pollyroth's review against another edition
2.0
The Pledge was good. I liked it enough to read The Essence. But The Essence didn't do it for me. It got too witchy and spelly, and less weird society where languages rule. And in all honesty, palace life is freaking boring to read about. And I lost interest in the romance too. So really, I just lost interest in everything this book was about.
siobhan27's review against another edition
4.0
In this sequel to The Pledge we find Charlie is a very difficult position. Not only does she have to keep Queen Sabara in check, but she also has to deal with an uprising in defense of her new rules.
I absolutely loved this sequel because it had everything in it, action, adventure and love that is pushed to the brink. Charlie is a very flawed character and that is she ois relatable, even if the situation is something we as readers can not comprehend. She is young and asked to do things that are not meant of a teenager. She has the wishes of a Nation on her shoulders and the safety of her Family to think about.
What i found really interesting was the relationship that was being built between Charlie and Sabara. It is a complicated one but an interesting one one the less. It allows for readers to see a different side of Charlie, one that isn't so strong and isn't as sure about everything. And I really liked that.
Charlies relationship with Max was one of my favorite things about The Pledge. Not because in my head Max was smoking hot (which he was) but because it felt real. It did not happen right away and it started as a distrust more than love at first sight. And in The Essence I loved that their relationship grew. As things became more complicated for Charlie, their relationship was tested. Realism is an aspect of YA that I think gets put on the back burner in exchange for great sexual tension but we should never forget that if two characters feel real, them we are more likely to relate and therefore feel for them as they grow. And I thought that Kimberly Derting did an amazing job with that, and I cannot wait for the third installment.
4/5 Stars
I absolutely loved this sequel because it had everything in it, action, adventure and love that is pushed to the brink. Charlie is a very flawed character and that is she ois relatable, even if the situation is something we as readers can not comprehend. She is young and asked to do things that are not meant of a teenager. She has the wishes of a Nation on her shoulders and the safety of her Family to think about.
What i found really interesting was the relationship that was being built between Charlie and Sabara. It is a complicated one but an interesting one one the less. It allows for readers to see a different side of Charlie, one that isn't so strong and isn't as sure about everything. And I really liked that.
Charlies relationship with Max was one of my favorite things about The Pledge. Not because in my head Max was smoking hot (which he was) but because it felt real. It did not happen right away and it started as a distrust more than love at first sight. And in The Essence I loved that their relationship grew. As things became more complicated for Charlie, their relationship was tested. Realism is an aspect of YA that I think gets put on the back burner in exchange for great sexual tension but we should never forget that if two characters feel real, them we are more likely to relate and therefore feel for them as they grow. And I thought that Kimberly Derting did an amazing job with that, and I cannot wait for the third installment.
4/5 Stars
anedia's review against another edition
3.0
feel like the whole vibe of this book was wayyyy different from the first
mer_dont_care's review against another edition
2.0
alright next YA series on my list to finish!! re-read the first book last week and it was actually pretty good. this one was definitely a let down though. fell into the trap where second books do too much world building and not enough continuing the plot from the first book.
also they just completely drop the love triangle from the first book with literally no resolution?? like she’s basically just marrying the one guy but the other guy is still just vibing as her advisor and she never says anything to him?? and also start a new love triangle / love square situation in this book :/ anyway hot mess. still hoping the third book pulls through!
also they just completely drop the love triangle from the first book with literally no resolution?? like she’s basically just marrying the one guy but the other guy is still just vibing as her advisor and she never says anything to him?? and also start a new love triangle / love square situation in this book :/ anyway hot mess. still hoping the third book pulls through!
vrainh20's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one better than the first one and now I'm SOOO excited for the third :)
alexandra_0410's review against another edition
3.0
El libro uno me gusto bastante así que decidí darle una oportunidad a este. Al principio tengo que decir que fue bastante aburrido, no me acordaba de muchas cosas del libro 1 (lo cual es una red flag)
Luego de unos capítulos, el libro empezó a mejorar. La historia estuvo un poco dispersa pero se volvió interesante y empezó a existir la necesidad de saber cómo continuaba.
Eso sí me salte cada una de las escenas donde contaban los sueños que había tenido Charlie. Eran demasiado largos y me parecieron aburridos así que los deje y las ignore.
Es un libro bastante regular, no sé si lo recomendaría o no. Parecía un libro de relleno, el cuarto libro de una saga que no es tan bueno. Espero que el último libro sea mejor.
Luego de unos capítulos, el libro empezó a mejorar. La historia estuvo un poco dispersa pero se volvió interesante y empezó a existir la necesidad de saber cómo continuaba.
Eso sí me salte cada una de las escenas donde contaban los sueños que había tenido Charlie. Eran demasiado largos y me parecieron aburridos así que los deje y las ignore.
Es un libro bastante regular, no sé si lo recomendaría o no. Parecía un libro de relleno, el cuarto libro de una saga que no es tan bueno. Espero que el último libro sea mejor.
thenoveloracle's review against another edition
5.0
The Pledge/The Essence Review:
Okay so this review is for both books because when i finished The Pledge I immediately HAD to start The Essence. I really liked these books, I cannot wait for the conclusion.
My Rant:
Stupid Sabara and Niko just need to go away. I need Max and Charlie time. I hate that Angelina won't even look at Charlie now.. If my brother did that I'd cry every day. The Summit was really cool, getting to see all the different queens.
Bottom line, I started reading this book because I liked Derting's series The Body Finder. These books are completely different, and I loved them even more! I'm a sucker for a dystopian love story and adding in unique abilities, I am bound to love it. Seriously, everyone should give this trilogy a try.
Okay so this review is for both books because when i finished The Pledge I immediately HAD to start The Essence. I really liked these books, I cannot wait for the conclusion.
My Rant:
Stupid Sabara and Niko just need to go away. I need Max and Charlie time. I hate that Angelina won't even look at Charlie now.. If my brother did that I'd cry every day. The Summit was really cool, getting to see all the different queens.
Bottom line, I started reading this book because I liked Derting's series The Body Finder. These books are completely different, and I loved them even more! I'm a sucker for a dystopian love story and adding in unique abilities, I am bound to love it. Seriously, everyone should give this trilogy a try.
theskinofa_killer_'s review against another edition
4.0
It was definitely better than the first one!
delaneybull's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the interplay between Sabara and Charlie, all the characters were still fun. Not sure if it had a cohesive plot, it seemed more rambling, especially after getting to the Summit.