And... plot twist! No spoilers here, but wow. I am pretty good at spotting twists coming up but Roth really surprised me on this one. But let's back up a minute. I had this book on hold at the library, but was number 8 on the list. The day it was released, I just couldn't wait, so I bought and devoured it. The action picks right up where Carve the Mark left off, we get to follow the story of the fated ones and learn how it all goes down.
I like that this wasn't dragged out to 3, 4, or more books. There are certain aspects that could have been fleshed out more, such as how the assembly works, which planets have the most political sway, the conflict between the cultures that revere the oracles and the ones who want to control them. Leaving these details to the imagination of the reader was a smart move, the narrative wasn't bogged down with too many details. There is plenty of action here, and the love story is as bumpy and fractious as you'd expect. There are no easy relationships here, each character has a defining flaw and Roth doesn't write them for us to love. But I do.

Force of Nature kept me up way too late on a work night.  A couple of times! Only a couple of times, because I finished it so quickly... Aaron Falk returns to his day job, and I couldn't be happier. He is still dealing with the aftermath of what happened in the previous book, physically and emotionally. His guilt over his relationship with his father colors everything. Getting pulled into a missing persons case out in the middle of nowhere could have been a distraction, but Aaron's past keeps ghosting in front of him.
I enjoyed the mystery of the missing hiker, and all the ramifications the investigation into her whereabouts brings. Harper has made it to my favorite authors list.  The writing is descriptive, the terrain and location of the novel is almost another character. So different from what I am used to, which makes it even more interesting.

I looked back at my review for the first book in this series, The Bone Witch, just to remind myself what I thought. I remember liking it, I also remember reading other reviews that were critical of the writing style and pace. The jumps forward in time at the beginning of each chapter gives you a glimpse of where Tea ends up in her life, and who she is with. These teases kept my interest in the main story, I really wanted to find out what her motivations were, why she ended up in such a position. The general pace in this novel is faster than the previous, which helps as well. Chupeco did a fabulous job of pulling together the scattered information she peppered the books with, combining it all into a web of intrigue, plot twists and surprises that left me hoping she is a fast writer.  I want book number three!

I have to admit something rather shameful... I didn't finish this book.  It just wasn't for me.  The idea behind the story was interesting, I loved the tie in to a once famous author and mysterious book, but the characters were off-putting and the first half of the novel dragged for me.  I put this down and didn't pick it back up, the feelings of guilt linger but I think I'll live.