Lau

Meeeh.

The pacing issues I had with the previous book are still present here but in a lesser degree. I’m starting to suspect there’s a page count Bardugo needed to hit so we got all this unnecessary information and back-and-forth. Was it really necessary to go to hell THREE TIMES? I get not succeeding right away to have the story progress and to add to the idea that this was an impossible task. But wouldn’t it be better to have the gang be close enough but not being to enter, instead of having some inexperienced 20-somethings and a cop come in and out willy-nilly?

Once again, there are unnecessary graphic scenes (more Hellie abuse, really? the rabbit, really?). Fortunately, it was not as much as the previous novel so I’m thankful for that.

Mercy having a more prominent role this time was fine but once again, there are no visible consequences of the events of the previous book or the ones that happened in this one, for that matter. I honestly can’t fathom her having such a carefree disposition about finding out Yale’s magical secrets, especially since she has been directly affected by them.

Also, her being an expert on the artifacts and magic overnight to the point she is on par with Dawes and Darlington? Really?

Also, WHY, AFTER A YEAR OF TORTURE, TRAUMA AND FINDING OUT HE KINDA KILLED HIS PARENTS THE FIRST THING DARLINGTON THINKS ABOUT IS HOW HORNY HE IS FOR ALEX? SERIOUSLY?????

I liked the inclusion of the new supernatural creatures, though.

Uff this book.

The pacing of this book is all over the place. Most of the time the action was interrupted by some flashback narration that imo didn't add much to the plot or a history lesson or a description of the architechture and the design of Yale. I'm all for description and making the surroundings pop out but, in this case, I felt it just hinder the narration a lot, making this book really boring and quite hard to get through. I couldn't care less about the magic or the main mystery since everything was so muddled up with extra information, random flashbacks and changes in the timeline.

If only that was the only problem with it...My biggest issue has to be the drug abuse and the sexual assualts along with their graphic depictions, which seemed to be added for shock value and because this is AN ADULT NOVEL!1!

I didn't find any of them necessary or that really impacted the plot or the characters in a deeper level. Alex has been an addict probably since she was 12, yet we don't see her struggling at all with her addition once she's at Yale.

Additionally, there was no need to have Alex being raped as a child by a ghost to portray how traumatic her life must be like having all those ghosts around.

Then, framing Darlington being drugged against his will and him forcing himself on Alex as a lighthearted moment and then having Alex use it as levarage didn't sit well with me. Specially since it is used as one of the founding moments of their possible romanance. Finally, Mercy's gang rape was just a way to find a clue to solve the mystery and the consequence it must have on her get brushed off quite quickly.

Really disappointed, tbh, so much so that it's making me doubt my enjoyment of her other books.

This was an engaging book for the most part and the format was very interesting.

That being said, the characters justifyng, defending and forgiving the pedophile made me really uncomfortable and ruined this whole book for me.

Uff why so depressing? Meh, I honestly didn't like much about this book. I was expecting a feel-good romcom and I didn't get that. For most of the book, everyone was having a hard time both in the present and in the flashbacks and just pretending to be ok.

I didn't like the couple or the friend group, none of them communicate AT ALL, which made no sense since they're supposed to be the closest group of people. It also seemed really stupid that a group of people with such a strong bond and love for each other would fall apart because a house is being sold. If your relationship is what makes that house your happy place, then you can feel that same joy, safety, warmth anywhere else as long as you're all together. Mourning the loss of a house in such an extreme way seems exaggerated and quite childish imo.

The reason why the guy decided to break up was SO STUPID, specially after being in a relationship for eight years and being so close to actually marry? I get there had to be an excuse to break them up to have them make up again but huh???

The ending, omg, the ending. I do understand her being disillusioned with her job and what it entails. I can even understand her just wanting to leave everything for him, as a grand gesture typical of love stories. But her parents just accepting it? After how shitty they've been about expectations and sacrifice and all that? The same parents that have been and actively are abusive to their other daughter about her life and career choices? Also, leaving everything for pottery??? Something she has been doing for like two seconds on a whim?

The premise and the investigation part of this novella were interesting but I couldn't care less for any of the protagonists.

I felt that having so many povs and jumping between them didn't really work for a book this size. At least for me.

The ending was cool, though.

Uff why so depressing? Meh, I honestly didn't like much about this book. I was expecting a feel-good romcom and I didn't get that. For most of the book, everyone was having a hard time both in the present and in the flashbacks and just pretending to be ok.

I didn't like the couple or the friend group, none of them communicate AT ALL, which made no sense since they're supposed to be the closest group of people. It also seemed really stupid that a group of people with such a strong bond and love for each other would fall apart because a house is being sold. If your relationship is what makes that house your happy place, then you can feel that same joy, safety, warmth anywhere else as long as you're all together. Mourning the loss of a house in such an extreme way seems exaggerated and quite childish imo.

The reason why the guy decided to break up was SO STUPID, specially after being in a relationship for eight years and being so close to actually marry? I get there had to be an excuse to break them up to have them make up again but huh???

The ending, omg, the ending. I do understand her being disillusioned with her job and what it entails. I can even understand her just wanting to leave everything for him, as a grand gesture typical of love stories. But her parents just accepting it? After how shitty they've been about expectations and sacrifice and all that? The same parents that have been and actively are abusive to their other daughter about her life and career choices? Also, leaving everything for pottery??? Something she has been doing for like two seconds on a whim?

I wish I had more context for some of the details that are being discussed here (like Pym and Midnight Mission) but I'm enjoying this story quite a bit so far.

I still really like Marc and the gang is growing on me.

Not an actual review just a few comments:

- I like Inej quite a bit but there are still aspects of her character that made me so mad. Her still doubting Kaz in this book was just innecessary and stupid. Like, do you really still believe Kaz is capable of burying a child alive? Please

- I still love love love Jesper and Wylan. Both separetly and as a couple.

- Kaz continues to be perfect

- Every time I got to a Matthias chapter, I'd groan. I feel like Bardugo had to have someone not surviving the job to justify the stakes she'd created but I thought his death was so dumb and I couldn't even feel sorry for him.

- Really liked all the twists. I saw some coming but still I liked what they added to the story.

- NIKOLAI

- “Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don’t forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.” YESS I LOVE CROWS SO MUCHESS I LOVE CROWS SO MUCH

Quite disappointed tbh.

For a story that centers around Peter and Gwen's love story, we don't learn much about Gwen or why Peter fell in love with her, other than her being attractive.

Also, MJ rubbed me the wrong way here and that ending was...not great imo.