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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
This book was 90% character focused and had about 10% plot. The actual story from the ending of Book 3 doesn't move forward until about the last 50 pages of this book. I'm having a hard time reviewing this because while I liked it overall, there were many details I wasn't a big fan of.
Spoilers ahead!
I wasn't a big fan of the premise. All these characters from all over the series thrown together in one room and forced to share memories with each other? It's unbelievably fanfiction-ish. Tumbrl headcannon-ish. And with so many characters in the room together, sometimes I found it hard to process which character was talking. I had to pause for a couple seconds, remember who a specific person is, and then keep reading, which was a little bit inconvenient.
There was also a case of SA between a couple that wasn't taken as seriously as I would have liked. I don't understand how they went right back to being a couple after everything that happened between them. Also Janel being pregnant was completely unnecessary in my opinion. And I didn't like Galen and Qown being together. I never liked Qown throughout the series because he was always a wishy-washy character and I don't want him anywhere near Galen.
While the stakes were high (end of the world and all that), I never considered characters dying as high stakes at all. Especially since we established in the first book that people could be brought back to life. I thought that after the goddess of death was killed, this might change and that characters might actually stay dead. This upped the stakes a bit, but I was disappointed when that wasn't the case at all. I found it unrealistic that with all the destruction happening, our main cast of characters didn't suffer any losses.
I did like the ending though and the cliffhanger really killed me, so I am looking forward to the next book. I know it sounded like I had a lot of things to complain about, but overall, I am liking this series.
Spoilers ahead!
I wasn't a big fan of the premise. All these characters from all over the series thrown together in one room and forced to share memories with each other? It's unbelievably fanfiction-ish. Tumbrl headcannon-ish. And with so many characters in the room together, sometimes I found it hard to process which character was talking. I had to pause for a couple seconds, remember who a specific person is, and then keep reading, which was a little bit inconvenient.
There was also a case of SA between a couple that wasn't taken as seriously as I would have liked. I don't understand how they went right back to being a couple after everything that happened between them. Also Janel being pregnant was completely unnecessary in my opinion. And I didn't like Galen and Qown being together. I never liked Qown throughout the series because he was always a wishy-washy character and I don't want him anywhere near Galen.
While the stakes were high (end of the world and all that), I never considered characters dying as high stakes at all. Especially since we established in the first book that people could be brought back to life. I thought that after the goddess of death was killed, this might change and that characters might actually stay dead. This upped the stakes a bit, but I was disappointed when that wasn't the case at all. I found it unrealistic that with all the destruction happening, our main cast of characters didn't suffer any losses.
I did like the ending though and the cliffhanger really killed me, so I am looking forward to the next book. I know it sounded like I had a lot of things to complain about, but overall, I am liking this series.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 stars! ⭐️
In the face of such a consistently incredible series (featuring rampaging dragons, secretly soul-swapped royals and eight gods looking to end said royals’ power trips), I had crazy high expectations for The House of Always. Although this installment featured the least enticing plot, my beloved harp playing (kind-of-a-demon-god) Kihrin never fails to claim my heart with his witty dialogue and overall gut-wrenching journey.
"Love is a mortar too weak to hold when the foundations of our lives crumble."
Surpassing the greatness of book three–my favourite of this series and one of my favourite books in general–was bound to be a difficult feat. Jenn Lyons reached such an untouchable high with The Memory of Souls, striking the perfect balance between magical complexity and depth of character. And that ending was an amazing segway into what I’d assumed would be a fast-paced and action filled next installment.
While my high hopes were somewhat met–especially in the romance department–(yes I am still screaming) my main let down was the transition from Lyons’ typically crazy timelines into a more mundane and linear format. This time around, the usual gang–aside from, *ahem* Kihrin–was trapped in a lighthouse for reasons, and the entire book took place there, in Vol Karoth’s mind realm or in newly revealed character memories. I surely had fun, though I definitely missed being bombarded with plot twists like during books 1-3.
“He still looked at me like I was every sunrise the world had ever seen.”
I’m proud to announce: chivalry is not in fact dead! Kihrin, Janel and Taraeth’s relationship absolutely floored me. I’m talking Instant KO. Hand holding, leaning heads on shoulders, kissing…. and finally even more,,, all of it ruined my life. 11/10 experience.
The addition of Qown and Galen’s budding feelings were unexpectedly sweet as well!
