peculiarb's reviews
477 reviews

Relic and Ruin by Wendii McIver

5.0

 

When Nyx pistol-whips a strange boy on a hunt and steals his locket, she hardly realises she’s set off a chain reaction that will upend her life as she knows it. As a Lahey, Nyx has spent her entire life being shunned by other Reapers, and doing her best to diminish her Necromantic powers, when the council reveals that she must embrace them in order to save the world. Following her on this journey had its emotional highs and lows as she faces constant obstacles and loss before she can become a true Relic. As a whole, Nyx is a very trusting character. She accepts most of what she’s told without pushback, including going to a separate dimension and her Relic status, while she’s also incredibly strong throughout it all.

On his side, Erebus is on a quest to fill the holes in his memory. When the council approaches him with a promise to do just that, he can’t help but follow. He is mildly more dubious about the whole thing than Nyx is, but his rapidly resurfacing previous life stamps out any doubts. Like Nyx, he becomes a bit of a tragic character as he also faces loss both old and new, during Relic and Ruin.

With alternating POVs, we get the full scope of Erebus and Nyx’s character arcs and, more importantly, feelings towards each other. Their relationship develops slowly, almost uncertainly, in a way that allowed me to savour it. In fact, I wasn’t even sure where it was going for most of the book which made the ending of the book even more exciting.

While their relationship is central to the story, it does take a step back to allow the plot to shine. McIver grips her readers in the first few scenes and she keeps that going throughout the book. While it does have some pacing problems here and there, the mounting tension more than makes up for them, as does how intriguing the whole thing is. Relic and Ruin was not straightforward like I expected, instead McIver embellishes the classic ‘YA protagonist is whisked away to save the world’ in a way that makes it stand out, which she also does with the world she builds.

Relic and Ruin by Wendii McIver is set in a world where Necromancers and Reaper fight each other for eternity, but there is also so much more. Taking inspiration from folklore all over the world, Wendii McIver builds a multi-dimmensional world with at least three dimension. The one in between, where most of the action takes place, is expansive and incredibly immersive. McIver’s descriptions bring everything to life without weighing the book down, and make me want to know so much more about it all.

McIver’s writing is fantastic, especially considering she’s a debut author. It’s descriptive in places but punchy in others and overall very engaging in a way that never bored me. I was surprised to find out Relic and Ruin started on Wattpad, as McIver takes the clichés that can bog those types of stories down and turns them into strengths.

Finally, I enjoyed Relic and Ruin by Wendii McIver immensely. Even weeks later, I can’t get it out of my head and I cannot wait to read the sequel. The characters and the lore in particular have stayed with me, while that ending had me on edge for day afterwards. If the blurb intrigues you even a little, I cannot recommend this book enough! 

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

5.0

 

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons opens with a grand party and a main character that would rather be anywhere else. Being the only academic woman in her university has shaped Saffron’s character, and the hardships she faces are evident early on as they’ve made her stubborn, ambitious and quite impulsive. This remains throughout the series, though she comes to have moments of reflection in the second half of the book, both on launching the investigation in the first place and also her behaviour throughout.

She’s helped along by Alexander Ashton, both in this and the investigation. A World War I veteran with PTSD who finds solace in the world of microbiology, he’s taken by Saffron from the moment he meets her. Like Saffron, his character arc isn’t pronounced, but he picks up certain habits that overall help him by the end of the book. Where she was brazen, he was held back and very interesting to experience as his POVs also included how he faces day to day triggers for his PTSD.

While only a secondary character, Elizabeth steals the show. She’s loud, doting and she will always have her way, whether that be with the police once Saffron runs into trouble, or with Saffron herself when she puts herself in trouble. She was my favourite character of the bunch and I’d love to see her take a more active role if there are future Saffron Everleigh mysteries.

Khavari’s skill extends to her plot as well. Central to a mystery thriller’s success, the plot pulls you in from the first few chapters. What started out as a party with a little gossip and interesting colleagues turned into a murder scene with a suspect quickly apprehended and Saffron taking matters into her own hands. As Dr Maxwell was her mentor, she sets out to find out the truth and practically drags Ashton into it when she (lightly) poisons herself to prove Maxwell innocent. The pace only picks up from there as the pair race against time to find the murderer before the expedition can begin.

