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Katerina #2
The Unfailing Light
Lush and opulent, romantic and sinister, The Unfailing Light, Volume II in The Katerina Trilogy, reimagines the lives of Russia's aristocracy in a fabulously intoxicating and page-turning fantasy.
Having had no choice but to use her power has a necromancer to save Russia from dark forces, Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, now wants to forget that she ever used her special powers. She's about to set off to pursue her lifelong dream of attending medical school when she discovers that Russia's arch nemesis--who she thought she'd destroyed--is still alive. So on imperial orders, Katerina remains at her old finishing school. She'll be safe there, because the empress has cast a potent spell to protect it against the vampires and revenants who are bent on toppling the tsar and using Katerina for their own gains. But to Katerina's horror, the spell unleashes a vengeful ghost within the school, a ghost more dangerous than any creature trying to get in.
Having had no choice but to use her power has a necromancer to save Russia from dark forces, Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, now wants to forget that she ever used her special powers. She's about to set off to pursue her lifelong dream of attending medical school when she discovers that Russia's arch nemesis--who she thought she'd destroyed--is still alive. So on imperial orders, Katerina remains at her old finishing school. She'll be safe there, because the empress has cast a potent spell to protect it against the vampires and revenants who are bent on toppling the tsar and using Katerina for their own gains. But to Katerina's horror, the spell unleashes a vengeful ghost within the school, a ghost more dangerous than any creature trying to get in.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 9, 2012
20 people are currently reading
1931 people want to read
About the author
Robin Bridges
9 books394 followersBy day, Robin Bridges is a mild mannered writer of young adult fiction. By night, she is a pediatric nurse, poking small children with needles for a living. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her family and an ever-growing menagerie of cats, dogs, tropical fish, and parrots. But alas, she still does not have a unicorn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
May 25, 2024
I won a hardcover of The Unfailing Light by Robin Bridges a long time ago and am just getting around to reading and reviewing it.
This is one of those books that is hard to rate because it is Book II and I don’t have Book I or III, so I don’t get the full story, BUT the more I read, the more I enjoyed the story and the more I became involved with the characters, wishing I would have had the entire series and read from the beginning.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
This is one of those books that is hard to rate because it is Book II and I don’t have Book I or III, so I don’t get the full story, BUT the more I read, the more I enjoyed the story and the more I became involved with the characters, wishing I would have had the entire series and read from the beginning.
See more at http://www.fundinmental.com
Want to read
March 26, 2012it is a nice cover.
as for the comments:
hair:
in the first book it already say's shes has blond hair * “Perhaps you would permit us to take him a lock of your hair, to show him what a beautiful golden color it is?”
“My hair?” I laughed nervously.*(also the hair color on the previous cover was pretty similar in terms of brightness)
Waist:
definitely a corset, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia... (Wikipedia - pic of a corset)
Katie(wrote a response to jennie) nailed it on the head(that corsets can make you that thin)
note: if a corset is worn properly it is not actually detrimental to health and can actually help improve health due to the support it gives your muscles and how it aligns them, however incorrect use can lead to the lower lungs not being able to breathe properly (upper part of lungs work fine) which leads to coughing and other side-effects
as for whether she would wear one, most likely she would as it is a custom (although she cuts her own path in life/tries to, she still adheres to customs) also there would be no reason not to wear one as there's nothing wrong with a corset since it is set in the late 1800s (side-effects of improperly wearing one were discovered later),and the dress she has on is a dress for a ball as opposed to the previous cover which had her in winter clothing
also for the comment the waist is unnaturally thin.. whats unnatural ?
Ethel Granger has the smallest waist on record at 33cms(13 inches )
(by this i mean its unthoughtful comments like this that hurt people - i mean imagine if a girl with a really thin waist read your comment she would most likely not feel good about herself and its not just the 'fashion' industry that hurt women - its a combination of peoples comments in addition to social perceptions and the attitude of the 'fashion' industry that make such an overall negative impact on a lot of people - that's not to say one isn't responsible for one self either but outside influences don't help)
as for the comments:
hair:
in the first book it already say's shes has blond hair * “Perhaps you would permit us to take him a lock of your hair, to show him what a beautiful golden color it is?”
“My hair?” I laughed nervously.*(also the hair color on the previous cover was pretty similar in terms of brightness)
Waist:
definitely a corset, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia... (Wikipedia - pic of a corset)
Katie(wrote a response to jennie) nailed it on the head(that corsets can make you that thin)
note: if a corset is worn properly it is not actually detrimental to health and can actually help improve health due to the support it gives your muscles and how it aligns them, however incorrect use can lead to the lower lungs not being able to breathe properly (upper part of lungs work fine) which leads to coughing and other side-effects
as for whether she would wear one, most likely she would as it is a custom (although she cuts her own path in life/tries to, she still adheres to customs) also there would be no reason not to wear one as there's nothing wrong with a corset since it is set in the late 1800s (side-effects of improperly wearing one were discovered later),and the dress she has on is a dress for a ball as opposed to the previous cover which had her in winter clothing
also for the comment the waist is unnaturally thin.. whats unnatural ?
Ethel Granger has the smallest waist on record at 33cms(13 inches )
(by this i mean its unthoughtful comments like this that hurt people - i mean imagine if a girl with a really thin waist read your comment she would most likely not feel good about herself and its not just the 'fashion' industry that hurt women - its a combination of peoples comments in addition to social perceptions and the attitude of the 'fashion' industry that make such an overall negative impact on a lot of people - that's not to say one isn't responsible for one self either but outside influences don't help)
October 29, 2012
When I finished my review of the first book of this series, I mentioned that despite my problems with the first book I wanted the second one because I had hopes Bridges would settle into the story and much more of it would make sense.
My prayers were answered.
I was deeply worried I wasn’t going to be able to remember much from the first book and that I had done this review a deep disservice by forgetting to bring book 1 to college with me. I was genuinely surprised to find that the first part of the book did a really good job summerizing the events of book 1 while not dragging down the new events of book 2. Usually, this is not the case when authors do make the decision to remind the reader of what happened in the previous book.
As predicted, the ending of the last book was far too tidy and didn’t come to pass in this one. (The blurb tells you this.) Honestly, I was kind of annoyed that Katerina had to go back to Smolney after the global adventure I thought I was promised by the end of book one. The characters that surround her there were underdeveloped and flat in the last book and were the same in this one. (I also just don’t like school settings. Far too many clichés.)
Still, I found myself enjoying the beginning just because I felt more secure in what was happening. Bridges has severely paired down on the mythology that’s sprung on the reader and we’re given much more time to understand what all the different Russian folklore names are and mean. The differences in vampires and fae were made much clearer, and the werewolf connection was greatly expanded. My heart rejoiced.
At the same time, I have no idea why Katerina’s powers are downplayed for most of the book. The spell that’s cast on Smolney literally shuts it off, for the most part. She raises another person from the dead, yes, but we–and she!–still has no idea how that happens. There is nothing special that occurs, no attempt made to do so, no NOTHING. For being 2/3rds of a way through these books–with this supposed to be a focal point!–the fact that both us and Katerina herself are so in the dark seems to be disturbingly off.
The Danilo-Katerina-George thing is still going on, but honestly they weren’t around for much of the book which made me happy. The lack of typical love triangle gooey-ness is always a plus for me. Still, the whole situation seems strange, and Katerina questions it herself, but we’re still given NO ANSWERS about the blood bond, etc. And George as a character appears fairly bipolar and out of whack. I think this is supposed to be happening because George is falling towards the Dark Court, but it felt jumpy.
