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laurajane013's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
pineapplerain's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Staring at the wall. Oh my days i was supposed to be reading more light hearted books but I couldn't help myself!! Really good, Sorin kind of got on my nerves a bit but I suppose that is because I'm picky.
This book has left me speechless, staring at nothing and just yearning for the next one, I have to hold myself back from starting it as I will not do my work if not lol
This book has left me speechless, staring at nothing and just yearning for the next one, I have to hold myself back from starting it as I will not do my work if not lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Rape
bangiebangs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
3.5
This was a tricky one. I'm usually a fast quick reader, but this took me a couple weeks to get through, and it was such a slog sometimes. So what happened is... this book is paced terribly. There is a review further down by @anotherreadingblonde that really sums it up nicely: the potential is great, the pacing is terrible.
I am a huge ACOTAR fan (and I guess ToG is ok), though not a huge fan of Aelin (at all) and Feyre (mostly). The way this story (and universe) are built is *very* similar to SJM's books. You got your mysterious and tortured assassin FMC who turns out to be not only fae, but a (previously lost) fay queen. You got your various courts with their inner circles. You got your Rhys (Sorin), Cassian (Cyrus) and Azriel (Rayner); your Mor (Eliza), your Dorian (Callan) etc. You got a mysterious people that may be invading by taking positions of power - the Maaren Lords (valg), and so on. You even got the explanation of different "planes" and beings that can walk through these universes.
So if you loved ToG and/or ACOTAR and don't mind reading more of that, this is a great book for you!
That said, the pacing here is horrible at times. I almost DNF'd this multiple times, and at the end of book 2 I want to know what happens next, but I'm also really hesitant to jump into another one bc it was so hard to keep reading at times!
Scarlett is depressed for most of the time, which, fair, but also gets a bit old. Compared to Feyre's healing, or Nesta's, this is so hard to get through... there is my nemesis, the miscommunication trope. It's so bad, and so frequent. Yes, all are tortured souls that had to fend for themselves, but at some point in your hundreds of years of life you must have learned to communicate better than this?!
The handling of the age gap is fine for the most part, though there is one point where the "you really are ancient haha" banter turns pretty cringe. Sorin says something like that he could have saved her from all the trauma she went through, being raised an assassin etc, if he had only known Elinè had had a child, and I was honestly not sure if this 300+ years old dude would have then, what, raised his twin flame from early childhood (around 3 years old)? It's called grooming, my friend. Plus, you were soulmates with her mother on top of that (platonic in this universe, but still a twining of souls)! Like... ew. No.
And the final thing I really hate is that Scarlett acts like Aelin, and I hated how Aelin acted. The deus ex machina moments ("while you were trying to help I acquired the necessary knowledge but didnt tell anyone, but LOOK here is the solution", "there is this notoriously unhelpful character that has been awful for hundreds of years, but we hit it off immediately and they will help us of course", etc). I thought these surprises in ToG were lazy writing and bad planning, ie. you need to get your story to some point so you just magically make that happen), and I didn't like them here.
So where does that leave us. I think this world has huge potential, I just wish it was paced better. I get that some of the endless explanations are necessary to round off a character or make sure we understand the gravity of some future plot point. But I've rarely found a book easier to put down than this one. I even started reading two (!) other stories at the same time, which is unusual for me.
I don't regret reading it, but I think I might need a break before delving into the next book. Should you read it? If you're someone who likes these expansive worlds, you will definitely enjoy this one, and it being a finished series is a huge plus here as well! If you need plots to move and don't have a lot of patience for the in-between details, you may wanna pass.
I am a huge ACOTAR fan (and I guess ToG is ok), though not a huge fan of Aelin (at all) and Feyre (mostly). The way this story (and universe) are built is *very* similar to SJM's books. You got your mysterious and tortured assassin FMC who turns out to be not only fae, but a (previously lost) fay queen. You got your various courts with their inner circles. You got your Rhys (Sorin), Cassian (Cyrus) and Azriel (Rayner); your Mor (Eliza), your Dorian (Callan) etc. You got a mysterious people that may be invading by taking positions of power - the Maaren Lords (valg), and so on. You even got the explanation of different "planes" and beings that can walk through these universes.
So if you loved ToG and/or ACOTAR and don't mind reading more of that, this is a great book for you!
That said, the pacing here is horrible at times. I almost DNF'd this multiple times, and at the end of book 2 I want to know what happens next, but I'm also really hesitant to jump into another one bc it was so hard to keep reading at times!