Kate Khavari kept me on my toes by constantly introducing new suspects and theories, all while keeping the true murderer a mystery all throughout. Her writing was captivating with a thrilling edge to it that perfectly fit the book’s overall atmosphere. She easily kept me hooked up to the last page.

Within the frantic investigation, Khavari also weaves subplots that tackle the sexism Saffron faced being a university assistant in the 1920s, the impact WWI had on its soldiers, and even heavier topics such as sexual coercion and even attempted rape. I thought Khavari covered these topics with respect and made them relevant to the story, as opposed to just using them to traumatise her characters.

Overall I greatly enjoyed A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari. The plot gripped me early on and kept a steady pace throughout, the characters were delightful while the writing complimented the setting and atmosphere very well. I’ll even go as far as to say that I was surprised this was a debut. Khavari shows a lot of potential and I can’t wait to read more from her. 

Fyrian's Fire by Emily H. Jeffries

adventurous slow-paced

2.0

 

Tessamine, Tess, starts off as a character with little to lose. Spurned by the prince on the night of their engagement party, her biggest worry at the beginning of the book was how she could get past this, until she was attacked. Tess goes through an important character arc where she learns to value more than just her reputation and ambitions to marry the prince. Despite her doubts, her ordeal makes her see past her own insecurities and trust her potential.

From the other main characters, Tynaiv stood out as the most interesting, even more than Tessa. Their scenes together were captivating, while his POVs kept me intrigued enough to finish the book. He dominated the scenes he was in, even when he was the one being held at knife’s point. His backstory added to his overall character, so much so that I would happily read a book centered just on him.

As far as the other characters go, I didn’t find myself connecting with any of them. Ryon was too starry-eyed over the possibility of war, though the reality of it does hit him in the face. Linden was uninteresting, he was petulant in the beginning and mellowed out too late, while his romance with Tess came on too fast, even if it was predictable.

Jeffries crafted an interesting premise, but struggled on the delivery. The biggest problem in Fyrian’s Fire was the pacing, or lack of it. The book was meandering at times. Each new subplot added complexity that would have been better kept for further into the series, while the constant addition of secondary animal characters made most blend together.

As for the writing, Jeffries’ is lyrical in a way that matches the atmosphere of the story. She makes an effort to gives some characters a voice that stands out, occasionally through an accent, which helped differentiate them as the cast grew. This way, the book takes on a fairytale quality that will appeal to some.

Fyrian’s Fire by Emily H. Jeffries promised a lot and delivered little. Through some aspects of the book, Jeffries shows her potential to craft a captivating tale, but this one isn’t it for me. 

An Unreliable Magic by Rin Chupeco

adventurous emotional funny hopeful

4.0

 

An Unreliable Magic opens with Tala’s failure. Her constant attempts to complete Avalon’s obstacle course throughout the book mirror her character arc, with each new attempt bringing her closer to understanding what she needs to do both in the labyrinth and outside of it. I found her character arc to be all encompassing, while she retains her fierce protectiveness and stubborn streak, this sequel to Wicked as you Wish is about her learning to listen to others, especially her father.

Each of the other Banders also have their own character arcs. Zoe’s stands out as the most poignant, with Ken’s a close second. Though Loki and West both have their own POVs throughout, their arcs were less prominent, likely because they’ll extend into the next book. As for Alex, he’s a far more enjoyable character now that he’s not being cagey about important secrets. He wears his crown well, though glimpses of the teen he is shine through in certain scenes.

Overall Chupeco’s characters remain the book’s strongest aspect. They write them in such a way that you can’t help but care for the lot of them. The way they wrote the teens was my favourite as each is has a distinctive voice without coming off as too mature. They all have impulsive, even occasionally petulant moments that makes each of them delightful to experience. Chupeco also continue their inclusion of multiple LGBTQ+ characters. There is another non-binary character that comes along apart from Loki, while Alex’s sexuality also features as a prominent subplot.

