Hunt on Dark Waters By: Katee Robert

I need to give a huge thank you to Netgalley and in turn Penguin for giving me a chance to review this beauty early. I have loved so many books Katee has put out in the past. And was so excited when I found out she was diving into a pirate book. No matter what my tastes change to over the years, I always seem to never get tired of a good ocean adventure, pirate, fantasy themed story.

(I may have turned on the OG Pirates of the Caribbean while I read this, and binged through the original 3 from the series as background haha)

A stern captain meets his witchy match in this captivating first fantasy romance novel in the Crimson Sails series from Katee Robert, the New York Times bestselling author of the TikTok smash-hit Neon Gods.

Evelyn is a witch with a perfect storm of impulses: terrible taste in bed partners, sticky fingers, and a lust for danger. After she steals from her vampire ex and falls through a portal to another realm, she’s fished out of the waters by a band of seafarers and their telekinetic captain. She’s immediately given a choice—join their ship’s crew or die.

Bowen has no memory of his life before he became one of the Cŵn Annwn. He and his band of pirates are bound by vow to patrol through Threshold, the magical sea in between realms, keeping the portals to other worlds safe. When he rescues Evelyn, he doesn’t expect to be attracted to the unflappably brassy pickpocket. The longer he spends in her presence, the more he begins to question if his heart is the next thing she’ll steal.

But as tension heats up between Bowen and Evelyn, the danger at sea escalates as well. Because Evelyn has no intention of keeping her vows to the Cŵn Annwn, and if she betrays the crew, both she and Bowen will pay the ultimate price....

I have been so excited for this book. When I first heard about it and read the synopsis, I knew it was something I was going to want to read. And when Netgalley approved the ARC request, I literally had it sent to my kindle and started within 5 minutes.

Then of course I only made it like 2 chapters in before I had to put it on the backburner for work, and wait until the weekend to actually read it. But man, I flew through it once I had the time to sit down and give it a good couple chunks of my time.

I have a lot of feelings for this book. As I whole I enjoyed it. There was adventure. There was thievery, there was good spicy time. There was even a little mystery and intrigue there. And of course there was pirates and questionable choices galore. Everything that helps to make a good fantasy book.

It was a pretty fast paced read, sometimes too fast at times. But the world was built well, and the characters for the most part were relatable, or at least intriguing. I didn't know much about where the lore for this book was based from, but found my self definitely interested and doing a few Google searches as the book went. I love some good mythology and lore based books. And am always interested in learning more about ones I've not heard of or know little about.

So that was a fun thing I enjoyed that came from this book.

I also really liked the characters in the book. They were all a little flawed in some way or another. And I really appreciated that. It's fun to have strong crazy heroes that can do whatever their hearts desire. But I like when a character has something they need to work on or get better at. Or just something that adds a little flair to them.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Evelyn for a good chunk at the start of the book. (I already struggle with female leads a lot of times in books) And for me she started a little rough. She was definitely feisty and sarcastic. And I liked those sides to her.  But she annoyed me too at times. She was very stuck in her own head and didn't do a lot for me, other then frustrate me with her poor choices. That being said. She got better. And I slowly warmed up to her.

Evelyn started to show her true colors, and actually found something to fight and care for. And her moral compass wasn't quite as off as I originally thought. She had a good sense of humor, and the sassy sarcastic side became almost endearing at times.

I don't mind characters with questionable motives. But I need them to have a reason for them. And until that began to show with Evelyn, I think that's what I struggled with most. So when that was no longer an issue. I adored her, and her thieving ways haha.

On the flip side, we have Bowen. I definitely took to him easier then I did Evelyn. He gave a pretty sound introduction. And I liked his character progression, and he had a decent amount of depth to him that was conveyed quickly.

I appreciated all of the little things that affected him and changed him, and how he maneuvered them all. Plus he and Evelyn had some great chemistry. They brought out the best in each other. And it was once they started interacting, that both of them really began to shine as individual characters too.

I guess the last set of characters I wan to talk about are some of the supporting charters. Lizzie seems like she's got some depth coming that may be interesting to see when the next book comes out. Again, she was one at first that I wasn't exactly drawn to. But she grew on me as it went. And then there were Nox and Dia. We didn't get to see a whole lot from them. But the time they were in the book, I really liked what they added to the story. They gave it just that little something it needed, and provided some commentary and views that I think were needed to give our main crew the depth they were missing.