Scarlett is depressed for most of the time, which, fair, but also gets a bit old. Compared to Feyre's healing, or Nesta's, this is so hard to get through... there is my nemesis, the miscommunication trope. It's so bad, and so frequent. Yes, all are tortured souls that had to fend for themselves, but at some point in your hundreds of years of life you must have learned to communicate better than this?!
The handling of the age gap is fine for the most part, though
And the final thing I really hate is that Scarlett acts like Aelin, and I hated how Aelin acted. The deus ex machina moments ("while you were trying to help I acquired the necessary knowledge but didnt tell anyone, but LOOK here is the solution", "there is this notoriously unhelpful character that has been awful for hundreds of years, but we hit it off immediately and they will help us of course", etc). I thought these surprises in ToG were lazy writing and bad planning, ie. you need to get your story to some point so you just magically make that happen), and I didn't like them here.
So where does that leave us. I think this world has huge potential, I just wish it was paced better. I get that some of the endless explanations are necessary to round off a character or make sure we understand the gravity of some future plot point. But I've rarely found a book easier to put down than this one. I even started reading two (!) other stories at the same time, which is unusual for me.
I don't regret reading it, but I think I might need a break before delving into the next book. Should you read it? If you're someone who likes these expansive worlds, you will definitely enjoy this one, and it being a finished series is a huge plus here as well! If you need plots to move and don't have a lot of patience for the in-between details, you may wanna pass.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Death, and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, and Rape
countesslemongrab's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The cliffhanger this book ended on has me shook.
The plot is very similar to ACOMAF, there’s a good amount of conflict happening to keep my attention. However, by the end I was frustrated that most of these conflicts were because Scarlet was constantly running away. It seemed like there wasn’t much character development from her character.
I appreciate that the author included a map, a pronunciation guide, and a reference page to remind of characters already met in book one.
The plot is very similar to ACOMAF, there’s a good amount of conflict happening to keep my attention. However, by the end I was frustrated that most of these conflicts were because Scarlet was constantly running away. It seemed like there wasn’t much character development from her character.
I appreciate that the author included a map, a pronunciation guide, and a reference page to remind of characters already met in book one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Rape
dovahkiin_shea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
hbae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Rape and Death of parent
bitchqueen's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Minor: Rape
natalieetruesdell's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
I liked this book, but not as much as the first one. On its own, without any comparison, it's a pretty solid book even if the plotline was a little spotty at times. I liked the inner conflict that the MC faces and how she handles the betrayal from the end of book one. She has what I would consider emotionally reasonable reactions, which allows the reader to not be yelling at the MC the entire book to forgive the person already. Her forgiveness is a progression that doesn't happen overnight. My favorite thing about this author is that she does a really good job developing characters, relationships, and plotlines in a way that feels realistic and unhurried. It creates more of an emotional attachment for me.
My main problem is that I just could not stop seeing parallels with ACOTAR. I can't tell if my head just naturally makes the connection between ACOTAR and any book with fae in it because I have read the series so many times or if my thoughts are justified. Here's a list of connections I noticed:
-go to fae court w/ most cruel reputation but it's not actually cruel
-inner court is found family
-MC is new to fae world
-MC has multiple fae powers
-guy+his court keep the fact that they're mates/twin flames a secret
-heroine finds out mate thing from outside 3rd-party seer
-private cabin in the mountains where love is consummated
-find out a close friend's lineage is important
-ends with MC going back to spy on lover (he's her rapist in this book but you get my point)
I'm just a little upset because if I hadn't already read ACOTAR, I might have liked this book/series just as much as it. SIGH
Anyways, it was a fun book to read, and I'll most likely read the next book whenever it comes out.
My main problem is that I just could not stop seeing parallels with ACOTAR. I can't tell if my head just naturally makes the connection between ACOTAR and any book with fae in it because I have read the series so many times or if my thoughts are justified. Here's a list of connections I noticed:
-go to fae court w/ most cruel reputation but it's not actually cruel
-inner court is found family
-MC is new to fae world
-MC has multiple fae powers
-guy+his court keep the fact that they're mates/twin flames a secret
-heroine finds out mate thing from outside 3rd-party seer
-private cabin in the mountains where love is consummated
-find out a close friend's lineage is important
-ends with MC going back to spy on lover (he's her rapist in this book but you get my point)
I'm just a little upset because if I hadn't already read ACOTAR, I might have liked this book/series just as much as it. SIGH
Anyways, it was a fun book to read, and I'll most likely read the next book whenever it comes out.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
The majority of the SA triggers are in the first book.
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