Scan barcode
dlsmk's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
At the end of the audiobook:
Audible hopes you have enjoyed this programme.
Me: crying
What an asshole of a book. @Richelle I have bones to pick.
Audible hopes you have enjoyed this programme.
Me: crying
What an asshole of a book. @Richelle I have bones to pick.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Drug use, Death, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
katyfayyyx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
Well I was loving and living my best life reading this book and now I am in a state of shock and denial. I am going to need a minute to process what the fuck happened in this book because girl, Now I am scared to read the next one but I need to know what the fuck is going to happen but I am not happy about it.
I have so much fun reading this book because is this book very well written, it the story or the plot really worth a 4 stars rating? No but it was a lot and I mean lot of fun and it definitely me favourite one is the series so far. There were so many time while reading this book that I was gagged and I mean gagged and just really loved reading this one and Miss Richelle Mead really killed with this one.
I think my favourite thing about this book was Rose being Christian guardian because I am sorry that was just so fucking funny like I just love their love and hate relationship, there are just amazing. Like, their really care about each but at the same time are just so over each shit. I was literally living for them, in this book and I did absolutely live for when the fought together. I also, really lived for Rose and Lissa friendship, it was really nice to see it be more balanced and to actually see Lissa care and look after Rose because a lot of the time I feel like we are told they are super close but we don't get to see very often and I just thought it was really nice that we got that form this book.
Something that gave me whiplash what the Rose and Dimitri because I was so happy and then a was so destroyed by them. They were just perfect in this book from the whole thing about Dimitri being scared because he couldn't help Rose when she was in pain, too when she went low key crazy, the bit when she had to fight him and beat him that was just so sexy, the whole I love you bit and then that sex scene was well sexy and then it all went to fucking shit and I just wanted death. Also the audacity of Victor, to out them like them, I hate him but he just had me gagged, Rose and Dimitri were like cut the camera deadass.
The ending, well was a nice way to end this book, the last fifty pages of this book was not good for my blood pressure, I was just so stressing like why the fuck would you go into the cave it was never and mean never going to end well, I just knew that shit was going to hit the fan and it really did. However, I will say that I didn't believe that Dimitri is dead and I don't believe Rose is going to kill him, I just don't think she can. I just don't believe that this series is not going to end with them being together and happy but I will say I am not doing well because I did audibly gasped when it was revealed that Dimitri is now a Strigoi, I just didn't see it coming. The ending just made me so sad because I really didn't want Rose to leave Lissa but I get when she needs to do what she needs to do but it just made me sad because I just wanted everyone to have a happy and peaceful live but that never going to happen. I just really hated my life and I actually wanted death like I didn't think I cared that much about the characters but holy shit and I guess I did.
I did really like this book but there were something that I didn't like or it would have been a 5 star read and one of them was the whole headache, is Rose going crazy plot line, with the whole Mason ghost thing. Like call me a bitch but it was so dumb, I just feel like there were so many different ways of having this plot line and idea without having Mason being a fucking ghost and it was so obvious that they were more than just headaches so why did you same half the book working up to that realisation
also the whole Lissa being torture bit like where are the fucking teachers how the fuck does everyone in this school get away with this shit. The whole weird plot line of the Christian and Adrian like Lissa is never going to go for Adrian so what the actual point but I did think their fight was just quite funny also the the whole secret royal society, dumb. I have nothing more to say about that plot line.
Also, shout out to my man Eddie because I love you and I am not really sure why but you are just really nice, cute and wholesome, like I either think you are going to Lissa guardians with Rose or you won't make to the end of the series but I hope for all our sakes that it is the first opinion. Another shout out for my other man Adrian, I love you but you need to stop trying to get with Rose, I love you but that is never going to happen. Like I wouldn't be mad if it did happen but we have Rose and Dimitri and they are you know Rose and Dimitri.
