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310 reviews
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
5.0
"'There are no gods left to watch, I’m afraid. And there are no gods left to help you now, Aelin Galathynius.'
"Aelin smiled, and Goldryn burned brighter. 'I am a god.'"
[5 stars]
ladies and gentleman, THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A FINALE!! i was on the edge of my seat for practically the entire book. not just because of the action, but also because there were so many characters that it was a mental workout keeping track of all of them.
some authors are afraid to hurt their characters - truly hurt them - or to let them fail. sarah j maas is not one of those authors. i spent the entire time wondering if the multitude of conflicts would even be resolved. poor aedion and lysandra were just being knocked down the whole time. just when things would start looking up, something would slam the characters back down again, which was part of why i loved this book. it was so realistic. they lost hope. there were surrenders, significant losses, and endless sacrifices. it felt like a real war.
here's a tribute to (almost) every character and my thoughts on them
aelin galathynius
or.... should i say... aelin ashryver whitethorn galathynius? nah, i won't for now, because that's a mouthful. aelin has come so far and i truly love her for it. those of you who have read my crown of midnight review know that she definitely wasn't my favorite character for the first three and a half books. i had a love-hate relationship with her for a really long time, but now i just love her. she would truly do anything for terrasen, which she proved endless times in this book. she is incredibly strong and self-sacrificing. we stan!
dorian havilliard
again, those of you who have read my past reviews know that dorian has been my absolute favorite since book 1. still recovering from the events of heir of fire, dorian has to grapple with the task of finding the third wyrdkey and allowing himself to be happy again. i think that nehemia was smiling at him from the afterworld in this book because he truly rose to his full potential and kicked ASS. he's cunning, resourceful, and borderline nihilistic, but also brave and selfless. and complex?? i want to give dorian a million hugs and a mug of hot cocoa because he deserves it for all he's been through.
chaol westfall
chaol, my misbehaving son, is finally not misbehaving anymore. thanks to his time in the southern continent, he has learned to be more accepting, open to ideas that he's not used to, and that he's still useful, disability and all. i'm so proud of him for being such a persistent leader and for marching into the face of battle when all seems to be lost. he has some of the best character development in the whole series!
rowan whitethorn
i'm gonna be part of that small majority of readers who say that rowan isn't their favorite-favorite, but i still love him nonetheless. he's strong. he's loyal. he's protective. i loved that he didn't always approve of aelin's ideas but kept reminding her that she was her own person who could make her own decisions, i.e "I do not let you do anything," meaning that aelin never has to ask permission to do something she truly wants to. although he tries to thoroughly convince her that some things are bad ideas, it stems from his worry and belief that there is a better, less self-destructive way than aelin's. he and aelin compliment each other perfectly!
aedion ashryver
poor aedion went through a hell of a lot in this book. i still feel like his development could have gone better, considering the fact that i was in LOVE with him in heir of fire and now i tolerate him at most. i wish he'd truly learned to keep his temper in check and learned not to say things to people when he doesn't know the whole story. he kind of realized his mistake with aelin ("Where are our allies, Aelin? Where are they?") but that whole thing backfired with Lysandra again and again. in my list of favorites, aedion is just kinda.... there.
lysandra
lysandra has been one of my favorites since she was introduced and i think i've made my feelings toward her clear under the spoiler cut. a true badass.
manon blackbeak
another character i didn't expect to love so much. i laugh at the fact that i found her chapters to be dull in heir of fire. manon is my queen and i'm so proud of her. she truly learned to love, admit her fears, and sympathize without seeing these things as weakness.
elide lochan
A TRUE HERO!!! i love how elide is soft, yet wholly unafraid of her former abuser (aka her piece-of-shit uncle). what an icon. i'm proud of her for holding onto her grudge to lorcan until he proved himself worthy of her time again
lochan selvaterre
not my favorite after his huge mistake in empire of storms, but he redeemed himself in this book i've always been interested him and i'm glad we got to see more of him, as well as saw his feelings/opinions shift.
yrene towers/westfall
THE TRUE HERO OF THIS BOOK!! yrene, like elide, is soft. but soft does not mean weak or helpless. she's kind, hoping to help people in any way she can even when it's too physically demanding, and yet she stood up to chaol's dad and is unfaltering in her opinions. i'm so glad she finally got the recognition she deserved.
