Grace

Loved every part of it! Thea gave us magic, danger, betrayal, friendship, revenge, growth, acceptance, unconditional love and, of course, good spice.

I enjoyed following the characters along the world created by Critical Role, and it was so well balanced that it felt a little too short. This made the book a little rushed through the end, a couple of chapters for a big problem to be resolved, I would have wanted more tension and hardship in that part, BUT for the rest of the book, and even the culmination, I ended pretty much satisfied with the story.

I liked this short novella because it provides a little more context on what is happening in other parts of the world directly after the new Desolation comes by (AKA right after the events at the end of WoR). You are given an introduction to Lift in one of the interludes, and I do find her so funny 😁 I just wanted to eat pancakes 🥞, it also gives a little bit of info on how other orders work, specifically the Skybreakers and Edgedancers by following Lift as well as Darkness's both actions and intentions (spied upon by Lift herself).

It does give some mystery into who could be that Joe/Jane Doe Darkness is hunting through the city, as well as trying to figure the role each character Lift interacts with multiple times will play later on. I thought the mystery guy in the alley would be our favorite world hopper, but the twist in that AND Darkness's target totally surprised me (I didn't connect the dots until Lift explained herself once she figured out who might that be).

Wyndle is my favorite character, I just love how he is still there, even when he makes it clear he doesn't want to be there and would rather be making art. Every interaction is so enjoyable, although he reluctantly obeys whatever Lift asks him to do, in the end he admits he doesn't regret his choice of Radiant.

One of my favorite scenes: "Did you hear me not-whimpering?" like a comic relief right after a high tension moment 😆.

Also this small novella introduces new characters that I'm sure will be important in the main Stormlight Archives, and I was so excited when there was the hint about Ym, I loved his interlude in WoR and I got to have a little Easter egg regarding him and his ultimate fate.

It's got so much, and so many exciting things happening. Then why 4 stars? I didn't find it as strong, it is more on the entertaining side COMPARED to the main books (in and on itself it is great, even more complete than 500 pages or so of other books in the genre). Maybe once I read Oathbringer my rating will change to a 4.5, I know Sanderson doesn't write just entertaining stories, they do have a purpose to serve, so I'm looking forward to how this short novella serves its purpose for the next 3 Stormlight Archives books, but for now I'll leave it at 4 stars.

This is my new comfort read. It has been a while since my last rom-com read, I'm more into epic fantasy and getting into fantasy/sci-fi, but I am a sucker for Hallmark Movies.

The story is enjoyable, and although Liz was at times annoying I can see why. She lost her mom really young and hasn't accepted that painful fact, she wants to live up to what she thinks her mom would've wanted and that puts a lot of heavy rocks in her travel pack, and because if that she tends to overthink, have a hard time making decisions put of her comfort zone, and even try to stand out somehow just to feel like she's worth it. I find all this narrative deep and realistic, I haven't lost anyone as close thank goodness, but I was about to when my dad had a heart attack some years ago and I felt my world upside down for those couple of days of being in the ER and then having an emergency open-heart surgery the following day. Not being able to say goodbye, feeling like your favorite person has been taken away from you unfairly and especially at such a young age (I believe Liz was around 8 years old) may make you as clingy and perfectionist.

So having said that, I liked that she was annoying, it provided a good foundation for all the problems that became the plot for the book, and it is not unrealistic at all IMHO.

The development of the story took me through my teenage years, with some good laughs and some painful tears, as well as some WTF moments, and ultimately that is life as well. Yes, I admit I didn't see much character development really, spoilers ahead......

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... Liz didn't actually learn anything, other than she must follow her own path, but we weren't shown that path because by the end of the book she was starting to do that.

Wes also didn't do anything different, we were told by Liz that he was an ass but we found through the story that it was just her own perception based on mischievous acts he did when they were children, it was difficult for her to accept the fact that he had grown out of that little kid state, but he didn't develop throughout the story itself.

Joss also was kept pretty much the same from start to finish.

I don't have any problem with the character development (or lack of thereof) considering the story takes place in a matter of 2 weeks, it is hard to grow into something that different without a life-changing event happening directly to you in that span of time, but I wanted to mention it just in case you are expecting that and wonder why my 5 stars if it is lacking that point.

