ARC Review: The Hollow Heart (The Midnight Lie #2) by Marie Rutkoski
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Series: The Midnight Lie #2
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published September 9th 2021 by Hodder & Stoughton
Goodreads Synopsis
Intrigue, romance, and magic abound in the heart-stopping conclusion to Marie Rutkoski’s Forgotten Gods duology.
At the end of The Midnight Lie, Nirrim offered up her heart to the God of Thieves in order to restore her people’s memories of their city’s history. The Half Kith who once lived imprisoned behind the city’s wall now realize that many among them are powerful. Meanwhile, the person Nirrim once loved most, Sid, has returned to her home country of Herran, where she must navigate the politics of being a rogue princess who has finally agreed to do her duty.
In the Herrani court, rumors begin to grow of a new threat rising across the sea, of magic unleashed on the world, and of a cruel, black-haired queen who can push false memories into your mind, so that you believe your dearest friends to be your enemies.
Sid doesn’t know that this queen is Nirrim, who seeks her revenge against a world that has wronged her. Can Sid save Nirrim from herself? Does Nirrim even want to be saved? As blood is shed and war begins, Sid and Nirrim find that it might not matter what they want…for the gods have their own plans.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Following the dramatic conclusion of The Midnight Lie, we see how Nirrim's bargain with the god of thieves has changed the lives of all those on Herrath, as well as Sid and her family. Though Nirrim's actions were from a good place, losing her compassion has turned her into a heartless queen, who has freed the Half-Kith, but is using their magical powers to bring the High Kith and Middling people to heel, before turning her attention on other nations, including Herran. Learning that her mother, Queen Kestrel, was ill, Sid returned home, ready to face her parents after fleeing from her engagement. But when she arrives in Herran, it seems as if someone is out to get her mother, and she needs to discover the truth before it is too late. But with powers both home and abroad seemingly out to hurt Sid, will she be able to save all those she love, or do the gods have another fate in store for her?
This book has been one of my most anticipated 2021 reads, so when I got home one Friday to find a review copy through the door, I immediately dropped what I was reading, and started it. While I really enjoyed it, I was a little disappointed to not love it as much as I had The Midnight Lie. To start off with, Sid and Nirrim were apart for most of the book, and though there were good reasons for that, I wanted to see more moments between them. With Nirrim, her character was completely different to that we had seen in book 1. She lacked empathy and compassion, and though she did want what was best for her people, she didn't really care who she hurt - physically or emotionally - to achieve her aims. And the little bit of power she had managed to eke out, soon turned her into a power hungry monster, really, who wanted to expand her empire to more than just the little island of Herrath. I did appreciate seeing this other side of her, and how the other Nirrim was a voice of reason she occasionally listened to.
Sid's chapters, on the other hand, were some of my favourites. When we met her in The Midnight Lie, we didn't really know who she was, and when it was revealed that she was the daughter of Arin and Kestrel, I was hoping we'd meet them again in this book. Now, it's been over 5 years since I read any of The Winner's Trilogy, so I've probably forgotten some of the events which took place in Arin and Kestrel's story. I found Kestrel to be a hard woman, though she loved Sid, she pushed her a lot for any love or affection. I appreciated the side plot of who wanted to hurt Kestrel, and the reveal of the who and why was behind it was fantastic! We saw a growth in Sid, which had started, I think, in the first book, but was really cemented here.
I think one of my main bug bears here, though, was the ending. Seeing all of the event wrap up, and learning more about the pantheon of the gods was wonderful, but it was extremely abrupt, and if I didn't have a finished hard copy in my hands, I would've thought there were pages/chapters missing. There were so many questions I still had that were unanswered, and I don't know if Marie is thinking to release a new series in the future, following on from this one, but there are definitely things that need tying up, in my opinion.
Dates Read:
August 7-9, 2021
Rating
4 Stars
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