I got the book for free at New York Comic Con, so I went into it completely blind. I didn't even realize it was the second book in a series until a couple pages in. Though there were some parts that confused me because of it (like Nathan somehow being able to attend an all-girls school), I was able to follow along well enough. I really enjoyed Ava's journey and her blossoming romance with Raven, as well as all it entailed.

I wish the world was fleshed out a bit more. Even though it was over 400 pages, there was still some things that were briefly touched upon (such as racism, prejudices, and misconceptions) that really should have been addressed, especially for a book that takes place in the early 1900s. There were several major revelations that went by way too fast, with almost no negative consequences that you would expect from the time period. There was also what seemed to be an important dinner that was brought up in the book and then never mentioned again which seemed odd, given how much time the book spent on everything else that occurred in that specific scene. However, the copy I received was an advanced reader's copy, it's entirely possible this was already addressed as the book was edited.

I liked it enough that I will give the first book a chance, and pick up the final copy of this book when it comes out. ( )

Although the premise was interesting, the execution left something to be desired. The characters were not only two dimensional but acted and reacted in ways that weren't quite believable. The dialogue also needed some work, as it was a bit stilted. All in all, this could be stronger if heavily edited.

Into the Arms of Madness is a lot less, "A Novel of Suspense", and more of a first draft of something that could be really really good. As of right now, Bre, the main character, comes off as a naive young woman, who quickly marries her partner Todd after a short courtship. Just after the wedding, it is reveled that Todd has some peculiarities, to put it mildly, but in the end the young wife ends up happy. What ruins the book is the way too fantastical story plot. Give it another edit, and it could be great. ( )

This was quite a chilling book as it covered the topic of ‘what happens when you’re on honeymoon and find out your partner isn’t who you thought they were’…a scary thought and particularly in the case of Bridget and Todd. I thought it was predominantly written well but some parts seemed to drag a bit while the climax was almost too quick and I felt myself wanting a bit more of the showdown, but the epilogue made up for that as in the conclusion, I felt an element of something else darker pervading once more. Sinister… ( )

I have mixed feelings about the author's writing style. On one hand, it was concise and fast-paced; however, it was too wordy about minute details and didn't provide enough character development. Furthermore, the plot was too far-fetched for me to enjoy or appreciate. It was just strange.

***I received a free copy of this book, and in exchange, I have provided an honest review.*** ( )