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Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood
Minor: Child abuse
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Cannibalism, Alcohol
There are daggers pressed to throats and hands tangled in hair. It’s whispered promises that sound like threats and threats that sound like love confessions. Jude would ruin the world for him and he’d let her and they’d both laugh about it after.
Enemies to lovers done right is sharp, soft, and so wrong it’s right and this is exactly that. Stolen crowns, stolen kisses, stolen dignity (mine)
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Grief, Toxic friendship
Minor: Slavery, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Sexual content
Minor: Cannibalism
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Death of parent
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders
I mean, I did sometimes wonder how Jude, "just" a human, could almost die so many times, and then recover quickly enough to fight more/so soon. It's astounding. Her adrenaline levels must be unhealthily high all the time. Lol But, again, I was in this for the escapism and entertainment, so I suspended disbelief. My bigger, and really only real, complaint of the series is the chemistry and connection between Jude and Cardan. They read more as platonic allies to me. I just never *felt* that spark of sexual attraction/tension. I get that hate and love are two sides of the same coin, and I see how their hate did turn to camaraderie and banter, but the desire piece never really developed enough to believe in, for me. So, I kinda just chose to read them as comrades and that worked for me. Sort of related, by the end of this novel, I definitely "over it" with the lack of communication in this YA relationship...but I knew what I was getting into when I started reading, so that’s on me.
Back to the good stuff though... There were lots of complex relationships with love and hate and admiration and jealousy and frustration and protection and desire and disgust - friend, romantic, family, and otherwise - and I was impressed with that level of relationship and character development nuance in a clearly YA series, tbh. Also, I was so happy with the classic fae and fairy tale tropes that were used throughout this series. They were well used and cozily familiar (to be clear, this is not cozy fantasy - lotssss of violence and backstabbing - but the recognizability of the tropes was comforting). And at the same time, the plot took some twists I didn’t expect, which kept me on my toes quite enough. A great balance was struck there.
I had fun racing through this series with little to no need for time/brain investment - that was exactly what I wanted/needed and it delivered.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, War
Minor: Child abuse, Torture
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, War
Minor: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism