edit: HELP I JUST WROTE THAT OUT AND THEN FLIPPED THE PAGE TO FIND ANOTHER EPILOGUE. my only complaint with it is that I WANTED TO SEE THE ACTUAL THINedit: HELP I JUST WROTE THAT OUT AND THEN FLIPPED THE PAGE TO FIND ANOTHER EPILOGUE. my only complaint with it is that I WANTED TO SEE THE ACTUAL THING PLAY OUT IN THE END
“Signa Farrow was many things, but she was not prey.”
Queen
I read Belladonna in February of 2023 and fell in LOVE with it the second that I finishe“Signa Farrow was many things, but she was not prey.”
Queen
I read Belladonna in February of 2023 and fell in LOVE with it the second that I finished it. I brought that book everywhere, and read it at every opportunity possible. I was so happy when the sequel got announced and was so annoyed when I realized that I had to wait so long to read it!
Spoiler, the book came out in August and I read it in December ...more
“Stars flickered around us, sweet darkness sweeping in. As if we were the only souls in a galaxy.”
Now this novella was definitely not necessary, “Stars flickered around us, sweet darkness sweeping in. As if we were the only souls in a galaxy.”
Now this novella was definitely not necessary, it was really just them celebrating the Solstice and being mean to Nesta- Oops no that was just what stood out to me.
GIVE HER A BREAK Y'ALL.
But I'm not going to format my review as I usually do since this is a novella, but I'm still gonna talk about the three main things.
“To the blessed darkness from which we are born, and to which we return.”
So...nothing really happened with the plot here. There was just a lot of shopping, celebrating, talking, exchanging gifts, kissing, and making a Fae baby. And yes, I'm not looking forward to that in ACOSF. Not at all. I hate the pregnancy trope with my entire being, ESPECIALLY if it becomes a main plot point.
Though I must admit, I loved the fun conversations between the characters. When Cass called Amren an angry snowball, when Feyre and Cass got drunk and tried to decorate, and so many more, it was all just so sweet and fun.
Also, I loved the addition to Cass and Mor's chapters. I feel so bad for them, both of their backstories are awful.
“To the stars who listen, Feyre. To the dreams that are answered, Rhys.”
I love these characters. Except for a few people. Cassian and Nesta remain my favorites, though I wish Nesta was in this more. But I mean she was just hiding out in her little shack house. And Cassian is so funny, I love him so much.
I hate Rhys and Feyre. (BUT I HATE FEYRE MORE THAN RHYS OK.) I SAID IT. I hate them. Rhys was so mean to Nesta for no reason (look, I get that she did some bad things, but he didn't have to get all rude about her when she literally saved them in a WAR and her father is DEAD) and he just...I don't know. This is so disappointing, I was obsessed with him before I even read this series.
(Edit: After finishing this series and reflecting on Rhys and all that and hearing some things, I do actually love him. I don't know what I was thinking, but I do love him. But Cassian still remains my favorite. That changes nothing.)
And then we've got Feyre who I still don't like. I don't know why, but she just rubs me off the wrong way. She wasn't awful in this book, but I absolutely HATED IT when she was being all rude and stuff to Nesta. Though she was one of the only people giving her a chance.
As you can see, I mainly hate them because of how they treat Nesta. But they also do make decisions I don't like. Especially in the previous books.
Also, Mor really has to stop leading Azriel on. He doesn't deserve it.
“Cassian had named about two dozen poses for Nesta at this point. Ranging from I Will Eat Your Eyes for Breakfast to I Don't Want Cassian to Know I'm Reading Smut. The latter was his particular favorite.”
I loved this line.
The relationships were fine in this one. At least now I know that there's definitely going to be tension between Cass and Nesta in ACOSF since Nesta hates him and I honestly have no idea how Cassian feels. They are so much better than Rhys and Feyre.
And then there's Rhys and Feyre who I don't mind, but I don't like. They're just so...I don't know, I feel like their relationship's getting a little boring. DON'T COME FOR ME PLEASE. It's just the same thing over and over- they have intimate moments, he buys her things, they get into little skirmishes, exchange witty banter, and I'm probably being unfair because they do have a great love, I just want something new. Though I must say, I want the love they have someday, just the utter devotion and loyalty they have for each other is amazing.
There's also the Lucien Azriel Elain triangle which I can't even get into because Lucien was hardly in this. I'm just gonna say: Elain's present to Azriel was adorable. But I really don't want anyone to get their hearts broken. Because we still have Gwyn to deal with with the Azriel and Elain and Gwyn triangle which I can't get into as well because I haven't even met Gwyn yet.
But anywho, this was a cute and fun little read in between ACOWAR and ACOSF. It wasn't really needed, but I did enjoy reading the conversations and cute moments.
4 stars
“I love you,” he breathed. “More than life, more than my territory, more than my crown.”
