Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is the thrilling and cinematic sequel to Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. Lan and Zen parted ways after Zen made an unimaginable choice. Now with the immense power of a Demon God at his side, Zen is fated to pay a terrible price. As Lan, Zen, and the colonizers race for the legendary Demon gods, who will ultimately win the battle for the Last Kingdom? 

One of my favorite things about Zhao’s writing is how lyrical her words are. They are stunning and create a beautiful visual picture as you read. Yet, the pacing never falters and the focus of the story remains strong. One of my favorite tropes is when magic requires a price, which the Demon Gods definitely do. Zen had a very compelling character arc that I was very invested in. He is a good person who is willing to make immense sacrifices for his people, including deals with demons and accessing forbidden power. 

Zhao’s fight scenes always contain a delightful multitude of layers. One of my favorite fight scenes is between Lan and Zen- two people who love each other, but are on opposite sides. The tension and chemistry between them was amazing! The worldbuilding is very detailed and vivid. I really appreciated how Zhao portrays grief and how to continue to live after loss. Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is an excellent and bittersweet conclusion to this duology. I can’t wait to see what Amélie Wen Zhao writes next! 

Thank you to Amélie Wen Zhao, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.