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cady_sass's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
3.75
By far the best in the series so far, color me highly surprised and very intrigued. It’s still very long, too long, but didn’t feel as long as the other ones because the story continued at a good pace all throughout. If it weren’t for the massive and disjointed info dump at the end this would’ve been 4 solid stars and I’d be eating my words. The writing is still not excellent and a bit cringy but I had a hard time putting it down because I needed to know what was going to happen. Chapter 44, though…. Holy 🌶️ 🥵. There are a LOT of plot holes and things that simply cannot and won’t make sense, but it didn’t bother me as much this time. Either she’s worn me down that much or it is slightly better. I think it’s slightly better. It might also just be my borderline obsession with Reaver. I would read an entire series about Reaver….. someone make it happen
There is no next book yet, and I kind of wish this was the final installment. There was a clear ending available here but she didn’t choose it, and the cliffhanger is a bit underwhelming.
There is no next book yet, and I kind of wish this was the final installment. There was a clear ending available here but she didn’t choose it, and the cliffhanger is a bit underwhelming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Child death, Blood, Violence, War, Sexual content, Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Kidnapping, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Torture, Sexual violence, and Rape
hapalyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, War, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Sexism and Misogyny
mayvisin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Plot was interesting but man is it ever hard to follow the logic of all these beasties (who creates who, becomes what). Emotional arc was a bit flat.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
widdlemun's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Bluntly, it's like a train wreck you just can't look away from. It has moments when it uses modern language in this medieval fantasy setting which breaks emersion. Example A, towards the end of the book a character leaves and another character describes it as him "peacing out." I couldn't stop laughing. Or when a cigar container gets brought up but there are no cigars. Definitely can be campy, if you don't take it too seriously I'd recommend a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, War, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Child death
lauren_macauley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Torture, Mental illness, Child death, Death, and Violence
cosyqueer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Cursing, Violence, War, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Confinement, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death and Torture
fireinherveinzz's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’m sick of the plot twists at this point , it’s getting really old like poppy would have been enough and worthy just being a mortal and didn’t need all these extra super special super powers or finding our she’s the the chosen one in this prophecy. or oh great she has a long lost sister who she didn’t get to bond or interact with at all after losing her brother . Also the joining scene definitely overhyped to be way more than it actually is . She’s not cheating on or lying to Casteel it’s consentual and healthy communication even when she was feeding from Kiernan which she was forced to do to survive and was extremely reluctant to. She didn’t have sex with him without Casteel there . People really got all up in arms about this for no reason. When really this story had other issues . It just kinda dragged out with some light hearted comedic moments and a lot of violence and torture and scenes of aftermath of mass murder of children etc which JLA seems to be found of . Then the anti climatic moment of her ending her mothers life after all that build up over how scary powerful she was just. I love how this story started in the first couple books now this is getting really dull and not interesting anymore . JLA over relying on plot twist and random reveals that just won’t stop happening to make the story interesting does not in fact make for an interesting story . The only scene I truly loved was Poppy being assertive about deciding she what she would wear to see her abuser her biological mother and not the former white dress she was forced to wear or she would show up naked . That should have been the energy of the death scene or punishing Isbeth some other way it just wasnt that satisfying.
She kept saying she didn’t want to turn into her or become like a god who demolished cities and killed innocents . But acted really selfishly and like a brat at times .
I don’t see how much more this story can get dragged out for .
She kept saying she didn’t want to turn into her or become like a god who demolished cities and killed innocents . But acted really selfishly and like a brat at times .
I don’t see how much more this story can get dragged out for .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, War, Racism, Pedophilia, Death, Murder, Blood, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Body horror
nikitanavalkar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Buckle up, folx. This is going to be a mini dissertation. Officially my longest review ever. I just needed to get it all out without yelling at people on the internet to be better
~BIG SPOILER WARNING~
All the drama and the uproar surrounding this book had me so anxious and just frustrated with the bookish community that it took me a long time to be able to pick up the book. And when I finally did, I spent the whole book apprehensive that something terrible would happen that would ruin this world for me? And bad things did happen, of course, it’s a war book. But absolutely nothing that would make me hate it or the characters I’ve come to love so much. It was almost anticlimactic. So idk what everyone’s so mad about. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all perfect, and I’ll get to that.