So this is meant to be a comfort read, where you already know who is ending up together, and you only are here to read how they overcome their challenges to make that happen, and I needed this kind of read to change air a little bit, maybe I was just in the right mood for it, but I loved it so much.

Only problem (if you can call it that) I had was Michael, like why would he suddenly look at "Little Liz" when he clearly liked Laney, and then accepted in the end that he'd give it a try after Liz confirmed Laney was onto him? Maybe there's some gap I am missing, but to go from "you should give Wes a shot" to "let's go to prom" and then "thanks for getting me Laney", in a matter of hours made me so confused.

This is not a deal-breaker, but I think it is something worth fixing for upcoming books.

A story to enjoy through and through. This book follows three characters: Ashlyn, a book store owner specialized in rarities; Belle, author of "Forever, and Other Lies"; and Hemi, author of "Regretting Belle".

Ashlyn gets both books at her shop, and without a name, copyright info or else except for the characters' names she gets the need to dig as deep as it takes to find the authors, and forgive herself and move forward in the process.

I particularly enjoyed how both books weave in and take me as a reader to a journey between both POVs during WWII, when marriage for convenience, and antisemitic ideas were defining to some people's lives. One might think it has been so long but it has been less than a century, and even in today's world we still live it. It does take courage to confront that and make a change forward, and Belle does just that by informing herself of the war and it's effects, specifically in children's lives, rather than staying in her cozy life -as Hemi put once.

I also loved how Ashlyn starts to peel the layers to find the truth around 43 years worth of deception, resentment, regret... and finally look for a closure. There are so many things happening, but all making sense and building for the very end... that it's just such a masterpiece in the execution of the idea and plot development.

Definitely a beautiful read!

I just finished and am so blown away! This isn't my first Brandon Sanderson book, but his writing, world-building, magic system, character development and story arcs get me EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

I was very intimidated to start the Stormlight Archives, I did enjoy the Mistborn Trilogy and Warbreaker was amazing, but these books... are dense in physical space and in story itself. So naturally my intimidation is justified, but anyways I'm glad I got through the storm and finished it, even though it took me a while.

The story doesn't seem as cool at first, but trust the process... it gets AWESOME! And those leadership roles from Dalinar, Kaladin, even Jasnah... pffffff the evolution of both leadership and character is stunning. The multiple POVs help weave the stories together, in another level. And Wit...... love him and his annoying attitude!!!

One thing I don't understand from the internet is... what is wrong with "Shallan's Chapters"? So many people find her annoying but to me she is very clever and often times misunderstood. I am so happy with how she finds a mentor that guides that cleverness and do expect Shallan to achieve her true potential in the coming books. Also I want to know more about her backstory, and what led her to do what she did back home.

Speaking of negatives... my only complaint (and I did this to myself, to be fair) is that since I got the hardcover boxed pack they are very difficult to read anywhere, like I couldn't take it out with me while running errands and read in the car, nor I could comfortable read while nursing my child... so of course I had less opportunities to read throughout my day, and this will repeat for the next 4 books as well. Like these things are massive, so much so that they can be used as a self-defense artifact if you carry it in your bag lol.

Still I regret nothing, like I said: I did it to myself BUT they look beautiful! I read it with so much care so the spine would not get damaged and my Brandon Sanderson collection looks so beautiful in my bookshelf (which I also had to reinforce so it wouldn't fall from the heaviness, hahaha)

Pensé que leería un cuento para niños, pero a mediados del libro encontré escenas medio oscuras que corrigieron mis expectativas.

El desarrollo tanto de la historia como de los personajes me dejó con un buen sabor de boca, y pensando mas y mas en el libro caigo en cuenta de que tiene una narración simple comparada con la real complejidad de la historia, es decir, que ideas y capas complejas de cada personaje se expresan de manera clara y simple por lo que habrá quien no sienta que la historia amerita ser considerada compleja y eso en sí requiere de gran habilidad de escritura.

