I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call

The first book was excellent, bringing dark dealings with eldritch gods to both survive and thrive in the cutthroat world of ballet. So, I was super excited to see what Laure has been up to with her new powers as the vessel of Acheron after the destruction of the Palais Garnier. I mean after all that, it is no wonder that Laure is struggling, trying to find purpose in life as ballet is not quite as important anymore and figure out what Acheron wants with her has a vessel. I understand the rage she feels, from the lies of people tell to rationalize the tragedy of the Palais Garnier, the way her mother abandoned her, and now there are new acolytes vying for the power to rule the world. Also, you get some nice history explained (via Laure's mother) about the truth of Acheron and Lethe and Elysium. Again, I do not think Laure is the villain in this book. She cares too much about others, struggles hard to not to give into Acheron and wreak havoc, and is trying to save the world she loves (Elysium). I love the friendships she has (and maybe a bit more) with her fellow Acheron monsters, Andor and Keturah and how they are willing to stand with her as she makes the choice of whether to let her inner beast free in order to stop the true monsters seeking the destruction and power of gods in the world of mortals. I totally loved the ending and what Laure chose to do which made her totally awesome (that bathroom scene!!!!). This was a very worthy sequel and I enjoyed it all. Jamison Shea did justice to this morally grey but still can make good choices character and it provided nice closure with a sweet ending that Laure deserved for all that she had to go through. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to listen to this audiobook and review it. The narrator did a wonderful job bringing the characters and this dark world to life!