Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - The Reckoning

Absolutely the best book of the series so far. Dark, suspenseful, slow-burn, twisted romance - and that’s not including the plot. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book, racing through the pages, waiting for the next twist, the next episode of drama, the angst and torment behind the masks and politicking. I do wish we got more of the lore and world-building of Solaria, but I have a feeling that will be revealed the more Tory and Darcy learn about this world they are now officially a part of. A dark, dangerous, highly addictive series. TW: manipulation, abuse, bully romance, sexual content, coarse language.

Content Warnings

inkdrinkers's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was the best one yet.

After the events of The Awakening and Ruthless Fae, Tory and Darcy Vega are ready to embrace their next challenge - the Reckoning, the magical trials that all fae must go through in order to continue their studies at Zodiac Academy and take their place in the world. And it won't be easy.

Oh my god, I don't even know how to process this book. I took my time with the first two, reading them over various days and nights to sink myself into them - but I literally could not put this one down. I finished this 600+ page monstrosity in under twenty-four hours. I tapped page after page, completely sunk into the story. This is the strongest I think either of the author's have been in regards to their writing and the plot was perfectly balanced between interpersonal relationships and the very real threat blooming for the girls and the rest of the fae.

I really didn't think an ending could throw me more than book two, and while I don't think anything can top my pure shock at the final chapters of Ruthless Fae, the end of this book felt dark. It was cloying and curled into my stomach because I knew things weren't going to be as easy as they seemed and my god, was I right. I'm so glad to see the absolute wild turn that Peckham and Valenti went in, even though it's been building over the course of three books, I couldn't keep my jaw from dropping open. There are SO MANY questions I want answers to, and I can't wait to pick up the rest of the books.

I also just want to mention the sheer love I have for every single character in this series. There are so many reasons to hate a lot of them, but there's also just as many reasons to love them. One of my favorite aspects is the way they all care for each other in incredibly messy, but real ways. I feel like I have a genuine understanding of the way the fae culture works and how they all work together to navigate it and their own feelings. I also have such an incredibly soft spot for Darius and Lance, like stab me in the heart soft because I'll fall over and bleed out over the two of them. And my god, that ending. I knew it was coming, I knew what was happening, and it still made my heart absolutely SOAR.

So good. So devourable. I don't think I've felt this way about a series in a really, really long time.

Content warnings: violence (throughout), sexual content (multiple scenes), physical abuse (in a variety of ways, parent/child, some roughness between characters), & blood (there are main characters who are vampires, we've been over this lmao)

PS: I cried in this book. You would never guess what scene, but I cried and had to put my iPad down to process the sheer emotional impact.

Content Warnings

briochebun's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5 out of 5 ☆’s.

”Pain spiked through my chest, my lips parted and I suddenly felt like something had been stolen from me. Like he should have been fighting for me instead of accepting my fate.”

ੈ✩‧₊˚

I had such an incredible time reading ”The Reckoning” ! :)

I just love getting to see these characters grow as the series continues…it’s such a bittersweet feeling, and I just want to give some of them a big hug…

ੈ✩‧₊˚

One of the things that I found to be particularly enjoyable was the depiction of the various Reckoning trails!

I felt as though the authors did a wonderful job depicting them — they were hard enough for Freshman students that were just learning how to wield their magic, but not too hard to the point where it made me wonder how students were actually passing them.

(So they were the perfect level of difficulty in my opinion!)

ੈ✩‧₊˚

The ending was magical — it was so nice to see this event that we had been building towards since the prequel novella, ”Origins of an Academy Bully”, come to its head (in a way).

I’m so excited to see Tory and Darcy explore their order and everything that it has the offer in the upcoming novels!

ੈ✩‧₊˚

I’m so excited to continue my journey! :)

P.S. Orion remains my number number one. ♡

Song That I Listened to on Repeat While Reading “The Reckoning”: “About You” by The 1975.

Content Warnings

shorthannah's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

2.5

I have such a love/hate relationship with these books because I truly love the worldbuilding and magic system so far, and I'm crazily invested in finding out what happens but the characters and the toxic bully romance consistently make me want to throw the book down and never look back. I am convinced that bully romance is really not my cup of tea. The romantic relationships are completely toxic and no matter what horrific treatment the heirs put them through the protagonists never seem to even try to fight back and instead fall into the "betraying body" trope that they simply can't resist the heirs' hotness, and they never seem to learn from it, which undermines what little character development they have gained. Also, unfortunately there are still some astonishingly bad grammar mistakes in the writing which break my immersion, I don't understand how someone doesn't pick up on them before the books are published. And finally, I worry for the health of my eyes because the number of awful fae versions of names made me cringe and roll my eyes so hard and so often that I think I may have strained muscles. First Faebook and now Fae versions of cars, bikes, fairground foods... between those and the teachers' names its so unimaginative and cringey.

Content Warnings

crinkledmochi's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.75

what am i reading?? lmao more than half of this book takes place within a week…

this is the 3rd book and they’ve been at zodiac academy for like a couple months, (as ive said in other reviews all the action happens at the end) why are we getting detailed chapters of each day of them at school.

it’s too much.

Content Warnings

zellapaige's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

It’s been a while since I’ve tried to read a bully romance type book and I forgot all the reasons I hate them. If you’re a fan of bully romance this is probably a book for you, but I can’t stomach all the backstabbing and betrayal. All that said the story line of the twins developing their powers and learning about the death realm is captivating and remarkably well written. The world building is what shines in this book and series and is why I will keep reading.

This book isn’t a romance, it has romantic elements but there is no happy ending or central relationships.

Content Warnings

pinklilypad's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

msvernier's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

More...