Take a photo of a barcode or cover
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like the idea, but the implementation reminds me of PLL in a bad way.
Also, fondant is not used for piping when decorating cake, you use for example butter cream.
Also, fondant is not used for piping when decorating cake, you use for example butter cream.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I swear to god this entire book Vaen and Arlo were getting on my nerves. They're so fucking naive to what the queen was doing, especially at the end. wtf are you doing you absolute idiots. WHY DIDN'T SHE LISTEN TO HER F*CKING GIRLFRIEND. WHY DIDN'T SHE SEE THE WAVING RED FLAGS IN HER FACE. Honestly, at the end, Arlo finally being faced with who riadne rlly was was honestly satisfying. shes gonna be so naive and impulsive she'll face the consequences. Anyway stan Nausicaa, Saladon and Aurelian.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
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
A Cruel and Fated Light is very much a “middle book” in the Hollow Star Saga. It has a lot to offer, but it definitely got held back in places. This is even my second attempt to get into it, after I struggled with it the first time around. This is definitely a book where I felt the length, and I did wonder if some things couldn’t have been trimmed to make for punchier pacing to match the first book.
However, the general semantics of the plot remained pretty engaging, and while there’s a lot more bloating to it, there are some intriguing developments here, and that cliffhanger?! It was worth it once I navigated through the fat and the complex web being weaved here.
The characters are also pretty solid, and I like that more characters did get time to shine, especially Vehan, Aurelian, and Celadon, who I enjoyed getting to know more about. Arlo and Nausicaa are both still interesting. The romances, friendships, and other dynamics see some interesting developments, and the villain comes out in force.
While this book is a bit uneven, I enjoyed this for the most part, and am looking forward to the next one. If you’re looking for queer urban fantasy, I recommend checking this series out!