Ok- this is sweet.
<><><><><><><> this wasn't necessary, but it was enjoyable
Buddy reread with Lyra!! <3 it was so much fun doing this and experiencing the events in this book again!
I will never be ok after finishing 2nd Read
Buddy reread with Lyra!! <3 it was so much fun doing this and experiencing the events in this book again!
I will never be ok after finishing this book. It's just so, so good and I will scream my love for it and the characters from the rooftops. If I could go back in time and read this book for the first time again I'd do it in a heartbeat. I want a Cassian. Thank you. That's all
<><><><><><> “For every Nesta out there- climb the mountain.”
Edit: I just read the Azriel bonus chapter and oh my gosh I never expected that of him. I always thought he was so quiet and stuff but honestly, why did I think that? But it's definitely gonna be a Gwynriel endgame, the last line?? Definitely Gwynriel, no matter how much he wants to kiss Elain. But he better not lead Elain on or he's going to be demoted to my least favorite bat boy.
AND HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT LUCIEN DIDN'T DESERVE ELAIN. ELAIN DOESN'T DESERVE LUCIEN.
Also I feel like Gwynriel stans and Elriel stans have a heated rivalry or something- everywhere I see Elriel fanart or Gwnriel fanart there's always a comment underneath that says "Elriel is better" or "Gwynriel is better" just let people have their own opinions without blasting them please.
<><><><><><> First read
“I cannot survive without reading.”
Me neither
This was easily my favorite book in this series. Easily. It was just . . . I don't have the words. Incredible, amazing?
There was so much plot development (my heart hurts from beating so fast during tense scenes), character development (wow, a LOT of character development), relationship developments (...more
“What we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength.”
*dabs eyes with tissues* Well this sure was an experience to re“What we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength.”
*dabs eyes with tissues* Well this sure was an experience to read. So I know that there is another book after this (A Court of Silver Flames and then also the novella, A Court of Frost and Starlight) but I'm going to think of this as just the last in the main trilogy. Which it is. But anyways.
AH, I loved this. I was an emotional wreck through this book. I was terrified, scared, sad, angry, giggly, happy, and a bunch of other emotions.
Though I must say, Throne of Glass is better. I just love those characters, the action, the plot, the relationships and dynamics, and they're all just so good. But these characters do as well hold special places in my heart.
THE PLOT
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Oh geez, this book was insane. Not nearly as good as ACOMAF, but still insane. So many twists, so much action, character development, RELATIONSHIP development, and as always, I was freaking out. I don't know what we expect from me anymore, I'm always freaking out over these books.
Honestly- I don't think there were any times when I thought the plot was slow. I mean, there were a lot of conversations and war planning that I kind of skimmed over, but the characters' personalities made them worth it. The second half, specifically the ending, was full of action and it literally made me cry. Twice. (view spoiler)[Rhys's speech, then when the Suriel died. (hide spoiler)] I would've cried at (view spoiler)[Rhys "dying" but whoop-de-doo, I got spoiled for that. (hide spoiler)]
So much betrayal, tension, fighting, and it was all so good.
“It's a rare person to face who they are and not run from it - not be broken by it.”
THE CHARACTERS
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So as I write these main character descriptions out, I'm going to be ranking them from my favorite to least favorite to spice things up a little bit. Don't come for me.
Nesta
“Nesta looked at the king with death twining around his hands, then down at Cassian. And covered Cassian’s body with her own. Cassian went still - then his hand slid over her back. Together. They’d go together.”
THIS SCENE FREAKED ME OUT.
So yes, Nesta is my favorite character. I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I find her character just so interesting and complex. She was extremely rude in ACOTAR, but at the end of that book, I began to grow fond of her. And that just heightened in ACOMAF and then this book as she didn't let anyone undermine her or get the better of her. I just love how badass she is and also how funny she is. Her banter with Cassian is amazing.
Cassian
“I met those laughing, fierce hazel eyes. Cassian’s smile softened. “Hello, Feyre.” My throat tightened to the point of pain, and I threw my arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. “I missed you, too,” Cassian murmured, squeezing me.”
And right after Nesta comes Cassian, my favorite of the bat boys. Yes, even before Rhys. I always fall head over heels for the characters that are cocky and arrogant and funny and have an amazing sense of humor, but they are also fiercely loyal and protective, and that is exactly who Cassian is. He risked so much in this book for his friends, and I admire that so much, especially when he was defying Rhys's orders. I looove him.
Mor
“We're all broken," Mor said. "In our own ways - in places no one might see.”
THIS BOOK MAKES ME LOVE HER SO MUCH. Don't get me wrong, I loved her in ACOTAR and ACOMAF but like in this book she was a QUEEN. She was so badass and amazing, but also so vulnerable. (view spoiler)[When she was crying after Rhys gave the King of Hybern access to Velaris, I literally wanted to punch Rhys. (hide spoiler)] And when she was confessing all of those things to Feyre? I hadn't expected them, but I was so happy.
