I was about to give this 3-3.5 stars because the fae really let me down and annoyed the fuck out of me lol like really is it impossible for one fae toI was about to give this 3-3.5 stars because the fae really let me down and annoyed the fuck out of me lol like really is it impossible for one fae to be decent? But then the epilogue had two nice surprises that saved it and that’s also when I realized this series is over ...more
Read as an audiobook. Still enjoying this series, it’s an easy thing to listen to while working or doing chores. The ending was intriguing because it Read as an audiobook. Still enjoying this series, it’s an easy thing to listen to while working or doing chores. The ending was intriguing because it entwines more with her other series and was a very Annette Marie way to end on a non urgent cliffhanger, but I’m excited to see how that unfolds in the next book. I am endlessly pissed off that Zak and Saber still haven’t explained to each other what happened when they were teenagers. Saber refuses to ask because it will confirm(?) that he’s heartless and make her re-live his betrayal and I’m just like stfu and talk about it already!! So here’s hoping that happens any time soon, but I wouldn’t be surprised if AM drags it out for a whole nother book ...more
This was interesting. Gina L Maxwell is known for her kink so I was excited to see how she blended that with PNR. I found the kink a little l3.5 stars
This was interesting. Gina L Maxwell is known for her kink so I was excited to see how she blended that with PNR. I found the kink a little lacking, what we got was good but then it was like “over the past week we’ve done x y and x” and I was like bro show don’t tell lol that would’ve been fun to see. Overall I feel like her fae world building was pretty good and I’m interested to see more in this series. Although I do feel like the H and h have the more interesting backstory so I’m not sure how the next characters will top that. I also thought the mystery surrounding why Bryn was in Vegas and everything else about her was drawn out too long for how obvious it was. All in all though this was entertaining and a fun read....more
This was pretty cute. I read books 1 & 2 of this series back in 2018, didn't love them and then never got back to it. I also read a completely separatThis was pretty cute. I read books 1 & 2 of this series back in 2018, didn't love them and then never got back to it. I also read a completely separate standalone cupid book by RK that I liked and I was intrigued by the ghost aspect here so I thought I'd give this one a try without catching up on what I missed. It says it's a standalone and that's...mostly true. There's a lot of talk about some big battle and betrayals and shit that I was in the dark on. I would've liked a bit more background about how Lex and Belren knew each other/the main characters from books 1-3 and who Belren was, but I wasn't lost without it. Lex and Belren remind me a lot of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in Tangled lol... Lex was a very goody two shoes, rule following, innocent and Belren was a swashbuckling rogue thief. Lex's good girl complex was probably the most entertaining part of this book especially with how it manifested once they started ...more
I really wanted to like this, but I found it so boring. I should've just DNF'd, but I felt compelled to finish it.
Part of this could just be my fault,I really wanted to like this, but I found it so boring. I should've just DNF'd, but I felt compelled to finish it.
Part of this could just be my fault, maybe I'm not that into (upper?)YA fantasy, anymore? But truly I feel like I can be captivated by anything if it's got a good plot, writing, characters, etc. This just left a lot to be desired and while I have no doubt lots of people will love it, it just didn't work for me at all.
I found the story very unoriginal, there was nothing unique or exciting. I felt no connection to either of the main characters nor did I feel their connection to each other, the romance was so, so lackluster. The plot didn't make a lot of sense and was very predictable. For a book filled with magic it lacked any sort of magical feeling. The world-building was really weak and unimaginative. I'm going to expand more on all of this with spoilers below...
*Spoilers below*
It's been 101 years since the last human queen and no one knows why they can't find the new one. Each and every queen for 3,000 years has lived 100 years after going to Midscape when they die then like clockwork? Not really explained why they die so precisely, but they must die for a new queen to come every 100 years exactly. So we start off with Luella and her childhood friend, Luke, confessing their love to each other and it turns out Luke is the reason they can't find the new queen because he's hidden Luella's magic and gets punished... that whole storyline just felt unnecessary (more on that later).
