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briochebun's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 out of 5 ☆’s.
”I’d been born to rule. And I was going to claim my place in blood.”
ੈ✩‧₊˚
I’m going to keep this one short and sweet because I just finished ”Cursed Fates” and am not okay at all…
ੈ✩‧₊˚
I LOVED getting to see the Darcy + Tory bond a bit with the Heirs in this novel — it was a refreshing change in dynamic.
I also enjoyed seeing Xavier + Darius bond with their mother more in this novel as well!
The rest of the novel was painful though…I having nothing else to say about that (I am currently trying to wipe everything bad that happened from my memory).
ੈ✩‧₊˚
P.S. BlueLance better reunite in the next book. ♡
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, and Sexual harassment
jackeline_cruz_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
nikitanavalkar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Really I don’t think I have enough of my heart or soul or any body parts left to give to this series. As this series progresses into more and more unhinged territory, it seems to be taking me right along with it, and I’m at least 87% sure to need intense therapy once I actually finish it. RIP my mental health, but at least I’ll be unhinged and happy? Or miserable, Idk there’s a 50-50 chance at this point.
We are back again right where we left off, in the pits of abject misery. Okay JK, but we are certainly back to swinging between the lowest of lows and the highest of highs, between immeasurable pain and uncontrollable laughter and budding friendships and found family and epic romance and stupid hope and once again an ending that’ll leave you gasping, wondering if you were sucker punched. Right in the soul-ar plexus. I might be running out of emotional superlatives, but for this series I shall keep trying. And it’s impossible to get into it without some spoilers, so proceed with caution.
Yes, we finally get Romance with a capital R, between Darius and Tory too thank all the fucking stars. Or don’t, because they’ve been a Bitch most of this book. And it is exactly the kind of epic I wanted y’all. Star crossed. Lives ruined. Bloodshed. Epic. With the steam dialed even hotter. It’s our favorite dragon boy and Phoenix twin (both twins are my fave ssh) after all. Yet they’re also more wholesome somehow? So. Much. Pining. Darius showed up y’all, all the promise I knew he had, all that damaged brokenness, everything coalesces into a beautiful dragon man, who will quite literally defy the stars for his love. Every single gesture, grand or tiny, pulled at my heartstrings. Just, swoon okay. Tory isn’t far behind either, taking responsibility for her own fuckups and going all in at last. And she’s of course, always up for rattling the stars. Until that thing at the end of course. Because we obviously aren’t done with the pain yet.
Darcy and Orion remain the thing we must protect at all costs. Darcy with her special brand of soft but unyielding strength, Lance with his weird nerdy psychotic professor who’s only soft for his girl (and his bff 😂) bit. However, same as Darcy, I’m very into his psychotic hardass professor version. More heart eyes and swoon, yes. Together they’re couple goals, fuck that forbidden nonsense. But no, even with all they went through at the end of the last book, they don’t get a break for long. BECAUSE WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS REMEMBER? DAMMIT LANCE 😞
Geraldine is the light of my whole existence and she and Max are one of the things keeping the darkness at bay for me. Seth is finally, finally putting a pin in his jerk ways to give us the friendly puppy dog we need to see. Him and Caleb, I just need it okay? Please for the love of stars. Caleb was always a good friend and this book showed just how good, that poor vampire baby.
The relationships in these books are a key element, and they flourish in this book, especially all the deeply complex friendships that go from budding saplings born of respect even when they’re at odds to full blown soul bonds in this one. The platonic connections developing between Orion and Tory and now Darcy and Darius are the gift that keep on giving. I already admired how the twins and the heirs are able to compartmentalize their feelings, challenging each other and trading barbs as needed and protecting each other when prudent. Them matchmaking? Trying to fight the literal stars for their friends? The heirs always having each other’s backs and expanding that to include the Vegas? It gave me life. I’m a lifelong A. S. S. + H. O. R. E. S member now. #squadgoals I’ve said before if they all worked together, they could change their messed up world, and we see a preview of that, and it is glorious. Their bonds are literally forged in fire (or all the elements really) and are stronger for it. There’s so much POWER in them standing with instead of against each other and I need more of that please. Because they gon need it. Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to my twins and their phenomenal bond in every single review, because that’s what makes this series worth all the pain I’m going through as I read it. Every single sister moment between them is a balm to my cynical soul. I love their love, but I also love how very real they are with each other.
The horrors at the end are again triggered by a single stupid, if well meaning decision, but our girl is nothing if not self aware and readily owns when she messes up. Doesn’t make it any less harrowing and doesn’t mean I wasn’t enraged by the consequences. Another 3 books worth of plot happens in this book, and I still felt like some storylines haven’t even begun yet, let alone reached their potential. But we know there’s at least 3 more books to come, so pray for me I guess.
