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Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Kaan jumped to my top spot of favorite book boyfriends. 😏🥵🥰
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
in terms of world-building, i thoroughly enjoyed this book - the types of dragon (oh how i love dragons), the different cities and their harsh environments, brutal to those who aren’t brought up within said city’s walls, the diverse range of characters and worshipping of natural gods ?? it wasn’t perfect no, but i was absolutely immersed in this world - i could hear the mischievous whispers of Clode, the agonising hiss of Rayne. in all honestly, what a truly interesting concept.
the multiple POVs worked nicely to pepper information throughout the narrative - and whilst the plot twists weren’t major, they were so very satisfying to see unfurl across the pages (or in my case my kindle screen). though if you had given me a random chapter, i wouldn’t be able to tell you straight off the bat which character POV i was privy to. though Parker’s writing style is distinct, the voices of her character are not so much so. even when reading a specific character’s chapter i’d sometimes forget who was narrating. though the most disappointing thing about this book was the indistinct character voices (strangely through their POV and scarcely their dialogue) it does not dampen my love for this fantasy world in the slightest.
the sexy slow burn relationship between Raeve and Kaan is the most prominent drive of the plot. the teasing tension between the two characters is heatingly well done, yet the relationship is so much more than the physical. there is something so complicated yet pure between the two of them - an intrinsic connection that is as damaging as it is nurturing. it is by no means a perfect relationship but by Creators is it thrilling.
i can’t wait for the sequel to this book, but i just don’t know if i can wait over half an aurora phase for its release
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder
The story is pretty bloody and YA-brand dark, but also clunky due to it's dialogue and characters.
Raeve is a "special" assassin with a dark past that's barely expanded on. She loses those close to her - as we're reminded constantly - so she walls off her heart. She has no qualms with slaughtering people, yet when she sees other people kill she gets very squeamish. She also spends a tremendous amount of time being a damsel in distress because "she's too powerful and dangerous to have her powers."
Kaan
I'd still read the second book if it was brought to me because of the world, but I wouldn't seek it out.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War
Minor: Confinement, Kidnapping
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
WHY: Dragons!
THOUGHTS: I sadly struggled....I think I was under the impression it was more dragon based than assassin based...especially because most fourth wing readers recommended it. I found myself getting lost when the characters changed and took me a while to grasp the writing. Though I did eventually fall into the story halfway through and enjoyed it and would like to read it again in the future with a fresh set of eyes.
RECOMMENDED: A main female assassin character, a magical vibe and history storyline including magical/mythical creatures, rune work and mystery.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Violence
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Blood
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexism, Slavery, Death of parent, Gaslighting
The world building in this book is so damned cool. Everything is very UNIQUE - from the moons in the sky being a beautiful depiction of death, to the interesting layout of the world, to the plants, animals and creatures, to the different cultures, to the elemental magic system, to even the currency. It’s so well thought out and beautifully done. Took a bit to immerse myself in the world because it’s so incredibly different, but once you’re in it, you are IN IT!
As for the characters, they were so rich in their backstories, getting to know them was fascinating. Every little tidbit from reading at the beginning starts to make sense as you go through the story. So many times I was flipping back to earlier chapters and going OHHHHHHHH!!!! WOAH WTF
Raeve was such a cool FMC. She is a BADASS, and it was wonderful to read about her growth as a person and understand more and more about herself as the chapters went on.
Kaan, I love him. This man knows how to yearn. He and Rygun are so cool. His kingdom is giving Velaris but hot, and his ragtag crew are very fun. I hope we get more of them in the next one. I’m especially eager to read more about Grihms egg hunting journey.
The ending was reveal, after reveal, after reveal. It was so intense and exciting and FUN. I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 2. Fall 2025 cannot come soon enough. LOVED IT THROUGH AND THROUGH
(May actually be in my top 3 books this year)
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail