Grace

I loved the story, the characters, the setting... Lilith is such a badass even if she doesn't know it.

Points I LOVED:

1. This is the first FMC I've read that is not in her late teens (she's 30) making it very relatable.
2. She struggles to connect with people, which is something very real and common
3. Although she cares a lot, she just cannot express in a warm way that... her love language is caring and finding the cure for both her sister and Adcova
4. She is a woman of science, which is something not commonly represented so I appreciated that so much
5. And as a woman of science she doesn't rely on magic, nor is waiting for a knight in shining armor to come and solve her problems, she takes action even if it endangers her because she knows no one is coming to save the day
6. She represents very well how moms behave: taking great care of others before taking care of herself. I'm not saying that's OK, just that it is well-depicted
7. She saves the MMC
8. She saves the day

Points that kept ot from being 5 stars:

1. Same as with Serpent & the Wings of Night, the world-building falls a bit short, maybe a map and an introduction to the mythology, some context on what is going on so we can place it on the timeline within the series before getting too ahead in the story, this would help a lot

If you enjoy a strong, "common" and in her thirties FMC this is the book for you.

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

I loved the story, the characters, the plot, the romance... pff I couldn't put it down!

I enjoyed this book way more than I expected, especially having a strong FMC. I loved the romance, not cheesy, it also had its evolution. And Oraya's development in terms of becoming as powerful was very inspiring, to not give up even when odds are against you or that the world taught you it is impossible.

I took half star out just because I needed more world-building, a map to understand where every kingdom was, the places, distances, politics, the reason the trial took place (it is stated as something that happens every century to honor Nyaxia, as a ritual, and you learn some of Nyaxia's trial-from which the Kejari is based on- along the way but there's just something vague about it).

I would only advice to beware of some trigger points:

• Blood (like a lot of it)
• Forced s*x
• M*rder
• Enslavement

Other than that to me it is an amazing read and totally recommend 👌🏻

I was postponing this book for far too long, that I regret it. It was so good, much better than I thought it would be.

Maybe I would have liked more world-building, to me it was lacking, but the story was so good and the writing... chef's kiss, that it didn't matter that much to me.

Yes it felt like Beauty and the Beast was a major inspiration for this book, at times there were parallelisms, but I think SJM explored the curse with a very interesting twist to it, and how it all unraveled was beautifully executed.

Like many, I too had my doubts in the beginning, like it didn't make much sense, but I knew there had to be more to it and when it happened I really enjoyed it.

Now I'm off to the second book because I need a follow-up!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
It was a bit slow the first half but then the story unraveled in a marvelous, mind-blowing way. I just have to start ACOWAR right away!

It is more of the cotidianity after Under the Mountain, yes there are some secrets revealed and I love the banter between Feyre and Rhys, and the last half was stunning, brilliant, and sets everything in motion for ACOWAR (I just read a few chapters)... but I find the first half way too long to get to that point. Some bits are moved fast-forwardly but others are -to me at least- unnecessarily very detailed or repetitive.

It would have been a 5 star if not for this, it took me way too long to want to put the book up again and continue my reading, couldn't get past 10 pages at once for the first half. I even started and finished another one in parallel to keep me motivated, ended up choosing to finish that other book instead lol...

Maybe once I get to ACOWAR I will find those bits necessary or, at least, making sense. I have learned after the end of this book that SJM doesn't leave crumbs without a purpose, so... I am open to be amazed and change my mind ✨️

I liked this book the most, it has everything: romance, strategy, action, spice, humor... it is long but not unnecessarily (contrary to ACOMAF). It is very dynamic and something is actually happening at all times, it kept me on edge and wanting to know how it ended all the time!

I enjoyed this one a lot but there are some things that kept me from giving it 5 stars:

- “Gave a vulgar gesture”, “My mate” and “said to no one in particular” are way overused, so much so that it became annoying to read and completely dulled my reading experience

-There's so much info dump, like for example in the middle of the war with Hybern certain characters appear and explain their whole backstory and how they came to support Prythian... like dudes, seriously? You are in battle and you have time to chit chat?

