Series: Bring Me Their Hearts

Synopsis:

No one can save her.

In order to protect Prince Lucien d’Malvane’s heart, Zera had to betray him. Now, he hates the sight of her. Trapped in Cavanos as a prisoner of the king, she awaits the inevitable moment her witch severs their magical connection and finally ends her life.

But fate isn't ready to give her up just yet.

With freedom coming from the most unlikely of sources, Zera is given a second chance at life as a Heartless. But it comes with a terrible price. As the king mobilizes his army to march against the witches, Zera must tame an elusive and deadly valkerax trapped in the tunnels underneath the city if she wants to regain her humanity.

Winning over a bloodthirsty valkerax? Hard. Winning back her friends before war breaks out? A little harder.

But a Heartless winning back Prince Lucien’s heart?

The hardest thing she’s ever done.

Review:

Find Me Their Bones was an incredible continuation of the Bring Me Their Hearts Series.  This book started off right where the last one ended.  The action packed pages were filled with secrets, friendship, betrayal, and finding faith in yourself.  And it never once slowed down.  So hold on because you’re about to be taken on a fabulous journey!  So here are some of my favorite things about this book…..

I’m being forced to choose again. Between my heart and him. But this time… this time I’ll make the right choice.

✮ Zera & Sacrifice:

“How can something that was a lie mean anything at all?”

Zera was a force to be reckoned with.  The fact that she was a heartless who could weep, she was wanted for something special.  No matter how dark that path would become, she still had her voice.  Zera still had her snark.  But she had so much to learn.  Who to trust.  How to choose what was right.  While Zera made some excellent decisions, she also made some that hurt my heart.  Even if it was truly for the best.

A thousand things flood my mouth and jockey for first place: I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you. I didn’t mean to hurt you—

I loved that Zera was smart, quick witted and had a heart, even if it wasn’t in her chest.  I hoped she’d finally find the path that led her to happiness.  Because she had lost so much.  Her life felt even more horrific now and I cried for her, for the injustice of it all.  It hurt that she had to tarnish herself and the friendships she had with others.  Her lies hurt.  Her actions hurt.  It all hurt.  But her reasons behind it were pure hearted.  She wanted to make amends with those she betrayed.  But I wanted her to be selfish for once.  To take what she wanted.  She deserved happiness, love and friendship.  She was such an amazing person and I kept waiting for her to realize how truly astounding she was.

✮ Prince Lucien & The Truth:

He’s beautiful. And I can’t bear to tear my gaze away. No matter how much I know I should, no matter how much I know I need to push him away, I can’t bring myself to.
Neither of us speaks.

Prince Lucien was even more swoon worthy in Find Me Their Bones.  And don’t tell Zera, but I loved him the most!  Just like the first book, I looked for clues surrounding Prince Lucien.  He emitted anger and disgust towards Zera.  After all, she was a heartless who deceived him and murdered others.  Yet I kept my fingers crossed that he would see the light for who she truly was.

“You actually think I would tell you the truth? After everything I’ve done?” I whisper up at him.
“I’m giving you another chance to,” he says.

My heart was in my throat when Prince Lucien would say things that made me pause or second guess what he was saying.  A touch here.  A glance there.  Was I only reading into how I wanted it to all turn out?  But Prince Lucien was also on an emotional journey.  One I can’t say why, other than I was so extremely proud of him!

✮ Lost In The Story:

This one moment is all I could ever ask for. It is all I will ever have, and I tattoo it into every part of my aching flesh.

Find Me Their Bones was perfectly paced and always kept me entertained.  There were twists and turns and while I saw a lot of them coming, I was still in shock.  I was in disbelief that that truly happened.  With heart stopping peril and moments that made me laugh out loud, this book was the perfect combination.  So much was revealed and it all became so clear what was happening and where it was all leading us to.  

He laughs softly, hollowly, keeping his mouth by my ear. “Don’t look so troubled, Lady Zera. You and I both know it’s true. It was only two weeks. What sort of love is ever true after only two weeks? We were infatuated, and nothing more.”
His thoughts mirror mine, the truth like needles piercing any joy I held secretly.
“And yet,” he says, “emotions aren’t convenient pieces of jewelry you can put on and take off whenever you want to.”

Looking back, I was even more emotional with this story.  I had tears for the tiny remnants of friendship I found.  I had tears for when the truth was spoken.  And I even shed tears for what Zera was able to accomplish.  I was SO proud of her. But this story isn’t close to being over, so I’ll be desperately counting down until the next book is released and I can be back in this world I love.  I can’t wait to be back with my friends.  So yes, I definitely recommend this series. But be prepared, it’s a wild and fabulous ride!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Bring Me Their Hearts (Bring Me Their Hearts #1)
by Sara Wolf
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Zera is a Heartless―the immortal, unaging soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger's control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a prince's heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum: if she's discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy Zera's heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d'Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him―every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him―until the arrival of Lady Zera. She's inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The prince's honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser's heart.