I'll jump into some of my thoughts on the story itself. As I said above, I generally liked this book. It had a lot of cool aspects to it, and an original plot. And even with the few downers I said with the characters, as they found themselves, they shined as the story went on.

I'm not gonna say there weren't some things I disliked about this book, but all in all it was a solid a read.

My one probably biggest complaint was that I could tell at about the halfway point that this book wasn't gonna wrap up its story. I was aware there is going to be a part 2. But it's going to be about different characters. And while I'm always up for standalone books in a connected world/universe. I'm not a big fan of seeing what these characters will do from someone else's perspective, when they're story is so pivotal to what is happening in the world of Threshold. I think Lizzie will be a fun character to focus on. She's bad a** in a scary way haha. But as far as Threshold and the Cŵn Annwn are concerned, I want Evelyn and Bowen for that. So I felt like it was kind of a let down to see their story not at least wrap up in a way that could tell the rest of that story on the fringes. And maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised by how Katee writes the 2nd book. She's a great author and I just have to trust her process. It just made things feel rushed and unfinished in a way I wasn't a fan of. And had me watching the pages tick down fully well knowing I wasn't going to get the resolution I wanted. (I can deal with cliff hangers. They drive a reader crazy in the best way. But the switching characters is what throws me here)

Also, there were a few parts of the book that just seemed rushed in general. I don't mind a quick paced book, or even like an insta love situation (Not that that was exactly what this was) But in world building aspects, there was so much to explain and explore, and I would have been super excited to spend some time seeing that and actually exploring on top of the romance and one particular conflict.

I don't know, I feel like I'm talking in circles here. I truly enjoyed this book. There was just something missing I wish I could put in words better without it seeming negative as heck.

So for a positive, I really really liked the world building. Threshold seems like such a cool yet dangerous fantasy world. And the monsters and creatures made my little fantasy DnD loving heart happy. And the way Evelyn uses her witch power is one of the coolest ways I've seen someone do that. It was so unique and original. And was such a neat take on the semantics of using her powers. Honestly she snot the only one with pretty cool powers, but I don't want to spoil too much. Just know, there are some people and creatures that do some really spiffy things in this story. Plus the Cŵn Annwn is just freaking cool. They are scary and intimidating. And just everything I could ask for in a group of a group of pirates. I have more feelings on them as a whole. But again, I don't want to really get into it here so I don't spoil anything. Just know things go much deeper then scary pirates.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I think there were a few misses for me. But nothing was ever enough to make me want to stop reading or consider putting the book down. I mean once I sat down and really started reading it only took me a good 2 days to finish. And that I spent most of my long holiday weekend enjoying this one. And while I said I'm not a fan of the standalone thing on this series. I will definitely be picking up book 2 when it eventually comes out. I'm super excited to see what kinda shenanigans Lizzie gets into and what her character will do now.

Also, if you haven't seen. B&N has a special edition for this book coming out. And the cover for it is freaking BEAUTIFUL! Plus there's some extra bonus content from Katee inside their edition as well. I know that's where I've ordered my finished copy from. And I don't think anyone will regret ordering that pretty.

Hunt on Dark Waters B&N Special Edition

I give HUNT ON DARK WATERS

⭐⭐⭐⭐4 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐

House Of Roots And Ruin By: Erin A. Craig

 

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A modern masterpiece, this is a classic Gothic thriller-fantasy from bestselling author Erin A. Craig, about doomed love, menacing ambition, and the ghosts that haunt us forever.

In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.

When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.

But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .

 I finally got my hands on this baby. And it is a beautiful baby at that haha. I wound up with the B&N copy with the gorgeous purple sprayed edges. And between that and the beautiful inside cover and flower printed chapter headers. I loved flipping through the pages.

I went back and did a re-read of House of Salt and Sorrow before starting this one. It had been an age since I had gotten my hands on the ARC of it (Back in 2019) and I really wanted to refresh myself before I tried to jump back into this world. And I'm delighted I did. There were so many small details I forgot. (I think, in theory, you could read each of these as a stand-alone. But I think they are better when read together)

And going back to remember things that may or may not play a part in this new story was something I was glad I did. Plus I just really enjoyed just seeing all the things I missed my first read-through.

The world that both books are set in, is such a creepy and dark one at times. And as Craig did in HOSAS, this book left me guessing until the very last page. It had so many twists and turns, and even when I thought I had one figured out... She would hit me with a whole different twist. Or spin things from that point in a way I didn't expect it to continue going.

