A review by hanreads__
The Dread Descendant by Lauren Cate Leake

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

"𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲."

I came across the authors account randomly one day while on Instagram, and I have never been more thankful for the algorithm because it brought me to this masterpiece. I’m someone who is still new to dark romance, fantasy and dark academia, I didn’t know how I would feel about this book but I wanted to give it a go because it intrigued me. To say I’m glad I did would be an understatement.

First things first, the map! Who doesn’t love a good mad? Then you turn the page to see the different realms. All significant, all beautiful, and all full of stories. I like how this added some uniqueness to the book rather than it having a single map like a lot do. I feel as though the author had a clear vision in her head which only built the world building up to a higher standard.

Then there’s a playlist! Not everyone is a enjoyer of playlists within a story but I like knowing that after reading this story, I can go back and listen to all of the songs on that playlist and think about how each one relates to the story, it’ll help me sort through my feelings as I continue to suffer through a book hangover. And finally, a pronunciation guide! This is the FIRST book I’ve come across to have one and it was fantastic to see as sometimes you have no idea as to how a word is meant to be pronounced and you’re constantly left saying it in different ways until you feel a certain way is right. The author thought things through so well, I was instantly impressed.

As soon as I started reading the book, I was a little confused, I didn’t know what to think or how to feel but as I was introduced to Ambrose, I was wanting that man instantly and I will admit, he is indeed a DILF. Then I got to meet Maeve and I thought her character was a strong one. Maeve is someone who has a bite to her and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks, and sometimes she’ll go about saying it in a really smart way. I love that she didn’t fall to Malachite’s charm like everyone else did at first, I like that she was somewhat obnoxious towards him, it made the falling for him that bit sweeter.

Malachite is a dream, he may of not charmed Maeve at first, but he certainly made me curious. His questions left me struggling to trust him, but as I grew to learn more about him, I admired him. This man hasn’t had it easy and yet the way he holds himself is beautiful. The way he treats Maeve with such respect and passion has me swooning, and the way he commands power is mesmerising.

While there was somewhat of a slow burn, the chemistry between Maeve and Mal was clear, you could tell they were made for one another and to get in their way would be a silly idea. They fought as one and trusted one another in a way that shows true loyalty and respect. At times I was a bit confused as to why Mal would act standoffish with Maeve while she clearly wore her heart on her sleeve for him, but it was all for her to show how strong she was, and that’s something that I really love and respected.

The reason I knocked off a little regarding my rating is down to the fact that I felt as though mentioning the war was a bit pointless. It was made to be this big thing but then was never properly focused on in my opinion? The author bought nonfiction into fiction and it didn’t feel right, I feel as though the author should’ve just made up a war instead and it would’ve blended in better with Kietel and the magical aspect. I was left feeling underwhelmed, especially when the plot changed up half way through.

The ending was something that shocked me a little. I knew something was going to happen but I couldn’t figure out what, and when it finally did, I wanted to cry… Lauren, you are on my hit list for what you did! I was left creating my own suspect list and I am DESPERATE to read the second book to know who could be so cruel and evil. I will say that the ending did feel as though it was partly done that way so that it helped Maeve become stronger because of something traumatic when in reality, she’s strong enough without the trauma.

All in all, I loved this book so much and the author is a magnificent writer. I hope people find this absolute gem because it deserves to be loved and appreciated. If you’re someone who enjoys Harry Potter, books that involve lots of magic and some romance, then this is perfect for you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and War