“No other Merlin can protect you like I can, because no other Merlin feels about you the way I do. I want you to live, because I want you to be happy.“No other Merlin can protect you like I can, because no other Merlin feels about you the way I do. I want you to live, because I want you to be happy. Not because of a spell, but because so very many things would break and go dark if you weren’t in the world. Myself included.”
I can't believe Sel delivered the most romantic line in the whole series (so far). Sel, whom I've disliked since book one. I'm??? I guess I don't dislike him quite as much in this book, I've warmed up to him a bit after that quote (and a few others later on), but he's still not my favourite person.
Nick meanwhile, was away basically the whole book, which helped Sel's relationship with Bree a whole ton. Now, it's not that I particularly missed Nick, I barely noticed he was gone, to be honest, I just feel like he should've had a bigger presence.
By the way, I still think Bree should ditch them both and end the series alone, but that's just my opinion. Neither of them are good enough for her!!
Anyway, what I did like was the pacing, the plot, Bree learning more about her powers, the world and mythology being expanded, some of the new characters we met (Valec), and old ones we've gotten to know better (William, Alice).
A lot happened in Bloodmarked, and I feel like poor Bree has lived like four lives during the course of it. She can never catch a break, there's always someone out to get her. We see her develop through all of that, and I'm very proud of her for choosing to forge her own path.
HOWEVER, I absolutely hated the ending. I can understand why she (view spoiler)[burned away her ancestors' streams, rejected her scion title and decided to go with Erebus (hide spoiler)], but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
I don't think (view spoiler)[getting rid of her ancestors (hide spoiler)] was a wise choice in particular, because she needs their guidance, even if she can't see it at the moment. There could've been a balance between what they wanted and what she wanted, she just had to find it.
And I'm sure there was a way she could've still (view spoiler)[kept the title while getting her body back (hide spoiler)], but a lot of that is me being bitter and upset about (view spoiler)[Arthur being a terrible person (hide spoiler)], so take that with a grain of salt.
I do wonder though, what will happen next because of that specific choice, if there's no more (view spoiler)[Arthur inside of her (hide spoiler)], then what happens? What was the point of all of this? Hopefully it makes more sense in Oathbound.
Oh and (view spoiler)[Erebus (hide spoiler)], did not see that coming. I was assuming it was going to be a completely different character who we haven't met yet.
Speaking of, Bree's choice to (view spoiler)[go with him (hide spoiler)] was very emotional/grief stricken teenager of her, so I can't be too mad about it. Like, that really is how a teen would behave. Tracy Deonn generally has teenage behavior down to a T which makes this series feel so authentic.
BEFORE I FORGET, (view spoiler)[ALICE!!!! (hide spoiler)], that was a choice that was made which I don't agree with whatsoever. Why (view spoiler)[her (hide spoiler)] of all people? I'm sad. I know that everything will probably be okay, but still.
Also, I didn't reread Legendborn before this (read it in 2020), so I would like to say that Deonn can write a story that sticks in your mind for years without effort. I did need a bit to remember who all the side characters were, but I could recall most of the story. I won't be jumping into book three yet though, I need to let this one marinate a bit....more
In the mighty words of Paris Hilton, "that's hot." Literally me during this book. I WAS NOT EXPECTING EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED HERE.
Sometimes when boIn the mighty words of Paris Hilton, "that's hot." Literally me during this book. I WAS NOT EXPECTING EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED HERE.
Sometimes when books warn you they're 18+ they don't even feel like it. But this one definitely does.
I read the prequel first and I got a little sad that it didn't immediately continue where that ended. That's okay though, parts of that get explained too.
The plot starts off pretty straight forward but evolves into something unique.
My favourite part is that Alexis swings both ways and that more attention is given to her female enounters (refer to the Paris quote at the top). There's a huge difference how she is with them vs the males.
That's not to say I don't want that odd Incubus to return. HE BETTER. IT'S NOT DONE.
Rachel is another unexpected but delightful addition to the story. I love her. She's similar to Alexis in some ways and I could see them forging a sisterly bond.
I really breezed through this story. I WANT MORE.
*Thank you to Eliza Hendrix for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review* ...more
If I fail my exams tomorrow blame this book, if I pass them...it'll also be this book's fault in some weird indirect way. Instead of using my time to If I fail my exams tomorrow blame this book, if I pass them...it'll also be this book's fault in some weird indirect way. Instead of using my time to study more, I decided to finish this instead. Was it worth it?
WELL...YES??!! Honestly, this just got better and better as it went on and I so badly want to give it five stars for sheer enjoyment, BUT (yes, there's a but), I can't. Let me explain why.
Firstly, the good stuff.
I listened to the audiobook, unaware that there were more than two narrators. That was the best surprise ever because all of them are amazing. And, one sounds like Teal'c from Stargate which will forever be engraved in my mind.
The world building is really good, unique, and it makes me want to check out all the related series after I finish this one. There's so much to explore.
Although, the Academy itself needs a bit more work. It's there, it exists, but we don't know much about it except the very few classes Aflora went to. You'd think if she was forced to go to the Academy then she'd, you know, actually attend some classes.
I really love the characters, all of them.
In some of the past RH books I've read, the mates were nothing special, more like a carbon copy of one another. But here? All three are unique and I adore them.
We also have interesting M/M scenes which I also wasn't expecting.
And now, the reason why I had to take off a star. It's the one thing that started it all, the infamous bite.
At first I got annoyed with Aflora for mentioning the bite in every single scene that she had with Shade when she clearly felt the opposite towards him. But then it registered that each time she did, she said it was without her consent, which it was. And since in this world, a bite is equivalent to assault...yeah.
Other than that, this was a near perfect read. I might check out the prequel before continuing with book two, so I have a better idea of who Ella is....more
See, I was planning on reading this in two or three goes to stretch it out, but once The Merciless Ones sunk its claws into me, it didn't let go and ISee, I was planning on reading this in two or three goes to stretch it out, but once The Merciless Ones sunk its claws into me, it didn't let go and I had to read the whole book at once, naturally.
Similarly to the first one, this one is also fast paced and doesn't feel long. I think it's a bit longer page wise, but yeah, I was too immersed to notice.
It was at the 5% mark that I cried the first time. And rest assured that I cried many times after that too. So expect the same amount of emotion, as book one had.
What I love is how easy it was to jump back into the world, even though it's been a year and 4 months since I last saw these characters. To be honest, they've been living in my head rent free so it's not all that surprising.
Deka and her friends grow as the story goes on, some mentally and others physically (like in Ixa's case). Ixa is just as adorable as he was, maybe even more so.
As for the romance part, I can't tell if there's less of it or around the same amount as before? Everyone is so busy fighting that there's hardly time for anything else, which is accurate, and it makes those few stolen moments much sweeter.
The lgbt characters are featured a lot more too. As well as slightly different but no less important themes.
And WE HAVE PLOT TWISTS AND BETRAYALS GALORE! Some I saw coming, others I had to follow the clues for. And it's because of those plot twists, that the book ends on a semi cliffhanger, but at the same time has a good amount of stuff wrapped up.
Just know that when you pick this up, you'll HAVE TO read book three, it's a must. And obviously if you haven't read The Gilded Ones yet (what are you doing with your life?), you should read that first to get the full story.
I know that I'll be (not so) patiently counting down the days until one of my ultimate favourite series reaches its conclusion. Come, join me.
*Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*...more
The First Sister has been sitting on my Goodreads tbr shelf since January of 2019. For some reason, I think it's been on my mental tbr list even longeThe First Sister has been sitting on my Goodreads tbr shelf since January of 2019. For some reason, I think it's been on my mental tbr list even longer since I didn't add the book immediately after I came across it.
I knew I'd love it, but never got around to reading it until it got picked as one of the monthly book club books. This was clearly the push I needed and I finally sat down to read it.
The first chapter starts out strong. So strong that it made me cry. The second is a different kind of sad. They alternate like that, the First Sister's chapter, then Lito's chapter and somewhere in between there were special interludes that I won't spoil.
The FS (First Sister is a bit long to type each time I mention her so for now I'll call her FS) chapters were brilliant. Lito's were a little slow for me, but they make up for it near the end.
This is a book I easily could've binged in one go, and only didn't because I started it before bed and didn't get enough sleep the previous night so I had to remedy that first.
There's a lot going on and there's plot twists. I didn't see the biggest one coming, but after it was revealed I remembered the signs. They were definitely there. It made me want to reread the book immediately. This has only ever happened to me with If We Were Villains because of it's amazing foreshadowing.
