lena

i cried four or five times during this book and for reference i only cried about two or three times during the whole thg trilogy

fucking masterpiece

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 recommend to anyone who's read the trilogy.

feels like an attempt to make us like tella more and erase the trauma she caused scarlett

I SOLVED THE GODDAMN RIDDLE BEFORE GRAYSON AND LYRA MOTHERFUCKERS

“If people were silent, they could hear the noise of their own lives better. If people were silent, it would make what they did say, whenever they chose to say it, more important. If people were silent, they could read one another's signals, the way underwater creatures flash lights at one another, or turn their skin different colors.”

The Thing About Jellyfish is a book that is marketed towards younger audiences but, in my opinion, should be read at all costs.

I guess it's like The Little Prince, a book that should be read a few times in your life, and you might see it differently every time.

I see that people usually say that this is a book about the loss of a loved one and the way the main character deals with it, but I feel like it's more about silence. The silence is a way she grieves, but throughout the book she realizes how both talking and not-talking are important, regardless of the reason because of which one might embrace either.

The book is emotional and at times I caught myself smiling while wiping tears. Beautifully written, definitely everyone's must-read, whether you mostly enjoy fantasy (like myself) or non-fiction.

 2.5

did not meet expectations. before I start this review, please note that this is MY honest opinion.

after reading the brothers hawthorne (and being disappointed) i did not really want to read this book. but, when i saw people saying its about grayson and his character arc, i decided to give it a go.

but, i had two problems. 1, you cant buy the physical copy in my country and 2, the kindle price baffled me. i read a pdf in the end, and im glad i didnt spend money on this.

first of all, everything was RUSHED. (it could be because i finished it in 2 days, but i also read other books in a similar time and i rarely found things THIS fast) by the end of the book we basically had 3 relationships out of nowhere (and gigi is either shipped with a guy 7 years older or the guy who KIDNAPPED her, but i dont blame jlb for what the fandom does) . the game itself felt an okay speed, but the other things definitely werent. i found myself unable to fall in love with the characters' dynamics because of that.

the characters, on the other hand, ARE well written. some are annoying, some arent, but thats just them. sometimes characters may be written that way on purpose, so i wont judge for that. and as a person who is basically gigi (minus the rich and cats parts) she is the one who got me through the book. i kept skimming over rohans chapters and kinda being okay with lyras because of the mystery. i loved that in lyras chapters because it felt the same as the wine cellar in tfg, maybe its just me but i adore when jlb does this.

while im on the theme of chapters, this is a no. in the brothers hawthorne jlb also did the same thing, 2 povs (now 3) which arent CONNECTED. sure, in tgg they were, but not for most of the book. i couldnt handle the complexity of the game while constantly switching povs, it felt jumbled and id much rather prefer first reading gigis, then rohans, then lyras or any other order, spoilers for the next or not. i was confused and had to go back and forth the whole time.

i was considering dnf-ing but then it got sorta interesting so i kept going, and with the way it ended ive got to read glorious rivals, i cant handle leaving it on the cliffhanger. though if its also as expensive i might just wait for a pdf again... 

.. This book was a lot

Spoilers ahead probably

I love love loved that we got reynas pov because the queen is making me question my sexuality because wow

Favourite quote from her? Well, theres too many to decide but definitely one she said to orion cuz she ate him up every single time she talked


Next, jason. I already know that (spoiler for trials of apollo) jason dies in the burning maze and i feel like rick already knew he would kill him when writing this. So many times did he say how jasons gonna do this gonna do that etc when the war is over. Thats a classic way of saying, hey, this one will die! But, otherwise i always have and always will love jason, and that's just multiplied because of the way he accepted nico so fast. I will never get the jason grace hate

Favorite quote : well not exactly a quote but battle entrance in athensssss rick wrote that so well i had to put down the book and just think about it for a solid five minutes


Nico. My child (hes older than me). I shall protect him at all costs (he wouldnt let me approach him). Anyone who dares insult him shall die (i dont like killing even bugs). No but seriously our boy deserves so much better and wow the hints that he likes you know who are so goooooodddd. Im so glad both jason and reyna and the others (honorable mention  : hedge) accepted him and treat him like a brother because that is what he deserves. I feel like he'll get a good ending when all of this is over (i have yet to read tsats obvi). Also the way he got so protective of reynaaaaa thats so niceee

Favourite quote : “Your voice is your identity. If you don't use it, you're halfway to Asphodel already.”


