Reviews with content warning for Blood - Tempted

So this one probably had the best writing of all of the books so far and also the most interesting(ish) plot. However, that still doesn't make this one good, it makes it almost meh.

So what made it goodish exactly? The fact that this one takes time away from the main character and instead with all the side characters. Like, I always knew that this series would be better if it wasn't always first person in Zoey's mind but wow, I almost gave this book three whole stars just because I wasn't always stuck in this dumb fucking character who thinks she's amazing for being fucking born! I'm sorry, she just really show how self important these author's think of themselves. Anyways, I say almost three because the way Stevie Ray falls in love with the winged do (I forgot his name) is dumb and doesn't quite make since which is probably just because of the shit writing that, while better, isn't good. Like this paragraph I'm writing really quickly and tired as hell is better than anything written in here, that's the kind of shit I swamped through in this book. The only reason I am not giving these books one stars is because of how unintentionally hilarious these are!
Along with this, the whole Neferet saying she is a reincarnation of Nyx and everything is just kinda dumb - just like the rest of this series' plot - and the whole theme of good and evil is terrible and when they try to show grey area they ruin with the enemies' action like how he kill Heath at the end of this book.

Content Warnings

jonsnowsmanbun's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

3.25

Content Warnings

rachaelarsenault's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.25

A book that somehow manages to be even more pointless and plotless than previous installations in the series, "Tempted" was an absolute slog to get through. It's just a whole lot of nothing happening constantly with occasional shifts in perspective so readers can see other characters do nothing.

Okay, maybe that's not quite fair - Stevie Rae's chapters were... something. It's not a very well designed character arc or subplot since Stevie Rae learns nothing and not a whole lot changes. She's still hiding huge secrets from her friends that could potentially endanger them, and she still doesn't know why the hell she wants to protect Rephaim in the first place. That, honestly, is what really kills this subplot. Stevie Rae has absolutely no logical reason to think Rephaim is worth saving - he was literally trying to kill her and her friends! He had done absolutely nothing up to that point to hint that he might not be all bad, and that doesn't change until he helps her escape the sun at the end of the book (after working with the rogue red fledglings to trap her in the first place). But it's not just Stevie Rae whose actions make no sense. Rephaim starts the subplot wanting to attack Stevie Rae because 1) she's the enemy, and 2) if he can't defeat her in his wounded state, then at least he'll be put out of his misery. But he literally never makes any effort to act on this, nor is their ever a turning point where he decides he wants to live after all. It just... never gets brought up again.

That's the main subplot of the book. What's the actual plot? Well, that's hard to say. I think it's supposed to be about Zoey learning Kalona's true nature and struggling to reconcile that with the evil person he's become and, to paraphrase Erin, not let his "mojo" "zap" her. However, these events barely take up any of the book. They can be summarized thusly: Zoey has a memory of being A-ya, Zoey has a dream with Kalona where he tries to seduce her and she defeats him with the truth, Zoey has another dream with Kalona where he shows her the truth in return and she learns he used to be Nyx' Warrior, Zoey and co. learn Kalona and Neferet are in Italy and travel to San Clemente Island to speak before the Council, then finally Zoey speaks to the Council and tells them the truth about Kalona, which inadvertently sounds like she is supporting his claims to be Erebus. That's the central plot and it only accounts for, like, ten chapters in a book that has forty chapters and an epilogue. The actual climax of the book isn't even related to this - the way the book ends has absolutely no bearing on the events that came before it. It could have happened at the end of "Hunted" and made just as much sense.

As usual, one of the main culprits for this book's plotlessness is the unending boy drama. I'm not sure if I've emphasized this in previous reviews or not, but I have no problem with a female protagonist juggling multiple love interests - in theory. There's a way to go about. Either she's not in an actual relationship with any of them and it's just a lot of flirting and uncertainty, or it's an actual, consenting polyamorous relationship. "House of Night" involves neither of these scenarios. Zoey has three boys soul bound to her (Kalona through her connection to A-ya, Heath through their Imprint, and Stark through their Oath), but she's too young to be settling down and picking her forever partner, how dare you suggest such a thing. Even if you let Kalona slide because it's not a bond she willingly formed and she (ostensibly) doesn't want a relationship with him, her situation with Heath and Stark is deeply serious - or it should be, or else she has formed nigh-impossible to break bonds with two guys who she might decide she isn't interested in anymore within the year. In any case, it definitely doesn't fall in the category of flirting and uncertainty. It's not consenting polyamory, either. Stark and Heath pay lip service to the idea that they're okay with Zoey seeing other guys, but they're constantly jealous of each other and butting heads. Zoey is genuinely shocked and worried when they work together instead of fighting. THAT'S NOT HOW POLYAMORY WORKS!

The lack of consent is made even worse when you look at the situation with Erik. Disclaimer: I don't like Erik. I thought he was a shitty love interest from the beginning. But he is, unfortunately, the least shitty love interest in the series thus far, given that he has not attempted or committed rape (Heath, Kalona, Loren, Stark), nor has he attempted or committed murder (Stark, Kalona). Erik is just a generically bad boyfriend, but everyone treats him like he's the most awful person on the planet.

Let's back up for a second and look at his relationship with Zoey in previous books. When they started dating in "Marked", Zoey had no intention of continuing to date Heath. She and Erik were supposed to be exclusive. But she Imprinted with Heath, and then intensified that Imprint instead of breaking up with Heath in "Betrayed" and "Chosen" (which is why Heath falls into the category of attempted rapist, given that he was essentially using her bloodlust against her like roofies), on top of starting a relationship with Loren around the same time. Loren was predatory, to be sure, but Zoey was also well aware of the fact that what she was doing was wrong as far as cheating on Erik is concerned. So they broke up, Erik called her a slut - much the way Zoey calls any female character she dislikes a slut - and by "Untamed" the whole situation was twisted around to make Erik the bad guy and Zoey the victim. For some reason Erik decides to take her back in "Hunted", only for her to promptly start cheating on him again with Heath, and then Stark.

So with all that history, it's pretty understandable that Erik would be, you know, upset that Zoey is seeing two other guys while dating him again. But Zoey reacts to him simply wanting to talk about their relationship as though he's overbearing and possessive and trying to control her life. It would have been fine if her response was simply, "You know what? This obviously isn't going to work. We should break up." That's perfectly reasonable. Instead, she used the power of the elements to first intimidate him, then shove him, all while threatening to do something she might regret. This isn't a woman standing her ground against an abusive boyfriend; this is a girl abusing her boyfriend for calling her out when she cheats on him again.

Then there's Kalona. We're supposed to feel bad for him because he was rejected by the woman he was obsessed with. He only became a serial rapist and enslaver because he didn't know how to cope with the heartbreak, guys! So tragic. /sarcasm.

Stark isn't much better. He makes jokes about finding girls fighting each other and girl-on-girl action hot, along with thinking it's funny to recite two quotes from "To Kill a Mockingbird" that involve calling women whores and sluts. He also threatens Becca, the girl he tried to rape in the previous book. Oh, but don't remind him that he tried to rape her - he'll claim you've been brainwashed by Kalona and run away to sulk.

There's a lot of other things in this book I could rant about. Damien and Jack continue to be stereotypes who contribute nothing to the plot. Ditto the Twins and Grandma Redbird. We get some more insight into Aphrodite's character in one chapter, but it essentially amounts to sex shaming her by implying she's only truly been able to find love in Darius because she hasn't had sex with him yet. Overall, it's just a lot of the same, all-too-familiar bad writing, characterization, and world-building of all the previous books. It's just longer and has some new perspectives.

Content Warnings

More...