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adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture
adventurous
medium-paced
I loved The Serpent and the wings of night, and I don't know what took me so long to finish the ashes, and the star cursed King because this book was even better!
The plot, the characters, and the romance it all came together so beautifully in this book. Also, I'm a sucker for a good vampire story!
I highly recommend this!
Overall ☆☆☆☆☆/5
Spice ☆☆☆/5
Audio ☆☆☆☆☆/5 narrators are Amanda Leigh Cobb & Aiden Snow
The plot, the characters, and the romance it all came together so beautifully in this book. Also, I'm a sucker for a good vampire story!
I highly recommend this!
Overall ☆☆☆☆☆/5
Spice ☆☆☆/5
Audio ☆☆☆☆☆/5 narrators are Amanda Leigh Cobb & Aiden Snow
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Blood, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief
Minor: Torture
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
It’s hard to explain all the feelings that this book made me feel because I felt so much! I completely lost myself in the world and the characters joy, fear, love, and pain all felt so real. And I had moments while reading where I absolutely SOBBED, which any reader will tell you is usually the sign of a great book.
I love both Raihn and Oraya and I’m so glad that this book showed their dual point of views because they were definitely both needed. They are one of my favorite fictional couples of all time now and this series has also definitely cemented itself in my list if all-time favorites!
I’m also really glad that I read Six Scorched Roses before starting this book because Vale and Lilith’s story was so relevant. If you’re thinking of moving onto this book after finishing book 1, stop and go back to Six Scorched Roses first, and then come back!
I’m so happy I read this book because I truly loved every moment of the experience, but I’m also sad it’s over cause I still need more. I’m looking forward to whenever the next duology in this series is finally released!
I love both Raihn and Oraya and I’m so glad that this book showed their dual point of views because they were definitely both needed. They are one of my favorite fictional couples of all time now and this series has also definitely cemented itself in my list if all-time favorites!
I’m also really glad that I read Six Scorched Roses before starting this book because Vale and Lilith’s story was so relevant. If you’re thinking of moving onto this book after finishing book 1, stop and go back to Six Scorched Roses first, and then come back!
I’m so happy I read this book because I truly loved every moment of the experience, but I’m also sad it’s over cause I still need more. I’m looking forward to whenever the next duology in this series is finally released!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Grief
I'd spend a lifetime at the tip of your blade, and it would have been worth it.
AGHHHH!! This book was so hard to write a review for because in many ways it is the perfect example of a sequel not quite living up to the sky-high expectations of the first book. The Serpent and the Wings of Night had me absolutely ENTHRALLED, GAGGED, DISTRESSED, FOAMING AT THE MOUTH... all the things. Without giving any spoilers, the ending of the first book set up this incredible enemies-to-lovers storyline that I was fully prepared to go feral for.
Unfortunately, the sequel didn't really deliver for me in terms of pacing or plotting. The first 35% was very slow and it was difficult to get a sense of the characters' motives once we were removed from the Kejari setting. Though I absolutely LOVED getting Raihn's backstory, it wasn't clear at almost any point WHY he was doing... basically anything he was doing. The entire Godblood storyline felt tired and patently uninteresting. Overall, the vibe of the entire first half was just *mild disappointment*.
All of these things had me prepped and ready to hit that 3-star review. EXCEPT.
EXCEPT. There were a few things this book did really well and I'm such a massive sucker for them that they made up for the plotting flaws.
1. The Complicated Father
I love reading about complicated father figures, the more details and emotional messiness and nuance and pain the better. Yes, I obviously have daddy issues. No, I don't want to talk about it. Oraya's exploration of her relationship with Vincent, coming to terms with who he was to her, and the resolution at the end? Had me choking, sobbing, retching. I tabbed so many moments that those sections are just annotations at this point. I'd read the entire series just for the Oraya/Vincent saga.
2. The Healing Arc
I'm beginning to fear that my favorite themes are revealing too much about me personally, but the dual POV was (imo) an amazing choice, and getting to see both Raihn and Oraya's sexual trauma and the way they were able to heal from it together really had me emotional and just generally elevated the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book so much even though it truly did NOT live up to the expectations of the first. As far as fantasy series wrap-ups go, it wasn't bad: I laughed, I kicked my feet, I cried (too much), and I experienced moderate anguish even though I wasn't once surprised. I call that a win. And cannot WAIT to devour the other novellas in this world!!
AGHHHH!! This book was so hard to write a review for because in many ways it is the perfect example of a sequel not quite living up to the sky-high expectations of the first book. The Serpent and the Wings of Night had me absolutely ENTHRALLED, GAGGED, DISTRESSED, FOAMING AT THE MOUTH... all the things. Without giving any spoilers, the ending of the first book set up this incredible enemies-to-lovers storyline that I was fully prepared to go feral for.
Unfortunately, the sequel didn't really deliver for me in terms of pacing or plotting. The first 35% was very slow and it was difficult to get a sense of the characters' motives once we were removed from the Kejari setting. Though I absolutely LOVED getting Raihn's backstory, it wasn't clear at almost any point WHY he was doing... basically anything he was doing. The entire Godblood storyline felt tired and patently uninteresting. Overall, the vibe of the entire first half was just *mild disappointment*.
All of these things had me prepped and ready to hit that 3-star review. EXCEPT.
EXCEPT. There were a few things this book did really well and I'm such a massive sucker for them that they made up for the plotting flaws.
1. The Complicated Father
I love reading about complicated father figures, the more details and emotional messiness and nuance and pain the better. Yes, I obviously have daddy issues. No, I don't want to talk about it. Oraya's exploration of her relationship with Vincent, coming to terms with who he was to her, and the resolution at the end? Had me choking, sobbing, retching. I tabbed so many moments that those sections are just annotations at this point. I'd read the entire series just for the Oraya/Vincent saga.
2. The Healing Arc
I'm beginning to fear that my favorite themes are revealing too much about me personally, but the dual POV was (imo) an amazing choice, and getting to see both Raihn and Oraya's sexual trauma and the way they were able to heal from it together really had me emotional and just generally elevated the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this book so much even though it truly did NOT live up to the expectations of the first. As far as fantasy series wrap-ups go, it wasn't bad: I laughed, I kicked my feet, I cried (too much), and I experienced moderate anguish even though I wasn't once surprised. I call that a win. And cannot WAIT to devour the other novellas in this world!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
adventurous
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Slavery, Medical content, Grief, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Torture, Vomit
Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death