That ending rocked my world, it was something I was hoping would happen, but even when I was expecting it, I still ended up being surprised at how it That ending rocked my world, it was something I was hoping would happen, but even when I was expecting it, I still ended up being surprised at how it came about (thanks to that bonus content).
If I could be a fly on the wall (or better yet, Merri) right now...
Anyway, there are a few things I'd like to focus on, first and foremost, PUFFINS!!! That was the cutest thing everrrrr, now I need them to appear outside of a dream sequence, and for Asher to adopt one. I'm not asking for much, I swear. And the Operation Puffin scenes were brilliant, as always. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS BE IT, I NEED MORE TRANSMISSIONS LIKE I NEED AIR!!!
This leads me to the biggest crossover so far, with pretty much everybody from the past series meeting face to face. My life? Made.
What makes it even better is that we got to see my favourite book man, Nord, in there too. I missed him and Lina so much. That quote at the start about him being so hot he could melt the polar ice caps had me hollering. It's so true.
Next up Malice, who finally got his time to shine, and Grim, who delivered well beyond my wildest dreams. Horseman favorites list: secured. The hottest scenes in the book were theirs, hands down.
All four of them got a lot of relationship development, getting to an interesting (and logical) point, until one of them decided to open his big mouth...
I'm not that mad though!! Solely because of where the book ended, in any other timeline I'd be extremely upset. Like, you guys didn't see the signs? Not one of you? It took Merri pointing it out for y'all to put your thinking caps on? My word.
No wonder Luc is my fav, that man knows how to PLAN. I admire his commitment to fulfilling his destiny, honestly. I wish he had even more chapters. Mayhaps we'll get some more in book four, it would be the perfect time.
One character I also wish we got more of, is Andi. It makes sense why we didn't see her for most of the book, but I'm gonna need Merri to make things right between them STAT. If there's one thing she needs in her life right now, it's a ride-or-die best friend.
But yeah, I have never wanted to throw a bag of marbles on the floor and watch certain characters scramble as much as I have in that scene where Death said what he said. AND, he'd have to pick up all the marbles afterwards, that would teach him. Hmph.
The wait between books 2 and 3 was gonna end me, I was suffering. Please don't make us wait that long for book 4!!! Especially with that juicy cliffhanger you left us on, okay? Okay.
As for you, reading this review, don't ask any questions, just go get all the audiobooks and come back here when you're done. You haven't listened to a better cast in your life, they'll make the story feel so alive. Go do it now!!!
*Thank you to the authors for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING MISS MA'AM??? Blackwood really said "I'm going to make both my characters and my readers suffer mhm".
That was so unnecessary!!! WWHAT WAS THAT ENDING MISS MA'AM??? Blackwood really said "I'm going to make both my characters and my readers suffer mhm".
That was so unnecessary!!! We could've had a nice mini cliffhanger ending with (view spoiler)[Orion joining them and then them getting ready to recruit the dryads and whoever else to their cause, getting ready for the final battle while still being together (hide spoiler)] but instead we got this. AAAA.
Speaking of, Selena why are you so (view spoiler)[STUPID??? Girl, you know you can't undo what you did to those other people, but you thought you could with Draven?? Shouldn't have done it in the first place (hide spoiler)]. And I don't believe for a second that they couldn't have (view spoiler)[held on until Isrea arrived, because things always work out, this would've worked out too (hide spoiler)].
On a lighter note, in the first book we had the trials, so I didn't think we'd get something similar in the rest of the series, but lo and behold...here we have fairy games instead.
I wouldn't say it felt repetitive though, but I am mad they had to go through that final game because of everything that happened.
There was some relationship development for the side couples, and we got to learn more about emotion magic, while Selena got better at using hers. The writing improved also, and I enjoyed this one as much as the other two. But did it kinda feel like a filler book? Yeah. Still excited for the fourth one, but unfortunately I can't read it back to back with the rest of these because it's not out yet......more
“I kneel for nothing and no one.” His golden eyes burn like flames, searing right through my soul. “But for you… For you, I would kneel.”
I'm genuinely“I kneel for nothing and no one.” His golden eyes burn like flames, searing right through my soul. “But for you… For you, I would kneel.”