nesryn faliq
my only regret is that we didn't get to see more of her in this book. it was her POV about four-five times, and i really wanted to see more of her perspective because she's so awesome.
gavriel
DESERVED BETTER.
asterin blackbeak
my favorite before manon was. honestly, so amazing and wonderful and everything good in the world.
fenrys
i didn't really care about him in empire of storms, so i definitely did not except him to become one of my favorites. his unexpected bond with aelin was incredibly heartwarming!!
maeve
the worst. UGH, i hate her, but she was a brilliant villain. her rage was understandable and yet she was rotten to the core. proof that, while a villain may have a point, it doesn't make them inherently right. this is how you write an antagonist!!
erawan
bye bitch.
there are so many more characters, but if i go on for any longer, the list will never stop. i'm gonna move onto my favorite parts of the book, hidden under a spoiler cut, obviously!
-aelin's frequent nightmares about maeve that made both you and her question reality. very realistic and very well-done
-the most heartbreaking moment was the loss of the thirteen. it was perfectly executed and was pretty much the part i cried the hardest at
-lord lorcan lochan
-RHYS AND (PREGNANT) FEYRE'S CAMEO!!!!!!!!!!!
-manon being crowned crochan queen
-fenrys taking the blood oath and aelin using it to make him live
-the only time the king of ardalan remembered his own name was looking at his newborn son (i KNEW there was a reason he didn't have a name)
-dorian shapeshifting into a woman and walking in aimless circles for two hours trying to adjust
-YRENE IS PREGNANT
-DORIAN AND CHAOL'S REUNION
-i loved that chaol, dorian, and aelin's goodbyes were the longest. they are the heart of the series, the original 3, and i'm so glad that nobody else was around during it. but tbh it was also pretty funny to remember that both of them were in love with aelin at one point and it used to be a love triangle LMAO
all of that being said, although i will miss these characters dearly, i'm satisfied with this ending and am glad i finally finished the series!
"Aelin smiled, and Goldryn burned brighter. 'I am a god.'"
[5 stars]
ladies and gentleman, THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A FINALE!! i was on the edge of my seat for practically the entire book. not just because of the action, but also because there were so many characters that it was a mental workout keeping track of all of them.
some authors are afraid to hurt their characters - truly hurt them - or to let them fail. sarah j maas is not one of those authors. i spent the entire time wondering if the multitude of conflicts would even be resolved. poor aedion and lysandra were just being knocked down the whole time. just when things would start looking up, something would slam the characters back down again, which was part of why i loved this book. it was so realistic. they lost hope. there were surrenders, significant losses, and endless sacrifices. it felt like a real war.
here's a tribute to (almost) every character and my thoughts on them
aelin galathynius
or.... should i say... aelin ashryver whitethorn galathynius? nah, i won't for now, because that's a mouthful. aelin has come so far and i truly love her for it. those of you who have read my crown of midnight review know that she definitely wasn't my favorite character for the first three and a half books. i had a love-hate relationship with her for a really long time, but now i just love her. she would truly do anything for terrasen, which she proved endless times in this book. she is incredibly strong and self-sacrificing. we stan!
dorian havilliard
again, those of you who have read my past reviews know that dorian has been my absolute favorite since book 1. still recovering from the events of heir of fire, dorian has to grapple with the task of finding the third wyrdkey and allowing himself to be happy again. i think that nehemia was smiling at him from the afterworld in this book because he truly rose to his full potential and kicked ASS. he's cunning, resourceful, and borderline nihilistic, but also brave and selfless. and complex?? i want to give dorian a million hugs and a mug of hot cocoa because he deserves it for all he's been through.
chaol westfall
chaol, my misbehaving son, is finally not misbehaving anymore. thanks to his time in the southern continent, he has learned to be more accepting, open to ideas that he's not used to, and that he's still useful, disability and all. i'm so proud of him for being such a persistent leader and for marching into the face of battle when all seems to be lost. he has some of the best character development in the whole series!