Verity was an interesting character. One that I found myself immediately loving. (Shocker I know, me, actually liking a FMC haha)

But I really did like her. She was complex and fierce when she wanted to be. And seeing her discover herself and find that inner strength after so much tragedy in her life. It made for a very intricate and interesting arc as her story progressed.

And then let's talk about Alex. I adored this boy from the start. He was the sweetest and kindest person. And treated Verity in a way that helped her grow and find herself, but also was sweet and romantic. And gave me all the good fuzzy feelings. And oh man. The rest of his story is so interesting and absolutely crazy. But I won't go into details so I don't ruin that part of the story for anyone.

But let's talk about the craziness that happens in this book in general. There are some absolutely insane moments and some characters that may actually be crazy. And Craig did a spectacular job of riding the line between creepy and just plain dark.

I cannot suggest this more to anyone who likes a little sinister and eerie.

I give HOUSE OF ROOTS AND RUIN

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard By: Megan Clawson

I need to give Avon a huge thank you for sending out the ARC for this one. They are always so accommodating to bloggers and really show us so much support and love.

And I need to apologize that this review came out as late as it did. I was not in a good place when I tried to read this book the first time. And all of that has changed. And I am so glad I jumped into this one now.

Love is in the heir in this royally good rom com debut releasing in Spring 2023 – perfect for anyone who likes relatable heroines (with great hair), hot and aloof book boyfriends (with great hats), near misses, almost kisses and a corgi or two.

Despite living in an actual castle, happily ever after is evading Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moore.

From her bedroom in the Tower of London, twenty-six-year-old Maggie has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale ending.

Yet this is twenty-first century London, so instead of knights on white horses, she has catfish on Tinder. And with her last relationship ending in spectacular fashion, she swears off men for good.

And then a chance encounter with Royal Guard Freddie forces Maggie to admit that she isn’t ready to give up on love just yet… But how do you catch the attention of someone who is trained to ignore all distractions?

Can she snare that true love’s first kiss… or is she royally screwed?

A right royal rom com, perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and The Royal We.
 

I'm so sad it took me so long to finally pick this beauty up. I had received a review copy of it back a few months ago. And could just never get in the right head space to pick it up. Sadly I struggled so much that I blew past the publication date. And now 2 months after release I'm finally able to pick it up and enjoy it. And man. I honestly adored this book.

It was so fluffing cute.

The story was had a good mix of lightheartedness while also not afraid to get into some deeper more complex emotions too. And just overall made for this adorable rollercoaster ride. These characters got up to so many fun antics that had me giggling the whole story. But also many times I was ready to want to smack a few of them haha. I loved the slow burn romance, and the date of the week style set up that got going. And how they could go epically wrong or right so quickly. There was such quick whit and comedy through the whole story.

And I can't explain how happy it made me to have a book I didn't want to put down. And literally didn't until I was done.

My new work schedule means I've been staying up a little later then usual part of the week. And with me finally after so long having the urge to pick up books, I picked this baby up at like 10PM yesterday. I didn't set it down until about 8Am this morning. And it seems so silly to be excited about pulling an all nighter reading a book smack in the middle of the week at 30. But it has literally been 3 years since I have wanted to hardly even touch a book (Especially a physical book and not just an audio). And I almost cried I was so happy that I fell into this one so fast and wholeheartedly. It really was the perfect mix of romance, comedy, and silliness.

So obviously. This book also had the best characters! I mean like every single one of them. They were funny and dynamic, even the despicable ones were written in such a way you truly despised them and their antics. And the moments of romantic tension between characters gave me all the warm fuzzies.

I wasn't sure what to think of Maggie at the start of the book. She was definitely quirky and funny. But I feel like Clawson may have tried to go a  little too hard with that personality at the beginning. I already have such a rough track record with female characters. I either love them or hate them with not  a lot of gray space between. And I was preparing myself to suck it up and deal with a lot of eye rolling. But then by the second or third chapter all those reservations were gone. And I absolutely loved her and her crazy antics. And even found myself relating to her, especially when she would have these moments dealing with anxiety and dating fear. Because lord is that, and was that me haha.

I also really liked Maggie's relationship with all of the people at the Tower. She gave me all the feels with her interactions with the Ravenmaster and the Beefeaters. Especially with her dad and his close friends. It really warmed my heart all the interactions they had, and how much love and respect they all had for each other. I would want those old men on my side any day.

And I can't forget all the laughs when her and her newfound rowdy King's Guard brood got together. I loved the fast friendship and comradery they had. Like the craziest batch of older brothers a girl could ask for.

