liked the two main characters and how their gender-fluidity was written but felt like the actual plot could have used a little bit of work. Still an interesting series although I definitely liked the first one better, I felt like it was a lot more morally gray and that this one slipped a little bit more into like standard YA territory.
January 5, 2021
I liked the first book okay enough for what it was even though I was very apathetic about everything besides Teo realizing she's genderfluid and just...Cielo in general. But this sequel is kind of a mess and I dislike it the more I think about it.
((Before I get into this review, I want to note that both Teo and Cielo's pronouns switch between she/her and he/him according to which form (referred to as "girl form" and "boy form" in the text) they take at the time. For the sake of clarity, however, I will be refering to Teo using she/her and Cielo using he/him.))
Teo's genderfluidity feels more like an afterthought to me in this one. She spends most of the time in "girl form" which wouldn't normally be an issue for me, but the only times Teo specifically switches over into "boy form" are when Teo assumes Cielo's boy form for a short period of the book (more on that in a moment) and well, during sex (where Teo and Cielo are both shown to switch between forms). Like, I get that this world isn't the most accepting of queer people and Teo does note that people are way more accepting of her and Cielo's relationship when she presents as a girl and he presents as a boy (as opposed to the instances where they both present as girls), but it feels odd to me that there's not really any kind of asides on Teo's part where Teo spends time in boy form just for the sake of it.
And perhaps because its the crows coming home to roost, Teo also comes off as way more of a cliche ultra-powerful YA protagonist in this sequel, much to her detriment. There's a lot of "omg I'm scared to use my magic because what if it goes out of control" throughout which, while definitely justified, repeatedly gets undermined by Teo and Cielo being seemingly unable to stop fucking even though Teo's magic does, predictably, go out of control everytime. Maybe I'm being a dumb ace, but it seems like the solution to this would simply be...not fucking until her magic is stable. In the first chapter alone, she and Cielo fuck and her magic goes wild and ends up bringing down a literal mountain which is like...I sure hope no one was living on that mountain 'cause if they were, they're probably dead now.
On top of all this, and what ultimately really turned me off of Teo completely, is how utterly possessive Teo gets of Cielo. One really does get the impression that she views him more as something of hers to own and to use as she sees fit instead of...an actual person with his own wants and needs (of course, perhaps that's not surprising considering that Teo used to go around just turning people that wronged her family into objects she collected as per the first book). Just the mere thought of him maybe fucking Favianne from the previous book before they ever actually got together sends Teo spiralling for a hot minute until Favianne tells her that nothing happened between them. And her "my strega" refrain from the previous book is turned up to the next level here where Teo can scarcely go more than a few pages without using it to refer to Cielo. But I think what really annoys me is this:
See, it was revealed in the previous book that Cielo is the nephew of the leader they're trying to overthrow. And thus Teo gets the idea in her head that, instead of idk looking for someone that actually wants to lead and would be a benevolent leader, the person who leads next must absolutely be someone of that ruler's bloodline. She first hones in on Cielo's father until he meets an untimely end. At which point she then turns her attention to making Cielo into the next leader...and it's made pretty clear that Cielo is not too hot on that idea. They fight about it and he ends up leaving until the climax, of course. She then straight up impersonates him for a solid fifty or so pages because she can't fucking face everyone else and tell them she fucked up. Just...what. And then it felt like none of this resentment was really addressed? There's no real resolution here. They're just fine afterwards. Teo ends up queen in the end and she and Cielo adopt her dead sister's orphaned baby.
In addition to this, it feels very odd to me to make this big of a deal about people's bloodlines when you're also trying to push a found family narrative between all the magic users in the land as well. Or I guess maybe not that odd when one considers the so-called "found family" in this is just a bunch of magic users from the ruling families plus a couple token servant characters.
Lastly, idk if this was just me spacing out, but I had a very hard time following their route through the country. They're in X place in one chapter and Y place is specifically said to be far away, but then they're in Y place in the next chapter without any real hassle?
idk. I had high hopes for this duology, but it definitely missed the mark.
