Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Five golden, action-filled stars! One of my favorite books ever!
Full review to come.
_____
I recommend this book to EVERYONE. Every fan of romantasy, at least.
Read this if you like:
- dragons
- spicy romance
- good worldbuilding
- action-filled books
And now to develop (which will be full of spoilers , so read further at your own risks):
So first, a little bit about why I picked up this book: I saw it so many times on BookTok, and most had very good things to say about it, and so I decided to add it to my TBR and actually picked it up and read it.
And yeah, I don't regret it for a second.
So I'll try to make this review as structured as possible, but considering the EMOTIONS, I'm pretty sure I'll come back to it and say, Huh... This doesn't make any sense.
First, the characters. I loved almost all of them; I loved Violet and how strong she is, and how much she curses, because that felt so real. I loved Xaden and his protectiveness, and also the fact that he still stood by her, and not in front of her, and I think Violet thinks the exact same things. I loved the squad and their friendship, and I loved Liam (yeah, I'm choosing to separate him from the squad because THE TEARS ). And the great thing about Rebecca's writing is that she was capable of making me care about very secondary characters like Soleil, who don't appear a lot before their deaths, and then I was still sad about them dying.
And also, the dragons!! Loved them all. Loved Tairn and his grumpiness/sassiness/protectiveness, loved Andarna and her youthfulness, loved Sgaeyl and her relationship with Xaden, even loved and felt sad for minor dragons like Jack's and Amber's. And Deigh!! Don't get me started about Deigh!! So yeah, loved every single one of them.
And then there were some characters I hated. Like Jack Barlowe and Oren and Tynan and even Luca. But that's fine, because they acted like complete assholes and I hate assholes.
And then there's Dain. Who... I despise, right about now. Because that ending, and that whole thing with Liam was his fault, and he dared to violate Violet in the most terrible way ever - I mean, he did read her mind without her permission!
To talk about the romance... I really liked it, loved some of Xaden's declarations, loved Violet's, and the spice was SPICY. But honestly, and you'll read more about it later on, Violet's attraction to Xaden and her change of mind about him felt a bit... sudden. But I still want myself a Xaden. He's definitely going on my list of top book boyfriends.
I mean, that declaration was everything :
Full review to come.
_____
I recommend this book to EVERYONE. Every fan of romantasy, at least.
Read this if you like:
- dragons
- spicy romance
- good worldbuilding
- action-filled books
And now to develop (which will be full of spoilers , so read further at your own risks):
So first, a little bit about why I picked up this book: I saw it so many times on BookTok, and most had very good things to say about it, and so I decided to add it to my TBR and actually picked it up and read it.
And yeah, I don't regret it for a second.
So I'll try to make this review as structured as possible, but considering the EMOTIONS, I'm pretty sure I'll come back to it and say, Huh... This doesn't make any sense.
First, the characters. I loved almost all of them; I loved Violet and how strong she is, and how much she curses, because that felt so real. I loved Xaden and his protectiveness, and also the fact that he still stood by her, and not in front of her, and I think Violet thinks the exact same things. I loved the squad and their friendship, and I loved Liam (yeah, I'm choosing to separate him from the squad because THE TEARS ). And the great thing about Rebecca's writing is that she was capable of making me care about very secondary characters like Soleil, who don't appear a lot before their deaths, and then I was still sad about them dying.
And also, the dragons!! Loved them all. Loved Tairn and his grumpiness/sassiness/protectiveness, loved Andarna and her youthfulness, loved Sgaeyl and her relationship with Xaden, even loved and felt sad for minor dragons like Jack's and Amber's. And Deigh!! Don't get me started about Deigh!! So yeah, loved every single one of them.
And then there were some characters I hated. Like Jack Barlowe and Oren and Tynan and even Luca. But that's fine, because they acted like complete assholes and I hate assholes.
And then there's Dain. Who... I despise, right about now. Because that ending, and that whole thing with Liam was his fault, and he dared to violate Violet in the most terrible way ever - I mean, he did read her mind without her permission!
To talk about the romance... I really liked it, loved some of Xaden's declarations, loved Violet's, and the spice was SPICY. But honestly, and you'll read more about it later on, Violet's attraction to Xaden and her change of mind about him felt a bit... sudden. But I still want myself a Xaden. He's definitely going on my list of top book boyfriends.
I mean, that declaration was everything :
I would rather lose this entire war than live without you, and if that means I have to prove myself over and over, then I'll do it. You gave me your heart, and I'm keeping it.
(Also, didn't know I needed a Xaden POV until I got one, so here's to hoping there will be more in the following books!)
