Category: Review (Page 74 of 297)

Item: Gleam
Rating: 5
Author: Chelsea

Gleam (The Plated Prisoner #3) by Raven Kennedy

February 28, 2022 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Gleam (The Plated Prisoner #3)
by Raven Kennedy
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
King Midas made me the woman I am today. Notorious. Unattainable. His.

The thing about being confined is that you believe it’s to keep the bad out... Until you realize it’s about keeping you in.

I’m now in a strange kingdom surrounded by liars, with no allies of my own, but I won’t sit idly by and let myself wither. No, there’s something that’s bloomed from the pit of my repression. Something dark. Something angry.

But the last thing I expected was for my anger to call out to him. King Ravinger.

He’s sinister and powerful and entirely too seductive. I’ve learned my lesson with trusting manipulative kings, so why does my chest constrict every time he’s near? I need to tread carefully, or I’m at risk of losing much more than just my freedom.

Regret and revenge war inside of me, and I need to figure out a plan fast before I get tangled up in the schemes of kings and queens.

Because I won’t be caught in a cage again. No, this time, It’ll be me setting the trap... I just hope my heart comes out of this unscathed.

A bursting scoff escapes him. “Stop with the dramatics, Auren. Stop with this rebellion. It doesn’t suit you.”
“No, the problem is that it doesn’t suit you.”

Some books are just special. Some books just wind themselves into your veins, your heart, your very soul. Some books last, some books fade, and some books withstand the test of time, take up permanent residence in your heart. This is that book. Again, I know everyone is different and that perhaps this book seems vain or vapid…but, to me, it’s a book that touched on each and every one of my favorite tropes, introduced me to one of the most interestingly complex heroes I’ve ever come across, and it delivered in all things perilous and horrifying. In short, it was my perfect book, and this series lead up to it spectacularly.

What are we without our white lies and protective walls?

Auren becomes this amazing girl, this woman who won’t be held down. She finally finds her shine, her power, her unwillingness to be a pawn for everyone and to be a player for herself. Her cunning, her heart, her ferocity-it was so amazing to read about and I enjoyed every moment she blossomed more, her rose tinted glasses finally so foggy that she doesn’t even use them anymore.

But the eyes of liars are tricky things. They can show you what you want to see without ever reflecting the truth. It’s best not to look a liar in the eye. They’re so good at their own compulsions that their gazes hold steady, and then you’re the one who loses sight.

She cut through the bullshit, and now it’s time for those who have wronged her to pay…and I was so there for it.

I’m glad for the anger I see on his face. Misery may love company, but anger thrives on it.

And, naturally, this was my favorite book because of the twisted games, the treachery, the elusiveness, the sneaking around, and that push and pull tension that can only be achieved by a slow burn romance so seductive, so drawn out, so worth the wait that I thought I was going to personally combust. It’s just so rare that all my favorite elements are in the same story-the same series-so satisfyingly. Not once was or is it easy. Nothing just falls in our laps. Nothing ever is cut and dry-and that is one of my least favorite things in books, when a hero and heroine decide they like/love one another, then it’s all ‘we’re together until the end, no one can defeat us’ or whatever. It’s just simply not that easy for Auren and Rip. There are so many obstacles, so many people, so many rules and powerplays. I love that we don’t get that instant gratification. I love that we have to work for it. And, ultimately, I love that Rip earns it, time and again. That he is more than willing to earn it over and over and over. Yes. Just…yes.

Without me realizing it, he slipped into my veins and now swims through my every thought, steeped into every drop.

Oh, yes, didn’t I warn you that this review was going to go full Commander Rip mode? I did. I warned you in my second review and I am no liar-for there is one single thing that makes my heart beat, my pulse race, and my stomach erupt in butterflies when the darkness creeps in, and that is Rip, the man who brought Auren out of her shell, the man who taught her not all men are bad and not everyone is your enemy. She doesn’t always have to hide, she should let her inner strength shine, be proud of who she is and what she can do. Auren’s inner strength is amazing-I know she always had it, but it is Rip who pulled it from her, who drug it out of her piece by piece so that she could cease to be a shell of a human. And it’s Rip who will stand by her side, no matter the fate, no matter the battle, no matter the consequences-and damn the repercussions.