An Unreliable Magic by Rin Chupeco expands the world they developed in the first book. Magic and its effect on history and politics are at the center of the story; we get to see both the good and the bad of it as governments and corporations alike seek to exploit it. Chupeco also expands Avalon’s history along with that of prominent families and segen. Through Ken’s and Cole’s gifts, shadow magic also becomes prominent in this book, while Chupeco also explores Tala’s magic and her clan’s history.

Despite how well Chupeco develops their characters, the same can’t be said of the book’s pacing and plot. I found the first half meandering, with the main plot often shadowed by the many subplots. I found the subplots just as engaging, but it lacked some of the structure of the first book at times. However, there’s more coherence in the second half, especially as the subplots start to converge leading to a climactic ending.

Overall I enjoyed An Unreliable Magic by Rin Chupeco. I found it escaped the middle book syndrome, even going so far as to say that it’s stronger than its prequel. I wasn’t left with as many questions as last time and I’m thoroughly excited for the next book. If Wicked As You Wish intrigued you, An Unreliable Magic will no doubt captivate you. 

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

 The Genesis of Misery takes place in a world where religion and technology are at war with each other, and Misery finds themselves right in the middle of it as they go from believing they are sick to believing they can end the war for the side of the Faithful. Their journey is a very interesting character study in embracing the belief of a divine destiny which Yang makes clear as Misery’s personality and the way they think evolves with each new revelation. At the end of the book they were far from where they began in one of the most marking character arcs I’ve come across recently.

The rest of the cast of characters were equally interesting. Being an excellent reader of people, Misery gives us more insight into them and thus their journey than we would have otherwise. The most important sides characters are Ruin and Lightning, who become Misery’s companions in this journey. While first being perceived as a delusion, Ruin is central to moving along the plot by guiding Misery, whereas Lightning is there because she believes that Misery can fix the decadence festering at the heart of the Empire. Even more minor characters have moments of character development, though they all center around Misery.

The world of The Genesis of Misery is as fascinating as it is complicated. Yang creates an expansive civilisation with a religion that dominates every part of it, and one that is at war with a group of Heretics that believes everything comes down to technology. Though parts of it confused me, I was immediately sucked in and by the end had a decent grasp on how everything was set up, especially as later revelations give a much more complete picture than the black and white narrative the Church tries to present.

Neon Yang’s writing is another feature that stood out in the book. Having a Joan of Arc reimagining set in a space opera is fascinating enough, but then they go on to do interesting things with gender and sexual identity with just about every character. Though a religious society, the Empire doesn’t supress the expression of gender with characters being introduced by their name and pronouns, and the use of several neo-pronouns. It’s especially interesting when it comes to Misery who initially goes by she/they pronouns and later embraces a third type in certain situations. Yang paints a world of acceptance that explains certain subtleties while leaving others up to the reader to understand, and it’s something I’ve rarely come across.

Another thing that stood out to me was how Yang used their sex scenes. While most fade to black, the ones that do appear on page are focused primarily on the character development they bring on, with the act being a secondary thought. While there aren’t many, they are poignant and left an impression.

The writing itself was also different to what I’m used to as it also followed Misery’s character arc. What started out as fast paced, almost gritty sentences that reflected Misery’s state of mind started taking on a more sermonising tone as the religious element became more and more prominent. It was easy enough to follow, getting lyrical at times though without being overly tiresome.

As for the plot, The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang embraces the space opera genre and marries it with the history surrounding Joan of Arc, giving a fast paced yet wholly satisfying novel. The first scene is an escape scene and that sets the tone for the rest of the novel as winning the war against the Heretics becomes, in Misery’s view, something that can finally be achieved and must be done fast.

Overall I enjoyed The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang, first for its creative character studies and interesting writing conventions and second for the plot. Yang gives us a world where the diversity of gender and sexuality are simply a part of life rather than being a contentious point, while the backdrop of a centuries’ old war sucks the reader in from the beginning. I look forward to seeing where this series goes, especially in light of the last quarter of the novel. 

The Red Palace by June Hur 허주은

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 In The Red Palace, Once Hyeon learns the police have taken her mentor into custody, she takes it upon herself to solve the case before a commissioner with a grudge can pin it on the wrong person. 
 

