The Damned is the second book in a new series by bestselling author Renée Ahdieh. This novel was first published in 2020. The Damned is a YA paranormal, historical fiction novel.
In this article, you will find some frequently asked questions about this book. I have tried to answer them as best and honestly as possible.
I hope you enjoy reading these, and I hope this post answers some of the questions you may have about this book!
Since I will be answering questions about the book and its story, this article will contain spoilers.
The Damned summary
Below is the official summary from the book:
Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood is 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.
Celine is still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember. Celine doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events. This 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.
Is the Damned a standalone, duology or part of a series?
The Damned is the second book in a series. The books are to be read in this order:
- The Beautiful
- The Damned
- The Righteous
What tropes are in this book?
There are a few common tropes in this book that we see a lot in other young adult books.
The most common tropes in this book are:
- Dead parents;
- Strong female character;
- Enemies to lovers;
These tropes don’t have to be a bad thing. A lot of people find some tropes too common and state that they should not be in young adult books anymore. But most of these tropes make the story and are important for the entire book series.
Does this book have romance?
There is a fair share of romance in this book. Even though Celine’s memories have been erased, she still feels a pull to Sebastien.
She knows something isn’t right; that the memory loss isn’t just because of the trauma she had to endure. And because she keeps trying to remember, small bits and pieces come back to her.
Sebastien in his turn is miserable without Celine. He hates that he is now a vampire. And now he also can’t be with the woman he was falling in love with. Because his memories are still intact, it is even harder to deal with the repercussions.
Celine wants her memories back. To do this, she goes looking for anyone who can tell her anything. She ends up at La Cour des Lions where she finds Sebastien. He does all he can to send her away. But she feels like she knows him.
When Celine keeps looking for Sebastien she slowly gets more of her memory back. And she is falling in love with him all over again.
Is The Damned spicy?
Not really. There is some serious sexual tension and attraction. But it does not come to a true climax.
There are no real spicy scenes in this book.
Is The Damned enemies-to-lovers?
There is an enemies-to-lovers trope in this book. But it isn’t as big as in the Beautiful.
Because Celine and Sebastien already admitted their feelings in the first book, it seems strange that there is still an enemies-to-lovers vibe.
But with Celine losing her memories and Sebastien having turned into a vampire, they have to start all over.
Although they aren’t true enemies in this book, it’s not like they are friends. From Celine’s perspective, they are strangers. But she is drawn to him even though Sebastien keeps pushing her away.
What genre is this book?
The Damned, like the first book, is a young adult fantasy book. It can also be specified as paranormal, historical fiction. But because of the age of the main characters and the subjects in the book, it is a true young adult book.
When and where does the story take place?
In the Beautiful, the author mentioned that it is 1872 when Celine arrives in New Orleans. Because the Damned follows where the Beautiful ended, it is safe to say that it is still the same year.
The story mostly takes place in New Orleans. There are also a few scenes in a sort of between world. This of course is a fantasy world that does not exist.
Does The Damned have LGBTQ+ characters or romance?
Yes. Odette prefers women over men. Also, she likes to dress up as a man wearing pants instead of dresses. In the 19th century context of this book, this is largely unheard of.
We get small hints in The Beautiful of Odette’s sexuality. In The Damned, we get a little more information, also about the first woman she really loved and how this ended badly.
Who dies in this book?
The death with the most impact in this book is that of Odette. In the war against the werewolves, she is one of the casualties. And this hits hard for the other characters, but also for the readers.
Trigger Warnings
Below you will find a list of some of the content trigger warnings of this book. This is to make you aware of what you can expect when reading this novel. With this in mind, please take note of the next warnings:
- Blood
- Murder
- Sexual assault (mentioned)
- Fire
The Damned Characters
Sébastien Saint Germain
Sébastien is the last living heir to the Saint Germain domain. But he is turned into a vampire to save his life. This means he can’t continue the family line.
He does not want to be a vampire. He would rather die than to carry on this way. Also, because of the deal his uncle made with Celine, he can’t be with her.
Sébastien refuses to feed on humans and is behaving like a brat. His friends from La Cour des Lions try their best to cheer him up. But Sébastien is determined to be more than just a vampire.
Emily Saint Germain
Emily is the older sister of Sebastien. In a house fire, Emily is badly injured. While suffering, she begs her uncle to turn her into an immortal to save her. But he refuses. And as far as her family knows, she died in that fire.
But then one of the werewolves finds Emily. He turns her into one of them before she dies. She then vows to get revenge on her family who left her to die.
Celine Rousseau
Celine is left without any memory of the battle or Sébastien. Everything that happened has been erased.
But still, she feels something very important is missing. And she does everything she can to find out what it is. She is drawn to Sébastien. And together they find out that her mother is still alive. But also who Celine really is.
Ending explained
Celine finally has her memory back. She also found out her mother is still alive. She is one of the most powerful supernatural beings.
But when Celine arrives back home, she is cornered by a private investigator. He works for the French police and has been tracking Celine because of the suspicious death back in Paris. He knows she is involved and wants to take her back to Paris.
Celine and Sebastien panic at this revelation. And in her panic, Celine returns herself and Sebastien to her mother’s realm.
Pippa hasn’t heard anything from Celine for days. Nobody seems to know where she is. And she will do anything to find out the truth.
Conclusion
The Damned is the second book in a true young adult fantasy trilogy. Renée Ahdieh pulls you back again into a world full of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures lurking in the dark. The story continues where The Beautiful left off. So you won’t miss anything from what the characters are going through. If you loved the first book in this series, there is no time to waste – get ahold of this book!
I hope I have answered some of the questions you may have had about this book!
And if you have more questions that I didn’t answer, feel free to let me know in the comments below!