Leo goddamn valdez. Leo, the guy who died (im pretty sure he knew he would survive tho) and immediately went to get his not-really-girlfriend. The guy who admitted that he makes stupid jokes to deal with pain and does that especially when he's not feeling good. The guy who was (up until 2024) the definition of my coping mechanism. The guy who is afraid of helping humans because he is used to machines, because he's afraid of hurting them more. Yeah, that guy. That guy also deserves the world. Every single one of these characters (except octavian) deserves the world. And oh my god i just turned his part into a everyone part that's not good

Favourite quote : again, not a quote, but the whole caleo reunion


Piper, the apparent pick me in the fandom. Piper who would give anything for her friends. Piper who thinks low of herself because her power isnt ‘special' the whole series but she still ends up being just as powerful. That piper. You call that piper a pick me? Learn the definition of the word first. I loved her here. And her scenes with jason are the sweetest. (I also loved the scenes with annabeth and im starting to understand pipabeth tbh).

Favourite quote : Some pain shouldn't be wished away so easily. It had to be dealt with, even embraced.


Thats all the people we got povs from but i wanna say i also loved percy and annabeth here. Especially the kiss scene in athens. I cant wait to see more of them in the senior adventures.


Honorable mention : gleeson hedge. He may be a bit... Rough. But he loves these guys and its clear.

Also a honorable mention is my smile when i realized octavian died. :D


All in all, this book had action, but not too much. I could picture everything and most things werent predictable. The reason why its only 4.5 for me is because it didnt make me feel too much emotion like house of hades did. Sure i still almost cried but that happened three times in house of hades and no one died then. Still, i love the book, a lot.


(coming back to this review a week or so later and DAMN I WROTE THIS)

 ★★★★

(almost completely) spoiler free review

i devoured this whole series in less than two weeks, and, to be honest, because of the previous book i did not expect too much from this one.

boy, was i proven wrong.

i read the first story in one sitting, adored it even though it ended on a cliffhanger and i immediately went to read the next.

i was considering dnf-ing because of it.
it took me about 5 days after that to get back into reading because it put me in a reading slump. i forced myself through one more chapter of it then gave up and skipped the whole story.

this is where it gets beautiful.
the third story might just be my favourite, but because this is spoiler-free i cant exactly say why. its just beautiful, although i find others were written better, the story itself was very nice.

the fourth one is straight up cute, a solid 4 stars because it isnt anything special but still a very nice add-on.

same goes for the fifth one. just replace the cute with funny :>

as for the sixth, my heart melted at the end. now that i actually think about it, this one is my favourite. once again, spoiler-free so i cant say much, but its definitely going to be a comfort short read for me.

the seventh is where we get a little more classic hawthorne fun. a cute moment at the end and a few nice quotes but the focus was the game. if anyone is looking only for more of our kind of action with this book, i suggest reading the first, this and last story.

the eight is intense for the few moments its set in and it fills us in on that night in prague.

all in all, the book definitely isnt necessary but that doesnt automatically make it bad. im pretty sure i almost cried because of one moment in the story i skipped, but that could just be my emotional part speaking. unless you collect books, id reccomend getting it from the library instead of buying it, though. yes, there were emotional moments, a bit of action, but mostly short stories unrelated to each other (excluding first-last relation) for now. maybe jlb will use them later (hopefully). i personally only didnt like the second story so this is still a four star, if not more, read for me. <3