Book Review: Daughter of the Tempest by Braidee Otto

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Daughter of the Tempest by Braidee Otto

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of Myths of the Empyrieos

Publisher: The Dial Press (October 20, 2026)

Length: 448 pages

Author Information: Website

Daughter of the Tempest by Braidee Otto is one of those books where I was especially glad to have my review of the first book to look back on. While I liked Songbird of the Sorrows well enough, it was clear that I also had some reservations about it. Its heavy reliance on overused romantasy tropes was one of them. The extremely flowery writing was another. I remember thinking the series had the potential to become more if it could just get past those early growing pains. Thankfully, I’m happy to say this sequel does exactly that.

Picking up right after the events of Songbird of the Sorrows, the story finds Aella on the run after helping a mysterious prisoner escape from the Aviary, the spy organization she once swore loyalty to. Now a wanted fugitive herself, she is forced to travel alongside the man she helped free, whose name is Lyxander. Though the two immediately find themselves at odds, they settle into a reluctant truce for the sake of mutual survival. In return for Aella’s help in avoiding capture, Lyxander will teach her how to control her unpredictable magic. However, as they make their way across the realm towards safety, their arrangement becomes increasingly complicated as Aella begins unraveling the truth about Lyxander’s past and how it relates to her own ancestry and her developing powers she has yet to understand.

Meanwhile, back at the Aviary, Aella’s best friend and sister to her heart, Nyssa, is dealing with an entirely different set of problems. Suspected of helping Aella betray their organization, Nyssa has little choice but to go into hiding, adopting a secret identity and going undercover as a palace servant. But for better or worse, that subterfuge ultimately puts her in uncomfortable proximity to Kallias, the Southern Kingdom’s crown prince. While both want to protect Aella, their differing motivations and methods often make strategizing together a challenge. At the same time, they must also work around preparations for the upcoming Empyrean Games, a highly anticipated tournament that brings together the kingdom’s most powerful and influential players. Both Aella and Nyssa are hunted women, but with neither knowing whether the other is still alive, they must each find a way to survive the dangers closing in around them while holding onto the hope they will eventually be reunited.

As I said, this sequel is a much stronger novel, and while I wouldn’t say it is completely free of the clichés that bothered me so much the first time around, the story is now moving into territory that feels a lot less predictable. In my review of Songbird of the Sorrows, I mentioned that the plot initially felt like it was following a standard romantasy blueprint, with plenty of familiar tropes and that made it easy to anticipate where things were going, and it wasn’t until the second half that things started to take a more interesting turn. In this book, we’re branching out even further which makes things feel fresher and, honestly, a lot more fun. I think we’ve reached the point where the series is finally starting to find its own feet, and it does feel as though Otto is getting more comfortable playing with ideas that are more her own.

Another thing I liked about this sequel was the addition of Nyssa’s perspective. Splitting the story between two protagonists gives us two separate journeys, an approach I enjoyed quite a bit, especially since Nyssa was already a character I wanted to know more about. Aella, unfortunately, is still a bit of a mixed bag for me. She always has too much to say, even when it might be in her best interest to shut the hell up and listen for a change. Her constant sass and impulsiveness can make her come across as more obnoxious than the author probably intends. Nyssa, on the other hand, was much more levelheaded and generally easier to warm up to. Her storyline at the palace also brought a different dynamic to the book, and I found myself looking forward to her chapters considerably more than Aella’s.

The writing has also improved since the first book, with the story feeling overall more self-assured and the world-building noticeably richer and more detailed. That said, the prose could still use a little restraint. It’s as though the author still can’t quite help herself with the overembellished descriptions, so while the purple prose is slightly less distracting, it’s not entirely gone. Hopefully, that’s something that will continue to improve as the series goes on.

All in all, Daughter of the Tempest was a welcome and enjoyable sequel. Sometimes a series just needs that second book to get past the introductory phase and start showing you what it can really do, and I’m glad I was there for it! With so many pieces now in motion, I’m curious to see how everything will come together and what Braidee Otto has planned for the next installment. There’s still plenty left to resolve, and I’m looking forward to seeing where she takes things from here.