((Before I get into this review, I want to note that both Teo and Cielo's pronouns switch between she/her and he/him according to which form (referred to as "girl form" and "boy form" in the text) they take at the time. For the sake of clarity, however, I will be refering to Teo using she/her and Cielo using he/him.))
Teo's genderfluidity feels more like an afterthought to me in this one. She spends most of the time in "girl form" which wouldn't normally be an issue for me, but the only times Teo specifically switches over into "boy form" are when Teo assumes Cielo's boy form for a short period of the book (more on that in a moment) and well, during sex (where Teo and Cielo are both shown to switch between forms). Like, I get that this world isn't the most accepting of queer people and Teo does note that people are way more accepting of her and Cielo's relationship when she presents as a girl and he presents as a boy (as opposed to the instances where they both present as girls), but it feels odd to me that there's not really any kind of asides on Teo's part where Teo spends time in boy form just for the sake of it.
And perhaps because its the crows coming home to roost, Teo also comes off as way more of a cliche ultra-powerful YA protagonist in this sequel, much to her detriment. There's a lot of "omg I'm scared to use my magic because what if it goes out of control" throughout which, while definitely justified, repeatedly gets undermined by Teo and Cielo being seemingly unable to stop fucking even though Teo's magic does, predictably, go out of control everytime. Maybe I'm being a dumb ace, but it seems like the solution to this would simply be...not fucking until her magic is stable. In the first chapter alone, she and Cielo fuck and her magic goes wild and ends up bringing down a literal mountain which is like...I sure hope no one was living on that mountain 'cause if they were, they're probably dead now.
On top of all this, and what ultimately really turned me off of Teo completely, is how utterly possessive Teo gets of Cielo. One really does get the impression that she views him more as something of hers to own and to use as she sees fit instead of...an actual person with his own wants and needs (of course, perhaps that's not surprising considering that Teo used to go around just turning people that wronged her family into objects she collected as per the first book). Just the mere thought of him maybe fucking Favianne from the previous book before they ever actually got together sends Teo spiralling for a hot minute until Favianne tells her that nothing happened between them. And her "my strega" refrain from the previous book is turned up to the next level here where Teo can scarcely go more than a few pages without using it to refer to Cielo. But I think what really annoys me is this:
See, it was revealed in the previous book that Cielo is the nephew of the leader they're trying to overthrow. And thus Teo gets the idea in her head that, instead of idk looking for someone that actually wants to lead and would be a benevolent leader, the person who leads next must absolutely be someone of that ruler's bloodline. She first hones in on Cielo's father until he meets an untimely end. At which point she then turns her attention to making Cielo into the next leader...and it's made pretty clear that Cielo is not too hot on that idea. They fight about it and he ends up leaving until the climax, of course. She then straight up impersonates him for a solid fifty or so pages because she can't fucking face everyone else and tell them she fucked up. Just...what. And then it felt like none of this resentment was really addressed? There's no real resolution here. They're just fine afterwards. Teo ends up queen in the end and she and Cielo adopt her dead sister's orphaned baby.
In addition to this, it feels very odd to me to make this big of a deal about people's bloodlines when you're also trying to push a found family narrative between all the magic users in the land as well. Or I guess maybe not that odd when one considers the so-called "found family" in this is just a bunch of magic users from the ruling families plus a couple token servant characters.
Lastly, idk if this was just me spacing out, but I had a very hard time following their route through the country. They're in X place in one chapter and Y place is specifically said to be far away, but then they're in Y place in the next chapter without any real hassle?
idk. I had high hopes for this duology, but it definitely missed the mark.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2020
I was not in the right mood for this, to be honest. I would have given this a higher rating had i been in the mood for such a story...