I have so much fun reading this book because is this book very well written, it the story or the plot really worth a 4 stars rating? No but it was a lot and I mean lot of fun and it definitely me favourite one is the series so far. There were so many time while reading this book that I was gagged and I mean gagged and just really loved reading this one and Miss Richelle Mead really killed with this one.
I think my favourite thing about this book was Rose being Christian guardian because I am sorry that was just so fucking funny like I just love their love and hate relationship, there are just amazing. Like, their really care about each but at the same time are just so over each shit. I was literally living for them, in this book and I did absolutely live for when the fought together. I also, really lived for Rose and Lissa friendship, it was really nice to see it be more balanced and to actually see Lissa care and look after Rose because a lot of the time I feel like we are told they are super close but we don't get to see very often and I just thought it was really nice that we got that form this book.
Something that gave me whiplash what the Rose and Dimitri because I was so happy and then a was so destroyed by them. They were just perfect in this book from the whole thing about Dimitri being scared because he couldn't help Rose when she was in pain, too when she went low key crazy, the bit when she had to fight him and beat him that was just so sexy, the whole I love you bit and then that sex scene was well sexy and then it all went to fucking shit and I just wanted death. Also the audacity of Victor, to out them like them, I hate him but he just had me gagged, Rose and Dimitri were like cut the camera deadass.
The ending, well was a nice way to end this book, the last fifty pages of this book was not good for my blood pressure, I was just so stressing like why the fuck would you go into the cave it was never and mean never going to end well, I just knew that shit was going to hit the fan and it really did. However, I will say that I didn't believe that Dimitri is dead and I don't believe Rose is going to kill him, I just don't think she can. I just don't believe that this series is not going to end with them being together and happy but I will say I am not doing well because I did audibly gasped when it was revealed that Dimitri is now a Strigoi, I just didn't see it coming. The ending just made me so sad because I really didn't want Rose to leave Lissa but I get when she needs to do what she needs to do but it just made me sad because I just wanted everyone to have a happy and peaceful live but that never going to happen. I just really hated my life and I actually wanted death like I didn't think I cared that much about the characters but holy shit and I guess I did.
I did really like this book but there were something that I didn't like or it would have been a 5 star read and one of them was the whole headache, is Rose going crazy plot line, with the whole Mason ghost thing. Like call me a bitch but it was so dumb, I just feel like there were so many different ways of having this plot line and idea without having Mason being a fucking ghost and it was so obvious that they were more than just headaches so why did you same half the book working up to that realisation
also the whole Lissa being torture bit like where are the fucking teachers how the fuck does everyone in this school get away with this shit. The whole weird plot line of the Christian and Adrian like Lissa is never going to go for Adrian so what the actual point but I did think their fight was just quite funny also the the whole secret royal society, dumb. I have nothing more to say about that plot line.
Also, shout out to my man Eddie because I love you and I am not really sure why but you are just really nice, cute and wholesome, like I either think you are going to Lissa guardians with Rose or you won't make to the end of the series but I hope for all our sakes that it is the first opinion. Another shout out for my other man Adrian, I love you but you need to stop trying to get with Rose, I love you but that is never going to happen. Like I wouldn't be mad if it did happen but we have Rose and Dimitri and they are you know Rose and Dimitri.
'I set off, off to kill the man I loved'-Chapter Twenty Nine (this actually makes me want to cry)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Mental illness, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Medical content, Sexual content, War, and Death
Minor: Suicide
the_escapist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
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
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Torture, Alcohol, Death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
sarahsbookss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Vomit
steepz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
4.25
Best one out of the series so far, i finished it in 3 days with little breaks it had me hooked!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Mental illness and Torture
Minor: Rape
tiana_king's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The last book had a fair bit of action at the very end but it was nothing compared to this. We learn more about spirit, see Victor again, see ghosts, and kill more Strigoi. Hold onto your hats folks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, and Torture
Moderate: Bullying, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Abandonment, Sexual content, Gore, and Kidnapping
martamae77's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Mental illness and Sexual content
just_klaudia's review against another edition
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Mental illness
Moderate: Violence and Death
plumpaperbacks'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
[sixth read, April 2023]
I’ve noticed that with every reread, all of the big things hurt like normal, but then there’s always some new little thing that I zero in on or a line that hits me hard for no reason. This time, something about “I will never hold him again” is hitting different, just completely breaking my heart. And the part in chapter 13 (which I read days ago) where Dimitri is so worried for Rose, he’s actually shaking, which we’ve never seen before and also never registered in my brain before now but now lives there rent-free.