Character wise, FS was the absolute best for me. She's exactly the type of main character I love, even though she's not a very good spy, but that's okay.
I appreciate the world building so much. It feels so natural. I could totally see all of this happening and I almost want to? I just want life on other planets don't yell at me.
Also, that cover!!! I've been thinking about it for more than two years now and will most likely continue to do so still. It radiates powerful energy.
Luckily for me, the sequel isn't far away so I'll only have to wait a few months instead of a year. Hurray for me and procrastination!!! But seriously, if I read this sooner as I should have, then I'd probably be rereading it now in preparation for the next book. I need a physical copy. ...more
I went into this with medium-high expectations and was left a bit disappointed.
The writing style was beautiful, enchanting even, but the overall storI went into this with medium-high expectations and was left a bit disappointed.
The writing style was beautiful, enchanting even, but the overall story/plot (or lack thereof) didn't grip me.
While reading I kept waiting for the story to start, for something important to happen, and it all somehow fell flat. I didn't feel any excitement, but I wasn't bored either.
Occasionally, the lack of a definitive plot doesn't bother me as much if I like the characters. Here I felt lukewarm about everyone except the paper cutting troupe which didn't make an appearance until the second half of the book.
The part I liked the most was the magic, which I wasn't at all expecting. The ghosts should've been the first clue, I suppose. The sad part is, that the magic shows up only a few times throughout the book and it makes barely any difference to the story if it's there or not.
And a tiny curiosity I have is the golfing. It's mentioned in the blurb, in the book only once or twice and is never seen again. What happened there? Someone please remind me if it's like that in the original as well.
Bonus points for all the LGBT characters.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*...more
This book didn't take long to convince me that I'd love it. Two chapters in and I was hooked.
However, the chapters are incredibly long so those firstThis book didn't take long to convince me that I'd love it. Two chapters in and I was hooked.
However, the chapters are incredibly long so those first two chapters (and the prologue), felt like ten in a normal length book. But it just kept getting better and better with each chapter, so the length was only half a bother and not a full bother.
The writing style wasn't confusing, which is important for an adult fantasy novel, and the world wasn't hard to get into. What wasn't ideal though, is all the characters.
I'm not talking about the main ones, they were fine and I liked/loved them, but the volume of different characters that were introduced in a short amount of time was a bit overwhelming.
Also, the character names. There are a lot of Slavic/Eastern European, Romani and Italian sounding names, some being actual names and some with replaced letters or made to sound like they came from those places.
I'm Slavic, native to the Balkans (so a lot of č and š usage) and even I had trouble remembering some of them. I think if more of them were actual names instead of made up ones it would be easier, but it's a fantasy novel so I'll allow it.
I also read this whole book in a day, I'd imagine it would be a bit easier to remember more of them had I spread it out over a couple of days instead. But at the same time, my friends who did spread it out, also had trouble remembering the names so it wasn't just me.
Ultimately though, I like that there's at least some Slavic rep that isn't terrible.
Now back to the characters themselves.
I had a favourite from the very start which was Vargo, and I didn't like his ending, because he didn't strike me as that type of character while reading. I don't believe that he's completely black or completely white, but the ending made him seem as if he was purely one of those things the whole time.
My second favourite was The Rook. I'm glad we got a reveal at the end, but the revelation was a bit shocking because I was convinced they were someone else the entire time.
And I really liked Ren too. Lately I've been reading fantasy books with great main characters and Ren is definitely one of them.
As for the ending as a whole, I'd say it was satisfying. Things are wrapped up, but there's enough mystery to spill over into book two and keep you interested in what's going to happen next.
If you are planning on reading this book, I'd recommend you get a physical copy for practicality's sake.
I tried, but I can't finish this, I really can't. The only thing it has going for it is the atmosphere. Everything else didn't work for me.
I DNF @ 86%
I tried, but I can't finish this, I really can't. The only thing it has going for it is the atmosphere. Everything else didn't work for me.
I really liked Cinderella is Dead, and I expected this to be even better, but somehow it ended up being worse. A lot worse. I have no idea how this happened, I just know that I won't be picking up the sequel....more
Nellie >>>> everyone else. Also it's shorter than I thought it would be? Nellie >>>> everyone else. Also it's shorter than I thought it would be? ...more
When the book club decided on this for our December read I was a little excited, because it's been at the back of my mind for a while now. Despite thaWhen the book club decided on this for our December read I was a little excited, because it's been at the back of my mind for a while now. Despite that I didn't start it until a few days before the deadline because, for some reason, I wasn't in the mood for it.
