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charliauthor's Reviews (531)
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
This was a re read with matured eyes and tastes and it was great in allowing me to really take in the story and see if i liked it for what it is or just because it was hyped at the time and now.
First up, its too long. There are some largely unnecessary bits namely at the end in regards to the trials that could have been omitted.
The trials themselves made no sense to be dragged out that long if Amarantha really wanted her dead. Why give her so many chances to save herself?
On the subject of Tamlin, the dude was useless and this is before the events of book 2. He bows to another man in his own house. No big dick energy there. He did nothing to try and save Feyre from the trials but did try to bang her one last time. Major loser points. And rather than fight for Feyre, he begs Amarantha like a lil bitch. Im sorry but there was just no alpha male tendencies going on for him to ever be endgame.
Feyre is a rare one in that she got less interesting the further we got into the book. Shes like a broken record stuck on lyrics that only talks about painting and colours and shit. The illiteracy aside which wasnt her fault, shes just not very smart or intuitive and too stubborn, always thinking she knows best.
Amarantha was useless. Other than raping Rhys for 50 years, i didnt understand how she held this much power over them if she still had to use them to control other faeries anyway. Yes, its explained, it just doesnt make real sense.
Overall, this first book is very tame but works well at setting up a world that readers want to visit. With hindsight this is obvious but by setting crumbs of courts and faeries beyond the wall, its a decent set up book even if the characters and plot themselves dont hold much weight.
First up, its too long. There are some largely unnecessary bits namely at the end in regards to the trials that could have been omitted.
The trials themselves made no sense to be dragged out that long if Amarantha really wanted her dead. Why give her so many chances to save herself?
On the subject of Tamlin, the dude was useless and this is before the events of book 2. He bows to another man in his own house. No big dick energy there. He did nothing to try and save Feyre from the trials but did try to bang her one last time. Major loser points. And rather than fight for Feyre, he begs Amarantha like a lil bitch. Im sorry but there was just no alpha male tendencies going on for him to ever be endgame.
Feyre is a rare one in that she got less interesting the further we got into the book. Shes like a broken record stuck on lyrics that only talks about painting and colours and shit. The illiteracy aside which wasnt her fault, shes just not very smart or intuitive and too stubborn, always thinking she knows best.
Amarantha was useless. Other than raping Rhys for 50 years, i didnt understand how she held this much power over them if she still had to use them to control other faeries anyway. Yes, its explained, it just doesnt make real sense.
Overall, this first book is very tame but works well at setting up a world that readers want to visit. With hindsight this is obvious but by setting crumbs of courts and faeries beyond the wall, its a decent set up book even if the characters and plot themselves dont hold much weight.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2017)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(2020)
Probably my favourite of the bunch. There's just a lot going on and Rhys just gets hotter. Its positively sinful, well written and engaging. Love it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(2023)
If ACOMAF is the book that carries this series, then Chapter 55 is the chapter that carries this book.
While this is a much better outing than book 1, its actually not by much. The winning components as we all know are the inner circle but the excitement and shocks are all really condensed into that chapter and of course the end.
This isn’t to say that the book still isnt fun but its not the 5 star i’d originally thought. Rhysand however keeps it at the 4 star mark simply for how excited i was to read him whenever he wasnt on the page.
Its also funny that this book isnt actually that much smuttier than book one. Theres literally only 2 seggzy scenes of true note so its interesting that id built it up in my head as this major smut fest.
Feyre continues to be her best entitled self. Im all for strong independent woman but the fact she does this at the expense of other people’s safety really annoys me. Also, that she only has these great powers when in danger but useless pretty much any other time.
In that same vein, if everyone is soo powerful, they shouldnt need armies etc. it makes their declarations of strength seem stupid.
As ever, the worldbuilding could do with more work. Velaris is great but what about the 6 other courts? What are they like, how do they exist on a day to day basis. The point of these books might be the romance but it shouldn’t excuse basic development.
Great ending though, onto the next!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(2020)
Probably my favourite of the bunch. There's just a lot going on and Rhys just gets hotter. Its positively sinful, well written and engaging. Love it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(2023)
If ACOMAF is the book that carries this series, then Chapter 55 is the chapter that carries this book.
While this is a much better outing than book 1, its actually not by much. The winning components as we all know are the inner circle but the excitement and shocks are all really condensed into that chapter and of course the end.
This isn’t to say that the book still isnt fun but its not the 5 star i’d originally thought. Rhysand however keeps it at the 4 star mark simply for how excited i was to read him whenever he wasnt on the page.
Its also funny that this book isnt actually that much smuttier than book one. Theres literally only 2 seggzy scenes of true note so its interesting that id built it up in my head as this major smut fest.
Feyre continues to be her best entitled self. Im all for strong independent woman but the fact she does this at the expense of other people’s safety really annoys me. Also, that she only has these great powers when in danger but useless pretty much any other time.
In that same vein, if everyone is soo powerful, they shouldnt need armies etc. it makes their declarations of strength seem stupid.
As ever, the worldbuilding could do with more work. Velaris is great but what about the 6 other courts? What are they like, how do they exist on a day to day basis. The point of these books might be the romance but it shouldn’t excuse basic development.
Great ending though, onto the next!
Finally finished the Ember in the Ashes series and what a ride it was. As mentioned in my review for book three in the series, things started to go a little down hill as the plot felt unnecessarily stretched across four books.
I had hoped that the final instalment would somehow justify the extra “filler” book but it never really did for me ☹️
What initially captured me about these books were the characters and their terrifying circumstances. Despite never having experienced anything like Blackcliff, i understood Elias’ reluctance to play a certain role in a world he despises. I understood Laia’s anger at systematic oppression and enslavement. I understood Helene’s unyielding strength and resilience in a male dominated world.
Unfortunately, all of that was kind of thrown to the side as supernatural elements that didnt really make sense to me, began to take over an otherwise great storyline.
I think it basically didnt end up on the strain it started from and took entirely too long to get there.
And! My own personal tastes: there wasnt enough smut. Elias is 6”4 with broad shoulders, hands like dinner plates, brown skin, black hair, grey eyes, body to die for and I didnt get to read him plough the spine out of Laia. So unfair!
I had hoped that the final instalment would somehow justify the extra “filler” book but it never really did for me ☹️
What initially captured me about these books were the characters and their terrifying circumstances. Despite never having experienced anything like Blackcliff, i understood Elias’ reluctance to play a certain role in a world he despises. I understood Laia’s anger at systematic oppression and enslavement. I understood Helene’s unyielding strength and resilience in a male dominated world.
Unfortunately, all of that was kind of thrown to the side as supernatural elements that didnt really make sense to me, began to take over an otherwise great storyline.
I think it basically didnt end up on the strain it started from and took entirely too long to get there.
And! My own personal tastes: there wasnt enough smut. Elias is 6”4 with broad shoulders, hands like dinner plates, brown skin, black hair, grey eyes, body to die for and I didnt get to read him plough the spine out of Laia. So unfair!