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imme_van_gorp's Reviews (778)
Jacob might truly be the most perfect man I have ever encountered in any of the hundreds of romance books I have read over the years. The way he fully, undoubtedly loved Briana with the whole of his heart was the most beautiful thing in the world. You could really tell how much this woman meant to him in the way she became the very fabric of his entire being while also seeing how he appreciated and cherised every little thing about her.
I didn’t take one second with her for granted. I swore to myself I never would. Being able to hold her while we watched a movie or come up behind her to hug her while she drank her coffee or put a hand on her thigh under a table—it was all a gift. A privilege. And I vowed to always honor that.
Jacob was a very soft, selfless, gentle, and caring man with a severe case of social anxiety, and somehow Briana was able to read him like no one else ever had, thus becoming such a safe space for him that her mere presence eventually quieted all the noise and fear for him.
I decided right then and there that my job was going to be to quiet it all down. I would be a buffer. An emotional support person. I would throw myself over him like a bulletproof vest. Wrap him up in my protection.
He became well and truly happy and content, solely because of her, and he never forgot it; he showed her every single day how much she meant to him. He was like a golden retriever and cinnamon roll wrapped into one, who always showed his love through acts of service (which is the best kind of love language, if you ask me).
It was just the two of us, alone together, showing up. Because that’s what love does. It shows up.
He also said and did the most romantic things, and every single bit of it genuinely made my heart flutter uncontrolably and made all the butterflies come to life in my stomach. I mean, the letters? the flowers? the journal? the reluctant taco bell? the newly bought sofa? the cupcakes? the kidney donation for her brother? the little touches? the password change? the billion dollar question? the warm washcloth? the google history? him sitting in the rain for three hours just to be able to have phone service for her? him facing his anxieties to chase her and fight for her? I mean, oh my my god, I just... cannot. Every time I read about this man, I genuinely could not keep that giant grin or those giant heart-eyes off my face for the life of me, even if I had wanted to. I just melted. The whole time. He was a dream come true.
Jacob made me feel safe. He was like a living lullaby. A softly spoken word. The smell of coffee and toast in the morning or a cozy fleece blanket. The rain pattering on the roof on a day where you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything.
And because of how much I loved and adored this man, it genuinely made me feel so thoroughly happy to see him find his perfect match, and that is exactly what he found with Briana. The way she always understood and accepted him, while never failing to protect and cherish him made my heart feel so full. They truly found perfection in each other, and were exactly what the other needed.
I would jump in front of a bus for this man. Take a bullet. Fight a mob. I would defend him to the death, kill someone for so much as looking at him wrong. I wanted to go back in time and punch myself in the face for causing him even a moment of unhappiness.
And, okay, I’m sure my immense hype for this perfect man makes this all sound like an insanely sugary sweet book, but it does also have its bits of angst and doubt and miscommunication.
It all started with a fake dating scheme, and Briana and Jacob both had their own reasons to assume the other did not want to progress their relationship into anything real, despite them both being head-over-heels in love and already having the best, most well-balanced dynamic in the world, which obviously did lead to a lot of heartfelt pining from both of them.
If she’d said yes to that date, I would have poured everything into it. I would have treated that opportunity like a once-in-a-lifetime gift. It would have been precious to me, the chance. I never would have worked harder for anything in my life than I would the tiny possibility of convincing her to consider me an option.
All of their interactions felt so genuine, as you could tell they were truly getting to know each other and were liking every little bit they got to see, but there was also this constant state of pining between them, since they thought their love wasn’t mutual. They constantly thought the other only saw it as a friendship, each for their own (non-existent) reason, and thus, there was that never-ending fear for both of them that that enormous feeling of warmth, safety, understanding and happiness that they got in each other’s precense would eventually have to go away. And, of course, the idea of that was enough to break both of their hearts…
And I fully understand, because if I could possibly be lucky enough to have a love like theirs, but then be forced to think it might not last forever… I’d throw myself into a ditch and do nothing but cry and cry until I’d literally die of dehydration. Having this type of love is the dream. And it’s a dream I imagine you’d desperately want to hold onto once you’ve had it.
I was destined to love her up close and then eventually from a distance, and she’d never know it or love me back.
All in all, this book felt like the warmest hug with the most precious human beings for whom I wanted nothing but the absolute best. This book simply made me feel so much giddiness and happiness. It was beautiful.
“I’m sorry someone made you feel like it’s hard to love you.”
P.S. I just wanted to put this little bit of life advice out here that one of the characters said in this book, because it cracked me up so bad, but I also kind of believe it to be true: “You want to be happy? Marry an ugly rich man who loves you more than you love him.” Something to think about, ladies.
Wait, is this the end?? I genuinely can’t tell. It definitely felt like a happy-ending, like it’s done now. But then… some minor things did leave room for a next book, I guess? I’m really curious now if something is coming next and if so, what it will be…
Anyway, enough about the possible sequel, let’s talk about this book. Honestly, I loved it. Truly. Maybe not quite as much as the first two books, but it doesn’t really matter: At this point I’m just hooked, line and sinker, when it comes to these characters, so I knew I would likely love this book no matter what.
Which, in a way, is exactly what this book proved to be true, because, in all honesty, it didn’t always have the best plot or even enough character depth, yet I still cared enough to somehow not actually be too bothered by that. Nonetheless, I did notice, of course, as I clearly saw that the action or the preparation for action seemed to take over a bit. I would have preferred to see more relationship developments or character explorations rather than just seeing everyone trying to come up with ways to defeat the Asteri.
But, you know, that’s a personal preference, which I’m sure not everyone will share; it’s simply that I’m normally a character-driven type of girl, so I go feral for deeper character studies or a lot of detail into all kinds of relationships (romantic, platonic, familial, you name it). So yea, I felt like the previous two books had a lot of that, and this one was missing a little bit of it. It still had some, don’t get me wrong, just not quite as much as I would have liked.