I think my biggest problem with this book was the pacing. I honestly forgot that there was only one more book to this series, not two or three. I wanted Bridges to slow it down and she did, but then it seemed like nothing was happening. The ghost that appears at Smolney isn’t as scary as she seems, and half the time Katerina forgets about her to think about George or something. It’s strange because SO many other things are going on, but the book seems to progress at a slow plod. But then, that could just be middle/second book syndrome kicking in.
Though I gave this book the same rating I gave book 1, I find it to be a large improvement over The Gathering Storm–in terms of understanding what’s going on. I feel much more confident about the mythology now, and I really want to reread book 1 because I feel like I’d be able to understand it a lot more. Many of the characters with the confusing names also became clear, and the large cast was cut down to a smaller number of important people who I could keep track of. The characterization itself still seemed to be a bit off, however. As I said, my biggest problem was the pacing just because I prefer my books to zoom at the speed of light. As with book 1, I felt the ending to be a bit odd. However, since it does leave me genuinely puzzled about where book 3 is going to go, I guess that’s a good thing? Either way, I completely intended to pick up the third and final installment. With all the questions yet to answer and the foes yet to be dealt with, there is no possible way that it could go anything but fast.
My prayers were answered.
I was deeply worried I wasn’t going to be able to remember much from the first book and that I had done this review a deep disservice by forgetting to bring book 1 to college with me. I was genuinely surprised to find that the first part of the book did a really good job summerizing the events of book 1 while not dragging down the new events of book 2. Usually, this is not the case when authors do make the decision to remind the reader of what happened in the previous book.
As predicted, the ending of the last book was far too tidy and didn’t come to pass in this one. (The blurb tells you this.) Honestly, I was kind of annoyed that Katerina had to go back to Smolney after the global adventure I thought I was promised by the end of book one. The characters that surround her there were underdeveloped and flat in the last book and were the same in this one. (I also just don’t like school settings. Far too many clichés.)
Still, I found myself enjoying the beginning just because I felt more secure in what was happening. Bridges has severely paired down on the mythology that’s sprung on the reader and we’re given much more time to understand what all the different Russian folklore names are and mean. The differences in vampires and fae were made much clearer, and the werewolf connection was greatly expanded. My heart rejoiced.
At the same time, I have no idea why Katerina’s powers are downplayed for most of the book. The spell that’s cast on Smolney literally shuts it off, for the most part. She raises another person from the dead, yes, but we–and she!–still has no idea how that happens. There is nothing special that occurs, no attempt made to do so, no NOTHING. For being 2/3rds of a way through these books–with this supposed to be a focal point!–the fact that both us and Katerina herself are so in the dark seems to be disturbingly off.
The Danilo-Katerina-George thing is still going on, but honestly they weren’t around for much of the book which made me happy. The lack of typical love triangle gooey-ness is always a plus for me. Still, the whole situation seems strange, and Katerina questions it herself, but we’re still given NO ANSWERS about the blood bond, etc. And George as a character appears fairly bipolar and out of whack. I think this is supposed to be happening because George is falling towards the Dark Court, but it felt jumpy.
I think my biggest problem with this book was the pacing. I honestly forgot that there was only one more book to this series, not two or three. I wanted Bridges to slow it down and she did, but then it seemed like nothing was happening. The ghost that appears at Smolney isn’t as scary as she seems, and half the time Katerina forgets about her to think about George or something. It’s strange because SO many other things are going on, but the book seems to progress at a slow plod. But then, that could just be middle/second book syndrome kicking in.
Though I gave this book the same rating I gave book 1, I find it to be a large improvement over The Gathering Storm–in terms of understanding what’s going on. I feel much more confident about the mythology now, and I really want to reread book 1 because I feel like I’d be able to understand it a lot more. Many of the characters with the confusing names also became clear, and the large cast was cut down to a smaller number of important people who I could keep track of. The characterization itself still seemed to be a bit off, however. As I said, my biggest problem was the pacing just because I prefer my books to zoom at the speed of light. As with book 1, I felt the ending to be a bit odd. However, since it does leave me genuinely puzzled about where book 3 is going to go, I guess that’s a good thing? Either way, I completely intended to pick up the third and final installment. With all the questions yet to answer and the foes yet to be dealt with, there is no possible way that it could go anything but fast.
November 20, 2012
I am as much in love with Katerina's story as when I finished book one. Katya is still as independent and inquisitive as ever--and still far from safe. After discovering that Russia's greatest nemesis is still alive in the grey, Katya is confined to the old finishing school she thought she had finally left behind. With her necromancer powers blooming, Katiya has also become a threat to the stability of the empress's home, as the empress wants to keep George in the Light Court, and his love for Katya threatens to pull him to the Dark Court. Still, George and Katya are still very much in love and looking for a way to be together.
As I mentioned in my review of book one, Robin Bridges has created a fascinating world. In the Katerina books, Robin has given new life to familiar creatures of myth, among them vampires, werewolves, faeries, while casting a magical light on court life in Russia. She has also stirred up so much intrigue that, with all the power struggles going on, you don't know who you can trust, other than Katya. Even George is suspect, though he was so noble in the first book. All this has been interwoven so skillfully throughout the novel that it continues to move at a strong pace without getting bogged down in too much detail.
Even while introducing new plot lines, The Unfailing Light continues to develop the characters introduced in book one and set the stage for the third book in the Katerina trilogy, though not as much as in the first book. Danilo is an ever (disturbing) presence at the back of Katya's mind, new friendships are formed, and new enemies unmasked. I missed Dariya's presence in this book, as she doesn't have as much stage time as in the first book, but I did appreciate Princess Alix's role in this one. There are some moments when her loyalties become questionable, but I warmed up to her by the end of the book. I even feel some sympathy for Danilo's sisters (not so much for the prince himself).
My only wish is that the ghost plot line were more developed, as I was expecting more from it after reading the synopsis. I can't complain much though, as ghosts will appear in their own sweet time, and Katya is still in the process of understanding her abilities. As I mentioned earlier, this book has set the stage for the greater conflict to take place in the third book, and I absolutely cannot wait to read it!
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
As I mentioned in my review of book one, Robin Bridges has created a fascinating world. In the Katerina books, Robin has given new life to familiar creatures of myth, among them vampires, werewolves, faeries, while casting a magical light on court life in Russia. She has also stirred up so much intrigue that, with all the power struggles going on, you don't know who you can trust, other than Katya. Even George is suspect, though he was so noble in the first book. All this has been interwoven so skillfully throughout the novel that it continues to move at a strong pace without getting bogged down in too much detail.
Even while introducing new plot lines, The Unfailing Light continues to develop the characters introduced in book one and set the stage for the third book in the Katerina trilogy, though not as much as in the first book. Danilo is an ever (disturbing) presence at the back of Katya's mind, new friendships are formed, and new enemies unmasked. I missed Dariya's presence in this book, as she doesn't have as much stage time as in the first book, but I did appreciate Princess Alix's role in this one. There are some moments when her loyalties become questionable, but I warmed up to her by the end of the book. I even feel some sympathy for Danilo's sisters (not so much for the prince himself).
My only wish is that the ghost plot line were more developed, as I was expecting more from it after reading the synopsis. I can't complain much though, as ghosts will appear in their own sweet time, and Katya is still in the process of understanding her abilities. As I mentioned earlier, this book has set the stage for the greater conflict to take place in the third book, and I absolutely cannot wait to read it!
