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tiana_king's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The last book had a fair bit of action at the very end but it was nothing compared to this. We learn more about spirit, see Victor again, see ghosts, and kill more Strigoi. Hold onto your hats folks. I was not a fan of this narrator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, and Kidnapping
the_escapist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sarahsbookss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
tiana_king's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The last book had a fair bit of action at the very end but it was nothing compared to this. We learn more about spirit, see Victor again, see ghosts, and kill more Strigoi. Hold onto your hats folks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Gore, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
psydneigh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Oh boy did this book leave me with some emotions. I honestly did not see the ending coming. I just hope that there isn’t any going back on it and reversing what was done because it’ll lose it’s effectiveness if it does.
Can’t wait to pick up the next one.
Can’t wait to pick up the next one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, and Grief
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
[sixth read, April 2023]
I’ve noticed that with every reread, all of the big things hurt like normal, but then there’s always some new little thing that I zero in on or a line that hits me hard for no reason. This time, something about “I will never hold him again” is hitting different, just completely breaking my heart. And the part in chapter 13 (which I read days ago) where Dimitri is so worried for Rose, he’s actually shaking, which we’ve never seen before and also never registered in my brain before now but now lives there rent-free.
I’m fine. :’)))
[fifth read, August 2022]
“I loved you, and you destroyed me. You took my heart and ripped it up. You might as well have staked me!”
—A quote from later in the series that feels very fitting right now 🥲🥲🥲
[fourth read, June 2021]
The ending of this book never gets any easier to read. I feel hollow. 🥲🥲
I don’t know how I was ever hesitant to ship Rose and Dimitri. I love them so much, and I love their dynamic, and dear god, they’ve got SO MANY cute moments. One of these days I’ll be rereading and I’ll just spontaneously combust, and it will either be because he called her “Roza” or because of the cabin scene. Or maybe because of what happens outside the cabin later on. 🥺🥺
Misc thoughts: I feel really bad for Adrian and Lissa, for separate reasons. Rose and Christian have such a great, underrated friendship and also make a totally badass team.
Fun fact: I noticed, while reading, that my copy of this book is starting to fall apart. The spine is cracked and the binding is wearing away on certain pages. I wonder how many more rereads it will take before my copies of the series have to be retired so they don’t fall apart.
[third read, May 2020]
I AM EMOTIONAL.
I don’t even know what to say. I have so much love for this series and these characters and Richelle Mead absolutely uses that against me here. It’s simultaneously brilliant and awful. I actually paused reading with about 60 pages left because I didn’t want to face what I knew was coming.
Now that it’s all fresh in my mind, it’s so cruel to write one heartwarming chapter, only to make the rest of the book so heartbreaking. FINALLY WE GET THAT, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS. WHY.
I’ve read this three times now, but wow, I’m still affected just as much as the first time. I might not’ve cried while reading, but ohmygod, it still hurt. It probably always will.
So yeah. I’ll be rereading the next book soon enough, whether I’m emotionally prepared or not. :)))
[second read, July-August 2019]
This book warmed my heart, cured my reading slump, and promptly crushed my soul.
The fact that I’ve been reading it for ten days has absolutely nothing to do with the book itself. The story was slightly slower-paced from time to time, but if I hadn’t been in a horrible reading slump, I likely would’ve read this in a day. The plot thickens, the character development is spectacular, and I am absolute trash for the romance. That cliffhanger is one of the cruelest things I’ve ever read, and I plan to continue my reread immediately.