Azriel
“But it was Azriel who said, his voice like cold death, “Be careful how you speak about my High Lady.”
AH.
My deadly and quiet bat boy, I LOVE. He was incredible in this book. Taking care of Elain, protecting Mor, GOING OUT WHEN HE WAS INJURED? He's so brave and strong and cold and yet so sweet and soft and caring on the inside. I hope he doesn't get his heart broken.
Rhysand
“Kindness can thrive even amongst cruelty.”
And now we finally have Rhys. So...I don't know if I prefer him or Rowan to be honest. He and Rowan are different in many ways yet....also similar. I don't know, Rhysand's more cocky and charming while Rowan is very passionate and devoted (don't get me wrong, Rhys definitely is too). But I mean, I don't have to choose.
But anyways, he's not my favorite character in this series, surprisingly. I mean, I like him well enough, and I do believe that he absolutely loves and adores Feyre, but I just prefer Cassian. Though I do like me some charming characters with dirty mouths. But he also made some idiotic choices where he should've told people what he was doing, but I get it. He wanted to save his friends and have them all live. Also, I do understand why he acts out sometimes, after having gone through Amarantha and Under the Mountain, and that he just wants to keep everyone safe. I do love him, despite what I've said.
Lucien
“You are a better friend to me, Feyre,” he said quietly, “than I ever was to you.”
I've loved Lucien since the first book. I knew he was never like Tamlin, and I adore him so much. His personality, his devotion (especially towards Elain) I mean...I just really don't want his heart to get broken over Elain. Because I know that something happens between Azriel and Elain, and while I don't know for certain (surprisingly), I just really don't want him to love Elain so fiercely just for her to break his heart. Because that would break MY heart.
Elain
“Elain had always been gentle and sweet—and I had considered it a different sort of strength. A better strength. To look at the hardness of the world and choose, over and over, to love, to be kind. She had been always so full of light.”
And then we get Elain herself. Now while she isn't my least favorite Archeron sister (that award goes to Feyre), I do like her considerably less than Nesta. She is a very sweet character, and I did feel so much for her during this book. Especially when the stuff with that Graysen guy came up, I just wanted to reach into the book and hug her. And when she did that thing at the end? I literally gasped, "Elain??" out loud because I was so surprised. I didn't think she had it in her, but I was proud. And that's what we call character development.
Amren
“Someone fish out dear Amren before she catches a cold.”
This scene left me with my jaw dropped.
She's tied with Elain, maybe a little higher. She has such an intriguing character, and those plot twists with her were fantastic. Especially at the end: (view spoiler)[I really thought she was a dirty liar and traitor and I was so shocked and betrayed. And then she got taken out of her body and then saved literally everyone and she was AMAZING. (hide spoiler)] I loved her mysterious personality, and her brutal calmness, and also her loyalty and trust in her friends.
Feyre
“Only you can decide what breaks you, Cursebreaker. Only you.”
High Lady Cursebreaker herself. Now, I used to say that I hated Feyre for no reason, but now I have reasons. She was just so stupid in this book. Like some things she said (especially those things to Mor: WHY FEYRE WHY??) and some things she did (also what she did to Mor: YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE LIED) But then there were times when I hated her for no reason. Like when she told Amren "Careful" and then glared at her, I literally wanted to throttle her. I don't know why I just HATE it when characters do that.
All of these side characters are amazing as well (except Tamlin who is never a main character in my view anymore. Though at the end he was SLIGHTLY redeemed- not really but it's better than nothing.)
“Leave this world... a better place than how you found it.”
THIS SCENE WAS SO SAD.
The Relationships
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So I'm going to have to put all except one relationship into spoiler tags for this since only one of them is really confirmed (some might argue that two were confirmed, but after that ending and a character's reaction, it's not yet confirmed. Though it's confirmed to me because y'know, SPOILERS)
Feyre and Rhys
“I see all of you, Rhys. And there is not one part that I do not love with everything I am.”
I want the love these two have. While they are not my favorite couple *cough* Rowaelin is better *cough* I still love reading about these two. Though a certain couple in this series is much more interesting in my opinion. But anyways, there were much less intimate scenes in this than I thought there'd be. Unless I blocked them out of my mind which is also possible- I swear all of those scenes are just copy and paste with different banter and different things going on.
"His growls of pleasure filled the tent, drowning out the distant cries of the injured and dying."
Like this line is practically iconic by now.....I literally stared at the book with my eyebrow raised. NOT THE BEST TIME, GUYS.
“I have no regrets in my life, but this. That we did not have time. That I did not have time with you, Nesta. I will find you in the next world - the next life. And we will have that time. I promise.”
