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qrschulte's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-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
3.0
It was decent. Not great, but okay.
What I liked:
- Finally some steaminess for the romances.
- Harper and Rhen finally addressing their utter lack of communication.
What I didn’t like:
- How anti-climactic the end battle was.
- The body horror.
What I liked:
- Finally some steaminess for the romances.
- Harper and Rhen finally addressing their utter lack of communication.
What I didn’t like:
- How anti-climactic the end battle was.
- The body horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
a_wren_that_reads's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Minor: Ableism, Miscarriage, Rape, and Alcohol
bookishflower's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
*SPOILERS*
I hate writing reviews of books I didn’t like, but these are my thoughts.
This series had potential, but was stunted by character assassinations, unexplained changes in character arcs and an anticlimactic ending.
The first offender is Rhen. While being the primary and successful love interest, he is a walking (and flying) red flag who goes from being untrustworthy and unlikable to outright cruel and torturous with little explanation or reason beyond unnecessary plot tension. (Also, the comparisons to Tamlin that could be made are well founded).
This is made worse by Grey being x100 times more likeable than Rhen in the first 2 books at least. But, again, his character is tainted the moment he rejects Harper and throws their friendship and development down the drain. I was rooting for Zo to end up with Harper in the end.
Speaking of Harper, the strength, stubbornness and fire she shows in the first book disappears the moment you close the last page and instead we get a passive character who defers to Rhen and is sidelined. What’s worse is how her bravery and headstrong attitude that praised her as a “[princess by spirit and not birth]” before, becomes twisted into a weakness and easy dismissal by other characters and the plot.
If the books explored the trauma and ptsd the characters face more and reflected on how this changed their characterisation I might have been more invested, but instead we are offered little to no explanation with a finale attempting to balance somewhere between ya and adult and succeeding with neither.
While book 2 was mostly filler and travelling, it was saved by the introduction of a new romance plot and repartee between characters. Unfortunately, book 3’s filler and posturing about war does not redeem itself but falls flat on its face. War? Never comes. Brotherly tension? Just needed to be locked in a room face-to-face to resolve. Overpowered enchantress? Gone. The true nail in the coffin for me though was the surprise pregnancy trope, I was done after that.
This series had its moments and potential, but unfortunately the combination of an anticlimactic finale and character assassination made it disappointing.
I hate writing reviews of books I didn’t like, but these are my thoughts.
This series had potential, but was stunted by character assassinations, unexplained changes in character arcs and an anticlimactic ending.
The first offender is Rhen. While being the primary and successful love interest, he is a walking (and flying) red flag who goes from being untrustworthy and unlikable to outright cruel and torturous with little explanation or reason beyond unnecessary plot tension. (Also, the comparisons to Tamlin that could be made are well founded).
This is made worse by Grey being x100 times more likeable than Rhen in the first 2 books at least. But, again, his character is tainted the moment he rejects Harper and throws their friendship and development down the drain. I was rooting for Zo to end up with Harper in the end.
Speaking of Harper, the strength, stubbornness and fire she shows in the first book disappears the moment you close the last page and instead we get a passive character who defers to Rhen and is sidelined. What’s worse is how her bravery and headstrong attitude that praised her as a “[princess by spirit and not birth]” before, becomes twisted into a weakness and easy dismissal by other characters and the plot.
If the books explored the trauma and ptsd the characters face more and reflected on how this changed their characterisation I might have been more invested, but instead we are offered little to no explanation with a finale attempting to balance somewhere between ya and adult and succeeding with neither.
While book 2 was mostly filler and travelling, it was saved by the introduction of a new romance plot and repartee between characters. Unfortunately, book 3’s filler and posturing about war does not redeem itself but falls flat on its face. War? Never comes. Brotherly tension? Just needed to be locked in a room face-to-face to resolve. Overpowered enchantress? Gone. The true nail in the coffin for me though was the surprise pregnancy trope, I was done after that.
This series had its moments and potential, but unfortunately the combination of an anticlimactic finale and character assassination made it disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
jaedyn's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I’m quite disappointed in this book. I loved the first one and enjoyed the second one but this one was strangely paced and the ending was rushed.
Some of the characters had really fantastic growth, and as per usual, Brigid kemmerer writes a fantastic cast of side characters. However, I felt as though there was character regression and often the decisions of the characters felt as though they happened upon them.
I would also have loved to see more political strategy within this book as it was set in the run up to a war. Because this was lacking, it felt as though many of the events that would have built upon the world and characters happened off screen, and the characters seemed to get through challenging tasks between the time passed from one chapter to the next.
Also, trowards the end of the book, and I won’t mention what happened, kemmerer fell into a trope I despise when it comes to young and new relationships within fantasy books. I was so upset I had to put down the book.
As well, all the diversity in this book,
Which there was little of, felt very superficial. Almost as though it was ticking a diversity bingo, trying to get three in a row.
The book wasn’t all bad and the reading experience was enjoyable. I consider Brigid kemmerer’s young adult romance books to be some of my favourites. I think this is why I didn’t enjoy this one as much, I was disappointed.
Some of the characters had really fantastic growth, and as per usual, Brigid kemmerer writes a fantastic cast of side characters. However, I felt as though there was character regression and often the decisions of the characters felt as though they happened upon them.
I would also have loved to see more political strategy within this book as it was set in the run up to a war. Because this was lacking, it felt as though many of the events that would have built upon the world and characters happened off screen, and the characters seemed to get through challenging tasks between the time passed from one chapter to the next.
Also, trowards the end of the book, and I won’t mention what happened, kemmerer fell into a trope I despise when it comes to young and new relationships within fantasy books. I was so upset I had to put down the book.
As well, all the diversity in this book,
Which there was little of, felt very superficial. Almost as though it was ticking a diversity bingo, trying to get three in a row.
The book wasn’t all bad and the reading experience was enjoyable. I consider Brigid kemmerer’s young adult romance books to be some of my favourites. I think this is why I didn’t enjoy this one as much, I was disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, and Sexual violence
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