So when I finally did start it, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, if it was going to be confusing or if I could read it in one go as I do many other books.
After all the introductions were out of the way I found myself enjoying the story, but I didn't feel the need to read further than I planned because some of the chapters, while they do end in tiny cliffhangers, are pretty satisfying so it was easy to stop.
About halfway in it's easier to tell the characters apart and see their individuality. However, my opinion of them didn't change. The same few I liked from the beginning I liked until the end. The rest...eh.
By what I wrote so far this sounds like a four star read (based on my standards anyway), but I'm going to explain why I gave it five instead.
The atmosphere is unlike any other book I've ever read. It's enchanting, almost magical. The author describes everything beautifully and it's so raw so real.
The relationships between the characters are intense and you can definitely feel what they feel. They're basically all in love with each other but won't admit it so you can imagine the chaos.
My favourites are Oliver and James and Oliver and James only. I care about the rest a decent amount but nowhere near as much as these two. Wren might make third place but barely.
The emotions between those two are a crazy roller coaster and I'm all for it. They're the living embodiment of that "now kiss" meme. It's so brilliant that they're everything to each other at once. Even if the rest sucked I'd reread just for them.
The real killer did have me fooled until the clever lines gave it away. I suspected someone else entirely but after the reveal I knew how it would play out.
Which brings us to the end.
I'm a simple person, I like closure. This book doesn't give it. Well, not entirely.
We get partial closure and an open sort of ending where we can only assume what happens next.
I AM MAD. I AM LIVID. BUT IT'S SO DARN BEAUTIFUL OKAY? OKAY. ...more
SCREAMING CRYING SHAKING, WHY IS THIS BOOK SO GOOD??? AND SO PAINFUL??? I CAN'T BREATHE.SCREAMING CRYING SHAKING, WHY IS THIS BOOK SO GOOD??? AND SO PAINFUL??? I CAN'T BREATHE....more
Before I read this I thought I'd love it. Now that I have it's more of a strong like, hence the four stars.
The world building was phenomenal and remiBefore I read this I thought I'd love it. Now that I have it's more of a strong like, hence the four stars.
The world building was phenomenal and reminded me of Hong Kong a lot which only made it better. I could see each area clearly as if I were standing there.
We need more books like this one, with Asian worlds/settings, it's a lot of fun and like a breath of fresh air after reading books set in the UK/America (and urban fantasy is especially guilty of this) over and over again.
But what didn't really work for me is the pacing. I didn't struggle, but I also didn't want to read more no matter how much I liked the story because everything was moving so slow.
The chugging along feeling only went away in the last 100 pages or so and that's my main issue with the book. I'm sure the other two will be better, pacing wise, now that the story's rolling.
Then we have the characters. I liked all four mains (ignoring Bero for now since he got like 5 chapters) in the beginning but only stayed liking two at the end.
Lan and Hilo are those two. Lan was like everyone's wise uncle/brother and Hilo was the hot-headed protector. I've had a thing for hot headed characters since I met Paul Lahote in Twilight.
Shae was, I'm sorry to say, boring. She got a bit more interesting when she (view spoiler)[put the jade back on (hide spoiler)] but not by much.
Anden acts true to his age, I think, which a lot of YA books could learn from. I'm very disappointed with the big decision he made though. He was just starting to get back on my like side and then he went and did that.
And okay, *NOW* Bero gets his own judgement. I liked him too actually, then he got too greedy. I still like him more than Shae even after what he did.
I don't really have much else to say, other than the writing was good and the story has real potential to be something amazing. The magic system is also one of the biggest pluses.
I'm also looking forward to the series. The book sort of reads like one? Maybe it's because I knew it was being adapted before reading, I'm not sure. It just works....more
I always had a good feeling about this book, and I'm glad it lived up to my expectations.
I saw most of it coming (except the Amina twist at the end), I always had a good feeling about this book, and I'm glad it lived up to my expectations.
I saw most of it coming (except the Amina twist at the end), but it was still a fun journey. The ending was especially beautiful and it made me cry. I kinda want a sequel too, even though everything was wrapped up nicely.
