The Dust Feast

[4.6] so i finished this book....but more aptly put, this book finished me my favorite so far despite the memory wipe of a certain ily amongst other slips because the whirlwind of feels and emotions swept me away at neck-breaking speeds and flung me into the stars ✨Vie's harem (though this makes more sense than you'd expect, iykyk) motley crew of companions, or as i like to call them in my head “the reluctant guardians of Vehpese,” grows ever larger as twisty twists continue to - you guessed it - twist with a few shounen reminiscent elements thrown in the mix.—-spoilers (however vague) incoming—-a teacher found hanging in his classroom, the unexpected return of girls previously presumed dead, a labyrinthine web of corruption and conspiracies and the dangerous monsters in the shadows behind it - who thought Mr. Big Empty would turn out to be the least of their concerns?in my pursuit of answers, i'm once again saddled with a fresh onslaught of questions, completely clueless how GA is planning to let us off this carousel of pain. the thing is though, if my graceless trudging through [b:The Mortal Sleep 43982227 The Mortal Sleep (Hollow Folk, #4) Gregory Ashe https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549995491l/43982227.SY75.jpg 68379002] is any indication, i'm also too keyed up to keep my eyes on the prize. the sense of dread sure is immobilizing.but back to the story at hand. most riveting was Vie's modest (but steady) growth both in confronting parts of his past as well as his evolving interpersonal relationships. Sara (drowns in tears), Becca - heck, even River. love the development to bits. also, Temple Mae is bae and not only because it rhymes.i genuinely adored how this book gave Austin his chance to shine. there has been an inherent bias toward Emmett throughout the series - GA's favorite only one bed trope was reserved for him, Emmett has greedily hoarded the scarce opportunities to get in touch with Vie's vulnerable side, and even the spirits deign to ship it - but this book solidified the fact that Austin brings a form of stability to Vie's life that Emmett is currently unable to offer. who knows, maybe i'm pushing this point for the sake of being contrarian, but while most vulnerable moments with Emmett are wrecking ball accidents, with Austin, it feels like more of a conscious choice. the momentous moment when Vie shows him his scars? broke me to pieces and glued me back together