Honestly, though, I feel like in each of my reviews for these books I’ve really zoned in on how much I love these characters, yet I’ve yet to actually talk about any of them individually. Seeing how this might be the end(??), I feel like I might do that now. So here I go. I’ll try to keep it short:
Bryce… Well, where to begin? She’s the main character for a reason as it’s exactly the kind of behaviour and attitude she exudes. If you hear the phrase “main character,” this is the girl you’re gonna think of. She had confidence in spades, but she also backs it up with some serious smarts, bravery and willingness to sacrifice herself for the greater good. She also never fails to bring the sass and banter to any given situation, which livens everything up in such a fun way! That’s not to mean she can’t be annoying or tiring at time, though, because she certainly can. Like a true main character, she sometimes seems to think the world revolves around her and she’s not always very kind to others.
Hunt, for example, kind of suffers from how much of the stage Bryce takes up, because I personally feel like he never becomes anything more than her sidekick. His whole drive and his entire being is wrapped up in her, and he never does much of anything that doesn’t include following her around. And that’s not to say that I don’t like him, because I do. He’s a very kind and, in a way, even soft individual, who, most of the time, just seems like someone who needs a hug.
Lidia is my icon, forever and always. She’s a momma bear ready to burn the whole world down for the very select few people she loves with a fire that burns brighter than anyone else’s. That said, I do feel like her romance with Ruhn suffered from the revelation of her being a mother; not only did it diminish the idea that Ruhn was the only person she loved (since clearly he was not, she doesn’t even love him most), but it also made her children her number one priority, taking her focus away from the developing romance. The minute her kids were introduced into the narrative was the same moment Ruhn was no longer really on her radar. They were together, and that was that; all her worry and protectiveness was now on her kids. As it should be, of course, but I think I was just disappointed considering how much I loved the blossoming romance of these two in the previous book. I had higher expectations of it, and it couldn’t be made a reality because of the ‘mom plot’ that suddenly jumped in here.
I think my assessment of Ruhn also completely ties in with what I’ve just said. His development and characterization took a major backseat in this book as he no longer felt like a real priority. Not only in relation to his romance with Lidia, but his sibling bond with Bryce also seemed to be a very minor consideration.
Of course there were a ton of side characters, who don’t get to shine as much as they could have, and of whom I’d loved to have seen more. Marc and Declan’s relationship seemed so healthy and stable and loving, yet we sadly get to see little of it. Same thing with Juniper and Fury; I would have killed to see more of them. They are the literal embodiment of a ‘black cat x golden retriever’ duo, and I know their journey to getting together could have been something amazing to behold! Even Hypaxia and Celestina felt like they could have been so interesting, if only we could have seen more of them; I mean, the angst and drama that could have come out of Celetina’s betrayal, leading to Hyphaxia dumping her, would have had me feral! Alas, we get to see none of it, and only get to hear about it in a few small mentions. Baxian, too, seemed like he could have been such an intriguing person with all his loyalty, strength and motivation, but we never really get to know him.
So yea, I would have really liked to read from any of these people’s perspectives… Even if it hadn’t been often, I just wanted to get to know them, get a feel of their relationships. Now it was all left feeling a little vague, especially since everyone was constantly split up, so we no longer got to hear their stories through the POVs of others; they were kind of just ignored now…
Speaking of, there were really only two characters I simply did not like whatsoever, and somehow both of them got to have a recurring POV I could have gladly gone without! One of them was, of course, Ithan, who literally did nothing but whine and whine. “Woe is me” should be his permanent catchphrase as he’s truly the most self-pitying person I’ve come across in quite some time. The only person who could rival him for that title would be the second character I dislike, which would be Tharion. He, too, does nothing but feel sorry for himself, day in and day out. But I actually dislike him even more because he’s also incredibly selfish. He’s always looking our for number one: himself.
All in all, though, I feel like my review has sounded a little more negative than I would have liked. Overall, I genuinely did have a great time with this book! Did I feel some sense of disappointment here or there? Sure. It wasn’t as good as it could have been. But still, I never felt like I’d rather not be reading it; I constantly had a good time. I’ll also always have a special place in my heart for these characters, even if I did wish I got to see more of them in some ways.
Anyway, enough about the possible sequel, let’s talk about this book. Honestly, I loved it. Truly. Maybe not quite as much as the first two books, but it doesn’t really matter: At this point I’m just hooked, line and sinker, when it comes to these characters, so I knew I would likely love this book no matter what.
Which, in a way, is exactly what this book proved to be true, because, in all honesty, it didn’t always have the best plot or even enough character depth, yet I still cared enough to somehow not actually be too bothered by that. Nonetheless, I did notice, of course, as I clearly saw that the action or the preparation for action seemed to take over a bit. I would have preferred to see more relationship developments or character explorations rather than just seeing everyone trying to come up with ways to defeat the Asteri.
But, you know, that’s a personal preference, which I’m sure not everyone will share; it’s simply that I’m normally a character-driven type of girl, so I go feral for deeper character studies or a lot of detail into all kinds of relationships (romantic, platonic, familial, you name it). So yea, I felt like the previous two books had a lot of that, and this one was missing a little bit of it. It still had some, don’t get me wrong, just not quite as much as I would have liked.
Honestly, though, I feel like in each of my reviews for these books I’ve really zoned in on how much I love these characters, yet I’ve yet to actually talk about any of them individually. Seeing how this might be the end(??), I feel like I might do that now. So here I go. I’ll try to keep it short:
Bryce… Well, where to begin? She’s the main character for a reason as it’s exactly the kind of behaviour and attitude she exudes. If you hear the phrase “main character,” this is the girl you’re gonna think of. She had confidence in spades, but she also backs it up with some serious smarts, bravery and willingness to sacrifice herself for the greater good. She also never fails to bring the sass and banter to any given situation, which livens everything up in such a fun way! That’s not to mean she can’t be annoying or tiring at time, though, because she certainly can. Like a true main character, she sometimes seems to think the world revolves around her and she’s not always very kind to others.
