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prashiie's review against another edition
- 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
I didn’t expect to finish this book so fast. It was amazing and I will tell you why! Kiva goes to Vallenia with Jaren and Tipp, where she meets the Vallentis family, her sworn enemy. It seems they are not as bad as she’s been told. Despite their own problems, the royal family is inherently a loving family, akin to a normal family. Their acceptance and trust in Kiva are astounding and somewhat unexpected. This complicates her task further and, as expected, Kiva is torn between the two sides. She learns more about both sides and discovers some very interesting things about her own family. Prepare yourself for another set of twists. After reading the first book I was expecting there to be twists and I must say, they lived up to expectations. It seems that even outside of Zalindov’s walls the only person you can trust is yourself.
This book introduces us to more characters and one of my favourite, aside from Jaren (duh), is definitely Nanna Delora. This lady just wants to be left in peace to enjoy her book club with some scones. That woman is a vibe. I’m sure my fellow readers can also relate!
Another favourite character of mine is Caldon. This guy has great intuition and there's so much more to him than we think! Queen Ariana also deserves a special mention. She’s a loving mother who cares so much about her children. She gives them a shoulder to cry on and devotes her time to hearing them out. However, she still struggles with her addiction to Angeldust though. It's very mature of Jaren and Mirryn to remember that it's the drug and not the user. It’s one thing to hear Jaren mentioning it, but another to experience it through Kiva’s eyes. That was super scary and heartbreaking.
Overall it was a well-written book, definitely a page turner. I love the way this story is told and how everything is connected. I couldn't stop reading. It was a tense book with some wholesome & hopeful moments but also some really frustrating moments.
I am so excited to read the next, and final, book! Kiva might not have turned on Jaren, but as far as he knows she did lie to him and betray his trust. I wonder if there’s still hope for them…
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Drug use, and Death
Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, Confinement, and Death of parent
Minor: Murder and War
rinku's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Violence, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Confinement, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
christina_chen's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Rape, Torture, Police brutality, Death of parent, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual violence, and Slavery
vi08's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use
Moderate: Child abuse
maregred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Death, Emotional abuse, and Addiction
Minor: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Blood, Drug abuse, Rape, and War
scarlettskyes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Violence, and Addiction
Moderate: Terminal illness
nitya_a's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Kidnapping