rowan whitethorn
i'm gonna be part of that small majority of readers who say that rowan isn't their favorite-favorite, but i still love him nonetheless. he's strong. he's loyal. he's protective. i loved that he didn't always approve of aelin's ideas but kept reminding her that she was her own person who could make her own decisions, i.e "I do not let you do anything," meaning that aelin never has to ask permission to do something she truly wants to. although he tries to thoroughly convince her that some things are bad ideas, it stems from his worry and belief that there is a better, less self-destructive way than aelin's. he and aelin compliment each other perfectly!
aedion ashryver
poor aedion went through a hell of a lot in this book. i still feel like his development could have gone better, considering the fact that i was in LOVE with him in heir of fire and now i tolerate him at most. i wish he'd truly learned to keep his temper in check and learned not to say things to people when he doesn't know the whole story. he kind of realized his mistake with aelin ("Where are our allies, Aelin? Where are they?") but that whole thing backfired with Lysandra again and again. in my list of favorites, aedion is just kinda.... there.
lysandra
Spoiler
LYSANDRA DESERVES BETTER THAN AEDION!!! lysandra deserves someone who wholly appreciates her, not someone who thinks he's entitled to her when nothing romantic has happened between them and then calls her a bitch, throws her into the snow while naked, and only realizes her worth when she almost dies.manon blackbeak
another character i didn't expect to love so much. i laugh at the fact that i found her chapters to be dull in heir of fire. manon is my queen and i'm so proud of her. she truly learned to love, admit her fears, and sympathize without seeing these things as weakness.
elide lochan
A TRUE HERO!!! i love how elide is soft, yet wholly unafraid of her former abuser (aka her piece-of-shit uncle). what an icon. i'm proud of her for holding onto her grudge to lorcan until he proved himself worthy of her time again
Spoiler
although i'm still not the biggest fan of them romantically, but whatevslochan selvaterre
not my favorite after his huge mistake in empire of storms, but he redeemed himself in this book
Spoiler
and i cried when i thought he was dead.yrene towers/westfall
THE TRUE HERO OF THIS BOOK!! yrene, like elide, is soft. but soft does not mean weak or helpless. she's kind, hoping to help people in any way she can even when it's too physically demanding, and yet she stood up to chaol's dad and is unfaltering in her opinions. i'm so glad she finally got the recognition she deserved.
nesryn faliq
my only regret is that we didn't get to see more of her in this book. it was her POV about four-five times, and i really wanted to see more of her perspective because she's so awesome.
gavriel
DESERVED BETTER.
asterin blackbeak
my favorite before manon was. honestly, so amazing and wonderful and everything good in the world.
Spoiler
her death was heartbreaking, but at least she went down killing manon's grandmotherfenrys
i didn't really care about him in empire of storms, so i definitely did not except him to become one of my favorites. his unexpected bond with aelin was incredibly heartwarming!!
maeve
the worst. UGH, i hate her, but she was a brilliant villain. her rage was understandable and yet she was rotten to the core. proof that, while a villain may have a point, it doesn't make them inherently right. this is how you write an antagonist!!
erawan
bye bitch.
there are so many more characters, but if i go on for any longer, the list will never stop. i'm gonna move onto my favorite parts of the book, hidden under a spoiler cut, obviously!
Spoiler
-dorian bringing down morath and ripping into maeve's mind!!! a KING (literally)-aelin's frequent nightmares about maeve that made both you and her question reality. very realistic and very well-done
-the most heartbreaking moment was the loss of the thirteen. it was perfectly executed and was pretty much the part i cried the hardest at
-lord lorcan lochan
-RHYS AND (PREGNANT) FEYRE'S CAMEO!!!!!!!!!!!
-manon being crowned crochan queen
-fenrys taking the blood oath and aelin using it to make him live
-the only time the king of ardalan remembered his own name was looking at his newborn son (i KNEW there was a reason he didn't have a name)
-dorian shapeshifting into a woman and walking in aimless circles for two hours trying to adjust
-YRENE IS PREGNANT
-DORIAN AND CHAOL'S REUNION
-i loved that chaol, dorian, and aelin's goodbyes were the longest. they are the heart of the series, the original 3, and i'm so glad that nobody else was around during it. but tbh it was also pretty funny to remember that both of them were in love with aelin at one point and it used to be a love triangle LMAO
all of that being said, although i will miss these characters dearly, i'm satisfied with this ending and am glad i finally finished the series!