[first read, August 2016]
Wow. This book was so captivating and emotional (note: I still didn't cry) and definitely my favorite in the series so far. :D
Not too much action goes down until the last quarter or so of the story, but this is the sort of book that just hooks you. Everyone is coping with recent events, and the stakes (no pun intended) are higher than ever. The majority of the book is mostly aftermath of the second and buildup for the very climactic ending, but that didn't bother me. I was only able to read about 150 pages yesterday when I started, but I literally binge-read the rest of it this afternoon. When I first picked it up today, I was excited but not extremely so. To put it simply, I should've been. More than once (2-4 times?) I found myself pausing to get a snack or look at the clock and realizing I'd read 50+ pages in half as many minutes. This is one of those books where you don't notice how absorbed you actually are until you take a break, and it was amazing. :D
Rose developed a lot in this book. She really took her guardian training and responsibilities seriously, and while it was different from the impulsive girl I loved initially, I still loved her character. She was an epic fighter and defender, even more than before with her new, more logical mindset. However, inside she had a lot to deal with. She blamed herself for past events and believed she was going crazy. I can't say much more than that without spoiling things, but I can say this: as much as I didn't like seeing her struggle, it was exactly those struggles that made her a more relatable protagonist. ;)
I can't say too much about the other characters without giving something or other away, but they evolved as well and I loved them all almost as much. Lissa became fiercer and more confident, Dimitri showed more vulnerability while remaining an epic guardian, and Christian and Adrian were still the snarky Moroi we love. :D (But let's be real, Adrian > Christian, right?) (2022 Liv: Christian doesn’t deserve this slander. I’m sorry, my boy.)
Most of this book took place on Academy grounds, but there were escapades to the royal palace and the surrounding wilderness. Specifics would mean spoilers, but trust me when I say that the descriptions were vivid enough to imagine you were there as you read. ;)
I swear, this series has one of the most conflicting romances ever. In the second book, half of me was starting to ship Rose and Dimitri and the other half was still convinced it was wrong. Now I don't know what to think. Now closer to 75% of me ships them, but the remaining 25% is trying to remember that it really is wrong. I applaud Richelle for being able to write something that gave me such conflicting emotions, but I also can't figure out what side I'm on. It's my hopeless romantic side versus my practical side, and it's so hard. XD (2022 Liv: NOPE THEY’RE SOULMATES!!!)
Like I said, the majority of this book wasn't super eventful. But after that last chunk, I couldn't care less. The last 80 or so pages were absolutely wild, and I honestly can't put words together to adequately describe the ending. It was a horrible cliffhanger, and I don't know how anyone could read that and not need the fourth immediately. I know I do. -.-
All in all, this book was just amazing. It's easily my favorite in the series so far, and if the rest are just as good I'll be in bookworm heaven. I know for sure that I'll be looking for the fourth book at the library as soon as humanly possible so I can find out. :D
I’ve noticed that with every reread, all of the big things hurt like normal, but then there’s always some new little thing that I zero in on or a line that hits me hard for no reason. This time, something about “I will never hold him again” is hitting different, just completely breaking my heart. And the part in chapter 13 (which I read days ago) where Dimitri is so worried for Rose, he’s actually shaking, which we’ve never seen before and also never registered in my brain before now but now lives there rent-free.
I’m fine. :’)))
[fifth read, August 2022]
“I loved you, and you destroyed me. You took my heart and ripped it up. You might as well have staked me!”
—A quote from later in the series that feels very fitting right now 🥲🥲🥲
[fourth read, June 2021]
The ending of this book never gets any easier to read. I feel hollow. 🥲🥲
I don’t know how I was ever hesitant to ship Rose and Dimitri. I love them so much, and I love their dynamic, and dear god, they’ve got SO MANY cute moments. One of these days I’ll be rereading and I’ll just spontaneously combust, and it will either be because he called her “Roza” or because of the cabin scene. Or maybe because of what happens outside the cabin later on. 🥺🥺
Misc thoughts: I feel really bad for Adrian and Lissa, for separate reasons. Rose and Christian have such a great, underrated friendship and also make a totally badass team.
Fun fact: I noticed, while reading, that my copy of this book is starting to fall apart. The spine is cracked and the binding is wearing away on certain pages. I wonder how many more rereads it will take before my copies of the series have to be retired so they don’t fall apart.
[third read, May 2020]
I AM EMOTIONAL.
I don’t even know what to say. I have so much love for this series and these characters and Richelle Mead absolutely uses that against me here. It’s simultaneously brilliant and awful. I actually paused reading with about 60 pages left because I didn’t want to face what I knew was coming.
Now that it’s all fresh in my mind, it’s so cruel to write one heartwarming chapter, only to make the rest of the book so heartbreaking. FINALLY WE GET THAT, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS. WHY.
