grayb14's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual assault and Toxic relationship
brotziege's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Definitely better than the first book. There is actual plot and the characters around our Protag are actual kinda nice and I enjoyed reading about them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Vomit, Death, Blood, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Violence
anderson27paige's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the beginning and one scene in the middle were a little slow to read. Other than that… this book was amazing!! Definitely very dark and emotion for the majority of it (literally cried so many times), but also deeply romantic, adventurous, and redeeming. Love love love. Plus, there’s some unexpected twists which are always awesome imo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
Moderate: War, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Minor: Torture and Vomit
skbat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Death, Blood, Torture, and Vomit
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Eating disorder, and Misogyny
Minor: Abortion
karenamelya's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
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
4.5
The TENSION was so good and so painful. It made me want to keep reading, just hoping I could get another sweet moment/point of reflection. A few really good twists in this book. A few really predictable twists. It felt really different from ACOTAR in all of the best ways. Overall, I felt a lot reading this book and it has unfortunately turned me into a fan of fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit
skylover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.75
The rumors were true, the second book is SO much better in this series after you get through the first. The side characters and found family theme throughout this story were endearing and heartbreaking. I love Rhys and how he stands for what he believes in and protects who he cares about. Cassian was the funniest and most relatable side character I've read in a while, Az's humble darkness is enchanting, and I want to be Mor's friend. The only person I had a struggle connecting with at times was (surprise), Feyre. I found her character arc and development for this story to be a great representation of how healing is not linear after trauma, and showed a realistic perspective on PTSD. What I didn't like was her continued immaturity at random plot points that didn't match up with her words or actions I absolutely adore Feyre's sisters and the bond the three of them have, I also ship Cassian and Nesta immensely. This book had me throwing my book at times in shock, audibly yelping at some action scenes, and gasping at the romance. The slowest burn that came together beautifully. 10/10 recommend and already wish I could read for the first time again.
Spoiler
when she found out Rhys was her mate, for example. She just ran and hid from him moments after she killed people for the first time since Under the Mountain to save him and she's mad he didn't tell her?? I didn't get it, with her history I agreed with Rhys she needed to figure out her feelings on her own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, and Vomit
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Death of parent
you have to get through the first book to understand some basic concepts of the world in the second book, but I enjoyed that the author would remind the reader of what happened in a scene or what line was said from the first book by resharing those instancesissybartlett_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.5
enemies to lovers, slow burn, only one bed… GOOD STUFF
seriously though, i wasn’t sure what to expect and i was not disappointed. i loved the way ptsd was explored without explicit definition of it.
seriously though, i wasn’t sure what to expect and i was not disappointed. i loved the way ptsd was explored without explicit definition of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent
mmefish's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
Holy cringe. Finally, I'm done with it.
What is nuance? Subtlety? Sarah J. Maas obviously does not know. Her writing is horrible, her characters are all the same—beautiful, super powerful, with tragic past and blah blah blah—her dialogues are on the level with 5 graders joking about balls and dicks, her sex scenes are the cringiest, and her plots make no sense. Whoever says that this is the best book they've ever read, I'm begging them to read something else.
I'm just gonna include the most eye-rolling bits:
What is nuance? Subtlety? Sarah J. Maas obviously does not know. Her writing is horrible, her characters are all the same—beautiful, super powerful, with tragic past and blah blah blah—her dialogues are on the level with 5 graders joking about balls and dicks, her sex scenes are the cringiest, and her plots make no sense. Whoever says that this is the best book they've ever read, I'm begging them to read something else.
I'm just gonna include the most eye-rolling bits:
“No wonder you’re so thin if you vomit up your guts every night.”
Why on EARTH would S.J. Maas put this in??
"Rhys merely shrugged and looked to me. To let me choose. Always—it was always my choice with him these days."
Oh my god, the bare minimum... we stan
"He jerked his chin at my tattoo. “Give a shout down the bond if you get anything accomplished before breakfast.” [...] “You could try rubbing it on certain body parts and I might come faster.”
Alone in the frost-gilded forest, I replayed his words and a quiet chuckle rasped out of me.
Oh my god, girl PLEASE!!!!!
“And is being immortal lovelier than being human?”
[...] I looked the High Lord of Summer up and down, as he had examined me, brazenly and without a shred of politeness, and then said, “You tell me.”
Tarquin’s eyes crinkled. “You are a pearl. [...]"
INCREDIBLE comeback from Feyre! The wits! The smarts!
I said to Lucien, low and quiet and as vicious as the talons that formed at the tips of my fingers, as vicious as the wondrous weight between my shoulder blades, “When you spend so long trapped in darkness, Lucien, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”
😐😐😐
I wouldn’t think of why this position was one he wanted to end in, to have me banish the stained dark with the light.
But I would glow—for him, I’d glow. For my own future, I’d glow.
Yes, the glow and the darkness are literal here. And it's a sex scene.
And, obviously, Feyre is all powerful and good at absolutely everything (including reading and writing that she spent what, a week on learning?).
These books are trash :)
P.S. Sarianna Silvonen did an incredible job translating the book into Finnish, improving the text as much as it was possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit, Cursing, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape
nitecrtlvr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
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
4.75
One of my favorites in the series. Deals with trauma and has great character development with a loveable love story. It’s hard to put down even after reading it a few times it’s that good!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, War, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Violence
amhenni'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Death, Murder, Torture, and Vomit