We are back again right where we left off, in the pits of abject misery. Okay JK, but we are certainly back to swinging between the lowest of lows and the highest of highs, between immeasurable pain and uncontrollable laughter and budding friendships and found family and epic romance and stupid hope and once again an ending that’ll leave you gasping, wondering if you were sucker punched. Right in the soul-ar plexus. I might be running out of emotional superlatives, but for this series I shall keep trying. And it’s impossible to get into it without some spoilers, so proceed with caution.
Darcy and Orion remain the thing we must protect at all costs. Darcy with her special brand of soft but unyielding strength, Lance with his weird nerdy psychotic professor who’s only soft for his girl (and his bff 😂) bit. However, same as Darcy, I’m very into his psychotic hardass professor version. More heart eyes and swoon, yes. Together they’re couple goals, fuck that forbidden nonsense. But no, even with all they went through at the end of the last book, they don’t get a break for long. BECAUSE WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS REMEMBER? DAMMIT LANCE 😞
Geraldine is the light of my whole existence and she and Max are one of the things keeping the darkness at bay for me. Seth is finally, finally putting a pin in his jerk ways to give us the friendly puppy dog we need to see. Him and Caleb, I just need it okay? Please for the love of stars. Caleb was always a good friend and this book showed just how good, that poor vampire baby.
The relationships in these books are a key element, and they flourish in this book, especially all the deeply complex friendships that go from budding saplings born of respect even when they’re at odds to full blown soul bonds in this one. The platonic connections developing between Orion and Tory and now Darcy and Darius are the gift that keep on giving. I already admired how the twins and the heirs are able to compartmentalize their feelings, challenging each other and trading barbs as needed and protecting each other when prudent. Them matchmaking? Trying to fight the literal stars for their friends? The heirs always having each other’s backs and expanding that to include the Vegas? It gave me life. I’m a lifelong A. S. S. + H. O. R. E. S member now. #squadgoals I’ve said before if they all worked together, they could change their messed up world, and we see a preview of that, and it is glorious. Their bonds are literally forged in fire (or all the elements really) and are stronger for it. There’s so much POWER in them standing with instead of against each other and I need more of that please. Because they gon need it. Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to my twins and their phenomenal bond in every single review, because that’s what makes this series worth all the pain I’m going through as I read it. Every single sister moment between them is a balm to my cynical soul. I love their love, but I also love how very real they are with each other.
The horrors at the end are again triggered by a single stupid, if well meaning decision, but our girl is nothing if not self aware and readily owns when she messes up. Doesn’t make it any less harrowing and doesn’t mean I wasn’t enraged by the consequences. Another 3 books worth of plot happens in this book, and I still felt like some storylines haven’t even begun yet, let alone reached their potential. But we know there’s at least 3 more books to come, so pray for me I guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Violence
kat1105's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sampetsdogs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.75
This installment of the Zodiac Academy series has a lot going for it. Solaria is an effed up and problematic world, but I really really love it. I think the authors have done such a great job with the world building as well as developing the magic system. And the character development is pretty amazing, too. I started out the series really hating many characters but now I adore them and I'm not entirely sure how that happened. They're complex and flawed and loveable all at the same time. I think the series is worth reading just for the character arcs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book until I got to the last fifty pages, and now I'm pissed off and part of me doesn't even want to continue the series. However, I am going to continue with the series because I'm addicted and I can't help myself. But I am so not happy about it. I have never been so angry at a book before. They really didn't have to go there, but they just have to keep pushing the damn limits. Are these authors sadists or what??
I thoroughly enjoyed this book until I got to the last fifty pages, and now I'm pissed off and part of me doesn't even want to continue the series. However, I am going to continue with the series because I'm addicted and I can't help myself. But I am so not happy about it. I have never been so angry at a book before. They really didn't have to go there, but they just have to keep pushing the damn limits. Are these authors sadists or what??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood
juliette_95's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Alcohol
lotte5322's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
ceruleanshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
UGH the cliffhanger !!!!
thoughts i had while reading:
thoughts i had while reading:
- Tory had to say no because Darius truly didn’t understand what was at stake, who he was gaining. Now is their chance to really pass the TRUE test to their pairing and build a relationship built on more than hate and sex.
- This book is so fucking good
- Tory and Darius literally have me screaming
- The bday party scene AHHH
- Yes I wish there was more pitball now I understand the game better. honestly better than quidditch.
- FUCK KYLIE FUCK THAT BITCH FUCKKKKK
- Why are these authors destroying me WHY R U DOING THIS TO ME
- I am team Mission: Defy the Stars
- I want Seth with his new love interest so badly it’s not even funny
- (Insert clip of Leo screaming “I defy you, stars!”)
- I need a Gabriel spice scene in this series at some point dear god
- AKDKANDKAFKNFKFEKLEK CLIFFHANGER TWIST WHY WHY WHYYYYYYYYYYY
anyways, can you tell I like this series?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
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