But I really didn’t feel Cielo and Teo’s connection, though I was told repeatedly how and how much they felt, and some of the writing was flowery and grand when I would have appreciated simpler more direct writing. Just the mood I guess
But I really didn’t feel Cielo and Teo’s connection, though I was told repeatedly how and how much they felt, and some of the writing was flowery and grand when I would have appreciated simpler more direct writing. Just the mood I guess
February 2, 2020
4.5 stars rounding to 5. I loved The Brilliant Death and the many original ways the story is told. Book 2 is no different; the author tells this gender fluid story in a beautiful, interesting and creative way, I can’t help but fall in love more with Teodora and Cielo. The magic is new and the romance and twists worth a slow read. I loved this book and is a great follow up and completion to the story.
August 11, 2021
I LOVED this duology! Perfect amount of everything that makes a GREAT story. There was no extra or unnecessary anything in either books. Once & Future is calling my name, but I still need to get book 2 because I love binging series/duologies.
Read
May 12, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Infanticide
Attempted kidnapping
Infanticide
Attempted kidnapping
January 7, 2022
This is kind of a review of both The Brilliant Death and The Storm of Life... I guess.
I absolutely love the magic in this duology; not just how the magic element works but the way it's entwined with the writing itself. Capetta's prose is rich with vivid, tangible metaphors, connecting emotions and experiences with not just images but with the shapes and sensations of objects or natural phenomena, paralleling the relationship Teo's magic weaves with the physical world.
The different kinds of magic that different characters have are intriguing and mostly feel effortless (unlike a lot of fantasy where you can sense the author straining to come up with a Unique Magic System and/or different kinds of powers). The fact that the book is from a single character's point of view probably helps: we see what other characters' magic looks like and what they can do with it, but we only know what Teo's magic feels like internally.
(I dislike the words "magic system" in this context, because I think a key feature of a good Magic is that it does not feel like a system. Capetta's invention fulfills this requirement: while there are rules to it and even a segment comparing magic to science in The Brilliant Death, it remains mysterious, incalculable and pervasive.)
Probably the weakest point in these books is the plot, but I'm not a big plot person so honestly, that's not much more than a half-star issue. Specifically, I got the feeling that Capetta made her characters more cunning than herself, making it difficult to keep the scheming as impressive as it was presented to be. In both books, I was occasionally a bit confused by causalities and logistics. I was much more invested in the emotional and magical storylines than the political intrigue of The Brilliant Death or the war element in The Storm of Life.
Teo and Cielo's relationship is absolutely delightful, both are fully fledged characters in their own right, and their interactions were well informed by their respective personalities and ideals. Also, I love banter, obviously. The big conflict between the two was so heart-wrenching I had to put down the book for a while, though its eventual resolution felt rushed. As did the ending as a whole, to be honest. To be clear, I have no complaints with how things ended up or the epilogue, but getting there could have taken another chapter or so.
I do wish the genderfluidity had been developed and explored more, specifically in this second part. As it was, while both the reader's and the main characters' understanding of magic deepened and widened from the point it had reached by the end of the first book, the gender(queer) aspect seemed to stall at the "shapeshifting between girl and boy forms" stage. There was a hint of approaching gender from the same direction as all the other changes Teo and Cielo can work on themselves, but it ended up being pretty much a sidenote.
Still, I'm a sucker for fantasy queers, and together with the aforementioned feel-it-in-my-bones magic and delicious writing style, I did love these books.
I absolutely love the magic in this duology; not just how the magic element works but the way it's entwined with the writing itself. Capetta's prose is rich with vivid, tangible metaphors, connecting emotions and experiences with not just images but with the shapes and sensations of objects or natural phenomena, paralleling the relationship Teo's magic weaves with the physical world.
The different kinds of magic that different characters have are intriguing and mostly feel effortless (unlike a lot of fantasy where you can sense the author straining to come up with a Unique Magic System and/or different kinds of powers). The fact that the book is from a single character's point of view probably helps: we see what other characters' magic looks like and what they can do with it, but we only know what Teo's magic feels like internally.
(I dislike the words "magic system" in this context, because I think a key feature of a good Magic is that it does not feel like a system. Capetta's invention fulfills this requirement: while there are rules to it and even a segment comparing magic to science in The Brilliant Death, it remains mysterious, incalculable and pervasive.)
