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glddstwmn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This would be camp if it wasn't sincere.
I feel like there was so much potential for a good story and it was completely wasted.
I enjoyed the basis of the plot and the conflicts I felt made sense to the story line, but good lord, the dialogue is some of the worst I've ever read. Genuinely Ive read ao3 fanfics written better than this. Everytime I started to think the story was getting good or it was redeeming itself, the dialogue ruined it.
Idk how Casteel puts up with Poppy but honestly he is just as insufferable. All the characters personalities are flat, Poppy is "nOt liKe oThEr GiRls", a huge pick-me, and everyone just eats it up??
It took me until a few chapters into this book that there are two guys "Malec/k", I thought she was misspelling the name the entire series. Also both opposing queens names are too similar and it was confusing. These are all side characters that are only talked about we don't really meet them throughout the story so I felt that made it more confusing.
The ending was a cop out, imo. once the twist happened in chapter 46, I just skipped ahead to the last chapter and read from there.
I was really hoping that since they were married now, there would be some good smutty scenes but there was like 3? 4? and they were mid at best.
Tbh, I think I'm avoiding this author from now on.
I feel like there was so much potential for a good story and it was completely wasted.
I enjoyed the basis of the plot and the conflicts I felt made sense to the story line, but good lord, the dialogue is some of the worst I've ever read. Genuinely Ive read ao3 fanfics written better than this. Everytime I started to think the story was getting good or it was redeeming itself, the dialogue ruined it.
Idk how Casteel puts up with Poppy but honestly he is just as insufferable. All the characters personalities are flat, Poppy is "nOt liKe oThEr GiRls", a huge pick-me, and everyone just eats it up??
It took me until a few chapters into this book that there are two guys "Malec/k", I thought she was misspelling the name the entire series. Also both opposing queens names are too similar and it was confusing. These are all side characters that are only talked about we don't really meet them throughout the story so I felt that made it more confusing.
The ending was a cop out, imo. once the twist happened in chapter 46, I just skipped ahead to the last chapter and read from there.
I was really hoping that since they were married now, there would be some good smutty scenes but there was like 3? 4? and they were mid at best.
Tbh, I think I'm avoiding this author from now on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Infertility, Sexual content, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
lisacanteven's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Let me preface this review with this: I am a huge JLA fan. Bury me with her books. So this review could be a little biased.
However this book is my favorite book of all time. I have never quite had such a connection with a book before. I just finished it a few hours ago, and I haven't though about much else. I am ready to reread it, and maybe I will when it releases in 26 hours since I received an early copy (this did not affect my review) so I can read with everyone else.
I love this series, and I thought FBAA was by far the stronger book out of the first two. KOFAF was very much a second book. I still loved it because JLA, but it dragged and didn't reveal as much as I was hoping. That is because JLA was waiting to hit us with this third book. WHOA. She lets it all out in this book, and now I see why she had to extend the series. Not only did she answer so many of our questions, but she brought in new characters and new fantasy races. I'm dying for everyone else to see what shapeshifters we get the in the next however many books. They are going to be better than the wolves (sorry Kieran). The only thing (and it's so minor) that I didn't love about this book is that Kieran got on my nerves. He needs better jokes basically, and I don't fault JLA for this because I think that's just his character. He is definitely the comic relief in these books, but he needs to step up his game or get laid.
One thing I noticed is that we got a lot more fantasy in this book than the previous two books. The romance was as good as ever, but I guess since the chase was gone there was more time for fantasy and A LOT OF POLITICS which honestly I love in a fantasy novel. Give me kingdoms fighting over politics and kingdoms fighting internally over politics and I am in. Sign me up. The politics in this series have always been there, but they were ramped up in this third book.
I thought I would be sad if I didn't get that one thing I wanted out of this book, but honestly it was too good the way it was to notice. I would not change a thing about it, and I am just praying that JLA is almost done with the next book because the ending took my breath away. Literally no breath was left.
"Bow before your queen or you will bleed before her."
However this book is my favorite book of all time. I have never quite had such a connection with a book before. I just finished it a few hours ago, and I haven't though about much else. I am ready to reread it, and maybe I will when it releases in 26 hours since I received an early copy (this did not affect my review) so I can read with everyone else.
I love this series, and I thought FBAA was by far the stronger book out of the first two. KOFAF was very much a second book. I still loved it because JLA, but it dragged and didn't reveal as much as I was hoping. That is because JLA was waiting to hit us with this third book. WHOA. She lets it all out in this book, and now I see why she had to extend the series. Not only did she answer so many of our questions, but she brought in new characters and new fantasy races. I'm dying for everyone else to see what shapeshifters we get the in the next however many books. They are going to be better than the wolves (sorry Kieran). The only thing (and it's so minor) that I didn't love about this book is that Kieran got on my nerves. He needs better jokes basically, and I don't fault JLA for this because I think that's just his character. He is definitely the comic relief in these books, but he needs to step up his game or get laid.
One thing I noticed is that we got a lot more fantasy in this book than the previous two books. The romance was as good as ever, but I guess since the chase was gone there was more time for fantasy and A LOT OF POLITICS which honestly I love in a fantasy novel. Give me kingdoms fighting over politics and kingdoms fighting internally over politics and I am in. Sign me up. The politics in this series have always been there, but they were ramped up in this third book.
I thought I would be sad if I didn't get that one thing I wanted out of this book, but honestly it was too good the way it was to notice. I would not change a thing about it, and I am just praying that JLA is almost done with the next book because the ending took my breath away. Literally no breath was left.
"Bow before your queen or you will bleed before her."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Torture
Car accident = carriage accident
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