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alli_the_bookaholic13 's review for:
Rise of the Cinder Fae
by Whitney Dean
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book provided to me by the author.
I enjoyed this one overall. I really liked the romance between Elora and Finn, and I loved their banter. The slow-burn of their chemistry and relationship progression was done really well, and I loved how they learned to communicate and trust each other. The spice was good, and I think that the author did a great job of crafting this romance.
I did struggle at the beginning, and I actually debated DNFing for the first couple of chapters because the writing style felt awkward, and I was confused by the world building. I ended up pushing through with minimal struggles once the plot focused on the romance, and ultimately enjoyed the dual first-person POVs. I thought the fantasy elements were interesting, but honestly they didn’t really add much to the plot.
I really liked Irina’s character, and I loved how she embraced Elora as a sister from the beginning. She had both Elora’s and Finn’s backs, and she was great at helping Finn to realize when he’d been an idiot. I also liked that she defied the king in small ways, and that she never let the rumours of her parentage get her down. Her strength was great to see, and her love for her brother was amazing.
Finn’s love for his sister was amazing too, and his wanting to protect her and Elora was sweet and heartbreaking at times. His father’s manipulations and mental beatings were hard to read about at times, but I liked to see how he overcame the darkness in his past with Elora. Elora and Finn complemented each other really well, and I really liked their relationship. Elora’s feelings of being less than were constantly countered by Finn, and I loved how he tried not to fall in the beginning. Once he fell, he fell hard.
I felt like the book was a bit too long. When the plot focused on the marriage between Elora and Finn, I thought this was the strongest part of the book. I was hooked to this entire part, and didn’t want to put it down. I liked the hints of Elora pushing for fairness and better conditions for Ashbury, but it was still heavily focused on the romance. When the plot flipped towards the end to focus on the “war” and ending the reign of the king, I felt it moved too quickly without the same level of build up that the romance had gotten. I also thought the ending was cheesy, but it did make me smile.
I enjoyed this one overall. I really liked the romance between Elora and Finn, and I loved their banter. The slow-burn of their chemistry and relationship progression was done really well, and I loved how they learned to communicate and trust each other. The spice was good, and I think that the author did a great job of crafting this romance.
I did struggle at the beginning, and I actually debated DNFing for the first couple of chapters because the writing style felt awkward, and I was confused by the world building. I ended up pushing through with minimal struggles once the plot focused on the romance, and ultimately enjoyed the dual first-person POVs. I thought the fantasy elements were interesting, but honestly they didn’t really add much to the plot.
I really liked Irina’s character, and I loved how she embraced Elora as a sister from the beginning. She had both Elora’s and Finn’s backs, and she was great at helping Finn to realize when he’d been an idiot. I also liked that she defied the king in small ways, and that she never let the rumours of her parentage get her down. Her strength was great to see, and her love for her brother was amazing.
Finn’s love for his sister was amazing too, and his wanting to protect her and Elora was sweet and heartbreaking at times. His father’s manipulations and mental beatings were hard to read about at times, but I liked to see how he overcame the darkness in his past with Elora. Elora and Finn complemented each other really well, and I really liked their relationship. Elora’s feelings of being less than were constantly countered by Finn, and I loved how he tried not to fall in the beginning. Once he fell, he fell hard.
I felt like the book was a bit too long. When the plot focused on the marriage between Elora and Finn, I thought this was the strongest part of the book. I was hooked to this entire part, and didn’t want to put it down. I liked the hints of Elora pushing for fairness and better conditions for Ashbury, but it was still heavily focused on the romance. When the plot flipped towards the end to focus on the “war” and ending the reign of the king, I felt it moved too quickly without the same level of build up that the romance had gotten. I also thought the ending was cheesy, but it did make me smile.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Blood, Death of parent