Probably the weakest point in these books is the plot, but I'm not a big plot person so honestly, that's not much more than a half-star issue. Specifically, I got the feeling that Capetta made her characters more cunning than herself, making it difficult to keep the scheming as impressive as it was presented to be. In both books, I was occasionally a bit confused by causalities and logistics. I was much more invested in the emotional and magical storylines than the political intrigue of The Brilliant Death or the war element in The Storm of Life.
Teo and Cielo's relationship is absolutely delightful, both are fully fledged characters in their own right, and their interactions were well informed by their respective personalities and ideals. Also, I love banter, obviously. The big conflict between the two was so heart-wrenching I had to put down the book for a while, though its eventual resolution felt rushed. As did the ending as a whole, to be honest. To be clear, I have no complaints with how things ended up or the epilogue, but getting there could have taken another chapter or so.
I do wish the genderfluidity had been developed and explored more, specifically in this second part. As it was, while both the reader's and the main characters' understanding of magic deepened and widened from the point it had reached by the end of the first book, the gender(queer) aspect seemed to stall at the "shapeshifting between girl and boy forms" stage. There was a hint of approaching gender from the same direction as all the other changes Teo and Cielo can work on themselves, but it ended up being pretty much a sidenote.
Still, I'm a sucker for fantasy queers, and together with the aforementioned feel-it-in-my-bones magic and delicious writing style, I did love these books.
July 27, 2022
The sequel to The Brilliant Death, a book I loved for the lush writing style and queer romance, is just as beautiful as I hoped. It’s been a while since I read the first book (making the plot slightly confusing for me), but it was still a lovely reading experience. The Storm of Life is so emotionally impactful, it rings so true to real life, in spite of the fantasy setting. In particular, the way Teo’s relationship with her abusive older brother is explored is very well handled. It draws parallels both in the text and beyond it, which I find to be really meaningful to read. Capetta is amazing at conveying emotion in her writing style, which is both earnest and beautiful. The main draw of this duology was the genderfluid representation, which I found really validating to read, as a person with my own complicated gender identity. Teo is not only introduced to the world of being a stregha by Cielo, but also the possibilities of gender expression. I loved the in text parallels between these aspects of both of their identities, and I especially appreciated the ways Capetta expressed queer identity and family. My only real issue with this book is the way Teo’s actions in a certain pivotal scene are treated. I think there should have been much more of an apology, but I am glad that there was a happy ending despite it. All in all, I loved this story and I’m so glad I found it.
October 31, 2020
TW:
physical abuse, attempted kidnap & murder of an infant
3.6
It's always so hard writing reviews for sequels- especially when the first book takes up space in your mind. I really liked The Brilliant Death, and I was excited to read this book when I realized there was going to be a sequel. Unfortunately, it didn't hit quite how I wanted it to, but it was the same characters I loved, and I'll pretty much read anything Capetta writes, so I didn't dislike it either.
I think the main problem I had, personally, is that I really really have no interest in books about war and fight plans and things like that, and this is the most recent in a strangely long line of sequels to books I really liked that I had trouble caring about because it was all war. That's the issue with liking stories that involve rebellion I guess- eventually it all turns to fighting and strategy. So I didn't quite disappear into this story the way that I did the first book.
I also felt like this book got a bit overly sexual. The subtleties and flirting of the first books worked a lot better for me than dropping in overt, unnecessary mentions of sex and sexual attraction. That's definitely a big personal preference, and biased by who I am, but it detracted from my reading experience.
I will say, I like the way this book ends, and I appreciated being able to come back to Teo and Cielo. I was hoping for more expansion into the world and lore, and was hoping for more of a coming out for Teo instead of just implying, but it's not a huge book, and it was obvious where the focus was.
3.6
It's always so hard writing reviews for sequels- especially when the first book takes up space in your mind. I really liked The Brilliant Death, and I was excited to read this book when I realized there was going to be a sequel. Unfortunately, it didn't hit quite how I wanted it to, but it was the same characters I loved, and I'll pretty much read anything Capetta writes, so I didn't dislike it either.