AHHHHHH
I wish they hadn't kissed. Yes, I said it. I wish they hadn't kissed. I know it was when Cassian was practically dying and they were all sad and crying but like...I wanted more slowburn. I know A Court of Silver Flames is all about them (thank goodness) and I really hope we still have the incredible banter between them. Though I do much prefer their dynamic to Rhys and Feyre. I don't know why. I just like the grumpy girl and sunshine male. Oh my gosh I realized that is literally what they are. (hide spoiler)]
Now I don't actually think this starts until A Court of Silver Flames, but I still want to write about it here.
So.....I think I'm more shipping Azriel and Elain right now, but I know that a character named Gwyn comes in at some point and she's going to put a whole mess in the plans, turning something into a Gwyn Azriel Elain triangle (Why must complicated love triangles like this exist??) So I just don't want characters getting their hearts shattered into millions of pieces. I think the thing I don't like is that Azriel might be kissing Gwyn and Elain in like the same time frame (THAT BETTER NOT HAPPEN OR I'M SOMEHOW GOING TO TELEPORT INTO THE BOOK AND PUNCH HIM. Not that it'd do much but still) Anyways, I'm weary about this triangle, and all I'm going to be focusing on is Nesta and Cassian. Unless this happens in A Court of Frost and Starlight. Which I highly doubt considering it's just a novella. (hide spoiler)]
I think this was a wonderful end to this main trilogy. I can't wait to read A Court of Frost and Starlight and then A Court of Silver Flames! The characters and plot are great and I love the relationships and friendships so much. Sarah J. Maas really knows how to write friendships and found family.
4.5 stars
“It is the family you make, not the one you are born into, that matters.”
“To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.”
I'm going to get that quote tattooed onto my body.
Well then. This book did a lot of“To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.”
I'm going to get that quote tattooed onto my body.
Well then. This book did a lot of things to me. Taught me a few things about myself, made me choke on air a lot because I gasped loudly, made me giggle far too much. And so, my obsession has thus begun.
The Plot
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So let me say this right off the bat: I knew about the Tamlin twist. That didn't shock me, and that was why I didn't like the first book. I also knew about a different twist: (view spoiler)[Rhys and Feyre were mates. (hide spoiler)] But that definitely didn't reduce my love for this book.
BECAUSE OH MY GOD THIS WAS INSANE. I was getting chills, gasping, giggling, shouting, almost crying during this book which is typical of me but STILL. I adored this. I loved the world, the characters, EVERYTHING. And here is a certain plot twist that I didn't guess: (view spoiler)[ELAIN AND LUCIEN ARE MATES?? I heard about a supposed love triangle between Lucien, Azriel, and Elain, and I am SO confused right now as to how that is possible if Lucien and Elain are mates. Unless they aren't. ARGH I DON'T KNOW. (hide spoiler)]
That ending was cruel by the way. Positively evil.
“He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.”
The Characters
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Oh boy do I have a lot of opinions on these characters.
Feyre
“I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal. I was a survivor, and I was strong. I would not be weak, or helpless again I would not, could not be broken. Tamed.”
Aelin is better. I said it. Aelin is a badass queen, and while Feyre is a strong character who can be a badass at times, I just found myself extremely annoyed at some decisions she made. (view spoiler)[She literally saved Rhys's life and then ran away because she was upset he didn't tell her about them being mates. Girl he almost DIED. (hide spoiler)] Maybe I'm being unreasonable. Maybe not.
Rhysand
“If you were going to die, I was going to die with you. I couldn’t stop thinking it over and over as you screamed, as I tried to kill her: you were my mate, my mate, my mate.”
Jealousy is my toxic trait and feeling it for a fictional character is even worse but god am I jealous of Feyre. I wish Fae were real. But alas, NOPE.
But anyways, I love Rhys with my entire being and when he was hurt I was literally almost crying. And CHAPTER 54- the confession was perfection and I almost cried. His devotion towards Feyre is incredible, but I'm not surprised since they are in fact very...close.
“Hello, Feyre darling,” he purred.”
Iconic
Tamlin
“The issue isn't whether he loved you, it's how much. Too much. Love can be poison.”
I hope he dies.
Cassian
“Come on, Feyre. We don’t bite. Unless you ask us to.”
Ah Cas, one of the bat boys whom I all love. I love him so much. His personality, humor, devotion, loyalty, love, ALL OF IT. While he is hilarious and all that, he cares so deeply for people and I love him. Also, I loved the interactions with Nesta. More on that later.
Azriel
“There are good days and hard days for me—even now. Don’t let the hard days win.”
Ah Az, another one of the bat boys. He may be my least favorite, but not by much. I adore his quiet anger and love and devotion, but I also feel so bad for him with what happens at the end. He's so gentle (when he wants to be-) and can be somewhat kind, and he is incredibly protective and devoted to those he loves.