I’m incredibly aware of his arms around me, of the way he doesn’t falter as he holds me up, as if he could hold me for eternity and never let go.
Why does that make me want to cry?

That’s the thing, isn’t it? There are so many games, so many powerplays, so much political shit, and he follows them to a tee…but when it comes to the woman he is obsessed with, the woman he views as the most important thing in the world, the woman he wants to finally be free and happy? He would give it all up, just like that, if she so much as snapped her golden finger. He’d destroy every carefully built wall, he’d burn down the whole world in her name-because he sees her as the queen she is and knows she deserves no less. He is a humble servant at her feet, he worships her so deeply…and she is finally beginning to understand that-and it ultimately is what gives her the strength and the fight for her soul, seeing that someone values her and would even walk away if it was what she wanted. He gives her life. He gives her the confidence she never had. And damn if that’s not refreshing.

Instead of being afraid of the world, I could make the whole damn world afraid of me.

The utter malice behind the actions in this novel sing to my soul-every single moment-but I do wish ONE plot line had gone the way I love it to, but that’s me being a control freak like Midas and it didn’t hinder my enjoyment at all (okay, look, it did a bit BUT) because the other thread, the way the author pulled at it-it sang to my soul just as loudly, I just had to let it digest.

Why is it that a man can make you feel like nothing, when you have given him everything?

I like things to go a certain way with the trio of Hero-Heroine-Villain, and I am very snobbish and picky about it-I have always been truthful and upfront about that. That being said, though, it’s a more repetitive way of ending a book, so the creativeness that went into this end was far superior in that it is unexpected, it is innovative, and you likely won’t have seen it before (I seriously don’t think it’s possible lol). Again, I wish a certain something could have been expanded upon and played into a little longer for book four with our new situation but, like I said, I like the tried and true, so it’s best we aren’t going to drag out one single plot for too long. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have devoured it, though *frowny face*.

That’s the thing about escapism. In whatever form, it always ends, and then we’re forced back into a reality that’s not nearly as satisfying.

And lastly, I have to say this, which is stupidly sad, that I found myself relating to so many passages, so many moments where Auren lifted her veil to see what was truly in front of her. I find it so amazing that these quotes can pack such a punch, can break down our own walls where we can see what is wrong-or had been wrong-or could be wrong-in our own lives. I am awed that so many moments spoke to me…and damn if that isn’t a little unsettling.

I became too blinded by my bright sides to see the truth.
Sometimes, you look at the silver lining so much that you drift into denial about the clouds.

So, there it is. My undying and unconditional love for a random series that totally swept me off my feet seemingly out of nowhere. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t expected. It was not something I planned to spend more of my hard earned money on-but alas, here I am, spending money anyway, because I refuse to not represent Rip on my shelves, okay? And they’re so dang pretty, too (I WISH THEY WERE IN HARDBACK). I wish the fourth was out, but I am also happy I get to look forward to it, get to pine for what could be…and I trust Raven Kennedy implicitly. Now, the wait. I’ll be ready. *smirks*

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COVER REVEAL: The Unmarked Witch by Miranda Lyn

February 24, 2022 / Arielle / 0 Comments

I am so excited to be part of the cover reveal for Miranda Lyn’s upcoming book, The Unmarked Witch! The book will be hitting the shelf on September 20–just in time for witchy season!

Summary

ALL RAVEN WANTS IS PEACE. BUT IN A MAGICAL REALM PLAGUED BY DECEPTION, THE ONLY THING HER WORLD KNOWS IS TURMOIL.

A land where witches wear their spells like tattoos is no place for a woman without a single magical mark—except for Raven, whose unblemished skin contradicts the truth of her power. Surviving under the scowls of her fellow witches has carved indelible scars into her mind over the years—just as the day she watched the Dark King’s men murder her grandmother in cold blood. But the Dark King’s reign of terror is far-reaching, and Raven’s grandmother won’t be the last witch to die under his rule. After the death of a coven leader heralds the start of the infamous Witch Trials, Raven finds herself dodging death to triumph. The journey quickly descends into perils far greater than she’d ever imagined, including a war on her heart from a man she’d only ever known as a villain. Still, trust is always fragile in kingdoms ruled by magic, especially when love enters the fold. Yet, something else is awry in the land of spells and shadows and Raven must decide whether she trusts her gut or her heart. The Unmarked Witch is the first gripping book in the seductive and intriguing duology, Unmarked.