I'm really excited about Kalynn Bayron's other books now....more
This was so so close to four stars, but not quite there. I have high hopes the sequel will be more than four though. Let's get into it.
First off, theThis was so so close to four stars, but not quite there. I have high hopes the sequel will be more than four though. Let's get into it.
First off, the world building was great, so was the magic system and the whole storyline, as well as the writing style. Characters is where this book didn't do it for me.
Out of the five PoVs we got, I only cared about Lin's and Jovis's. The other three may as well have not existed, not a lot would have changed I think. Well, except for Sand's at the end, so I see why that one was needed.
Past the beginning I found myself not caring about Jovis as much either, but Melphi made up for it. He and Thrana were the best characters. They were so adorable.
Lin was the only main character that I consistently worried about. And again, were it not for Melphi I wouldn't have minded if the whole book had been told from her PoV.
The plot twists weren't too hard to figure out, but I enjoyed them anyway.
I do have a complaint about the final fight which I'll put into spoilers. (view spoiler)[Somehow I feel like Lin and Buyan had too much time to plunge their hands into constructs and rewrite the commands. They were swarmed and they still managed to do it all, as if they'd done it to those exact constructs a million times before. (hide spoiler)] Don't get me wrong though, I'm happy it ended how it did.
And the ending itself was very cool. Some of the characters finally met each other (took them long enough). I can't wait until all five come together (if it happens), that'll be even cooler....more
Jade Fire Gold was one of my most anticipated releases this year, and it did alright. I was expecting a bit more from it, but I'm not disappointed.
I lJade Fire Gold was one of my most anticipated releases this year, and it did alright. I was expecting a bit more from it, but I'm not disappointed.
I liked almost all the characters, main and side. They were fun to follow, and the author did a good job making each of them distinct.
Ahn and Altan were adorable together, I shipped them from their very first meeting. This is how you write slow burn.
The pacing was good, up until the final third (which was supposed to be the most exciting). It slowed down, and the random time jumps increased.
The jumps didn't make it confusing, but it did feel incomplete. Sort of how, when you're writing something and you didn't plan a scene out fully so you just do a time skip to move on, with the intention of going back and adding more before the final draft...yeah, that's missing.
The story would've benefited from more details in those parts, but it's not bad as is. It's easy to follow, and I liked the writing style too.
All together, it's a decent debut. I don't have overly strong feelings about it, or much to say, but I might reread it in the future.
3.5 stars
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*...more
EDIT: I'm lowering my rating down to two stars because it's been bugging me ever since I finished it.
Original review:
I had high hopes for this book, EDIT: I'm lowering my rating down to two stars because it's been bugging me ever since I finished it.
Original review:
I had high hopes for this book, I did. What ended up happening is that I struggled with it, not a lot, but enough to not give it four stars.
I like that the book is different from others that are coming out these days. Not just rep wise, but the whole vibe of it is pretty cool. I didn't really see the other books it was compared to in it though? Might just be me.
The characters are the best part. Even so, I think Arlo's should've been the only P.O.V. she's the most relatable of the bunch and - shockingly - the least annoying and most surprising.
This doesn't mean I wasn't annoyed by her, I definitely was. She has her whiney moments, but it's nothing like Nos. Nos is supposed to be really old. She may be considered a teenager by immortal terms, but she's so immature. She's been alive for centuries and yet she acts like she was born yesterday. Okay, maybe not YESTERDAY...but you know what I mean.
If the book really needed an extra P.O.V. it should've been Celadon. He's the best. I really want to know what he's doing when he's not with Arlo.
Another character whose head I'd love to peek into is Lethe. Imagine this story with him as the main character. Just imagine.
The plot is where it gets confusing. Actually it's not the plot itself, that's not so bad. It's all the descriptions that were inserted into the plot. I don't need (or want) to know what every single character I'm never going to see again looks like or is wearing. And I don't need to know about every room in excessive detail.
The world building was okay. I love the mish mash of all the different creatures. That's how I imagine our world would look like if mythical/supernatural creatures walked among us. They'd all exist and probably wouldn't keep to themselves like cliques. What I didn't like that much is court politics. I just didn't care.
The magic system has potential and I'm looking forward to learning more about alchemy.