Hunt, for example, kind of suffers from how much of the stage Bryce takes up, because I personally feel like he never becomes anything more than her sidekick. His whole drive and his entire being is wrapped up in her, and he never does much of anything that doesn’t include following her around. And that’s not to say that I don’t like him, because I do. He’s a very kind and, in a way, even soft individual, who, most of the time, just seems like someone who needs a hug.
Lidia is my icon, forever and always. She’s a momma bear ready to burn the whole world down for the very select few people she loves with a fire that burns brighter than anyone else’s. That said, I do feel like her romance with Ruhn suffered from the revelation of her being a mother; not only did it diminish the idea that Ruhn was the only person she loved (since clearly he was not, she doesn’t even love him most), but it also made her children her number one priority, taking her focus away from the developing romance. The minute her kids were introduced into the narrative was the same moment Ruhn was no longer really on her radar. They were together, and that was that; all her worry and protectiveness was now on her kids. As it should be, of course, but I think I was just disappointed considering how much I loved the blossoming romance of these two in the previous book. I had higher expectations of it, and it couldn’t be made a reality because of the ‘mom plot’ that suddenly jumped in here.
I think my assessment of Ruhn also completely ties in with what I’ve just said. His development and characterization took a major backseat in this book as he no longer felt like a real priority. Not only in relation to his romance with Lidia, but his sibling bond with Bryce also seemed to be a very minor consideration.
Of course there were a ton of side characters, who don’t get to shine as much as they could have, and of whom I’d loved to have seen more. Marc and Declan’s relationship seemed so healthy and stable and loving, yet we sadly get to see little of it. Same thing with Juniper and Fury; I would have killed to see more of them. They are the literal embodiment of a ‘black cat x golden retriever’ duo, and I know their journey to getting together could have been something amazing to behold! Even Hypaxia and Celestina felt like they could have been so interesting, if only we could have seen more of them; I mean, the angst and drama that could have come out of Celetina’s betrayal, leading to Hyphaxia dumping her, would have had me feral! Alas, we get to see none of it, and only get to hear about it in a few small mentions. Baxian, too, seemed like he could have been such an intriguing person with all his loyalty, strength and motivation, but we never really get to know him.
So yea, I would have really liked to read from any of these people’s perspectives… Even if it hadn’t been often, I just wanted to get to know them, get a feel of their relationships. Now it was all left feeling a little vague, especially since everyone was constantly split up, so we no longer got to hear their stories through the POVs of others; they were kind of just ignored now…
Speaking of, there were really only two characters I simply did not like whatsoever, and somehow both of them got to have a recurring POV I could have gladly gone without! One of them was, of course, Ithan, who literally did nothing but whine and whine. “Woe is me” should be his permanent catchphrase as he’s truly the most self-pitying person I’ve come across in quite some time. The only person who could rival him for that title would be the second character I dislike, which would be Tharion. He, too, does nothing but feel sorry for himself, day in and day out. But I actually dislike him even more because he’s also incredibly selfish. He’s always looking our for number one: himself.
All in all, though, I feel like my review has sounded a little more negative than I would have liked. Overall, I genuinely did have a great time with this book! Did I feel some sense of disappointment here or there? Sure. It wasn’t as good as it could have been. But still, I never felt like I’d rather not be reading it; I constantly had a good time. I’ll also always have a special place in my heart for these characters, even if I did wish I got to see more of them in some ways.
Ummm hellooo!?!?? Why on earth did no one tell me how insanely amazing this is!?? Why the hell has it taken me this long to finally start this series??
I was actually dreading to pick this series up quite a bit because of what I’d heard people say about it. I had pretty low expectations and I honestly thought it might be a total drag to get through. I was even reluctant to pick up this sequel, despite loving the first book, because people said it would all go downhill… But really, wow, did this end up blowing all of those assumptions away for me! It was so much better than I would have ever thought, and I am genuinely so insanely invested in it all.
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but this is by far SJM’s best series in my eyes. It doesn’t even come close for me. You can really tell how much she has grown as an author over the years, and she can be very proud of the result she has gotten out of it with this series.
Honestly, though, this series, and this book in particular, just managed to hit all the right spots for me. It’s a very long book, but it never feels like it. All the pages just flew me by and I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. I think it’s also for a big part because I’ve genuinely grown to care for and enjoy all of these characters so much; I could read about them having the most mundane conversation ever and it’d probably still make me smile indulgantly at them. I mean, I honestly think the first book did have a better storyline than this one, but my love for the characters has honestly grown and grown so much that it still made this just as fun, if not more so, to read!
There is a lot to love about this book, so I could probably go on forever, but I don’t want to babble on for too long, so I’ll end this by giving a well-deserved shoutout to my favourite addition that we got with this sequel and that was: Night and Day (I’ll use their codenames, so whoever hasn’t read this book yet won’t know who I’m talking about and so won’t have the book spoiled for them).
I mean, oh my god, I’m obsessed with them! The setting of all their interactions was so interesting, and I loved seeing them both find a safe place with each other amidst all the sadness, doubt and fear in their hearts. It was just so beautiful to see Day talk about how she finally found a person who truly saw her, and not the mask of cruelty and coldness she usually wore. He was the only one who ever showed her love, and it's why he also became the only person she has ever felt love towards in her whole life. Knowing how rare that love was to her made her devotion to him feel so much more special.
I was actually dreading to pick this series up quite a bit because of what I’d heard people say about it. I had pretty low expectations and I honestly thought it might be a total drag to get through. I was even reluctant to pick up this sequel, despite loving the first book, because people said it would all go downhill… But really, wow, did this end up blowing all of those assumptions away for me! It was so much better than I would have ever thought, and I am genuinely so insanely invested in it all.