From the author of the heart-pounding fantasy series, Fae Rising comes this new darkly ambitious tale.

Reserve your copy today!
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Author

Miranda Lyn is the author of the trending, high fantasy series, Fae Rising, and is soon releasing her new novel, The Unmarked Witch. Miranda has spent the past two decades reading romantic fantasy novels, and the last hand full of years crafting similar worlds steeped in heartache, adventure, love, and loss. Her latest work will take her readers into the heart of a witch. And she owes it all to that one science teacher that made her write a paper on dirt and loved it so much he read it to the class. And then lectured her for missing class that day. But if not for him, because he probably doesn’t deserve the credit since she missed the next day of class as well, then to that little, old English teacher that swept her into a world of creative writing. The only class she never missed.

Glint (The Plated Prisoner #2) by Raven Kennedy

February 23, 2022 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Glint (The Plated Prisoner #2)
by Raven Kennedy
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

For ten years, I’ve lived in a gilded cage inside King Midas’s golden castle. But one night changed everything.

Now I’m here, a prisoner of Fourth Kingdom’s army, and I’m not sure if I’m going to make it out of this in one piece. They’re marching to battle, and I’m the bargaining chip that will either douse the fire or spark a war.

At the heart of my fear, my worry, there’s him—Commander Rip.

Known for his brutality on the battlefield, his viciousness is unsurpassed. But I know the truth about what he is.

Fae.

The betrayers. The murderers. The ones who nearly destroyed Orea, wiping out Seventh Kingdom in the process. Rip has power sizzling beneath this skin and glinting spikes down his spine. But his eyes—his eyes are the most compelling of all.

When he turns those black eyes on me, I feel captive for an entirely different reason.

I may be out of my cage, but I’m not free, not even close. In the game of kings and armies, I’m the gilded pawn. The question is, can I out maneuver them?

This is the captivating second book of The Plated Prisoner series. It’s an adult epic fantasy story blending romance, intrigue, and beautiful imagery. Return to the seductive story of magic inspired by the myth of King Midas, and get caught up in the world of Orea.

Time changes with torment. It stretches on, lengthening seconds, extending minutes. I’ve learned that pain and fear have a way of prolonging. And as if that weren’t cruel enough, our minds make sure we relive those moments again and again and again, long after they’ve passed.
What a bastard, time is.

Here comes Mrs. Broken record, but it appears I’ve been taken by surprise yet again. I am dead serious when I tell you that I literally had never even HEARD of this book or this author before I accidentally stumbled onto it when I was trying to figure out the name of a totally different book series. Fate has a hilarious way of working out, don’t you think?

All the grief, all the worry, I wrap it up like old yarn on a spool, tucking away every frayed strand. Because if I show him my fear, if I reveal my weaknesses to this male, he’ll latch onto those threads and yank them all, unraveling me completely.

Not only did I ENJOY these last two books, they devoured me. I don’t say this lightly, and I don’t say it without meaning-I didn’t simply speed through these last two books, they demanded I read them at all times, without remorse. I’d put the book down then, inexplicably, I couldn’t concentrate on any other task. I’d be trying to sleep and, whadya know, I couldn’t! This sounds typical, I know, but this was different. This was all encompassing.

Maybe ignorance isn’t a vice, but a reprieve.

I can’t pinpoint what exactly it was that spoke to me, but I keep coming to the same conclusion that I’m a total snob when it comes to authors, books, and writing styles, and that I merely thought I was going to read this, obsess a little over a certain dark bad boy, and move on [as I always tend to do]. And time will tell how quickly my heart can move on- I do so love to transition into other series because I don’t get a lot of time to read and I cherish every moment I can. That did not happen. So far, this series has its claws so deeply clutched into me that I can scarcely breathe, that I can’t tell where I end and it begins.