Me encantó 💕

Definitivamente un libro muy interesante que aborda de manera general el potencial de los niños desde su nacimiento hasta los 6 años de edad. Su experiencia a lo largo de (me parecen) 20 años desde el inicio de sus estudios hasta la publicación del libro y las prácticas que propone para enseñar en casa desde edades muy tempranas me motiva a preparar los materiales para iniciar con la Lectura y matemáticas con mis niños.

El contenido es invaluable, desafortunadamente la traducción al español es muy pobre, llevando palabras al estilo literal más que al contextual, y utilizando un lenguaje muy repetitivo que no me ayudó a tener una gran experiencia lectora, me lo quedo como un buen manual pero creo que leería la edición en inglés.

This is, without a doubt, my favorite Emily Henry book - and probably my favorite cozy romance book- ever!!

I've had it on my shelf for too long, was waiting for a perfect time to read it but got caught on fantasy series I wanted to finish before taking a break with a cozy novel. To me this was a small break from the Cosmere right before committing to the Stormlight Archives, and it has been the best decision ever!

It doesn't need to be complicated, or overly messy, Daphne feels so relatable with second guesses, feeling homesick while still wanting to thrive on her own (even if to prove herself she can do it and she will be ok), her anxiousness to meet new people, and even how she can unknowingly get absorbed by her romantic relationship to the point that her individual identity gets lost along the way...

I mean, when you get to that level of commitment to another person you can get embedded into their lifestyle and eventually forget you had a life before them, so if/when that relationship ends you need to find yourself again.

I loved how Daphne had to work through that to find herself, to fight for what she loves, for her friends, and understand that there are some wounds caused by people we loved but hurt us at some point but that doesn't mean a) we can't heal and b) that other people will do the same if we let them in.

Also I enjoyed reading a healthy relationship with a male, I was kind of expecting Miles to be toxic or not who he claimed to be, and it was so good to read otherwise. Yes, he had a weird attitude near the end of the book but it is explained pretty much after that and it makes sense.

I knew it was going to have a happy ending, it is a cozy romance novel, but I needed something like this and I'm not taking negative comments about it.

I was debatimg whether I should read this book or not, I really didn't like the second one. I read a review stating that this book was deeper, and I am positively surprised.

It is still too long for the story itself, not that I need constant war (I do not, and that was one of my issues with the second book, it felt like anything could happen to the MCs, they just got out of a situation just to get into another), but the climax happens at about 70 pages to the end of the book, and the last 40 pages or so are like 3 chapters and an epilogue that I felt were a forced stretch to the story.

I understand it was the wrap up of a trilogy but to me it wasn't necessary.

Still, the story was more enjoyable, the writing style is beautiful, and some characters became more interesting. Caduan, for instance, I kind of knew where he was coming from with bringing Aefe back, but his final act of love was heartbreaking. Aefe was also well-developed, how she doesn't understand many things but in the end she gets to have what she'd craved for for 500 years out of pure character development. Even Nura was interestingly developed.

To my angst, I don't feel like Max nor Tisaanah were anywhere eveloped, and some things that happened with their magic were confusing, maybe too much going on.

And I thought Meajqa had been killed but suddenly he appears as if nothing ever happened, so that was also very mind consuming to try to understand.

I am happy I finished the trilogy, and the end was beautiful, so everything is ok. I just feel like I won't miss the MCs as much as I'll miss Aefe... I wish she had the chance to have lived a life she should have.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I really wanted to love this book, to me it had every element to be an amazing story starting from what was built in Book 1 and following with the quest/mission/goal with which this book started... but to me it was about 300 pages too long:

1. Similar to how I felt about Book 2 in Crowns of Nyaxia, it lacked depth and purpose on the first half, neither character had any development at all except for Resheye, and she was gone by past half of the book.
2. The magic system that I loved in the first book stopped making sense here, suddenly no rules applied anymore, no boundaries for neither character... The stakes were very high but the resolution was way too easy.
3. But what pained me the most was how repetitive it got: I find it more natural to have breaks between Wars, but these guys don't ever have a chance for a break, then the constant battle and sudden conflict makes me feel as if they are more an excuse for a story than a story itself...
4. Also some dialogues were very repetitive, I lost count on how many times I read "But he/she felt a magic so familiar they didn't need to see to know who it was", and every chapter Max's scent was described, the mismatched eyes and tan skin description several times when Max was thinking about Tisaanah, Nura's silver braid and cold gaze... I like a great world-building but filling pages with the same descriptions over and over isn't enjoyable.

