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Please Note: I received an advance audiobook copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.
Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.
Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.
Review:
I had such high hopes for this book, as I loved the first book in this series, The Beautiful. What's not to like: 1800's New Orleans, vampires, werewolves, forbidden lust and love. It was amazing! But The Damned, book two in this series, is an utter disappointment. There is no action until almost the end of the book. It hardly has New Orleans in it, and it introduces so many different mythologies into the mix that it lost me.
What I Liked:
Narration:
Although I was disappointed in the story, the narrator, Lauren Ezzo does a commendable job. There are many different accents (most notably French), but she makes certain that we know who is who. It made this book easy to hear.
Characters:
I still love Selene. She is fierce and strong-willed, and won't take no for an answer. I also like that she wasn't shy about being a sexual person. She knows she is powerfully attracted to Bastien, and doesn't hesitate in making her needs known. Their love scenes were super sexy without resorting to porn.
What I didn't Like:
Settings:
One of the most charming things about the first book was the late 1800's New Orleans setting, especially the restaurant that was the headquarters of the vampires. There is barely any of this in The Damned. Instead, the story moves to Asia, and then to a Fae realm. There are very few details, so you never get a real sense of where they are.
Action:
The beginning of the book (at least one-third) is all about Bastien being angry about turning into a vampire, and Selene being angry about losing her memories. Very angsty. Very boring! When the action does happen, it's not very well thought out. There are hints of what's about to happen, but often nothing comes to fruition. I was also really surprised that Bastien's uncle (who was so scary in the first book) is barely utilized in this one. And the few times he appears, his tame manner is out of character. It was a lost opportunity.
Confusing Mythologies:
In The Beautiful, the world is populated with vampires and werewolves. But in The Damned, a new mythology emerges with the Fae? It's not well defined. There are mentions of the summer and winter courts which I know, from my extensive reading of Holly Black, are references to Fae mythologies. This felt like it was tacked on to elevate Selene to a status on par with the vampires. This was unnecessary, undercutting the main conflict of the first book between the mortal and immortal world.
Rating: 
Release Date: July 7th, 2020
Author: Renee Ahdeih
Genre: YA Fantasy
Narrator: Lauren Ezzo
Publisher: Listening Library
Audiobook Length: 12 hours, 21 minutes
Print Publisher: Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Page Length: 456 pages
Source: Publisher
Format: Audiobook
Recommendation: A disappointment. I don't feel this is worth a read.