Pretty lies cover up a lot of ugly truths.

But oh, to be a Goldfinch finally finding some wings after meeting a dark, commanding presence who wants more for me, for me to see the confines I’ve allowed myself to be hindered by. Because-here’s the kicker-I can tell you EXACTLY where I and this book/series collide– His name is Rip, and it couldn’t be more on the nose if it tried, because I am dead, dying, and dripping golden goo at my seams, I’m Resting In [a million] Pieces because of this tall, dark, otherworldly man.

No, hear me the fuck out. Seriously. He is NOT average. He is NOT run of the mill. And he is NOT a rinse and repeat hero. I don’t care WHO disagrees, I am ready to put up my dukes, because there is NO room for disagreements here, no lies detected. He is superior in all ways and I literally won’t hear anything else of it.

So, you’ve met a man who makes a beaten down, imprisoned woman come out of her shell before. Okay, you got me there. You’ve likely met a man who pushes her to fight, to be stronger, to break free of her chains (Ie, Midas (the bastard)). Mmkay, cool. I bet you’ve even met a man who plays it cool, acts like it’s her choice what she does with her captive mind and soul…maybe you have. But at what point have you actually seen him let that woman go, let her make her own faults, decisions, let her be who she wants to be even if it stifles her, all the while it kills him inside. Here’s where that’s tricky-I am only saying this: Rip DOES let Auren make her own choices. It truly IS her choice. If she stays, if she goes…etc. I’m saying that, in the end, he truly would never manhandle her into doing what he thinks is right, even if it would tear his soul to pieces. And, finally, what man admits he is the villain…and owns it?

His head drops down, turning, and we meet each other’s eyes. I used to think that his were as black as a bottomless pit, but I was wrong. They aren’t suffocating or soulless. Something swims in them when he looks at me.
I’m afraid that if I look too long, that same thing will swim in my eyes too.

Yes I know, I’m explaining this horribly and a lot of my vehemence stems from me being done with book 3, too, and some things are convoluted. I can see it happening, a few choice words I’ve used leaking out incorrectly and ahead of it’s [review] time. But what I’ve been trying to say is this: yes, you’ve seen variations of Commander Rip before, but you’ve never seen HIM before, and you’ve never seen it done this way, and that’s for both book 2 and 3, and I stand so firmly on that.

“Sometimes,” he murmurs, “things need first to be ruined in order to then be remade.”

To see him treat her with nothing but respect, to defy her every negative preconceived notion of what a man is and what he can do, to slowly earn her trust, to unravel her wariness day by day, lesson by lesson…and expect nothing in return-my heart. Be still my fucking heart. And when he makes a mistake (3), his remorse is so palpable, so overflowing with regret and the need to make her see why he does what he does…unparalleled, it’s truly mind-blowing.

Are people so content in ignorance that they’ll believe every lie fed to them, despite what they see right in front of their eyes?

I love him so dearly, and I am going to stop here because if you thought I was going to not make the whole of my book three review about-um-yeah-you’d be dead wrong. If you think I talked about Rip too much in this one, steer clear of review three. We slowly got to see Auren became the woman she only thought she could dream of being, to see there is more to her than being Midas’ golden pet, to see behind that ascent into greatness…but not 100% there yet. No- she has so much higher to rise, I am TELLING you, and seeing how she is so strong for others through everything….it’s nothing short of amazing to read. But no…for me, sorry, the true star here is my dark dark commander, and it’s all you’re going to hear about from here on out, you better believe it.

Shove down weakness, and strength will rise…

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Gild (The Plated Prisoner #1) by Raven Kennedy

February 22, 2022 / Chelsea / 5 Comments

Gild (The Plated Prisoner #1)
by Raven Kennedy
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.

Gold.

Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.

Even me.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I’m called his precious. His favored. I’m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don’t leave the confines of the palace, I’m safe.

Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.

Because these bars I’m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I’d never left.

The myth of King Midas reimagined. This compelling adult fantasy series is as addictive as it is unexpected. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page.

I’m the gold-plated prisoner.
But what a pretty prison it is.

