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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I had so many expectations and high hopes after the MAGNIFICENCE of book 1. I feel this 2nd book has almost been used as a filler because nothing really happened.
There was no grovelling. NONE. No begging. God. I was expecting the biggest grovel of the century. I was expecting him to shower her with gifts and plead for mercy. Instead... he accepts she is his mate, starts growling a lot, and she accepts him being nice to her. Then all of a sudden they're kissing etc. No build up. No tension. The issues of the romance and grovel really let the book down.
Some spelling errors, and things can get a bit confusing. I felt there was a lot of info dumps. It made it hard to get through at times.
And then the ending... we hear about her brother and her fate. Urghhhh.
I'm glad I've read it. I look forward to the third. But I can't help feel a bit sad after how good book 1 was.
I hope book 3 brings some redemption to the series!
There was no grovelling. NONE. No begging. God. I was expecting the biggest grovel of the century. I was expecting him to shower her with gifts and plead for mercy. Instead... he accepts she is his mate, starts growling a lot, and she accepts him being nice to her. Then all of a sudden they're kissing etc. No build up. No tension. The issues of the romance and grovel really let the book down.
Some spelling errors, and things can get a bit confusing. I felt there was a lot of info dumps. It made it hard to get through at times.
And then the ending... we hear about her brother and her fate. Urghhhh.
I'm glad I've read it. I look forward to the third. But I can't help feel a bit sad after how good book 1 was.
I hope book 3 brings some redemption to the series!
A very hesitant ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I skipped through quite a bit of this book. There are so many words in here that just repeat what we already know and it makes the story drag. I ate up the first book and this one I had to force myself to finish. Honestly, this felt more filler-y then a continuation of book 1.
I skipped through quite a bit of this book. There are so many words in here that just repeat what we already know and it makes the story drag. I ate up the first book and this one I had to force myself to finish. Honestly, this felt more filler-y then a continuation of book 1.
Wow, that ending, the last pages, I’m in shock and absolutely heartbroken!!
This book was so beautifully written, I was hooked straight away! The relationship between Rooke and Soren was amazing now that he’s realised she isn’t the enemy, he’s finally letting his possessive unseelie flag fly
This book was so beautifully written, I was hooked straight away! The relationship between Rooke and Soren was amazing now that he’s realised she isn’t the enemy, he’s finally letting his possessive unseelie flag fly
3.75 ⭐️
Book I of this series left me with one of the biggest reading hangovers ever. Regardless of all of the issues with this one’s release, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. And it seemed very solid for the first 50%. Even 70%. I still liked it, but the last 30% had a handful of grammatical and formatting issues. Not to mention could have used some rework as chunks of text were essentially repeated from earlier in the book. I don’t even want to get into my thoughts on Pem being dead (while it was obvious from dialogue, it didn’t seem to match the tone from Book 1).
The story was good. I’m a sucker for this series…. But there were issues that probably could have been identified if there was additional editing or if the ARCs got reviewed.
Book I of this series left me with one of the biggest reading hangovers ever. Regardless of all of the issues with this one’s release, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. And it seemed very solid for the first 50%. Even 70%. I still liked it, but the last 30% had a handful of grammatical and formatting issues. Not to mention could have used some rework as chunks of text were essentially repeated from earlier in the book. I don’t even want to get into my thoughts on Pem being dead (while it was obvious from dialogue, it didn’t seem to match the tone from Book 1).
The story was good. I’m a sucker for this series…. But there were issues that probably could have been identified if there was additional editing or if the ARCs got reviewed.
After the train wreck of the first book, I couldn't turn away from what was sure to be an epic disaster so I read on. It was like I was daring myself to see if I could finish it. While this might be an improvement on the first book- there’s more dialogue and more plot, this is an objectively bad book. Like, a really, really bad book.
This thing is 683 pages. Maybe 200-300 pages of this actually matter and even those pages are bloated and over written. Maybe you think the author needs those pages to world build or set up plots, maybe you think she’s taking care to weave a story perfectly. You would be wrong. All she’s really doing is vomiting words onto the screen. She actually throws a huge chunk of her minimal world building away in this sequel. If you don't want spoilers, stop reading now because I'm gonna spoil at large below.
In the first book, our heroine, Rooke, breaks an old and extremely powerful curse that was cast over the fae- one that prevented them from having live births. The breaking of this curse is pivotal for Rooke and the entire fae population (not that the writer ever touches on the repercussions or what this means to anyone). We are told over and over and over again that no fae had been born for centuries. Except this book throws that away. We’re introduced to Thea, a young fae who is only about 40 years old. Rooke remarks on how surprising it is that she’s so young, because she shouldn’t have been born at all, but there’s no talk about what this means or that maybe there are other young fae. None of the other characters raise an eyebrow or discuss how this could be. The author wanted a new young character and that whole no live births thing was inconvenient so she ignored it. What a joke.