But first, let’s deal with the draken in the room. Or wolven? Anyway it’s about to get spoilery in here so be prepared. I tried to avoid reviews and spoilers to the best of my ability, but let’s face it, people’s reactions were clear hints being dropped left and right (I wish I’d read an arc so I could’ve gone in completely blind). Let’s face it, the thing that had most of the internet up in its feels was the dreaded/anticipated Joining, and everyone had strong feelings about it either way. Consequently, at least half the people were going to come out of this mad, but they came out hopping mad. I was somewhere in the middle, sort of pro joining but would not mind if it didn’t happen. And I ended up with some pretty darned mixed feelings about what did happen.
I just want to say this though. Poppy is a girl raised within an abhorrently strict purity culture with no agency of her body, and who was told all her life she was not conventionally attractive, and who soon after getting out of that situation at 18, was about to come into more power and responsibility than most people can imagine shouldering in a lifetime. Amidst all this furor about the joining and the sexual nature of it, we must ask ourselves why, as a collective, we are so enraged by this girl discovering and exploring, and subsequently owning her sexuality, however unconventionally it might be. We must ask ourselves why we find it so offensive for her and two other consenting adults (males she trusts most in the world, to boot), to engage in something so natural, even when we’ve been teased, and therefore prepared for it for almost 4 books now? This sounds like a we problem. It’s okay not to like where the story is headed, but it’s definitely not okay to vilify her for her choices. Poppy is more than her sex life, as this book proves over and over again. Poppy is a motherfucking Queen and no amorous escapades will ever change that. In fact, they add to her bad Bitch energy. Go get yours, Popstar!
Coming back to my feelings about it. Firstly, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of ménage in books, so bring them on. Especially when all these super powerful immortal beings not experimenting sexually is about as believable as me reading non fiction only from now on. But also, I was torn. On the one hand, I firmly believe in every word I said above and am rooting for all the female sexual empowerment. On the other, Poppy and Cas have been established as such a there’s-only-you-for-me couple for the ages, that it was hard to even entertain the idea of a third in their equation. Yes, even Kieran, even for a single time. Even when we’ve been warned so many times now (if you think we haven’t, we weren’t reading the same series). So when we start getting a sort of platonic build up for things to come with K and P, it was actually super cute for the most part, but my heart recoiled just a little anyway.
By the time we get to The Joining, it’s a prolonged slow burn, and it’s actually pretty well done. Even the descriptions are less…earthy (?) for the reader’ comfort I presume. Which is why the fan service accusations are utter bullshit. Pro joining fans were not going to cast stones at the author if she didn’t go there 🙄 She tried to gently introduce the threesome, but she might as well have gone balls to the wall for all the undeserved hate she got. To me it wasn’t even hot per se (except C and P together are just always hot) but more comfortable like a couple inviting their long time friend as a third for ritualistic reasons and funsies? Idk at least that’s what I got. But then it looks like this might go beyond a one or few time thing eventually? Which I would also encourage typically but I’m not all the way sold in this case yet. It’s not confirmed, but it’s hinted, and at later points, Kieran does just come off as a slightly annoying third wheel in this epic romance. Which is a bit sad, and which could change of course. And then he becomes a liability, so I wasn’t the biggest fan of his by the end of this book.
Heck, Poppy and Delano’s bond feels more powerful because it feels pure and warm fuzzy as opposed to whatever is happening between the other two. But I don’t hate it. Like, so many male Gods in various mythologies can have multiple wives, why can’t Poppy have two consorts? I know, because Casteel is everything. Oh how glorious it is to see a man so in love, so devoted to his mate, and so secure in their relationship that he would not even blink an eye when presented with this situation, but encourage his Queen to take everything she wants and deserves. I will die simping on the hill of Poppy Cas, regardless of where this goes with Kieran. As I said, there’s two people inside me, the naive romantic and the fierce advocate of poly relationships for those who want them. It would even make sense with Poppy’s primal status. So do I want Poppy to live her best ho life? Yes. But do I want her to be in a long term relationship with anyone other than Cas? As of now, not particularly.
Which brings me to the fact that this book solidified my love for Casteel Hawkethrone Da’Neer and that I would die for him. That is all. I squealed every time his thoughts and actions went all swoon city for Poppy. My soul hurt when he was apart from her and still being positively dreamy. My face every time Cas has a thought or says a word —> 🥹🥹🥹 It was all worth it for his POV alone. The joining anxiety situation was not helped by the fact that I felt like I was just waiting for Cas and the reunion for a lot of the book. That made the book feel longer. Although thank the gods and Jen for the Cas pov, brutal as it was. The book also felt long because it got a bit confusing with all the info we get and the Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire worlds colliding. Or maybe because I’m in a bit of a slump.