I'm genuinely surprised. I didn't think some of the stuff I noticed in book one would be fixed, but it was, and now a lot of things that happened there are making sense.
Like the fact that (view spoiler)[Draven couldn't tell her about the trials being fake, because of Lavendra, and him essentially being spelled not to, for example (hide spoiler)]. And here I thought he was just a jerk.
There was a twist I didn't see coming, but it happened near the end of the book, as most of the other twists did, they should've been more spread out. But when I tell you I was shocked by some of those revelations...I feel so bad for doubting the story now.
I was wondering why (view spoiler)[Hector and Selena only met briefly, because I was fully expecting this to turn into a love triangle, and then it seemed like he just fell off the map. (hide spoiler)]
Which reminds me, Draven (view spoiler)[was confirmed to be the Red Hand, right, but is he also Hector? Or is Hector just a leader of the human resistance? Maybe I didn't pay close enough attention. Because Draven doesn't have glamour magic (that we know of), and Hector looks completely different, but Draven did react when Selena called him Hector soooo (hide spoiler)].
I guess the one thing that's really good about this series is how it actually leaves me with things to think about. Maybe it's not a difficult puzzle to solve, but Blackwood knows how to hook her readers.
With that said, everything is still incredibly convenient. Even when Selena goes through hardships, it's only for a few seconds, and then things always work out in her favour. I don't particularly mind this, because the series is fun to read regardless, but I keep noticing it.
There was minimal character development, and I really do mean minimal, because Selena is still flip-flopping between feeling guilty about using her powers on people, and being confident in her abilities and doing whatever it takes to escape.
In a way, I relate, because I am a conflicting person by nature, but I think it would be nice for her to lean more one way than the other. Hopefully that one scene with (view spoiler)[Isera (hide spoiler)] will help put her on the right track.
Because of the way it ended, I'm looking forward to book three, and I'm hoping we'll get something that FEELS more higher stakes. ...more
The second book is coming out in August oh it's already August??, so I figured I should give this novella a listen beforehand. I'm not sure if I shoulThe second book is coming out in August oh it's already August??, so I figured I should give this novella a listen beforehand. I'm not sure if I should wait for the audio of the second one (which isn't out till October) or not...
Anyway, not a lot to say about this, it was cute, cozy and a nice addition to the main book(s). The narrators did a fantastic job, Dozer stole the show as he always does, my baby. Then there's Bodie...I'm intrigued. My second fav man needs a book, STAT!!!
And please don't read this before reading Burning Ember okay? Okay. You'll miss some of the context....more
I randomly found the audiobook, saw the pretty new updated cover with the polaroid photos, and said "why not give it a try?".
The first half was sooo I randomly found the audiobook, saw the pretty new updated cover with the polaroid photos, and said "why not give it a try?".
The first half was sooo good, the second lost a bit of steam and I found a few things very silly. Like for example, at the start a cop realises who she is, and threatens her he'll have her arrested unless if she snitches for him. So Ember gets to the clubhouse, and just lives her life as if there's no looming threat in the background.
For the majority of the book, she doesn't give Davis (I think that's his name, man showed up like three times, it's no wonder I can't remember) a second thought, it all revolves around how she wants Mav, but shouldn't and vice versa.
Now Mav, Mav Mav Mav. I...don't mind him, let's put it that way. Dozer is clearly the CORRECT choice and the two of them had so much chemistry that the author kept trying to deny (with Ember literally telling Dozer "we have no chemistry" BUT IT'S LEAPING OFF THE PAGE HELLO???).
I know Dozer has someone he likes aside from Ember, and maybe I'll dig her if they eventually get their own story, but yeah, the book definitely went downhill for me when Ember and Mav got together.
And the thing is, they're not bad together, it's just not what it could've been. Also, there was no grovelling, Ember easily forgave Mav for everything he did every single time.
To circle back to Mr Cop, there was zero tension there, you realise early on that he's not going to press her for information EVER (and good thing for Ember, because the bikers discussed business maybe once in front of her). That was the biggest plot hole to me. Why was he even included if he wasn't going to be used in some way? He appeared at the end, sure, but that's it.
Then there's the real villain who gets offed as soon as he appears basically, and obviously I'm glad, but it felt too fast.