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
5.0
“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”
[4.5 stars]
here's the thing: was this the best book i've ever read? no. was it entertaining? heck yes. the main reason why i was able to read this entire book in a day was mainly because, for me, it never got boring. however, the reason why has both its ups and downs. on one hand, it made for an exciting read filled with twists and turns. but it also meant that the book was so focused on action that i felt some character strengths were lacking. to me, there could have been more meaningful interactions with characters or even more of scarlett's inner monologue about what was going on. sometimes the characters could be two-dimensional, which can suck.
another downside was the story started very quickly. there was little to no worldbuilding. i don't know the geography of wherever they live (for it was not given a name. are the islands different countries?). i also felt that there could have been more scenes with scarlett and tella at home so we could get a feel of the place before being whisked away.
however, aside from those points, i thought the story was interesting. a main point of the story was that you shouldn't trust anyone in caraval, which is a risky thing to do in a book because it can make the plot twists anticlimactic if your readers aren't attached to the characters (aka if they're constantly being told not to trust them). however, there were more twists than i was expecting and the climax made me so stressed out, but it was great.
all in all, this book was an exciting, fun read! (it also gave me major [b:The Night Circus|9361589|The Night Circus|Erin Morgenstern|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387124618s/9361589.jpg|14245059] vibes)
[4.5 stars]
here's the thing: was this the best book i've ever read? no. was it entertaining? heck yes. the main reason why i was able to read this entire book in a day was mainly because, for me, it never got boring. however, the reason why has both its ups and downs. on one hand, it made for an exciting read filled with twists and turns. but it also meant that the book was so focused on action that i felt some character strengths were lacking. to me, there could have been more meaningful interactions with characters or even more of scarlett's inner monologue about what was going on. sometimes the characters could be two-dimensional, which can suck.
another downside was the story started very quickly. there was little to no worldbuilding. i don't know the geography of wherever they live (for it was not given a name. are the islands different countries?). i also felt that there could have been more scenes with scarlett and tella at home so we could get a feel of the place before being whisked away.
however, aside from those points, i thought the story was interesting. a main point of the story was that you shouldn't trust anyone in caraval, which is a risky thing to do in a book because it can make the plot twists anticlimactic if your readers aren't attached to the characters (aka if they're constantly being told not to trust them). however, there were more twists than i was expecting and the climax made me so stressed out, but it was great.
all in all, this book was an exciting, fun read! (it also gave me major [b:The Night Circus|9361589|The Night Circus|Erin Morgenstern|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387124618s/9361589.jpg|14245059] vibes)
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
5.0
“Every good story needs a villain. But the best villains are the ones you secretly like.”
[4.5 stars]
I didn't expect to root for Tella as much as I ended up doing. It's kind of funny, because in Caraval I hated her and loved Scarlett, but now the opposite is true. I couldn't bring myself to care about her love triangle.
I loved the inclusion of the Fates and how it tied into the new Caraval. One thing I didn't like, however, was that the formula was so similar to Scarlett's: love-hate relationship with super hot guy, grave injury that he saves her from, and becoming too wrapped up in the game even though they know they shouldn't. Minor things were changed, of course, but it was mostly the same. I hope the third book is different from the first two so it doesn't feel too repetitive!
[4.5 stars]
I didn't expect to root for Tella as much as I ended up doing. It's kind of funny, because in Caraval I hated her and loved Scarlett, but now the opposite is true. I couldn't bring myself to care about her love triangle.
I loved the inclusion of the Fates and how it tied into the new Caraval. One thing I didn't like, however, was that the formula was so similar to Scarlett's: love-hate relationship with super hot guy, grave injury that he saves her from, and becoming too wrapped up in the game even though they know they shouldn't. Minor things were changed, of course, but it was mostly the same. I hope the third book is different from the first two so it doesn't feel too repetitive!
Spoiler
Also, Dante being Legend? I feel like I kind of saw it coming but it was still a shock that my hunch ended up being true. I just hope he doesn't shatter Tella's heart even further because oof.
Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow: Discovering Your Right Livelihood by Marsha Sinetar
2.0
dated, repetitive, and boring. the author talks in circles and seemed to write 10 chapters on something that could have been easily explained in an article or 100 pages.
Finale by Stephanie Garber
5.0
[4.5 stars]
“Fear was a poison that people mistook as protection. Making choices to stay safe could be just as treacherous.”