Mor
“I was a dreamer born into the Court of Nightmares,” Mor said. “So I got out.”
AH, I LOVE MOR. Her whole personality is my favorite, and she's so funny and ugh such a good character. I feel so deeply for her, and her backstory is so sad. I can't wait to see more as I continue with the series.
Amren
“Males are horrible creatures, aren’t they?”
Amren is a very interesting character. At times she's all mysterious and doesn't talk much, and then she sometimes lets a little bit of herself free and she talks a little bit more. She also scares me. She must be incredibly powerful and I need to learn more about her background and character!
Lucien
“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, Lucien, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”
I'm conflicted. Hopefully he gets...better considering certain....events that occur.
Nesta and Elain
“I believe you. And I believe in peace. I believe in a better world.”
Honestly, though I've heard people say they don't like Nesta, I LOVE her character. Her whole angry and snappy personality is one of my favorites, I don't know why. She's so strong and I LOVE her adoration and devotion (yes I've used that word many times) towards Elain. Also, I loved her interaction with Cassian. But again, more on that later heh.
Elain is.....fine. She can be strong at times, but she is definitely written as the more dainty character, but I still do like her. I just prefer Nesta. But that ending with her, wow.
There might be more characters but I can't remember everyone, all right?
The Relationships
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So, here's a warning: the next section will be a little spoilery. Ok, very spoilery. But if you've already read this far in, it won't really come as much of a surprise. But I will also be talking about my ships and predictions as well as the main couple.
Feyre and Rhys
“I fell in love with you, smartass, because you were one of us—because you weren’t afraid of me, and you decided to end your spectacular victory by throwing that piece of bone at Amarantha like a javelin. I felt Cassian’s spirit beside me in that moment, and could have sworn I heard him say, ‘If you don’t marry her, you stupid prick, I will.”
Wowza, these two. I was hyping myself up for the famous chapter 55 the whole way through and when I reached it I was freaking out. (chapter 54 was better though- it was amazing) Though chapter 55 made me laugh, which is not something you want to happen during a spicy scene.
"wingspan" "the considerable length of him sprang free."
And then other things Feyre said about Rhys's "length" had me cringing SO BADLY. But other than that, I LOVE THESE TWO. They had so many good scenes like chapter 48? I hadn't expected any scenes like that before chapter 55 but honestly, I should have. And then the famous scene that has inspired many fanarts where Feyre is sitting on Rhys's lap. That scene had me SCREECHING I tell you.
The tension written between these two is immaculate. I was begging them to just kiss so badly throughout the book.
And ok, so after that ending with a certain PLOT TWIST, I have ships.
-Nesta and Cassian have incredible banter already and now I really want to read A Court of Silver Flames And because it would be bad if I just left this one out in the open, I'm putting it in spoiler tags: (view spoiler)[And then there's the Lucien and Elain situation. I've heard that Az comes into the picture too, and while that's going to be interesting, I'm unsure how I feel about any of that yet. So we shall see. (hide spoiler)]
So now, I have a new series that will become my personality, new characters that I have named my family, and a new world I desperately want to leave in (TAKE ME TO VELARIS PLEASE).
Overall, this was much better than ACOTAR and I can't WAIT to read on!
5 stars
“No one was my master— but I might be master of everything, if I wished. If I dared.”
<><><><><><><><><> Guess who has a new series to obsess over? ...more
This was an improvement from Blood & Honey, I must say that, even though I was screaming in frustration“Hope isn’t the sickness. It’s the cure.”
This was an improvement from Blood & Honey, I must say that, even though I was screaming in frustration through this entire book.
Serpent & Dove is still the best book in this series, but I did like this one. The last half made reading this book worth it after considering dnfing it in the first half, which I wasn't actually going to do because I hate dnfing books I spent money on.
The Plot
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So, in Blood & Honey I felt like the plot was really slow, boring, and confusing in the first half and then the second half had more action and adventure and the same exact thing happened in this book. The beginning was so confusing and slow, but when we transitioned towards the ending, it became really fast-paced and entertaining.
I hated being confused over what was happening, because I like knowing what's happening, obviously, but I didn't want to have to go back because if you didn't know already, I'm incredibly lazy when it comes to doing that, and also because I really just wanted to finish this book.
I also feel like some things in this were far too convenient. Like, they were able to solve hard problems very easily and it just didn't make sense how something so drastic and dangerous could be so easy to accomplish, I guess.
And there are far too many names and places in this series, I couldn't remember where anything was, and I had to go back to the map in the front of this book multiple times to check where my location was to make sense of the setting.
Also, that epilogue killed me. It was so bittersweet and sad, yet so uplifting and hopeful. I almost started crying, partially because of the book and partially for other reasons, but still, it made me emotional.
I'm still never forgiving the author for doing what she did in Blood & Honey.