Once Luella gets to Midscape it's explained that she's the weakest queen yet and they've been getting weaker progressively. But she's totally committed to being queen, helping Capton and Midscape, and doing her duty. Yet after one day and sitting on the throne once she completely changes her mind and decides she needs to escape back home? She's making this sacrifice for everyone then all of the sudden she decides there can't be any reason these queens stay for 100 years, all she needs to do is feed the throne once, spring is back, she's done... REALLY? On what basis are you making this stupid decision?
ANYWAY, back to why the Luke plotline was stupid if the Queen's are really getting weaker and have been for hundreds of years how do they all last the 100 years? Why is Luella basically dying after she is convinced to stay and sits on the throne for two weeks? They've made it very clear she won't be able to sustain the throne for long so they must figure out how to end this and save both Capton and Midscape because Luella is definitely the last human queen. Okay, sure... What would've made this way better to me is erase the Luke plotline, that was boring and dumb he literally never comes up again once we leave Capton. What would make this whole "the queen's are getting weaker, you're so weak, blah blah blah" plotline a whole lot more believable is if, say, a human queen died way earlier than they were supposed to, maybe after 20 or 50 years. Then since Midscape can't survive without a human queen the Elf King has to come and steal a human girl before the 100 year agreement. That way we have a reason the new human queen is untrained and unprepared, like Luella is, and an explanation about why she might be the weakest of all queens. The Elf King would just be selfishly sacrificing this human girl to sustain his lands. That would've made way more sense IMO.
Also. On to Elf Kings and Human Queens... Elf Kings are like any other royal monarchy, the 'power' passes from father to firstborn son. Human Queens are random... just some random human specifically from the town of Capton on the other side of the Fade that randomly shows powers as a late teenager. Why? Why is the human magic not passed down generationally as well? The world-building was just so like 'this happens, no reason why, I'm just saying things with no basis or support'. Also, 'The Viel' that Elf Kings maintain that traps...the dead?... is mentioned, but never elaborated on. Why the Fade is even really necessary is a mystery...humans used to co-exist with all the Midscape creatures thousands of years ago, seems like if they're dying they should just agree to not kill all the humans? Wasn't really explained why that couldn't have been an option.
The elves were portrayed as so bad as "they come for queens and bring death" or something like that... Eldas was so lame. He seemed kind of cool and badass when he came for her, but he was like a little marshmallow when we start to get to know him, a marshmallow that occasionally kills people, but still.
When I read the blurb and saw she was forced to marry an Elf King I was expecting forced proximity, living together, maybe in the same rooms, some pretending to be romantic at the very least in front of the people of Midscape, but there was none of that. Zero expectation from this King/Queen union for romantic relationships in the thousands of years it's been going on, so the romance in this was sooo slow to get going and not very believable or exciting.
The 'answer' to ending the human queen requirement seemed weird, like why not make it more clear that there was a way to end it? It didn't seem like a 'sacrifice' of sending a human girl was necessary for any reason. Everyone would've been happier to just have the mirror of the redwood throne in Capton creating seasons in Midscape without having to marry a dumb human and the people of Capton would've loved not having to give away a girl every 100 years. But no, the first queen knew that "when the time was right" some human queen would figure it out... okay...
Also, why is Capton so small? Why wouldn't other humans be flocking to a place that lets you live longer? Why is there only one healer? So.many.questions.
Anyway, I could literally rant and ramble about every aspect of this book and plot, but I'm going to be done now. I just think this could've been a whole lot better. It's not a terrible idea, it just needed better editing, more creativity in regards to plot and world-building, and more romantic tension between the leads. Oh well, on to the next....more
Read as an audiobook. I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous ‘warped’ series, this is back to Annette Marie’s usual style and I liked it. I’ve beRead as an audiobook. I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous ‘warped’ series, this is back to Annette Marie’s usual style and I liked it. I’ve been curious about the Crystal Druid/the Ghost since he was a love interest of Tori’s in her series so it’s nice to be learning more about him. I did forget that this series was told from his love interest, Saber’s POV though, sad. Luckily I like her and as with most of Annette Marie’s heroines there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. This book has long lost childhood lovers, a dash of amnesia, druids, fae, magic, a monster stealing hearts and a stabby murderous heroine who also happens to be a vet who loves animals. The hero is also plenty murder-y. But of course right when they realize their childhood link the book ends and I’m desperate to know more so I’ll definitely be continuing with this series....more
The world building once we leave Earth (early on in the book) bit off more than it could chew. Things were just sloppily explained and unexplo3 stars.
