Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - The Hanged Man

The second book of the first trilogy in the Tarot Sequence begins somewhat quietly, with Rune Sun, the last remnant of the Sun Court, making a pillage run through the ruined Sun Estate with his Companion, Brand. During the course of his investigation, he comes across a file on Brand detailing his family history -- and Rune isn't sure if he's brave enough to give it to Brand.
Then the plot takes off at full speed, with Max, Rune's ward and a survivor of the fall of the Lovers' Court, almost being kidnapped by the Hanged Man, who had arranged a marriage between himself and Max prior to the fall of the Lovers' Court. However, the Hanged Man is a mysterious character, known for his viciousness and his taste for youthful brides, and Rune isn't about to leave Max to such a horrible fate. His conflict with the Hanged Man leads him to the Dawncreeks, a family once aligned with his father's court. The eldest son, Layne, ran away to the Hanged Man's court, providing Rune and Brand the perfect cover to investigate and, hopefully, save both boys in the process.
This is a very brief and generalized summary of the plot; so much happened within these pages, and my heart was racing almost the entire time.
Although I feel this book deserves five stars, it's not 100% perfect. The biggest drawback for me was the investigation of the Hanged Man's hideout, the USS Declaration. Without giving too much away, I'll simply say it reminded me of watching walkthroughs of the video game "Amnesia," which wasn't my thing. I found the constant back and forth between the past and present a little jarring, and it dragged on a little too long for my liking. It's an important sequence for the story, I understand, but I felt it could've been shorter.
There were a few other smaller details that I disliked, but they're not significant enough to pick apart. This book was just too good! If you're a sucker for the found family trope like I am, know you will be FED. Rune's relationships, both existing and new, are well developed throughout this sequel, and I'm continued to be impressed by how distinct each of them is and how rich the secondary characters are to make that possible. Other reviewers have commented on the grown-up behavior shown in Rune's relationships, especially with Addam, and I fully agree; it's so nice to read about two people being together who actually *communicate* and respect each other -- basically, they act like adults, and it's incredibly refreshing. Granted, Addam's comment to Rune at the end of the book was like a knife to the heart and made me lose sleep, but I know it'll be addressed in the next book, so I'll bear with the pain.
I also enjoyed seeing Rune mature. As the book went on, his responsibilities began to add up, but rather than run from them, he took them on willingly and magnificently: He cares about the people who used to be a part of his father's court and embraces them with open arms; on the political front, he starts to establish himself as a new player to watch by the ruling powers; and at home, he remains considerate and protective of those he loves, always putting their needs before his own and trying to keep them out of danger.
I just love these characters. The people, the plot, the humor, the love -- this book has it all.

Content Warnings

stayc_girls's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

usually_sleep_deprived's review

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dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Content Warnings

iainreads's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious 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? No

3.5

Content Warnings

moncuries's review

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dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-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

AAAAMAZING PLOT i was just so invested in how it would play out with the hanged man. the stakes were so high for everyone and the villain was SO detestable

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