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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
No
Best one of the series. And this one is much more magic centric. This story wrapped up the story, but still left you with a few questions. Would love to see a return to Thornchapel (which is why I am sneaking American Squire in to my reading before I leave Sierra Simone for a bit)
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
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
Was NOT disappointed in the ending, but would've loved a bit... More.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
Finishing this series was so bittersweet 🥹 actually held out on it for ~1 year because I didn't want it to end!
I think the biggest thing holding me back was The Incest Thing. It's weird. It's still weird even now and I didn't think I'd get to this point but I've somehow accepted it? Just like Saint, I struggled with it soo much and I don't think that just because this is a dark romance that stuff like that even needs to be included but I really felt like I went on this journey with Saint and Auden and at the end we all just came to accept it for what it was – weird but somehow still just love.
Unlike the last two books this was really once again a Poe and Auden and Saint story and hey, I like the others, but those three are really what I'm here for 🤷🏻♀ no complaints
We get into the magical realism 110% here and it did feel a bit jarring, more so than in previous books, but we also got to see all of Thornchapel's magic. Everything is brought up again, questions are asked, research made (yay!) and there is so much history poured into this, I had to remind myself multiple times that this didn't actually happen.
Simone manages this perfect mix of actual Wessex and Saxon history with her own ideas and it works so well. As a practising Catholic who's leaned more and more towards Folk Catholicism in the last years, I think so many Pagan (and Christian!) rituals and early medieval practices fit so perfectly into a world with just a tad more of the occult than we think and I just loved it.
With how religion focused this whole series was, I do wish we could've focused more on Beckett and his arc! I felt his ending to be a bit lackluster, there were so many things revealed and it just left me wanting more (I started "Priest" immediately after finishing this).
The ending itself just left me numb at first (just like it did the characters, I'm sure). I really couldn't believe *that* was the solution they went with. I knew something had to happen and they couldn't just all go their merry ways but I just naively hoped they still would! Through the epilogue I did come to accept the ending and really appreciate it. Not your typical romance ending but still beautiful.
I have so much love and appreciation for this series and it holds a very special place in my heart 🫶🏻
I think the biggest thing holding me back was The Incest Thing. It's weird. It's still weird even now and I didn't think I'd get to this point but I've somehow accepted it? Just like Saint, I struggled with it soo much and I don't think that just because this is a dark romance that stuff like that even needs to be included but I really felt like I went on this journey with Saint and Auden and at the end we all just came to accept it for what it was – weird but somehow still just love.
Unlike the last two books this was really once again a Poe and Auden and Saint story and hey, I like the others, but those three are really what I'm here for 🤷🏻♀ no complaints
We get into the magical realism 110% here and it did feel a bit jarring, more so than in previous books, but we also got to see all of Thornchapel's magic. Everything is brought up again, questions are asked, research made (yay!) and there is so much history poured into this, I had to remind myself multiple times that this didn't actually happen.
Simone manages this perfect mix of actual Wessex and Saxon history with her own ideas and it works so well. As a practising Catholic who's leaned more and more towards Folk Catholicism in the last years, I think so many Pagan (and Christian!) rituals and early medieval practices fit so perfectly into a world with just a tad more of the occult than we think and I just loved it.
With how religion focused this whole series was, I do wish we could've focused more on Beckett and his arc! I felt his ending to be a bit lackluster, there were so many things revealed and it just left me wanting more (I started "Priest" immediately after finishing this).
The ending itself just left me numb at first (just like it did the characters, I'm sure). I really couldn't believe *that* was the solution they went with. I knew something had to happen and they couldn't just all go their merry ways but I just naively hoped they still would! Through the epilogue I did come to accept the ending and really appreciate it. Not your typical romance ending but still beautiful.
I have so much love and appreciation for this series and it holds a very special place in my heart 🫶🏻
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Murder, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I took a deep breath at the end because it was a satisfying ending that I enjoyed after four books.
I will miss this world and this cast so much. And I’d loveee to seeRebecca as the Thorn King but I will be okay with what I have.
Truly, such beautiful prose mixed with fire spice. And I love the subtle magic and mystery weaved into the modern world.
Def passed my “stay on the shelf” test.
I will miss this world and this cast so much. And I’d loveee to see
Truly, such beautiful prose mixed with fire spice. And I love the subtle magic and mystery weaved into the modern world.
Def passed my “stay on the shelf” test.