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3.5! this was ... underwhelming, if i had to choose a word to describe it. my least favorite in the series (along w tog) but still good.

maybe i went in with too high expectations? so many people told me this was their favorite or the best in the series and i usually don’t let myself fall into hype for books i’ve been let down one too many times but maybe my subconscious screwed me over this time.

my main issue is that, well, nothing happened for a majority of the book. sjm apparently feels like the length of her books have to get longer as the series goes on, which hasn’t been a problem up to now, but there was no reason for this to be nearly 700 pages. i do love the characters and the politics so it’s not like i struggled to get through the story, but it was so clearly unnecessarily long.

and the ending? that heart-shattering, sob-inducing, will-wreck-you ending? didn’t do any of those things for me.

i had a concerning number of theories as to how sjm would break my heart this time, but ... none came true. i can’t say i saw the ending coming, but it also wasn’t too shocking to me? and maybe i disconnected from some of the characters because this wasn’t the most interesting book, but it didn’t bring out a single tear for me. i kinda just sat there like 🫤

and the smut??? no, not even the smut in general. the beach scene? brb writing a letter to sjm asking what the fuck did i read. however she graced us with chapter 60 which, as a dorian girlie through and through, effectively wiped every thought from my brain so ... we can move past the beach scene. for now. until i rein in my giggling.

ANYWAYYYS dorian, manon, elide, and lorcan carried this book. i simply did not care about aelin or rowan in this one i’m sorry 😭

sorry about the short & lowkey terrible review, but let me leave you with this advice �� do the tandem read!! it seems intimidating but you won’t regret it. also it’s actually sm fun 🤝🏼

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ive been told the ending will wreck me. im not ready. but fck it we ball!!