-Also there was a lot of info dump between dialogues that broke the fluidity of the conversation, I got lost and had to go a little back and read it again skipping the info dump part to make it make sense

-Some things weren't clear, like again, during the battle with Hybern, was Rhys with Feyre or not? He was supposed to be fighting but suddenly he's got part in the decision when Feyre and Amren are about to go to the Cauldron on their own... to me it was confusing

Amazing story! This is about Aisling Everheart, daughter of the Ambersea emperor and enemy if the now submitted Imbrian ex prince Kohen Badshah. Yes, there are lots of tropes like “he cheated on her because he was having a difficult time”, “my father killed his father”, “virgin until marriage but desires him”, “we don't know the whole story”, “supposed enemies to lovers”, “forced proximity”, “the chosen one”, “found family”, “My bonded creature has a special relationship with his bonded creature”

She sees Kohen as her enemy all the time, he's nothing but nice to her. She feels he's going to turn his back on her at any time out of revenge for his father's death so she doesn't trust him and questions that attitude of protectiveness towards her through the book.

As the story moves forward Aisling has to overcome many challenges, first Tetra (her best friend who happens to have a condition in one of her legs that disables her to walk without a cane and meds) is chosen to go to The Wilds and bond with a creature (Hunger Games style), then the proximity with Kohen that makes her question the stories her father has told her about Imbria, the trials they are put through during camp and trying to survive for real after someone actually wants to unalive her.

Of course she bonds with the coolest creature available and gets powers that has to keep secret for her own safety and shares that with her MMC who also gets the coolest creature and gets forbidden powers too.

It is light reading, but still exciting and I can't wait for part 2 in December!!!

I am a hopeless romantic so naturally I loved the fated theme in this book, yes as unrealistic, kinda forced and even over the top as it is, that's why I read romance books in the first place.

Now, this was not necessarily my favorite, like then again, why does anyone keep waiting on someone for so long, despite your dreams and they making it clear that they are not changing their ways for you?

Also (and this is more personal) I don't read military stories bc 1: I don't live in US so in my country US military interventions mean totally other things than what US feels so honored by, and that's OK... and 2: due to that we do have different views of the war and who is the hero in the story... but I gave this book a chance to see where it went and to me it was an unnecessary setting, especially since it is too close to reality, or even it IS someone's reality and not a nice setting for a romance.

Now, my opinion of it AS A ROMANCE STORY: I think it evolved into something beautiful like admitting they didn't have any right to make that choice for the other, but man it was so hard to live the non-relationship through both lenses. That is, I think, beautifully written and achieved that dual POV, still I kept screaming at both like "get your shit together, you love each other!"

As much as I enjoyed this book there were a lot of annoying things that were too over the top, and what outstands the most is the fact that all these 3 years Izzy was mad at Nate, like really pissed off because of an abandonment and that's what you are led to believe happened as their last interaction for most part of the book...... until they get to childishly discuss (for the eleventh time) and you get Nate's POV conveniently about 80% in, totally opposite to the whole story... so it was either planned that way or something in the story telling broke but to me it just didn't work, that and Izzys constant stubborness to stay, like of course she wouldn't be allowed to do as she pleases in a war zone, she would have been dispatched back notwithstanding who she was....

Overall I think it is enjoyable and I stand by Yarros in her romantic writing... if an author doesn't make your feelings arise and get mad at these characters then they are not doing it right and she definitely is doing it great!

I love Riley Thorn's series, but this last one... was a DNF for me, I couldn't manage to read past 55%. I didn't expect this book to be my first DNF ever, considering how much I enjoyed all the series, and here's why I just couldn't:

1. I don't remember Nick being so possessive of Riley, like honestly WTF with him being “My girl”, like all the time?

2. It bothered me so much having him stating over and over again how much he wanted to have sex with Riley, all so needy that to me felt very annoying and over the top. Even saying that in front of anyone to hear is so uncomfortable.

3. If they had that history with Griffin, why even bother to help him? To me the argument is off, because Nick is bothered by him all the time (Riley should be the one to have a banter with Griffin, but apparently she's over it and for some reason it is Nick who has a problem with him now... did I miss something? Maybe I read the last a while ago and I don't remember