I think the main problem I had, personally, is that I really really have no interest in books about war and fight plans and things like that, and this is the most recent in a strangely long line of sequels to books I really liked that I had trouble caring about because it was all war. That's the issue with liking stories that involve rebellion I guess- eventually it all turns to fighting and strategy. So I didn't quite disappear into this story the way that I did the first book.
I also felt like this book got a bit overly sexual. The subtleties and flirting of the first books worked a lot better for me than dropping in overt, unnecessary mentions of sex and sexual attraction. That's definitely a big personal preference, and biased by who I am, but it detracted from my reading experience.
I will say, I like the way this book ends, and I appreciated being able to come back to Teo and Cielo. I was hoping for more expansion into the world and lore, and was hoping for more of a coming out for Teo instead of just implying, but it's not a huge book, and it was obvious where the focus was.
June 15, 2020
3.5/4 stars
I loved this series, though my attention span during the book did waver a lot I feel that's more on me since I've been going through a reading slump.
The Storm of Life explores more about a person's gender identity. There is a difference between being gender fluid and being non-binary, which I remember people's reviews of the first book seemed to miss understand.
The magic in the book is expanded upon and so is the world.
One of the things that I felt that could have been expanded upon was the side characters in the stories. There were a lot of interesting characters introduced in this book and returning character's from the first. Their stories are told but they were an interesting bunch and I would love to see their stories told more.
While my ever approaching reading slump might have pulled me out of the book a bit during the middle, the ending brought it all home and I enjoyed the story very much. I just wished my reading slump wasn't so bad.
But if you read the Brilliant Death, reading the Storm of Life is a must.
I loved this series, though my attention span during the book did waver a lot I feel that's more on me since I've been going through a reading slump.
The Storm of Life explores more about a person's gender identity. There is a difference between being gender fluid and being non-binary, which I remember people's reviews of the first book seemed to miss understand.
The magic in the book is expanded upon and so is the world.
One of the things that I felt that could have been expanded upon was the side characters in the stories. There were a lot of interesting characters introduced in this book and returning character's from the first. Their stories are told but they were an interesting bunch and I would love to see their stories told more.
While my ever approaching reading slump might have pulled me out of the book a bit during the middle, the ending brought it all home and I enjoyed the story very much. I just wished my reading slump wasn't so bad.
But if you read the Brilliant Death, reading the Storm of Life is a must.
September 17, 2019
I haven't read the first book, which is usually a huge detractor for me. However, Capetta does a good job of smoothly introducing the magic system and integrating past plot points into the narrative. Less effective, in my opinion, is the establishment of previous relationships—I don't think I got the full emotional impact of Teo's feelings toward her family members, for example, though we certainly got a strong enough sense of Teo's physical feelings toward Cielo and vice versa.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this well enough, especially Capetta's lush and imaginative prose and the possibilities her world offers, but plot-wise, the stakes do not feel as high as they're meant to—even if the world is ostensibly in danger, Teo and Cielo are the two strongest streghe in Amalia. The resolution feels a bit too neat for me as well.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this well enough, especially Capetta's lush and imaginative prose and the possibilities her world offers, but plot-wise, the stakes do not feel as high as they're meant to—even if the world is ostensibly in danger, Teo and Cielo are the two strongest streghe in Amalia. The resolution feels a bit too neat for me as well.
June 29, 2020
This is the second book of the series...
On the first couple of chapters were so good, but after teo die everything went wrong and strega had to cover him and Teodora it is just so sturborn and it doesn't help at all for his father to control his magic and her personal life, Cielo it is a good guy even if he change into a girl he always loves Teodora, and Teodora lover her or him whenever for he is taking...I Really liked so far the book, but I wanted more action into cielo's relationship with Teodora, becuase Teodora in an way was selfish with cielo and in an way pretending that everything is okay, but it is not...so why just tell the true and make her life more easier...
this book is really dramatic and magical interesting.
