Children of Fallen Gods: War of Lost Hearts, Book 2

Natasha

Superb sequel

"Wow, so much happens in this book! Plots and characters continued to weave together seamlessly. The pacing is good, and I never felt the need to skim pages due to unneeded verbiage. The characters continue to be complex and real. We are introduced to the fey, and I thought it was happening the same time as the story. I liked Aefe and was excited to see how she would come into her own and help her people. Then we learn the brutal truth and it was horrible. Curiosity and dislike from the last book turned into sadness and understanding. And Caduan! My heart broke for him, and then!!! I am really excited to see how their story plays out. One thing I have loved about this story so far is the consistency with Max and Tisaanah. There is no love triangle, lack of communication or unnecessary drama. They are consistent in their care, dedication and respect for one another. A nice change from most books, honestly. The ending was heartbreaking, but with one more book I will continue to root for them. I will say I am excited to finish the series, but scared as well. Carissa Broadbent doesn’t take the easy way out. I saw the story going so many different ways, just to have them shattered. I hope we get some HEA! ["

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July 14, 2025 Verified Purchase

Muriel Sampson

Amazing *Spoiler-Free!*

"I rate books primarily based on vibes and how they make me feel, so keep that in mind. I also try to keep my reviews spoiler-free! Plot: 4/5 Spice: 2/5 Audiobook: Two narrators A quick side note: I did a tandem read, switching between the book and the audiobook. The narrators alternate between male and female voices, depending on the POV. Some readers might not like that, but I think it worked really well. Now, on to the review: Wow, this book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I experienced everything from happiness and giddiness to sorrow, rage, and so much more. This second book in the series follows Tisaanah and Max as they navigate the challenges of the war they’ve found themselves in. Between the unrest surrounding the freed slaves from Threll and Ara’s ongoing war, you’re in for quite a whirlwind. While there is still some romance in the plot, the story mainly focuses on political intrigue, loyalty, and revenge. The narrative shifts between three POVs: Max, Tisaanah, and a new character, Aefe. There are also a few extra glimpses from Nura and Zeryth. Aefe is a slightly disgraced warrior who is the daughter to one of the Fey kings. Her storyline was fascinating, and I almost found myself more invested in her journey than Max and Tisaanah’s. That said, I’m definitely a Max and Tisaanah fan for life! The character growth in this book is incredible. Carissa writes these characters with such intricate layers. Some characters that I hated earlier in the series are now my favorites, while others have lost my affection. Tisaanah and her plans! They make me nervous but also awe-struck by how brilliant they are. I loved how everything came together in the end, and it sets up the final book perfectly. The ending had me on the edge of my seat! I can’t wait to see how they get out of this pickle in the last book. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! ["

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November 17, 2024 Verified Purchase

E. Maddaleni

sometimes tough to follow

"Good story--sometimes the plot seems a little disconnected/hard to follow & a bit overwhelming, and I haven't connected with the characters in this series as deeply as I have w/ those in other fantasy series I've read. Nevertheless, hats off to the author for writing such a complicated, thoughtful, highly creative work. I'm hooked enough to read the next book in the series:) ["

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May 11, 2025 Verified Purchase

Ellen

Still Good, But Some Disappointing Elements

"4 Stars Overall- the chapters with the main characters are worth 5/5 stars but I subtracted 1 because of the alternative storyline and introduction of Fey. I would rate the first book in the series as 5/5 stars The Good: - This is a fantasy romance done right, I absolutely love the relationship between Max and Tisaanah. Their relationship is so healthy and supportive. It is a pleasant change from how romance is usually depicted. Also, I love that the romance is only a part of the plot, if you take it away you still have a great story! Apart, both of them are wonderfully whole characters with strengths and flaws. - Tisaanah continues to be an awesome protagonist. She is strong and competent, but she’s never written as being special because “she’s not like other girls” (which is another huge literary pet peeve of mine). - The first half of the book is a great continuation of book 1. I would have loved to see the plot continue focus on the war for the entire book. - The side characters of the main plot are well developed and very interesting. Zeryth Aldris continues to be a fascinatingly unlikeable character and I loved his interactions with both Max and Tisaanah. Nura is one of my favorite characters, I love how cold, yet complex she is. Sammerin continues to be a wonderful friend and Moth is so likable and realistic. The Bad - I did not like the introduction of Aefe’s storyline. It did not add anything to the plot and took away time from the characters I cared about. I skimmed her first few chapters and skipped the rest. Honestly I didn’t feel like I missed anything important even when the two storylines began to come together. I didn’t care about Aefe and company - Along with that, I was very disappointed with the introduction of the Fey aspect. Fey novels are a dime a dozen (or, I suppose, $9.99/month a dozen of you have Kindle Unlimited) and this series simply didn’t need it. I felt like it shifted the tone entirely away from the groundwork built by book one. The author had created a great world and the Fey just seem out of place and took away from it. - Reshaye: in book 1 and the first half of book 2, Reshaye was one of my favorite characters. I was fascinated by it and really wanted it and Tisaanah to become an epic duo. But I did not like where the author went with it after that. I was also disappointed by the lack of screen-time (page time?) Reshaye got in the second half and the reason for it. And finally, I really dislike it’s origin story. I would have rather it remained a mystery for the entire series. Knowing it’s background took away from the intrigue and made it into a character I didn’t care about. Overall it was still a good book, but I am nervous about what the next book will be like. But as long as we continue to see Max and Tisaanah, I will definitely read it. ["

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May 15, 2022 Verified Purchase

Jane

Carissa Outdid herself from her first book

"Jane rated a book it was amazing Children of Fallen Gods by Carissa BroadbentChildren of Fallen Gods (The War of Lost Hearts, #2) by Carissa Broadbent (Goodreads Author) Read My rating: 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars[ 5 of 5 stars ] *Spoiler Free* Well, well, well. Let me tell you. This was a fabulous sequel to the first book. The plot development and the pacing of it all had me entranced. I was screaming at my phone about all the clues and foreshadowing, I cried and laughed with this book. For the last 10% of this book, I wanted to crawl up the walls and was just as devasted. The characters fight in a war and once it's over, they are thrust into a bigger one with higher stakes. New characters are introduced that I love and some of the bad guys from the first book I've grown to adore. People get their character development and I can't wait to see what happens in the 3rd book with them. Carissa wrote this book, not as a way to create happy endings or create a happy fantasy. She writes like we just happened to be flys on walls and see war and politics unfold in their truest form. It's ugly, it's frustrating, it's out of your control and most importantly you can fight like hell for your beliefs even if you think your morals are superior to your opponent's. You see both sides of the reasoning for all the good and bad actions done for the greater good. You see romance blossom in the darkest of times and families clinging together because that's all they have. Carissa writes so poetically and emotionally but leaves just enough room for the world that she created to grow and shine. I've never highlighted and added notes to my k"

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February 17, 2023 Verified Purchase