Hello Peeps! Welcome back to another chapter of Duolgoy Enough? series where i compare the first and this second book of duology series, and see whether it's enough end up as a duology, or should has another book, or maybe just better to be a standalone instead. This would be my last duology enough chapter for now, since i've been reading duology too much this past two months, in case i also bore you, i will go to another journey after this one. So without further ado, let's dive in!

First Book Quick Flashback

Etta, the Violin prodigy, find out in her debut day that she's able to time traveling through a passage in the hall where she's auditioning. Got "abducted" by Sophia Ironwood, jump to another place and time, wake up in a ship lead by Nicholas Carter, who promised to Etta to help her run away if she's in danger. Turns out that Etta had to find the Astrolabe, the device that can control the passage that has been hidden by her mom with secret code in the letter she wrote for Etta.

Figuring out the code, Etta going to the passage with Nicholas following her because of the deal Ironwood made with him. Turns out that Nicholas not only the one following Etta but also Sophie in order to made her grandpa (Cyrus Ironwood) to see her ability not only as a girl. When Etta and Sophia find the Astrolabe Sophie turns out steal it from Etta with the help from people who turns out from a group called Thorns, who lead by Etta's father. Witnessing Etta who vanished in front of Nicholas because of the change of the timeline, Nicholas decided to find her with Sophia's help after being beaten almost to death by the Thorns crew. 

Synopsis

After the split, Etta found herself in the hidden place for the Thorns group, lead by her father. Discover that she isn't dead, and also the known to be dead, Nicholas' half brother, Julian who turns out running away from Ironwood and go to his enemy, the Thorns in order to save his own life with giving every secrets of Ironwood to the Thorns in exchange. 

Nicholas in other hand, trying to find the year where Etta got deserted because of the change of history, along with Sophia and with the help of Li Min, the girl who succeed running away from the Shadow, a creature that Etta's mom believe that exist, trying to find the last Atrolabe to be immortal. Nicholas made a bad deal with Belladonna , the witch who will give the common year in exchange of Ironwood's life, in the mean time Nicholas was tricked to use the ring that poisoned, slowly killing him that only Belladonna herself has the antidote for it.

 My Review

We got more spotlight for Sophia here in the second book because of the separation lead the book into two POVs in separate adventure, Nicholas and Etta. While Sophia coming along with Nicholas with the journey, she got more scene and part not just a girl who's bossy to Etta but turns into strong female character with high feminism vibe in her.

“What I always wanted was respect! Shame on me for thinking I might have found some of that in your regard. [...] My desire was to be heir, which might have gotten me treated like a whole person, not fodder for marriage. [...] I really wanted was the freedom to do as I pleased, with whomever I pleased. I wanted to move as freely as the wind, and not be called back into port against my will. That is power. Do you understand?"
― Sophia ―

I find Nicholas' adventure is more challenging than Etta's. And a bit of plot twist here at the end he become the true main character in here that outshine Etta for me. Also you might be notice i favor him much also because he's such a sweet boy. 

“You could be a Hemlock, as I could be an Ironwood; or you could sign your name with Linden, as I might sign mine with Hall. Or perhaps you are Miss Spencer, and always will be, or you could choose, one day, to be a Carter. Or we might be nothing beyond you and I, and be done with this business of names once and for all,for they have never once had a true bearing on who we are or who we intend to be.”
― Nicholas ―

 

 

What's Added

Of course we met lots of new characters, one of them is Julian the half brother of Nicholas, i found him the typical cheeky white man Casanova at first, scared to stand for the right, afraid to for his own life, but at the end we find that he's actually a loving man to his nanny and an artist.

We found not only one, but several villains in this book. In the first book we know already that Cyrus Ironwood is the Villain because he wanted the Astrolabe for his own goodness. In this book we deeply know his true motive of why Astrolabe, not just for his own wealth, but for getting back his first wife.

"You would risk,orphaning countless travelers, shifting the timeline, for your own selfishness.”
“For love,” Ironwood corrected. “For her.”
― Cyrus Ironwood to Nicholas ―

He's a romanticist gone bad. He would risk everything to get his wife back. Come to think of it, lots of book actually, the main protagonist character would do everything for their love ones, yet still become the main character, i start to wonder if we justified their action. Or maybe i just being sentimental for this old grandpa.

Again, not only this Ironwood, be encounter the famous "Thorns" leader, Etta's Father Henry Hemlock. He was so famous at the first book because he's the rival of Ironwood, the group (or should we call it clan?) that formed in order to bring back the timeline to the original one, without Ironwood's intervention in the timeline for his own goodness. I was expecting him to be the super villain because of his reputation in the first book, and in this second one he said things that change Etta's  point of view about her mother and her true intentions about the Astrolabe.

Another one would be Belladonna, the witch. I found this kind of character in several place, cunning with her words, got mystery around her history, a plot twist at the end. She reminds me for The Weaver from ACOTAR series. 

And lastly we got The Ancient One, the creature that has been hunting for Astrolabe for its magic in order to live a long life. I got less to talk about this one because the action scene when he encounter with Etta in the auction held by Belladonna (who turns out to be his sister) came so blurry to me. 

What should have added

I think the action scene is lacking in some way, i felt jump here and there like a glitch in the scene, i might blame my reading slump but it also happened in the first book so i guess it's not a coincidence. I also think we need more Henry's background story. How he end up split with Rose, probably because i was expecting more for him, but turns out up until in the end of the story he just a loving father. The part of him being the leader of Thorns doesn't really show up except that he got lots of bodyguard.

I also hope that there is an explanation about why Alice got killed. Is it true Rose did it? if it is, why? She only said she did it because she have to, but why? for what? i still dunno why. I understand that Rose trying to let Etta go through such a misery in order to find the Astrolabe because she know that the only person who destroy it got the power of creating the passage, and the only person that worthy of that in her opinion is her daughter, Etta, which explained by Nicholas in last few chapter but i don't understand why Alice must die for that? In the end of the chapter Etta said she understand but i dunno why. I think i need you to explain it to me if you know, please leave a comment.

 

Other than that, i  got a question, if the person that has the ability to create a passage in the end to find the others, how can he do it without changing the timeline? What's the different him than the others if in the end he back with making the passage again?  to find others? Isn't it made him using it for his own goodness by that and how that different to his granddad? Just because he didn't risk people's life for it? but still changing the timeline right? Am i wrong?

My Verdict

It's a duology indeed! i don't think it need more books for it or less than this. I will give this one an Uh-Yeah (read my rating system here if you don't get what it means). I like the concept, the plot twist, the amount of villain and conspiracy that made me can't really guess the plot twist and yes of course i found some stuff i don't get but the whole idea of the story is worth reading. Plus thanks for creating Nicholas.