aprilthebookqueen's Reviews (211)

I enjoyed this book! When I read a lot of the reviews, I thought I wouldn’t because I tend to get bored easily. 

I needed a simple read and this gave me that. It was easy to read and it flowed nicely. 

The relationship between the characters was intriguing and a lot of the side characters were interesting. The overall plot was a bit slow, but at least I was expecting that. I’m looking forward to reading the next one. 

I was drawn in by the cover. I thought that it was beautiful, and the concept sounded intriguing. 

The main character, Tisaanah, is a great main character and I really enjoyed her overall. Max was also a favourite, and I loved their interactions and banter at the beginning. They were probably my favourite parts of this.

I didn't really care for the  romantic relationship that developed. It might be just me but it felt like it came out of nowhere, and there was no chemistry for me. I very much thought they had chemistry as a mentor/student and I loved that dynamic and was kind of sad when that changed. 

This book began to lose me about halfway through. I was so into it and invested at the beginning, and I'm not sure what it was exactly but my interest began to waver and I was having a hard time pushing through to finish. The ending itself was pretty action packed, though it felt like a lot was happening and hard to keep track of. 

I definitely am interested to see where it goes next, and will read the next one. 

Thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me a chance to read this ARC via NetGalley. 

I was immediately drawn into this book, and its world. I can feel Mal's sadness, and anxiety as she questions where she belongs. And it is explained why she feels she doesn't belong in a way that leaves you wondering why and wanting answers to this mystery.  At the same time, we begin learning bits and pieces about the world. I like the way it's done. It isn't too much at once to the point where it's overwhelming, but it isn't so little that I'm struggling to follow along. I feel like the pace at which we get the information is perfect. 

The world itself was really well done. I read so many fantasy books that they start to kind of bleed together a bit, but this one had different elements that made it stand out to me. It didn't feel like so many other fantasy stories out there. 

I liked the way Mal's family was introduced, and it was refreshing to see that it felt like they accepted her and had never treated her differently, despite her backstory and differences. ""No, Mal." He shook his head. "I will not allow you to marry the Fire Prick just because some silly whispers of witches are keeping our father awake at night." " This interaction between Mal and her brother made me laugh a little, but also I felt their connection and I really loved seeing that sibling relationship. 

 I really liked the characters, especially Mal. I've read several books where I didn't like the main character, and it was so nice to read one where the main character stood out to me and I wanted to keep reading about her.  

"If it mean saving her people, if it meant forging peace, if it meant protecting her kingdom - she would sacrifice herself to the flames. 
Even if it meant she would never rise again."

The writing style itself is beautifully done. It is easy to read and follow, but it still feels elegant at the same time. I really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait for the next one. 

I felt like this book was okay, but it didn't stand out to me. I did find the concept interesting. And I love the idea of opening a tea/bookshop so I was trying to live vicariously through the characters here. But I just didn't like it overall. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and I felt like the ending was very unsatisfying. I did see there are more books coming out, so that might fix that up a bit. 

I didn't feel the chemistry between the main characters. Pre-established relationships can work well in books, but this one didn't really do it for me. 

The writing in the book was good, and I enjoyed the style. Something just felt like it was missing for me. It was still a good read, and I might check out the sequel to see if it changes my feelings at all. 

I knew what was going to happen, but it didn't make it any less devastating for me. I

found myself getting attached to so many characters, despite trying not to because I knew what their fates would be. The way the characters are written in this book felt so real. And I was truly sad about all their deaths even though it was obvious they were coming. Some part of me just kept hoping that somehow, it wouldn't be their fates. Ambert, Maysilee, and Wyatt all hit me pretty hard.

This book also served to remind me that the careers were victims too. I remember as a teenager, thinking they were completely evil and the enemy. But there were some moments in this book that reminded me that they weren't the real enemy. Not really. One scene that sticks out is

the chocolate, and Haymitch letting it fall down to the career tribute who was crying at the bottom of the tree.

I felt so many things while reading this. I felt so angry, but also so heartbroken. It was made worse by realizing parallels to real life. And this fiction book suddenly feels a bit more impactful, and real. 

It was really interesting getting to watch where Haymitch's character came from. When I first read the Hunger Games, I found him so frustrating, but over time, I began to understand why he was the way he was. And this book really just solidified it. The trauma, loss and pain he endures in this book was unfathomable. 

I loved seeing the connections to the other books, and the world that has been built in these books feels so well thought out, though heartbreaking and maddening at times. 

Overall, a really thought-provoking and amazing read. 

I kept meaning to read this book, but kept putting it off because I really didn’t want to read Snow’s point of view. 
I ended up feeling motivated to read it because I was anxious to read the latest one. 

This one offered an interesting perspective and a lot of back story to the overall world and history. We get to learn how the bets, and sponsors and all that come into play. 

We get to learn about Snow, and how this all started. It was interesting watching his character, even if I didn’t like him. 

I did end up liking some of the side characters and thought they added an interesting element. 

I felt like part three dragged a little bit, but overall still a good read. 

I went into this book not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. 

I know Nesta is hated by a lot, and I get it. But the healing journey she went on was so familiar in some ways and so well done. 

I love seeing the women come together and work through what holds them back.  The empowerment was inspiring. And strong women friendships are so underrated. 

The depiction of trauma was also really well done. Sometimes our triggers are the things you don’t expect, and seeing that conveyed in this book made me feel seen. I have issues with the cracking of the fire for different reasons, and it’s always felt so silly. But seeing that sort of thing shown for a character who I’d also define as tough was helpful to me. 

I’m still not Nesta’s biggest fan. But I can empathize with her. And these things aren’t black and white. She isn’t this terrible and irredeemable person. She’s a human with trauma and she’s just struggling to get through it. It doesn’t make the way she treated people okay, but I do think there is redemption for her. 

Overall, a really powerful read. (And I didn’t even mention the chemistry between Cassian and Nesta. Which was off the charts.) 

I really enjoyed this book! The world itself was intriguing, and the overall concept. The idea of certain people being able to see and influence spirits was different. 

I found myself really confused at the beginning as we were overloaded with some information, but I was still invested because of the character of Paige. I actually liked the main character. I often find the main character annoying in a lot of books similar to this, but I actually liked her character and felt she was consistent. And things did start coming together. While the pacing was a bit slow at the beginning of the story, it was still interesting enough to keep my attention. 

I listened to the audio book, and I tend to do that when I'm driving home from work or cleaning. When I drove home last night and came inside, I immediately had to pick up the physical book to finish it because I didn't want to wait. 

I am ready for the next book, and will probably be reading it soon. 

I really wanted to like this, but I just didn’t. It felt like it had potential at the beginning but then everything seemed to fall apart. 

The main character is frustrating and her inner monologue is so cringy. 

The men all seem to have the same personality. 

This honestly felt like poorly written fanfiction. 

I don’t even know how to put this into words. 
I feel like something is missing now that I have finished this series. 

Aelin is probably one of my favourite main characters of all time. Manon is also up there. 
The character growth both of them went through and so many other characters was amazing. I’ve also loved seeing the relationships develop between different characters. I also love how this book shows friendships between women. And also a woman and a man having a good friendship too. I’m a huge fan of found family and I see that in this series a lot. 

There were so many feelings during this book. Anger for the characters. Heartbreak. I laughed at several points. (Fenrys Moonbeam?). This was a whole rollercoaster and I just wanted to stay on the ride. 

The conclusion was satisfying, and I feel such a sadness that it’s over.