She just has such good chemistry between so many of these characters.

And then there's Freddie... Such an infuriating man! 😡😡

I wanted to just reach into this book and give him a good smack haha. He was so sweet and kind. And so protective and caring. But he was so secretive, and worried to be himself. And just UHGGG!! So infuriating haha.

I understood his reasons. But that building tension did nothing for my poor little heart.

Even as infuriating as he was, I immediately was drawn to him. He had spunk and sass. And it was his little moments of support but goofiness that made me love him so much. That and the ghosts (IYKYK)

I really truly loved this book though. It was a light easy read that had me laughing so many times. And had some very very good characters that made feel all the feels. I would suggest anyone that likes a good British Romance to grab this one. You will love it!!!

💗💗

I give FALLING HARD FOR THE ROYAL GUARD

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fourth Wing By: Rebecca Yarros

Ok y'all... Time for me to turn this book blog into a food blog and give you my entire life story before getting to the recipe haha.

If you've followed my blog for a while, and it's definitely been a while. (I realized that this past month marked my 10 year anniversary with my blog. And that totally blew my mind.) You know that I haven't really been around much the last few years though. I'd love to say it was just because I've been busy living my life. And yeah. You could say that was part of it. But I also went through one of the worst mental health crisis I've probably ever had. (And there were a lot of times I didn't even recognize when it was happening most of the time.) I went into teaching in 2019. And yes, at the time, I was just super busy. I had just moved, started a new job, started dating someone new. Things were busy but going so so well. And then like everyone else... 2020 happened. And that was probably the first hit to my mental health. I did not do well being secluded as much as I was. I didn't get to finish my first year teaching. And it put a strain on my relationship as my boyfriend was layed off his job as a result of the shutdowns too.

Fast forward to 2021. School was back in, but it was rough. We were in and out so many times, kids and parents were awful, and cracks in the leadership of the school and district were turning into gapping holes. But I was able to start going out and doing some stuff again too. I took on a second job that I loved for some extra cash even. So that did help. Got to finally meet my boyfriends parents. And then the end of May devastated me in a way I couldn't have prepared for. I was given incorrect test results from my doctor and not only did I wind up being down with the sickness. But because I was told I had been negative, I also stopped quarantining, went back to school, and got my best friend and my boyfriend sick. It knocked me down for a good week or so. But my best friend wound up with walking pneumonia, and my boyfriend was put in the hospital on a vent for 14 days, and spent 2 months in the hospital. The amount of guilt that plagued me was astronomical. He had a couple really close calls while vented. And we literally had to fight the hospital for care for 2 months after he got a hospital born infection that they refused to acknowledge or fix. That led to him struggling to walk or move the entire time and when we did get to home he was on IV antibiotics with in home nursing for a little over a month (While I was back in school working again.) And still has muscle spasms from incorrect proning procedures. During all of that I was forced to quit my 2nd job, as I had to be up at the hospital pretty much 24/7 (if I wasn't my boyfriends mom was there) as we didn't trust the hospital anymore (there's a lot more to it. At one point a nurse almost double dosed him the narcotics he was on after coming from the vent and pushing heart/blood pressure meds when his heart rate would go up from the pain from the infection to mask that was what was happening.) We were very thankful for our advocate and for an amazing PT department that went to bat for us. As all of this was happening. We were also in the process of about to be moving in together. So it was a lot.

I also found out I was getting moved from gen ed SpEd to a contained special education classroom (which if things hadn't been so crazy I would have been ecstatic about. That is where my love and passion is. But it was a big change on top of all the other stuff.) I did wind up finding a tribe there though. I met the most amazing set of ladies that had my back and supported me. And 2 and a half years later are still very good friends. Which leads me back to the stress of school. When I tell you our school systems are broken. I mean it. And that was even more clear to me in special needs. I worked in both a mild/moderate class, as well as a severe/profound class. My kids were absolutely amazing for the most part, but we were severely understaffed, and did have one child that was very violent for lack of a better description. We had no support, we were getting scratched, hit, things thrown at us, classrooms torn up, keeping other children safe, getting bathroom related "stuff" thrown at us and on us. It was hell. And eventually drove away that amazing team I loved so much (veteran special needs teachers that had been teaching for 10 years with certifications in behavior management among other things) But the absolute lack of support and being blamed for it all was too much. I sadly wasn't in a position I could leave though. And fast forward to the next school year end of 2022 beginning of 2023. The new teachers that were brought in to work with us were lied to about the situation. They really had no idea what they were doing as no one gave any sort of guidance or help (are you seeing a pattern yet?) and things just went from bad to worse. I came home so many days covered in bruises and scratches or in tears. Had filed out numerous work injury reports, had a sprained foot that took several months in a boot to heal. And many days would collapse after getting home only waking up when my boy friend would come get me for dinner.