So overall I kept reading because of Aefe's story, which was jaw-dropping and well developed, and the final plot twist was everything! But I feel like that story will be left Unfinished because the next book is 100 pages longer than this one and I really don't feel like diving in a small-paced end of trilogy.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Carissa's writing, I find it -in many ways- similar to Brandon Sanderson's style, perhaps in his starting point. I do see potential since one of my favorite books ever was written by her and she's gotten better in her prose. In my opinion she just needs to plan her storytelling a bit more and get creative with the dialogues, add breaks from wars and also get creative with what happens during that break, what do the characters learn so it doesn't become a boring break but it also doesn't become an endless battle, balance stakes and resolutions, and keep with the parallel POVs, I really enjoyed the point when you think Aefe, Max and Tisanaah will meet but it turns out they do not share the same timeframe. And then you find out it was Reshaye's backstory all along... it was so beautifully presented.

I know it is hard to get a great second book in a trilogy, and I don't have anything against long books (I am about to start the Stormlight Archives), I just think it's essential to not repeat mistakes (all of the above also happened with Crowns of Nyaxia book 2) or make it a novella or a standalone instead, that's fine too, some stories don't need to be as long, but all of them need to have an ending at some point.

I loved this so much!! It confirmed some of my theories during "The Well of Ascension" and "The Hero of Ages", and solved some questions I had, especially in the end of HoA.

I think this is the glue that pieces the original trilogy together (I haven't started the second yet), and yet it gives an entirely new perspective on how things happened while the focus was on the remaining crew.

A total masterpiece that gave more enjoyment to Mistborn!

Loved this book!!! I relate so much with Kat, how she doesn't fit in the High society and actually wants to do good with her privileged position.

I must say it does feel like a fae version of Cinderella, since it has some iconic details like:

• Her stepmother own Kat's possessions after her father's passing and mistreating her
• Kat having glass slippers (inherited from her mom) and then one casually left behind during a raid
• Her glamours during the same raid of the lost slipper washing off at midnight
• And I believe in the japanese legend similar to Cinderella it is stated that her prince kicks her stepmother and stepsisters out of Cinderella's properties and then brings her in her own home as a surprise wedding present.

Still I feel that is a subplot of the book and those details are subtly complementing the story rather than developing around them, which is nice.

I liked how the story develops, and you keep wondering about what truly happened in Kat's past that inspired her to become the Ivy Mask, since she keeps changing the truth but doesn't reveal it even in her thoughts, keeping the reader engaged and wanting to find out alongside Rahk.

I would have liked a more intense character development for Kat, I know breaking down your own walls and accepting to be loved is not easy, but throughout the book she keeps essentially the same: untrusting, fearful of what Rahk might do to her if he found out the truth (her being a woman, then her being Lady Vandermore, and then her being the Ivy Mask... for all three feels like the same story repeating itself) and seems like she doesn't learn anything from it other than the fact that she loves Rahk and doesn't bear to hurt him with each truth. Once she has no secrets left suddenly all of that personality fades and seems like a confident, strong, worthy woman... maybe I missed that process in the reading?

All in all, it is something I WISH it had, but not something that faults the book because it works beautifully and I enjoyed it so much! It's got heist, mystery, deception, love, romance (yeah girls, we all melt with that scene in which Rahks slowly kisses Kat, and drive crazy with the carriage scene), self-doubt, and how even the fearless warrior has his own weaknesses. It is a new favorite of mine and would definitely re read as a cozy fantasy.

I am, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages.

My, oh my, this book is definitely THE end of all trilogies. It made justice to the story, in both writing and plot. The character development is amazing, and I am pleasantly surprised with how some of the themes were handled, such as depression, self-doubt, coming of age (and the mourning of who one once was), questioning your faith/religions in general (especially after a loss), sacrifice, love... it holds complex aspects of life in such a relatable manner that you can't help to care for all the characters for different reasons.