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
August 29, 2012
Set in Russia’s Imperial Court of St. Petersburg in 1889, The Unfailing Light is the second installment in the Katerina Trilogy. Katerina, a seventeen year old duchess desires to break free from the conventions of her class and gender to become a doctor. However, Katerina harbors a secret talent, she is a necromancer and her ability to raise the dead is in high demand with the Light and Dark Faerie forces that rule over the tsar’s court. In the first book, The Gathering Storm , a premarital blood ceremony binds her to the evil vampire prince, Danilo. In The Unfailing Light, Katerina has broken her engagement to Danilo, yet they are telepathically united causing Katerina’s thoughts to be adversely invaded. While Katerina battles between her yearning to become a doctor and her attraction to George Alexandrovich, the unattainable tsar’s son, the upheaval in the imperial court is escalating to a breaking point. Needing Katerina’s necromancer power, the empress of the light court has placed a protective spell trapping Katerina in the Smolny Intstitute for Young Noble Maidens, the elite boarding school that she attends. Katerina must decide who are her allies and overcome the evil forces that are threatening St. Petersburg and the imperial court.
September 26, 2012
Cover Gushing Worthiness:I think Trish Parcell has done a wonderful job with the cover design and Michael Frost’s jacket photography is beautiful. I like the wisps of smoke appearing behind Katerina. The Midnight Blue is also beautiful, although I do think Katerina’s dress steals the show. The pale Pink and high waist of the dress suits Katerina and the embroidery work done on the dress is gorgeous.
Review: As you know The Gathering Stormwas one of my favourite reads of the year and I’ve been looking forward to the release of The Unfailing Light ever since. I was so pleased when I received an ARC for this book and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed!
The events in The Unfailing Light are set less than a month after those that took place in The Gathering Storm. Katerina’s plans to attend Medical School in Switzerland are thwarted after the return of Konstantin the Deathless. Katerina’s return to Smolny institute is where the story truly kicks off.
In terms of the plot, I do feel like some of the Sub-Plots did overshadow the larger story arc. I don’t see this as a negative aspect in regards to the book because the sub-plots were strong in their own right. The larger story arc surrounding the ghost at Smolny was a bit rushed. I only say this because the sub plots took prominence throughout most of the story and while we do get several glimpse’ of the story, then suddenly ‘Bam!!” and we’ve reached the conclusion. Not that the conclusion wasn’t explained well, it was, but I would have liked to see some more depth to it. The plot behind the larger story arc is a clever one, you realize how good it is at the end, however I think it could have been executed a bit better.
I want to give credit to Robin Bridges for creating a wonderfully vivid and fantastical world within Imperial Russia. I love the subtle battles between the Light and Dark Court aristocracies as they battle for supremacy and power. The history and the attention to detail Bridges has provided on Imperial Russia, the architecture, fashion, music and dance are nothing short of elegant and magical. Despite all the intrigue surrounding both courts, I think I’d like to be a part of this world. I admit though, I’d rather be a dormant Necromancer than a Vampire, if it’s possible of course;).
While I appreciate all the research that has gone into this book, I had some minor issues with it. I would have liked to have had Family Trees for all the aristocracy, so I could keep track of who was who and which court they belonged to. A glossary containing definitions of all the supernatural creatures mentioned in The Unfailing Light. For example when I saw the words “lich Tsar” I immediately googled it because I had no idea what the speaker was referring to. Like I said, these are minor issues and they did not hinder my enjoyment of the book, although I think they would have been very helpful.
Personally I do feel that this book is a filler in the trilogy. Because of its ‘filler like’ feel to it there is a lack of character development in this book, especially on Katerina’s part. Then again what I had to keep in mind while reading this book was that the events are taking place less than a month after The Gathering Storm, so how much more can a character mature in a span of a few weeks? I admit that as the story progressed I was disappointed that we didn’t discover anything new about Katerina’s necromancy powers. While she displayed strength in character, there were times when you wished she would mature a bit more. I was disappointed in the lack of Dariya’s (Katerina’s cousin) presence because she was one of my favourite characters from The Gathering Storm. Even when Dariya did appear alongside Katerina , she was cast in an unfavourable light; as if she was unworthy and not to be trusted. I do hope that we get to see more of her in the final installment of the trilogy.
The inclusion of Princess Alix was another aspect that I liked in this book. I liked her character in The Gathering Storm and I really hoped that she would be in this book. So my wish did come true! After Alix was introduced I wasn’t exactly sure if I would like her, but towards the end of the book I did warm to her. Another character that I was surprised to have a rather small soft spot was for Elena, the Princess of Montenegro. Elena and her sisters made me shudder in The Gathering Storm because of their wickedness. She did redeem herself somewhat in this book though.
The love triangle of Katerina, Prince Danilo and the Grand Duke George is very much alive in The Unfailing Light. We see a lot more of Danilo than George and I found the interactions between him and Katerina fun to read. Danilo is quite sly and cunning, which makes for a good villain. I hope we get to see more of him in the final book. The moments between Katerina and George were swoon-worthy in that Aristocratic Magnifique way and I’d like to see how their relationship develops in the third book. While I like both Katerina and George , I’d like to see more substance and depth in their relationship. I’d like to know their own hopes, fears and dreams. By this I think I’m leaning towards learning more about George because yet again I feel like he’s an under-developed love interest.
The ending of The Unfailing Light took me by surprise and it adds a nice twist to the events that are taking place in Katerina’s world. I think the book ended in a way that allows Robin Bridges to not only develop Katerina’s character, but also the important secondary characters.
Overall The Unfailing Light was an enjoyable read. I was happy to enter Katerina’s world and see Imperial Russia in a magical way. I will say that because this book is sort of like a filler for the trilogy it didn’t quite reach the amazing scale I hoped it would. However because of the jaw dropping ending, I will undoubtedly pick up the final installment in the trilogy
My Rating: 4/5
Would I recommend it? Yes
The Unfailing Light hits the bookstore shelves on October 9th, 2012.
Thank You to Random House for providing me an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you'd like a chance to win a copy of The Unfailing Light See the review on my blog!
Review: As you know The Gathering Stormwas one of my favourite reads of the year and I’ve been looking forward to the release of The Unfailing Light ever since. I was so pleased when I received an ARC for this book and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed!
The events in The Unfailing Light are set less than a month after those that took place in The Gathering Storm. Katerina’s plans to attend Medical School in Switzerland are thwarted after the return of Konstantin the Deathless. Katerina’s return to Smolny institute is where the story truly kicks off.
In terms of the plot, I do feel like some of the Sub-Plots did overshadow the larger story arc. I don’t see this as a negative aspect in regards to the book because the sub-plots were strong in their own right. The larger story arc surrounding the ghost at Smolny was a bit rushed. I only say this because the sub plots took prominence throughout most of the story and while we do get several glimpse’ of the story, then suddenly ‘Bam!!” and we’ve reached the conclusion. Not that the conclusion wasn’t explained well, it was, but I would have liked to see some more depth to it. The plot behind the larger story arc is a clever one, you realize how good it is at the end, however I think it could have been executed a bit better.
I want to give credit to Robin Bridges for creating a wonderfully vivid and fantastical world within Imperial Russia. I love the subtle battles between the Light and Dark Court aristocracies as they battle for supremacy and power. The history and the attention to detail Bridges has provided on Imperial Russia, the architecture, fashion, music and dance are nothing short of elegant and magical. Despite all the intrigue surrounding both courts, I think I’d like to be a part of this world. I admit though, I’d rather be a dormant Necromancer than a Vampire, if it’s possible of course;).
While I appreciate all the research that has gone into this book, I had some minor issues with it. I would have liked to have had Family Trees for all the aristocracy, so I could keep track of who was who and which court they belonged to. A glossary containing definitions of all the supernatural creatures mentioned in The Unfailing Light. For example when I saw the words “lich Tsar” I immediately googled it because I had no idea what the speaker was referring to. Like I said, these are minor issues and they did not hinder my enjoyment of the book, although I think they would have been very helpful.
