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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Honestly - was slightly surprised by the slowness of this one. I almost never prefer the first book but in this case I do!!
The Beautiful was one of my favourite reads of last year and I finished it wanting and needing more. Unfortunately The Damned didn’t quite live up to these hopes. My favourite thing about book 1 was the sexiness of it, the chemistry of Bastien and Celine, the way Ahdieh created such sexual tension and atmosphere, the longing was almost painful because I loved them together so much. The Damned isn’t a sexy book in the same way, more a book with some sexy scenes, although when they are there, they sizzle deliciously, there just wasn’t enough of them.
The other issue is the pacing, this book feels quite slow for a while Andries this seem to have much of a direction, there are multiple different plots that are covered but not indepthly enough to satisfy, it’s possible that these are all set ups for the next book, but in this one they just seem a waste of time; such as Sunan or the love ‘triangle’, honestly what is the point of Michael? On the topic of Michael, it also made me quite uncomfortable how he was continuing to pursue Celine while knowing she couldn’t remember who she loves, it felt quite manipulative how he was taking advantage of her vulnerability in that sense. If it’s not very clear, I am not a Michael fan!
Overall this book was delicious in ways and I am excited for the next book (clinging to denial/hope re: a certain character’s demise
The other issue is the pacing, this book feels quite slow for a while Andries this seem to have much of a direction, there are multiple different plots that are covered but not indepthly enough to satisfy, it’s possible that these are all set ups for the next book, but in this one they just seem a waste of time; such as Sunan or the love ‘triangle’, honestly what is the point of Michael? On the topic of Michael, it also made me quite uncomfortable how he was continuing to pursue Celine while knowing she couldn’t remember who she loves, it felt quite manipulative how he was taking advantage of her vulnerability in that sense. If it’s not very clear, I am not a Michael fan!
Overall this book was delicious in ways and I am excited for the next book (clinging to denial/hope re: a certain character’s demise
There’s going to be a next book after that ending right? I need a next book! I can’t even get my thoughts in order to write a coherent review but holy crap I really enjoyed this. I love how it’s turned into more than just vampires but includes werewolves, fey, and ect. It’s been a while since I’ve found a new book world I’ve loved this much. Although, I will admit I still have that feeling of the world overshadowing the characters and their connections in some ways that makes it feel like something is missing. But I can also overlook this because it was better in that respect than the first book. I think that’s due to the fact that we do learn more about certain characters and the court as a whole. I don’t want to say much because I don’t want to give anything away but I really did enjoy this. At times it made me swoon and at others it broke my heart. The ending will leave you on the edge of your seat wanting more.
3.5 stars, I liked it but not as much as the first one.
That epilogue?! Is there going to be another book?! Gah!!
Such a fantastic book. I loved everything about this.
Such a fantastic book. I loved everything about this.
I really wanted to like this and I tried. This book was very discombobulating, it jumped between characters and plot points quite frequently. It was anticlimactic and just, overall, not very satisfying.
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Infinitely better than the first book. I got some vampires a bit of romance and a sprinkle of laughs. The ending surely picked up and I was pleased in that regard. Hoping for even better growth of the story in the next book.