Kayleigh
Okay, this is a lot of thoughts. I... don't know where to even begin.
First, let me say [Kingfisher] is the /epitome/ of a green flag boyfriend. Because what do you mean, he understands that Saeris is her own person, and should be free to make her own decisions even though he's mated to her? Because most of the mated pairs I've read about at least think they have SOME control over their fated. I love me a supportive MMC, with no question whatsoever that the FMC can handle her own shit.
Also, where can I get me my own Carrion Swift? I thought he was great in Quicksilver, but my god do I need a carbon copy of him right now. I don't even need him to be my boyfriend, I just need his company as a friend. The way he supports Saeris the entire time, knowing that he isn't nearly up to the same strength that she is. The way he knows just how to break the tension, in the best way possible. His whole freaking self-discovery was a story on it's own. I feel like I read 3 books in one; The Story of Saeris, The Story of Kingfisher, & The Story of Carrion Swift.
Callie really outdid herself with this book. I truly was dropping my jaw at all moments of the book. When I thought characters were going to turn on us, when I thought characters would die, when I thought characters would be stuck apart or left behind. Ugh, the ups and downs kept me reeling.
Towards the middle end, after Saeris had the book from Edina for a while and started to 'magically' figure things out, it got a little tropey. But it wasn't so bad that it deterred me from continuing. Honestly, the idea of Edina leading Saeris from the past is so well written. Edina knows that Saeris is going to want to open the book and read ahead. But she also knows that despite her undying curiosity, she's not going to risk the lives of those she holds dear and take the risks. It just feels like Saeris randomly knowing things without it being in the book is a little TOO reaching.
Finally having a different name to call Fisher though, ugh my heart is so happy. While I love the idea of his name origins, and that the Fae cannot reveal their true names, it just fits him so much better. And his nickname she immediately gives him? UGH my heart 💙. But I was NOT expecting the fact that he was a half-god?! Like...okay, that didn't show anywhere to me!
I figured that brimstone would have to come from dragons, being that the only other source they could get it from was the fire sprites. What else lives off the heat that they need to survive, but also replenishes it's own source? Dragons! I don't forgive Callie for Onyx though. Not even a little. Bringing him back does not relieve me of the trauma of losing him 😭.
All in all, I truly loved this book. It was a gift that kept on giving. I loved the arc spent with Fisher & Carrion, them becoming more allies than enemies. I loved learning about the friends that Saeris was beginning to have, and their own paths. I loved seeing her come into her powers more, and start to feel like she ACTUALLY belongs there.
This book was dense. I genuinely felt like I read 3 different books in the span of a week. (Not that that's not uncommon, but still.) I kept expecting the book to end, only for it to continue. There were many places that Callie could have ended it, driving us crazy with suspense. Where it did end though, was perfect. It was enough of a cliffhanger to make you scream "WTF", but also didn't leave us in complete limbo; we knew that our favorites were alive, we knew that Onyx was not dead, everyone was accounted for, and we weren't left wondering about too many things. The whole thing with Everlayne is still up in the air, but we know that she is at least alive and within a safe place. We know what happened to Tal, Zovena, and Renfis. We know that Hayden is struggling, but he's alive and protected for the time being. She could have ended it so much worse, but she gave us the peace of knowing that the only uncertainty lay with our two MCs.
Bravo, Callie. Truly. I cannot wait for the 3rd and (I believe) final book in the series. I can't wait to see where she takes our favorites, and how this story ends. Everything leads to Saeris dying; but will she truly, or will someone else maybe take her place? Hayden, perhaps? 👀
Okay, this is a lot of thoughts. I... don't know where to even begin.
First, let me say [Kingfisher] is the /epitome/ of a green flag boyfriend. Because what do you mean, he understands that Saeris is her own person, and should be free to make her own decisions even though he's mated to her? Because most of the mated pairs I've read about at least think they have SOME control over their fated. I love me a supportive MMC, with no question whatsoever that the FMC can handle her own shit.
Also, where can I get me my own Carrion Swift? I thought he was great in Quicksilver, but my god do I need a carbon copy of him right now. I don't even need him to be my boyfriend, I just need his company as a friend. The way he supports Saeris the entire time, knowing that he isn't nearly up to the same strength that she is. The way he knows just how to break the tension, in the best way possible. His whole freaking self-discovery was a story on it's own. I feel like I read 3 books in one; The Story of Saeris, The Story of Kingfisher, & The Story of Carrion Swift.
Callie really outdid herself with this book. I truly was dropping my jaw at all moments of the book. When I thought characters were going to turn on us, when I thought characters would die, when I thought characters would be stuck apart or left behind. Ugh, the ups and downs kept me reeling.
Towards the middle end, after Saeris had the book from Edina for a while and started to 'magically' figure things out, it got a little tropey. But it wasn't so bad that it deterred me from continuing. Honestly, the idea of Edina leading Saeris from the past is so well written. Edina knows that Saeris is going to want to open the book and read ahead. But she also knows that despite her undying curiosity, she's not going to risk the lives of those she holds dear and take the risks. It just feels like Saeris randomly knowing things without it being in the book is a little TOO reaching.
Finally having a different name to call Fisher though, ugh my heart is so happy. While I love the idea of his name origins, and that the Fae cannot reveal their true names, it just fits him so much better. And his nickname she immediately gives him? UGH my heart 💙. But I was NOT expecting the fact that he was a half-god?! Like...okay, that didn't show anywhere to me!
I figured that brimstone would have to come from dragons, being that the only other source they could get it from was the fire sprites. What else lives off the heat that they need to survive, but also replenishes it's own source? Dragons! I don't forgive Callie for Onyx though. Not even a little. Bringing him back does not relieve me of the trauma of losing him 😭.
All in all, I truly loved this book. It was a gift that kept on giving. I loved the arc spent with Fisher & Carrion, them becoming more allies than enemies. I loved learning about the friends that Saeris was beginning to have, and their own paths. I loved seeing her come into her powers more, and start to feel like she ACTUALLY belongs there.
This book was dense. I genuinely felt like I read 3 different books in the span of a week. (Not that that's not uncommon, but still.) I kept expecting the book to end, only for it to continue. There were many places that Callie could have ended it, driving us crazy with suspense. Where it did end though, was perfect. It was enough of a cliffhanger to make you scream "WTF", but also didn't leave us in complete limbo; we knew that our favorites were alive, we knew that Onyx was not dead, everyone was accounted for, and we weren't left wondering about too many things. The whole thing with Everlayne is still up in the air, but we know that she is at least alive and within a safe place. We know what happened to Tal, Zovena, and Renfis. We know that Hayden is struggling, but he's alive and protected for the time being. She could have ended it so much worse, but she gave us the peace of knowing that the only uncertainty lay with our two MCs.
Bravo, Callie. Truly. I cannot wait for the 3rd and (I believe) final book in the series. I can't wait to see where she takes our favorites, and how this story ends. Everything leads to Saeris dying; but will she truly, or will someone else maybe take her place? Hayden, perhaps? 👀