Xivan, Talea and Kalindra perspectives did bore me at times, though Sherloran’s more than made up for it all. That woman is a queen, I can’t get enough of her.
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
The subtle humour in this series–even when slipped in through endless tragedy–is so tasteful; making me laugh right after having my soul shattered is something only few authors can successfully execute. So please, Jenn Lyons, this is me politely asking you to spare my heart. Not at all ready for this finale. April is where I lose it, folks.
“It turned out choices could linger like a wound, reminding a person every waking second of their consequences. Choices were ghosts; they haunted.”
In the face of such a consistently incredible series (featuring rampaging dragons, secretly soul-swapped royals and eight gods looking to end said royals’ power trips), I had crazy high expectations for The House of Always. Although this installment featured the least enticing plot, my beloved harp playing (kind-of-a-demon-god) Kihrin never fails to claim my heart with his witty dialogue and overall gut-wrenching journey.
"Love is a mortar too weak to hold when the foundations of our lives crumble."
Surpassing the greatness of book three–my favourite of this series and one of my favourite books in general–was bound to be a difficult feat. Jenn Lyons reached such an untouchable high with The Memory of Souls, striking the perfect balance between magical complexity and depth of character. And that ending was an amazing segway into what I’d assumed would be a fast-paced and action filled next installment.
While my high hopes were somewhat met–especially in the romance department–(yes I am still screaming) my main let down was the transition from Lyons’ typically crazy timelines into a more mundane and linear format. This time around, the usual gang–aside from, *ahem* Kihrin–was trapped in a lighthouse for reasons, and the entire book took place there, in Vol Karoth’s mind realm or in newly revealed character memories. I surely had fun, though I definitely missed being bombarded with plot twists like during books 1-3.
“He still looked at me like I was every sunrise the world had ever seen.”
I’m proud to announce: chivalry is not in fact dead! Kihrin, Janel and Taraeth’s relationship absolutely floored me. I’m talking Instant KO. Hand holding, leaning heads on shoulders, kissing…. and finally even more,,, all of it ruined my life. 11/10 experience.
The addition of Qown and Galen’s budding feelings were unexpectedly sweet as well!
Xivan, Talea and Kalindra perspectives did bore me at times, though Sherloran’s more than made up for it all. That woman is a queen, I can’t get enough of her.
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
The subtle humour in this series–even when slipped in through endless tragedy–is so tasteful; making me laugh right after having my soul shattered is something only few authors can successfully execute. So please, Jenn Lyons, this is me politely asking you to spare my heart. Not at all ready for this finale. April is where I lose it, folks.
“It turned out choices could linger like a wound, reminding a person every waking second of their consequences. Choices were ghosts; they haunted.”
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
I'm... literally speechless.
This is perfection.
At least for me. I know these books have flaws and are not for everyone. But for me, every single book in the series is uniquely perfect on its own. And the series is one of my all-time favorites already. I want to read book 5 immediately, but I'm also not ready yet to let these characters go. None of them, especially after this book.
It's so hard to talk about this book without spoilers. Just know that what it did was so important to me. And I don't think it has been done in any other epic fantasy series before, where a group of people has to work together. It focuses so much on each and every character, main and supporting ones, as well as their relationships to each other. I used to joke that this book is one big group therapy session... but there is nothing to joke about because that is exactly what it is. And this theme is woven through the whole plot, and it's accentuated through the narrative structure. And the ending? OMG, that hit SO hard. I can't believe how perfectly the small details fit together. I am in awe of Jenn Lyons.
This is perfection.
At least for me. I know these books have flaws and are not for everyone. But for me, every single book in the series is uniquely perfect on its own. And the series is one of my all-time favorites already. I want to read book 5 immediately, but I'm also not ready yet to let these characters go. None of them, especially after this book.
It's so hard to talk about this book without spoilers. Just know that what it did was so important to me. And I don't think it has been done in any other epic fantasy series before, where a group of people has to work together. It focuses so much on each and every character, main and supporting ones, as well as their relationships to each other. I used to joke that this book is one big group therapy session... but there is nothing to joke about because that is exactly what it is. And this theme is woven through the whole plot, and it's accentuated through the narrative structure. And the ending? OMG, that hit SO hard. I can't believe how perfectly the small details fit together. I am in awe of Jenn Lyons.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating : 4,5 ⭐
The way things are set up for the finale make me very excited to continue. I had a really good time with this book!
The way things are set up for the finale make me very excited to continue. I had a really good time with this book!