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but this is by far SJM’s best series in my eyes. It doesn’t even come close for me. You can really tell how much she has grown as an author over the years, and she can be very proud of the result she has gotten out of it with this series.
Honestly, though, this series, and this book in particular, just managed to hit all the right spots for me. It’s a very long book, but it never feels like it. All the pages just flew me by and I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. I think it’s also for a big part because I’ve genuinely grown to care for and enjoy all of these characters so much; I could read about them having the most mundane conversation ever and it’d probably still make me smile indulgantly at them. I mean, I honestly think the first book did have a better storyline than this one, but my love for the characters has honestly grown and grown so much that it still made this just as fun, if not more so, to read!
There is a lot to love about this book, so I could probably go on forever, but I don’t want to babble on for too long, so I’ll end this by giving a well-deserved shoutout to my favourite addition that we got with this sequel and that was: Night and Day (I’ll use their codenames, so whoever hasn’t read this book yet won’t know who I’m talking about and so won’t have the book spoiled for them).
I mean, oh my god, I’m obsessed with them! The setting of all their interactions was so interesting, and I loved seeing them both find a safe place with each other amidst all the sadness, doubt and fear in their hearts. It was just so beautiful to see Day talk about how she finally found a person who truly saw her, and not the mask of cruelty and coldness she usually wore. He was the only one who ever showed her love, and it's why he also became the only person she has ever felt love towards in her whole life. Knowing how rare that love was to her made her devotion to him feel so much more special.
“In a world full of enemies, you’re my only friend.”
Honestly, the angst and impossibility of these two just truly had me in a chokehold, and I was totally held in its thrall every time a new thing happened between them or was revealed. Day, especially, intrigued me so much, and she honestly holds a very special place in my heart now. She’s so brave and selfless to have lived the life she has, doing the things she has done, knowing everyone hates her for it, in the hopes of creating a better world. That’s true sacrifice. And I hope Night will see that when it is time for him to… She certainly has my love forever.
Honestly, I found this to be quite an unsatisfying read due to the complete lack of closure or understanding that is reached within the story. It simply sets up the premise of an interesting idea, but then fails to actually do anything with it.
That said, I did feel intrigued and even entertained while reading this (albeit not to any great extent), so I can’t complain too much, but I just don’t like that it didn’t lead to anything. It purposefully stays vague and open-ended, which didn’t quite do it for me.
I understand that this is exactly what the author wanted to achieve, and although I do love to have a lot of questions while reading a story, I personally prefer to have at least gotten answers to some of them at the end of it. It just kind of feels like a non-story now. A beginning with no end. A thought with no conclusion.
The thing that still makes this story work well as a whole, though, is the fact that the way it is written feels a lot more interesting than the story actually is. Its tense and gloomy atmosphere gives all of this quite an important air to it, like you’re reading something meaningful or insightful. Thus, even though the story really doesn’t say much of anything, the writing makes it so that you feel like you did read something of note.
That said, I did feel intrigued and even entertained while reading this (albeit not to any great extent), so I can’t complain too much, but I just don’t like that it didn’t lead to anything. It purposefully stays vague and open-ended, which didn’t quite do it for me.
I understand that this is exactly what the author wanted to achieve, and although I do love to have a lot of questions while reading a story, I personally prefer to have at least gotten answers to some of them at the end of it. It just kind of feels like a non-story now. A beginning with no end. A thought with no conclusion.
The thing that still makes this story work well as a whole, though, is the fact that the way it is written feels a lot more interesting than the story actually is. Its tense and gloomy atmosphere gives all of this quite an important air to it, like you’re reading something meaningful or insightful. Thus, even though the story really doesn’t say much of anything, the writing makes it so that you feel like you did read something of note.
Honestly, this whole entire series really does thrive on its easy and quick writing coupled with some genuinely fun adventures, but the lacklustre romance disappoints time and time again.
It’s one of those stories that you read without too much thought and without an intense amount of feeling, but one that will still manage to entertain you throughout and never let you feel too bored.
It’s a somewhat average read that is only worth reading if a quick adventure is what you’re in the mood for.
What you should not be picking this up for, however, is a beautiful, meaningful or even vaguely developed romance, because you won’t be getting it; there is romance here, but it plays quite a minor part and it’s not very convincing due to the lack of time that is spent on it in the story.
Although the romance does pretend to be important to the story, it doesn’t feel like that because of how little the love interests actually interact with each other. They supposedly understand each other like no other, but we are more so told this than shown.
Additionally, I felt no chemistry or tension between them. They could have just as likely been friends instead of lovers, and even that would have been a strech since they had hardly any real friendship between them, let alone love.
Honestly, the talk of romance only really comes up a couple of times, and he only confesses his feelings once at the very end, which is such a shame because I would have loved to see more of his genuine feelings:
It’s one of those stories that you read without too much thought and without an intense amount of feeling, but one that will still manage to entertain you throughout and never let you feel too bored.
It’s a somewhat average read that is only worth reading if a quick adventure is what you’re in the mood for.
What you should not be picking this up for, however, is a beautiful, meaningful or even vaguely developed romance, because you won’t be getting it; there is romance here, but it plays quite a minor part and it’s not very convincing due to the lack of time that is spent on it in the story.
Although the romance does pretend to be important to the story, it doesn’t feel like that because of how little the love interests actually interact with each other. They supposedly understand each other like no other, but we are more so told this than shown.
Additionally, I felt no chemistry or tension between them. They could have just as likely been friends instead of lovers, and even that would have been a strech since they had hardly any real friendship between them, let alone love.
Honestly, the talk of romance only really comes up a couple of times, and he only confesses his feelings once at the very end, which is such a shame because I would have loved to see more of his genuine feelings:
“You don’t need my feelings and thoughts making things harder. Besides, if I showed you exactly how much I want you, you would only distance yourself further from me. This way, I could help. This way, I could be your sailing master for the voyage. Your confidant. Your friend. I couldn’t have become any of those things if you thought I wanted even more.”