So, it wasn't a flawless book, but I would give book two a chance anyway....more
I've been eating eggplant salad and an eggplant/zucchini/tomato stew for the past few days in preparation for this book, I even had some moutabal the I've been eating eggplant salad and an eggplant/zucchini/tomato stew for the past few days in preparation for this book, I even had some moutabal the weekend prior. I feel kinda bad for consuming so many poor eggplants now, imagine if they were actually shifters in disguise??
That's the whole premise of this book, people who can shift into vegetables, and our lovely male MC Aubrey can turn into an eggplant!! Of course, the girl he falls for, Sadie, is allergic to eggplants. You can imagine how that goes.
Or maybe you can't, because Aubrey also used to be in a vegetable shifter mafia, and they're coming for him, so he's always on the run.
I loved all the punny names, starting with Aubrey's own, a play on the word aubergine. Then there's the Bells who are...bell peppers, Mr Ato (tomato), Mr Oli (broccoli), they added a certain whimsy.
My personal favourite vegetable that I could eat every day (and pretty much do) happens to be tomatoes, but I would NOT feel guilty about munching on the one in this story, no sir.
I also adore eggplants (I mean, just look at the start of my review), but after this book, I'll never look at them the same way again. After that last scene too, if I don't keep seeing that every time I look at one...
Bad Seed was so silly, but in the best way possible. There was a little dose of angst (he's an eggplant and can't tell her, but also doesn't know that it's him she's allergic to because she didn't tell him, and he's fallen for her so he wants to stay, but also feels like he has to leave to keep her safe), but it was mostly lighthearted.
There's a cute cat called Astin, who made me imagine a crossover in which he accidentally bites one of the cheese shifters from Ellen Mint's other book. Because Astin loves tacos apparently, tacos have cheese, what do the men in Why Cheese turn into? Exactly.
LETTUCE move on to the romance, I thought it was really cool that Sadie knew what she wanted and wasn't shy about it, and that Aubrey loved her just as she was and focused on pleasing her (again and again and again).
It was kinda funny how she couldn't figure out what he was after she kept getting hives though. Like, there must've been some secret unlisted eggplant in the ingredients of the food I ate, my boyfriend is definitely not an eggplant.
Oh, you know what else was hilarious? The veggie photo shoots!!! That eggplant one was felt through the screen, lemme tell you. But it's such a perfect job for Sadie to have, I couldn't have thought of a better one if I tried.
If you love goofy reads that feature arguably the hottest vegetable as one of the main characters, then you need to read Bad Seed. The eggplants in your kitchen would want you to.
*Thank you to the amazing author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more
Tiye is a new to me author, but I really like what she did here, music and family relationships wise, those were my favourite parts of the story and tTiye is a new to me author, but I really like what she did here, music and family relationships wise, those were my favourite parts of the story and the reasons why I'll be checking out her other books.
I liked the romance too, but it took so long for them to get together, and not in a slow burn way, but in a she's-engaged-to-someone-else-for-the-majority-of-the-book way. It got to the point where I was wondering if she was ever gonna leave that guy.
We did get an extended epilogue to make up for it, and they had some moments during her other relationship where it was clear they were falling for each other, but I wish Mr Fiance was out of the picture sooner.
Regardless, this was a fun listen, and I can't wait for the TV show!!
HELLO NEW VAMPIRE BOOK JUST DROPPED!!! But more importantly, the heroine is tall, we cheer!! (It's me, I'm cheering)
From the get go, I had trouble putHELLO NEW VAMPIRE BOOK JUST DROPPED!!! But more importantly, the heroine is tall, we cheer!! (It's me, I'm cheering)
From the get go, I had trouble putting this book down, it's very easy to read and you just want to find out what happens next.
Stephania starts off chronicling her life, and it does go into some dark places, but I wouldn't say this is darker than some of KC's other series.
As a revenge trope connoisseur, I got FED. Almost everyone who has ever wronged Stephania, or one of her friends, met their end. As they should!! Although, I was kinda hoping a certain character would get a redemption arc instead. They were actually my favourite - my problematic fav, if you will.
The sections where Stephania was growing up and training to become a lean, mean, muscle machine were my absolute faves. Lukain may or may not have had something to do with that. If I said he was my second fav...
