A review by just_one_more_paige
Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

 
I read King of Battle and Blood, the first book in the "Adrian X Isolde" series, just recently. And I was very into it. There was magic and battle and vampires and an enemies-to-lovers romance that went hard on the steamy front. So, I was pretty excited to see that the second book was already out. I was very interested in seeing where this story went next, after learning there was so much more history to the story of Adrian and Isolde than I'd originally thought. 
 
Well, I was not quite as into this second book as I was the first one. The story and writing are fine, though a bit scattered, as St. Clair tries to address and move forward what feels like, perhaps, too many plot points. The steamy scenes, and there were, again, many, were still written really well (kudos to St. Clair again for that). I will say though, I got a little uncomfortable with the way the "fight and have sex" cycle didn't seem to get any better in this second book. I understand the need for that in the first, as enemies to lovers necessitates that vibe. But, now that Adrian and Isolde are clearly on the same side, if you will, I was frustrated that neither seemed willing to compromise or talk through any disagreements for real, they'd just yell at each other, unmoving, then sulk and feel guilty, then come back together later and have make-up sex without ever addressing the baseline issues, etc. It got tough to read. And even the reveal towards the end, about the way the goddess Dis is interfering with their relationship and Adrian's actions, was too little too late, IMO, to save my opinion of the couple's increasing unhealthy interactions. We'll see where things go in the next book (yes, I'm still going to read the next one and see where everything goes from here).  
 
While St. Clair didn't really pull punches on the violence front in the first book, I felt like, in that case, it was still mostly in a way that empowered Isolde; I liked her as a bloodthirsty (encouraged by Adrian) heroine. In this novel, the violence gets...extreme. There is all the "normal" violence of a tyrant (think dramatic killing styles for "traitors" and mass killing to keep one's secrets, etc.). There is the magical beast violence (we get introduced to a number of canine/werewolf style magical animals in this installation, which feels a bit like an unnecessary nod to the "vampire and werewolf" trope, but they often exist together in folklore, so I guess I understand). And then there is violence against women, sexual and otherwise, that skirts the line of gratuitous. There is deep trauma from that type of violence rapant all over the plot and all the female characters, and I am not sure all of it was necessary to move the plot or character development forwards. I vaguely get the point(s) St. Clair is trying to make, about the inherent power of women, to face all that and find resiliency and strength anyways, to fight for themselves and each other, but it's just not quite done well enough. Really just, be careful and be ready for it before picking this book up. 
 
While I am interested in the "let's conquer the world together" plans that Adrian and Isolde have, including how to regain her throne in Lara, and also free her mother's people, the part of the plot I wanted more about was the history of witches in Ravekka and Isolde's previous self and the rogue witch who stole The Book of Dis and what she planned to do with it. Well, I got the opposite here. I mean, the development was split between the two concepts, but the reveal about said rogue witch at the end left me...confused. Like, how was that the person behind it and how did they manage that reveal and what is their plan/goal? Just, really unclear. On the flipside, the conquering/invasion plans moved forward in a clear and understandable way.  There was also *so much* backstabbing and betrayal; like, an unnecessary amount. It didn't feel dramatic, so much as trite, after it happened so many times.  
 
So yes, Adrian and Isolde's characters were not as robust here as in the first book. They fell a little flat and into trope-like cycles, even though this second book should have been where they started to develop and grow together. There were some plot points I wished I'd understood more, and some that didn't feel necessary. And the experience of reading this got really intense at times. And yet, I am still for some reason wanting to find out what happens next. This series is just one of those easy, escapist, type reads, where I feel a little guilty about reading it (though I know I shouldn't), but go for it anyways, because sometimes that's exactly what you need as a reader. I recognize the red flags, but cannot help but cheer for a better ending for Adrian and Isolde, plus I'm a sucker for magic and vampires, so I'll be back when the third book is published. 
 
 
“You do not have to have lived a hundred years, or even twenty. If your soul is tired, you will be tired.” 
 
“Nothing is too long when it is goodbye.” 
 
“I knew the truth of this world, and the only way to survive as a woman with power was to use it.” 
 
“There is no comfort for this - not even in revenge - because trauma was a nightmare that clung to its victims with an iron fist.” 
 
“You are the daughter of witches, as all women are [...] Magic is in our blood and bone; it is in the earth at our feet; it is in the very air we breathe.” 
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