Light Wielder: Fire & Metal: Book Two

Light Wielder was a disappointing sequel for me. Mostly because it frustrated me in the same way Metal Slinger did. Acker and Jovie are dealing with betrayal, a four-year war, a strained Matching Bond, and the very inconvenient experience of still loving someone who shattered your heart. I went into this ready to be fed angst, magic, war, and a devastating reunion. Instead, I spent a lot of the book waiting. Jovie is on the front lines. Acker is stuck in an arranged marriage. Kingdoms are betraying each other. Magic is being stolen. All of that should have had me gripping my book like a feral little raccoon. The middle felt surprisingly slow for a story with so much happening around the characters. I kept waiting for the tension to snap, but most of the plot resolution arrived in the final chapter. The Matching Bond was easily the most interesting part of the book. Jovie trying to reject it felt fresh because fated mates usually come with swooning, destiny, and enough dramatic eye contact to power a small village. Her resistance made sense for her character too. She felt guilty and knew she had hurt Acker. Cutting the bond felt less like freedom and more like avoiding a bill for accountability that had been collecting interest for four years. Acker was also making questionable choices with impressive commitment. Swallowing mangi stones so he could still reach Jovie through the bond? That is unhealthy, desperate, and unfortunately exactly the romantasy nonsense I am seated for. The voyeurism scenes with him in her mind were hot. The scene with Fredrich? Whew! Acker made Jovie look at him while another man touched her and then told her that was the last time another man could have her. That scene was possessive romantasy nonsense at its finest. My issue is that the book did not hold my attention as much outside of the bond and spice. Acker’s marriage to Irina annoyed me more than it intrigued me. Jovie’s wartime arc had female warrior baddie pieces I liked, but it often dragged. The war should have felt terrifying and the political betrayals should have had more shock value. Instead, many of the plotlines felt like filler until Acker and Jovie could finally collide again. The final chapter did bring the drama. Battles, reveals, declarations, a proposal, Messer’s return, and setup for the next duology all arrived at once. I also had to laugh a little because the author’s note said she hoped this sequel would not leave readers hanging the way book one did. Babe, I say this with affection, but it kind of did. The book gave me a long stretch of waiting, and then suddenly handed me the fun stuff right before dangling the next thread. Maybe this is Rachel Schneider’s unique writing style. Light Wielder will work beautifully for readers who love long separation arcs, heavy emotional pining, and a late payoff. I wanted more movement, tension, and plot before the final chapter.

Writing was a little choppy throughout, but overall fun story.