Two Halves, One Brian

This is book 2 of the series. If you’d like to read a review of book 1, Long Live Evil, check out this link!

Book Stats

• ALC from NetGalley 🖤
• Book 2 of the Time of Iron series
• Publication Date: 05/12/26
• Publisher: Orbit
• Format: audiobook
• Length of audiobook: 17 hours & 53 minutes
• Narrator(s): Moira Quirk: Shane East
• Chapters: 53
• Narrator POV: Third person

Book Rating

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5

Spice: 🌶️🌶️/ 5

Summary & Review

This story is a BLAST and it’s so chaotic, like all the time. I just love it. 💚 This was a perfect follow up to book 1, Long Live Evil. I read that one on Kindle Unlimited and while it was super enjoyable in that format, I think I loved this audio version more. The narrators were wonderful, so that added to the experience. 

But this writing? Holy Hell, Sarah Rees Brennan. I am so curious about the inner workings of your mind and I think you’d probably be a hoot to meet in person/ interview. 

In Love Live Evil, Key and all his unhinged ruthlessness was my absolute favorite. His death was tragic for me and I was not ready for it. I would’ve been okay if they killed off anyone else (except the Cobra – he’s my 2nd fav). So at the end, having him come back made me so much more excited for book 2! I could not WAIT to get more Key!

And he didn’t disappoint. 🖤 Neither did Rae or any of the characters, really. They’re all delightfully wicked and insanely, well, insane. 😂 I love this series and how wild things get. I love that while being an incredibly hated villain, Rae still attempts to help others, but while also leaning into her villain side. That may sound like it doesn’t make sense, being a good guy and a villain at the same time, but if you read the story you’ll understand.

Things in this book get even more unhinged. The story has changed drastically from the fantasy novels Rae read and NOT for the better. Rae and the Cobra are doing their best to right things, while also tweaking the plot to save some of the characters that were originally plotted to die. Of course, this never goes as planned.

We are introduced to some additional side characters in this book, such as Caracalla and Ink, which just added a little more to the story. And, of course, there’s quite the twist with one character at the end. As with the first book, we’re always left guessing, shocked, and wanting more!

Some of my favorite quotes:

• Nemeth spat on Rahela’s red-trimmed skirts as she whisked by. “Woman! You are the calamity that will fell a god to earth and set a kingdom burning.”
  “Sincerely, thank you for making me sound so cool.”
• “Fine. But you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not pretending to be spoiled. I genuinely wish to be spoiled,” Eric claimed with a huff.
• Marius concluded, “So these sorcerous crystals tell all the lies and ills of your world. The crystals ensorcel the minds of men until, hopelessly corrupted, men waste away their lives staring into the crystal depths.”
  Eric frowned. “I feel like I didn’t explain phones right.”
• “I consider only the question of heirs. I don’t personally find anyone under thirty remotely appealing. You’re like a mass of maggots, always writing around making a fuss, while everyone else wishes you would grow up and fly away. And I’m forty-two,” Pio informed Rae sourly.
• “I asked you once before, remember? May I kneel at the altar?” He was kneeling already, utterly unselfconscious.
  A cold doubt of consciousness shimmered through her. “That was before we knew you were a god. If I say yes, is it blasphemy?” Probably due to her evil nature, the cold flicker of awareness became a guilty shiver and a sigh even as she spoke.
  The Emperor said, “Let us pray.”
  (IYKYK 😂)
• The Emperor nodded. “I’m disgusted by the accusation. I don’t make assassination attempts. When I assassinate, I succeed.”
• This was bad. This was so bad. Shit got real in fantasy novels when a dragon arrived.
• It was disconcerting to be pitied by someone in a dungeon.
• A voice broke from the crowd. “Lady of Snow and flame? More like bitch of death and midnight!”
  Lady Rae blew a kiss from bared teeth. “Stop, I’m blushing.”