“Fear was inevitable. We all made our choices, and we all suffered our consequences. We all felt fear. The trick was learning to live with that fear, to continue forward in spite of it.”
The Characters
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Hmm....so, my liking towards these characters has increased since Blood & Honey. I still don't love Lou and Reid as much as I did in the first book, but at least I like them more now than I did in Blood & Honey.
Lou
.....Ok so I still don't like her that much. I mean, there kind of has to be a median: at some points in this book, I hated her to the point that I wanted to fling my book at the wall. At other points I wanted her to be my best friend. I actually think Lou would make a great best friend. She's selfless, loyal, and brave. But she can also be incredibly annoying.
At some moments when she was with Reid and provoking him or whatever, I got so mad. I don't know why, but some of the things she was doing were so unnecessary and made absolutely no sense.
But again, there were other moments where I loved her. So it kind of depends.
Reid
Again, I don't like him as much in this as I did in Serpent & Dove. He has drastically grown since Blood & Honey but then....some things came up...and I can't say anything, but let's just say his character development plummeted back to how he was in the beginning of Serpent & Dove.
He's still incredibly fierce and protective over his friends and family, which I admire.
Coco
Ah, I love Coco. She's so smart and some things she said in this book made me grin so much. I can't really say much else because I have no idea what to say, since if I add more on, I'm literally going to repeat what I just said with different words.
Just know, I love her character more than Lou's.
Beau
Beau is amazingggg. He has definitely grown on me since Serpent & Dove, which I've mentioned before, but whatever. Dare I say, I even like him more than Reid? He's just so funny and he cracked jokes when they were definitely not necessary, but I loved them anyway.
I also enjoyed the side characters quite a bit. I wasn't liking Célie much in any of the books, and not even a little bit in this one, but I definitely learned to like her.
“Do not mistake me for porcelain. Do not mistake me for weak.”
The Romance and Friendships
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Lou and Reid
Thank God their relationship in this was nothing like it was in Blood & Honey. They weren't infuriating luckily, and I adore their banter. Again, I didn't like them together as much in this one as I did in Serpent & Dove, but still, I love them. Their fierce devotion to each other had me squealing and the epilogue made me melt because it was so cute.
Their relationship was definitely....tested in this one, but I had no doubt they wouldn't find each other again.
They were definitely the stars, sorry. I love their relationship and I need a whole book on it. I never realized how much I needed a book about them until now. I needed more scenes with them in it, because that first kiss was EVERYTHING. I was mildly embarrassed because it was in front of everyone and was growing incredibly passionate, but honestly, I don't even care, because I'd waited since BOOK ONE for them to get together.
The friendships in this book are EVERYTHING. Beau and Lou's friendship is amazing, and I love how he calls her "sister mine" and how they can easily trade snarky remarks with each other.
Lou and Coco's friendship is as amazing as ever, and I honestly wish they were my best friends.
“There is no rose without a thorn.”
Well, I have finally finished this series. It took me a while to read all of these books but I've done it! It sure has been an experience, and while I am upset that the second and third books were disappointing compared to the first one, I will always carry fond memories of Serpent & Dove with me, as well as the characters, who I've grown to really love.
4 stars
“There is no solution for grief. Only time.”
Indeed.
<><><><><><> this sure is bittersweet. it always is, finishing a series.
“What you are now is not what you’ve always been, nor is it what you always will be. You are a snake. Shed your skin if it no longer serves you. Tr“What you are now is not what you’ve always been, nor is it what you always will be. You are a snake. Shed your skin if it no longer serves you. Transform into something different. Something better.”
Y'know, I'm not even disappointed. I'd gone into this book expecting it to be a filler and not good based off of the ratings and reviews and I expected this. But this is still upsetting, considering I love the first book, Serpent & Dove.
The characters felt so off, the romance was filled to the brim with miscommunication, which wouldn't have even happened if Lou wasn't being so STUPID.
The Plot
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It took me around 207 pages for me to get a little bit interested in the plot but then it immediately declined again and then all of a sudden the ending caused me to become very much invested. All the plot consisted much of was miscommunication *ew* and splitting up, which was NOT a great idea considering that an evil witch was chasing them.
I feel like I've blocked a lot of this out of my mind because I remember literally nothing. I couldn't post many updates on what I was thinking while reading the book that much so I cannot remember what happened because my brain is fried or something.
I did enjoy some of the action with Reid and the ending was just....wow. I literally stared at the book and slowly closed it because I knew everything was about to go insane in the next book.
I almost started crying about what happened in this book at one point, even though I quickly predicted it, but I couldn't cry because I was in public and the last thing I wanted was someone coming up to me and asking why I was crying.
Also, I caught a grammar mistake and imagine my smugness when I saw it.
I wish I could say more but I forgot literally everything.
“When a person brings you more hurt than happiness, you’re allowed to let them go.”
