Series: The Devouring Gray #2 (See my review of book one here!)
Release Date: April 21st 2020
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 416
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

The teenagers of Four Paths must save their home, in the sequel to hit fantasy The Devouring Gray. For fans of Stranger Things, Riverdale and The Raven Cycle

Though the Beast is seemingly subdued for now, a new threat looms in Four Paths: a corruption seeping from the Gray into the forest. And with the other Founders preoccupied by their tangled alliances and fraying relationships, only May Hawthorne seems to realize the danger. But saving the town she loves means seeking aid from the person her family despises most–her and Justin’s father.

May’s father isn’t the only newcomer in town–Isaac Sullivan’s older brother has also returned, seeking forgiveness for the role he played in Isaac’s troubled past. But Isaac isn’t ready to let go of his family’s history, especially when that history might hold the key that he and Violet Saunders need to destroy the Gray and the monster within it.

Harper Carlisle isn’t ready to forgive, either. Two devastating betrayals have left her isolated from her family and uncertain who to trust. As the corruption becomes impossible to ignore, Harper must learn to control her newfound powers in order to protect Four Paths. But the only people who can help her do that are the ones who have hurt her the most.

With the veil between the Gray and the town growing ever thinner, all of the Founder descendants must put their grievances with one another aside to stop the corruption and kill the Beast once and for all.

But maybe the monster they truly need to slay has never been the Beast…

Review

The Deck of Omens is the concluding book in The Devouring Gray duology. I absolutely loved book one so I was really excited to pick up book two. The Deck of Omens picks up just after the events of The Devouring Gray and this sequel is just as dark and gripping as book one.

The Deck of Omens follows the same characters as book one, and it was fascinating getting to see them as their relationships continue to evolve. I enjoyed the alternating POVs, and Harper was definitely my favourite of the main protagonists. I really loved the history and folklore that Herman has created for Four Paths and it was fascinating learning the history of the townspeople.

While I really enjoyed The Deck of Omens, I preferred The Devouring Gray. The story was still fascinating, but it didn’t grip me in the same way. It was brilliant seeing the Herman expand on the world she has created and I loved the creepy atmosphere she created. This series has so many things that I love, magical powers, strange towns with a mysterious history and a really interesting cast of characters.

The Deck of Omens comes to a satisfying conclusion, and I really enjoyed the duology overall. It’s full of twists and turns and despite being over four hundred pages I absolutely flew through it. This duology has been pretty hyped but I would definitely say it was worth all the buzz. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up this fast paced fantasy duology, I’d definitely recommend giving it a go.