The masterpiece is the way it unfolds everything, bits and pieces, nuggets left in the past two books... it was just all beautifully executed. I haven't read a more fantastic way to end a trilogy (or any series, even duologies) than this.

This storyline starts Round a year after the events in "The Final Empire", and as expected it turns more political and strategic, given the aftermath of the first book I was actually thinking it would be slower but I did not see this coming at all! Yes it carries "not so fun" topics such as politics, leadership and post-war hardships but it also explores other topics as deep as it can get, such as friendship (very important detail from Kelsier's last words to Vin in book 1), rightness, faith, love, and the character development was exquisite! I think every major character evolved one way or another and that was a nice touch to get to know them better, their true selves, their motivations and their fears.

This book is also full of foreshadowing and plot twists, the ending is mind blowing, so much so that I can totally relate with how Sazed ends up feeling regarding his faith. It does have sins, though, as the second book in most -if not all- trilogies but Brandon managed them so well that it didn't end up being neither boring nor heavy at any point, he does know how to keep a reader engaged through character development.

I can't wait to start the third book ASAP!

Me gustó mucho, la historia, el mundo, la magia... no es lo más original pero yo lo disfruté.

Pienso que un mapa ayudaría para entender mejor la geografía del mundo, y el final me dejó un tanto insatisfecha ya que no cerró siquiera en un "cliff hanger", me quedó la sensación de que estaba incompleto más que otra cosa.

Por esos detalles es que lo evalúo en 4/5, pero en general no me pareció ni aburrido, ni plano, ni infantil como en otros comentarios mencionan.

Leí este libro en español, y la escritura me pareció adecuada pero puede ser que por eso mismo mi experiencia haya sido diferente a la del grueso de otros reviews, además leí mientras escuchaba la playlist en Spotify y de verdad que me encantó, nunca había hecho eso (suelo leer en pleno silencio o con el sonido de la tv con lo que estén viendo mis niños) pero me cambió la experiencia.

I couldn't stop reading, and when I felt the pace accelerating and realized I was nearly finished I didn't want the story to end.

The book starts about two months after the end if the second one, when Kohen reveals Aisling that he killed her father the Emperor and kills her afterwards. She is enraged by this and hunts him with all her might, bombing Imbria and killing innocent people as a result.

But then Kohen's insistent pleas as well as his brothers' caring of Valor while in the search of her bond in the Wilds make her second guess and actually search for any evidence that her father did indeed try to kill her in several occasions, making Kohen right about her father all along and changing both nations' fate.

She's also preparing to go to war against Maxim so things do not look well when one of her sisters is kidnapped by him and being demanded to marry Maxim as well as to give up Amersea immediately.

It had enough mix of tension, love and hope that keeps the reader engaged throughout the story, I mean... I read 75% of the book in one sitting!

Yes, it felt a little forced a few times and part of the ending felt rushed, especially because there were new backstories thrown in halfway and were concluded just as quickly as they came, but overall I think the author managed it pretty well to make it work and the result in my opinion made justice to the three nations. I just wish it had been longer so we'd have more time to digest those bits and pieces that the author wanted to share ... and also to enjoy the characters, I'm not ready to say goodbye!

I enjoyed this book a lot! even more than crowns of Nyaxia, I'd put this book leveled with Six Scorched Roses also by Carissa Broadbent, which is one of my favorite books ever read. Definitely a good read, with a nice world-building, character development and an intriguing politics system. The magic system still is a bit confusing to me, maybe because it wasn't shown, just kind of explained in the beginning, but ok... I hope with the reading of the next two books I'll get to understand it better.

This book does have some triggers to keep in mind:

• Slavery
• Physical violence
• Child abduction
• Murder described graphically
• Mention of sexual assault/trafficking
• Blood
• War

Carissa writes very beautifully and, to my taste, with respect and justice about these topics that are not easy to put in any book nor any context, but it is also important to mention so you enjoy your reading instead of being stressed or triggered.