The villain wasn't the best, but I will say I wasn't expecting them to be who they are. Their ending was a bit anticlimactic / predictable.
The romance was barely there. I don't mind? What I do mind is that *MINI SPOILER AHEAD, DON'T READ THE NEXT LINE* one couple got a kiss and the other didn't *SPOILER OVER, YOU CAN READ NOW*. To me that other couple had a lot more angst and "deserved" it more. I can understand why it didn't happen in this book. But in the next one? Pretty please?
And finally, I have some of my own confusion too. The release date on NetGalley said the 25th. On here it says the 23rd. I should've posted this earlier just in case, totally my mistake.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*...more
The one thing I learned from reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is that you can't trust an author to write brilliant books every time.
It may noThe one thing I learned from reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is that you can't trust an author to write brilliant books every time.
It may not be fair to compare books that are so different, but I can't help it. Vicious blew me away. It's a masterpiece that convinced me I'd love everything V. E. Schwab has ever written and will write in the future. As we can see now, this did not turn out to be the case.
But did I hate this book? No. I felt nothing.
The good things about this story are few and far between, so I'll list them first.
- The writing. Absolutely amazing, wonderful, all that jazz. You can trust Schwab on this at least, the writing will always be...extraordinary (yes, I had to).
- Book. Without a doubt the best character, and it's a cat! The cat impressed me more than all other characters combined.
- Luc. I wouldn't say he's a fully good thing, it's more that he's better-than-Henry-in-every-single-way. For a book that centres deals made with devils in the night, Luc shows up a surprisingly small number of times. Still, the parts where he does are my favourite in the book.
And that's sadly it. On to the not so good stuff now.
- The pacing. It's not even that bad, but the flashbacks kill it. Addie is always doing the same thing, no matter which century she's in. So we really didn't need several flashbacks showing how boring she was (and continues to be).
- The length. It's too long. Cut out the flashback chapters and nothing is lost. Or cut out just about any scene from the present chapters too, still, nothing is lost.
- Henry. He's even more boring than Addie. I'm inclined to forgive him for it, because he hasn't had 10x the years Addie had to fix it, but...no.
- The romance. What romance? Where? Neither one is real. But of course, the one with Henry is the duller one. The one with Luc has some spark, even though it's just as sad.
I think Addie can't even love. She will never find it, and honestly, she doesn't even deserve it. Sorry.
She spends the entire book obsessing over people forgetting her that nothing else has the space to occupy her mind and heart.
- The plot. There was a plot???
The only thing left is the ending, which I can't sort into the good list, nor the bad list. The last chapter of the book was the best, and I'm okay with how it ended for all of them. Addie's final words were silly though. You can't trick the devil, but I guess you'll figure it out soon enough.
AND THAT'S A WRAP! I finally read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I wouldn't say "avoid this book", but I think it's Schwab's worst one by far, so do what you will. I certainly hope you'll like it more than I did....more
I've been wanting to read this for months, but I didn't have super high expectations for it. That turned out to be a good thing, because I'm not disapI've been wanting to read this for months, but I didn't have super high expectations for it. That turned out to be a good thing, because I'm not disappointed now. This book was just okay.
I'm familiar with Rebecca's writing through Trail of Lighting which was also an alright book. I had the impression that this one would (should) be better...and yet? They're around the same, but do have obvious differences.
Firstly, the world building. Different cultures used in each book and this is the really cool part. Old-new setting, mythology woven in, prophecies and the currency.
There's also LGBT rep that feels natural instead of forced.
The writing is better here than in the previously mentioned book, and the pacing too. It's easy to fly through Black Sun even though there's nothing happening for the most part.
There were only two scenes that stood out to me. The very first one where Serapio is preparing to become a God and the hand holding scene between him and Xiala. That was cute.
The romance wasn't terrible, even though it developed a little quickly, but it's also not one that I'll be remembering for years to come.
Character wise, I only liked Lord Balam. However, we saw too little of him for me to give an extra star for him, and him alone. I can't justify it.
I did warm up towards Serapio by the end, but it's more lukewarm feelings than anything. He's cool with his crows. I love that he talks to them and the powers they give him. But that's not enough.
I'll still read the sequel. Not so much because of the cliffhanger ending, but because I want to see if the world building and magic system get expanded on and if going into the next book knowing who everyone is and where they came from will make me connect to them more. ...more