The book slows down a lil when some stuff goes down and Stephania ends up in the hands of someone she didn't expect. I didn't expect that either, truth be told.
From that point on, we have three main love interests, and yes, I already picked favourites, Garro is in first place. It's really only because he and Stephania had some history I thought was cute. Then Skar, and then Vallen.
But the focus isn't on the romance, they basically come together (haha) and then it's all plot plot plot for the rest of the book.
My spidey sense alerted me that (REDACTED) wasn't truly gone, so when they popped up again I was like "AHA, I KNEW IT". But then I didn't see some of the other twists, like the one that starts with J. Now I feel like I need to go back and check if anyone was looking at x character funny because of that.
Which brings me to the ending, did I think the "painting" would come in to play? Absolutely not. So that was another thing that surprised me.
I really wanna see where the whole Loreblood thing goes from here, it's such an interesting concept, so KC please give us book two soon ok?
*Thank you to the amazing author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*...more
Is this a pretty standard romantasy? Yes. Did I enjoy it anyway? Also yes. But I can totally see why someone might not.
I started this right after readIs this a pretty standard romantasy? Yes. Did I enjoy it anyway? Also yes. But I can totally see why someone might not.
I started this right after reading book four in the House of Devils series, and I immediately felt the difference in worldbuilding, plot, character development and writing. But I'm not here to compare them, because they're nothing alike, and this is book one so it still has time to grow by the time it gets to its own fourth installment.
It does have some flaws, the plot could be stronger, the trials a bit better, the world building more expansive, and the characters more interesting to set them apart from the typical romantasy formula, but it wasn't a bad read at all.
The pacing is really good, you get sucked in immediately, and you'll be halfway through before you know it. There is a ball scene (just saying), and there is something there that pushes you to keep reading. Whether it's the suspicion that the (view spoiler)[trials (hide spoiler)] aren't what they seem, or just the desire to see where it all goes.
There's almost no backstory which works both in this book's favour and against it. As in, there's no info dump at any point, you can just jump in and turn off your brain for a couple of hours, so it's very relaxing. But, at the same time, it feels like there's not enough depth to the story/characters.
Everything moves so fast that it's hard to get to know them, and it doesn't help that everyone keeps staying away from poor Selena because of her powers. It's also hard to see why exactly Draven likes her? Other than physically.
SPEAKING OF, I'm actually so annoyed that he dropped zero hints about (view spoiler)[the trials being a lie (hide spoiler)], because he just kept telling her (view spoiler)[he won't let her win, but not why. Like, that one time he said she didn't deserve it, that was the biggest "hint" we got that something was wrong, but if he really cared THAT MUCH he should've at least said "it's not all it seems" and had her figure out the rest (hide spoiler)].
They had some cute moments though, I won't deny, but I don't see them becoming one of my favourite book couples. Especially with Draven being a copy paste of a bunch of different romantasy heroes. Selena did seem more unique, and I like that she's not strong in a magical sense, or an expert fighter, but she has her own way of doing things.
I had an inkling the ending would be something akin to what happened, but I was still a little shocked, so extra points for that.
Hopefully the writing in the next one will be a teensy bit better, it could get repetitive in some sections. But I don't think it's that jarring when you get into it.
Not a full four stars, but I'm rating based on my enjoyment level, not what the book objectively deserves okay? Okay. ...more
Ok so, I liked this one as a whole, but the constant miscommunication was not it. Like, these two would make peace for two seconds, then miscommunicatOk so, I liked this one as a whole, but the constant miscommunication was not it. Like, these two would make peace for two seconds, then miscommunicate, then everything would be fine again, then another miscommunication episode would strike and this went on and on.
And the fact that so many things weren't resolved by the end...why?? Is this a standalone or is it supposed to be a series? If it's the former, then it's not doing a very good job!!
I was often anxious while listening to this book, whether it was because of the things mentioned above, or how bad Molly was at taking care of horses (or both), it wasn't as fun as it should've been. Like, I was sitting there thinking it's only a matter of time before she messes something up, lo and behold...
But I liked the romance, I did, the banter and the steamy scenes, and the cowboy hat scene, as well as the whole premise. Some of the side characters were great too, others not so much.