And I shut down hard during this time. Even my best friend and I would hardly talk. (To the point I hadn't realized how isolated I had made myself. That was until my besties partner pointed out to me a couple weeks ago how glad she was we finally were spending time together and how much my friend had missed me. Talk about a kick to the gut. But she was right. And I needed to hear it.) I wasn't cleaning the apartment any more then the basics I need to survive like laundry and dishes. It caused many issues with my boyfriend and me.

It was bad. But at some point I finally decided I was done. With the encouragement of my friends and family and a lot of guidance from one of my previous colleagues, I decided to make the jump from being in a classroom to practicing behavior therapy. I spent 6 months getting my certification and started taking clients after school and over the summer. And fell in love with it. I get to work with the same kids that I adore at school in a 1 on 1 environment. But under much more controlled circumstances and with people that provide support and guidance. (So everything I wasn't getting in school)

So I made the jump to it full time and left the school.

It has been one of the hardest decisions as I do truly love school despite all the horrible. But has prompted me to perusing my personal education again and putting myself in a position to be doing a job I love with a paycheck I can survive on (Teaching pays nothing. Don't be fooled. It is just one more facet that was broken in a failing system)

But what I meant for all of this, was to explain that because of all this. I have struggled something horrible. After 2020 hit I literally couldn't pick up a book. I tried so many times, to only get 1 or 2 pages in and get so overwhelmed. I was able to listen to one or 2 audiobooks over the last couple years. But when I say 1 or 2. I literally mean like I could count them on one hand.

And that has been the first thing I've noticed now that I've finally quit, and removed myself from such a toxic situation. I want to read again. I tackled 2 audio books in the last month. (And yes that seems like a small amount, but right now it's huge for me) I've started really cleaning and decluttering again too.

And I finally realized just how bad of a toll the last 4 years have taken on me. But I'm realizing what I missed and what to do again finally too.

I turned 30 in June too, and I have to say I really hope this is a new start to me getting back to the things I love with a new job I love more.

So I hope you enjoy this review 😘

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

So after so long of not reading or listening to audiobooks, I've had this one on the back burner since its release. And now I'm kicking myself for waiting so dang long to start it. (Although from what I've heard, the audio was pretty terrible at first, so maybe it was good I waited until after they updated it)

With driving to clients now for work I'm back to having a lot of driving time to fill. So I decided to use some of my ever building Audible credits to scoop this one up and start (I also tend to like high fantasy books in audio over book form too. Audio's just hold my attention better for all the world building and whatnot.)

And yes I have been paying for Audible for these last 3 years. And just accumulate until I've maxed out then find something to buy (Usually JLA books) to hopefully eventually read.

But anyhoo, I am so glad I started this one. I immediately got sucked into this story. Violet was such a compelling character, and she is just someone I bonded with and wanted to see what would happen to her. Maybe its her relationship with her family or her being thrust into an impossible situation that made me want to keep going. But I felt like it was so easy to place myself in her world and I didn't get stuck trying to push through the world building so many other fantasy books spend chapters creating. Yarros did an amazing job building that world, but she let me create it in my head at her guidance. And it was such a refreshing read because of it.

I really liked the brutalness of this story. A lot of times authors have a tendency to create brutal worlds, but then shelter their characters from it and keep the world directly around them soft. But Yarros made the brutal world just as brutal around Violet as well. She never had things easy because of main character plot armor. Yes she had others around her to help her. But Yarros wasn't afraid to make you feel scared or worried for Violet. Or even just the emotions Violet was feeling in general. It gave a sense of urgency and mystery to the book that I enjoyed a lot. And the romance. ALL THE ROMANCE!!!!

Which comes to my next point... This book was SPICY 🔥🔥🔥

The romance and tension in this book was sooooooo good. I was dying for Violet to make a move on a particular spicy character throughout the book. But there were a few I could have hoped for. I'll let y'all discover who it may be for yourselves 😜

But speaking of the males in this book. There were several that I thought really made an impact on the story. Of course there is Xaden.

