Review | Reign of Mist

Title: Reign of Mist
Author: Helen Scheuerer
Publisher Info / Release: Talem Press | September 13, 2018
Source: E-ARC from the author
Rating: 5 / 5 *’s
Synopsis:

The realm’s darkest secret is out.

The cruelty of the capital and the power-hungry King Arden have scattered Bleak and her companions across the continents.

On the run in a foreign land, Bleak finds herself tied to some unexpected strangers. When the answers she yearns for are finally within reach, she must face the hard truths of her past, and take her fate into her own hands before it’s too late.

Meanwhile, secrets and magic unravel as a dark power corrupts the realm. Bleak’s friends are forced to decide where their loyalties lie, and who, if anyone, they can trust.

But one thing is certain: war is coming, and they must all be ready when it does.

Thank you, Helen, for sending me a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review! If you haven’t read Heart of Mist, this review may contain spoilers.

Alright guys, buckle in because you will be going for a ride!
Reign of Mist is full of whirlwind adventure, strong friendships, beautiful landscapes, lots of plot twists, with dogs, horses and panthers…oh my. It lures you in and you won’t be able to put it down.

Trust me, I finished this 537 page book in about 45 hours. I.could. not. put. it. down.

The same POVs in HoM transfer over to this one. Bleak, Henri, Dash and Swinton. I loved seeing what everyone was up to and how we got more insight into what was going on in the different realms.

Okay, so! The book starts off exactly where it left off in HoM, where Bleak has entered the mist. We get to meet new characters as she navigates this lost continent and finds answers for the questions she had in the first book. She really grows into her own and you get to watch as she works to stand her own. Bleak becomes more accustomed to her magic and it was amazing to watch as she formed new friendships and bonds with them.

One of my favorite characters is Swinton and I adored how Helen transformed his story. I feel like all of the characters really evolved and bloomed into their own but it’s even more so in him, in my opinion. He’s such a complex character (but really, Helen did a fabulous job doing so with all of them) and we get to the root of how and most importantly, why, Swinton is the way he is. I really enjoyed it and I was so ecstatic by the end of the book that my heart soared for him.

And speaking of complex, wow…holy plot twists!! So much is revealed about Oremere, the rulers of this kindgom, and the mist. The world building is so beautiful and little things began to click together from the first book that almost seemed out of place but it wasn’t. Everything comes together so well and it flows throughout the entire story. As the pages turn, it doesn’t even feel like you’ve read 500 pages. All of your suspicions get confirmed and there were many times that I questioned a few of the characters for reasons I can’t say, because spoilers but you will have suspicions.

I could probably write so much more about how amazing I thought Reign of Mist was, but you guys will just have to read it for yourself. It’s magical, we get treated to warrior men and women training (with a few hot, shirtless men if you’re into that 😉 ), a few romantic teases and a world filled with beautiful oceans and snow capped mountains. It will take you to a whole new world that you get a first class ticket to visit.

If you want to get a glimpse of what this world is like, here is a moodboard I put together:

Definitely keep an eye out on Amazon for a pre-order and follow Helen on social media to get updates on all things Reign of Mist! There’s also a blog tour coming up that I’ll be a part of and you can see all sorts of author interviews, favorite quotes and even more aesthetics!