Asia

When you look at the book for the first time, you think to yoursel "it's a prequel and many details were already shared in Catching Fire. It will be fine. Can't be worse than the actual trilogy right?"

But you know nothing, Jon Snow. (and how ironic the last name is).

The book is beautiful, devastating, heartbreaking, hopeful, a horror and love story tangled all in one. It's something you can never predict and nothing you can forget. It's seared into our minds and hearts and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

This book is not only an important book in the series, it's also consistent. All those details from the trilogy we thought were irrelevant? They get a whole other meaning after reading this book. Nothing is accidental, everything has its purpose. All those important things from the trilogy and The Ballad? They're not only kept, but also expanded upon. Suzanne Collins knows her world in and out, there are no plot holes, no mistakes, nothing. Her writing is consistent, heartbreaking, beautiful, thought-provoking, coherent and fantastic. She never misses.

Rereading the scene from Mockingjay where Snow chokes to death on his own blood will be so satisfying - although I still wish he got a more painfull death. It's not enough, nothing will ever be enough, my only consolation is that he's dead.

And Haymitch will meet Lenore Dove once again in the afterlife and they will be together forevermore.

3.75/5

Wow, I can't believe this was the last book in the series. I mean I get it, with what happened to Belissama - but I'm still disappointed. Since the first book I was hoping for Gareth and Linden story, his character development and their reconciliation. I mean even in the 3rd book he was still hopelessly in love with her, and I enjoyed his growth. And I loved Linden in the first book and I was hoping for the second chance romance between those two. So I'm disappointed we won't get it.

Now for Dasha and Ivy... I don't get how Ivy could get Dasha back so quickly with no hesitation, after how much she didn't want to in the previous book. It was too quick for me and Sasha didn't grovel enough - her grovel was mostly off page which I didn't like.

And while I understand that this story needed to be written from Dasha's point of view, I hoped to get Ivy's perspective instead, since the previous book. So that's probably why my rating is lower as well.

All in all I enjoyed this book. It wasn't my favourite in the series (and I can't believe it's the last book - I mean what about Gareth??? And the entire town, I'm gonna miss it!) but it wasn't bad.

3.75/5

It wasn't the worst but it wasn't my favourite either. I liked Devon but I didn't like Kathleen at all. She was horrible.

I liked everyone else more, especially West. He was amazing and his character growth was AWESOME. I loved it.

Helen and Rhys were intriguing. I'm really interested to read more and I'm excited about their book. Kathleen's involvement was unnecessary and as much as she wanted to help, she just made decisions for Helen all the time. I hated it.

I can't wait to read West's book.

The Cinderella trope doens't always work well. I like the premise - snarky Cinderella to be a Duchess - but it doesn't worked. It's boring. I'm bored. I read 35% and I can't anymore. I'm afraid that only a few books writren by Tessa Dare are to my liking and this isn't one of them.

That ending?? THAT ENDING??? Holy shit!!!

I want to read it in original soon, something tells me that the tranation wasn't that good.