Personally I do feel that this book is a filler in the trilogy. Because of its ‘filler like’ feel to it there is a lack of character development in this book, especially on Katerina’s part. Then again what I had to keep in mind while reading this book was that the events are taking place less than a month after The Gathering Storm, so how much more can a character mature in a span of a few weeks? I admit that as the story progressed I was disappointed that we didn’t discover anything new about Katerina’s necromancy powers. While she displayed strength in character, there were times when you wished she would mature a bit more. I was disappointed in the lack of Dariya’s (Katerina’s cousin) presence because she was one of my favourite characters from The Gathering Storm. Even when Dariya did appear alongside Katerina , she was cast in an unfavourable light; as if she was unworthy and not to be trusted. I do hope that we get to see more of her in the final installment of the trilogy.
The inclusion of Princess Alix was another aspect that I liked in this book. I liked her character in The Gathering Storm and I really hoped that she would be in this book. So my wish did come true! After Alix was introduced I wasn’t exactly sure if I would like her, but towards the end of the book I did warm to her. Another character that I was surprised to have a rather small soft spot was for Elena, the Princess of Montenegro. Elena and her sisters made me shudder in The Gathering Storm because of their wickedness. She did redeem herself somewhat in this book though.
The love triangle of Katerina, Prince Danilo and the Grand Duke George is very much alive in The Unfailing Light. We see a lot more of Danilo than George and I found the interactions between him and Katerina fun to read. Danilo is quite sly and cunning, which makes for a good villain. I hope we get to see more of him in the final book. The moments between Katerina and George were swoon-worthy in that Aristocratic Magnifique way and I’d like to see how their relationship develops in the third book. While I like both Katerina and George , I’d like to see more substance and depth in their relationship. I’d like to know their own hopes, fears and dreams. By this I think I’m leaning towards learning more about George because yet again I feel like he’s an under-developed love interest.
The ending of The Unfailing Light took me by surprise and it adds a nice twist to the events that are taking place in Katerina’s world. I think the book ended in a way that allows Robin Bridges to not only develop Katerina’s character, but also the important secondary characters.
Overall The Unfailing Light was an enjoyable read. I was happy to enter Katerina’s world and see Imperial Russia in a magical way. I will say that because this book is sort of like a filler for the trilogy it didn’t quite reach the amazing scale I hoped it would. However because of the jaw dropping ending, I will undoubtedly pick up the final installment in the trilogy
My Rating: 4/5
Would I recommend it? Yes
The Unfailing Light hits the bookstore shelves on October 9th, 2012.
Thank You to Random House for providing me an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you'd like a chance to win a copy of The Unfailing Light See the review on my blog!
November 5, 2019
This book was better than the first one, the writing was a lot better, (not so many names and creatures thrown at you without giving you any real understanding of who/what they are), however it’s just kind of disjointed and confusing at times. Things happen and we’re never given an explanation as to why. Things happen that don’t make sense. Katerina is way too content with not understanding things at times. Characters do and say things that just don’t seem realistic. Characters are introduced without giving us understanding as to why they belong in the story/who they really are.
I dunno, this one was definitely better than the first one but the whole thing is just too convoluted. It feels like someone wanted to write a really epic Russian vampire story (to which I say yes yes!) but doesn’t know/understand how to actually write? That seems so mean to say but it’s true. It doesn’t flow, there’s no depth.
I have to read the third one though because I feel like I need to finish the full story.
I dunno, this one was definitely better than the first one but the whole thing is just too convoluted. It feels like someone wanted to write a really epic Russian vampire story (to which I say yes yes!) but doesn’t know/understand how to actually write? That seems so mean to say but it’s true. It doesn’t flow, there’s no depth.
I have to read the third one though because I feel like I need to finish the full story.
November 10, 2012
3.5 stars
Russian history has, for whatever reason (ngl, probably because of the movie Anastasia), always been among my favorites to read about, in both fiction and nonfiction. As such, Robin Bridges' debut The Gathering Storm sprinted to the top of my to-read pile a little over a year ago. I liked it, but not unreservedly. The Unfailing Light is one of those rare cases where I feel precisely the same about the sequel as I did the first book. If you liked The Gathering Storm, good news; you will enjoy this one as well.
Oddly enough, the book that I am reminded most of in thinking of The Unfailing Light is Harry Potter. Of course, there are abundant magical creatures, but the real parallel is in the villain. Konstantin, lich (undead) tsar, seeks to return to power. Like Voldemort, he cannot be dispatched easily. At the end of the first book, they thought he was gone for good, but...not so much. The fact that he requires the aid of the main character, only to be foiled by her, brought that to mind as well.
To rejoin the living, Konstantin and his forces require the services of a necromancer, which our dear heroine just happens to be. Katerina dreams of becoming a doctor and has plans to attend medical school in Zurich. I love her determination to work in medicine, that she would voluntarily venture into a tough field where she will constantly endure sexist remarks though she has no need of a profession. She could live off her wealthy parents idly, or find a husband with ease. She, however, has bigger dreams. Unfortunately, Katerina's dreams, like many people's, get squashed.
Katerina, guess what! You know that evil dead tsar who tried to take over all of Russia again a little while back, who you though you killed with great difficulty? Well, he's not so much dead, or, at least, no more dead than he was before. Also, Katerina, this means that the tsar (the living one) who doesn't think women should be educated, your love, and your family will use this chance to protect you right back to The Smolny Institute for Young Noble Maidens. Even better, you'll get all this news from the guy you love.
George, Katerina's love interest, was probably my favorite character in the first book. He had this whole awesome broody, I-like-you-in-spite-of-myself, Darcy-ish thing going on, which I, of course, totally fell for. People who don't like Darcy often say that they doubt he and Elizabeth would work together long term, because he would continually try to boss her around. Well, I don't know about Darcy and Lizzie, but George sure is a bossy jerk in this one. Protecting the girl you love from harm is certainly a good thing, but not if you have to reduce her quality of life for all of the foreseeable future to do so. Plus, she should have a say-so. You don't just tell her what to do and threaten that the tsar will make her go. Ugh. Not to mention that protecting her means locking her into basically just that one (admittedly large) building for almost a year. She is NOT your crazy wife; don't lock her in the metaphorical attic, okay?
Of course, Katerina does not help matters by going along quietly. Me, I would have put up a fight. Katerina's intelligent and I know this and enjoy her narrative voice. She's also has guts like whoa. To protect others, she will stand up to anything, risking life, limb and reputation. I love this about her. When she's threatened mentally, though, she just does not exhibit her strength. She obeys orders that take away from her happiness (like going back to Smolny) and, because she fears embracing her necromancer powers, she does not research them like she should. If she embraced the practice of necromancy like she has medicine, she would be an unstoppable badass. You only have one more book, girl, so go read that Necromancer's Handbook and memorize the dang spells ASAP.
As far as the plot and world building go, I bounced back and forth, both in this book and the last, between having suspension of disbelief issues and thinking it's the best. Thinking about this, I believe it's because this is an alternate history version of Russia where magical creatures exist, but the tsars and everything are the same. I'm not sure what the jumping off point was, and, if it has always been this way, then why are the same personages in power? I suppose this is why so many historical fantasy books take place in culturally-inspired places, rather than the actual historical country. At the very least, despite that questioning, this alternate vision of historical Russia is engrossing and fascinating.
Yet again, I realize my review sounds way more critical than I necessarily intend it to (though I'm going to leave it that way because I did want to say those things). All of that nitpicky stuff aside, I blew through this book, eager to flip pages. The Unfailing Light kept me completely entertained, and, if I had the next book sitting with me when I finished, I would have happily started reading that one too.
This book has drama and romance and betrayal and a seriously creepy ghost and so much more. Also, I really loved the twist at the end that happened to one of the people in her family. It totally changed some dynamics in an awesome way. The Katerina Trilogy is just so much fun, and I will definitely be looking out for the final volume!