I’ve read this three times now, but wow, I’m still affected just as much as the first time. I might not’ve cried while reading, but ohmygod, it still hurt. It probably always will.
So yeah. I’ll be rereading the next book soon enough, whether I’m emotionally prepared or not. :)))
[second read, July-August 2019]
This book warmed my heart, cured my reading slump, and promptly crushed my soul.
The fact that I’ve been reading it for ten days has absolutely nothing to do with the book itself. The story was slightly slower-paced from time to time, but if I hadn’t been in a horrible reading slump, I likely would’ve read this in a day. The plot thickens, the character development is spectacular, and I am absolute trash for the romance. That cliffhanger is one of the cruelest things I’ve ever read, and I plan to continue my reread immediately.
[first read, August 2016]
Wow. This book was so captivating and emotional (note: I still didn't cry) and definitely my favorite in the series so far. :D
Not too much action goes down until the last quarter or so of the story, but this is the sort of book that just hooks you. Everyone is coping with recent events, and the stakes (no pun intended) are higher than ever. The majority of the book is mostly aftermath of the second and buildup for the very climactic ending, but that didn't bother me. I was only able to read about 150 pages yesterday when I started, but I literally binge-read the rest of it this afternoon. When I first picked it up today, I was excited but not extremely so. To put it simply, I should've been. More than once (2-4 times?) I found myself pausing to get a snack or look at the clock and realizing I'd read 50+ pages in half as many minutes. This is one of those books where you don't notice how absorbed you actually are until you take a break, and it was amazing. :D
Rose developed a lot in this book. She really took her guardian training and responsibilities seriously, and while it was different from the impulsive girl I loved initially, I still loved her character. She was an epic fighter and defender, even more than before with her new, more logical mindset. However, inside she had a lot to deal with. She blamed herself for past events and believed she was going crazy. I can't say much more than that without spoiling things, but I can say this: as much as I didn't like seeing her struggle, it was exactly those struggles that made her a more relatable protagonist. ;)
I can't say too much about the other characters without giving something or other away, but they evolved as well and I loved them all almost as much. Lissa became fiercer and more confident, Dimitri showed more vulnerability while remaining an epic guardian, and Christian and Adrian were still the snarky Moroi we love. :D (But let's be real, Adrian > Christian, right?) (2022 Liv: Christian doesn’t deserve this slander. I’m sorry, my boy.)
Most of this book took place on Academy grounds, but there were escapades to the royal palace and the surrounding wilderness. Specifics would mean spoilers, but trust me when I say that the descriptions were vivid enough to imagine you were there as you read. ;)
I swear, this series has one of the most conflicting romances ever. In the second book, half of me was starting to ship Rose and Dimitri and the other half was still convinced it was wrong. Now I don't know what to think. Now closer to 75% of me ships them, but the remaining 25% is trying to remember that it really is wrong. I applaud Richelle for being able to write something that gave me such conflicting emotions, but I also can't figure out what side I'm on. It's my hopeless romantic side versus my practical side, and it's so hard. XD (2022 Liv: NOPE THEY’RE SOULMATES!!!)
Like I said, the majority of this book wasn't super eventful. But after that last chunk, I couldn't care less. The last 80 or so pages were absolutely wild, and I honestly can't put words together to adequately describe the ending. It was a horrible cliffhanger, and I don't know how anyone could read that and not need the fourth immediately. I know I do. -.-
All in all, this book was just amazing. It's easily my favorite in the series so far, and if the rest are just as good I'll be in bookworm heaven. I know for sure that I'll be looking for the fourth book at the library as soon as humanly possible so I can find out. :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Sexual content
Not sure if smoking counts as drug use, but there’s one prominent side character that smokes (and drinks) excessively, so. There’s one (consensual) sex scene toward the end of the book, but it’s very brief and mild. There are a few mentions of the kidnapping and torture that occurred in book one, a scene where the perpetrator is on trial for those crimes, and another brief torture scene toward the end that’s completely unrelated. Mental illness refers to Rose (and most of the others, tbh) dealing with PTSD.