THIS BOOK GOT ME OUT OF MY READING SLUMP!!!! Nothing, and I repeat, nothing is worse to me than not being able to read. It was like, anytime I tried to make my eyes go over a page, no matter what it was, I was filled with dread and annoyance. But after finishing this, I finally feel motivated to finish the other two books that I've been reading for months.
There's something magical about the way that Stephanie Garber writes her scenes, which is fitting considering this trilogy is about magic. I love the addition of bright colors and fashion and descriptions that made me feel like I was in a fairytale or a dream while I was reading. It was fantastic imagery that always placed me within the setting perfectly.
This book actually made me like Scarlett again. Due to the last book and the fact that there was going to be a love triangle (the bane of my existence) between her, Julian, and Nicolas in this book, I thought I was going to dislike her even more, but I only grew to love her. It was less a love triangle and more of her discovering herself and finally having the freedom to choose things for herself.
One reason why I knocked off half a star was because I didn't feel like some things were resolved. I don't think there's going to be another book, but it didn't feel like the end of a series. I only wound up having more questions.
Aside from those parts, I think this book was really exciting and constantly had me hooked. The series was enjoyable and a really fun read!
“Fear was a poison that people mistook as protection. Making choices to stay safe could be just as treacherous.”
THIS BOOK GOT ME OUT OF MY READING SLUMP!!!! Nothing, and I repeat, nothing is worse to me than not being able to read. It was like, anytime I tried to make my eyes go over a page, no matter what it was, I was filled with dread and annoyance. But after finishing this, I finally feel motivated to finish the other two books that I've been reading for months.
There's something magical about the way that Stephanie Garber writes her scenes, which is fitting considering this trilogy is about magic. I love the addition of bright colors and fashion and descriptions that made me feel like I was in a fairytale or a dream while I was reading. It was fantastic imagery that always placed me within the setting perfectly.
This book actually made me like Scarlett again. Due to the last book and the fact that there was going to be a love triangle (the bane of my existence) between her, Julian, and Nicolas in this book, I thought I was going to dislike her even more, but I only grew to love her. It was less a love triangle and more of her discovering herself and finally having the freedom to choose things for herself.
One reason why I knocked off half a star was because I didn't feel like some things were resolved. I don't think there's going to be another book, but it didn't feel like the end of a series. I only wound up having more questions.
Spoiler
Did Jacks really just run away and nobody is concerned, even though he's back at full power? He gave up just like that? Why don't we get to see any bits of Legend and Tella finally being together when that's been the conflict for the entire book, and it's such a monumental feat for Legend to finally love someone? How does Legend feel about being mortal? Why didn't they reference Tella having to find her daughter's secret after she made the deal?Aside from those parts, I think this book was really exciting and constantly had me hooked. The series was enjoyable and a really fun read!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
5.0
[4.5 stars]
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
2 down, 5 more to go!
I'm honestly thrilled that I decided to re-read the Harry Potter series. Since I first read it when I was 12, I can definitely catch onto some things that I didn't notice before. Of course I know the series isn't perfect and has many faults – plus, JK Rowling can't seem to stop digging herself into an even deeper hole – but I just enjoy the universe that was created while still acknowledging its faults (lack of representation, how JK apologized for Snape's fate but scorns people who like Draco, saying Nagini was a Japanese woman whose only characteristic was to serve her blood supremacist master, werewolves being a metaphor for the AIDS epidemic, the list goes on).
I love my son, Harry Potter, very much and Ron's dialogue is honestly way funnier than I remember. I can't wait to re-read PoA because I remember it being my favorite!
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
2 down, 5 more to go!
I'm honestly thrilled that I decided to re-read the Harry Potter series. Since I first read it when I was 12, I can definitely catch onto some things that I didn't notice before. Of course I know the series isn't perfect and has many faults – plus, JK Rowling can't seem to stop digging herself into an even deeper hole – but I just enjoy the universe that was created while still acknowledging its faults (lack of representation, how JK apologized for Snape's fate but scorns people who like Draco, saying Nagini was a Japanese woman whose only characteristic was to serve her blood supremacist master, werewolves being a metaphor for the AIDS epidemic, the list goes on).