Russian history has, for whatever reason (ngl, probably because of the movie Anastasia), always been among my favorites to read about, in both fiction and nonfiction. As such, Robin Bridges' debut The Gathering Storm sprinted to the top of my to-read pile a little over a year ago. I liked it, but not unreservedly. The Unfailing Light is one of those rare cases where I feel precisely the same about the sequel as I did the first book. If you liked The Gathering Storm, good news; you will enjoy this one as well.
Oddly enough, the book that I am reminded most of in thinking of The Unfailing Light is Harry Potter. Of course, there are abundant magical creatures, but the real parallel is in the villain. Konstantin, lich (undead) tsar, seeks to return to power. Like Voldemort, he cannot be dispatched easily. At the end of the first book, they thought he was gone for good, but...not so much. The fact that he requires the aid of the main character, only to be foiled by her, brought that to mind as well.
To rejoin the living, Konstantin and his forces require the services of a necromancer, which our dear heroine just happens to be. Katerina dreams of becoming a doctor and has plans to attend medical school in Zurich. I love her determination to work in medicine, that she would voluntarily venture into a tough field where she will constantly endure sexist remarks though she has no need of a profession. She could live off her wealthy parents idly, or find a husband with ease. She, however, has bigger dreams. Unfortunately, Katerina's dreams, like many people's, get squashed.
Katerina, guess what! You know that evil dead tsar who tried to take over all of Russia again a little while back, who you though you killed with great difficulty? Well, he's not so much dead, or, at least, no more dead than he was before. Also, Katerina, this means that the tsar (the living one) who doesn't think women should be educated, your love, and your family will use this chance to protect you right back to The Smolny Institute for Young Noble Maidens. Even better, you'll get all this news from the guy you love.
George, Katerina's love interest, was probably my favorite character in the first book. He had this whole awesome broody, I-like-you-in-spite-of-myself, Darcy-ish thing going on, which I, of course, totally fell for. People who don't like Darcy often say that they doubt he and Elizabeth would work together long term, because he would continually try to boss her around. Well, I don't know about Darcy and Lizzie, but George sure is a bossy jerk in this one. Protecting the girl you love from harm is certainly a good thing, but not if you have to reduce her quality of life for all of the foreseeable future to do so. Plus, she should have a say-so. You don't just tell her what to do and threaten that the tsar will make her go. Ugh. Not to mention that protecting her means locking her into basically just that one (admittedly large) building for almost a year. She is NOT your crazy wife; don't lock her in the metaphorical attic, okay?
Of course, Katerina does not help matters by going along quietly. Me, I would have put up a fight. Katerina's intelligent and I know this and enjoy her narrative voice. She's also has guts like whoa. To protect others, she will stand up to anything, risking life, limb and reputation. I love this about her. When she's threatened mentally, though, she just does not exhibit her strength. She obeys orders that take away from her happiness (like going back to Smolny) and, because she fears embracing her necromancer powers, she does not research them like she should. If she embraced the practice of necromancy like she has medicine, she would be an unstoppable badass. You only have one more book, girl, so go read that Necromancer's Handbook and memorize the dang spells ASAP.
As far as the plot and world building go, I bounced back and forth, both in this book and the last, between having suspension of disbelief issues and thinking it's the best. Thinking about this, I believe it's because this is an alternate history version of Russia where magical creatures exist, but the tsars and everything are the same. I'm not sure what the jumping off point was, and, if it has always been this way, then why are the same personages in power? I suppose this is why so many historical fantasy books take place in culturally-inspired places, rather than the actual historical country. At the very least, despite that questioning, this alternate vision of historical Russia is engrossing and fascinating.
Yet again, I realize my review sounds way more critical than I necessarily intend it to (though I'm going to leave it that way because I did want to say those things). All of that nitpicky stuff aside, I blew through this book, eager to flip pages. The Unfailing Light kept me completely entertained, and, if I had the next book sitting with me when I finished, I would have happily started reading that one too.
This book has drama and romance and betrayal and a seriously creepy ghost and so much more. Also, I really loved the twist at the end that happened to one of the people in her family. It totally changed some dynamics in an awesome way. The Katerina Trilogy is just so much fun, and I will definitely be looking out for the final volume!
September 26, 2017
I loved the setting, again, but I still found the plot to be confusing. Katiya was okay, but I thought there were several times she did silly things. Maybe reading the final book will help my feelings about this book, but The Unfailing Light was typical of most second books in trilogies.
October 4, 2012
4.5 As one of my most highly anticipated books of 2012, I was delighted to step back in time to 1889 and visit the Russian Imperial Court in St. Petersburg. As the second installment in the Katerina trilogy, The Unfailing Light takes us back into the life of seventeen year old Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg. Once again I was swept up by the courts of dark and light. The tale captivated me and I only came up for air when I reached the end.
Katerina is enjoying holiday and looking forward to attending medical school in the fall. While exploring a cave, Katerina finds herself in the grey; the place between life and death. She comes face to face with Russia’s arch nemesis and he is still very much alive. With her life in possible danger she receives Imperial orders to returning to finishing school. Katerina is devastated and only George’s pleading has her agreeing. The empress casts a spell over the school to keep her safe, but it cuts of her powers. Only the vampire prince, Danilo can communicate to her telepathically. While she worries about George, she soon finds plenty to deal with as the school is haunted by a violent ghost. The tale that unfolded was filled with suspense, secrets, danger and the sweetest forbidden romance.
Necromancer Katerina Alexandrovna is a delightful protagonist. I imagine that even without her powers she would be inquisitive, head-strong and always in the thick of things. She is noble, cares for others and can even find good in those who torment her. After the blood bond she finds the vampire prince in her head, and rather than let it freak her out, she uses it to find out information about the Order and George’s well-being in Paris. George Alexandrovich is a duke and the son of the Tsar. He has professed his love for Katerina and asked her to give him a year to convince his parents. Danilo is creepy and tries to weaves himself once again into Katerina life. He constantly refers to "when we get married" and his sisters once again cause problems at the school. Thankful there is no love triangle as Katerina’s heart belongs to George. The two share a few stolen moments. A new student and a ghost add to the adventures at the school and put everyone in grave danger.
The world-building in Unfailing Light was delightful and suspenseful.. Bridge brings us a world with Fae, vampires, wolves, witches, and fairies. She skillfully weaves them into the history of the Russian court creating a light and dark court. I can just imagine the school, the countryside and the caves. I enjoyed how she gave us details without bogging the tale down. The new characters and events at the school adding suspense to the tale. We see character growth with Katerina and plot advancement. The plot has clever twists and turns, causing me to never be sure where loyalty lies. When an author keeps me on edge like this I become completely enthralled in the tale. The ride kept me spellbound as the tale was well paced from the beginning. I cannot wait for the final installment for this series *sighs*
Fans of historical paranormal fiction should delight in Unfailing Light. Bridge brings Katerina’s Russia to life and I look forward to revisiting it when the final book arrives. At this time no information is available on when that would be, I for one hope it is soon.
I want to thank Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Katerina is enjoying holiday and looking forward to attending medical school in the fall. While exploring a cave, Katerina finds herself in the grey; the place between life and death. She comes face to face with Russia’s arch nemesis and he is still very much alive. With her life in possible danger she receives Imperial orders to returning to finishing school. Katerina is devastated and only George’s pleading has her agreeing. The empress casts a spell over the school to keep her safe, but it cuts of her powers. Only the vampire prince, Danilo can communicate to her telepathically. While she worries about George, she soon finds plenty to deal with as the school is haunted by a violent ghost. The tale that unfolded was filled with suspense, secrets, danger and the sweetest forbidden romance.