Jane Hur doesn't hesitate before launching her readers into the thick of it. The book opens with Hyeon and her fellow nurse being called to be the Crown Prince's alibi for the night of the murder only for her to stumble upon the crime scene herself when leaving the palace. What ensues is a fast-paced adventure that brings two people together amidst political turmoil. 

Hyeon is the heart and soul of this book. She is a woman out of wedlock so she grows up shunned by society and kept at arms-length by her family, meaning she has to work twice as hard as others to get a respectable position. This determination really defines her character, as does her kindness, since she goes above and beyond for those close to her: even the family that would reject her. Throughout the course of the investigation, Hyeon learns to open herself up and let others in. Rather than relying entirely on herself, she comes to trust Eojin. When they first meet he doesn't want her interfering, but he comes to see her usefulness in the investigation. From there, their relationship takes off in subtle manner, with small touches and lingering glances that continue throughout. 

One of the more interesting things Hur did in regards to Hyeon is explore her relationship with her family. Growing up, Hyeon's father pushed her away, yet she fears his disappointment strongly throughout much of the book. On the other hand, she thought her mother cold. Without spoiling too much, she reconciles with her family in unexpected ways that gave her character a lot more depth than I expected. 

In fact, Hur spends a lot of time giving just about every character memorable traits that set them apart, from the main ones to background characters that scarcely appear more than once. The Crown Prince was one such character. Rumour is that his fraught relationship with his father feeds into an explosive temper, yet Hyeon struggles to believe it after her own interactions with him. 

As far as the plot was concerned, I found it highly engaging. From the moment Hyeon stumbles across the murders, her observations let us know that something isn't right. The story is fast-paced with enough action scenes that it's not solely focused on the investigation, and plenty of plot twists. Once Eojin and Hyeon stopped dancing around each other and actually worked together, the pace really picked up and I could not put the book down. 

Hur's writing has a distinct knack for making descriptions come to life, without slowing the pace of the book. The way she explains the society and the characters' personal history just becomes another aspect of the investigation, rather than distracting from it. I even found the wider political conflict to be interesting as neither side appears to be better than the other, leaving the ending ambiguous on this grander scale. 

Overall I very much enjoyed Jane Hur's The Red Palace. It's an engaging murder mystery that stays true to its historical source. The characters are the standout element of the book and they work well with the plot, which makes the book a very satisfying read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Servant Mage by Kate Elliott

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

2.0

 

Kate Elliot makes a valiant effort to craft a faced paced story about a fantasy world on the brink of revolution but it ultimately falls flat. 

 

The first half of the book was pretty good. It had good pacing that was balanced well with worldbuilding, with Fellian starting to unravel the lies she was taught during her training. I thought the characters were likeable while Fellian took care to maintain some distance between her and the rebels because she wasn't immediately convinced of their cause. I found this aspect to her character very interesting as the reluctance isn't something often seen in protagonists of this sort of story. It added unexpected depth to her character in a very efficient way that fit the story well. 

 

It's only after the halfway mark that the book took a turn for the worse as the pace picks up and rushes through to an ambiguous ending. This next paragraph will contain spoilers for the second half of the book so this is your warning to skip to the end. 

 

When they rescue the child, the group escapes through a demon dimension that was entirely out of place since it only created more unanswered questions and emerges into a manor with such a rigid class structure it put me off from the rebel cause entirely. Up to this point, we've spent time with a group that sees no class distinction and to have that all change was off-putting to say the least. Even when Fellian leaves to find her family in the hopes of her town gaining independence at some point, there's no epilogue to tie up those loose ends. Instead we're left with a maybe. 

On top of that, where I thought rescuing the child was going to become the single quest she would go one, she still has to go rescue the people in the cave which only further added to the feeling that the book had too much going on.
   

 

I think Kate Elliot raised some very interesting questions concerning types of government, propaganda, child indoctrination and trauma but didn’t give the book the length it deserved to answer those questions. 

The Binding Tempest by Steven Rudy

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.0

 The Binding Tempest by Steven Rudy asks what happens when people grow so comfortable with freedom that they neglect to see the rise of a new dictator in a world that blends steampunk with high fantasy. 

