Restless Slumber (Fortuna Sworn) Paperback – Illustrated, February 3, 2020

I'm mad for faeries, so Fortuna Sworn has been on my radar since the author reached out to me last summer. Unlike that first book, I purchased this one myself and stayed up from 3 am to 8 am reading it. I was super ready to hop back into the world and see where things went.I wouldn't say this book is exactly plot driven--there's no greater goal in mind in the overarching story; like, if book #1 was "rescue brother from faeries" this is sort of the "what happens now?" part of the story--but it's highly character driven and pairs up directly with the former book, the start of Restless Slumber immediately picking up where Fortuna Sworn left off.One of the things that really piques my interest is Fortuna because she's not wholly good, but she's not evil either. I like the grayness that comes from her. (For example, she's willing to be violent and cruel in the face of protecting the weak, often being vengeful). Collith, Laurie, Finn, Damon, OIiver, and Lyari make for an interesting collection of characters. I love Collith a lot; I find his mild-manner nature and sweetness to be really appealing in love interest. Laurie is also intriguing for his ambiguous motivations. What parts of him are truthful? Which are acts? Oliver is still something of an oddity to me, since I feel like Fortuna should have abandoned the idea that he's just her imaginary friend, especially since as a supernatural creature she should be aware that what she's experienced isn't normal, but we're not given much explanation for what or who he is in this book.The story covers themes like that of trauma, intimacy, morality, regret... lots of good stuff! There's lots of time dedicated to watching characters interact and talk. Damon and Fortuna slowly work through things. Collith and Fortuna talk--it's not just lust mistaken for love, you see their relationship building from shared experiences and time spent together. Fortuna rekindles relationships with people from her past and forms new ones with those like the werewolf she saved the Guardian she has at her side. The cast is kept well rounded with minor characters that play parts but don't feel super convenient and contrived.The writing is really nice--nothing stood out to me negatively and I managed to devour all 400+ pages in about five hours, so it was easy to digest and conveyed things in a way that kept my attention well. Even the ending, which has some intense developments and leaves off on moment that makes you want the next book ASAP, was still well planned and executed in my opinion. It had good tension and it leaves off in a place that doesn't make you want to despair, just immediately know what happens next.Also, I think it's important to mention that in the ending, there is a somewhat graphic scene of sex that may be triggering. It's consensual, both parties agree, but one doesn't want it; the act is done as an exchange of out desperation. So, even though it was consenting, it still has some of the hallmarks of an assault. Collith, Laurie, Finn, and Oliver aren't involved in this, so there's no risk of them being held in that light in this installment. The author wrote about a page describing the encounter. It's not really gratuitous, but you are told what happens, it's not fade to black or anything. I think perhaps it could have been toned down a little, just to steer it away from seeming exploitative of the situation, but I think the idea was to hammer home its impact by being direct.Other warnings: Swearing, sex/sexual situations, blood/gore, murder, death, violence, mature topics, mentions of sexual assault, etc. Definitely a new adult/adult book and series, as the author has stated.The author has 4 more books planned in the series and I'm anticipating the release of book #3, Deadly Dreams, whenever that may be. Current estimates say this year, but, I'll keep an eye out.

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Fortuna Sworn series. I bought a copy of this book for my Kindle.Story (3/5): Now, aside from the above complaints below I really enjoyed this….especially the first 75% of the book or so. I really loved the first book in this series and was absolutely adoring this book as well right up until the end. I thought the ending was not only depressing but kind of out of the blue; suddenly there are demons and zombies and I was a bit confused where all these new elements were coming from. Not to mention the book ends on a huge cliffhanger which I hate. Authors should rely on their excellent story rather than a cliffhanger device to keep readers coming back for more.My last complaint was that there really isn't a solid plotline here. Most of the story involves watching Fortuna navigate her new position as Queen of the Unseelie and finding Finn's pack. Woven into this is the issue of Damon and his rehabilitation. Another main driver for the story is the progress of Fortuna's relationship with the Unseelie King, Collith. The story kind of wanders.Characters (5/5): I love the characters in here and watching Fortuna and Collith navigate their relationship was sweet and engaging. Watching Fortuna grow and take her place as the Unseelie Queen was also very satisfying.Setting (4/5): I really love the Faerie Court and wish we had spent more time there. Aside from that this book is in a pretty standard contemporary setting, the setting really isn’t the driver for the story.Writing Style (4/5): The book is very readable and I found myself very engaged in the story and whipped right through this. The ending though just left a bad taste in my mouth, very contrived and out of left field.Summary (4/5): Overall I really loved most of this book but struggled with the ending and how wandering some of the plot was. Right now I do plan on continuing the series, but hope things are a bit more structured and plot driven in the next book. I would recommend to those who enjoy urban fantasy stories about fae.