Playing Through Every Choices Book, In Order (Part 102: Blades of Light & Shadow, Book 2)

Hey! Today we take on the Ashen Empire as we attempt to save the land of Morella once again!

Next time, we try to solve the murder of Sonja Dormer, a young artist, and are assisted by a rather uppity Drakovian noble...

Link to previous reviews: https://www.reddit.com/user/stresseatingdog/comments/sj3s3m/all_choices_reviews_megapost/

Blades of Light & Shadow, Book 2

M/C: Byrne

Love Interest(s): Tyril, Mal, Aerin

Favorite Characters: Tyril, Mal, Aerin, Nia, Imtura, Valax, Cherta, Kade, The Owlbear Cub

Least Favorite Characters: ...

Rating: 10/10

Review:

I was scared the sequel to BOLAS would falter, but I was glad to see my fears were quite unfounded.

I like the opening sequence here, of M/C being captured by Valax and escaping. It sets up the plot and gives a reason for the year-long time skip, which in turn allows for new dynamics/interactions with the LIs.

The overall plot is great as well. I do wish we got to see more of the Ash Empress, because she is a threatening villain. Screentime equivalent to Azura from The Crown & The Flame would have worked well, I think.

I really enjoyed the new locations and skills we got this time around. I almost wish we got to spend more time in the Ashen realm as opposed to brief escapades. The new races, the Goblins, Ashen, and Dwarves, were all neat additions, and it really helped add to the already sprawling world we were given in Book 1. I loved how the "Shatter" Elite Skill literally shattered the skills screen, and the other new abilities were cool as well. I like how some of the elite skills from the previous book can be used in this one - makes the diamond choices more worth it.

In terms of the LIs, let's start with the core four from Book 1. I like the mini arcs all four of them have here. Tyril coming to terms with the truth behind light/shadow magic and the ancient gods, Mal and Imtura's confidence and upbringing struggles, and Nia's inner shadow, all of it serves to flesh out these characters beyond being LIs. I'm not the biggest fan of Mal's new haircut, but it works fine enough I suppose (i still miss the long hair though omg).

Aerin's redemption was done decently, if not a bit quickly. I love him as a LI, but I wish he didn't disappear for so long. It makes his redemption feel a bit rushed. Still, I appreciate that they listened to the fan demand and added him in as a LI.

Valax is so interesting as a enemies-to-lovers type of LI. She starts out being the main antagonist for a good chunk of the book, and I like how she slowly warms up to M/C. However, much like Aerin, her redemption and eventual appreciation of M/C and the party feels kind of rushed. In the last chapter, she mentions that M/C and their party are her only friends which...I could maybe see M/C and kinda Nia, but the other three? When did they interact with Valax that positively? Still, I love when they have enemies-to-lovers type storylines, so I'm not complaining too much.

I like the side characters here as well. The "temporary" party member idea was a neat one, and my favorite is either Cherta or Valax. I do wish we got an actual permanent party member, as even Aerin and Valax are kind of on/off. The closest is the absolutely adorable owl bear cub, who I named Athens. I wish Cherta joined us as a non-LI party member, maybe taking over Threep's role to some degree.

Speaking of Threep, he's very absent from this book, and that's sad to me. I also find it kind of annoying that even if you save Loola in Book 1, she has like no screentime in this book. Why couldn't Loola take Threep's place or something, to make the diamond choice feel a bit more valuable? I do like Kade getting more screentime in this book though, he's so sweet. Oh and I suppose I should mention The Watcher. Kind of a bland, nothing character, but I suppose he'll be more relevant in the next book because of that teaser at the end.

I also liked finding out about M/C's parentage. It's a minor detail, but it was sweet for M/C to get closure regarding who their parent(s) were.

I like the three endings, and I'm eager to see how the next book is affected by what choice you make at the end. I personally chose to merge the two worlds together, by the way.

Overall, I really love this book. It's a wonderful follow-up to one of the best books on this app, and I appreciate everything it tries to do. I can only hope this series ends on a high note in Book 3!