Fall of Night (Genesis Crystal Saga Book 2); Tyffany Hackett & Becky Moynihan

The second book in the Genesis Crystal Saga picks up almost immediately from where the first book left off, so if you can read these beauties back to back, do it! But, given where the first book, while full of pain in that physical sort of way (emotionally too but…)—this book, while not light on action in any way, really delves deep into the long lasting effects of the traumas that the characters survive in Dawn till Dusk. Specifically Reagan. Tarik, Reagan, and team may be traversing the mysterious Fae realm looking for help to bring back home with them so they can confront Mordecai and free the Fae, but this is primarily a story about enduring survivor’s guilt and healing from trauma. Secondly, it’s about that sweet, sexy romance between Tarik and Reagan building and building… it’s really tender, and very steamy at times! THEN it’s about finding help to stop the evil dragon shifter of Nathra City.

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I really did enjoy how the authors don’t shy away from the tough topics when it comes to Tarik and Reagan’s emotional pain. Both characters struggle to come to terms with what happened, though Tarik seems to have an easier go of it then Reagan does, who feels so intensely and so deeply that her perceived failures from where the previous book left off, her nightmares and inability to sleep and help protect her travel companions, just compounds her feelings of inadequacy and blame. It was tough to read at times with how much Reagan constantly hurts throughout this book. They are important topics for sure, but just a little forewarning because it gets heavy at times. Tarik’s guilt comes more in the form of obsessing over Reagan, like really obsessing over her… Thank goodness for the comic relief that are the Fae twins and Caspar! Who I love. And Nevah. I wish we had seen more of my favorite purple haired rat shifter, but with the introduction to new characters it’s understandable that, while the side characters do grow, you don’t see as much of them as you (re: me) would want. But, along with the introduction of new characters, there are a lot of BIG reveals in this book, and some questions answered, so overall, this second book absolutely does move our characters closer to a conflict and resolution that is going to be spectacular. And painful, that’s for sure!

This is an elaborate world of shifters and Fae, and the contrast between the shifter realm and the Fae’s is massive. It was so interesting to see the different biomes that make up the Fae realm with their various mythical monsters that I just wanted more. And perhaps that’s my only true complaint, the focus on Reagan and her emotional struggles and growth, as well as Tarik’s growing protectiveness of Reagan and wrestling his anger, meant that this new realm felt like more of a plot device at times then a real, thriving place. Part of that may just be that this is the second book in a series that may be longer than just three books, so we will revisit this land, and this book was just to build the groundwork? Maybe? It’s a theory anyway! But it’s also why I’m giving this 4 stars. I loved the twists this story took, loved the action and the new villain, and I’m so interested to see where Tarik and Reagan’s relationship goes from here! These authors really shine with their rich and complex characters, so I can’t wait to see what book 3 has in store for us!