3 ⭐️ It was a fine sequel


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ new adult paranormal fantasy romance
✨ gothic medieval-esque world
✨ couples: Elm x Ione (main), Elspeth x Ravyn (side)
✨ forbidden romance
✨ forced proximity
✨ insta-lust
✨ slow burn
✨ 1/5 spice (one open door scene that's not explicit)
✨ secrets and lies
✨ magic has a price
✨ high stakes
✨ multiple POVs


My Thoughts:

It was an interesting sequel. Once again, I like the gothic vibes, moody/creepy atmosphere, unique magic system, and characters. The story is well put together and the plot was unique and intriguing. However . . .

While I actually like Ione and Elm, it was surprising they were the stars of this book. Elspeth is the main character of book 1 but takes a backseat in this story. I get why but it’s a bitter pill to swallow when you've invested your time into Elspeth, only for previous side characters to take over as the main protagonists. Again, I liked the new MCs but I just wasn’t as invested in them as I think we were expected to be. So yeah, I was disappointed that Elspeth didn’t play a big part in this book.

Also, the romance between Ione and Elm was infatuation to love at best. The transition from "I'm horny for you to I deeply care for you" was too sudden and not believable.

I was not a fan of all the different POVs. It’s hard going from the previous book that only has two POVs to five POVs.

The twists/reveals were once again not shocking. Everything came together nicely but either the foreshadowing was too obvious or the story wasn't complicated enough that I was able to predict everything.

Maybe it was my disappointment and disinterest as I continued to read, but I found the writing to be overly descriptive and wordy at times. So I ended up skimming a bit.

And a few other random annoyances. There was a moment when time freezes and Elm could have killed his brother but he didn't. Why? This felt like a major oversight. Also, Elspeth's uncle / Ione's dad should have been sentenced to death for his betrayals.

I was expecting to be blown away because of all the hype but I just wasn’t. However, I would recommend this to people who like fantasy with a bit of romance and want to read something different.


Favorite Quotes:

If he ever grew old enough to do so, he would tell this story to his children, with the firm lesson being don't ever strike bargains with beautiful women.
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"You have a wonderful mouth. . . And now, it's all mine."
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"I want you to know me very well, Ione Hawthorn. Which is" -he dipped her again, bowing over her and speaking against her throat- "a rather horrifying feeling, if I'm perfectly honest."
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"You're beautiful."
"No. That word is only for you."
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"Don't die. I won't. Because if you do, and we never get the time we're owed, I'll hate you, Ravyn Yew. I'll love you and hate you forever."
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