There's one side character who turns out to be the villain and I originally didn't have an issue with that (despite this book really not needing a villain), but reading some of the other reviews made me reconsider. That actually wasn't cool.
And I think Shani deserved better, and the T Swizzle references could've been toned down (I'm just not a fan of her music so it bugs me when it's so present in a book) just a smidge. But I don't regret picking this up.
"But together, together, we’re something else, because her and I are the same. She’s sick. Sick like me."
When I saw this was coming out, I jumped (qui"But together, together, we’re something else, because her and I are the same. She’s sick. Sick like me."
When I saw this was coming out, I jumped (quite literally), because I knew it was going to be good, like everything else this author writes.
It's a novella, but the plot was not lacking in the least. If you're a fan of two people from rival families falling in love, then you're in for a treat.
They're supposed to hate each other, but can't stay away, even when others try to keep them apart. There were a few moments where I was worried it would end badly, but luckily they got their HEA at the end.
The gothic atmosphere was on point and the romance BURNED through the screen with how intense it was. I got the impression that if something happened to one of them, the other one would take the whole world down in retribution.
The world was very developed and I could picture it clearly. I'd love to explore every nook and cranny along with the characters. Hopefully the next book will be longer, and with even more lore. I can't wait to see where Zoe's journey takes her.
*Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more
I was today years old when I learned you can, in fact, go wrong with a fae romance. Oops. I mean, I know someone will read this and love it, but as haI was today years old when I learned you can, in fact, go wrong with a fae romance. Oops. I mean, I know someone will read this and love it, but as hard as I tried, I just couldn't.
It felt very generic, even cringy in parts, maybe because I chose the audiobook, maybe not, but still.
The worldbuilding was virtually nonexistent, I was 40% in when I realised I didn't even know what the world was supposed to look like (nor did I care, to be fair), because there was so little info about it.
The main focus of the story was absolutely the romance, but I didn't even like that. It went from 0-100 in the first few chapters, there was no build up, no tension, no yearning, just constant horniness from both of the MCs.
Which is fine, if you're here for the smut, but if you like a little bit of plot with it, then you'll be left wanting.
And honestly, the constant misogyny in the beginning bugged me to no end. There wasn't a single male character who was alright, they were all awful.
With that said, she had a lot more chemistry with Vane than with Atakan. I believe that this book would've been a bit more fun if he was the main love interest.
The second half of the book did get better, but marginally. It almost earned a 3 star rating but not quite. It slowed down on the constant steam and tried to introduce some plot, but it wasn't enough to save it as a whole.
I also wasn't fully vibing with the writing style, but I would be open to trying another book by this author.
Sade did nothing wrong your honor!! She just took what was hers all along. She's a bit bananas though, and so is Imani. The only difference is, I don'Sade did nothing wrong your honor!! She just took what was hers all along. She's a bit bananas though, and so is Imani. The only difference is, I don't like Imani one bit.
The twists were really good, and so was the storyline, I also loved the audiobook and can't wait for the next one, because of that ending...I'm glad I didn't read this when it came out, because now I only have to wait a month to see what happens next....more
"I dragged Tess and myself through hell and back, but here we are—After everything, we made it to our own version of heaven."
Worth reading for all the"I dragged Tess and myself through hell and back, but here we are—After everything, we made it to our own version of heaven."
Worth reading for all the non-Hardin PoVs, because I feel like we got to know him enough in the main series, but I did enjoy his perspective on things too. I liked the little epilogues we got for a few other characters, but overall the rest of the series was better than this book.
Saint's insecurities hit a little too close to home for me, which is probably why I ended up liking her rather than being annoyed by her like so many Saint's insecurities hit a little too close to home for me, which is probably why I ended up liking her rather than being annoyed by her like so many other readers. Sometimes you just can't let stuff go, even if it's been years, I get her completely, we all function on our own timeline.
Nash was, of course, wonderful, and I felt so bad for him because of what he was going through with Phil. And I know Saint's behavior wasn't helping matters, but he's the right man for her, like it or not.
I'd say this is my second favourite book in the series so far, and I may be biased because Saint is also tall, like Ayden, and like me, so it's no wonder I like their books the most.
Nash also convinced me to get physical copies because I will be rereading Marked Men in the future for sure.
