write_of_passages's reviews
572 reviews

4.75 stars! A wonderful end to a brilliant series. I was so happy to come back to these characters. They are truly wonderful to read. While this book doesn't have the most golden moments between the trio, the energy and vibe is still so completely on point. I personally loved how Nash tackled the 'you're physically weaker/protective' trope in this story, since Adam spends some of the time without his powers and as human as he can be. It was a fascinating read to see how he handled that! And while we didn't have as many sexy moments between the trio, it also felt right with the overall plot and greater arc of the entire series. I wouldn't mind if we end up seeing more about them in novellas later on!

Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Absolutely!


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: The vibe is on point. Zee, Adam, and Victor are as lovable, hysterical, and adorable as they've been throughout the previous six books and there's little more to add to that. If you loved them then, you'll love them here. Hands down.



PLOT: We've hit the final part of the major arc! The ultimate showdown and battle occurs! There's a lot of feel-good moments where the trio become the heroes out in the open and take down Gideon Cain. If I had one qualm, it was that I wanted more when it came to the climactic events and final battle. Part of this is because we are in Adam's POV, which is always going to come with it's own shortcomings (re: we only get to experience what he does). As such, it ended up going very fast in my opinion; too quickly for seven books of lead-up. But I still adored it all and was whooping and cheering when Adam finally let his true self fly!



EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

3:5/medium. Thoroughly entertaining, no worries about being emotionally scarred, but with intensity that stems from being so in love with these characters for this long now.


CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 

90%. I did feel the climactic moment happened too quickly and the aftermath the same (part of that being a limitation from the POV, which I understand). But everything else was wrapped up and left me grinning and feeling quite triumphant!

 

A solid sequel in the trilogy. Incredibly fast-paced. I think it would have been slightly more enjoyable if I'd reread Stone Temptation first, as it took a little bit to get back into the world and even then I still couldn't quite remember everything, but I got there in the end! I'm definitely wishing that I'd waited to read this book until the final book arrived, however, because it has left us on quite the impressive cliffhanger!!


Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Yes!


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: I have moments with both Luke and Asher where I alternate between adoring them and rolling my eyes at them. I like to think that's a sign of some complex characters, even though sometimes the dialogue is slightly stilted (a Richard Amos staple that I've learned to skim past!). With this book, our fearless heroes are fighting their feelings (mostly worried it's too deep too fast), while Asher worries about sharing the secret he knows with Luke because of how Luke may react, while also knowing that he can't truly be with Luke when there are secrets between them. Sometimes Luke would do things that made me want to yell at him, and part of that was because he has some traits of a person that's been physically and emotionally abused (so possible trigger warning there). It's never explicitly stated and I don't think Luke himself realizes it, but as a reader I can see the signs. That being said, when the secret does finally come out, I was so impressed with Luke as a character that I fell in love with him all over again. In the end, they end up closer and further away than ever, but I'm keen to see how they will truly solidify their relationship in the final book!





PLOT: We pick up right where book one leaves off and its off to the races. We truly barely stop to breathe. I think my watch last night was telling me to calm down because my stress levels were high while I was lying in bed reading. More secrets come to light as this plot with Ember develops, and we finish this book with a rather explosive reveal that I personally didn't see coming! This was a wild ride all the way through to the end and I can only imagine what the final book will be like. If I know anything about Richard Amos, it'll leave me utterly breathless.




EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

3/5: medium. A wild ride that didn't leave me worried that the stakes would be too high, nor were they themes that had my heart racing. Thoroughly entertaining!


CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 

70%. Makes sense for a middle book in a series. I didn't feel we had a true climactic moment and then denouement because of how the reveal occurred. But I still really enjoyed the book and am grateful that in a few cases we didn't fall into any trope traps! 