I love my son, Harry Potter, very much and Ron's dialogue is honestly way funnier than I remember. I can't wait to re-read PoA because I remember it being my favorite!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
5.0
There’s always that book that can make you feel so content when you’re reading it because it feels like home.
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
4.0
[3.5 stars]
“Then let the world know that my first act of freedom was to help my friends.”
I'M FINALLY DONE. IT'S FINALLY OVER. Jesus, this took forever to read. It was like climbing the stairs to the final battle with Bowser in Super Mario 64, only you haven't beaten all the levels, so the staircase just keeps going on forever.
The first thing I'll say: This book is way too long. I found several places where SJM could have left off with enough of a cliffhanger to make people want to get the next book. There were so many scenes that didn't need to be in the book at all.
I thought the first three quarters were entertaining enough. I don't think the worldbuilding, characters, or conflict were on-par with TOG or ACOTAR, but I found myself unable to stop reading during the middle chunk. I put it down at 74% to go to bed. The last quarter that I read this morning... What. The absolute. Hell. (Or should I say, Hel.)
To me, the writing quality seriously declined. Everything happened way too quickly, like SJM was told she couldn't make the book 900 pages or something and erased what would have been important information.
Also, Bryce was pissed at Hunt, even going as far as to say he deserved everything that happened to him under Sandriel's rule, and then, two pages later, she was like, "Not Hunt. It couldn't happen to Hunt." And abruptly decided to save him. There was no heart-wrenching consideration that, despite the fact she didn't believe that he had tried to cancel the deal, she still felt connected to him and that nobody deserved to be Sandriel's slave. She just pulled a Dua Lipa and did a full 180, changing her mind like that.
I don't think that the whole scene with Bryce offering to buy Hunt and then to go in his place should have been included in the final cut. It was so abrupt, so vastly different from Bryce's wrath, that it felt jarring and out of place. If Bryce had spent time considering all that Hunt meant to her and decided that she couldn't lose him, or if they'd known each other longer (beyond him stapling her leg and then not seeing her for two years), it would have been more touching. Not to mention that SJM emphasized the fact that Bryce gave up her spot on the isle to save Danika, so if she died at Sandriel's hands, it would be eternal damnation for her. At that point in her relationship with Hunt, it didn't seem realistic.
I think there could have been another way to have the amulet melt and for everyone to figure out Bryce's true father. It wouldn't have made a difference if Micah had revealed it during his big "I am the real villain and this is everything I did wrong, which I am conveniently going to explain before I kill you," speech. Bryce and Ruhn reconciled again. The only drastic consequence was the demon going after her as soon as the amulet was gone, but again, I think it could have been melted some other way.
Then there are the minor characters. Tell me why I literally didn't care about any of them, except maybe Lele. One thing that sucks about this book is that I know SJM can do the found family trope justice. She did it in her two other series, but this one was seriously lacking. Ruhn's friends fell flat, as did the other angels in the 33rd. I had such a hard time even imagining them because SJM hardly put effort into describing their appearances. You're going to mention Bryce's apparently wonderful ass 800 times, but expect me to remember what Declan looks like 578 pages after his first introduction, where he was hardly described either?
The minor character I felt the most connected to was Connor.
I also thought the worldbuilding was plain bad. I don't care about who ruled nine centuries ago or who is the Queen of the Lake or whatever. There were so many creatures mentioned that I couldn't describe the hierarchy of the government if I tried. And all the places they lived??? The characters never left Crescent City. Why go into extensive detail about who lived 900 miles away?
There were also WAAYYY too many f-bombs. Honestly, the only difference between her young adult books and this one was the amount of times the characters said some variation of "fuck" (nearly every page) and the fact that SJM no longer had to come up with various synonyms for "dick". The violence wasn't much worse. I've read about a person being put on a stake, someone's heart being stabbed, someone getting crucified, people getting burned alive, and more, all in TOG and ACOTAR.
I suppose I should talk about the characters.
Danika was cool. I liked her involvement in the story and how she was pretty much always a mystery. Plus, the streaks in her hair were a neat touch (though I wonder if SJM purposely made them the colors of the bi flag????). Her love for Bryce was clear.