The world building once we leave Earth (early on in the book) bit off more than it could chew. Things were just sloppily explained and unexplored and random. We're introduced to way too many people, places and things without real follow through. And not in a 'oh that's coming next book' kind of way, but like a mentioned and swept aside kind of way. World building is super important to me for PNR, so if you don't need a super robust world that's well explained/sturctured you will probably love this.
Besides the world building the plot was a bit all over the place too. There was no real progress or effort made towards major goals. 'Shadow'...stupid fucking name, btw, I kept waiting for us to learn his real name which we do at the very end, but Shadow is a cute name for a black cat, but a super dumb name for a god. I also didn't miss the fact that our h, Mera, decides to shorten 'Shadow Beast' to 'Shadow' and what do you know that's also what everyone else calls him ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Anyway, off the tangent of his name, he keeps threatening to kill her if she doesn't figure out her powers, but never does and never helps her figure her shit out. She also never makes any effort to do this on her downtime, but randomly will just be better at it as time progresses. K. So again, random shit just happens and it felt a bit like being led around on a house tour by a toddler... Just like getting pulled in random directions with no real explanation if that makes sense lol it's fun because the H is a hot supremely powerful being and the h is some sassy mysteriously powerful shifter so it kept me interested, but it could've been better.
All that being said, I found it entertaining enough to read quickly and I'm a sucker for shifters so anything passable I'll probably enjoy. I'll also probably read book 2 if I can remember anything about this book when it's out in a month or so lol...more
This was so good! I initially wasn't in the right mindset to read this when I started it a few weeks ago so I paused at 10% in, but when I ~4.5 stars.
This was so good! I initially wasn't in the right mindset to read this when I started it a few weeks ago so I paused at 10% in, but when I picked it up again yesterday I quickly got sucked in and invested. The beginning is definitely a bit dark and depressing and Niamh goes on quite the emotional journey (as does Kiyo, honestly).
I love Niamh and Kiyo. Kiyo was mouth watering to imagine... Omg. Tall, built, half-Japanese shifter with a man bun? Yes, please. Niamh is the ultimate blonde fairy, (though she's brunette for most? of this book) a little lost and dabbling in darkness, but at the core the sweetest of all time. Kiyo's broody, protectiveness really balances them out well.
A good portion of the novel takes place in Japan which was really fun. I think if you'd been to Japan already it would be even cooler to have a visual for all the neighborhoods and landmarks they were mentioning.
The limitless magic of the fae is always fun to read about and I love shifters so this was PNR gold for me. The world building in general is just really well done and I'm curious to see how this will all be wrapped up in the final book. That being said there's a new big-bad in town (as if there weren't enough already) and it seemed like a very Kiyo-Niamh related problem, but it definitely wasn't wrapped up in this book. So I think we'll be seeing a lot more cross-over from the past couples in the final book, which is exciting. Also! Met the heroine, Echo, for the final book in the last chapter and that little glimpse has me very excited to get to know her. Still don't know anything really about Elijah (unless I missed something) though, the last fae-born.
Anyway, this was a great read. Ready for the next in 2021!...more
Probably like ~2.75 stars. This was pretty confusing because the world building wasn't great or fleshed out that well. It got more interesting at ~46%Probably like ~2.75 stars. This was pretty confusing because the world building wasn't great or fleshed out that well. It got more interesting at ~46% because it finally got a lil smutty ;) I got this for free though and it was mildly entertaining so I can't complain too much. ...more
What a journey that was... I haven't been this invested in and engaged by a book in quite a while so it really reminded me why I used to lo4.5 stars!
