Scan barcode
kiwij96's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book might actually be the worst book I've ever read. It took me a whole week to read (and I read Priory of the Orange Tree in less time). The absolute lack of a plot until like 300 pages in was honestly painful. The first 300 pages was like every "male" (🤢) telling Brie that she was so gorgeous and that they wanted to kiss her or have sex with her. The lack of consent in this book is outrageous considering that this is a YA romantasy, what is this teaching young people? All the male love interests were just vile. Sebastian being a manipulative gaslighter, Misha being a player, and Finn giving mixed signals all the time. Story literally could have been like 200 pages shorter if you took out all of Brie's internal conflicts and monologues.
Then there was the "oh my god, the children are in danger. Quick, let's participate in a fertility festival and let me gift you a house on the way to see a Priestess who can fix all this". Full offence, but where was the urgency? Then a plot twist finally springs up on around the 300th page, and it finally got interesting. But by this point, I was so sick of every character, and reading Brie's perspective that I just wanted to set fire to the book itself. I persevered and it got me absolute nothing.
Then there was the "oh my god, the children are in danger. Quick, let's participate in a fertility festival and let me gift you a house on the way to see a Priestess who can fix all this". Full offence, but where was the urgency? Then a plot twist finally springs up on around the 300th page, and it finally got interesting. But by this point, I was so sick of every character, and reading Brie's perspective that I just wanted to set fire to the book itself. I persevered and it got me absolute nothing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Torture
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Blood, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, and Death
Minor: Sexual content
fieldofsummer's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Sexual content
lilhappyhermit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
This was a beautiful conclusion to this duology. The character arc Brie, Finn and Sebastian have throughout all of the trials and tribulations of this story were so well done and left me feeling so full and content. Brie accepting all facets of herself and acknowledging her previous thoughts as wrong and proving through action her want to do right by her people was such a beautiful experience. I absolutely loved this book and the conclusion to the trials these characters faced throughout these two books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Kidnapping
louisepea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Cursing
Minor: Torture, Violence, Blood, and War
carrie_lynne's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Cursing and Confinement
rinku's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
Moderate: War, Slavery, and Gore
Minor: Death of parent
qdbibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.25
This book picks up right where the last one left off; Brie is running after just having turned fae. She then uses her newly enhanced powers to rescue some Unseelie children and after collapsing finds herself in the Wild Fae kingdom with the King, who is also Pretha's brother. She feels deeply betrayed by Sebastian but still feels a draw toward him and ends up jumping back and forth between her feelings for Sebastian and Finn quite a bit. While Sebastian's amorous feelings toward Brie seem genuine, he still thinks he's meant to rule the Unseelie and tries to convince Brie to return to him seeing as how she still is in possession of the crown and the throne rejected Sebastian outright. Meanwhile, Sebastian's mother, the Seelie queen is growing more and more powerful and continues to imprison Unseelie children to have them mine fire gems, keeping them in camps and injecting them with a toxin that inhibits their powers. Within the Unseelie kingdom itself the children are falling asleep and not waking. Not dying but not waking either.
The group tries to decide what to do and ends up deciding to request a visit to the underworld to have a chitty-chat with Mab. Brie finally decides that she wants to be with Finn and upon reaching the underworld, we learn that Brie is actually the one who is from Mab's line (the power laid dormant among her mother's line until it was needed) and that Finn is her tethered match. The two return from the underworld with a seemingly impossible resolution: Brie & Sebastian have to bond forever or Seb has to give up his life. Brie and Finn resign themselves to be star-crossed lovers and will sacrifice their relationship for the good of the realm. On their way to do so Arya (Sebastian's mother and Seelie queen) attempts again to kidnap Brie, this time being successful. She kidnaps both Brie and Sebastian and Arya blackmails Brie with Jas. She tortures them and Brie ends up having to full accept her shadow self in order to escape and freeing Sebastian in the process. She kills Arya effectively transferring the crown to Sebastian. Sebastian and Brie still plan to do the bonding in order to save the children and the kingdom but at the last second Sebastian takes the stone from around Brie's neck which was a blood stone and not a fire gem. He drinks the liquid and ends up giving up his immortal life and turning mortal (thereby satisfying the premise of Seb having to "give up his life" -- he didn't die, he just didn't remain immortal).
HEA: Brie ends up with Finn, ruling over the Unseelie court as an immortal and Sebastian gives up his romance with Brie and rules over the Seelie court as a mortal ruler (that no one but the inner circle knows about). The next book is Jas' so it'll be interesting to see if she stays human or not.