I had my ups and downs with Bryce. I really liked the appearance vs reality side of her– how she manipulated people into believing that she was a dumb party girl in order to get them to spill their secrets. However, her adamance to avoid "alphaholes" – as she called them – started to get annoying. She refused help from literally any guy who tried to give it to her. Newsflash! Just because a dude cares about you doesn't mean he's trying to patronize you or get into your pants! Yes, men can be jerks, but Bryce was bothered any time a guy showed he cared about her. She was flawed, which all characters should be, but my God, it got old when literally every guy (excuse me, male) in the book ogled her. Except her brother and his apparently gay friend.
I tended to favor Hunt's point of views at times. He was interesting and I liked his backstory, but he's not on-par with the other love interests in SJM's books. Maybe it's because shoulder-length hair doesn't do it for me, but I didn't find myself being too attracted to him despite her frequent references to his golden skin and muscles.
Ruhn was cool, too. His powers seemed like a dumbed-down version of Azriel's from ACOTAR, but I don't think he could teleport. I liked how he defied his father and didn't care about being the Chosen One, but I don't think there was enough of him to really gain a full opinion because he was really similar to SJM's other male characters. (Notice how I said "I don't think there was enough of him" in an 800+ page book.)
Honestly, I could rant on how much I liked Connor and Ithan, but the fact that I can't do the same about the main characters is a little sad.
Also, everything wrapped up really nicely? Too nicely. 85% of Hunt's body was destroyed in that blast and he was miraculously repaired by Bryce's power. All of the gates were closed. Her entire family apparently survived. There weren't any repercussions from killing two archangels except for a warning to stay in line. Hunt is free. Everything is fine through the ~*Power of Love*~
Will I read the next book? Probably, but I'm in no rush, especially if it ends up being hella long like this one. I SUFFERED to get through this. S U F F E R E D.
“Then let the world know that my first act of freedom was to help my friends.”
I'M FINALLY DONE. IT'S FINALLY OVER. Jesus, this took forever to read. It was like climbing the stairs to the final battle with Bowser in Super Mario 64, only you haven't beaten all the levels, so the staircase just keeps going on forever.
The first thing I'll say: This book is way too long. I found several places where SJM could have left off with enough of a cliffhanger to make people want to get the next book.
Spoiler
(The best of which was when Sandriel announced that she now possessed Hunt. It would have been an excellent end.)I thought the first three quarters were entertaining enough. I don't think the worldbuilding, characters, or conflict were on-par with TOG or ACOTAR, but I found myself unable to stop reading during the middle chunk. I put it down at 74% to go to bed. The last quarter that I read this morning... What. The absolute. Hell. (Or should I say, Hel.)
To me, the writing quality seriously declined. Everything happened way too quickly, like SJM was told she couldn't make the book 900 pages or something and erased what would have been important information.
Spoiler
My God, Hunt's "betrayal" with the synth (and the aftermath of it) was, in my opinion, so poorly-written. Bryce was led to believe that Danika was addicted to synth, sold it, killed two people while on patrol, and was so addicted that she killed her entire pack and then herself. This would have meant that Danika lied to Bryce a lot. And while some of that story was true, not all of it was, yet Bryce didn't seem to care much beyond puking on the carpet when she got home. There was no processing what she'd been told about Danika. Their friendship was so important, and yet Bryce barely spent any time thinking about it.Also, Bryce was pissed at Hunt, even going as far as to say he deserved everything that happened to him under Sandriel's rule, and then, two pages later, she was like, "Not Hunt. It couldn't happen to Hunt." And abruptly decided to save him. There was no heart-wrenching consideration that, despite the fact she didn't believe that he had tried to cancel the deal, she still felt connected to him and that nobody deserved to be Sandriel's slave. She just pulled a Dua Lipa and did a full 180, changing her mind like that.
I don't think that the whole scene with Bryce offering to buy Hunt and then to go in his place should have been included in the final cut. It was so abrupt, so vastly different from Bryce's wrath, that it felt jarring and out of place. If Bryce had spent time considering all that Hunt meant to her and decided that she couldn't lose him, or if they'd known each other longer (beyond him stapling her leg and then not seeing her for two years), it would have been more touching. Not to mention that SJM emphasized the fact that Bryce gave up her spot on the isle to save Danika, so if she died at Sandriel's hands, it would be eternal damnation for her. At that point in her relationship with Hunt, it didn't seem realistic.