A series start with all the trademarks of an Ariana Nash book. Overall, this book feels epic, with sweeping themes and a massive battle that's been raging for centuries serving as the backdrop to this tale. Within this battle are an angel and a demon who shouldn't have feelings for each other, but that's what happens, completely accidentally. We're gifted with the negotiation of their feelings and changing relationship even as the tides start to turn in the battle. Meanwhile, their love/hate is at one point on opposite sides. Truly the most fascinating part is watching them battle their inner demons (pun intended) and figure out what to follow, how to work with emotions, what's right, what's wrong, and how they can actually change the tide of battle for good. The setting and world-building feel a little sparse, giving a nebulous quality to the story which in a weird way lends weight to the epic nature of the tale. I do wish we'd had more grounding in actual surroundings so the story felt more solid, but overall, this is just a small wish! Well worth the read. Be aware, though, if you're not into miscommunication tropes and internal relationship issues, this may not be the book for you, especially with how it ends.



Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Sure!


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: The characters are fascinating, which is the in that kept me wanting to read them. Severn has a deep hatred for Mikhail, yet he's been his right hand man for a decade, so the situation is instantly intriguing, especially because of all the secrets he keeps. Mikhail as a guardian angel (note: similar to archangel Michael, I believe), is immensely powerful and the leader who has kept Aerie (the angel city built above London). His success hinges on his inability to feel emotions (which definitely changes as part of the conflict). Somewhere within their decades long relationship, the strong emotions (heh) between them are muddled and neither can correctly identify which it is: love/hate/etc. But after a mate bond between them, they're forced to contend with this new complication in the midst of the epic battle that's been raging for ages between Angels and Demons. They're surprisingly complex, as characters, and watching Mikhail contend with emotions when he has no emotional propensity is utterly fascinating to read.



PLOT: The main plot is definitely the friends/(secret)enemies-to-lovers between Severn and Mikhail, nestled within an overarching epic ongoing battle plot between angels and demons that's taking place in/above a war-torn London. With dual POV, we get a chance to see how the two characters tick, and how they come to grips with the allyance (mate bond) between them and all the scary feelZ(TM) that come with it. Deception wars with trust, love wars with hatred, morals are fast and loose and the steamy scenes are incredibly steamy (Ariana Nash is a master at these). I did feel sometimes that the plot bogged down a little bit with those steamy scenes, however, because it messed up the pacing as the tension racked up towards the end. Ultimately, it felt like by the end of the book we ended up right back where we started, except with the trust/hatred position flipped between the MMCs and a battle between 'good' and 'evil' that desperately wants to take center stage and hopefully will do so by book two!



EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 

50%. And this is likely due to personal preference. This is a series that ends with the main pairing as enemies due to miscommunication and refusal to talk/have a sit down and listen, which means the second book will focus on them getting back together before we go back to the overarching plot of the story. The climactic event centered around secrets coming to light as well, which for me meant the climax didn't feel as fulfilling as I'd like. I'll probably eventually read the rest of the series, but knowing book two will center around them being enemies getting their s*** together leaves me less excited to read book two. But if this type of drama is up your alley then read on! 

 I was surprised to find that the tagline actually reveals the climax of the plot, rather than the inciting event. Regardless, still a really fun take on the bodyguard relationship trope. Two very lovable MCs with daddy issues coming from two very different walks of life who end up having so much in common. Deeper themes than originally expected, which lends a complex quality and depth to this high-stakes, medium-paced adventure. I instantly connected with both main characters and although in my opinion some of the criminal aspect of the plot felt not-quite-believable, and the climactic event could have had more time on the page to balance the extended denouement, I still very much enjoyed this book!



Would I go back in time and still read this book, knowing what I know now?
Definitely!