On the first couple of chapters were so good, but after teo die everything went wrong and strega had to cover him and Teodora it is just so sturborn and it doesn't help at all for his father to control his magic and her personal life, Cielo it is a good guy even if he change into a girl he always loves Teodora, and Teodora lover her or him whenever for he is taking...I Really liked so far the book, but I wanted more action into cielo's relationship with Teodora, becuase Teodora in an way was selfish with cielo and in an way pretending that everything is okay, but it is not...so why just tell the true and make her life more easier...
this book is really dramatic and magical interesting.
May 14, 2021
After escaping from the Capo’s nefarious and insane plan, Teo and Cielo are left to do what they can to warn the other streghe of the country, to let them know the truth behind the Brilliant Death. But before they can make too much headway, they hear of an invading army to the north, from Eterra. Most people would be tempted to flee, but ever-strategic Teo sees this coming disaster as something else, as an opportunity. Teo forms a plan, all hinging on her getting support from the Five Families, and her continued love of Cielo. Can she bring an end to the cycle of death that her magic has reaped?
To read my full review, visit my blog here: https://stephsstoryspace.wordpress.co...
To read my full review, visit my blog here: https://stephsstoryspace.wordpress.co...
February 14, 2020
1-Sentence: As a means of defying the Capo’s desire to build an empire, Teo and Cielo begin rounding up other streghe and find themselves deeper in politics than they could have dreamed.
Gay?: Yes. It’s a sequel to The Brilliant Death, and therefore is as queer as the first book.
Keywords: magic, war, recruitment, search, leadership
Like?: It’s always so interesting reading a sequel a year or more after the original, cuz...oh boy do I never know what’s going on for the first 50 pages. This one took a really long time to catch my attention again, but eventually it did the trick. Did I like it as much as the first? No. Did I like it? I did.
Rating: 3.5/5
Gay?: Yes. It’s a sequel to The Brilliant Death, and therefore is as queer as the first book.
Keywords: magic, war, recruitment, search, leadership
Like?: It’s always so interesting reading a sequel a year or more after the original, cuz...oh boy do I never know what’s going on for the first 50 pages. This one took a really long time to catch my attention again, but eventually it did the trick. Did I like it as much as the first? No. Did I like it? I did.
Rating: 3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2020
I found it hard to get into this book until about a third of the way in, but I’m unsure if it was my mood or the actual pacing/writing. Once things did pick up, then there definitely was action, intrigue, and interesting characters that didn’t get enough time to really highlight them.
I think perhaps just reading the first was enough, but the final 2/3 were interesting and did discuss an intriguing change to the brilliant death inheritance. I was sick of Beniamo though, especially as I couldn’t remember if he had any power other than his past as an owl and talons. Maybe it’s Court of the Owl flashbacks...
I think perhaps just reading the first was enough, but the final 2/3 were interesting and did discuss an intriguing change to the brilliant death inheritance. I was sick of Beniamo though, especially as I couldn’t remember if he had any power other than his past as an owl and talons. Maybe it’s Court of the Owl flashbacks...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2020
Sequel to "A Brilliant Death" (which I have not read)
Teo and her love Cielo are streghe (strega), powerful witches. They are trying to keep their beloved out of a war and out of the hands of a power crazed individual who has an agenda against all streghe.
It took me a while to get into the story - because I didn't realize it was a sequel. Then it made more sense.
Lots of sexual references and situations. Teo and Cielo cannot keep their hands off each other. Non-graphic sex on page. Violence. But also lots of positive gender fluidity.
Teo and her love Cielo are streghe (strega), powerful witches. They are trying to keep their beloved out of a war and out of the hands of a power crazed individual who has an agenda against all streghe.
It took me a while to get into the story - because I didn't realize it was a sequel. Then it made more sense.
Lots of sexual references and situations. Teo and Cielo cannot keep their hands off each other. Non-graphic sex on page. Violence. But also lots of positive gender fluidity.
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