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geerothvoss 's review for:
Bleeding Heart
by Brittany M. Willows
If "Bloody Spade" made sure to introduce us to the wonderful Cardplay Duology in an unforgettable way, "Bleeding Heart" turns its finale into an epic celebration of fantasy. Iori, Ellen, Alexander, and Kyani have already been through a lot, but Blackjack isn't going to let them off the hook easy—particularly now that there's an ancient and powerful entity on their side. A villainous man now rules the city with an iron fist, and things have never looked this bad for the Empowered. Four Suits were created to keep the balance, and all four must Awaken if the world's to fend off Circ's malevolence. Only one of them is left, and now that they know who the Keeper of the Heart is, Cardplay must make a move before Blackjack gets a check-mate.
There are many things that stand out to me in this series, but I must, first and foremost, remark how absolutely lovely and heartfelt the characters are. Character building is what makes or breaks a book for me, and in this case, I couldn't get enough of Ellen and Iori in particular. Ellen's soft, kind heart was a tricky thing to attempt, in the sense that the fine line between compassionate and Mary Sue is thin and treacherous, but Willows manages to create a remarkable female main character whose strength lies in the softness of her soul. On the other hand, Iori grows throughout the duology so much that, by the end of it, I felt like I was watching my own child graduate.
Despite how bright Iori and Ellen shine, the rest of the cast holds up remarkably well too. Alexander and Kyani made me feel all warm more than once—Alexander, in particular, showed a lot of maturity and vulnerability that I wasn't expecting to find in such a buff, tough character—, and I can't stress enough how loving and excellent the aroallo rep was in this book. It's one of my first times ever seeing an aro MC in a book that's not dehumanised, or made to be a loner or some sort of irremediably traumatised and broken person, and it was incredible.
In terms of plot and action, this book packs more than a punch or two. I only released that breath I didn't know I was holding when I reached the epilogue! Although a lot of stuff was happening, it wasn't hard to follow, and I found myself utterly enthralled by the world and the story. So much so, that I made up fake migraines to stay in the car and keep reading while my fam went to Costco (and no, I'm not making this up). The conclusion to the story tied all loose ends neatly, and did not disappoint.
Overall I can absolutely feel this Duology becoming a comfort series for me that I'm sure to come back to more than once in the future! Can't wait for more stories by Willows!
There are many things that stand out to me in this series, but I must, first and foremost, remark how absolutely lovely and heartfelt the characters are. Character building is what makes or breaks a book for me, and in this case, I couldn't get enough of Ellen and Iori in particular. Ellen's soft, kind heart was a tricky thing to attempt, in the sense that the fine line between compassionate and Mary Sue is thin and treacherous, but Willows manages to create a remarkable female main character whose strength lies in the softness of her soul. On the other hand, Iori grows throughout the duology so much that, by the end of it, I felt like I was watching my own child graduate.
Despite how bright Iori and Ellen shine, the rest of the cast holds up remarkably well too. Alexander and Kyani made me feel all warm more than once—Alexander, in particular, showed a lot of maturity and vulnerability that I wasn't expecting to find in such a buff, tough character—, and I can't stress enough how loving and excellent the aroallo rep was in this book. It's one of my first times ever seeing an aro MC in a book that's not dehumanised, or made to be a loner or some sort of irremediably traumatised and broken person, and it was incredible.
In terms of plot and action, this book packs more than a punch or two. I only released that breath I didn't know I was holding when I reached the epilogue! Although a lot of stuff was happening, it wasn't hard to follow, and I found myself utterly enthralled by the world and the story. So much so, that I made up fake migraines to stay in the car and keep reading while my fam went to Costco (and no, I'm not making this up). The conclusion to the story tied all loose ends neatly, and did not disappoint.
Overall I can absolutely feel this Duology becoming a comfort series for me that I'm sure to come back to more than once in the future! Can't wait for more stories by Willows!