 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book




CHARACTERS: Elijah and Luke are instantly likeable. They’re both placed in positions that have them stepping out of their control and comfort zones, seemingly without any options on their parts. Luke forced to take over his father’s billion-dollar real estate business after doing everything in his life to distance himself from it, and Elijah forced to rejudge his own values when his judgement comes up against the rules he’s hidden behind for so long. Both of them come from very different financial walks of life, so I adored seeing how incredibly similar they both were. Money didn’t matter when it came to paternal abuse (not on screen). They both still share those scars and throughout this book, how those scars are still effecting them come to light so they can be healed. It’s a truly exquisite journey to read in regard to their character growth. Additionally, despite the age gap (27/37), Eli and Luke are wonderfully equal in their pairing. They have complementary strengths and end up helping each other out, rather than it only being very one-sided. This is perhaps my favorite part, because it is so easy to have them fall into tropes given their career positions, but that’s not the case. So this is a HUGE kudos on my end!




PLOT: Medium-paced, Eli and Luke are forced to work together (and yet also choose it, based upon extenuating circumstances). As they fight to uncover the threat against Luke’s life as well as the WHY behind it, Eli and Luke are also grappling with growing feelings for one another. Being together, each of them is a catalyst for buried memories and healing that they both end up going through by the end of the story. This is a plot of love, loss, danger and daddy-issues, families and what exactly constitutes a family, what is important, what it means to be successful. The plot blends together relationship moments with intense action moments rather perfectly, culminating in an ending that is just shy of that perfect high point, but with an actual denouement to wrap things up.




EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

2:5/low. Not fully a beach read, but definitely a book with enough depth and complexity to feel rather immersive.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 


90%. As always, I wished for a higher climactic moment that felt balanced with how the rest of the plot played out. The immediate aftermath is skipped over, which would have really given me a moment to revel in everything they achieved, but there is a denouement where everything is wrapped up neatly. I finished this one almost completely content!
 

4.5 stars. A slower-paced, immersive paranormal whodunit that shines because of the rarity in the way the POV/world-building works. Werewolves are real in this world, but most humans don't know they exist. Even our main character, who has found out they exist, doesn't really know how their culture/species works, and so we really look at werewolves from an outsider's perspective! I adored this. Cooper and Oliver are fascinating, complex characters, and their slow-burn relationship is impeccably done. Although I did wish for more of a climactic moment/aftermath than the build-up set us up for, the whole book is well worth the read and I'm excited to move on to the next book in the series!



Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Absolutely!


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: Our MC is Cooper Dayton, an ex-FBI agent who moved to the BSI (Bureau of Supernatural Investigation) after a wolf attack that left him with a fascinating injury (one that really spoke to me, since it involves the stomach!). He's a prickly bastard who always has his guard up because he's constantly being forced to prove himself and defend his life choices from his family. He's competent and complex, especially in dealing with his understanding of werewolves based on his past and present experiences with them. Though we don't have his POV, our other MC is Oliver Park, who I truly adore. He's an alpha in a very understated way. Masterfully portrayed at how innate and natural it is for him. I love his temperament the most and the dichotomy between their dispositions. They're wonderfully realistic and easy to sympathize with. Even though we still don't have all the answers by the end of this book, we get enough to truly want more.


PLOT: Working together as the first wolf/human pair between the BSI and the Trust (Wolf government), Cooper and Oliver are sent to a small town in Maine to investigate murders that look suspiciously like werewolf attacks. Throughout the mystery, they're both forced to reckon with their worldviews changing after being in such close proximity with each other. The push and pull of the developing relationship mirrors the one step forward, two steps sideways of their investigation. The plot remains fairly slow-paced, yet it works well because we have such compelling characters to follow.



EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

3:5/medium. I think it could have been higher if certain plot points were heightened, but this was still a solidly immersive read with a HFN.




CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 

75%. As always, I was disappointed in the final climactic moment and aftermath, as both felt they missed the high mark that the rest of the plot builds up to. However, we're still only in book one and I think things wrapped up just well enough to leave me content and eager to read book two without cliffhangers! 