What I liked: The world building and magic system in this world. I feel like shadow abilities are gaining in popularity but still underrated. Brie has some exceptional abilities. I liked that Brie was self aware, especially toward the end and that the message there was that she needed to truly accept all aspects of herself including her trauma. The HEA wrapped up in a bow was certainly satisfying.
What I didn't like: I'm not a fan of love triangles where the FMC teeters between feelings for two guys when clearly one of those relationships is more out of a feeling of pity and obligation than true connection. I get irritated with indecisiveness so the murkiness of Brie's feelings between Sebastian and Finn was really annoying for me. The demise of the villain felt a little too easy. The fact that Brie kept insisting she had to be human to go visit her sister -- Sebastian obviously was able to glamour himself for 2 years to be there so why can't she? Also her inability to see past herself in the beginning "what does this have to do with me?" and "why would you want to be bonded" -- she's lonely but can't understand the idea of a bond, and while yes it was involuntary, she has powers and she still can't wrap her head around what it has to do with her. I guess the author was leaving room for character development but I wasn't empathizing with Brie in the beginning there.
Spice rating: 2; on-page but not overly explicit and there is only 1 scene
Overall good read -- Kind of a cross between ACOTAR & Cruel Prince but the "light" version.
The group tries to decide what to do and ends up deciding to request a visit to the underworld to have a chitty-chat with Mab. Brie finally decides that she wants to be with Finn and upon reaching the underworld, we learn that Brie is actually the one who is from Mab's line (the power laid dormant among her mother's line until it was needed) and that Finn is her tethered match. The two return from the underworld with a seemingly impossible resolution: Brie & Sebastian have to bond forever or Seb has to give up his life. Brie and Finn resign themselves to be star-crossed lovers and will sacrifice their relationship for the good of the realm. On their way to do so Arya (Sebastian's mother and Seelie queen) attempts again to kidnap Brie, this time being successful. She kidnaps both Brie and Sebastian and Arya blackmails Brie with Jas. She tortures them and Brie ends up having to full accept her shadow self in order to escape and freeing Sebastian in the process. She kills Arya effectively transferring the crown to Sebastian. Sebastian and Brie still plan to do the bonding in order to save the children and the kingdom but at the last second Sebastian takes the stone from around Brie's neck which was a blood stone and not a fire gem. He drinks the liquid and ends up giving up his immortal life and turning mortal (thereby satisfying the premise of Seb having to "give up his life" -- he didn't die, he just didn't remain immortal).
HEA: Brie ends up with Finn, ruling over the Unseelie court as an immortal and Sebastian gives up his romance with Brie and rules over the Seelie court as a mortal ruler (that no one but the inner circle knows about). The next book is Jas' so it'll be interesting to see if she stays human or not.
What I liked: The world building and magic system in this world. I feel like shadow abilities are gaining in popularity but still underrated. Brie has some exceptional abilities. I liked that Brie was self aware, especially toward the end and that the message there was that she needed to truly accept all aspects of herself including her trauma. The HEA wrapped up in a bow was certainly satisfying.
What I didn't like: I'm not a fan of love triangles where the FMC teeters between feelings for two guys when clearly one of those relationships is more out of a feeling of pity and obligation than true connection. I get irritated with indecisiveness so the murkiness of Brie's feelings between Sebastian and Finn was really annoying for me. The demise of the villain felt a little too easy. The fact that Brie kept insisting she had to be human to go visit her sister -- Sebastian obviously was able to glamour himself for 2 years to be there so why can't she? Also her inability to see past herself in the beginning "what does this have to do with me?" and "why would you want to be bonded" -- she's lonely but can't understand the idea of a bond, and while yes it was involuntary, she has powers and she still can't wrap her head around what it has to do with her. I guess the author was leaving room for character development but I wasn't empathizing with Brie in the beginning there.
Spice rating: 2; on-page but not overly explicit and there is only 1 scene
Overall good read -- Kind of a cross between ACOTAR & Cruel Prince but the "light" version.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
cedence's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
4.0
Four stars to this one. It was a quick, emotional and entertaining read, just like book one. More spice in it too. Reminds me of acotar now and then.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
viviette's review
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book sucked compared to the first. It was slow and difficult and frankly I feel that Sebastian’s and Abriella’s relationship was dragged on far too long. There were way too little scenes between Finn and Brie plus the back and forth with “taking the blame” was super annoying…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Mature content is skipable though I don’t appreciate it in a YA advertised novel.anewton's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A great sequel, easy read that draws you into the plot and characters. Great plot twists and character development, easy to follow and yet complex to politics and magic system.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content