Thanks to all the controversy, no one seems to be talking about some key things I was so impressed by in the book. Or maybe they are, I just didn’t read reviews.
First, Reaver: Reaver butt is a savage and his zero fucks given attitude is a gift that keeps on giving. I will say that he and Kieran have way more chemistry than Poppy and K do though.
Then, Malik: What a superbly nuanced character, and a great example of how everyone deals with trauma in their own way, and how good and bad is all relative when you’re trying to protect the ones you love. I have high hopes for his future arc.
Lastly, Isbeth- who’d have thought she’d turn out to be this mad, complex villain with a sense of humor? Not me. I mean I still wanted her to experience the most painful unaliving possible, but there was so much more to her madness. And another instance of how love or your idea of it can warp you beyond repair.
Overall this installment is violent and brutal in its description of war and related atrocities, and our protagonists give proper weight to the consequences of the destruction they will surely leave in their wake. The ending is expansive and epic and horrifying. I thoroughly enjoyed the twist in the prophecy at the end even as I was yelling at them for playing right into the hands of the baddies, but then when has that not happened in fantasy. The climactic battle was my favorite part of the book. I’m excited for the two worlds to finally merge in the next B&A installment if I’m not wrong in my assumption. This could’ve possibly rated even higher (or lower) if I hadn’t been a mess of overthinking and anxiety (like I said, a me problem) and if I hadn’t had some conflicting emotions about the central romance, but we shall see what I feel if and when I eventually reread it. I remain obsessed with this world, always and forever.
~BIG SPOILER WARNING~
All the drama and the uproar surrounding this book had me so anxious and just frustrated with the bookish community that it took me a long time to be able to pick up the book. And when I finally did, I spent the whole book apprehensive that something terrible would happen that would ruin this world for me? And bad things did happen, of course, it’s a war book. But absolutely nothing that would make me hate it or the characters I’ve come to love so much. It was almost anticlimactic. So idk what everyone’s so mad about. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all perfect, and I’ll get to that.
I just want to say this though. Poppy is a girl raised within an abhorrently strict purity culture with no agency of her body, and who was told all her life she was not conventionally attractive, and who soon after getting out of that situation at 18, was about to come into more power and responsibility than most people can imagine shouldering in a lifetime. Amidst all this furor about the joining and the sexual nature of it, we must ask ourselves why, as a collective, we are so enraged by this girl discovering and exploring, and subsequently owning her sexuality, however unconventionally it might be. We must ask ourselves why we find it so offensive for her and two other consenting adults (males she trusts most in the world, to boot), to engage in something so natural, even when we’ve been teased, and therefore prepared for it for almost 4 books now? This sounds like a we problem. It’s okay not to like where the story is headed, but it’s definitely not okay to vilify her for her choices. Poppy is more than her sex life, as this book proves over and over again. Poppy is a motherfucking Queen and no amorous escapades will ever change that. In fact, they add to her bad Bitch energy. Go get yours, Popstar!
Coming back to my feelings about it. Firstly, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of ménage in books, so bring them on. Especially when all these super powerful immortal beings not experimenting sexually is about as believable as me reading non fiction only from now on. But also, I was torn. On the one hand, I firmly believe in every word I said above and am rooting for all the female sexual empowerment. On the other, Poppy and Cas have been established as such a there’s-only-you-for-me couple for the ages, that it was hard to even entertain the idea of a third in their equation. Yes, even Kieran, even for a single time. Even when we’ve been warned so many times now (if you think we haven’t, we weren’t reading the same series). So when we start getting a sort of platonic build up for things to come with K and P, it was actually super cute for the most part, but my heart recoiled just a little anyway.
By the time we get to The Joining, it’s a prolonged slow burn, and it’s actually pretty well done. Even the descriptions are less…earthy (?) for the reader’ comfort I presume. Which is why the fan service accusations are utter bullshit. Pro joining fans were not going to cast stones at the author if she didn’t go there 🙄 She tried to gently introduce the threesome, but she might as well have gone balls to the wall for all the undeserved hate she got. To me it wasn’t even hot per se (except C and P together are just always hot) but more comfortable like a couple inviting their long time friend as a third for ritualistic reasons and funsies? Idk at least that’s what I got. But then it looks like this might go beyond a one or few time thing eventually? Which I would also encourage typically but I’m not all the way sold in this case yet. It’s not confirmed, but it’s hinted, and at later points, Kieran does just come off as a slightly annoying third wheel in this epic romance. Which is a bit sad, and which could change of course. And then he becomes a liability, so I wasn’t the biggest fan of his by the end of this book.