Literally.

Review:

Bring Me Their Hearts was absolutely spellbinding and will stay with me for a long time to come.  With an intriguing story and witty characters, I found myself quickly flying through the pages. Especially since I always had that feeling that I had to know what happened next.  So if you enjoy YA Fantasies that are filled with banter, mystery, romance, political intrigue and darkness, then you definitely have to give this book a try!

It’s a small mercy that my lie is also a truth. I throw on my best genuine smile.
“I simply want your heart, my prince.”

From that first chapter, I was pulled in.  Zara, a heartless who was bound to the witch Nightsinger, arrived at the castle to meet the King, Queen and Prince Lucien.  She was under the ruse of being a possible bride to the Prince, so she could steal his heart. Literally. In exchange for the Prince’s heart, Zara would finally have her heart and freedom from Nightsinger. Those first few moments of Zara and Prince Lucien meeting?  Oh I loved it! Together they were witty and charismatic and I was beyond intrigued to see how it would all play out!

Ruffles hide so much of my anger.  Silk gloves do a perfect job of making my hands looks clean, instead of the bloodstained sinners I know them to be.  The mirror whispers I’m beautiful, even though all I can see is the twisted, malformed darkness of my unheart bleeding out of my every pore.

After that first chapter, we jumped back in time.  And while it was necessary, so we could learn about Zara and her world, I couldn’t wait to get back to her moments with the Prince.  Stepping into this book, I didn’t realize how dark it was to be a heartless.  They were viewed as horrific monsters who craved destruction and blood.  So I found my heart breaking for Zara.  For all that she had done, for how she was trapped and for the situation she was in.  Even though her duty was to protect the witch, Nightsinger, I wanted her to have her freedom.  But I had a feeling that wouldn’t be so simple.

“They will ignore you.  They will try and tell you that you aren’t good enough.  This is a lie. You are an Y’shennria. You have always been good enough.” – Y’shennria to Zera

Along the way, we met those who helped transform Zara into a lady.  So she would have a chance to capture the Prince’s heart. I adored Lady Y’shennria, who played Zara’s aunt, and even Reginal, who was one of her employees.  While they were standoffish at first, I slowly came to care for them. With her training complete, Zara found herself in the castle. And I found my heart beating faster since he was there.  I couldn’t wait for Zara and Prince Lucien’s moments to simmer and explode.

“I will never consider meeting you a mistake,”  Lucien says, his midnight eyes flashing.

Prince Lucien was such a complex man who easily stole my heart.  Not only was he wounded from the past, but he hated the courts.  So of course the more we learned exactly who he was and what he did, I was a goner.  He was caring, thoughtful, passionate and such a brave man. But he could also be cynical and kept others an arm’s length away.  But when he was with Zara? He was still haughty but you could see all of his emotions he kept hidden swirling under the surface.  Zara brought it all out of him and I loved every single moment of their slow burn romance!

I want nothing more than to stay in this moment, my hand in his.  But that’s an impossibility. A weakness. I am a monster, and he’s a human.  I want his heart, and I want his other heart. His affection, his blood. I want it all.
But if I take one, I can’t have the other.

Zara was also a complex character.  She was sarcastic, witty, spoke her mind and wasn’t afraid to challenge others.  I loved how sure she was of herself and she was a heroine that I could easily respect.  It was so much fun watching what should have just been a job turn into so much more. The more she learned about the Prince and his secrets, the more she found herself conflicted.  Her freedom came first, but at what cost when the Prince started treating her unlike any one else ever had. And I found myself nervous. She was to turn the man I had fallen for into a monster.  How could I ever forgive her?

But I knew – I knew this was what awaited me.  This was my fate from the beginning, so the sadness I feel clawing at my insides isn’t justified   I should’ve been prepared for this. I had two weeks to prepare, to harden myself, and I frittered it away pretending to be human instead.

The further I got into this book, the more obsessed and nervous I felt.  For everyone’s outcome, including Malvane, the Prince’s personal guard and Fione who I can’t say who she was.  But I loved both of those characters just as deeply. And what lead up to the finale was a huge bang of emotions.  There were moments that gutted and elated me and I even found myself with tears slowly dripping down my face.  So now I’m dying until that next book releases because the ending was a cliffhanger.  And I have a feeling that this is going to be an amazing trilogy. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by Entangled Teen.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.*