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swimming_ducks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I’m sorry but, WHAT? Caroline and Susanne really said: here are some wholesome moments after all the sadness and soul-wrecking. Literally ten chapters later: here’s some trauma, enjoy. Also, we killed everyone *heart*
I kinda wanna scream at you cause I’m uncontrollably sobbing. My notes all throughout the books were “I’m so happy they have kissed” “Yay! they deserve to be happy” and, in the end, I was like “What did they do to deserve this??”. I want to highlight two of my fave wholesome scenes: (massive spoilers below)
1- Seth’s and Calebs’s blowjob scene. Even if it ended up being ruined by both of them being overthinkers, I almost pooped rays of sunshine of happiness that they had finally gotten close to realizing their feelings for each other. My main hope for this ship in book 8 is that they FINALLY get their happy ending, otherwise, I will throw hands. Like come on, it's been 7 books, let them be freaking happy. Poor Seth is so sweet and caring and no one appreciates him enough :(
“My skin prickled at the thought of catching him looking at me and I frowned as I wondered why I liked that so much”
“I’d fallen too deep, too fast, and now there was no going back. I was on a collision course with Caleb Altair, and I feared what was going to happen if I ever let a world of this slip out. Because I was sure it would equal our absolute ruin.”
“Because this was dangerous. This was free-falling with no parachute or air magic and hoping to hell there was a soft landing at the bottom because I knew there was no turning back from this line once I stepped over it. But I also knew I wasn’t going to be able to back off now.”
2- Darius. Just in general. He had me going daddy sorry daddy sorry daddy over him and I’m not mad about it. And the wedding and the vision of what could have been if the kings hadn’t died only added to it. First of all, it proves that both Darius and Tory, and Orion and Darcy were made for each other. Moreover, that description was freaking beautiful and brought tears to my eyes. Then there's the wedding. THE wedding. Kind of unexpected at first, then realized that just how Darius is: acts like he's all though and stuff when really he's melting on the inside for “Roxy”. And not only for Tory but also for Darcy. They didn't get many scenes alone but when they did it was great seeing their dynamics and he calling her “little shrew”.
Some of my favorite quotes about Darius dynamic with the twins (especially Tory):
“I’m nothing without her, Gabriel. She’s the only girl who ever looked at me and saw the man worth loving within my skin. She didn’t see my position or my power or my wealth. She saw me and she made me become a better man for her. She’s every fantasy I’ve ever had and every dream I ever dared give thought to, but she’s even better than that because she’s real. I can’t give her up. I might as well drive a blade through my heart right now if I have to.”
“No, Roxanya Vega, I don’t call that fucking,” he replied. “I call that worshiping my goddess. I call it making love to the most beautiful woman in all of Solaria, I call it penance for all the bad things I’ve done to you and the least I can offer in retribution for the harm I caused you. But most of all, I call it loving you with the intensity of the sun and the devotion of the moon because you are my end, baby. The only dream I never dared to have for myself. Yet here you are, within reach at all times. And you’d better believe I can’t resist you now that I have you. I plan on marking every inch of your flesh so thoroughly with the memory of my touch that you’ll never be able to forget it.”
“I realized just how much I cared about her too. She was like a little sister to me now. My silly little shrew of a sister who ran me around in circles as easily as breathing.”
“My heart. My love. My queen. And that was the way I wanted to leave this life, because when it came down to it, I knew that she was it for me. The only thing I’d ever truly needed and for the briefest span of time she had belonged to me. And that was enough. There is only her.”
The last quote took my heart, stomped on it, did a little dance, and kicked it across a football field. The worst thing was that Darius seemed like he could win his father, but suddenly he's dead. I had to read that part again because my brain didn't process it. Still, even in his last moments, the most important thing for him was Tory. I want someone to love me that way.
Another moment that deserves to be commented on is the Elysian Mates scene. I had been waiting for that one since the first moment they started getting that tension. Especially when Orion was in Drakmore, I was hoping they had their moment so that he didn't have to go there, but now I understand it was necessary for the plot and adore how it did finally happen. The only bad thing is that the FIB came in and ruined the moment.
I have a lot more comments, but I’m too busy crying to continue. Just one more thing: thanks, but why?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and War