My knuckled turn white on the knife. “So you did lie to me.”
“I said I didn’t want anything from you. And that’s true. I don’t want just anything. Sorinda, I want everything with you.”
That said, I did like both of them, although I was less intrigued by them than when I was reading about them as side characters in the previous two books.
Sorinda did deliver quite a bit when it came to the expected coldness and ruthlessness, but I think I was still expecting her to be a little darker. Her over-the-top feminism and hatred for men was rather annoying as well; I feel like it made her character seem so much more shallow and cliché than what I was hoping she’d be.
Kearan on the other hand was completely different from what he was like previously; sure, that could be considered a good thing, seeing how much of an unhappy drunk he used to he, but I feel like he could have still kept some of his previous characteristics or personality now that he was healthy. It’s like I was reading about an entirely new person…
Which is all such a shame, because I was so excited about reading about these two and their romance when they were like their past selves…
Anyway, long story short, this has its pros and its cons, and it’s important to know what to expect here so you won’t be disappointed. If you do go in with the right expectations, this can be a quick and easy bit of fun.
I can see why some people enjoyed this, but it simply did nothing for me. I mean, it wasn’t bad, it was just kind of boring.
They’re enemies for quite a bit, which was probably the best part, but even then, I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry or tension between them.
However, when they ditched the hostility and actually got together, it unfortunately got even worse. At that point, they simply became way too corny and almost sickeningly sweet, even though it still didn’t feel like they were all in.
It’s difficult to explain, but I was kind of constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop here; for them to either have some real angst or some intense love, but… I don’t know, it was just kind of giving me the same vibes the whole way through. And, unfortunately, those vibes were not working for me at any given moment.
They’re enemies for quite a bit, which was probably the best part, but even then, I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry or tension between them.
However, when they ditched the hostility and actually got together, it unfortunately got even worse. At that point, they simply became way too corny and almost sickeningly sweet, even though it still didn’t feel like they were all in.
It’s difficult to explain, but I was kind of constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop here; for them to either have some real angst or some intense love, but… I don’t know, it was just kind of giving me the same vibes the whole way through. And, unfortunately, those vibes were not working for me at any given moment.
The TV show is better. There, I said it.
Of course, this was still extremely good as everything about this narrative just is. Its immense strength especially lies in the deep complexity of all the flawed characters; they are all so distinct, it really feels like you are reading from so many different perspectives and voices through each of them. None of them are perfect or even truly likable, yet they never fail to intrigue and captivate. It’s their flaws and their misgivings that make them so special and real to read about.
The story itself is, of course, also flat-out amazing. The detail that went into the creation of this world as well as the obvious thought that went into the development of the plot is something that deserves nothing but praise. It’s all put together so magnificantly, there are no cracks to be found. It’s also why all the many twists and turns are so satisfying, because they never seem to be there only for shock; they actually have a foundation and hold value.
However, all that said, I personally do feel like the TV show simply executed everything a little better. The book just didn’t add anything for me that I didn’t already get from the TV show; there is nothing new or extra, the storyline is the exact same. The only difference is that the TV show makes it all actually come alive but still with all the same detail and depth as the book (sometimes even more so), which is why it has my preference.
Thus, all this considered, despite my acknowledgement of how amazing this book is, I still wouldn’t actually recommend reading this if you have already watched the TV show somewhat recently. That is, unless you’re just really curious (like me) and can’t help yourself or if you have somehow already forgotten everything that happened and can experience all the twists and turns blindly again! Otherwise, this book does kind of serve only as a script to a story you’ve already heard before, and I’m not sure that’s worth the huge commitment it takes to read this enormous book.
Of course, all this ONLY applies if you have already watched the TV show or plan to do so in the near future; if you haven’t or just prefer books in general, then wow, this is definitely worth reading! After all, it’s undoubtedly considered one of the best fantasy stories of all time for a reason!
Of course, this was still extremely good as everything about this narrative just is. Its immense strength especially lies in the deep complexity of all the flawed characters; they are all so distinct, it really feels like you are reading from so many different perspectives and voices through each of them. None of them are perfect or even truly likable, yet they never fail to intrigue and captivate. It’s their flaws and their misgivings that make them so special and real to read about.
The story itself is, of course, also flat-out amazing. The detail that went into the creation of this world as well as the obvious thought that went into the development of the plot is something that deserves nothing but praise. It’s all put together so magnificantly, there are no cracks to be found. It’s also why all the many twists and turns are so satisfying, because they never seem to be there only for shock; they actually have a foundation and hold value.
However, all that said, I personally do feel like the TV show simply executed everything a little better. The book just didn’t add anything for me that I didn’t already get from the TV show; there is nothing new or extra, the storyline is the exact same. The only difference is that the TV show makes it all actually come alive but still with all the same detail and depth as the book (sometimes even more so), which is why it has my preference.
Thus, all this considered, despite my acknowledgement of how amazing this book is, I still wouldn’t actually recommend reading this if you have already watched the TV show somewhat recently. That is, unless you’re just really curious (like me) and can’t help yourself or if you have somehow already forgotten everything that happened and can experience all the twists and turns blindly again! Otherwise, this book does kind of serve only as a script to a story you’ve already heard before, and I’m not sure that’s worth the huge commitment it takes to read this enormous book.
Of course, all this ONLY applies if you have already watched the TV show or plan to do so in the near future; if you haven’t or just prefer books in general, then wow, this is definitely worth reading! After all, it’s undoubtedly considered one of the best fantasy stories of all time for a reason!
The TV show is better. There, I said it.
Of course, this was still extremely good as everything about this narrative just is. Its immense strength especially lies in the deep complexity of all the flawed characters; they are all so distinct, it really feels like you are reading from so many different perspectives and voices through each of them. None of them are perfect or even truly likable, yet they never fail to intrigue and captivate. It’s their flaws and their misgivings that make them so special and real to read about.