Heck, Poppy and Delano’s bond feels more powerful because it feels pure and warm fuzzy as opposed to whatever is happening between the other two. But I don’t hate it. Like, so many male Gods in various mythologies can have multiple wives, why can’t Poppy have two consorts? I know, because Casteel is everything. Oh how glorious it is to see a man so in love, so devoted to his mate, and so secure in their relationship that he would not even blink an eye when presented with this situation, but encourage his Queen to take everything she wants and deserves. I will die simping on the hill of Poppy Cas, regardless of where this goes with Kieran. As I said, there’s two people inside me, the naive romantic and the fierce advocate of poly relationships for those who want them. It would even make sense with Poppy’s primal status. So do I want Poppy to live her best ho life? Yes. But do I want her to be in a long term relationship with anyone other than Cas? As of now, not particularly.
Which brings me to the fact that this book solidified my love for Casteel Hawkethrone Da’Neer and that I would die for him. That is all. I squealed every time his thoughts and actions went all swoon city for Poppy. My soul hurt when he was apart from her and still being positively dreamy. My face every time Cas has a thought or says a word —> 🥹🥹🥹 It was all worth it for his POV alone. The joining anxiety situation was not helped by the fact that I felt like I was just waiting for Cas and the reunion for a lot of the book. That made the book feel longer. Although thank the gods and Jen for the Cas pov, brutal as it was. The book also felt long because it got a bit confusing with all the info we get and the Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire worlds colliding. Or maybe because I’m in a bit of a slump.
Thanks to all the controversy, no one seems to be talking about some key things I was so impressed by in the book. Or maybe they are, I just didn’t read reviews.
First, Reaver: Reaver butt is a savage and his zero fucks given attitude is a gift that keeps on giving. I will say that he and Kieran have way more chemistry than Poppy and K do though.
Then, Malik: What a superbly nuanced character, and a great example of how everyone deals with trauma in their own way, and how good and bad is all relative when you’re trying to protect the ones you love. I have high hopes for his future arc.
Lastly, Isbeth- who’d have thought she’d turn out to be this mad, complex villain with a sense of humor? Not me. I mean I still wanted her to experience the most painful unaliving possible, but there was so much more to her madness. And another instance of how love or your idea of it can warp you beyond repair.
Overall this installment is violent and brutal in its description of war and related atrocities, and our protagonists give proper weight to the consequences of the destruction they will surely leave in their wake. The ending is expansive and epic and horrifying. I thoroughly enjoyed the twist in the prophecy at the end even as I was yelling at them for playing right into the hands of the baddies, but then when has that not happened in fantasy. The climactic battle was my favorite part of the book. I’m excited for the two worlds to finally merge in the next B&A installment if I’m not wrong in my assumption. This could’ve possibly rated even higher (or lower) if I hadn’t been a mess of overthinking and anxiety (like I said, a me problem) and if I hadn’t had some conflicting emotions about the central romance, but we shall see what I feel if and when I eventually reread it. I remain obsessed with this world, always and forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, War, and Child death
josxphinchen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Murder, Animal death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Gore, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
kodafaith's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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? Yes
4.0
While this wasn’t my favorite in the series, I did find it so good! Expanding on the world and the lore was really fun and leaves you so excited for future books.
I do find it funny how much hate JLA has gotten for something she literally has hinted at for the entire series and think people need to take a step back. There is absolutely no need to be horrible to an author just because you didn’t enjoy what happened, just don’t read the books!
I personally have been waiting for the joining to occur because you can’t tease me like that! And I thought that the relationship between Poppy and Kieran doesn’t feel like one of infidelity but more like a natural bond between them. I feel like if it was anyone else it wouldn’t feel okay but the way Cas and Kieran are together makes it feel okay. I don’t know where the relationship between all of them will go in the future but I imagine it will be similar to how it was before they joined. That they will all be close and playful but it will still be just Cas and Poppy and maybe Kieran will join sometimes but not just Poppy and Kieran. But I personally think that if all parties are okay with it, then there is nothing wrong with the relationships they form!
I found this book great and I’m so excited to learn more about the histories and see how this war plays out. I can’t wait for more books to be out!
I do find it funny how much hate JLA has gotten for something she literally has hinted at for the entire series and think people need to take a step back. There is absolutely no need to be horrible to an author just because you didn’t enjoy what happened, just don’t read the books!
I found this book great and I’m so excited to learn more about the histories and see how this war plays out. I can’t wait for more books to be out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Child death, Blood, Murder, Violence, War, and Confinement
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Physical abuse