Un libro muy bonito para empatizar y mejorar las reacciones como papás. Además les explica a los niños que mamá y papá no siempre saben lo que hacen y tambien tienen malos momentos, platica por ejemplo lo que pasa cuando mamá se desespera muy pronto, o la ve de malas, sin justificar la acción, y también plantea cómo el niño percibe a la mamá.

Una frase que me quedó muy grabada es cuando mamá se molesta y el niño "ve con temor cómo se convierte en algo como un monstruo", y es cierto que cuando estamos con poca paciencia si observamos veremos cómo su mirada cambia y seguro mil cosas pasan por su cabeza... ¿qué impresión quiero dejar a mis hijos? Me ha dado mucho qué pensar en cuanto a mi autorregulación porque ellos aprenden con el ejemplo.

This is book 2 in a series, but I had no idea until way in the book. I like that you can read this book as a standalone as well.

The story follows Wyatt, a thriller author that is highly self-confident and is sense of humor is tremendous; and Aubree, the town's grump who had a difficult childhood that shaped her insecurities and low self-worth. It all starts with Wyatt needing to marry right away - after he is left practically at the altar - due to a legal requirement in his grandfather's will to inherit his cabain. It specifically stated that it would go to the first of his grandchild that got married and Wyatt is willing to take marriage as a business transaction to keep the cabain from his cousin Wallace. So he comes up with a plan with the help of his friend Lauren, and the best option is Aubree, a girl who shares the ownership of a farm that was owned by Aubree's late sister Cassidy and her husband (and Wyatt's brother) Clarke who also passed a few years ago.

The banter between both characters is great, it's got the Grumpy-sunshine trope but reversed (she is the grumpy and he is the sunshine), it is a "rivals to lovers" with forced proximity situation where they need to work together to get what they each want with all their heart, but will end up getting what they both needed the most in an unexpected turn of events.

The plot is hilarious and very enjoyable, and I especially LOVED Ethel. I can picture her pretty clearly as the annoying-former-Broadway-performer-turned-into-town's-inn-owner-and-main-source-of-gossip pretty well. And all her scenes are killingly funny.

If you read the first book, you'll have recurring cast bc it is the love story between Hattie (Aubree's younger sister) and Hayes, and they play a big part in the plot for this book as well. If you're like me and didn't read that book that's fine as well because this book gives context where is needed about events in the previous book so it reads as a standalone if you're only interested in Aubree and Wyatt's storyline.

So my rating is 3.75 stars mainly due to the following points:

- I would have liked more conflict between Wyatt and Wallace, it was sold as a big issue all the way through but once it was presented it didn't feel as huge as it could have been, same with Cadance

- I see where Aubree and Wyatt's insecurities come from, but everyone knows what happens when two people do not talk to each other, and having feelings for each other but not opening to each other when it is evident for everyone and also they are to marry became a bit eye-rolling for me but that is just personal opinion because I really become annoyed when people do not communicate... the writing was great, though

-There's a point in which there are sex scenes, but like one after another after another, and I do enjoy good spice but these were very repetitive and the pacing became odd. Suddenly I felt like it became THE focal point when the focal point should have been how Aubree was starting to gain confidence and feel seen, worthy of love, and experience new things in her life that she never thought existed. So I kind of got lost between all that overly explicit spice scenes that to me didn't add much to the story

All in all, I had a lot of huge laughs, some deep moments and I felt related in many ways to multiple characters. To me it was very enjoyable and has become one of my cozy reads now.

I am so heartbroken right now...

I liked how it felt like real life, with its nuances... it shows how people come in and out of our lives as we grow and there's even a quote stating that you don't need to have a fight with your childhood best friend to stop being best friends, sometimes you just grow apart. In this case that turning point in Finn and Autumn's frienship is talked about through both POVs so I really appreciated that, since the book is all narrated through Autumn's POV it is natural to take her side of the story as the fact of what happened and when Finny exposed his side of things it felt all the most relatable because that's real life: we remember things one way and others may do so way different, that's when misunderstandings happen.

It became apparent pretty early on that depression and toxic relationships was going to be the theme of the book, and man ... Jamie is a walking red flag, I just wanted Finn to step in for Autumn bc I thought she wasn't going to do it herself, I'm glad they didn't end up together.