A book slightly outside of my wheelhouse that I nonetheless enjoyed! I imagine this one as though Jane Austen wrote a queer high fantasy set during the Regency era in that world. Slow-paced, the writing is very 'tell' versus 'show', which sometimes took away from the intensity of the plot in my opinion. This is also a very slow burn. As in: enemies-to-friends is the extent of their relationship in this book. I found myself sometimes wishing the book would go a little faster (which could be a personal preference, because I usually read fast-paced), and other times wishing that we weren't so stuck in a past first-person POV in which Leo is very much telling the story in hindsight to us, which made the story less immersive to me. But overall, when we finally hit the climactic moment, I was thrilled that we actually got a good one that fit the build-up of the story. Huge kudos for that! I finished the book content.




Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Sure!


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: Leo and Grimm are in many ways your delightfully typical rivals: rich/poor, grumpyish/sunshineish, serious/lighthearted. In many ways they reminded me of The Unlikely Pair in terms of the rivalry and dichotomy between them. Rivals at magic school, (The Fount), reckless gentry-boy Leo doesn't want to be there but is forced by his father to go, whereas Sebastian comes from a farming family and essentially got a scholarship to the school because of his prowess. They butt heads throughout the first four years of school and by this fifth year, they're forced to work together in one class and end up entwined because of a curse. The scenes where they're interacting are highlights, for sure, and thankfully a large portion of the book is just that.




PLOT: As rival schoolmates forced to work together, communication between Leo and Grimm isn't a strong suit and they end up accidentally stuck together (figuratively) through a dangerous curse that could get them both expelled (or worse) if found out. Forced outside of school to find a counterspell for it, Leo and Grimm embark on a quest into the Unquiet Wood to find a mysterious sorceress who supposedly can help them. Although slow-paced, there were only a couple of times I felt the plot dragged a bit too much. But overall, the journey was well worth it as a reader. Although I will admit to being surprised by the end how little their relationship had developed. This is not a bad thing. As mentioned, it's incredibly slow-burn so this book only gets them from rivals-to-friends.



EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.


2:5/low. I believe this book is meant to be a cozy read, on one hand, and on the other hand, we have Leo 'telling' the reader the story, which kept me from connecting as deeply and immersing myself because of how evident the fourth wall is. Entertaining with stakes that are high for the book but low for the reader.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 


90%. A huge kudos to the author for ensuring that we get the whole story by the end (re: there's a moment that Leo doesn't know, but he ensures the reader finds out what he learns). While I personally would have wished for a little bit more development in their relationship by the end, I still finished this one mostly content. 

A really fun read right up until the very end. I enjoyed the characters and they felt fresh and different as well as complex. The plot was fascinating and fast, careening us towards a really brilliant climax and ending only to crash and burn and leave me absolutely bewildered and disappointed.



Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Maybe. I enjoyed the book and truly hated the lack of an ending.



 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: Hector and Killian are really interesting characters. Killian, as clan chief of the Cranes, has spent his entire life at war, to the detriment of actually 'living' and enjoying the beauty in things. Despite all that, he has an impressive head on his shoulders and is wonderfully compassionate. He's a true leader without needing to exert that influence, which is impressive when it's achieved in writing! As for Hector, he's the firstborn struggling with feelings of not belonging, being left behind, failure, especially when he's comparing himself to his younger siblings. What he's feeling is highly relatable and it's impossible not to sympathize with his plight. He struggles to find his place in the world and rebuild his confidence back up and Killian is the perfect help for that. They go together so well and I adored watching their relationship grow.



PLOT: On the one hand we have the personal growth journeys for Hector and Killian, we also have the romantic aspect with their developing relationship, and finally the external conflict building throughout involving incursions by the Southerners past the wall, which is where Killian has spent his entire life and focus. Fast-paced with world-building that continues to add on from book one, the stakes are high and build up so well only to spectacularly crash at the end. We crest that climactic moment only for it to basically 'poof' away in a blink. I was left shocked, bewildered, confused, and then ultimately disappointed.




EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.


