Okay, so...I didn't hate this book as much as I thought I was going to. I had BIG beef with the last book. Mostly because it's hard to cope with the fact that the witch of prophecy who is supposedly SUPER DUPER powerful can't access or control her powers. And in this book, she's not much better. HOWEVER, the end of the book redeemed this by providing the reason why her powers were bound, thank God. But, my god, was it painfully slow getting there. 

I agree with another reviewer that much of this book should have been cut out and thrown into a novella. I won't lie, I am generally living for the romantic subplot...but this book focused far too long on the side characters coupling up and spent too much time away from the central storyline. 

I also agree with other reviewers on Lukas as a character, he was

dead long before he was gone.

I recently watched a TikTok on the use of love triangles in YA books about how it is used to represent two different paths the main character can take, and I felt it was a miss for this book. Instead of allowing Elloren to make a choice between two different paths, in several cases in this book the choice is made FOR her.

Yvan died so I'll be with Lukas for safety. I'll be with Lukas because of this sense of duty that is linked to my corrupt religion. Wait, Lukas died and he told me to be with Yvan for safety. So I'll share his dragon kiss.

Like in the hunger games, I understand not being able to give in to your desires because of trauma, but here we have the (allegedly) most powerful mage ever binding herself to men for protection. gross. 

Regardless of my criticism, I still had a nice time and I like Julia Whelan's voice. I have hopes for the next book now that certain developments in the plot have happened. Please, Laurie Forest, for the love of god, let the

love triangle stay dead!