Necromancer Katerina Alexandrovna is a delightful protagonist. I imagine that even without her powers she would be inquisitive, head-strong and always in the thick of things. She is noble, cares for others and can even find good in those who torment her. After the blood bond she finds the vampire prince in her head, and rather than let it freak her out, she uses it to find out information about the Order and George’s well-being in Paris. George Alexandrovich is a duke and the son of the Tsar. He has professed his love for Katerina and asked her to give him a year to convince his parents. Danilo is creepy and tries to weaves himself once again into Katerina life. He constantly refers to "when we get married" and his sisters once again cause problems at the school. Thankful there is no love triangle as Katerina’s heart belongs to George. The two share a few stolen moments. A new student and a ghost add to the adventures at the school and put everyone in grave danger.
The world-building in Unfailing Light was delightful and suspenseful.. Bridge brings us a world with Fae, vampires, wolves, witches, and fairies. She skillfully weaves them into the history of the Russian court creating a light and dark court. I can just imagine the school, the countryside and the caves. I enjoyed how she gave us details without bogging the tale down. The new characters and events at the school adding suspense to the tale. We see character growth with Katerina and plot advancement. The plot has clever twists and turns, causing me to never be sure where loyalty lies. When an author keeps me on edge like this I become completely enthralled in the tale. The ride kept me spellbound as the tale was well paced from the beginning. I cannot wait for the final installment for this series *sighs*
Fans of historical paranormal fiction should delight in Unfailing Light. Bridge brings Katerina’s Russia to life and I look forward to revisiting it when the final book arrives. At this time no information is available on when that would be, I for one hope it is soon.
I want to thank Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
September 30, 2012
This review originally posted on Girls * Heart* Books on September 29, 2012
The Unfailing Light is the second book in The Katerina Trilogy. The first book, The Gathering Storm, was already on my To-Read list, so I was super excited to have an excuse to get to it. The idea intrigued me from the first time I read the summary, and the covers are beautiful-- It would've been one of those books I just bought due to the prettiness and unique backdrop if my bookstores ever had it. *cough*
While I had an extremely hard time getting through the first book, The Unfailing Light was actually quite enjoyable. Katiya didn't aggravate me nearly as much (I never like the main female, take that with a grain of salt), and the twists actually got to me this time. The characters grew a lot, and the story rolled easily.
The book is charged with all that is awesome, from romance to evil, suspense to humor. I am very glad I continued with the trilogy, and will be keeping an eye out for more from Bridges! 3.5/5 Quills ~Lana
The Unfailing Light is the second book in the Katerina Trilogy by Robin Bridges. When we were approached about being a part of this blog tour, Lana and I were both very excited. Just the synopsis had me hooked. I read this book in less than a day, I could not put it down. This book surpassed all my expectations.
The story is told from the point of view of Katerina, the main character. Katerina is a very unique girl for her time. While other girls her age are hoping to snare a royal or rich husband, all she desires is to go away to medical school so she can become a doctor and help people. She is selfless, brave and funny, without seeming perfect in that annoying way some heroines are. I loved that she always sought to solve her own problems. She didn't go looking for a white knight to swoop in and fix everything for her.
There was no way to predict what would happen next in this book and that is always a good thing, in my opinion. I was riveted, carrying my kindle throughout the house reading as I went about my day. The suspense and the twists made this book thoroughly enjoyable for me. There was just a dash of romance thrown in the mix as well and I found Bridges balance perfect. I love the way she tells the story, keeping the reader engrossed from the first page until the end.
This book was a quick and exciting read and I am looking forward to reading the conclusion to this enchanting trilogy.
5/5 Quills~Mel
The Unfailing Light is the second book in The Katerina Trilogy. The first book, The Gathering Storm, was already on my To-Read list, so I was super excited to have an excuse to get to it. The idea intrigued me from the first time I read the summary, and the covers are beautiful-- It would've been one of those books I just bought due to the prettiness and unique backdrop if my bookstores ever had it. *cough*
While I had an extremely hard time getting through the first book, The Unfailing Light was actually quite enjoyable. Katiya didn't aggravate me nearly as much (I never like the main female, take that with a grain of salt), and the twists actually got to me this time. The characters grew a lot, and the story rolled easily.
The book is charged with all that is awesome, from romance to evil, suspense to humor. I am very glad I continued with the trilogy, and will be keeping an eye out for more from Bridges! 3.5/5 Quills ~Lana
The Unfailing Light is the second book in the Katerina Trilogy by Robin Bridges. When we were approached about being a part of this blog tour, Lana and I were both very excited. Just the synopsis had me hooked. I read this book in less than a day, I could not put it down. This book surpassed all my expectations.
The story is told from the point of view of Katerina, the main character. Katerina is a very unique girl for her time. While other girls her age are hoping to snare a royal or rich husband, all she desires is to go away to medical school so she can become a doctor and help people. She is selfless, brave and funny, without seeming perfect in that annoying way some heroines are. I loved that she always sought to solve her own problems. She didn't go looking for a white knight to swoop in and fix everything for her.
There was no way to predict what would happen next in this book and that is always a good thing, in my opinion. I was riveted, carrying my kindle throughout the house reading as I went about my day. The suspense and the twists made this book thoroughly enjoyable for me. There was just a dash of romance thrown in the mix as well and I found Bridges balance perfect. I love the way she tells the story, keeping the reader engrossed from the first page until the end.
This book was a quick and exciting read and I am looking forward to reading the conclusion to this enchanting trilogy.
5/5 Quills~Mel
August 14, 2012
Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, is a necromancer. A very powerful necromancer who is the Zsar's connection to becoming an all-powerful creature who can protect Russia from evil. Except, this year Katiya is off to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor by attending medical school. Perfect, right? Not quite. When it's discovered that Russia's greatest evil wasn't destroyed and is in fact trying everything he can to come back with all of his might, the Zsar forbids Katiya from leaving Russia. She is given an imperial order to once again attend the Smolny Institute for Young Noble Maidens, her ladies finishing school where she will polish her skills of running a household and being a competent wife and mother in life. And since the Empress has placed a spell over the school keeping all inside the school who should be and all who shouldn't be out while also keeping everyone inside from doing any type of magic. Except, what if the evil is already inside when the spell begins? Who will protect them now?
My thoughts: I adored this just as mush as I did the first book in this series. We pick up with Katiya and her family during the summer after the last book ends. All of the same wonderful characters are in this one, including the dreamy Grand Duke George. I love the scenes with Katiya and George all full of tension and stolen embraces. Of course there's also a seriously frustrating addition of Crown Prince Danilo having a direct connection to Katiya's thoughts since he drank her blood. Then there's his fabulously snarky and sometimes dangerous sister who she's once again roommates with. This has mystery, ghosts, adventure and butt-kicking along with a bit of delightful romance.
Final thoughts: Loved this! This is series is a must read if you like historical paranormal novels! I can't wait to see what happens next for Katiya! Will she get her true happy ending?
My thoughts: I adored this just as mush as I did the first book in this series. We pick up with Katiya and her family during the summer after the last book ends. All of the same wonderful characters are in this one, including the dreamy Grand Duke George. I love the scenes with Katiya and George all full of tension and stolen embraces. Of course there's also a seriously frustrating addition of Crown Prince Danilo having a direct connection to Katiya's thoughts since he drank her blood. Then there's his fabulously snarky and sometimes dangerous sister who she's once again roommates with. This has mystery, ghosts, adventure and butt-kicking along with a bit of delightful romance.
Final thoughts: Loved this! This is series is a must read if you like historical paranormal novels! I can't wait to see what happens next for Katiya! Will she get her true happy ending?
