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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
2.5⭐️ I just really didn’t enjoy this that much - I found the pace a little dull and boring and I kept feeling really confused about the characters and what was happening! I had tried to read these straight after my FOTA re-read so I’d remember some more of the characters but unfortunately didn’t work out that way.
I did like Wren and Oak and their developing relationship and I still liked the ending - basically I just wanted to read this as I hear the sequel has a June and Cardan appearance.
I think just overall I prefer the original trilogy in terms of storyline and characters.
I did like Wren and Oak and their developing relationship and I still liked the ending - basically I just wanted to read this as I hear the sequel has a June and Cardan appearance.
I think just overall I prefer the original trilogy in terms of storyline and characters.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“With him, I am forever a night-blooming flower, attracted and repelled by the heat of the sun.”
i love wren sm my baby 🥺😭😭😭
THE ENDING???????! i should’ve known. holly black, you always got me. THE SECONDTH BOOK WILL BE CRAZY and i know im not ready.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail
I just kind of lost the plot a bit at some point, and ended up not reading it then for too long and then decided to dnf. But might still try again at some point!
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
not my favorite of the Elfhame books and the twist at the end surprised me but it felt very out of character! The two main characters in this book constantly go back and forth with each other and the end is no exception. Overall, it was disappointing even though it had so much potential.
I liked the ideas in this book. I liked the characters, the court intrigue, and the trickery-it was all very similar to Cruel Prince-but it wasn’t executed as well as Cruel Prince. It’s like I could see what Holly Black was setting us up for, what she wanted us to feel, but it didn’t quite land. Even with Wren’s unpredicted decision at the end, a lot of the trickery and betrayal just didn’t quite land.
There was a surprising amount of show-don’t-tell and that really surprised me. Holly Black really took her time with Cruel Prince but the characters and descriptions here were told to us and it made the characters feel really flat. We were told over and over how deadly Oak could be but we rarely saw it (once).
Some situations could be fixed if characters would just… talk. When Bogdana tries to be the character that *talks*, Wren runs off multiple times. She never directly asks Oak why he let her be captured after she hid under his bed during the war. The only direct question she asks anyone is Lady Nore and the response isn’t even a surprise.
There’s also a lot of dumb stuff that Wren does…like kissing the prince and then feeling stupid (as she should). Like why? It was completely random.
She continues to do dumb things up until the end. I’m glad she figured out who she is, and she uses that to its full potential, but it wasn’t totally believable. Wren has proven she isn’t as horrific as everyone else then she suddenly behaves like she is, and she does that multiple times throughout the book except the way it’s written isn’t totally believable.
Bogdana ended up being my favorite character and I predicted a lot of who she was and what she was doing pretty early on. I usually don’t get my predictions right but Black kept giving us more and more hints.
I also really appreciate seeing returning characters from Cruel Prince. Really curious to see what Wren does in the next book.
I liked the ideas in this book. I liked the characters, the court intrigue, and the trickery-it was all very similar to Cruel Prince-but it wasn’t executed as well as Cruel Prince. It’s like I could see what Holly Black was setting us up for, what she wanted us to feel, but it didn’t quite land. Even with Wren’s unpredicted decision at the end, a lot of the trickery and betrayal just didn’t quite land.
There was a surprising amount of show-don’t-tell and that really surprised me. Holly Black really took her time with Cruel Prince but the characters and descriptions here were told to us and it made the characters feel really flat. We were told over and over how deadly Oak could be but we rarely saw it (once).
Some situations could be fixed if characters would just… talk. When Bogdana tries to be the character that *talks*, Wren runs off multiple times. She never directly asks Oak why he let her be captured after she hid under his bed during the war. The only direct question she asks anyone is Lady Nore and the response isn’t even a surprise.
There’s also a lot of dumb stuff that Wren does…like kissing the prince and then feeling stupid (as she should). Like why? It was completely random.
She continues to do dumb things up until the end. I’m glad she figured out who she is, and she uses that to its full potential, but it wasn’t totally believable. Wren has proven she isn’t as horrific as everyone else then she suddenly behaves like she is, and she does that multiple times throughout the book except the way it’s written isn’t totally believable.
Bogdana ended up being my favorite character and I predicted a lot of who she was and what she was doing pretty early on. I usually don’t get my predictions right but Black kept giving us more and more hints.
I also really appreciate seeing returning characters from Cruel Prince. Really curious to see what Wren does in the next book.
Oak was quite the surprise to me, seeing him go from a kid to the interesting guy was not at all what I had expected. Wren though is a sweetheart and my heart hurt for her. She deserves so much better than what everyone around her have been giving.
I would say that if you want characters with hidden depths then this is definitely for you, while the next book is written mainly from Oak’s perspective this one is written from Wren’s.
I do wish that we could understand better or have a retelling of Oak’s odyssey through childhood into teenagehood.
I would say that if you want characters with hidden depths then this is definitely for you, while the next book is written mainly from Oak’s perspective this one is written from Wren’s.
I do wish that we could understand better or have a retelling of Oak’s odyssey through childhood into teenagehood.