I’m fine. :’)))
[fifth read, August 2022]
“I loved you, and you destroyed me. You took my heart and ripped it up. You might as well have staked me!”
—A quote from later in the series that feels very fitting right now 🥲🥲🥲
[fourth read, June 2021]
The ending of this book never gets any easier to read. I feel hollow. 🥲🥲
I don’t know how I was ever hesitant to ship Rose and Dimitri. I love them so much, and I love their dynamic, and dear god, they’ve got SO MANY cute moments. One of these days I’ll be rereading and I’ll just spontaneously combust, and it will either be because he called her “Roza” or because of the cabin scene. Or maybe because of what happens outside the cabin later on. 🥺🥺
Misc thoughts: I feel really bad for Adrian and Lissa, for separate reasons. Rose and Christian have such a great, underrated friendship and also make a totally badass team.
Fun fact: I noticed, while reading, that my copy of this book is starting to fall apart. The spine is cracked and the binding is wearing away on certain pages. I wonder how many more rereads it will take before my copies of the series have to be retired so they don’t fall apart.
[third read, May 2020]
I AM EMOTIONAL.
I don’t even know what to say. I have so much love for this series and these characters and Richelle Mead absolutely uses that against me here. It’s simultaneously brilliant and awful. I actually paused reading with about 60 pages left because I didn’t want to face what I knew was coming.
Now that it’s all fresh in my mind, it’s so cruel to write one heartwarming chapter, only to make the rest of the book so heartbreaking. FINALLY WE GET THAT, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS. WHY.
I’ve read this three times now, but wow, I’m still affected just as much as the first time. I might not’ve cried while reading, but ohmygod, it still hurt. It probably always will.
So yeah. I’ll be rereading the next book soon enough, whether I’m emotionally prepared or not. :)))
[second read, July-August 2019]
This book warmed my heart, cured my reading slump, and promptly crushed my soul.
The fact that I’ve been reading it for ten days has absolutely nothing to do with the book itself. The story was slightly slower-paced from time to time, but if I hadn’t been in a horrible reading slump, I likely would’ve read this in a day. The plot thickens, the character development is spectacular, and I am absolute trash for the romance. That cliffhanger is one of the cruelest things I’ve ever read, and I plan to continue my reread immediately.
[first read, August 2016]
Wow. This book was so captivating and emotional (note: I still didn't cry) and definitely my favorite in the series so far. :D
Not too much action goes down until the last quarter or so of the story, but this is the sort of book that just hooks you. Everyone is coping with recent events, and the stakes (no pun intended) are higher than ever. The majority of the book is mostly aftermath of the second and buildup for the very climactic ending, but that didn't bother me. I was only able to read about 150 pages yesterday when I started, but I literally binge-read the rest of it this afternoon. When I first picked it up today, I was excited but not extremely so. To put it simply, I should've been. More than once (2-4 times?) I found myself pausing to get a snack or look at the clock and realizing I'd read 50+ pages in half as many minutes. This is one of those books where you don't notice how absorbed you actually are until you take a break, and it was amazing. :D
Rose developed a lot in this book. She really took her guardian training and responsibilities seriously, and while it was different from the impulsive girl I loved initially, I still loved her character. She was an epic fighter and defender, even more than before with her new, more logical mindset. However, inside she had a lot to deal with. She blamed herself for past events and believed she was going crazy. I can't say much more than that without spoiling things, but I can say this: as much as I didn't like seeing her struggle, it was exactly those struggles that made her a more relatable protagonist. ;)
I can't say too much about the other characters without giving something or other away, but they evolved as well and I loved them all almost as much. Lissa became fiercer and more confident, Dimitri showed more vulnerability while remaining an epic guardian, and Christian and Adrian were still the snarky Moroi we love. :D (But let's be real, Adrian > Christian, right?) (2022 Liv: Christian doesn’t deserve this slander. I’m sorry, my boy.)
