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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Teveel world building wat in boek 1 miste…zinnen die niet lekker lopen alsof het niet goed nagekeken was. Na 35% moest ik echt moeite doen om te gaan lezen. Dus stop ik ermee
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-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
(I received an eARC of this book prior to release) When I finished Fear the Flames last summer I joked something along the lines of "this book was terrible, I can't wait to read the next one." Well here we are and I absolutely cried.
The main reason this series works for me is because Cayden and Elowen are so obviously Anakin and Padme, and Star Wars is my entire personality. The story is interesting enough for fantasy romance, but the writing and pacing is all over the place. It's almost trying to do too much at once, with very little editing or additional context to transition one scene to the next.
But of course, much like I said last year, I can't wait to read the next one.
The main reason this series works for me is because Cayden and Elowen are so obviously Anakin and Padme, and Star Wars is my entire personality. The story is interesting enough for fantasy romance, but the writing and pacing is all over the place. It's almost trying to do too much at once, with very little editing or additional context to transition one scene to the next.
But of course, much like I said last year, I can't wait to read the next one.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Olivia Rose Darling!!!! You get me. Your writing, your themes, and the scenes you write just speak to my soul. I feel like I highlighted at least 80% of the quotes in this book because they are just that good!!!! I fall more and more in love with Cayden every time he speaks
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This sequel has completely solidified this series as one of my fantasy romance favorites. The romance between Elowen and Cayden is still a slow burn, but now it feels even more intense, grounded in trust and shared purpose. Their bond is powerful—both emotionally and magically—and I loved every scene they shared. The tension, the devotion, the way they challenge and protect each other… everything worked.
What stood out most was how much the world opened up. We get to explore new regions, political systems, and cultures, which adds layers of complexity and richness to the story. The new characters are just as intriguing as the returning ones, and you can feel how the series is setting the stage for something truly epic. I can’t wait to see how all these pieces come together.
The found family continues to shine, mixing loyalty, banter, and warmth. It’s a dynamic group full of heart, and watching them grow—both individually and together—was one of my favorite parts. And yes, that ending absolutely wrecked me in the best way. I need the next book immediately.
Quite disappointing compared to the first book. The first book already felt quite safe - not a lot of high stakes for the characters and everything just seemed to happen at the right time before anyone could get really hurt. Which was fine to read. But the "betrayal" at the end of book 1 was barely a betrayal... so coming into this second book and seeing the FMC feel so much hurt over a marriage clause to the love of her life was odd since it was clearly what she wanted anyway. Read The Bridge Kingdom if you want a true betrayal.
Then I DNF'd a third of the way in because my biggest pet peeve is poor writing. The number one thing people tell you in creative writing is "show, not tell" and the author did a great job doing the complete opposite. So much inner monologuing, excessive descriptions of how what the FMC and MMC observes or experiences makes them feel, instead of showing it through dialogue or her behavior. The writing felt less edited than the first book as a result.
I guess since the first book was quite safe regarding the plot, there really wasn't much to look forward to in this sequel except seeing the MMC and FMC get back together, which, was for sure going to happen. I mean,the FMC already got her dragons back in the first book, she apparently doesn't need to spend time relearning to have a relationship with all five of them, she's still queen of her old kingdom and is now queen of the new kingdom , she doesn't have any adjustment period to that.... I mean, the girl isn't growing. And the Kingdom politics felt un-emphasized compared to the main characters' romance.
Then I DNF'd a third of the way in because my biggest pet peeve is poor writing. The number one thing people tell you in creative writing is "show, not tell" and the author did a great job doing the complete opposite. So much inner monologuing, excessive descriptions of how what the FMC and MMC observes or experiences makes them feel, instead of showing it through dialogue or her behavior. The writing felt less edited than the first book as a result.
I guess since the first book was quite safe regarding the plot, there really wasn't much to look forward to in this sequel except seeing the MMC and FMC get back together, which, was for sure going to happen. I mean,