 

Steven Rudy's debut novel gives us a character-driven story about a world on the brink of disaster. Having left the oppressive Sagean empire in the past, the people fail to realise the quiet instalment of a new oppressive regime, while a greater existential threat looms in the distance. It all comes down to a ragtag group of six people to stop it. 

The characters grew on me as the novel went on. Split into two groups, we first meet the old revolutionaries who overthrew the dictatorial empire forty years prior. Ellaria, Kovan and Elias remain a force to be reckoned with, especially Ellaria as she's the first to suspect something is amiss and effectively drives the group's decisions. From the younger generation, Tali stands out in this book. Wade often came off as the wacky sidekick, though he does have some important moments, with Learon being the most discreet. There are hints of his abilities throughout and his family history make him a character to look out for. The side characters stood out less than I'd like, but I do hope to see more of some of them in future books. 

The actual villain of the story was a surprise. The entire book talks about the new Sagean, but I would have never guessed who it actually was, making that plot twist delightful. Throughout, their tactics were extensive enough that their presence was felt strongly. Yes, the characters talk about a rise of a new empire, but Rudy also brings these changes to the setting through increased security and geopolitical machinations, among other things. 

The worldbuilding is expansive. The extensive descriptions, the history lessons provided by the characters, and the many locations we visit throughout make this world feel old and lived in. Each city has a particular feel to it, while the history we get is backed up by artefacts, ruins, even the odd archaeological dig here and there. While I'm still a little unclear about some small details, I'm excited to see how Rudy will expand from here. 

However, the writing was, overall, the worst part of the novel. The first few chapters jump POVs, so it was already a little confusing, but the dense writing made it even harder to get through. There were pages of descriptions at times, while characters often went out of their way to explain a specific phrase or object instead of letting the reader figure it out from context. As such, the dialogue was often stilted, while the inner monologues of the characters were much wordier than they needed to be, especially for the first half of a high fantasy book. The pacing did get better further into The Binding Tempest as the plot took over for the worldbuilding, really showing Rudy's potential as an author. 

The Binding Tempest by Steven Rudy has a lot of potential. A captivating story with dynamic characters is buried beneath the dense writing while the fascinating world is the cherry on top. I look forward to seeing where he takes it because that epilogue opened up a new realm of possibilities. 

The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 After escaping Zalindov for a life at the palace, Kiva must face a difficult choice that could jeopardize everything in The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni. 

 

The Gilded Cage picks up a few months after The Prison Healer ended, after the winter has thawed and the gang was able to reach the capital from the winter palace. Rather than glossing over those months, Noni goes out of her way to show us snippets of what happened through memories. She uses this to both build characters up and delve deeper into relationships between them. One of my favourite examples of this is Caldon and Kiva's friendship. We get snippets of how they grew close at the winter palace, especially the beginning of their friendship, so his familiar demeanour towards her isn't jarring and fits right into the narrative. 

Noni also uses this opportunity, and then the book as a whole, to explore Jarren's character. Kiva's seen him under life-threatening pressure, so now she explores other aspects of his personality. He continues to be the caring and just prince which makes her allegiance to the rebels all that harder. I will say that building him up in this manner meant that Jarren had no obvious flaws. In retrospect, he is incredibly trusting but during the story he comes off as a little too perfect. I do look forward to seeing Jarren react to the ending of this book, once the next one comes out. 

As for Kiva, her character arc focuses on one single question: who will she choose? The royals or the Rebels? Not only does this impact her every action, but it leads to heavy introspection throughout. However, this inner turmoil didn't slow down the pace which I appreciated. It showed that Kiva was constantly evaluating her every option and choosing to act based on that. She has a profound character arc in this book which led her to a very interesting decision down the line and one that I've yet to see in this sort of enemies-to-lovers story. 

The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni gives us even more LGBTQ+ representation. Without spoiling too much, Myrrin's relationship takes a front seat towards the end of the novel, while another character is revealed to be bisexual. Like Myrrin, their sexuality never becomes their only personality trait. Instead it adds depth to the character and allows for moments of levity when they heavily admire another character wielding a sword who just happens to be on the opposite side of this war. 

