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kgagnet's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. This series is so addictive! There were so many special moments in this book. There’s less longing and more heartfelt moments, but I loved it. I believe someone else said something along the lines of “this book feels like a build up to the next” and I’d have to agree. It wasn’t exactly fast paced or action packed, but that didn’t matter to me!
The end was a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to see what happens next. These characters are so special to me.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The end was a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to see what happens next. These characters are so special to me.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
emhildeb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Huge comeback from the previous book. This one felt perfectly balanced and I loved all the elements of this book. There were some things that should have been touched on more (like the drug crystals) and some things I'm glad we're brought up again. The characters were great once again. The ending was very well written too and surprised me.
taylorlk19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
chanelchapters's review against another edition
3.0
I was hoping this was the final instalment
It’s not
I think this story has been unnecessarily stretched over too many books.
I like it but I want it to be wrapped up rather than dragged out.
It’s not
I think this story has been unnecessarily stretched over too many books.
I like it but I want it to be wrapped up rather than dragged out.
sophierosemaria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aglittercobra's review against another edition
3.5
*** 3.5 Stars ***
Overall,
This one took me a while to get through, I do not think that it was a product of the contents but rather I havent been in the mood to read epic fantasy romance for a while. There is definately some character growth as the team faces new challenges after the events of the last book. I thought I knew how the book was going to end but in the last few pages there was a twist that I did not see coming. We also got some more information on the past. I will definitely finish this series.
Overall,
This one took me a while to get through, I do not think that it was a product of the contents but rather I havent been in the mood to read epic fantasy romance for a while. There is definately some character growth as the team faces new challenges after the events of the last book. I thought I knew how the book was going to end but in the last few pages there was a twist that I did not see coming. We also got some more information on the past. I will definitely finish this series.
rebeccathebookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lauren__l's review against another edition
DNF’d
Really enjoyed the start of the series but it dragged as I continued. By this book I realized I had lost interest in the characters partway through the last and in this one I was getting really annoyed by Cas. I was more interested in the side characters and stuck around for a bit to see what happened to them.
I’m just generally a little tired of authors exploring mental health issues with long, repetitive passages of self reflection. It was novel and creative a few years ago but now all the MFC’s working through their anxiety sound the same. I’m having trouble keeping these characters and series apart in my memory. There wasn’t enough screen time or growth of other characters to keep me focused while Cas drones on for a bit. I started realizing I wasn’t listening to my audiobook for minutes on end and finally decided I might come back later, after taking a break from books with main characters that kind of feel the same.
Really enjoyed the start of the series but it dragged as I continued. By this book I realized I had lost interest in the characters partway through the last and in this one I was getting really annoyed by Cas. I was more interested in the side characters and stuck around for a bit to see what happened to them.
I’m just generally a little tired of authors exploring mental health issues with long, repetitive passages of self reflection. It was novel and creative a few years ago but now all the MFC’s working through their anxiety sound the same. I’m having trouble keeping these characters and series apart in my memory. There wasn’t enough screen time or growth of other characters to keep me focused while Cas drones on for a bit. I started realizing I wasn’t listening to my audiobook for minutes on end and finally decided I might come back later, after taking a break from books with main characters that kind of feel the same.
doctorleo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lskywalker918's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars rounded down to 3 as I didn't think it got really good until the last chapters.
So this was what happened after the heroes won the big battle. Cas got her crown and was now tasked with rebuilding the kingdom. That task, unfortunately, was boring at times and completely opposite from the adventures she had been running with her band of misfits. This was where we further explored Cas's mental health. As queen, she felt like she had the responsibility to make sure everything was going right, and she had a hard time trusting her allies and delegating responsibilities to them (so close to the real world!) Her anxieties got worse as things began to spiral out of control as bad things kept happening. Even her experience with the blood crystals mirrored a drug addict's. Perhaps she had to let the past go and move on with the future, trusting that everything would work out (which she finally realized at the end). What a statement for someone like me who also suffers from anxiety.
Gaither excelled once again in her vivid imagery in both the fight and the smut scenes. Of note, I loved the Elander vs. Caden scene. Elander and Cas's private moment on the lilac hill just made me squeal. While Elander was no longer a shadowdaddy, we got a replacement when we experienced the dark powers of the upper god Malaphar.
Even though I missed Elander's shadowdaddy powers, he was still kicking ass like no other. His powers feeding Cas's sounded like Rowan and Aelin's carranam bond. At least it boosted both Elander and Cas as opposed to the one-sided boost Rowan gave Aelin.
Was not expecting tears in the last two chapters. This was supposed to be a boring placeholder building toward the ending!
Spice scale (as defined by Mysterious Galaxy):
So this was what happened after the heroes won the big battle. Cas got her crown and was now tasked with rebuilding the kingdom. That task, unfortunately, was boring at times and completely opposite from the adventures she had been running with her band of misfits. This was where we further explored Cas's mental health. As queen, she felt like she had the responsibility to make sure everything was going right, and she had a hard time trusting her allies and delegating responsibilities to them (so close to the real world!) Her anxieties got worse as things began to spiral out of control as bad things kept happening. Even her experience with the blood crystals mirrored a drug addict's. Perhaps she had to let the past go and move on with the future, trusting that everything would work out (which she finally realized at the end). What a statement for someone like me who also suffers from anxiety.
Gaither excelled once again in her vivid imagery in both the fight and the smut scenes. Of note, I loved the Elander vs. Caden scene. Elander and Cas's private moment on the lilac hill just made me squeal. While Elander was no longer a shadowdaddy, we got a replacement when we experienced the dark powers of the upper god Malaphar.
Even though I missed Elander's shadowdaddy powers, he was still kicking ass like no other. His powers feeding Cas's sounded like Rowan and Aelin's carranam bond. At least it boosted both Elander and Cas as opposed to the one-sided boost Rowan gave Aelin.
Was not expecting tears in the last two chapters. This was supposed to be a boring placeholder building toward the ending!
Spice scale (as defined by Mysterious Galaxy):