Most of this book took place on Academy grounds, but there were escapades to the royal palace and the surrounding wilderness. Specifics would mean spoilers, but trust me when I say that the descriptions were vivid enough to imagine you were there as you read. ;)
I swear, this series has one of the most conflicting romances ever. In the second book, half of me was starting to ship Rose and Dimitri and the other half was still convinced it was wrong. Now I don't know what to think. Now closer to 75% of me ships them, but the remaining 25% is trying to remember that it really is wrong. I applaud Richelle for being able to write something that gave me such conflicting emotions, but I also can't figure out what side I'm on. It's my hopeless romantic side versus my practical side, and it's so hard. XD (2022 Liv: NOPE THEY’RE SOULMATES!!!)
Like I said, the majority of this book wasn't super eventful. But after that last chunk, I couldn't care less. The last 80 or so pages were absolutely wild, and I honestly can't put words together to adequately describe the ending. It was a horrible cliffhanger, and I don't know how anyone could read that and not need the fourth immediately. I know I do. -.-
All in all, this book was just amazing. It's easily my favorite in the series so far, and if the rest are just as good I'll be in bookworm heaven. I know for sure that I'll be looking for the fourth book at the library as soon as humanly possible so I can find out. :D
I’ve noticed that with every reread, all of the big things hurt like normal, but then there’s always some new little thing that I zero in on or a line that hits me hard for no reason. This time, something about “I will never hold him again” is hitting different, just completely breaking my heart. And the part in chapter 13 (which I read days ago) where Dimitri is so worried for Rose, he’s actually shaking, which we’ve never seen before and also never registered in my brain before now but now lives there rent-free.
I’m fine. :’)))
[fifth read, August 2022]
“I loved you, and you destroyed me. You took my heart and ripped it up. You might as well have staked me!”
—A quote from later in the series that feels very fitting right now 🥲🥲🥲
[fourth read, June 2021]
The ending of this book never gets any easier to read. I feel hollow. 🥲🥲
I don’t know how I was ever hesitant to ship Rose and Dimitri. I love them so much, and I love their dynamic, and dear god, they’ve got SO MANY cute moments. One of these days I’ll be rereading and I’ll just spontaneously combust, and it will either be because he called her “Roza” or because of the cabin scene. Or maybe because of what happens outside the cabin later on. 🥺🥺
Misc thoughts: I feel really bad for Adrian and Lissa, for separate reasons. Rose and Christian have such a great, underrated friendship and also make a totally badass team.
Fun fact: I noticed, while reading, that my copy of this book is starting to fall apart. The spine is cracked and the binding is wearing away on certain pages. I wonder how many more rereads it will take before my copies of the series have to be retired so they don’t fall apart.
[third read, May 2020]
I AM EMOTIONAL.
I don’t even know what to say. I have so much love for this series and these characters and Richelle Mead absolutely uses that against me here. It’s simultaneously brilliant and awful. I actually paused reading with about 60 pages left because I didn’t want to face what I knew was coming.
Now that it’s all fresh in my mind, it’s so cruel to write one heartwarming chapter, only to make the rest of the book so heartbreaking. FINALLY WE GET THAT, AND THEN THIS HAPPENS. WHY.
I’ve read this three times now, but wow, I’m still affected just as much as the first time. I might not’ve cried while reading, but ohmygod, it still hurt. It probably always will.