Now, Rowdy's book seems like we'll finally get an alt person x alt person pairing that I've been craving, so I'm really excited for that....more
"Who would’ve thought a snowman kidnapping the woman he fell in love with at first sight, would melt her cold heart."
One of the best books in the seri"Who would’ve thought a snowman kidnapping the woman he fell in love with at first sight, would melt her cold heart."
One of the best books in the series, the chemistry was off the charts and I loved every minute of it. December was so intense, but he knew what he wanted and went after it, and Raine had to figure out how to make it all work.
The kidnapping trope worked so well for this story, I can't blame Mr Angel for going through with it, he had his reasons okay? Okay.
Even though the book ended on a happy note, there were some sad moments throughout. But overall it was such a fun and slightly unhinged read, I love the stories M Monique's brain comes up with....more
Sat down to read the last few books in this series, and realised books 10 and 12 are gone from Amazon? I'm not sure why, but that's why I jumped into Sat down to read the last few books in this series, and realised books 10 and 12 are gone from Amazon? I'm not sure why, but that's why I jumped into this one (book 11), and book 13 is up next I guess?
Anyway, I loved the premise, I'm definitely a sucker for a hitman romance with some depth. I knew it was going to be good based on how it started and I had a hard time putting it down. The only flaw is that a lot of the relationship development happens off-page, so it's not totally believable that these two fell in love in such a short amount of time. But it was still a very good read....more
Arborable took tree-hugging to a whole different level and I'm all for it.
I'm used to Ellen Mint's books being hilarious and creative, and this one waArborable took tree-hugging to a whole different level and I'm all for it.
I'm used to Ellen Mint's books being hilarious and creative, and this one was no different. So much thought was put into the dryads and their world, from their names to how they look, speak, move, eat, reproduce, and how they came to be (they don't all get "born" the same way or in the same place).
The story was extremely compelling, I didn't want to put it down, I literally had it downloaded on two devices so I could switch back and forth while one of them was charging, I was THAT invested.
Now, you might look at this book and think it's just a silly dryad romance, but!! It's not all sunshine and daisies for dear Trish, she's suffering from cancer and doesn't have long left to live, which makes getting kidnapped by dryads who want to sacrifice her to a giant tree extremely inconvenient.
Luckily, there's a devilishly handsome rogue dryad who rescues her, and takes her under his wing, or should I say...bark?
He also happens to ride on a giant fox called Valpuri, who is just the cutest not-so-little thing. More Valpuri in the sequel please!!
Linden teaches Trish how to fight, which is something she desperately needs, and it serves her well on many occasions. I love how she refused to give up, even if she was missing a core part of herself, she still got back up to try again.
Romance wise, I'm in love with both Linden and Hickory, and really like Willow and Ryder (from what we've seen of them so far). I'm glad we got to see Trish with Hickory in this book because I don't know if I would've survived till book two, hah.
I have to mention the pollen!! I'm of the firm belief that (REDACTED) would've pollinated (REDACTED) if they weren't already...you know. I'm curious about that storyline, and what will happen to the child when it arrives.
Speaking of children, Ash is one of my favourite characters, she's such a pure soul, I hope she made it out and we'll see her in book two.
There's also some secrets that will hopefully be revealed, like more of Linden's past and why he said what he did about Trish going back to the human world.
And then there's that ending...I had a feeling something like that would happen, it was an excellent cliffhanger. I can't wait to know more.
Pleaseeee pick up this swashbuckling dryad romance today, you won't regret it.
*Thank you to the amazing author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*...more
Okay so I finished this two days ago and let it marinate a lil before writing a review, because I wasn't totally sure about what to rate it (and I'm hOkay so I finished this two days ago and let it marinate a lil before writing a review, because I wasn't totally sure about what to rate it (and I'm honestly in a bit of a reading slump, it's not bad, but right now I'm just happy when I finish something).
I gotta say that this book took me by surprise, because I saw soooo many 1 and 2 star reviews, but some of the things they mentioned I figured wouldn't bug me as much, so I decided to give it a chance anyway, and I'm glad I did.
I honestly loved Silver Elite, there are only a few minor things I'd change, but otherwise it was a grand ol' time.
