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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let me preface this review by saying reading is subjective. I often struggle with leaving reviews because it feels wrong to essentially grade someone’s hard work having never attempted anything of the sort myself (teenage fanfic not included). That said, this book is terrible and an absolute massacre of character and plot previously established in the BJT. Jaenelle Saetien (do NOT get me started on the lazy naming conventions here) is Bishop’s favorite punching bag. The story opens with her and Daemonar (what did I say?) engaging in a cute little adventure reminiscent of OG Jaenelle and Lucivar but the moment was immediately ruined when Lucivar asked why his daughter, Titian (another recycled name), wasn’t invited. Throughout the story, Titian and Daemonar receive guidance, coddling, and interest shown in their hobbies and relationships by both their parents AND JS’s parents, while JS constantly gets kicked and told she should know better and be better and do better. Seriously, Surreal shows NO love or care towards her daughter - instead, she refers to her as “the girl” and twice calls her a bitch. JS’s scenes with Daemon show her getting scolded for *checks notes* wanting to ride horses with a friend and attend a play. This is adolescent “defiance” is supposed to explain why she becomes this insipid and simpering idiot who “befriends” Delora and Hespera (reincarnations of the original BJT’s Dorothea and Hepsaba - see what I mean about the names?). These two are (obviously) the Big Bads and spend the entire book increasing their hostile and mean-spirited pranks and bullying to eventually include the planned rape and murder of Titian’s girlfriend at a house party held at JS’s house. What kills me is that JS is told BY HER PARENTS (reminder: her father is the most powerful man in the entire world EVER) to handle it and make good choices and then they LEAVE - knowing something’s up and refusing to actually help or guide their daughter in said decisions. Or, ya know, just kicking these people out of their house? Chaos, poisoning, attempted rape, and murder ensue (predictably) and JS gets locked up and her mother tells her that she will execute her if her father asks. ??? Then, the OG Jaenelle (brought back to life by fan service) invades JS’s body and mind to share the traumas SHE experienced (including forcing her to feel rape) as a “lesson” and so that Daemon doesn’t have to kill his daughter to appease the parents of those kids harmed under his roof. Which he could have avoided by being a parent/an adult and telling them to leave.
Throughout all of this, the writing is repetitive, lazy, and a complete bastardization of the original trilogy and the characters we grew with and loved. If I have to read how volatile and barely in control of their rage and “sexual heat” (seriously, this lip curling phrase is repeated ad nauseam - sometimes said multiple times in a paragraph!) these men are, my eyes will simply roll out of my head to avoid the torment. I refuse to believe this wasn’t ghost-written or that AI wasn’t used to complete this trash. Bishop has had a successful writing career but this is not evidence of it. Save yourself and don’t give this novel another glance.
Throughout all of this, the writing is repetitive, lazy, and a complete bastardization of the original trilogy and the characters we grew with and loved. If I have to read how volatile and barely in control of their rage and “sexual heat” (seriously, this lip curling phrase is repeated ad nauseam - sometimes said multiple times in a paragraph!) these men are, my eyes will simply roll out of my head to avoid the torment. I refuse to believe this wasn’t ghost-written or that AI wasn’t used to complete this trash. Bishop has had a successful writing career but this is not evidence of it. Save yourself and don’t give this novel another glance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Murder, Toxic friendship
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Sexual violence, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Same as my review for the last book. Let the dead be dead. Jaenelle Angelline (the Mary Sue to rule them all) is a blight on this series and the best books are the ones that don't have her in it.
Jaenelle Saetien is a sad, overlooked teenager desperate for her own identity. I hope none of the parents rating this book highly are treating their children the way she was treated. I hope Anne Bishop's own kids had better, more caring parents than Daemon and Surreal turned out to be.
How about, as a suggestion, you sit down and talk to your daughter about the things that she's struggling with? Instead of strong arming her with castes and ranks that only make her feel smaller than she already does and then just calling her a "bitch"? What made her a "bitch" was never explained by the way. She was just a bitch. And that was supposed to change the teenage girl's mind about leaning more heavily on her "friends" for support?
This child is unjustly demonised in this trilogy in a weak attempt to not only bring back Jaenelle Angelline, but try and make everyone feel sorry for someone who had already lived the full extent of her life (quite happily and more blessed than most people can dream of mind) and it made me physically sick.
Not to mention the feeble excuse of overwhelming "sexual heat" (NEVER mentioned once in the first NINE books) to break down Surreal and Daemon's marriage so that he could be justified in all but cheating on his wife with a dead woman. Urgh.
Anne Bishop. Are you okay?
I'm not even going to get started on the rehash of old enemies in Dorothea and Hekatah. Can we come up with NO other ideas?
Can we move away from these stupid powerful families that could have ended everything before it even began in a way that makes the entire story really contrived? Please write about someone else.
Jaenelle Saetien is a sad, overlooked teenager desperate for her own identity. I hope none of the parents rating this book highly are treating their children the way she was treated. I hope Anne Bishop's own kids had better, more caring parents than Daemon and Surreal turned out to be.
How about, as a suggestion, you sit down and talk to your daughter about the things that she's struggling with? Instead of strong arming her with castes and ranks that only make her feel smaller than she already does and then just calling her a "bitch"? What made her a "bitch" was never explained by the way. She was just a bitch. And that was supposed to change the teenage girl's mind about leaning more heavily on her "friends" for support?
This child is unjustly demonised in this trilogy in a weak attempt to not only bring back Jaenelle Angelline, but try and make everyone feel sorry for someone who had already lived the full extent of her life (quite happily and more blessed than most people can dream of mind) and it made me physically sick.
Not to mention the feeble excuse of overwhelming "sexual heat" (NEVER mentioned once in the first NINE books) to break down Surreal and Daemon's marriage so that he could be justified in all but cheating on his wife with a dead woman. Urgh.
Anne Bishop. Are you okay?
I'm not even going to get started on the rehash of old enemies in Dorothea and Hekatah. Can we come up with NO other ideas?
Can we move away from these stupid powerful families that could have ended everything before it even began in a way that makes the entire story really contrived? Please write about someone else.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Curling up with old friends was just the thing I needed, and romping around with scelties and students was great as always.
Is this very much a book created for longtime fans? Yes. It references a lot of previous history, and I think it will be a lot less enjoyable to start the series here.
Am I reading it mostly for nostalgia? Also yes. I had a good time, some things didn't go as expected, but overall I think it is interesting to see both how Dorothea might have risen to power as well as see the implications of real world choices. Did you know tampering with food is a felony several places? You can go to jail for it.
Anyway,
Is this very much a book created for longtime fans? Yes. It references a lot of previous history, and I think it will be a lot less enjoyable to start the series here.
Am I reading it mostly for nostalgia? Also yes. I had a good time, some things didn't go as expected, but overall I think it is interesting to see both how Dorothea might have risen to power as well as see the implications of real world choices. Did you know tampering with food is a felony several places? You can go to jail for it.
Anyway,
Spoiler
I still don't know what I think about Witch returning, but at least in this book that has been explained better than in the previous one. Also the ending seemed rather final, but it isn't the first time I thought we were done with this realm. Or maybe the plan is to have other main characters like when she wrote about Dena Nehele etc., I'm just not sure how well that would go over.
A great guide explaining why giving into peer pressure is a bad idea