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A review by dfendyr_
A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this read and finished it rather fast! The characters are definitely my favorite thing about the Hollow Star Saga.
I’m not 100% certain if I like the direction the plot is going in but I will definitely keep reading this series! We get a lot of LGBTQ+ representation in this book! Some include a lesbian (main character), a gay man (main character) a non-binary person (minor character) and we also get some Ace presentation! Mental health is also an important topic in this book and a few of the characters struggle with mental illnesses such as anxiety.
The romantic and platonic relationships are really really nice and I found myself rotting for the couples. This book also had a good mix of slow and more tense scenes! This does slow the pacing a little but I really liked that we got to see the characters in more than just fight scenarios. Especially the group dynamic was built in this novel. The villain also had a really interesting back story and I found myself sympathizing with them at some points.
The previous novel had quite some world building and I feel like the info dumping I expired before was still present but a lot better in this book. The first book took a few months for me to finish despite loving the characters but this wasn’t the case this time. That being said the descriptions of people and places were still pretty detailed which might border some people.
I am a big fan of Nausicaä and her character and we get some nice moments with her in this novel which made me really happy. Her backstory is also a bigger theme here as well as her trauma which I really enjoyed. At this point I would pay attention to the trigger warnings which you find at the beginning of the novel Arlo being more courageous in this book also made me really happy. Especially when it comes to protecting her friends she’s fierce and never backs down! She has however been a little bit naive at times which is understandable since she is really young but can be quite frustrating. Ahh and now Vehan, Aurelian and Celadon found their way into my heart too! While in book one I found myself not connecting with them this book made up for that! We learn more about Celadon and his past ( I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil anything). The relationship between Vehan and Aurelian gets a little more complicated and they get some cute scenes together. We also learn more about their family’s and private life making them feel like actual people instead of the flat characters they were (at least for me) before.
I’m not sure how much else I can say without giving away too much of the plot because a lot happens in this book!
If you weren’t sure of continuing this series I would say give this book another go. I was pleasantly surprised and would definitely recommend it despite the few flaws I mentioned above.
I’m not 100% certain if I like the direction the plot is going in but I will definitely keep reading this series! We get a lot of LGBTQ+ representation in this book! Some include a lesbian (main character), a gay man (main character) a non-binary person (minor character) and we also get some Ace presentation! Mental health is also an important topic in this book and a few of the characters struggle with mental illnesses such as anxiety.
The romantic and platonic relationships are really really nice and I found myself rotting for the couples. This book also had a good mix of slow and more tense scenes! This does slow the pacing a little but I really liked that we got to see the characters in more than just fight scenarios. Especially the group dynamic was built in this novel. The villain also had a really interesting back story and I found myself sympathizing with them at some points.
The previous novel had quite some world building and I feel like the info dumping I expired before was still present but a lot better in this book. The first book took a few months for me to finish despite loving the characters but this wasn’t the case this time. That being said the descriptions of people and places were still pretty detailed which might border some people.
I am a big fan of Nausicaä and her character and we get some nice moments with her in this novel which made me really happy. Her backstory is also a bigger theme here as well as her trauma which I really enjoyed. At this point I would pay attention to the trigger warnings which you find at the beginning of the novel Arlo being more courageous in this book also made me really happy. Especially when it comes to protecting her friends she’s fierce and never backs down! She has however been a little bit naive at times which is understandable since she is really young but can be quite frustrating. Ahh and now Vehan, Aurelian and Celadon found their way into my heart too! While in book one I found myself not connecting with them this book made up for that! We learn more about Celadon and his past ( I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil anything). The relationship between Vehan and Aurelian gets a little more complicated and they get some cute scenes together. We also learn more about their family’s and private life making them feel like actual people instead of the flat characters they were (at least for me) before.
I’m not sure how much else I can say without giving away too much of the plot because a lot happens in this book!
If you weren’t sure of continuing this series I would say give this book another go. I was pleasantly surprised and would definitely recommend it despite the few flaws I mentioned above.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Gore, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Trafficking, Kidnapping, Sexism, Outing, Suicide attempt, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Mental illness
Really lovable characters and an interesting plot with dense world building