Blighted Heart by Jessaca Willis

YA Fantasy, Independently Published in 2021, 384 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• I want more magic. Don’t get me wrong, I love that magic that is in here, but I’m hoping in the third book we get a chance to see Halira learn some more magic. 
• One major scene felt a little confusing. I don’t want to spoil anything but there was definitely something in the big Primordial scene that I had to read twice … and I’m still not sure I completely understand what happened. 
• Elders. Usually I like the idea of the wise all-knowing elders who give only some answers. Something about these wasn’t my favorite. Honestly, that’s a pretty small thing in the scheme of things. 

What I Did Like:

• Halira finding her strength. In the first book of this series I commented that she gave me major damsel-in-distress vibes. Well, she’s outgrowing that and I love it. Sure, she still relies on others when she needs to, but hints of her own strength are coming through and that’s just amazing. 
• Much better male lead this time around. Again, in the first one I commented that I wasn’t a fan and didn’t think I could trust the male lead. Halira is coming to that conclusion as well, it seems. This time around she’s traveling with a different group of companions and I love this male lead. I want only good things for him. 
• Hints of what’s to come. This book does exactly what you’d want for the second in a trilogy. It brings in elements of the world you learned about in book 1, answers questions you still had, and leaves you with hints about what is coming next. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Dark fantasy fans, this one took a great turn! Demons, magic, adventure, and a tiny amount of budding romance all add up to make this a perfect second book in the series. 

My Rating: 4 Stars. 

This dark fantasy book is absolutely what I wanted it to be! Fans of the genre should NOT miss this one.