I like how the whole Beauty and the Beast retelling came into play for the ending of this story. When I was about half way through I genuinely thought that the ending would be different and they wouldn't follow the ending of Beauty and the Beast, but they kind of did. This sequel is also a great compliment for the first book since this one focuses more on the growth of Sorcha and Eamonn as individuals and how the war has affected their relationship when they reunite. Eamonn becomes more distant and ruthless and Sorcha's kindness and infinite compassion help bring back the best in him. I think that if she wasn't in his life he would have made decisions that were much worse and I'm glad that it shows that they both bring out the best in each other, which is what a healthy romantic relationship should do, in my opinion. Also, I know this was a super brief moment in the book, but I thought it was really cute when Domnall got all embarrassed when Sorcha overheard his real name. I just imagined this poor faerie child that was blushing so hard he wished the Earth was swallowing him whole. I wish we had a bit more time with them together in the book, but a lot was going on so it's understandable why we didn't. 

I liked Sorcha a lot in the first book and this book just solidified those feelings, honestly. One of the moments that really captured the essence of who she is as a person is when her army is fighting the final battle against Fionn's forces and she sees a soldier become mortally wounded and tells him "You did not deserve this. I am sorry.". That line really got me because it shows that Sorcha is a healer at heart. She wants to do nothing but help people and avoid violence at all costs. My favorite part in the book is when she finally confronts Fionn for the last time and his entire court is busy treating themselves to luxuries while there is a war happening on his doorstep. All I could think of is the French Revolution where all the peasants in France got fed up with the upper classes and ended up executing nobles. Real historical allegory there. I'm actually glad Fionn wasn't killed because it helped display that Eamonn has a sense of compassion for his brother and therefore ends up exiling him instead. He got what he deserved but with space to reflect. The woman he was "in love" with also left him and I'm glad that despite not seeing too much of her, we were given a gist of how unhappy that relationship was and helped add some depth to both her and Fionn's character. I appreciate that I found these books and look forward to reading more works by this author.