The story itself is, of course, also flat-out amazing. The detail that went into the creation of this world as well as the obvious thought that went into the development of the plot is something that deserves nothing but praise. It’s all put together so magnificantly, there are no cracks to be found. It’s also why all the many twists and turns are so satisfying, because they never seem to be there only for shock; they actually have a foundation and hold value.
However, all that said, I personally do feel like the TV show simply executed everything a little better. The book just didn’t add anything for me that I didn’t already get from the TV show; there is nothing new or extra, the storyline is the exact same. The only difference is that the TV show makes it all actually come alive but still with all the same detail and depth as the book (sometimes even more so), which is why it has my preference.
Thus, all this considered, despite my acknowledgement of how amazing this book is, I still wouldn’t actually recommend reading this if you have already watched the TV show somewhat recently. That is, unless you’re just really curious (like me) and can’t help yourself or if you have somehow already forgotten everything that happened and can experience all the twists and turns blindly again! Otherwise, this book does kind of serve only as a script to a story you’ve already heard before, and I’m not sure that’s worth the huge commitment it takes to read this enormous book.
Of course, all this ONLY applies if you have already watched the TV show or plan to do so in the near future; if you haven’t or just prefer books in general, then wow, this is definitely worth reading! After all, it’s undoubtedly considered one of the best fantasy stories of all time for a reason!
Of course, this was still extremely good as everything about this narrative just is. Its immense strength especially lies in the deep complexity of all the flawed characters; they are all so distinct, it really feels like you are reading from so many different perspectives and voices through each of them. None of them are perfect or even truly likable, yet they never fail to intrigue and captivate. It’s their flaws and their misgivings that make them so special and real to read about.
The story itself is, of course, also flat-out amazing. The detail that went into the creation of this world as well as the obvious thought that went into the development of the plot is something that deserves nothing but praise. It’s all put together so magnificantly, there are no cracks to be found. It’s also why all the many twists and turns are so satisfying, because they never seem to be there only for shock; they actually have a foundation and hold value.
However, all that said, I personally do feel like the TV show simply executed everything a little better. The book just didn’t add anything for me that I didn’t already get from the TV show; there is nothing new or extra, the storyline is the exact same. The only difference is that the TV show makes it all actually come alive but still with all the same detail and depth as the book (sometimes even more so), which is why it has my preference.
Thus, all this considered, despite my acknowledgement of how amazing this book is, I still wouldn’t actually recommend reading this if you have already watched the TV show somewhat recently. That is, unless you’re just really curious (like me) and can’t help yourself or if you have somehow already forgotten everything that happened and can experience all the twists and turns blindly again! Otherwise, this book does kind of serve only as a script to a story you’ve already heard before, and I’m not sure that’s worth the huge commitment it takes to read this enormous book.
Of course, all this ONLY applies if you have already watched the TV show or plan to do so in the near future; if you haven’t or just prefer books in general, then wow, this is definitely worth reading! After all, it’s undoubtedly considered one of the best fantasy stories of all time for a reason!
Okay, I have a LOT to say, so buckle up, because this is going to be a long one. I’ll promise to be completely honest, though: no hate for the sake of hate, and no praise where it doesn’t deserve any. Just pure and total honesty.
➛ Writing
First of all, the incessant name-dropping of characters and places I am sure I have never heard of before was genuinely making MY HEAD SPIN. Why was every single page filled with like four names (at least) that nobody knows or cares about and that hold no relevance whatsoever? Was the author purposefully trying to make us rage quit this book? Because honestly, this would have been a great way to make that happen.
Especially since the author never even bothered to explain any of her million names or info-dumpings; it’s like she assumed we would all remember every vague detail or name she mentioned a thousand pages earlier, and thus, that we would all be able to pick up her ramblings from where she left off ages ago. Realistically, though, this is just not going to be the case for most readers unless they’re die-hard fans who have memorized every minor, insignificant detail, which I’m assuming most casual readers have not. And really, it’s just not fun to constantly have to try and figure out what the author is even talking about or what she is trying to say.
Moreover, was it just me or did some of these sentences literally not make sense? Like, some of the grammatical, structural and vocabulary choices seemed really off, and there were multiple instances (especially at the beginning) where I felt really confused about what I was even reading. I was trying to chalk it up to me maybe being a bit out of the loop when it comes to the lingo of this world (since it’s been a while since I read Iron Flame), but I quickly realised that was not it. I genuinely think some of these sentences just did not make sense.
➛ Plot
I think the reason the author got stuck in this confusing and meaningless type of writing, though, is because she genuinely doesn’t have much of a story to tell anymore. Book one thrived because the author still had a romance to develop and because she could show how Voilet earns her place as a dragon rider, but now what does she have? Both these things are established and done at this point: There is no real plot left for her to develop properly, because she isn’t a strong enough writer to go further than those basics. Which I think might be due to the fact that she usually writes contemporary romance books, and so she doesn’t know what to do with a story that doesn’t end after book one or with a world that actually needs explaining or expanding. Instead, it just kind of drags on without a purpose or without real intrigue.
And, of course, that doesn’t mean that there’s literally nothing going on here, because obviously it does have some semblance of a plot. I’d even go as far as to say some of the dialogue could be quite entertaining or funny. The problem, however, was that none of the things that happened were actually relevant. I could have simply read the first few and last few chapters of this book and not have missed anything important for the rest of the series: It’s all filler.
➛ Venin storyline
Immediately, here’s a little warning to anyone who was planning to read this only because they were curious after the cliffhanger from Iron Flame: Don’t bother. From the very first chapter until the almost-end, Xaden is basically still fine and we’re constantly just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was really just a whole lot of melodramatics that was dragged out for the entirety of the book instead of the actually impactful plottwist in which Xaden would truly turn dark or evil, which is definitely what the ending of the previous book made us believe would happen. But nope, during the whole book he was honestly just the same dude he’s always been, only now whining about control a whole lot more while also being obsessively protective and possessive. Honestly, though, I should have known from the start not to expect something real, because who would Violet be left to hump if Xaden turned into an ugly, hissing monster?