What a journey that was... I haven't been this invested in and engaged by a book in quite a while so it really reminded me why I used to love spending so much time and energy on these long, intricate fantasy series. (Edit: I'm not even done writing my review and I'm just coming back to say I have no idea why I'm writing so much and I'm sorry if you decide to read this whole thing lol).
I've always loved Nesta (unlike a lot of people in this fandom, it seems lol) and as soon as Cassian started sparring with her way back when I've needed their story. That said, I haven't touched this series since 2017 and immersing myself back into the ACOTAR world so I could get the most out of this book is quite the undertaking so I put it off for about a month lol. It took me a week to re-read and then get through this new book, starting back at book 2 (can't bring myself to re-read book 1 lol IYKYK)...just a casual 2,360 pages, nbd, but so worth it.
Nesta is a very imperfect person. We all are to varying degrees, but Nesta really lets the world know she's imperfect and that she doesn't care what anyone thinks about it. She's complex and hard to love and as this series has gone on she's only gotten worse. She took a real turn after the war and if you read book 3.1 you know the Nesta we start book 4 with is the worst version of herself to date and that's really saying something. As I was reading this I was almost surprised (I say 'almost' because honestly bad behavior and Nesta go hand in hand) by the new lows she hit. Words I'd associate with her behavior: Petty, proud, prickly, pissy, petulant... also: spoiled, selfish, self-centered, self-serving. Lot's of p and s words apparently lol, but they fit. She's so broken by everything that's happened to her and hates herself so much that she punishes herself by pushing everyone away so throughly that it's a miracle and a testament to how loved she is that anyone would bother to still try to help her.
I fully believe that trauma shouldn't be compared. Just because someone else has it worse doesn't mean you're not justified to feel broken by whatever has happened to you. That said, we've seen a lot of trauma in this series and what Nesta has experienced isn't the worst by far, but her implosion was the biggest by far. Mostly because the person Nesta was before she experienced all this trauma was not equipped to get through it or to reach out to others for help. She knows only one way to survive and that's to guard herself at all costs against any vulnerability so when she's left as a raw, open wound after the war she completely closes down to protect what's left of herself. Then she gets so lost in herself, so jealous, so hateful that she completely loses perspective on reality, honestly. It was exhausting trying to keep up with the mental acrobatics she was doing to make all the people that love her the most seem like villains in her story. We've all heard the phrase "hurt people hurt people" and damn when someone like Nesta Archeron is hurt you better watch the fuck out cause she packs a punch like no other. So to say the start of this book was hard is an understatement lol. As I said I've always been so intrigued by Nesta, but she made it so hard to root for her a good portion of this book.
Then we've got our other main character: Cassian, general of Rhys' Illyrian army, and another character I've always loved. We knew Cassian's backstory going into this book, but being in his head when he relays his history to Nesta, when he keeps reaching his hand and heart out to her even though she rips him down every chance she gets, when he's called a 'brute' and a 'bastard' by every damn person he comes across, hearing him, the most fearsome warrior in Prythian, doubt himself and his abilities...it really exposed vulnerable parts of Cassian we hadn't fully seen yet. The big Illyrian baby ♥️...love you so much Cass!...more
3.5 stars, I think I liked the first one better. This was just the slowest burn of all time** and the premise of the book: betrayal, which we know abo3.5 stars, I think I liked the first one better. This was just the slowest burn of all time** and the premise of the book: betrayal, which we know about from page one, just makes me want to hurry the fuck up and get to the truth coming out and not necessarily in a page-turning, can't-get-enough way... If that makes sense. Things I liked more about this book: Rose loving being fae and exploring more of her powers, both of them being immortal, finally getting to know the mysterious psychic fae-born (also stoked for her book next!), the world building was fleshed out a bit more, but I don't really like how Thea and Conall at the end of this book were really put in their place as like minor, unimportant characters now because they're weaker than fae :/ oh, well.
Spoilers: **They didn't have sex until 85% into the book and he didn't give up his damn revenge plot until like 88%! The book ends at 97% and they spend most of the time in between that apart. I just wish he could've loved her enough before the sex, would've felt more like true love rather than true lust for epic fae mate sex, which he basically said was something he couldn't give up lol...more