A review by inkdrinkers
Ruthless Fae by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

dark emotional funny tense fast-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

5.0

Oh sweet onion balls. Holy Begonias. CRINKLING CUCUMBERS.

Darcy and Tory Vega are back. Picking up moments after the ending of book one, Ruthless Fae throws you right into the action and never lets up as the twins find themselves ready to embrace the darker side of the fae world. With a little bit of unlikely help and a whole lot of gumption, the Vega twins are ready to prove to everyone that the events in the first book won't define them - it just made them stronger.

I am literally speechless after finishing this book. I don't know what kind of CRACK these women put in these pages but I am eagerly consuming it all. The first half of this book had it's slow moments, deliciously setting up some of the absolute best payoffs I've ever read in any piece of fiction. Expectations? Blown out of the freaking water. I didn't think it was possible to simultaneously loathe and adore characters in such a messy and incredible way. The growth and movement that both Tory and Darcy get in this book are impeccable and I don't even know how to fully put into words the way I love how Valenti and Peckham pull no punches.

The Heirs in this are on another level. There is some incredible POV work from the authors that had me shrieking every single time I turned the page and got to a new POV and a new perspective. Each one was dropped in at the perfect moment, allowing a look into the head of the character as they got what was coming to them - or revealed another inch of this gloriously complex plot. I didn't think I could love the characters more than I loathed them at the end of The Awakening but I was wrong. Lance Orion and Darius Acrux are INCREDIBLE and I have simply no notes other than someone make them real.

Yes this book had it's issues, I found a couple random typos that pulled me out and made me struggle once I hit 50% in this - but after a break and a sincere deep breath I decided that the holidays could wait and I would instead be proudly pinning an ASS button to my collar. Sign me up, I'm a royalist for the Vegas, I'm ready to read the rest of the series.

And if my book club is reading this - I might get to the book this month, but I also might never shut up about Zodiac Academy and I won't apologize.

Content warnings: bullying (just - it's fine, get over yourself, it's expected at this point, they might try to kill each other but it's foreplay), child abuse/physical abuse/emotional abuse (scenes described in varying detail, present essentially throughout), sexual content (PRAISE THE SISTERS), some mild body horror/gore towards the end depending on your level of tolerance (PG-13 max, I'm pushing for R though, let's go ladies give me what you've got), general warning for blood (there's vampires and it's kind of... you know 😉)

Extra content warning for Lance Orion's thunder thighs. I need a big boy, gimme a big boy. 🥵

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