2:5/low. Wonderful read with just enough intensity to keep me interested and invested.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 

25%. The MCs get their HEA. But again, the ending and lack of a climactic moment and 'final battle' per se took so much away from the story. I was so disappointed and frustrated. 

This book has some really great worldbuilding and characters, though some areas of the plot and pacing felt wanting. A really fun start that juuuuuust missed that extra bit of magic needed to truly bring it to life. We have triple 3rd-person POV (the two love interests and a third), which also creates a really fascinating dynamic. The book ultimately brings together Cym and Fourteen, and then brings them together with Marshall, Adelle, and Jack. So we have the beginnings of a really fascinating found family. There are no steamy scenes (which, based on the kissing and semi-frottage scenes we did get, I think it's best that there weren't any steamy scenes). As romantic partners I could see their characters slipping into trope roles (that make no sense for their characters) just in the moments we do get in the book. This urban fantasy world is so full of magic that sometimes it borderlined too much information needed, and other times the pacing of the book would get all wonky because we were dealing with moments where time could be slowed, for example. But the book itself was very immersive and I absolutely enjoyed it.





Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Yes.


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: Fourteen is fascinating. I personally haven't seen anyone written quite like him yet. A lot of who (what?) he is remains a mystery even by the end of this novel, but he has a horrifying backstory that's left him with something akin to a broken soul and mind. He's part human, part machine, and coming into contact with Cym starts to shake things loose. But his POV is one of the best to read, in my opinion, simply because of the way he IS. The author absolutely nailed him. Marshall's POV came as a surprise, but most of what I found interesting about his POV came from the dynamic established between Marshall, his sister Addie, and his best friend Jack (I have a feeling that's going to develop into more). Jack is personally my favorite of all the characters. Marshall, Jack, and Fourteen are all similarly tall and fairly large men, so there is a certainly commonality between the three which is fascinating to read, especially the dichotomy between Marshall and Fourteen: They're both highly skilled and able to kill and wield power quite easily, so to see how they go about that is really brilliant.

As for Cym: an entire class could write a term paper for Gender Studies 101 when it comes to his character. In sum: he wasn't my favorite. The author mentions changing the gender of Cym's character from female to male at the beginning in the A/N (which is awesome!). That being said, perhaps because I knew that information, I felt a lot of his characteristics came across as either 'lazy'/didn't feel like changing it or took me out of the story with a reminder that the author changed his gender. So where his characteristics may be seen as complex and different in another book, for me it kept knocking me out of the story because it felt like moments I could see the author's hand at work. For example: he's super short. Shorter than every single male and female character in the story, and we are constantly reminded of this. Additionally, he's referred to as a kid, despite being 19, by everyone else. Sure, eventually that changes a bit, but the damage is done for me as a reader. Then we have him being a runaway wearing "a pink tank top and white yoga pants." And Fourteen finding a pink sparkly Hello Kitty zip-up and deciding that would be best for Cym even though they're on the run and he goes on and on about needing to be wearing dark clothing all the time. All of these instances together left me at a disconnect from his character.




PLOT: Cym and Fourteen collide while Cym is on the run from his family and Fourteen is on an assassination mission. The two end up running and sticking together because their connection isn't all as it seems. The plot is medium-paced even though it starts up right away. Then we shift between medium- and slow-paced, alternating between three POVs. The plot is comprised of mystery, running away/quest, and a little romance on the side. In the end, our main characters all finally find their way together and succeed, only to be left with the set-up for the next antagonist at the very end of the book.




EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

3:5/medium. I think the way it's written keeps this one at a level that's entertaining without taking too much out of me. I appreciated that, because this one could absolutely have been quite a lot more intense if it had been written slightly differently.




CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 


50%. Even though we aren't left with a cliffhanger, there is a LOT that remains unanswered, including things that I would have wished to be answered by the end of this book, rather than later. Even when we learn the title for Cym's brand of magic, we never get an answer to exactly how it works, for example. Or the mystery of Fourteen's 'modifications'. It appears Marshall et. al. know something, so to not have that given to us here was a bit frustrating. And finally, the climactic moment felt like a plunk of a coin in a bucket, compared to the tsunami surge of the build up. 

