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kdepuy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, War, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, and Emotional abuse
maistfu's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
was blown away by the things that happened at the end of this book. I adored the time kieran and poppy had together. the adventure/action vs worldbuilding and information was great but there are still a few things that bothered me.
!!! spoilers ahead !!!
1) in the first 3 books we get so many secondary characters, like delano, niall, emil, vonetta etc. but in TWOTQ we barely get anything about them. of course I'm happy that kieran and poppy's relationship developed more in this one but I would've loved more of the others too. especially since tawny appeared again too.
2) the way poppy's parentage and powers keep changing each book is getting kinda weird and very confusing. I get that it's a big universe with a lot of new information but I can't keep up.
3) there was such a good opportunity for the joining to become a relationship between kieran, poppy and casteel but it didn't happen. the joining felt off to me. they've all expressed deep seeted love for one another but somehow kieran and casteel didn't even kiss once but both had sex with poppy...? it just doesn't seem right to me. the author could've done so much better but she didn't.
4) building further on the missed opportunities: kieran and reaver had such chemistry and banter and literally nothing came from it.
anyway, I enjoyed it but it was lacking in many departments.
!!! spoilers ahead !!!
1) in the first 3 books we get so many secondary characters, like delano, niall, emil, vonetta etc. but in TWOTQ we barely get anything about them. of course I'm happy that kieran and poppy's relationship developed more in this one but I would've loved more of the others too. especially since tawny appeared again too.
2) the way poppy's parentage and powers keep changing each book is getting kinda weird and very confusing. I get that it's a big universe with a lot of new information but I can't keep up.
3) there was such a good opportunity for the joining to become a relationship between kieran, poppy and casteel but it didn't happen. the joining felt off to me. they've all expressed deep seeted love for one another but somehow kieran and casteel didn't even kiss once but both had sex with poppy...? it just doesn't seem right to me. the author could've done so much better but she didn't.
4) building further on the missed opportunities: kieran and reaver had such chemistry and banter and literally nothing came from it.
anyway, I enjoyed it but it was lacking in many departments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Confinement, Murder, Violence, and Cursing
Moderate: Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, and Emotional abuse
ohgodsash's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Murder, Gore, Death, Physical abuse, War, and Blood
abicaro17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
holy shit. this was significantly better than the last book! I had my fears but it definitely proved me wrong. Once again this book falls victim to a action packed beginning and end but a relatively boring middle. I think Poppy is wayyy too overpowered in terms of where we started. I will say though between the end, the joining, the Poppy & Castiel reunion, and Tawney I have a lot of positives too. Which is why the book is rated as high as it is. While this book falls victim to a lot of the pitfalls of the 2nd and 3rd book, it is entertaining as hell and FINALLY answers series long questions (despite how ridiculous some answers are).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Emotional abuse, Torture, Confinement, Alcohol, Classism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, War, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Violence
roget's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
1.0
This reads like a crack fic.
This series would be so much stronger if space that was given to all the tone-ignorant quipping and pages of unnecessarily aggressive, uncomfortable exchanges were instead given to expanding the lore.
The real plot is crammed into info-dumps in dialogue—just like, lecture after lecture of some being or another backtracking like “Well, ACTUALLY…” and then re-explaining lore and ancient relationships that’d already been explained and re-explained half a dozen times but apparently incorrectly. The consort? Interesting plot line. I wish we’d have gotten more of that development.
The Malik-Poppy backstory reveal was absolutely undercut by the series’s penchant for throwing gossip girl-style shocking “twists” at us every five minutes, not to mention the tonally inconsistent suggestive and situationally abhorrent illicit comments. The series isn’t respectful to Kieren, either. He’s basically treated like Poppy’s arm candy this book, and Poppy’s character is shockingly undynamic given the many, many changes she’s been through. She’s still acting like the angry, impulsive, and brash kid who’s playing at power without really understanding it.
The pacing is weird.
It takes them over half the book to rescue Cas, then it’s a large chunk of just adult scenes—the most awkward of which occur in the house of a set of resistance people who take them in and offer shelter only to be melted by Isbeth once Poppy and Cas are done using their familial home as a love shack.
As for the content…
There are numerous mature scenes, and if you’re not up for that, you’ll find yourself paging through them frustratedly and wading through neverending passages of violence as you wait for eons for an update about the more integral parts of the plot.
I’m interested to know more about the primals and their clearly warped family tree. I want Poppy to return to Ileesium. I want to see more of those dynamics unfold. I wish the book would spend more time and nuance developing that and Poppy herself.
Kind of just reading to find out what happens and how it wraps up at this point, which is disheartening. I’m sure some people find this series fun or entertaining, but the issues have sort of spoiled it for me, at least.