Now, the plot. Loved everything about it, and the worldbuilding, and the fact that some of the plot twists almost had me dropping the book (like, Xaden, what the hell, and Brennan!!!). And the best thing is, you're instantly put in right in the story. In the very first chapter, there're already some character deaths (yeah, Dylan, thinking about you... you were sweet, I guess?), and it's already action-filled, and it doesn't let up. I don't think I got bored in a single chapter. (Those chapters, the book in general, gave me ANXIETY though.)
And that ending!! Cliffhanger much???! Actually, so many of the chapters ended in cliffhangers, part of why this book gave me anxiety. And when a book does that, it's a perfectly good thing for me.
And I'm gonne include the "villains" in the plot part (not sure that's the right word, but going with it still). I loved how they were supposed to be legend, and then it all went to hell at the end and then they were real, and freaking terrifying. Even for me.
Also, something that this book did that no fiction book has ever done before: it made me cry. Big, fat tears falling on the pages, so much so that I just had to stop reading. Proof, for me, that Rebecca Yarros is a good writer. For a few minutes anyway. Yeah, chapter 36, I'm looking at you right now. Liam Liam Liam Liam...
I think the moment I started crying was this one (and yeah, I'm shedding a few tears again writing this):
"At Parapet-" His face twists in pain. "You have to take care of my sister."
"Liam, no. I choke on the words as tears clog my throat. "You'll be there." I stroke his hair. He's fine. He's physically, perfectly fine, and yet I'm watching him slip away. "You have to be there." He has to smile at the sister he's missed for years and flash that dimple of his. He has to give her the stack of letters he's written. He deserves it after all he's been through.
He can't die for me.
So yeah, I mentioned something about the writing above, and my only complaint about the book is tied to it. It felt repetitive at times, since we're in Violet's mind and she's always, "Oh, how hot Xaden is," (which... is understandable, but still) or "Oh, how could I trust him?" or something like that. And while that felt real, in a way, it also felt like too much. Like, I get it, Violet, now move on!
Pretty sure there are other things I wanted to say about the book, but right now this is all I can think of. Might come back and do some edits.
And yeah, pretty sure I failed at the structure thing xD
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, War
Minor: Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
No
My favorite series EVER. First time I feel SEEN in fantasy as a chronically ill person with chronic pain. The representation and the dragons and the characters and the world building make this book a 100/5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
if i were honest a 2.5/5 stars but i rounded up to 3 because honestly (and begrudgingly) i did have a good time reading this
was the end, and most of the plot, predictable? yes.
was it written well? no.
did i hate violet at times, and am i sure it’ll only get worse? oh 100% (like oh my gld are you dumb sometimes girl i swear to god??? how are you supposed to be the smart one when it takes you so long to notice things??)
but do i get what the girlies love xaden?? yes.
did i have fun? also yes. the vibes are great and sometimes it’s nice to just not think on a book too much
i guess i’ll read the next one or whatever
was the end, and most of the plot, predictable? yes.
was it written well? no.
did i hate violet at times, and am i sure it’ll only get worse? oh 100% (like oh my gld are you dumb sometimes girl i swear to god??? how are you supposed to be the smart one when it takes you so long to notice things??)
but do i get what the girlies love xaden?? yes.
did i have fun? also yes. the vibes are great and sometimes it’s nice to just not think on a book too much
i guess i’ll read the next one or whatever
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s a long one, but it’s really good. I love how approachable the main character is and how our thoughts and feelings about the situation and others change with hers. This feels akin to how I felt when I read Harry Potter for the first time. The big twist at the end I sort of saw coming, but the author did a great job at keeping so many other possibilities on the table that I never truly knew what would happen next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
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
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this when I read it, but then I binge read it in five days and immediately jumped into the sequel. I don't think I have enough words to describe how much I loved this book. I know I only gave it four stars, but I still love it. I was a little scared with the attraction between Violet and Xaden being there just because their dragons were mated, but by the end my feelings changed as I saw that their attraction was all their own
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved how the different relationships between characters developed and how the pace isn’t slow to start but gradually builds throughout the whole book, I found it still allows those small paused moments before some of the more intense impactful moments which made them hit that bit harder.
also the only other place I’ve ever seen my name in a book is in the Mabinogion so it was quite cool to see a Rhiannon in there lol
also the only other place I’ve ever seen my name in a book is in the Mabinogion so it was quite cool to see a Rhiannon in there lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Xenophobia
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
Rebecca…. GURLLLLLL! This felt like if Hunger Games, Game of Thrones and 50 shades had a baby and called it, Fourth Wing! 🐲🗡️ This was such a good read and at some times it was predictable(which I don’t mind) but the ending I was NOT expecting! The character building was wonderful and the world building was so beautifully done.✨You truly get to understand Violet’s world as if you are standing right there with her experiencing everything! I can’t wait to read the next books in the series and hopefully we get to see an on-screen adaptation soon!🎬
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War