I think depression was handled well, and then again, the person usually doesn't know they are depressed or deny it altogether as Autumn did throughout the book, even her thoughts and actions after Finny's passing make it evident for the reader that she is indeed depressed, and for her it isn't something to be concerned about, it's just a natural course to follow... to me that's what makes depression very scary for the family more than to the person who suffers it.

The ending just had me sobbing, at first I thought it was very hurried but thinking better about it I think it is not about giving a happy ending, the heartache is more intense just because we feel they didn't get to live their love as they were meant to, but there's a little piece of Finn left in this world as a sign of hope for Autumn and The Mothers, a reason to live and love again.

Solid 5 star for me, I don't know if I'll ever get over this book. 💔

Rating: 3.75 stars

The book is written with interlapping stories in the past and the MCs present, both written in chronological order but there's one chapter in the past followed by one chapter in the present and so on. The story follows Macy, a pediatric resident in the Bay Area with a past that is too painful to face, leaving some chapters still open that affect her present. She then sees Elliot, her best friend from her teenage years and the guy who broke her heart. Everything starts to change as old wounds are open, Macy starts to question her currently relationship, and advancing in parallel with her past you get to understand what happened that got her where she is.

Things I liked:

-Love is beautifully developed in the book, from the first interaction all the way through, some things may seem cringy but when one is a teenager you get to have that kind of conversation and find it natural because you are exploring your body. As an adult I didn't enjoy it as much but I understand how it plays in the story.

-I enjoyed pretty much the second half of the book, when Macy starts to take accountability in her current relationship and owns her part in her ghosting to Elliot

-I liked the healthy talks that were held: Macy's dad for one, how he managed being a widowed father and Macy's issues (I dropped my jaw when he managed THE talk every parent fears when their child reaches an age to appropriately address sexuality and safe sex). Also Macy and Sean's mature talk about their dynamics and how it would work when married, it was a nice chapter.

Things I didn't enjoy as much:

-Macy is the main character so both past and present are told exclusively from her point of view, in the end it works but it would have been so interesting to have at least some chapters from Elliot's POV as well, and the rest of the friends would be interesting as well, they are talked about throughout the book but some thoughts would be interesting to hear as they come and not filtered by Macy's POV.

-The first half made me think about DNF it, Macy felt very immature for her age, and like it was so annoying every time she expressed her confussion after seeing Elliot for a couple of seconds, and afterwards she felt like a teenager going to a Justin Bieber concert, and she was 28...... so I really disliked the start. Fortunately after the chapter where she talks with Sean about her final realization that they are not even compatible I think she suddenly matured.

-Linked to the last point, Elliot also seemed so cringy. Like why leave your girlfriend of (not sure if they lasted 1 or 5 years) just bc her saw Macy... huge red flag more than romance there. At least Macy's reason felt more reasonable because at first I thought she was being a dick but then it made sense with Sean being so not in sync with her so... it made sense for the breakup, but Elliot??? Nah...

-I would've liked a faster pacing in the first half, it took me almost 170 pages to stop considering DNF it

All in all I'm glad I didn't quit it, to me it got better past that half mark, and it all was worth it in the end. I got nice parenting advise, had a couple of good laughs, and cried so hard in the last 20 pages or so... which in the end made up for the bullets I didn't enjoy as much.

3.75 stars

This book is everything, it talks about life, youth, a relationship between a son and his mother, a husband and a wife that don't meet eye to eye in many things, friends, mom friends, and also how deeply rooted beliefs shape an entire community, how paradigms can be broken, and how every decision affects other people.

I think the book brought so many important topics, specially sexism and politics, and it touches a few fragile fibers in me... like I cried so hard around 45% in, because I too have a son and can connect with Misaki and Mamoru's relationship so it hurts deep inside me I still am not recovered.

The author also writes an exquisite world and even though she uses uncommon words so casually into the writting it didn't disrupt my understanding, actually it made it more inmersive and interesting. I saw the glossary and man it is huge, so at first I found it a bit overwhelming but decided to give it a go without fully understanding the concepts and it turned out amazing!