The section where Wren is training to join Silver Block was my absolute favourite, it was so engaging and exactly the type of storyline I love. Things slowed down once she actually did it, and the book wasn't quite as fun, but the author captured the boredom of her new position well.
Romance wise, I was rooting for Kaine the whole time and no, I am not sorry. He was just so adorable, I loved his banter with Wren and felt a lot more chemistry between the two of them than between Wren and Cross.
Now Cross, I had a theory about him that proved to be correct, but I wasn't suspecting it the whole time, maybe around halfway through. That does elevate him in my mind, but not thaaat much, because the romance happened so fast. Wren honestly should've tried harder to resist him, it would've made for a better story.
As for the world building, I see where people are coming from, and it should've been more developed, but it wasn't that bad, I could picture it clearly.
Speaking of, Silver Elite reminded me a lot of Powerless, so if you liked that, you'll probably love this too, they have similar vibes.
There were a few things that reminded me of The Hunger Games, but that was really just a district-like system existing, and something akin to Careers being a thing here too, that's really it.
The ending was a bit shocking, I wasn't expecting (view spoiler)[a certain someone to be alive and working for the resistance the whole time, I thought we really lost him to make way for the Cross romance (hide spoiler)], it was good though.
The audiobook was great, I have no complaints. It was easy to follow along, and I really liked the narrators.
I'll be getting a physical copy at some point, and I'm so excited for the next one!!
“And I told you there is no after.” What he—they—were going through put an edge in his tone as well. Not a harsh one, no. But she knew Darien well eno“And I told you there is no after.” What he—they—were going through put an edge in his tone as well. Not a harsh one, no. But she knew Darien well enough to detect it. “You are my present, my future, and my eternity, Loren.”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! You have no idea how glad I am the cliffhanger this book ended with isn't as huge as the one in book three (view spoiler)[unless if giving the spider her freedom means Loren ends up in her place, in which case yes, it's a huge cliffhanger (hide spoiler)]. So many things were solved, and I feel content. That's not to say I'm not excited for the next one though, I just felt like this was a less-cruel place to leave us waiting on.
But most importantly (view spoiler)[THEY GOT MORTY BACK WE CHEER!!!! (hide spoiler)], I didn't think it would happen in this one, because we were down to the last 100 or so pages, but I'm so glad it did. I would've lost sleep over it if I had to wait any longer.
ALSO, you have no idea how happy I am that Loren and Darien made up and that (view spoiler)[all our beloved characters made it to the end in one piece. I don't want anyone to die (hide spoiler)].
Anyway, I love how none of these feel like filler books, no matter what's going on - it's always interesting. In this one we ended up with little groups of characters being separated, and having to rely on each other to survive, which allowed for greater character development than before.
There was even some relationship development between Roman and Shay (view spoiler)[I burst into tears when she told him she loved him (hide spoiler)], and Travis and Jewels, they're very dear to me. Max and Dallas didn't get to shine as much, but I figure they're already established so it's not a big deal. Plus a lot of Max's page time was taken up with his side quest.
We learned more about what's going on, but something I noticed is that Loren didn't really use much of her magic this time around, she definitely deserves the rest.
Meanwhile Darien...went above and beyond to keep everyone safe even at his own expense. That man will NOT stop until he saves the whole world.
Roark and Dean really grew on me, I know we just met the latter, but he left a good impression. And Roark really improved, but it's bugging me a little how (view spoiler)[Erasmus and Cyra, her actual parents, were barely mentioned and didn't even appear in the book.
And I get Roark raised her so he IS her dad too, but every time she interacted with him and called him dad, there wasn't a single thought spared to Erasmus. Personally, I think as soon as they learned the spell was broken they should've ran to get some answers. And I kinda don't like how Roark's so concerned about Loren, but is still cold to Dallas. (hide spoiler)]
Since I'm on a roll, (view spoiler)[it was incredibly convenient that Donovan didn't cause more trouble. His presence was looming in the background, and don't get me wrong, I LOVE that he didn't get Pax, and didn't hurt Roman (hide spoiler)] but I feel like SOMETHING should've happened.
It's all probably being saved for the next book, which I hope won't be the last one. I'm not sure if there's 5 books, maybe a 6th *and* a prequel, or if book 6 would be the prequel? Either way, I will be here waiting. I love these books so much....more