Nothing gets improved or built upon here. Rooke is still boring and passive with no sense of drive, urgency or passion, but now she’s suddenly overwhelmed by nightmares that she wants to hide from Soren. Strange how she never had nightmares in the last book, but don’t worry, we spend a lot of time with her worrying about Soren finding out in her dreams about what she went through in the war. Then she just decides it’s fine and he gets to sleep with her with their mind connection open and share her memories. While it’s really tough on Soren, once he sees what she went through, he comforts her and helps her through her PTSD from the war and she heals. Just kidding! NOTHING HAPPENS WITH THIS STORYLINE.
And don’t get me started on Soren’s character and the fated mate bond. He makes this remark towards the end of the book,
No matter what blood circles within my veins, which family crest I wear or the name I bear, no matter who raised me and taught me the ways of the world: one look at the female before me and I would covet her.
EXCEPT HE DIDN'T. In book 1, this bond was a minor annoyance to them and they could ignore it. They talked of other fated pairings that married but lived apart. Soren hated Rooke and went 660 pages without having a single full conversations with her. Fate wasn’t driving him nuts then, but now this bond is incredibly powerful. The author has no commitment to what she’s established and his indifference back then is also inconvenient now so the bond somehow can’t be resisted.
Rooke and Soren continue to be one of the most boring relationships I’ve ever read. Rooke ended the last book saying Soren was going to have to beg for her forgiveness. Does that happen? No, she almost immediately succumbs to his wishes. I’m not even sure he ever actually apologizes for his behavior. If someone went into this looking for some groveling, they’ll be sorely disappointed.
What little plot there is in this book is lackluster. Soren suddenly gets crazy powers. Rooke was apparently aware of this possibility and knew it would be super dangerous for him to come into them without any training. Does she warn anyone or offer to train him? That’s a big nope. No worries though, because Soren is just such a natural at this insane amount of magic that it never causes any drama anyway. You’d think that saying he could lose his mind would be foreshadowing, but this author isn’t about crafting story, so don’t stress. He has a single moment of blood lust towards the end but it's more like useful than it is dangerous for the other main characters. Oh and don’t think that they’re going to keep Soren’s power a secret of anything so they can surprise their enemies and more easily win this war. They’re just going to blab about them to everyone they meet.
The meandering in this book is also mind blowing. At one point Rooke enters a room with Thea and there’s a whole paragraph as she thinks about how she can’t offer Thea the comfortable chair that is usually in the room. This chair was used by another fae for nursing. Sadly, it’s not where it should be because it has been removed for cleaning after another nameless and irrelevant fae had a wound and bled all over it. WHY DO WE NEED THIS INFORMATION J BREE? WHY ARE YOU WASTING OUR TIME?
I don't get any of the love for this book. I've seen it recommended so many times and it defies all explanation. The characters are cardboard, the world building and political intrigue are boring and don't make sense, and the romance is pathetically terrible. I kept thinking that something might happen to make me understand, but nothing happens and nothing matters in this book. A total waste of time.
This thing is 683 pages. Maybe 200-300 pages of this actually matter and even those pages are bloated and over written. Maybe you think the author needs those pages to world build or set up plots, maybe you think she’s taking care to weave a story perfectly. You would be wrong. All she’s really doing is vomiting words onto the screen. She actually throws a huge chunk of her minimal world building away in this sequel. If you don't want spoilers, stop reading now because I'm gonna spoil at large below.
In the first book, our heroine, Rooke, breaks an old and extremely powerful curse that was cast over the fae- one that prevented them from having live births. The breaking of this curse is pivotal for Rooke and the entire fae population (not that the writer ever touches on the repercussions or what this means to anyone). We are told over and over and over again that no fae had been born for centuries. Except this book throws that away. We’re introduced to Thea, a young fae who is only about 40 years old. Rooke remarks on how surprising it is that she’s so young, because she shouldn’t have been born at all, but there’s no talk about what this means or that maybe there are other young fae. None of the other characters raise an eyebrow or discuss how this could be. The author wanted a new young character and that whole no live births thing was inconvenient so she ignored it. What a joke.
Nothing gets improved or built upon here. Rooke is still boring and passive with no sense of drive, urgency or passion, but now she’s suddenly overwhelmed by nightmares that she wants to hide from Soren. Strange how she never had nightmares in the last book, but don’t worry, we spend a lot of time with her worrying about Soren finding out in her dreams about what she went through in the war. Then she just decides it’s fine and he gets to sleep with her with their mind connection open and share her memories. While it’s really tough on Soren, once he sees what she went through, he comforts her and helps her through her PTSD from the war and she heals. Just kidding! NOTHING HAPPENS WITH THIS STORYLINE.
And don’t get me started on Soren’s character and the fated mate bond. He makes this remark towards the end of the book,
No matter what blood circles within my veins, which family crest I wear or the name I bear, no matter who raised me and taught me the ways of the world: one look at the female before me and I would covet her.