The Characters
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The characters were the downfall of this book. Especially Lou. They were all out of character (mainly Lou and Reid) and annoying (again, Lou and Reid. My babies Coco, Ansel, and Beau were fine)
Louise
I. Hate. Her. She annoyed me SO much in this book. She kept lying to Reid after she EXPLICITLY TOLD HIM THEY WOULDN'T LIE TO EACH OTHER ANYMORE. Was she doing it for his own good? Maybe, but I do not care. Communication is important in a relationship!
She also kept forcing herself into situations she didn't need to. She kept creating arguments with Reid and trying to spin it around and pin everything on him which annoyed me every single TIME, especially when it wasn't even entirely Reid's fault, but her own!
Also she overreacted way too much for Beau accidentally dying her hair white. That scene made me roll my eyes so hard, like it's just hair. It can be fixed. Chill out.
Anyways, I'm very mad that I hate her now after loving her so much in the first book.
Reid
What happened to him too?? He was so moody and grumpy the entire time and it got so annoying. I still like him better than Lou in this, but he went from one of my favorite characters in the series to one of my least favorite characters in the series. He was also way too overprotective of Lou.
I did understand some of the things he went through though, his whole world was flipped upside down when he found out he was a witch, but he didn't have to be a complete ass to some of the other characters and just sulk around all the freaking time.
Coco
I still like her at times, but what she did to Ansel was not okay. When she was leading him on like that I was so mad because Ansel didn't deserve that. He just wanted someone to love and Coco had to go and completely shatter his heart by kissing him two times when she didn't even like him. That's not okay.
Beau
I actually like him much more than I used to. I like his snarky personality and that he would give up a crown and title just to save his friends, which I appreciate.
Ansel
Ah, Ansel. My baby. I love him so much. He doesn't deserve all of the stuff happening to him in this book. I love him.
The Romance
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Where's the banter? Where's the romantic statements? Hm??
I greatly grew to dislike this part. Lou and Reid were getting along just fine in the beginning and then the miscommunication came in, which was GREATLY annoying. They had stupid fights over nothing, which could have easily been solved if they actually talked to each other, but no, talking is too difficult now.
I feel like at some points they went from being super pissed at each other to being all lovey dovey the next, which had me so confused: like they just had a fight and now they're hugging and kissing again without any apology??
The romance BETTER get better in the next book or I'm quitting.
(view spoiler)[Ansel and Coco- so I never shipped these two at all. To be quite honest, I ship Beau and Coco. But now that Ansel's gone, nothing can really happen between Ansel and Coco now anyways.
I will forever be upset that the author killed off the best character (hide spoiler)]
So this book could've definitely been....better. It's a definite downgrade from the first book, and I am really hoping the last book will be better.
3 stars
“The world didn’t end in a scream. It ended in a gasp. A single, startled exhalation. And then— Nothing. Nothing but silence.”
<><><><><><><> What the hell was this book?? And what the hell was that ending???
Rtc
<><><><><><><> based on the average rating for this book I'm scared. I've heard that it's a filler but as long as Reid and Lou are together I don't care because I love those two....more
“You must not allow yourself to be consumed so thoroughly by death. It’s not selfish to live.”
I reread this in preparation for Foxglove, a2nd read
“You must not allow yourself to be consumed so thoroughly by death. It’s not selfish to live.”
I reread this in preparation for Foxglove, and I forgot how much I loved this book, and I nearly cried at this one thing that happened at the end.
Death is still the best, and once again, don't take that out of context.
<><><><><><><> First read
“Do not change the parts of yourself that you like to make others comfortable. Do not try to mold yourself to fit the standards someone else has set for us.”
I LOVE IT
THIS BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE
I have not felt this strongly over something since I read Legendborn back in February, but this was SO GOOD.
And let's just take a moment of appreciation for the cover- like the Barnes & Noble exclusive did not mess around, I cannot stop staring at the design underneath the dust jacket, it's BEAUTIFUL.
The Plot
Usually when I read mysteries, I'm positively awful with guessing who's the murderer, or any other possible twists.
BUT.
I GOT ONE OF THE TWISTS IN THIS RIGHT. AND I GUESSED IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.
I don't know if anyone else guessed it or if it was really obvious but LET ME HAVE THIS MOMENT PLEASE
The other twist, the twist for who the murderer was, I actually did not guess, but I'm okay with that.
This book just has a way of captivating you, like I didn't read this in one sitting and didn't really have an inclination to do so until I actually sat down and read it when I had a lot of time on my hands, and I couldn't tear myself away.
The pacing wasn't necessarily fast (not that it was slow either. it was just right) but it just sucked me in and felt like the pages were flying by because I couldn't stop reading. Like I brought this to a restaurant and was trying so hard not to make reactions (though it was VERY hard not to. some of the scenes I read were ones I was peeking around to make sure no one was looking over my shoulder) because my family already thinks I'm weird and I don't need to give them further proof.
