Watching a young girl learn to become a queen is one of my favorite storylines. What I expected to be a challenging journey became increasingly heartbreaking as more and more was uncovered about her father’s inhuman past, and the power he still held over Bitterblue’s trusted advisors.

While this series should come with a handful of trigger warnings, this book should come with it’s own caution tape. I’m not sure how much of this was my own imagination running wild while the actual descriptions on the page remained vague, but this book was rather disturbing. There’s discussion of animal mutilation and torture, using mind control to force men to rape and procreate with women who were being held as science experiments, serial killing sprees, the list honestly goes on and on.

I don’t think the extremity of the disturbing acts listed above were unnecessarily extravagant, because they were a crucial component in completing a villainous character arc, and helped the audience understand exactly what Bitterblue was up against, trying to undo, and trying to set right. I also think Cashore did a good job of alternating between these flashbacks, and interspersing joy Bitterblue experienced with her friends or during her nightly excursions.

The challenges Bitterblue was facing felt like we were climbing a mountain so high its peak was sheltered by clouds. Watching her unravel lie after lie and scheme after scheme and the multiple traps set by her father was frustrating, but also soothing. She never gave up, and I think because her father was so obviously evil, she became his antithesis in every way.