This is my favorite of the series so far. The MCs are the most dynamic, quirky and complex, and their relationship progresses in a way that feels the most natural. Additionally, the plot itself was my favorite of the three so far as well. Of course, I still wish we had more chances to delve into this world, because it is a world meant to be complex, but we simply don't get enough of the lore to really immerse ourselves. On a plus side, even though we follow a different pairing each book, the universe involves the characters we meet in the previous books, so with each book we have more exposure to previous characters and get to know them better.




Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Sure.


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: As mentioned, I think Petru and Bash are the most dynamic MCs we've had yet. They are quirky and feel real, even if we don't get as much backstory as I'd wish to have to really bring them to life. For example, Petru's appearance (I think) was described in a previous book, but here, there is absolutely no physical description except that he's big/tall and has changing eye colors. For me, that keeps me at a distance when I can't even tell you anything else about his appearance. However, it is really sweet to see how genuinely terrible he is at expressing emotions and therefore the way he says things ends up being rather unintentionally humorous. Bash also feels the most fleshed out of all the characters as well. He looks young, sure, but we have his description, we're constantly being told what funny saying is on the t-shirt he's wearing, he's into meditation and helping others, for example. We actually get a sense of likes and dislikes as well. And the way they come together feels the most realistic as well. We have time (given they're both introduced in previous books), to develop into a pairing of strangers-to-lovers and we get to watch them. I appreciated this very much.




PLOT: We have another chosen one (I love this trope!) when Bash finds out he's the last seer and one of the most powerful in existence (backstory we're given in a prologue). However, this means he's in danger from forces that wish to destroy him and take his power. When they converge on Black Veil, Bash and our trusty family (Cain, Jayce, Petru, Emil, Aldritch, etc.) work together with him to protect not only their city, but Bash as well. Throughout, we get to see the romance between Bash and Petru as well as more developments in Jayce as he learns his magic. He and Bash are fairly similar in that way, which sets us up well for future books (I think!).



EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

1:5/low. Another great beach read that follows the intensity of the previous books.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 

75%. HEA. Too low in intensity to give me a true fulfillment, but I finished this one not frustrated! 

My review for this book is similar to book one. I mostly read this one to distract my mind without an emotional connection. I did not connect with these characters either and although we got more world building, it simply wasn't enough for me to become fully invested in the story and plot.




Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Maybe? Again, I'd go for the Haven Hart series first.


 See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: This is an interesting situation with the characters. We meet the Emperor of the Dragons, Aldrich, and if I'm quite honest, I have no idea why he was chosen to become the emperor of the dragons. It's not simply hereditary and there is a sacrifice involved for it to occur and nothing about his character really made me instinctively understand why he had the position. As for Emil, he's the most likeable of all of the characters so far (save one, who I think we are following in book three). But overall, their relationship felt very much the same as the first book. Even though they're 'fated', there simply wasn't any time to feel that the connection between them developed organically and felt realistic. I also skimmed the romance scenes here as well because I wasn't invested in the characters so much as the plot, and the romance scenes were very cliche overall, so I wasn't missing anything there, as it didn't feel like it fit the characters.




PLOT: This time the dragons come to Black Veil asking for help in saving one of their own who happens to be imprisoned in Black Veil by a new threat. The vampires and dragons end up working together to face off against this evil while Aldrich and Emil develop their romantic relationship throughout. This one had just a little bit more stakes, but the intensity is similar to book one and is over far too quickly to really feel a sense of achievement and fulfillment.




EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.


1:5/low. Again, another great beach read for those of us who don't read a traditional 'beach read' book!



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled? 


25%. HEA, yes. But again, no emotional connection established so everything is wrapped up and done. Great distraction for the overwhelmed mind.