October 10, 2012
Don't get me wrong, this was definitely a unique book that had a great storyline, I just couldn't seem to get into it. Maybe it's because I didn't read the first book in this series, but I found myself not being able to connect with Katerina and her story.
Katerina is a necromancer living in Russia in 1889. Katerina is so excited to finally be able to go to school to become a female doctor, but in order protect herself from the dark forces, she must stay at her finishing school where she'll be safe. The only problem, though, is that a ghost is haunting the school and things are becoming way to dangerous for the girls living there. Can Katerina find out who this ghost is and stop her before someone gets seriously hurt?
All of Katerina's powers and the world she lived in was kind of confusing at the beginning. Like I said, it may be because I didn't read the first book, but all of the characters jumbled together because their names were all so similar. I wasn't quite sure who the bad guys were/what they were doing that was so bad, but I knew Katerina was one of the only people powerful enough to stop them. I really liked Katerina's character and how caring and compassionate she was. What I could have done without, though, was how Katerina would say "mon dieu!" practically every other page. Doesn't she know any other expression? And I wish there was more romance in this book, but I guess I missed that in the first one.
So overall, this story has the potential to being really great, but it just wasn't for me. Maybe if things weren't so confusing and there was more action, I would have been more into it. If you're a fan of the first book, though, I would definitely recommend reading this book! The time period is so interesting and I love the added magic aspect to it. For all of you other readers, I would high recommend reading the first book before trying this one out.
Katerina is a necromancer living in Russia in 1889. Katerina is so excited to finally be able to go to school to become a female doctor, but in order protect herself from the dark forces, she must stay at her finishing school where she'll be safe. The only problem, though, is that a ghost is haunting the school and things are becoming way to dangerous for the girls living there. Can Katerina find out who this ghost is and stop her before someone gets seriously hurt?
All of Katerina's powers and the world she lived in was kind of confusing at the beginning. Like I said, it may be because I didn't read the first book, but all of the characters jumbled together because their names were all so similar. I wasn't quite sure who the bad guys were/what they were doing that was so bad, but I knew Katerina was one of the only people powerful enough to stop them. I really liked Katerina's character and how caring and compassionate she was. What I could have done without, though, was how Katerina would say "mon dieu!" practically every other page. Doesn't she know any other expression? And I wish there was more romance in this book, but I guess I missed that in the first one.
So overall, this story has the potential to being really great, but it just wasn't for me. Maybe if things weren't so confusing and there was more action, I would have been more into it. If you're a fan of the first book, though, I would definitely recommend reading this book! The time period is so interesting and I love the added magic aspect to it. For all of you other readers, I would high recommend reading the first book before trying this one out.
July 23, 2012
GoodReads Synopsis: Having had no choice but to use her power has a necromancer to save Russia from dark forces, Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, now wants to forget that she ever used her special powers. She's about to set off to pursue her lifelong dream of attending medical school when she discovers that Russia's arch nemesis--who she thought she'd destroyed--is still alive. So on imperial orders, Katerina remains at her old finishing school. She'll be safe there, because the empress has cast a potent spell to protect it against the vampires and revenants who are bent on toppling the tsar and using Katerina for their own gains. But to Katerina's horror, the spell unleashes a vengeful ghost within the school, a ghost more dangerous than any creature trying to get in.
My Thoughts: This seemed like a typical middle book of a trilogy…unfortunately. I love this series and was pretty disappointed by this installment.
Katiya does not get to go to medical school and the reasoning behind it was pretty weak. Most of this installment is about a ghost back at the finishing school, and what George is doing in this mysterious training he is receiving in France. Of course no one can tell us anything about what George is training for. And the ghost at the school will not communicate in any way so we can attempt to address that matter. All Katiya can do is wander about the school cuz she is trapped inside and wonder what is going on outside. Can you say “frustrating”…I knew you could.
One redeeming point is that we are all set-up for the final leg of the trilogy and George’s training in this book may allow him and Katiya to be able to be together by the end of the next one.
My Thoughts: This seemed like a typical middle book of a trilogy…unfortunately. I love this series and was pretty disappointed by this installment.
Katiya does not get to go to medical school and the reasoning behind it was pretty weak. Most of this installment is about a ghost back at the finishing school, and what George is doing in this mysterious training he is receiving in France. Of course no one can tell us anything about what George is training for. And the ghost at the school will not communicate in any way so we can attempt to address that matter. All Katiya can do is wander about the school cuz she is trapped inside and wonder what is going on outside. Can you say “frustrating”…I knew you could.
One redeeming point is that we are all set-up for the final leg of the trilogy and George’s training in this book may allow him and Katiya to be able to be together by the end of the next one.
December 20, 2016
What I Loved
I think I liked this book more than the first. It was easier to follow (thankfully) and I was starting to remember a few more characters. There’s still a lot going on that I don’t understand and I’m still confused since there’s still a lot of characters but I found myself more entertained by this book.
I’m really liking the main characters. In this book especially I wasn’t sure who to trust. Some characters who I thought were doing ok weren’t and the opposite for others. I have serious trust issues after reading this. I am really happy with how the romance is going in this book (so far). It’s kind of adorable and I love reading sweet romances like this one. There’s even a little romance with people other than our main character which I’m just as excited for.
What I Didn't Love
The plot is still confusing. There’s too many things and too many people and I can’t keep track of who is what. This book wasn’t as bad as the first but there’s still a lot of work that could have been done. It feels like the author is trying to cram in as much as she possible can and it’s not working out for me.
Who I'd Recommend To
The best part about this book is the setting. I loved reading about historical Russia. If you are easily confused by too many characters and paranormal creatures then this probably isn't the book for you.
I think I liked this book more than the first. It was easier to follow (thankfully) and I was starting to remember a few more characters. There’s still a lot going on that I don’t understand and I’m still confused since there’s still a lot of characters but I found myself more entertained by this book.
I’m really liking the main characters. In this book especially I wasn’t sure who to trust. Some characters who I thought were doing ok weren’t and the opposite for others. I have serious trust issues after reading this. I am really happy with how the romance is going in this book (so far). It’s kind of adorable and I love reading sweet romances like this one. There’s even a little romance with people other than our main character which I’m just as excited for.
What I Didn't Love
The plot is still confusing. There’s too many things and too many people and I can’t keep track of who is what. This book wasn’t as bad as the first but there’s still a lot of work that could have been done. It feels like the author is trying to cram in as much as she possible can and it’s not working out for me.
Who I'd Recommend To
The best part about this book is the setting. I loved reading about historical Russia. If you are easily confused by too many characters and paranormal creatures then this probably isn't the book for you.
October 12, 2012
The Unfailing Light was everything I hoped for and more! Katerina remains one of my favorite heroines. She's smart, but way ahead of her time. Her goal is to become a doctor, although Russian medical schools do not admit women. Her plans to study abroad are foiled due to the threat of an old enemy, and she must return to her finishing school for an extra year to remain under the protection of the emperess' spell.
Although I enjoyed this book immensely, I was sad to see there wasn't much development of the romance between Katerina and George. Although I'm also relieved the story doesn't solely revolve around the couple, I still wish they had more scenes of them together.
Although I enjoyed this book immensely, I was sad to see there wasn't much development of the romance between Katerina and George. Although I'm also relieved the story doesn't solely revolve around the couple, I still wish they had more scenes of them together.
December 5, 2012
Every aspect of this book pulls you in.
I mean, let's list:
Vampires (kinda)
The cover
The intrigue
Dark magic
The HOT prince (sorry, I'm addicted to these YA hotties. ;) )
The Plot
Stubborn Protagonist (LOL)
The setting (I don't know why), I've never read a book set in Russia.
... This could go on forever.