You know what the most ridiculous part about the anticlimactic pay-off from the previous cliffhanger is, though? (warning: spoiler) This book literally ended with the same exact Venin cliffhanger where Xaden drains power to save someone he loves! This means we basically had to sit through this whole entire book where nothing happens, only for us to get to the same exact ending for him once again. I mean, how lazy is that? And honestly, this time I’m not even buying it anymore. I know this cliffhanger will never pay off, because the author is simply incapable of it.
➛ Romance
Sadly, I have to admit this romance is still a little bit tiring in general, even though I do think it was far less annoying than it was in Iron Flame. They definitely had less drama and less immaturity, and they also had more faith and confidence in each other. There were even some moments of somewhat healthy and genuine communication between them as well, which is an improvement.
Yet, it was still far from great as it seemed they had simply gone from “i love you, but i don’t trust you” to “i love you, but i can’t control myself around you” as the reasons for why these two couldn’t just be together in a normal way.
Honestly, though, I don’t think this romance ever really stood a true chance at remaining interesting after the couple already got together so soon in the series, especially since there’s never any real conflict or something that could threaten their relationship for longer than a second. It just becomes boring and bland at that point. I mean, (warning: spoiler) they literally just got married. How much more undeniably permanent can it get?
Not to mention, they were still constantly horny around each other, which is never really a sign of a romance filled with depth. I mean, literally, most of the interactions here were about how they DESPERATELY want to have sex, but they can’t because Xaden doesn’t trust himself enough for that anymore. How interesting, right? How meaningful. How romantic. How emotional. *sigh*
➛ Writing
First of all, the incessant name-dropping of characters and places I am sure I have never heard of before was genuinely making MY HEAD SPIN. Why was every single page filled with like four names (at least) that nobody knows or cares about and that hold no relevance whatsoever? Was the author purposefully trying to make us rage quit this book? Because honestly, this would have been a great way to make that happen.
Especially since the author never even bothered to explain any of her million names or info-dumpings; it’s like she assumed we would all remember every vague detail or name she mentioned a thousand pages earlier, and thus, that we would all be able to pick up her ramblings from where she left off ages ago. Realistically, though, this is just not going to be the case for most readers unless they’re die-hard fans who have memorized every minor, insignificant detail, which I’m assuming most casual readers have not. And really, it’s just not fun to constantly have to try and figure out what the author is even talking about or what she is trying to say.
Moreover, was it just me or did some of these sentences literally not make sense? Like, some of the grammatical, structural and vocabulary choices seemed really off, and there were multiple instances (especially at the beginning) where I felt really confused about what I was even reading. I was trying to chalk it up to me maybe being a bit out of the loop when it comes to the lingo of this world (since it’s been a while since I read Iron Flame), but I quickly realised that was not it. I genuinely think some of these sentences just did not make sense.
➛ Plot
I think the reason the author got stuck in this confusing and meaningless type of writing, though, is because she genuinely doesn’t have much of a story to tell anymore. Book one thrived because the author still had a romance to develop and because she could show how Voilet earns her place as a dragon rider, but now what does she have? Both these things are established and done at this point: There is no real plot left for her to develop properly, because she isn’t a strong enough writer to go further than those basics. Which I think might be due to the fact that she usually writes contemporary romance books, and so she doesn’t know what to do with a story that doesn’t end after book one or with a world that actually needs explaining or expanding. Instead, it just kind of drags on without a purpose or without real intrigue.
And, of course, that doesn’t mean that there’s literally nothing going on here, because obviously it does have some semblance of a plot. I’d even go as far as to say some of the dialogue could be quite entertaining or funny. The problem, however, was that none of the things that happened were actually relevant. I could have simply read the first few and last few chapters of this book and not have missed anything important for the rest of the series: It’s all filler.
➛ Venin storyline
Immediately, here’s a little warning to anyone who was planning to read this only because they were curious after the cliffhanger from Iron Flame: Don’t bother. From the very first chapter until the almost-end, Xaden is basically still fine and we’re constantly just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was really just a whole lot of melodramatics that was dragged out for the entirety of the book instead of the actually impactful plottwist in which Xaden would truly turn dark or evil, which is definitely what the ending of the previous book made us believe would happen. But nope, during the whole book he was honestly just the same dude he’s always been, only now whining about control a whole lot more while also being obsessively protective and possessive. Honestly, though, I should have known from the start not to expect something real, because who would Violet be left to hump if Xaden turned into an ugly, hissing monster?
You know what the most ridiculous part about the anticlimactic pay-off from the previous cliffhanger is, though? (warning: spoiler) This book literally ended with the same exact Venin cliffhanger where Xaden drains power to save someone he loves! This means we basically had to sit through this whole entire book where nothing happens, only for us to get to the same exact ending for him once again. I mean, how lazy is that? And honestly, this time I’m not even buying it anymore. I know this cliffhanger will never pay off, because the author is simply incapable of it.
➛ Romance
Sadly, I have to admit this romance is still a little bit tiring in general, even though I do think it was far less annoying than it was in Iron Flame. They definitely had less drama and less immaturity, and they also had more faith and confidence in each other. There were even some moments of somewhat healthy and genuine communication between them as well, which is an improvement.
Yet, it was still far from great as it seemed they had simply gone from “i love you, but i don’t trust you” to “i love you, but i can’t control myself around you” as the reasons for why these two couldn’t just be together in a normal way.
Honestly, though, I don’t think this romance ever really stood a true chance at remaining interesting after the couple already got together so soon in the series, especially since there’s never any real conflict or something that could threaten their relationship for longer than a second. It just becomes boring and bland at that point. I mean, (warning: spoiler) they literally just got married. How much more undeniably permanent can it get?