This series would be so much stronger if space that was given to all the tone-ignorant quipping and pages of unnecessarily aggressive, uncomfortable exchanges were instead given to expanding the lore.
The real plot is crammed into info-dumps in dialogue—just like, lecture after lecture of some being or another backtracking like “Well, ACTUALLY…” and then re-explaining lore and ancient relationships that’d already been explained and re-explained half a dozen times but apparently incorrectly. The consort? Interesting plot line. I wish we’d have gotten more of that development.
The Malik-Poppy backstory reveal was absolutely undercut by the series’s penchant for throwing gossip girl-style shocking “twists” at us every five minutes, not to mention the tonally inconsistent suggestive and situationally abhorrent illicit comments. The series isn’t respectful to Kieren, either. He’s basically treated like Poppy’s arm candy this book, and Poppy’s character is shockingly undynamic given the many, many changes she’s been through. She’s still acting like the angry, impulsive, and brash kid who’s playing at power without really understanding it.
The pacing is weird.
As for the content…
I’m interested to know more about the primals and their clearly warped family tree. I want Poppy to return to Ileesium. I want to see more of those dynamics unfold. I wish the book would spend more time and nuance developing that and Poppy herself.
Kind of just reading to find out what happens and how it wraps up at this point, which is disheartening. I’m sure some people find this series fun or entertaining, but the issues have sort of spoiled it for me, at least.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, War, and Torture
fireinherveinzz's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’m sick of the plot twists at this point , it’s getting really old like poppy would have been enough and worthy just being a mortal and didn’t need all these extra super special super powers or finding our she’s the the chosen one in this prophecy. or oh great she has a long lost sister who she didn’t get to bond or interact with at all after losing her brother . Also the joining scene definitely overhyped to be way more than it actually is . She’s not cheating on or lying to Casteel it’s consentual and healthy communication even when she was feeding from Kiernan which she was forced to do to survive and was extremely reluctant to. She didn’t have sex with him without Casteel there . People really got all up in arms about this for no reason. When really this story had other issues . It just kinda dragged out with some light hearted comedic moments and a lot of violence and torture and scenes of aftermath of mass murder of children etc which JLA seems to be found of . Then the anti climatic moment of her ending her mothers life after all that build up over how scary powerful she was just. I love how this story started in the first couple books now this is getting really dull and not interesting anymore . JLA over relying on plot twist and random reveals that just won’t stop happening to make the story interesting does not in fact make for an interesting story . The only scene I truly loved was Poppy being assertive about deciding she what she would wear to see her abuser her biological mother and not the former white dress she was forced to wear or she would show up naked . That should have been the energy of the death scene or punishing Isbeth some other way it just wasnt that satisfying.
She kept saying she didn’t want to turn into her or become like a god who demolished cities and killed innocents . But acted really selfishly and like a brat at times .
I don’t see how much more this story can get dragged out for .
She kept saying she didn’t want to turn into her or become like a god who demolished cities and killed innocents . But acted really selfishly and like a brat at times .
I don’t see how much more this story can get dragged out for .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, War, Racism, Pedophilia, Death, Murder, Blood, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Body horror
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Murder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Confinement, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Gore
Moderate: Cursing, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Death of parent
kodafaith's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
While this wasn’t my favorite in the series, I did find it so good! Expanding on the world and the lore was really fun and leaves you so excited for future books.
I do find it funny how much hate JLA has gotten for something she literally has hinted at for the entire series and think people need to take a step back. There is absolutely no need to be horrible to an author just because you didn’t enjoy what happened, just don’t read the books!
I personally have been waiting for the joining to occur because you can’t tease me like that! And I thought that the relationship between Poppy and Kieran doesn’t feel like one of infidelity but more like a natural bond between them. I feel like if it was anyone else it wouldn’t feel okay but the way Cas and Kieran are together makes it feel okay. I don’t know where the relationship between all of them will go in the future but I imagine it will be similar to how it was before they joined. That they will all be close and playful but it will still be just Cas and Poppy and maybe Kieran will join sometimes but not just Poppy and Kieran. But I personally think that if all parties are okay with it, then there is nothing wrong with the relationships they form!
I found this book great and I’m so excited to learn more about the histories and see how this war plays out. I can’t wait for more books to be out!
I do find it funny how much hate JLA has gotten for something she literally has hinted at for the entire series and think people need to take a step back. There is absolutely no need to be horrible to an author just because you didn’t enjoy what happened, just don’t read the books!
I found this book great and I’m so excited to learn more about the histories and see how this war plays out. I can’t wait for more books to be out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Child death, Blood, Murder, Violence, War, and Confinement
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Physical abuse
_katrinareads_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Blood, Death, and Emotional abuse
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