He just checked all those boxes for me haha. (I'm trying to write this spoiler free. And it is hard. So HARD!)

It wasn't just that Yarros wrote his as such a hunk. But it was the many different sides to this guy and how deep his personality went. He was one I just wanted to pick to pieces and see what makes him tick. And I enjoyed a character that really made me feel uneasy but comforted at the same time. He gave off a lot of mystery. But also was one I felt like I had pegged from the page we meet him.

I also really really liked Liam. Again. I won't get into a ton of details. Because I don't want to give away too many details. But he was just one of those characters you immediately like and attach to. And truly is such a good addition to the story and flow of things. You grow to love him so much (At least I did) And I loved how deep Yarros was able to make a character that wasn't always in the spotlight. Honestly that goes for a lot of the characters in this book. Most of Violets inner circle could fall into this category. I appreciate the time and detail that was spent on them, and that they didn't become too much filler or overrun the main story line.

if I'm talking about everyone else I guess I should also mention Dain. I have a love hate relationship with this character. Him and Xaden both are characters that want attention. But for very different reasons. And I really liked the contrast between the two of them. Plus, and I say this a vaguely as possible... I really appreciated what Dain stands for as the story progresses. I think many people don't understand why a character like him is so important to recognize and interact with. That sometimes a good thing can be too much. Or love and fear can blur lines and hold us hostage instead of helping us to grow. I give a little more detail here because I've been Dain at times. I told y'all my story about why I've been missing from the book world recently. And when my boyfriend got sick and was recovering. I became so on guard and ready to defend and fight (Especially after our awful experience at the hospital and me literally fighting a broken system for him). That I didn't give him the freedom and space to be himself or find his autonomy again when he was healed and able to take care of himself. I had to relearn how to be his partner and not his advocate. And that was a very hard lesson. And did cause stress in our relationship I regret forcing on him. (I've always been the "mom" in my groups... I'm always the one with the thing you need or wiling to go do the thing. My best friend tells me I "teacher" people now instead of "mom" them haha.) So that tendency is already there. I just took it to a much more intense level. And it was a very weird feeling to see myself reflecting in a character in a story like this. I mean I'm definitely not gonna relate to riding a dragon or fighting a griffin haha.

But I really appreciate all of the dynamic personalities and talents Yarros was able to fit into these pages. She gave us so much. And the story never became wordy or drawn out. And so many charters evoked emotions from me. Definitely good and bad ones.

In general the whole story was very much like this. My bookish spidy powers picked up on several plot points and twists. But I was also surprised by a few I brushed off or dismissed. Or flat out didn't see coming. Plus the romance, action, suspense, tension, and fantasy were all done so spectacularly. This was an immersive world and story, and i cannot wait until Iron Flame comes out in a couple months. I'm dying to see what will happen next.

I should add a little about Violet herself I guess too. I liked her. It's not a secret I tend to not relate or enjoy the female characters in these books as much as I like the guys. Sometimes they are just too emotional or have very unbalanced writing. But Violet is an exception to that. She is written well. She has depth, she has facets and personality. She even has times she drives me crazy. But I love her for it. She is fierce and soft but knows what she wants and is willing to work her tail off for it. She definitely has some plot armor going on. But lets be honest, who doesn't? I loved watching her discover herself. This wasn't a coming of age. But it was a coming into ones self. And that was portrayed so well in this book. Plus how can I not love a fellow book nerd? haha

And I almost forgot to mention the mother fluffing DRAGONS!

Again, I won't go into too much. Trying to stay as spoiler free as possible. But the dragons were so cool in this book. Like all of them. The personalities and unpredictability of them is such a cool thing to play with. And you can definitely tell these people are living in the dragons word. Not the other way around. But also, I really like the autonomy they have over what happens to them and how they choose to interact. I love fantasy. But I've never been a dragon fantasy kind of person. Those books typically start falling into that realm of renaissance theming and all that. Or even Game of Thrones type. And I just struggle with those. Not so say that this world isn't reminiscent in ways. But I liked the more contemporary feel this book had, without going too into the "tech" side of contemporary and modern. And still holding an old world feel. (That probably sounds contradictory *sigh) But just know. The dragons are cool. And have just as much personality and depth as any of the other characters in this story.

Also. I just want to add, the last like 4 chapters?????? OMG I am still not sure I've processed them properly. They made me want to cry, the rage, to cheer.... It was a lot of emotions and feelings to cope with as the page numbers kept counting down haha. But worth the torment for!

I give FOURTH WING

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