lena
We've all heard Cezar Cruz's famous quote, "Art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable," and I genuinely felt like this book did both for me.
- PLOT
Going into this book, I feared it would be too similar to the trilogy. That the characters would be Jude and Cardan Juniors and that it would feel like a rewrite. I should've expected better from Holly Black because that's what it was. The plot doesn't take a long time to actually start, and we immediately get to know the characters. Plot twists are there, sure, but I could predict Wren's heart was Mellith's heart. However, I couldn't have in a million years the very ending of the book. I feel like the ending isn't really predictable and will be explained further in the next book why it happened. Overall, the pace is about medium, but considering I read about a third of the book in one day, that part felt faster.
- WRITING
I will always applaud Holly Blacks writing. Especially when she switches from the extravagant and elegant way Faeries talk, to the way humans converse daily. I do think Wren's inner monologue was a bit similar to Jude's, but there were definitely differences that I did spot. My heart did break when Wren refered to herself as something instead of someone soon after finding out how she was made. With Blacks writing style, I could easily imagine, well, everything. I'm not overexaggerating when I say I forgot I was reading.The next book, however, switches to Oak's POV and it's in third person. Switching from first to third person is an interesting choice to make in a series, but I'm glad to see what that looks like.
- CHARACTERS - UNMARKED SPOILERS AHEAD
Holly Black loves giving us complex characters and I love dissecting their individual stories, a wonderful duo.
- Wren/Suren
Wren is my baby and no harm shall come to her as long as I'm alive. She's been tortured as a child and people still hated her. Just because of her parents. (side note : I was really disappointed by how the Duarte sisters treated her because of her parents even though they were also seen differently because of their parents). She was betrayed again and again. By Oak, Bogdana, and she felt like she would be betrayed by Hyacinthe too. And then people say the ending doesn't make sense. I understand her, though it doesn't mean she did the right thing. I can't wait to see a character arc in the next book.
- Oak Greenbriar
A cunning, trickster man, who, I, in the start still saw as the child we met him as. He reminded me of Cardan, honestly. And I found myself relating to him on so many levels. I mentioned in the start of the review that famous quote, and I can say Wren's story disturbed me, but Oak's comforted me. He turns into a killing machine when he fights, I related because I don't seem to care about anyone feelings when fighting verbally (I'm working on it, trust). He sacrifices himself and as much as it may seem like I'm playing the victim card when I say this, I do too. And I don't mind it. Though I do believe he isn't easily manipulated, which I can't say I relate to. Easily my favourite character.
- Tiernan
Quite a stoic soldier, but it was the moments he let his guard down that were my favourites. Is this man Jude reincarnated or what? A spy who had wanted to become a knight but couldn't. Though the similarities pretty much end there. Someone who is loyal to his lover, a lover who is more loyal to whoever he serves. My heart was breaking for Tiernan during the entire story. I hope he and Hyacinthe get a HEA.
I'll end this review here. I really, really enjoyed the book. Holly Blacks writing always has layers and I adore that the most. Definitely a book I would reccomend to anyone who's read the trilogy.
We've all heard Cezar Cruz's famous quote, "Art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable," and I genuinely felt like this book did both for me.
- PLOT
Going into this book, I feared it would be too similar to the trilogy. That the characters would be Jude and Cardan Juniors and that it would feel like a rewrite. I should've expected better from Holly Black because that's what it was. The plot doesn't take a long time to actually start, and we immediately get to know the characters. Plot twists are there, sure, but I could predict Wren's heart was Mellith's heart. However, I couldn't have in a million years the very ending of the book. I feel like the ending isn't really predictable and will be explained further in the next book why it happened. Overall, the pace is about medium, but considering I read about a third of the book in one day, that part felt faster.
- WRITING
I will always applaud Holly Blacks writing. Especially when she switches from the extravagant and elegant way Faeries talk, to the way humans converse daily. I do think Wren's inner monologue was a bit similar to Jude's, but there were definitely differences that I did spot. My heart did break when Wren refered to herself as something instead of someone soon after finding out how she was made. With Blacks writing style, I could easily imagine, well, everything. I'm not overexaggerating when I say I forgot I was reading.The next book, however, switches to Oak's POV and it's in third person. Switching from first to third person is an interesting choice to make in a series, but I'm glad to see what that looks like.
- CHARACTERS - UNMARKED SPOILERS AHEAD
Holly Black loves giving us complex characters and I love dissecting their individual stories, a wonderful duo.
- Wren/Suren
Wren is my baby and no harm shall come to her as long as I'm alive. She's been tortured as a child and people still hated her. Just because of her parents. (side note : I was really disappointed by how the Duarte sisters treated her because of her parents even though they were also seen differently because of their parents). She was betrayed again and again. By Oak, Bogdana, and she felt like she would be betrayed by Hyacinthe too. And then people say the ending doesn't make sense. I understand her, though it doesn't mean she did the right thing. I can't wait to see a character arc in the next book.
- Oak Greenbriar
A cunning, trickster man, who, I, in the start still saw as the child we met him as. He reminded me of Cardan, honestly. And I found myself relating to him on so many levels. I mentioned in the start of the review that famous quote, and I can say Wren's story disturbed me, but Oak's comforted me. He turns into a killing machine when he fights, I related because I don't seem to care about anyone feelings when fighting verbally (I'm working on it, trust). He sacrifices himself and as much as it may seem like I'm playing the victim card when I say this, I do too. And I don't mind it. Though I do believe he isn't easily manipulated, which I can't say I relate to. Easily my favourite character.
- Tiernan
Quite a stoic soldier, but it was the moments he let his guard down that were my favourites. Is this man Jude reincarnated or what? A spy who had wanted to become a knight but couldn't. Though the similarities pretty much end there. Someone who is loyal to his lover, a lover who is more loyal to whoever he serves. My heart was breaking for Tiernan during the entire story. I hope he and Hyacinthe get a HEA.
I'll end this review here. I really, really enjoyed the book. Holly Blacks writing always has layers and I adore that the most. Definitely a book I would reccomend to anyone who's read the trilogy.