Full disclosure, for those who do not read my lengthy reviews, that I have already finished book two and started book three, and those are far superior to this story. Also, talk about having trouble picking the shelving tabs, wow. That being said, though, this book was clearly a set up, a path leading somewhere that has been wondrous and addicting through and through. I can’t quite pinpoint when I started loving this series (HA LIES, LIES DETECTED), but I think I did the moment a certain someone sauntered [because you can’t describe his swagger any other way] onto the scene.

And I know books aren’t about the male leads but, in this specific case where the males are pig-headed, toxic, woman hating slugs who get off on a woman (Or women) with Stockholm Syndrome, yeah…I can get behind a sexy man walking into the story who understands what it is to take care of a woman or treat her as an equal.

And I bet you’re shocked I even brought this up, as it never really is something I touch base on, but this book is heavily reliant on the power men hold above women and how they can abuse that power, especially when they are regarded with status and flash. I know all this is triggery for some people, so I thought I should preface it ahead of time, no matter where my review takes me.

But memory and time aren’t friends. They reject each other, they hurry in opposite directions, pulling the binding taut between them, threatening to snap. They fight, and we inexplicably lose. Memory and time. Always losing one as you go on with the other.

Again, I don’t think I have much to say about this particular story, riddled with girl hate, delusion, and a narcissistic male, but I did want to review it all the same, not gloss over it as I do sometimes when I am busy. Very little in the way of plot happens for 60% of the story, but after that (though I still didn’t love it at this point) it marginally begins to find a pace that is more up to the standards I had hoped it could reach. Obviously, though, the disgust I felt after she is out of the palace was not palatable and I still felt myself skimming.

Do not confuse me skimming with a book being poorly written, for that title goes to my previous read, The Savage and the Swan-That was poorly written and a convoluted story to boot. But Gild? Nah, I respect the path of this book, the journey. Because once I got past the drivel of the sniveling bastard Midas, I really started to see where this was going and I quite enjoyed it. And, to be fair, I am on book three and…..wow. Just WOW. I LIVE FOR IT. I just hope I finish loving it, so I can look forward to the final book coming out next year.

You can have all the gold in the world and yet lack everything of real worth.

I kind of wanted to address the hate of how Auren acts, how she keeps accepting things, how she crawls back to Midas, buys his bullshit repeatedly, because…isn’t that, like, the exact definition of Stockholm Syndrome? To fall in love with your captor, to eat the spoon fed lies, the pretty (and in this case, literal) cage? I really don’t see how people wouldn’t understand that process, how long it would take to fix that, piece together what is fiction or reality. What I CAN understand, though, is the desire to cease reading because the repetitiveness just isn’t for you, or you simply don’t like it-that’s fair. What isn’t fair, though, is implying she is weak or spineless (especially after reading further) when that’s literally the point of the whole book. I’m no expert though, just my thoughts.

So, I don’t know-it’s hard to write a review about your least favorite of the series while also urging them to try the books, knowing full well they get better and better. But that’s me here, now, trying to tell people that if you get past the first book, they get infinitely better-at least to me. Book two is far from perfect, but the feels were rampant, and book three has me literally dying to read, on the edge of my seat, and like a giddy little girl. Do with that what you will.

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A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

February 21, 2022 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. If Margaret wins the hunt, it may finally bring her mother home. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist--yet. Fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it's like to be an outsider. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt - if they survive that long.

In A Far Wilder Magic, Allison Saft has written an achingly tender love story set against a deadly hunt in an atmospheric, rich fantasy world that will sweep you away.

*ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

The more dangerous the monster, the more glorious the hero who slays it.

Where do I even begin this review? I literally, from the moment I started, fell in love. There are just some books, ya know, that feel right when you start them, like they were made for you at this exact moment in your life–this is one of them. And from that final page, all I’ve thought about-day and night-is getting to this review. So many thoughts. So many emotions. So much gratitude. I request arcs, sure, but when I sent out my request with this one, my heart went with it.

“Besides, dreams don’t always have to be practical. That’s why they’re dreams. And now ours live and die together.”
“Together.” It’s such a foreign concept.
He grins at her. “It’s you and me against the world, Margaret.”

