Greythorne: An Epic YA Fantasy Sequel About a Princess Fighting for Family and Lost Love (The Bloodleaf Trilogy)

Sometimes you read a book that’s beautiful and wildly creative and full of life. And sometimes you read the sequel to said book and have your whole heart swept away and breath knocked right out of you…but in a good way. That’s exactly how I felt with Greythorne. Smith provides a sequel with heartache and hardships, with love and insurmountable loss, and with beautiful imagery and a unique storyline. Greythorne has easily become my favorite in this trilogy, though I have a feeling Ebonwilde will top both books but destroy me (hopefully in a good way) in the process.The ending to Bloodleaf had me wondering about what Smith had in mind for the characters. Bloodleaf almost wraps up like a great standalone, so I found myself wondering: what does Crystal Smith have planned for these intricate characters and should I be worried? The answer is YES, and let me tell you, Greythorne is a beast out for revenge and it is wonderful. I read the synopsis of Greythorne, and I saw the direction Smith was heading in and crumbled, legitimately freaked out, as I will protect Zan and Aurelia to the ends of the Earth. I know I needed to read Greythorne before I finished Bloodleaf, but the synopsis reveal of Greythorne increased my impatient need for the sequel. And I continuously thank the amazing publishers at HMH and Crystal for the opportunity to read this beauty early.I remember reading the prologue of Greythorne. I remember being wonderfully excited to finally read more of Aurelia’s story. And when I finished reading the prologue, I remember looking at a family member and telling them that I was in for a wild ride. And I was one hundred percent correct. Y’all. You have no idea what’s in store for you in Greythorne. The plot continuously thickens and when you think you know the answer, you don’t. At least, not until the end. Smith’s writing is so captivating and poetic; I was hooked from the very first line until the last, and even after I finished Greythorne. It’s a superb sequel filled with everything a sequel needs and more.Aurelia shines in Greythorne. Her character development is phenomenal. She was brave in Bloodleaf, but in the sequel, she’s also strong and fierce and more determined. She’s set on figuring out how to end the blood oath made between her and three people she loves; she doesn’t want to see anyone else she loves die at her expense. And her companions (especially one newly introduced character I absolutely love) will do everything to protect her and make sure justice is served to those trying to end magic. I also loved the romantic relationship with Aurelia and Zan. It’s not too much that it takes away from the overall story, but adds a delicate touch to a world filled with darkness. And I can’t wait to see what happens to them in Ebonwilde, especially with how Greythorne ends.Of course, the world building is just as lush and vibrant as Bloodleaf. But the world in Greythorne takes a darker turn, which I found to be an exciting fit for the story. It’s a world filled with power and darkness and ghosts, and it’s a new world Aurelia has to learn to navigate and conquer. And she knows there’s only one outcome that will change the tides for good.Probably one of my favorite parts of Greythorne was putting the pieces together and answering the questions I had from Bloodleaf. That rush of excitement from fitting the puzzle pieces together stays with me to this day. I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed how everything started to connect and how Greythorne ended with me needing to know the answers to the questions left unanswered. Greythorne is, all in all, a sequel worth the wait.In the end, Greythorne outshines its predecessor in many ways. Crystal Smith does a brilliant job of connecting the story and building off the original plot. I was, overall, pleased with the sequel and I am impatiently waiting for Ebonwilde.If you are a fan of unique fantasy worlds with dangerous magic, chilling ghosts, and imaginative world building, I recommend reading this wonderful series.

I received this ARC while attending YALLFest last year. My review is completely honest and voluntary, I was in no way compensated for this review.Crystal Smith returns to the world of Bloodleaf with Greythorne as Aurelia and Zan’s story continues, for their story didn't end happily ever after like we had hoped. In fact, things ended before they could start and Aurelia’s life has only gotten harder.Well, it seems the fairy tale elements of this story are over if the cover change is anything to go by. Though this new cover screams typical YA Fantasy, don’t let that deceive you. It’s actually far from typical; this story is rich in magic and enchantment. The characters in this story are, without a doubt, one of my favorite things about this story! And I will say, that despite things taking a very un-fairy tale like turn there is a bit of comeback at the end, and that’s all I will say on that matter! Lol.Aurelia is doing what she can to take care of the people of Achleva in Zan’s absence, though being that they are more of the magically inclined, not many people are willing to help, including Aurelia’s own kingdom. With her little brother, Conrad, about to take the throne, Aurelia watches from afar and tries to take care of him at a distance. But when she manages to secrete herself at his coronation, a new enemy rises to the stand. Arceneaux is a woman set against anyone and anything magical and with the Tribunal at her back, she can basically rule through Conrad due to his young age.Aurelia manages to escape Arceneaux but at a cost to herself. Using her powers continues to weaken her. I suppose it surprises no one that Zan is in fact alive and mostly well. He and Aurelia find each other again and just as Aurelia tries to get past his pretending to be “dead and gone,” they discover that being together will be the death of them for when Aurelia healed Zan it took a piece of her to do it. And if she dies, then yet another person involved in the blood spell will die and after losing her mother, Aurelia is not willing to lose anyone else, including her guard and friend, Kellan.So it would seem that once again, Aurelia and Zan must separate as Aurelia works to to find a magical object that could be the key to ending the blood spell magic. In turn, she’s fighting to keep the Malefica, aka untold evil, from reigning supreme over the kingdoms. Should be easy, right?I think one of the hardest parts of this book was when Aurelia went into “the Grey” which was a sort of magical land of unknown. And then towards the end we added time travel into things and while it was very enlightening in some aspects, it was a tad confusing as well. Not overly confusing, but like those movies that show you a hidden moment or two that happened “off-screen” that ended up changing the course of everything that happened...or you know set it on the course that we saw where if things were otherwise the outcomes would have been disastrous! So that sort of time traveling twistedness.I will also admit that I disliked Aurelia and Zan being apart so much. I loved watching their relationship grow and develop in the first book, the falling in love and all. They should’ve had some happier moments together despite the chaos reigning over their lives, but alas, that was not the way. Here’s to hoping that third book will allow more togetherness for them. I am still not quite certain how things will stand between these two, but I have the hope born of fairy tale happy endings, so let’s hope that the thin thread of fairy tale vibes that still occur in this series holds onto that!While I did enjoy Greythorne very much, I couldn’t help but want more from it. I guess I was still clinging to the idea that this was something of a fairy tale, like The Goose Girl held for the first book in a loose sense. This book really had no fairy tale driving it. It sort of becomes like those standard fantasy reads we already have.The magic here is very different and the characters are what kept me riveted throughout. Aurelia isn’t perfect, she’s flawed. And from a reader’s point of view that’s a good thing! I like when characters are bit more flawed and make you scream with the choices they make.Things ended in a very strange way with this one. I feel like there was a tiny wink to a fairy tale or two in these last moments. I’m very, very curious as to what the third book will hold. It seems like we might have reached a turning point for the HEA ending, but since there is that last book to get through, you just know there’s going to be more chaos before we reach those three final words (hopefully!) and I for one, cannot wait to read that next perilous journey!Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars