Restless Slumber

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.

“Before I met you , I thought nightmares were creatures of pain and darkness,” Colith said softly. One of the pieces lodged in my throat. “Why, then, are you constatly seeking freedom and light.”

I really loved the growth the characters go through in this book … except for poor Oliver. Can Fortuna just bring him to life outside her mind please? Is he real? Is he made up? WHAT IS HE? I need answers. I really loved this book and honestly agree with another reviewer, if this ends up being RH I would not mind in the slightest because the guys in this book are amazing and if anything happens to them I will be inconsolable.

“That the first thing we always do on a dark night is look up. Always.”

I’m so ready for book 3, give this series a chance if you like tricky fae and unclear love interest (because honestly there are 3 maybe 4 guys that I’m rooting for over here lol)

Excuse me while I crawl into bed for a couple of days. My mind is completely torn at how much I love this second installment and how much I wish there was more of it. *Dear god, the ending though. How am I supposed to function after that?*

This book takes place more in the world outside of the Court than the first book. And as much as I loved learning about the faeries and their dark world, I liked seeing Fortuna in her own element. She has her brother and her home. She goes back to work and everything should be good, right?
Nope. It’s never that easy.
So much goes on and this book a decent size. For all you readers out there who enjoy more pages and more words and more tragedy and conflict–*shoves book at you* READ THIS!

The plot overall is twisty and kept me reading. There wasn’t a single moment I thought I needed to put this book down and go read something else. We learn more about the werewolf Fortuna saved and there are a few shocking revelations that I will not repeat here, but dear gawd, those revelations! My head is still reeling.

Fortuna Sworn is a Queen of the Unseelie court now and she’s good at it. Kicking butt and taking names. And she embraces her newfound powers with….well, not ease exactly but she’s handling it better than any other queen before her, so she has that going for her.

You may not be the ruler they want but I think youre the ruler we need,

Where sweet and calm Collith is careful and considers all options, Fortuna is like a storm coming to ruin all the calm and cool.

(I was the fire to his ice. The shout to his whisper. The run to his walk.)

Their relationship grows so much throughout this and it made me smile, even with how twisted everything was in the beginning. And Laurie? He is a wonderful addition to the cast. I’m so glad he wasn’t cast aside after the first book.

(You know, they say that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Well, I try to cater to my audience,)

Five stars for the twisty plot.
Five stars for the hawt faeries.
Five stars for Fortuna being awesome!
Five stars for such startling revelations.
And here’s my heart, for that ending, man. I can’t even with that ending.

Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

I cannot wait for the next book!!!

Goodreads shows the author is planning another 4 books and they can’t come soon enough – though I did see book #3 isn’t due until the end of the year . Please don’t be one of those people that “waits until the entire series is out” to buy them, because authors don’t continue if the books don’t sell. (You can always buy them and wait to read but do buy them!) I grew up on this when I read Anne McCaffrey, Katherine Kerr and David Eddings and there wasn’t even Goodreads then to let me know when a new book *might be coming out.

I’m not sure if this is shaping up to be RH or not, nor I would care if it did. Let’s face it Collith, Laurie and Oliver are all amazing men and why would you want to choose between them? Not forgetting Finn, who we haven’t really learnt to much about but hopefully that will change in the next book. And that last scene between Oliver and Fortuna? Oh my word I’m welling up again just thinking about it. Is it normal to cry over a fictional character that is also supposedly a figment of another fictional character’s imagination? Though Ms Sutton keeps hinting that there may well be more to the situation than might first be assumed.

I have The Jonas Brothers’ What a man gotta do running through my head whenever i think of Collith and Fortuna. And Oliver and Fortuna. And maybe Laurie and Fortuna too! And didn’t my heart poor heart just splinter into a thousand pieces for Fortuna in this book, especially with the decision she had to take at the end of the book.

Then there are all the other great characters Lyari, Damon, Zara, the cafe crew, Savannah and Matthew etc that just add a richness and depth to the story. Nobody is in this book without a reason, without somehow becoming part of the plot and story. How the author keeps everything straight in her head amazes me.

Oh and one final thing – she had better not be thinking of killing off any of those three men that I have fallen madly in love with. I just keep feeling like that might happen and if it does, well you’ll probably find me rocking in a corner, sucking my thumb and muttering incomprehensibly. Only able to make out the odd phrase such as “how dare she?”, “terrible woman” and “never forgive her”.

I wasn’t sure about this one in the beginning, but once it picked up (about 40% in) there was no stopping. Great continuation to the series, and I’m definitely reading the next one (just need to prepare myself mentally as this book wrecked me in the most pleasant way). If an angsty faerie romance is your thing, this series should definitely be on your radar.