The Unfailing Light is true to it's preceding book in this series. It is just as captivating, intriguing, suspenseful, and HOT as the first. It does not disappoint.
I mean, let's list:
Vampires (kinda)
The cover
The intrigue
Dark magic
The HOT prince (sorry, I'm addicted to these YA hotties. ;) )
The Plot
Stubborn Protagonist (LOL)
The setting (I don't know why), I've never read a book set in Russia.
... This could go on forever.
The Unfailing Light is true to it's preceding book in this series. It is just as captivating, intriguing, suspenseful, and HOT as the first. It does not disappoint.
October 11, 2012
Beautiful, romantic and fascinating. I adored reading the second book in this trilogy. It was alternately creepy, sweet, suspenseful, and romantic. I am absolutely amazed at how Bridges can weave so many paranoraml elements into a world that feels historically accurate (with the addition of ghosts, vampires and zombies). I can't wait to read number three!
February 17, 2022
3.5 stars
October 11, 2012
The plot is kind of all over the place but I like the characters and the mythology.
And Georgi. He's the best.
And Georgi. He's the best.
October 10, 2012
Oh, Georgi.
May 6, 2021
Not a strong follow-up to the first book. It takes quite a while for anything to happen, the romance is somewhat agonized over but isn't really built on, and the mystery of the ghost's identity is finally abruptly dropped on us rather than being unraveled by the characters. It took a bit too long for Katerina to figure out Alix's secret, especially since it was clearly alluded to in the final action of the first book, so you would think a necromancer living in a world of witches and vampires would have put two and two together sooner. Finally, the ending was not a clear enough wrap-up to the book. The last few pages clearly open three important points that will likely lead the arc of the third book, but it felt more like a lead-in to another chapter of the same book rather than the foreshadowing close to a book of its own.
I *might* pick up the third book just to see what happens, but I'm not fangirl-eager for it.
I *might* pick up the third book just to see what happens, but I'm not fangirl-eager for it.
January 6, 2019
I think that this book has shown me that my reading tastes have changed. I originally read the first one a while ago and when I went looking for the sequels, I couldn't find it. So, when I had the opportunity to read the sequels, I grabbed them.
However, I think that I would have liked it better in the past. The romance was okay, there was a lot of pining though. I think that my biggest complaint with this novel is that I wanted a bigger confrontation at the end. I wanted more to happen, and wanted it to happen quicker.
I'm interested to see what the next novel brings and how Bridges concludes this trilogy!
However, I think that I would have liked it better in the past. The romance was okay, there was a lot of pining though. I think that my biggest complaint with this novel is that I wanted a bigger confrontation at the end. I wanted more to happen, and wanted it to happen quicker.
I'm interested to see what the next novel brings and how Bridges concludes this trilogy!
February 5, 2019
3.5⭐️
The second book in the Katerina Trilogy was definitely better than the first one. The plot was better and the mythology is easier to understand this time around. There was more romance, but not enough to turn you away (Since Danilo & George aren’t around much).
What I truly despised about this one was the reasoning behind her need to stay at Smolny. I wanted to strangle Georgi because of it.
Overall, it was better than the first and it’s an ok & quick read.
The second book in the Katerina Trilogy was definitely better than the first one. The plot was better and the mythology is easier to understand this time around. There was more romance, but not enough to turn you away (Since Danilo & George aren’t around much).
What I truly despised about this one was the reasoning behind her need to stay at Smolny. I wanted to strangle Georgi because of it.
Overall, it was better than the first and it’s an ok & quick read.
May 14, 2014
The Unfailing Light brings readers back into the world of Katerina and her struggles against the Light and Dark Courts of Imperial Russia. A great historical read, I found that Robin Bridges had a better handle on her series and lore this time around. With all the elements you could hope for in a historical supernatural/fantasy read, 'The Katerina Trilogy' is one I highly recommend.
In stark contrast to The Gathering Storm, this book takes place (for the most part) in the summer. We are able to venture with Katerina and her cousin to the Crimea and experience summertime holidaying with the Russian elite. It is here that Katerina learns darker secrets to do with the chilling Lich Tsar and learns that her love, Archduke George, must begin his training as Koldun.
While I do love Katiya and George as a couple, I feel that their relationship has taken leaps and bounds too quickly. Katerina is quick to refer to him as her ‘lovely boy’ and proclaim that she will ‘never love another’. It didn’t seem so long ago that she loathed him and I find it hard to compute that their undeniable love for one another had come about so suddenly. I would have preferred their relationship to continue as a slow burn, as it had in The Gathering Storm.
Nevertheless, George’s Koldun training made for an interesting plotline. I was so glad to see him become more powerful – and be able to protect Katerina more expertly, as the dangers she faces are steadily growing. I particularly enjoyed his showdown with the Montenegrin Crown Prince, Danilo, who still has a frightening hold on our heroine after their ritual in the previous book.
Katerina, for the most part, is an enjoyable narrator though I do feel that we readers are always two steps ahead of her. I, and I’m sure a lot of other readers, had figured out the secret of Princess Alix and the white wolf eons before Katerina had.
Alix is an interesting side character, and one we get to see more of in The Unfailing Light, as she begins to attend The Smolny Institute alongside Katerina and Elena. I am eager to learn more about her supernatural gift – the requirement of the red ribbon – as well as see her relationship with Tsarevitch Nicholas grow. It’s a bittersweet knowledge, though, knowing the historical outcome of their relationship. We know that they will have a happy life together, but we also know how terribly it will end with the Russian Revolution.
The fact that Robin Bridges can weave her story so seamlessly alongside real Russian history is a favourite aspect of mine. As with my first read of The Gathering Storm back in 2011, I am itching to find out more about these real historical figures. It is clear once again that Robin Bridges has done her research on these characters. I couldn’t be in any more in awe!
The Unfailing Light has a lot to do with the ghost of Smolny, a new element to the series that I felt was quite contained to this book only. It was a side plot that allowed us to be introduced to new characters, relationships and see existing ones grow. Although we had sort of been tipped off by the prologue, I was kept guessing as the story advanced and wondered how it all fit together.
I had to re-read The Gathering Storm, as it had been at least two years since I read it on its debut. Back in 2011, I rated it a solid 5 stars. It’s amazing how quickly your tastes and opinions can change, because although I did enjoy it upon re-reading it, I would have given it a slightly lower rating. There were a few issues that I had with the book this time around, such as being confused by the many plots and lore and the fact that I couldn’t quite get as attached to the characters I had done upon my first reading. I don’t believe on changing my reviews or ratings, however, so it will stay as it is.
I am so glad I read the books back to back (and I will continue to do so with the third and final book, The Morning Star) as I was able to see how much better a handle Robin Bridges had on her characters, lore and series as a whole with The Unfailing Light. I DO believe that this book was better than the first in that regard and I found that I enjoyed this story arc a lot more, too. I hold firm to my belief that this series could gain a lot from including a family tree/glossary in the back of the books as a handy reference. There are simply too many characters and alliances to keep track of!
The series can only go up from here. I am eager to begin the final chapter! There are so many questions left unanswered (and to be honest, I just want to see the Montenegrin royal family be thwarted once and for all!) I can’t imagine how Katerina is going to deal with everything she has on her plate.
Recommended to: If you loved The Gathering Storm, you’ll adore The Unfailing Light. I highly recommend this series to fans of historical fiction mixed with a heavy supernatural/fantasy plot.
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October 27, 2021Felt it fell abit into some bad stereotypical plot lines but still a good read and interesting. Simply intriguing and still love the characters but little development of Katrina's goals and actual life, though new friendships and connections were lovely to read about.
July 9, 2017
The details were a bit confusing at times but overall it was a good book.
May 31, 2019
Second book in the series.
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