It began with the cover-that beautiful, unique cover-I saw it and just had to know more. Upon further inspection, I just knew it was a book I was going to devour, to love, to cherish-it did not, at any juncture, disappoint. My heart leapt into my throat the minute I saw it in my inbox and I plotted for days to make time for it. I’m a simple girl-give me a steady, slow-build fantasy with a slow-burn romance…I’m sold.

She pauses, drawing in a shaky breath when her throat begins to burn. She will not cry—not in front of him. “I’m asking you again, Mr. Winters. I won’t ask again after this. Please stay. There’s no one else I can ask.”
“God,” he says softly. “Please don’t look at me like that.”

I don’t ask for much, so when a book delivers just that-my simple tastes-it better be well-written and deliver in spades. Don’t worry, it did its job splendidly. And here I am, days after finishing and DYING to write this review, and I am, of course, sick [again] and not saying things how I had planned on saying them due to my foggy mind-I apologize to this beautiful, amazing, mesmerizing book, because it deserves so much better, but I also cannot wait another moment to spill my fresh thoughts onto the page, so bear with me.

The day he met her, streaked in dirt and despising him, he never imagined she could do this to him. How could Margaret ever think he’d lose himself to alchemy when he has already hopelessly lost himself to her?

Maggie and Wes were two characters that made my heart soar simply because they were written into existence. The flip and play on grumpy/sunshine (can I call Wes sunshine? I don’t know. And can I call Maggie Grumpy? No…she’s just steadfast, serious, and unsure, but…) where the female wasn’t bubbles and sunshine was refreshing.

Girls like her don’t get to dream. Girls like her get to survive. Most days, that’s enough. Today, she doesn’t think it is.

And I really enjoyed Wes being the goofy, playing-at-being-light-hearted while undoubtedly tortured underneath hero.

Misfortune has hardened them both. It’s roughened her, but it’s polished him to a sheen. If he lets the world believe he is all surface, then there is nothing to expose. Beneath her implacable stare, however, he is utterly naked.

It was nice to see that, while he put up a good front, he had inner demons, too. Wes felt he couldn’t show them, so it made his character far more complex than what the heroine could see.

He’s survived this long by letting everyone believe he’s selfish and shallow. It’s better that way. No one knows how to hurt you if you always play the fool. No one can truly be disappointed in you if they don’t expect any better.

The depth of these two characters pulled at my heartstrings so brutally, sneaking slowly into my bloodstream and pumping into my heart resolutely and without invitation. They were embedded in my DNA far before I even realized it, and that is truly the sum of my favorite kinds of stories. The stories where nothing big is happening at all, just small moments building up into a storm of wants, needs, and desires, of heart and soul being woven into every page, fracturing your heart in tiny fissures until you are a part of the book as much as it is a part of you. You live and die as these characters breathe and fight and mourn for one another-you are them and they are you, and there is nothing you can do about it but hope it doesn’t end in heartbreak. Dramatic, yes, but no less true.

Love is not the sharp-edged thing she’s always believed it to be. It’s not like the sea, liable to slip through her fingers if she holds on too tight. It’s not a currency, something to be earned or denied or bartered for. Love can be steadfast. It can be certain and safe, or as wild as an open flame. It’s a slice of buttered bread at a dinner table. It’s a grudge born of worry. It’s broken skin pulled over swelling knuckles.
It’s not enough anymore to do this for Evelyn. Maybe it’s for Wes, too.

I can’t even begin to explain how hard it is for me to connect to a book-truly connect-to the point of not caring what happens so much as the ride is worth the while. Does that make sense? Maybe not every moment plays out as you’d hope (though, I could argue that almost everything I could possibly wish for comes to fruition), but every moment stays with you, builds up to something, makes you feel. At a certain point I realized I didn’t even know what the hunt was, just that I was ecstatic it was there and we were living in it.

As she watches him walk away, the answering squeeze of her heart is as distressing as it is painfully familiar. How many times will she watch someone leave this place and never look back, while she is left here like a ghost to haunt it?

