nerdyforbooks_'s review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Ugh, this next entry in the series was rough. It basically highlighted all the bad parts of the first book (weird dialogue, using slang that makes no sense, making Marco the stereotype of a gay man) & made them worse.
The first almost 200 pages are a snooze fest. I found Marco annoying AF & honestly wished all his parts would just end (NOT how I felt about him in the first book even though there were issues). Plus the insta-love story he gets. While headed on that track in the first book, Breen is made more of the magical goddess who just “knows” and can “do stuff.” At least she’s still terrible with the sword, bow, & hand to hand combat. Except for points when she really should have been killed because she’s… bad at fighting.
This book, maybe even series, doesn’t know what it wants to be. Romance? Yeah, hardly. Breen & Keegan don’t come back to each other until like… page 300 almost. We get one “steamy” scene & otherwise it’s like “they spent the night together, page break.” Adventure fantasy? Nope, fight scenes are like 3 pages max with bare minimum descriptions. Since it’s trying to be a romance I could give this a pass but like… the romance aspect is also lacking?? And why does Odran keep trying to do the same damn shit? And why is Shana the only freaking interesting character?
I’ll finish the series because I need to know what happens & don’t think it’s a terrible overall concept. This book wasn’t it though. It was slow, even though it took place over like 2 weeks, boring, and couldn’t find an identity.
The first almost 200 pages are a snooze fest. I found Marco annoying AF & honestly wished all his parts would just end (NOT how I felt about him in the first book even though there were issues). Plus the insta-love story he gets. While headed on that track in the first book, Breen is made more of the magical goddess who just “knows” and can “do stuff.” At least she’s still terrible with the sword, bow, & hand to hand combat. Except for points when she really should have been killed because she’s… bad at fighting.
This book, maybe even series, doesn’t know what it wants to be. Romance? Yeah, hardly. Breen & Keegan don’t come back to each other until like… page 300 almost. We get one “steamy” scene & otherwise it’s like “they spent the night together, page break.” Adventure fantasy? Nope, fight scenes are like 3 pages max with bare minimum descriptions. Since it’s trying to be a romance I could give this a pass but like… the romance aspect is also lacking?? And why does Odran keep trying to do the same damn shit? And why is Shana the only freaking interesting character?
I’ll finish the series because I need to know what happens & don’t think it’s a terrible overall concept. This book wasn’t it though. It was slow, even though it took place over like 2 weeks, boring, and couldn’t find an identity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Child death
cyndi1966's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, Blood, Child death, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, War, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, and Violence
purplepenning's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, War, Death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexism
mxm0290's review
adventurous
medium-paced
3.5
I think I'm going to really love this series when it's finished.
While the first book had a lot of good character development and world building, it dragged for me and didn't really stand on its own. It was all exposition and set up.
In that sense, book 2 is much better. There is enough happening to keep the plot moving, and enough characters to give you the slower, personal moments without dragging. It did a good job of recapping book 1 without bogging you down in it and has good lead in to book 3 without leaving you with a massive cliffhanger.
So, like I said, I think I'm going to love the series, but for me it seems like it is going to one of those where the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
While the first book had a lot of good character development and world building, it dragged for me and didn't really stand on its own. It was all exposition and set up.
In that sense, book 2 is much better. There is enough happening to keep the plot moving, and enough characters to give you the slower, personal moments without dragging. It did a good job of recapping book 1 without bogging you down in it and has good lead in to book 3 without leaving you with a massive cliffhanger.
So, like I said, I think I'm going to love the series, but for me it seems like it is going to one of those where the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, and Child abuse
Minor: Death, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
More...