So yeah. I’ll be rereading the next book soon enough, whether I’m emotionally prepared or not. :)))
[second read, July-August 2019]
This book warmed my heart, cured my reading slump, and promptly crushed my soul.
The fact that I’ve been reading it for ten days has absolutely nothing to do with the book itself. The story was slightly slower-paced from time to time, but if I hadn’t been in a horrible reading slump, I likely would’ve read this in a day. The plot thickens, the character development is spectacular, and I am absolute trash for the romance. That cliffhanger is one of the cruelest things I’ve ever read, and I plan to continue my reread immediately.
[first read, August 2016]
Wow. This book was so captivating and emotional (note: I still didn't cry) and definitely my favorite in the series so far. :D
Not too much action goes down until the last quarter or so of the story, but this is the sort of book that just hooks you. Everyone is coping with recent events, and the stakes (no pun intended) are higher than ever. The majority of the book is mostly aftermath of the second and buildup for the very climactic ending, but that didn't bother me. I was only able to read about 150 pages yesterday when I started, but I literally binge-read the rest of it this afternoon. When I first picked it up today, I was excited but not extremely so. To put it simply, I should've been. More than once (2-4 times?) I found myself pausing to get a snack or look at the clock and realizing I'd read 50+ pages in half as many minutes. This is one of those books where you don't notice how absorbed you actually are until you take a break, and it was amazing. :D
Rose developed a lot in this book. She really took her guardian training and responsibilities seriously, and while it was different from the impulsive girl I loved initially, I still loved her character. She was an epic fighter and defender, even more than before with her new, more logical mindset. However, inside she had a lot to deal with. She blamed herself for past events and believed she was going crazy. I can't say much more than that without spoiling things, but I can say this: as much as I didn't like seeing her struggle, it was exactly those struggles that made her a more relatable protagonist. ;)
I can't say too much about the other characters without giving something or other away, but they evolved as well and I loved them all almost as much. Lissa became fiercer and more confident, Dimitri showed more vulnerability while remaining an epic guardian, and Christian and Adrian were still the snarky Moroi we love. :D (But let's be real, Adrian > Christian, right?) (2022 Liv: Christian doesn’t deserve this slander. I’m sorry, my boy.)
Most of this book took place on Academy grounds, but there were escapades to the royal palace and the surrounding wilderness. Specifics would mean spoilers, but trust me when I say that the descriptions were vivid enough to imagine you were there as you read. ;)
I swear, this series has one of the most conflicting romances ever. In the second book, half of me was starting to ship Rose and Dimitri and the other half was still convinced it was wrong. Now I don't know what to think. Now closer to 75% of me ships them, but the remaining 25% is trying to remember that it really is wrong. I applaud Richelle for being able to write something that gave me such conflicting emotions, but I also can't figure out what side I'm on. It's my hopeless romantic side versus my practical side, and it's so hard. XD (2022 Liv: NOPE THEY’RE SOULMATES!!!)
Like I said, the majority of this book wasn't super eventful. But after that last chunk, I couldn't care less. The last 80 or so pages were absolutely wild, and I honestly can't put words together to adequately describe the ending. It was a horrible cliffhanger, and I don't know how anyone could read that and not need the fourth immediately. I know I do. -.-
All in all, this book was just amazing. It's easily my favorite in the series so far, and if the rest are just as good I'll be in bookworm heaven. I know for sure that I'll be looking for the fourth book at the library as soon as humanly possible so I can find out. :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Torture, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Drug use
Not sure if smoking counts as drug use, but there’s one prominent side character that smokes (and drinks) excessively, so. There’s one (consensual) sex scene toward the end of the book, but it’s very brief and mild. There are a few mentions of the kidnapping and torture that occurred in book one, a scene where the perpetrator is on trial for those crimes, and another brief torture scene toward the end that’s completely unrelated. Mental illness refers to Rose (and most of the others, tbh) dealing with PTSD.