When it comes to the world, Noni builds up on what we've learned so far. The magic system is further explored, especially how the royals use that magic, but most of the world-building is about the people. History and politics take centre stage as we learn more about how everything got to this point. The rebels are finally explored in depth with their history also playing a part. Noni goes out of her way to build a realistic world, one that came alive as I read, without bogging down the pace. 

In fact, her writing only got better in The Gilded Cage. While it's largely character driven, the plot is hardly overshadowed as Kiva balances life at the palace with the rebellion. Noni's focus on the relationships between characters becomes all that more important with every twist and betrayal. The whole book is fast paced and gripped me from the very first chapter. 

The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni is a fantastic follow up to The Prison Healer. Characters are developed, the rebels finally have a face and the wider implications of everything that happened at Zalindov finally appear. I enjoyed pretty much every aspect of this book, if you liked the first one you will definitely like this one and I can't wait for the third! 

The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

 The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh embraces the fake dating trope in the midst of geopolitical chaos in the latest installment of The Beautiful Quartet 

The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh picks up a few days after the evens of The Damned. Celine and Bastien have fled to the Sylvan Vale while Odette lies in an endless slumber. When Arjun leaves to find Odette a healer, Pippa follows him into the Vale in a desperate bid to find Celine. That’s when things take a turn for the worse as she's mocked and toyed with by the fae gentry, leaving Arjun to save her in the wildest way possible: by getting engaged. 

While the previous two books offered occasional insight into Pippa and Arjun, The Righteous fully focuses on their characters. Pippa, who came off as kind and loving if a little subdued becomes an imposing character in her own right. Her arc throughout the book is remarkable as she learns to be more confident in herself and reach for the unexpected. Ahdieh makes this plainly obvious both through Pippa's internal monologue, as well as how Arjun perceives her. 

On the opposite end, Arjun spends the book learning to be vulnerable. Having grown up in the Sylvan Vale, he used nonchalance and boredom to protect himself from the fae but his rash decision to get engaged to Pippa means he has to open up to her. Their relationship cements itself quickly over the first half, allowing them to face the events of the second half as a pair. 

While I liked reading about this, I did think it came out of nowhere. There isn't much indication in the previous books of an attraction between these two and it was all too fast. As much as I enjoyed the whirlwind romance between Celine and Bastien, there could have been space for Arjun and Pippa to have more interactions alongside them. I'd even go as far to say as the whole thing was a little insta-lovey once the two were thrust together. 

As far as the plot is concerned, it was disjointed. The series itself has a greater plot that involves the Horned Throne and it becomes central to The Righteous, but only in the second half of the novel. Given how The Damned ended, I thought it would take a more central role earlier on, instead there was a sudden change where we went from concentrating on Arjun and Pippa to the larger geopolitics of the fae. I won't deny those geopolitics were very interesting. From the Wyld's crumbling court to the Vale's grander ambitions for the realm, to a surprise alliance, it almost overshadowed Arjun and Pippa's shenaningans. I look forward to seeing how Ahdieh plans to resolve all the threads she's left hanging, because it certainly looks like an epic battle is on the way. 

Like previous books, The Righteous jumps POVs. Mostly focusing on Pippa and Arjun, we do get to see other beloved and not-so-beloved characters. Emilie remains in the shadows in this one, Michael takes on a more direct role as he's determined to, also, find Celine, while Bastien and Celine are exploring the Vale with Lady Silla who is less than thrilled by Bastien's presence. I liked having the fuller picture, though I have to admit Michael's chapters did bore me at times as he doesn't bring much to the story at the moment. 

The best part of the book remains Adhieh's writing. Its lyrical quality brings the world to life once again, with the Vale taking center stage through Pippa's inexperienced eyes. Despite how description-heavy the book is, it didn't take away from the plot. Rather it gave Ahdieh's story a fairy-tale feel. 

I'll admit I didn't enjoy The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh as much as the previous two books. I missed Celine and Bastien, and Ahdieh could have done more to ease readers into this new focus. She makes her plot intriguing enough that I will be finishing the series though, and I'm very curious to see who the next book will focus on given the growing cast of POVs.