I also liked having both Mamoru and Misaki's POV, and some of Takeru as well, but specially Mamoru so you know what happens when he's with Kwang, and when he's in the front line, and Misaki is a badass mom. I liked the way she was written with careful details, you can truly understand how she feels when being a trained warrior and then becoming first a housewife and then a mother... how she constantly faces insults from her father in law, indifference from her husband even when she needs him the most, the hurt after she miscarried, natural feelings when you give birth (people tell you that it is love at first sight , but it isn't always the case and for women who don't feel that way they think there's something wrong with them when it's not), her motherly instinct to protect her children... she is the GOAT!

I think the book is amazing, I really enjoyed it to the point I feel devastated. My only note is the last chapter, I think after 50% it was natural to write the aftermath and I appreciate there was great character development after the climax, it was so worth it to keep reading up until the last chapter which to me didn't fit anywhere nor provided anything useful to the story. To me it was more about catching up and giving a bit of info dump on Misaki's classmates but I really didn't care that much about them to have about 30+ pages on them. It would have worked better to leave it out and the ending would have made sense. I just think about it as the "gossip chapter" which is sad for a book like this with so much depth in other matters.

Maybe an epilogue with the youngest Matsuda would have been amazing, I'd connect it with the next book (I know the author froze the Theonite series but it could be a nice closing, having it as self conclusive but leaving a small window in case she wanted to continue in the future)

I hope you find my review useful and remember to be mindful of people because we all have different abilities and ways of thinking.

This story has me so emotional right now... I knew I was going to end up heartbroken but not like this... it touched so many fibers in me that I just can't...

It is beautifully written, and the freedom and wilderness of Faina made this all the more enjoyable and hurtful at the same time. And as a mother I do feel very close to Mabel so this hits hard...

The story has a lot of nuances, and I did have a great time reading it, I just didn't want it to end!

I don't know how I'll recover from this, I just want to think of this as a life-changing journey. It leaves some questions in the end, though, worth discussing in a book club, but as an individual it leaves me thinking and I haven't decided whether I want that or not.

My only observation is regarding the editing, I don't know if it is only in the Kindle version or it's also in the printed edition, but it was a bit hard to understand when the dialogues happened because they were written within the narrative.

This book starts right were it left on book 1, and amazingly the author provides a recap with the main points to keep in mind so you don't have to re-read before book 2. The story is well-paced and the world-building improved. It comes with a map so you can situate each country.

I really enjoyed this book, the dynamics and Aisling's transformation into an empress is well described, you do feel part of that journey in which she grows into a powerful woman that questions the way things have always been done and actually wants to challenge and transform them so everyone gets peace.

There are a few annoying matters, though, she becomes very repetitive in terms of revenge, betrayal, and stubborness... in the end I just couldn't with her, she became enraged and wouldn't listen, she automatically assumed the worst (just as Kohen predicted), and in at least two occasions she gets so impulsive that makes me question the growth she had acquired throughout both books. I hope in book 3 her character is written more consistently because she is totally awesome, she is the leader everyone would like to have as a ruler.

Just... wow!

This books clears a lot of things about Mische that were big question marks for me in the past books, that were just crumbs leading to to this amazing book, I just can't have enough!

My biggest ccomplaints in the books 1 and 1.5 were towards world-building and this book just delivered it perfectly! I could feel like I was there, and picture all the scenes thanks to the great description so thanks Carissa!

Also this book is more in the traditional quest style, in contrast with the past 3 books were there was a goal that branched out into others. Not saying one is better than the other but I get why some people got bored with this one, I personally enjoyed it way more because of it. The quest was clear, the journey was full of obstacles that mixed both the MCs fears and regrets, and each stage closer to the goal became harder and deeper (in contrast with the past books that kept a steady pace throughout the story).

The character development is beautifully depicted, both the FMC and MMC learned and grew from their starting points, and Mische's trauma that didn't make much sense on how it was incorporated in book 2 was greatly explained that now it makes total sense if I were to re-read Ashes and the Star-Cursed King.

Some parts of the book were a bit slow, but you cannot have a continuous crescendo, you need nuances in the pacing and cadence. I just loved it!!!