Not to mention, they were still constantly horny around each other, which is never really a sign of a romance filled with depth. I mean, literally, most of the interactions here were about how they DESPERATELY want to have sex, but they can’t because Xaden doesn’t trust himself enough for that anymore. How interesting, right? How meaningful. How romantic. How emotional. *sigh*
”A kiss isn’t enough between us. It never is. You want me the same way I want you. Wholly. Completely. With nothing but skin between us. Heart, mind, and body.” He brushes his mouth against mine, sturrering my breath. “All I want is to lose myself in you, and I can’t. You are the only person in the world with the power to strip me of every ounce of my control, and the only person I can’t fathom losing that control with.” He lift his head. “And yet here I am, unable to keep three fucking feet away from you.”
Like, are they even aware that they have more serious problems going on right now than whether or not they can have sex!? There’s a war going on. People are dying. Xaden could supposedly turn Venin. You guys have real issues you should be focusing on! Get a GRIP!
And somehow these two are supposed to be the heroes of the story?? With those priorities? Hmm…
Really, Xaden, a word of simple advice: If you don’t trust yourself to be around Violet at this stage, then MAYBE just take your goddamn distance for a little bit, find a cure, and have your goddamn sex after that!!
➛ Side characters
Unfortunately, I have to say that most (if not all) of the side characters still have minimal personality or depth. They’re all interchangable; I don’t feel like I really know them and so I don’t actually care about them.
I feel like some of them do have potential, though, but that potential is never really reached, because the author never bothers to properly develop their character arcs. Which is such a shame, because I remember how much I cared about and loved Liam, which led to me having my heart completely broken in the first book when he died. I just know I would never feel that way about any of these others. And that sucks, because I really do want to care. I mean: (warning spoiler) Who the hell even was Quinn, really? Or Trager? Why on earth should I care about either of them or their deaths? This series has given me absolutely no reason to.
That said, Tairn has definitely weaseled his way back into my heart and a lot of his lines managed to put a smile on my face. He’s fully back to his grumpy, sassy, peacock self and I can’t deny loving him for it. He’s definitely giving ‘reluctant dad’ vibes and it really warms my heart while also cracking me up. He’s the only one I actually care about.
Although, I also have to say I often enjoyed Ridoc’s banter and Mira’s take-no-shit attitude; they are certainly the ones with the most personality out of all the riders. Not that there is much competition there, but oh well. Out of the two, Ridoc is by far my favourite, though. I kind of like Aaric and Dain or even Cat as well, but they just do not get the attention they need in order for them to have a real personality. I mean, I feel like I could potentionally care about them if only the author gave me the chance to actually get to know them.
Now, when it comes to Andarna, I have to say I was warming up to her again after being so annoyed by her being such a brat in Iron Flame, but then she (warning: spoiler) literally just straight-up abandoned Violet, and now I can’t imagine liking her again. Loyalty is supposed to be a dragon’s strongest characteristic, but with that single choice to break their bond for her own gain, she has proven to have none whatsoever, which felt so disappointing coming from a dragon. Therefore, she lost all her redeeming qualities for me: now she’s just an ungrateful brat in my eyes.
➛ Final thoughts
All in all, it should be obvious that I have a lot of complaints, but… I can’t say I actually hate it. It’s not necessarily boring, it’s just… not very good either. It’s a repetitive, not-that-well-thought-out read that’s unmistakeably written by someone who doesn’t know how to write a strong, well-developed plot or world. And thus, the result is a rather superficial book that won’t ever be what it wants to be.
Still, it could be worse. It’s not entirely without its merrits and there are still moments of entertainment to be found here. I especially feel like the book got better the further along we got. The beginning was truly the most confusing, boring mess I’ve read in quite some time, but it does pick up quite a bit. I’d even say there were a few times I genuinely did enjoy myself later on.
In conclusion, I guess it’s just up to each reader to decide for themselves whether those couple of moments of fun are enough to make up for the messy rest…
It’s crazy how one book in a series can be so different from another; how book one in this duology can be my least favourite Grishaverse book while this sequel ended up being the one I loved the most. Isn’t that crazy? It really makes you wonder how often you might have given up on a series after being disappointed by the first book when its sequels might have brought you so much joy if you continued…
Everything I disliked about the first book was different this time around. The plot never felt like it dragged, but instead was constantly operating in full force to try and keep me on my toes. It was consistently engaging and never had me feeling a hint of boredom.
Although the writing was not entirely different to most of the other Grishaverse books, I did feel like it was a little less unnecessarily descriptive and also less heavy on the inner monologues. Instead, the writing really made me feel like I was living the action, living through the story.
The characters themselves were also more easy to connect to and I found it easier to feel their emotions and relationships. I felt their passion, their drive, their bravery, their energy, their loyalty, and their perseverance. There was even a moment where I had to shed a tear over someone’s loss…
All in all, I can say that I have never been happier that I did not give up on a duology after a disappointing start as I can honestly say this sequel more than made up for it.
It also gave a very satisfying ending for all the main characters of the Grishaverse while also leaving the possibility open for more to come.
Everything I disliked about the first book was different this time around. The plot never felt like it dragged, but instead was constantly operating in full force to try and keep me on my toes. It was consistently engaging and never had me feeling a hint of boredom.
Although the writing was not entirely different to most of the other Grishaverse books, I did feel like it was a little less unnecessarily descriptive and also less heavy on the inner monologues. Instead, the writing really made me feel like I was living the action, living through the story.
The characters themselves were also more easy to connect to and I found it easier to feel their emotions and relationships. I felt their passion, their drive, their bravery, their energy, their loyalty, and their perseverance. There was even a moment where I had to shed a tear over someone’s loss…
All in all, I can say that I have never been happier that I did not give up on a duology after a disappointing start as I can honestly say this sequel more than made up for it.
It also gave a very satisfying ending for all the main characters of the Grishaverse while also leaving the possibility open for more to come.