jen1804's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Enjoyed this book, I thought it was a good edition to the series. The character development of Poppy and Cas was great, as was the development of Poppy and Keiran’s relationship as they looked after each other whilst Cas was captured. I actually adore the love the three of them have for each other, one of my favourite book dynamics of all time, and I was here for the joining!
Loved Poppy’s level of badassery in this book.
Loved Isbeth as a villain, she is such a good villain. We love to HATE her, the fucked up twisted vengeful psycho with a weird way of showing love.
Some of the scenes were harrowing, JLA has no problems killing children, be warned. I can imagine this playing out on a screen and it being worse than Game of Thrones when it comes to gore and blood and horrible deaths.
The book felt long, and at times super confusing even if I read and then reread slowly. There is soooo much information.
Glad I read A Shadow In The Ember before this book as we got a lot of background knowledge from Sera and Nyktos’ story which tied into Poppy’s.
Overall a great book with goosebump worthy moments but drops points because there’s just so much to wrap your head around and it’s not always explained well enough to help me do that.
Satisfactory ending? Yes another cliff hanger.
Loved Poppy’s level of badassery in this book.
Loved Isbeth as a villain, she is such a good villain. We love to HATE her, the fucked up twisted vengeful psycho with a weird way of showing love.
Some of the scenes were harrowing, JLA has no problems killing children, be warned. I can imagine this playing out on a screen and it being worse than Game of Thrones when it comes to gore and blood and horrible deaths.
The book felt long, and at times super confusing even if I read and then reread slowly. There is soooo much information.
Glad I read A Shadow In The Ember before this book as we got a lot of background knowledge from Sera and Nyktos’ story which tied into Poppy’s.
Overall a great book with goosebump worthy moments but drops points because there’s just so much to wrap your head around and it’s not always explained well enough to help me do that.
Satisfactory ending? Yes another cliff hanger.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, War, Death, Gore, Sexual content, and Torture
widdlemun's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Bluntly, it's like a train wreck you just can't look away from. It has moments when it uses modern language in this medieval fantasy setting which breaks emersion. Example A, towards the end of the book a character leaves and another character describes it as him "peacing out." I couldn't stop laughing. Or when a cigar container gets brought up but there are no cigars. Definitely can be campy, if you don't take it too seriously I'd recommend a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, War, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Child death
fireinherveinzz's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’m sick of the plot twists at this point , it’s getting really old like poppy would have been enough and worthy just being a mortal and didn’t need all these extra super special super powers or finding our she’s the the chosen one in this prophecy. or oh great she has a long lost sister who she didn’t get to bond or interact with at all after losing her brother . Also the joining scene definitely overhyped to be way more than it actually is . She’s not cheating on or lying to Casteel it’s consentual and healthy communication even when she was feeding from Kiernan which she was forced to do to survive and was extremely reluctant to. She didn’t have sex with him without Casteel there . People really got all up in arms about this for no reason. When really this story had other issues . It just kinda dragged out with some light hearted comedic moments and a lot of violence and torture and scenes of aftermath of mass murder of children etc which JLA seems to be found of . Then the anti climatic moment of her ending her mothers life after all that build up over how scary powerful she was just. I love how this story started in the first couple books now this is getting really dull and not interesting anymore . JLA over relying on plot twist and random reveals that just won’t stop happening to make the story interesting does not in fact make for an interesting story . The only scene I truly loved was Poppy being assertive about deciding she what she would wear to see her abuser her biological mother and not the former white dress she was forced to wear or she would show up naked . That should have been the energy of the death scene or punishing Isbeth some other way it just wasnt that satisfying.
She kept saying she didn’t want to turn into her or become like a god who demolished cities and killed innocents . But acted really selfishly and like a brat at times .
I don’t see how much more this story can get dragged out for .
She kept saying she didn’t want to turn into her or become like a god who demolished cities and killed innocents . But acted really selfishly and like a brat at times .
I don’t see how much more this story can get dragged out for .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, War, Racism, Pedophilia, Death, Murder, Blood, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Body horror
ka_ke's review
adventurous
dark
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? No
4.75
ARE WE GETTING ANOTHER BOOK?!? That is my only thought at the end of this book. I need to know what happens with Cas, Poppy & Kieran. I need closure!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Torture, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, War, Sexual content, Blood, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Classism, Gore, Alcohol, Ableism, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
tiana_king'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Boy oh boy did I snort through this book like crack. Several things we’ve all been hoping for FINALLY happened ;) Plenty of plot twists kept this interesting and really my only beef with this book was I feel like so many questions remain unanswered. I look forward to the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, and Gore
dreareads_'s review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
1.0
I have no idea why I bought this. I guess I just hoped there would be improvement but oh wow no.
Here are some of my problems with it:
1)I would like to preface this by saying I don't care about the joining, I am not against it and if they had a polyamorous relationship thats fine BUT I cannot get over how JLA takes the ONLY black central character and makes him a DOORMAT for the whyte characters. Kieran has no personality other that protect and serve Poppy. Please, explain to me what are Kierans motives outside of serving Cas and Poppy??
2) Even when JLA tries to characterize the wolven as individuals, the fact that they are dependent on the whims of Poppy. It was creepy and a bad choice when it happened and a bad choice now.
3) There was a weird scene were Poppy FISTED Tawny's curly hair while holding her and honestly that was just such a weird thing to do. Gave me the creeps
4) Lord Stabbing isnt a personality trait. Please. Poppy stabbing people stopped being cute half ways through book two.
5) I remembered nothing of The Crown of Gilded Bones and if you think I am going to reread that mess you have another thing coming lol
Will definitely NOT read the next books.
Here are some of my problems with it:
1)I would like to preface this by saying I don't care about the joining, I am not against it and if they had a polyamorous relationship thats fine BUT I cannot get over how JLA takes the ONLY black central character and makes him a DOORMAT for the whyte characters. Kieran has no personality other that protect and serve Poppy. Please, explain to me what are Kierans motives outside of serving Cas and Poppy??
2) Even when JLA tries to characterize the wolven as individuals, the fact that they are dependent on the whims of Poppy. It was creepy and a bad choice when it happened and a bad choice now.
3) There was a weird scene were Poppy FISTED Tawny's curly hair while holding her and honestly that was just such a weird thing to do. Gave me the creeps
4) Lord Stabbing isnt a personality trait. Please. Poppy stabbing people stopped being cute half ways through book two.
5) I remembered nothing of The Crown of Gilded Bones and if you think I am going to reread that mess you have another thing coming lol
Will definitely NOT read the next books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, War, Death, Sexual content, and Violence
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