I think there could have been another way to have the amulet melt and for everyone to figure out Bryce's true father. It wouldn't have made a difference if Micah had revealed it during his big "I am the real villain and this is everything I did wrong, which I am conveniently going to explain before I kill you," speech. Bryce and Ruhn reconciled again. The only drastic consequence was the demon going after her as soon as the amulet was gone, but again, I think it could have been melted some other way.
Then there are the minor characters. Tell me why I literally didn't care about any of them, except maybe Lele. One thing that sucks about this book is that I know SJM can do the found family trope justice. She did it in her two other series, but this one was seriously lacking. Ruhn's friends fell flat, as did the other angels in the 33rd. I had such a hard time even imagining them because SJM hardly put effort into describing their appearances. You're going to mention Bryce's apparently wonderful ass 800 times, but expect me to remember what Declan looks like 578 pages after his first introduction, where he was hardly described either?
The minor character I felt the most connected to was Connor.
Spoiler
And he died in the first freaking part of the story.I also thought the worldbuilding was plain bad. I don't care about who ruled nine centuries ago or who is the Queen of the Lake or whatever. There were so many creatures mentioned that I couldn't describe the hierarchy of the government if I tried. And all the places they lived??? The characters never left Crescent City. Why go into extensive detail about who lived 900 miles away?
There were also WAAYYY too many f-bombs. Honestly, the only difference between her young adult books and this one was the amount of times the characters said some variation of "fuck" (nearly every page) and the fact that SJM no longer had to come up with various synonyms for "dick". The violence wasn't much worse. I've read about a person being put on a stake, someone's heart being stabbed, someone getting crucified, people getting burned alive, and more, all in TOG and ACOTAR.
I suppose I should talk about the characters.
Danika was cool. I liked her involvement in the story and how she was pretty much always a mystery. Plus, the streaks in her hair were a neat touch (though I wonder if SJM purposely made them the colors of the bi flag????). Her love for Bryce was clear.
I had my ups and downs with Bryce. I really liked the appearance vs reality side of her– how she manipulated people into believing that she was a dumb party girl in order to get them to spill their secrets. However, her adamance to avoid "alphaholes" – as she called them – started to get annoying. She refused help from literally any guy who tried to give it to her. Newsflash! Just because a dude cares about you doesn't mean he's trying to patronize you or get into your pants! Yes, men can be jerks, but Bryce was bothered any time a guy showed he cared about her. She was flawed, which all characters should be, but my God, it got old when literally every guy (excuse me, male) in the book ogled her. Except her brother and his apparently gay friend.
I tended to favor Hunt's point of views at times. He was interesting and I liked his backstory, but he's not on-par with the other love interests in SJM's books. Maybe it's because shoulder-length hair doesn't do it for me, but I didn't find myself being too attracted to him despite her frequent references to his golden skin and muscles.
Ruhn was cool, too. His powers seemed like a dumbed-down version of Azriel's from ACOTAR, but I don't think he could teleport. I liked how he defied his father and didn't care about being the Chosen One, but I don't think there was enough of him to really gain a full opinion because he was really similar to SJM's other male characters. (Notice how I said "I don't think there was enough of him" in an 800+ page book.)
Honestly, I could rant on how much I liked Connor and Ithan, but the fact that I can't do the same about the main characters is a little sad.
Spoiler
Another rant, oops, but I'm still upset about how SJM went on and on about trivial matters while huge plot points/character developments were brushed away. Ithan finally came to help Bryce and even fought to get her into the bunker, but when they opened again, he was nowhere to be seen. Bryce apparently forgot about him. I wanted him to rush over and see Bryce was okay, then they'd have an understanding between them, but he wasn't mentioned again. Come on. His development was probably the saddest in the entire book because he lost his brother and Bryce ignored his calls.Also, everything wrapped up really nicely? Too nicely. 85% of Hunt's body was destroyed in that blast and he was miraculously repaired by Bryce's power. All of the gates were closed. Her entire family apparently survived. There weren't any repercussions from killing two archangels except for a warning to stay in line. Hunt is free. Everything is fine through the ~*Power of Love*~
Will I read the next book? Probably, but I'm in no rush, especially if it ends up being hella long like this one. I SUFFERED to get through this. S U F F E R E D.