April
Not gonna lie, this one just didn’t click for me.
The author was clearly trying to say something real about mental health, but the FMC’s internal monologue was on repeat basically the whole book - same struggles, over and over, until I was kind of over it. Meanwhile the MMC barely showed up? Like he was an afterthought. We’re told their relationship grew but I genuinely couldn’t tell you how, because it didn’t feel like it on the page. Didn’t even really read like a romance to me.
Honestly relieved it was short, because I don’t think I had it in me for more of her head. And the Taylor Swift comparisons had me cringing every time.
The constant stream of the characters getting outmaneuvered made this one a slower burn, but it stuck the landing - especially in the final stretch. Loved that the villains were strong women with real menace to them, and the character motivations held up throughout. A very good close to the series overall.
Not my favorite of the series - this one felt slower than the others and like nothing was really happening. The frustration wasn't with how the characters were written so much as everyone just lacking a backbone and seeming unaware of what was going on around them. Hoping the last book picks up the pace and makes up for it.
A really solid second book — lots of adventure and action, and the close calls felt earned rather than plot-convenient, which made the tension land. The ending left me a little unfulfilled, but I think that's just the nature of a parallel duology structure rather than a flaw in the book itself. Happy with it overall - great characters with believable flaws and a world that mostly held together.
A really solid read that I flew through pretty quickly. The characters were well fleshed out and the story kept me engaged, although I felt like the author was telling me what happened vs showing me. The bridge itself never fully came alive for me visually - I still can’t quite picture it which is a bit of a miss since it’s the centerpiece for this book. Nothing too surprising plot-wise, but an enjoyable ride!
Felt really like a filler book - most of the good suspense is left unresolved (waiting for the next installment). Harper pissed me off in the end, though. So impulsive, she genuinely aggravated me the last 10%. I get that it’s for the plot, though, but still. I definitely want to know what happens in the next book, but I hope I hope that what irritated me at the end of this one is resolved quickly.
Pretty good but never quite grabbed me the way I wanted. The chemistry between the FMC and MMC felt forced sometimes and I was a bit bored with them more often than not. The whole “rivals little sister” thing never really paid off - the brother was barely a presence and a half up of plot threads just … went nowhere? Not my favorite of Elsie Silver’s, but it was readable. Honestly more excited about whatever’s coming for Parker tbh.
Sooo repetitive and overly descriptive without providing any actual content. I couldn’t take another “darkest desire” before calling it.
Also, what kind of fbi agent doesn’t question ANYTHING going on at home? Didn’t search for cameras?? At all? Ok.
The promise of finding out who the MMCs were aren’t enough for me to push through 😫
Definitely a good start to the series. I loved the mystery and tension, and of course the classic Catherine Cowles twist! Dex was a smidge too perfect, in my opinion but that could just be me. I felt like we didn’t get to really know him very well compared to Brae, which of course makes sense given the plot.
Contains spoilers
This was an good start to a series (duology?), even if some parts were predictable (and I slumped pretty significantly mid-book … like my reading pace halved). I say predictable, but only because of Riftborne and Duskborne. If I hadn’t read those first, I would have not connected any dots at all. That being said, I do agree with everyone else’s sentiments that reading those two books before this one is a wise choice.
Thatcher being Aether was definitely something I figured out very early on in the book (I’m talking like 13% in and I had it figured out). It didn’t feel like this was supposed to be a big secret with the hints the authors were dropping, but the ending kinda seemed like it was supposed to be a big reveal? Either way, the reveal wasn’t surprising.
Thais having this strong willed personality throughout the entire book and then just … flatlining at the very end didn’t make much sense to me. Her entire character arc made me think that when this happened, she’d be even *stronger*, not become weak and despondent. I hope it doesn’t take long into the second book for her to get that back.
Also, fuck Nyvora. Genuinely can’t wait until she gets hers.
Contains spoilers
The last 10% of this book pushed my 2.5 rating to a 3 and is the only reason why I want to read the second book.
I felt like there was way too much emphasis on her (desire? lust? high school-like crush?) for the MMC - who I intensely dislike, btw.
Honestly, I’m reading the second book because I want to learn more about Aether.
I really enjoyed Teddy and Henrik's slow-burn romance. Both of their personalities just worked, and the communication and love Dr. Emily Rath puts into her books did not disappoint here. I also really liked Korro's character and was glad that she wasn't the entire focus of the book. I would have liked a bit more of interaction with Teddy's family since their importance was a main character driver, especially towards the end.
This is a great beginning to a new fantasy series. There were some parts that were more or less predictable, but they didn't detract from the story at all. This first book had one of my favorite character types: a strong bada** FMC that can literally do everything herself. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