I think that is partially what scares me about my precious book-that maybe others, like me, won’t understand that this isn’t a days long hunt (where did I even get this from? I was straight up imagining a Hunger Games situation??) even though, honestly, I should have known better. Most of this book is literally a crescendo of happenings leading up to the hunt-the hunt does not last long, and I only say this in forewarning for those who might not know and might expect more. If you want MORE hunt, LESS build-up/preparing/small town hatred and bias, this simply is not for you. Me? I’d say my rating is fairly on the nose, but my heart is not so obvious.

If she must be seen tonight, she will be incandescent.

I like both scenarios, if it’s not clear in literally every other fantasy review known to man I’ve written or in the earlier part of this review-I both LOVE books where we have more buildup, characterization, less action based but a wonderful payoff of heart and depth in the end, and books that are more about getting deeper into the grit of the moment that the book was aptly named for. I like both. But there is, now that I am a more seasoned reader and more self aware as to what works for me, a common key that makes or breaks a story for me: character depth and character interactions.

As hours became days became weeks, she realized that if her mind could protect her from remembering Evelyn’s failed experiment, it could protect her from this pain, too. She could learn how to make the sting of abandonment fade into numbness. She could learn to detach until it felt like she wasn’t real at all.

That’s right-you can have the most romantic and perilous beast of a book but it doesn’t mean squat to me if you haven’t built up a relationship between our main characters or fleshed out their thoughts, desires, and inner selves thus making them into actual relatable people. I may be picky…but I think anyone who doesn’t value character development can’t possibly have lasting love for a book or series. If your love for the main characters fizzles out, what do you even remember about said book or series? How can any tension or high action moments make your heart palpitate to the point you can’t breathe if characters’ actions and justifications weren’t built on what all you knew the characters struggled through and grew from to get to that point? Just my opinion, though. There is no lack for character love here, at least on my part.

Today, one of them could die. There’s nothing for them to tell each other that they don’t already know. He sees it in her eyes. He’s tasted it on her lips. She writes it on his skin every time she touches him. But in all his mother’s legends, there is binding power in words, and Wes doesn’t want to die without his soul entwined with hers.

And, to really-truly-end it with a final thought, this novel also heavily touches base on religion as a means for being outcasts of society. While I may not have wholly grasped every concept, I loved the way the author made me connect to the characters because they were outsiders. That may be the loosest way we were meant to connect, but I fell hard for our two outcasts, their struggles, the way they felt a kinship to one another and never judged the other for who they were or where they came from. Cast aside and bullied, this made for some very amazing scenes that became favorite moments.

This is nothing more than they’ve already exchanged. A sacrifice for a sacrifice, a dream for a dream. Their bargain is its own kind of alchemy.

I still feel so honored to have received this novel early from the publisher and count my blessings that one of my most anticipated releases became a quick instant favorite. I don’t know that this will be for everyone, my closest friends included, but it was for me, and that’s really all that matters. The depth, the pusle-pounding, the slow-burn of so many things (romance notwithstanding), and the creepy vibes the hala emitted…I’d say this book ticked all my favorite boxes. I hope that so many more people agree with me, because I can’t wait to gush about it over and over as people around me discover this wonderful gift of a book.

I’ve recently decided to start a friend scale for my closest friends (WHOSE READING PREFERENCES I KNOW INSIDE AND OUT) on if they’d enjoy it since they almost always ask if I think they’d like a book. It’s really just for fun because, honestly, I hook them with sending quotes and fangirling with my favorite passages and that’s generally how they decide, but either way, here it is.

FRIEND SCALE:

Arielle- You might find a lot of enjoyment, but I didn’t envision you reading it at any point
Jen- No
Cassie- Not likely
Anna- Yes! I really do think you will enjoy it! You’ll have your qualms, but, well. Oh well.

****

Slow-burning, torturous, intoxicating-I am irrevocably in love with this book.

I couldn’t be more obsessed if I tried. Any book that I read through a migraine (from literally beginning to end) and have to read late at night with my eyes barely open and I STILL love and cherish it-there’s something to be said about that. I don’t think it’ll be for everyone, but it was perfect for me. I am so grateful to the publisher for this arc and I cannot wait to read it again.

RTC SOON

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