The last few chapters of this book were crazy. I was staring at it with wide eyes as everything was revealed (along with the wonderful little plot twist I got right. I'm so proud about that) and I almost cried at one part, which is saying something, though not really since I'm an emotional person.
Also, the vibes in this book are immaculate. Like I love gothic and spooky settings, and this was so good and perfectly what I wanted. The writing had a hand in that, so I'll just say that the writing is actually amazing, like it was so beautiful and lyrical.
(view spoiler)[The twist I guessed was that Sylas was Death. I just immediately thought of it from the beginning, and things just kept adding up, like how when I was scrolling through reviews, NO ONE was talking about Sylas, which just made my theory stronger. I also had a theory that Sylas was the murderer, but that didn't end up happening. (hide spoiler)]
“Stop worrying about society and playing its game, hoping that you'll be good enough. There is no such thing as true goodness, there is only perception.”
The Characters
I loved the characters in this so much. Like, I hated none of them except the people you're supposed to hate.
Signa is such a great main character. She's strong, but not arrogant, gentle, but not timid. She's the perfect balance of someone who has a smart mouth but doesn't get on my nerves like most of the main characters with the snarky personality do. She's responsible, smart, and everything I wish to be if I were a main character in a book (not like it's ever gonna happen. A girl can dream though)
Seeing her character growth was also astounding, going from careful and slightly shy to the determined person she was at the end.
Now...Death.
I've learned plenty of things about myself this year as to what kind of characters I've learned to love. First was a demon prince, and now we've got literal Death. Is it concerning? Yes. Do I necessarily care? Not one bit.
I never doubted Death. I fell in love with him instantly, because that's what I do, and I actually (surprisingly) really liked that he wasn't cold and snappish but was actually so cute and kind and adorable and caring to Signa and he had me giggling and kicking my feet on numerous occasions.
Like he's so gentle and just overall amazing ...more
“I am a monster, but whether you remember it or not, I’m your monster, Evangeline.”
y'allll when I tell you this line made me-
ALEXA PLAY LITERAL“I am a monster, but whether you remember it or not, I’m your monster, Evangeline.”
y'allll when I tell you this line made me-
ALEXA PLAY LITERALLY ANY LOVE SONG BY TAYLOR SWIFT BECAUSE EVAJACKS ARE EVERYTHING AND SO IS TAYLOR SWIFT.
(there will be spoilers if you haven't read this book so be wary!)
Ok so here we finally are. The book we finally deserve after that HORRENDOUS ending to The Ballad of Never After (I loved that ending so much despite how much pain it caused me) and it is finally here. And so is my review which I have been DYING to write ever since the book got announced, and ever since I finished this book.
I have so many thoughts but I don't even know how to say them. As you can see, I rated this book 4 stars. It's gonna be more than 4 stars, but personally, it's not a 5 star book for me.
｡.｡:∞♡♥｡.｡ The Plot
Hm...where to begin. I'll just start from the beginning. Obviously. But anyways, the beginning of this book was actually a little slow. Mainly because Evangline was relearning everything after her memories were taken, and while I was lowkey stressed out, everything was jumping along pretty smoothly.
When Apollo's first chapter came around, I literally rolled my eyes because I forgot that he even had chapters in this book. BUT. I was thankfully gifted a Jacks chapter a few chapters later, and that completely lifted my mood. In said chapter, we get THIS absolute gem of a quote that made me choke: “He'd never understood why someone would watch another person sleep...until her.”
screaming.
Things started to pick back up literally right after Jacks's chapter, which I cannot find as a coincidence, because Jacks just makes literally everything better. I was freaking out and hyperventilating for literally no reason at all for like the rest of the book, and let's just say, that's definitely an experience.
After going back through my updates, let's just say, I got more and more unhinged as the book continued on and that's true, because the book got crazier and crazier.
BUT. based on comments I keep getting, I'm pretty sure I know why Jacks uses his apples but now I know! All is well.
Speaking of which, the epilogue killed me. Not because it's cute, because it wasn't, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LAST LINE. "Other stories were brewing in the Magnificent North." WHAT OTHER STORIES STEPHANIE?? I will need them asap thank you. it did feel a little bittersweet though, because the next stories probably won't be connected to any of the main characters from this series and Caraval. I'm still bitter that Tella didn't pop up in a cameo.
I just realized I have so much more to say on the plot, but I've already written so much so here's my final comment on the plot: this book felt a lot more romance heavy than the others. There was just this super weird vibe around the book, as if it had lost all the magic. Don't get me wrong, I loved the romance, EvaJacks are my babies, but one of the reasons I love Caraval and OUABH so much was because of the magic, and this book just seemed to lack it.
Avery (Taylor's version)
>
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