EXCEPT HE DIDN'T. In book 1, this bond was a minor annoyance to them and they could ignore it. They talked of other fated pairings that married but lived apart. Soren hated Rooke and went 660 pages without having a single full conversations with her. Fate wasn’t driving him nuts then, but now this bond is incredibly powerful. The author has no commitment to what she’s established and his indifference back then is also inconvenient now so the bond somehow can’t be resisted.
Rooke and Soren continue to be one of the most boring relationships I’ve ever read. Rooke ended the last book saying Soren was going to have to beg for her forgiveness. Does that happen? No, she almost immediately succumbs to his wishes. I’m not even sure he ever actually apologizes for his behavior. If someone went into this looking for some groveling, they’ll be sorely disappointed.
What little plot there is in this book is lackluster. Soren suddenly gets crazy powers. Rooke was apparently aware of this possibility and knew it would be super dangerous for him to come into them without any training. Does she warn anyone or offer to train him? That’s a big nope. No worries though, because Soren is just such a natural at this insane amount of magic that it never causes any drama anyway. You’d think that saying he could lose his mind would be foreshadowing, but this author isn’t about crafting story, so don’t stress. He has a single moment of blood lust towards the end but it's more like useful than it is dangerous for the other main characters. Oh and don’t think that they’re going to keep Soren’s power a secret of anything so they can surprise their enemies and more easily win this war. They’re just going to blab about them to everyone they meet.
The meandering in this book is also mind blowing. At one point Rooke enters a room with Thea and there’s a whole paragraph as she thinks about how she can’t offer Thea the comfortable chair that is usually in the room. This chair was used by another fae for nursing. Sadly, it’s not where it should be because it has been removed for cleaning after another nameless and irrelevant fae had a wound and bled all over it. WHY DO WE NEED THIS INFORMATION J BREE? WHY ARE YOU WASTING OUR TIME?
I don't get any of the love for this book. I've seen it recommended so many times and it defies all explanation. The characters are cardboard, the world building and political intrigue are boring and don't make sense, and the romance is pathetically terrible. I kept thinking that something might happen to make me understand, but nothing happens and nothing matters in this book. A total waste of time.
Where was Rooke from book 1??? And nary a grovel in sight. Very very disappointing given the set up that book 1 gave us. And this book needed about 200 pages to be edited out. No need for the length when nothing was happening. If I have to read “fate blessed mate” one more time. Good lord. I was honestly rooting for Reed to take Soren out. Not sure if book 3 will be worth the time. Why do authors set up something very well and then do nothing with it. It was like - “I hope you’re ready…for nothing” for 600 pages.
I jumped straight into this book from book 1 because I was READY to hear Soren grovel and beg Rooke for her forgiveness and affections. SPOILER: You won't get that. But... midway through the book, I completely understood why J Bree went the route she did. Rooke doesn't WANT him to grovel. She wants him to understand and accept her. And that's what Soren does. He listens. He's patient (well just with her). And he accepts her and all everything he needs to do to help bring the kingdom back.
This is a VERY slow burn from enemies to lovers. I'm enjoying the ride! She got me with the twist at the end. I'm excited to see how she wraps this series up in book 3.
This is a VERY slow burn from enemies to lovers. I'm enjoying the ride! She got me with the twist at the end. I'm excited to see how she wraps this series up in book 3.
What an incredible fantasy series! I was absolutely blown away by the end all over again, and I can’t wait for what’s to come.
One thing I will say though, is that this book needed a little more time to cook before release. Especially towards the end, there were quite a few grammar/spelling errors that at times made reading a bit confusing. I hope J takes her time without an announced date for the next one. I know Sarah A. Parker had a similar problem with the Crystal Bloom series and decided for book 4 to not give a release date until it was ready. I think that way the book gets all the time it really needs and there isn’t as much pressure. I think so much of the drama surrounding this book release could’ve been avoided that way too.
Ultimately, I adore this story and want it to be seen in the best light possible so that more readers will find and enjoy it. Because there’s so much to love and enjoy!
One thing I will say though, is that this book needed a little more time to cook before release. Especially towards the end, there were quite a few grammar/spelling errors that at times made reading a bit confusing. I hope J takes her time without an announced date for the next one. I know Sarah A. Parker had a similar problem with the Crystal Bloom series and decided for book 4 to not give a release date until it was ready. I think that way the book gets all the time it really needs and there isn’t as much pressure. I think so much of the drama surrounding this book release could’ve been avoided that way too.
Ultimately, I adore this story and want it to be seen in the best light possible so that more readers will find and enjoy it. Because there’s so much to love and enjoy!
A disappointing read for me. Slow pacing. Rooke is quite different in this book, not as head strong as in the first book. Soren gets off too easily in my opinion, doesn’t seem to deserve how fast his “redemption” was toward Rooke. (No apologies whatsoever) There was no built up with their relationship, it was just like bam Soren is possessive, jealous and somehow just end up together. Wish J Bree could have built it more, it all felt so rushed. Couldn’t take the romance seriously and it felt flat to me. Not a fan and honestly, not looking forward to the next book.
3.75 stars? Felt very long at times but ending has me wanting to read the third book already