Brooke Nelson

Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed with this book after how much I enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses. In an effort to make this as clear as possible (and not focus solely on the good or bad), let me give you an idea of the great…and the questionable, as I see it.

What I liked:

• Azriel, Cassian, and Mor. All three are a great addition to the current cast. It was easy for me to develop feelings for Cassian and Mor right off the bat. Azriel took a bit longer, but only because he talked so little. It was hard to get a read on them. The friendship between the three of them is superbly written as well.

• The use of Elain and Nesta in this book. They weren’t left out completely or thrown in too often. They had just the right about of time to showcase their personalities and make them truly enjoyable and worth caring about.

• The clear direction of the story. You have no idea how much I like a book that tells me what the goal is early on. Sometimes I like to know where we’re headed, rather than wander aimlessly from magical land to magical land. In that way, this book was super satisfying.

• The relationship between Mor and Feyre. I love to read a female friendship that does not consist solely of disagreements and distrust. Mor and Feyre legitimately love and trust each other, and they did right from the start.

• Lucien. I consider myself lucky to get even a speck of Lucien content. What a thoroughly well-written, compelling character. I want a book focused totally on him, please.

• The end. Oh my goodness, did that surprise me. I am truly impressed by the note Sarah left us on. Despite the meh-ness of certain parts of this book, the final scenes actually make me consider continuing the series.

What I disliked:

• Feyre’s disagreeableness. I understand her getting overwhelmed and upset at times, but her near constant sniping at Rhys got old, fast. You can only say something nasty or storm off (and then regret it five minutes later) so many times before I lose interest. I wanted to love her again, as I did in the first book, but I found myself more annoyed than understanding of her.

• The sex. Good lord, some of it was just not necessary. Sorry, but ACOTAR did it better.

• Making [a previously likeable character who I won’t mention here] such a bad guy. It’s entirely possible that I’m mistaken and the twist was planned before the first book, but the way it was written felt like such a forced way to push Feyre in a certain direction romantically.

• The word “mate.” I might vomit if I ever have to hear that word again.

There’s a little taste of my thoughts on the book. It was more good than bad for me, but I definitely had a number of points that had me going “ick.” Will I read the next? I’ll have to think about it. It took me months to finish this one, so with any luck I’ll have the next book read in no longer than five years’ time 🙂