ellenareads's Reviews (564)

This book just wasn't for me. I didn't really connect with the characters so it made it hard to care about the story. The magic system was too unexplained for my taste, so at the end there was really anything that I cared about by the end. I think this book just reaffirmed why I've been reading less YA.

But objectively, I really don't think there is something wrong with the book, I just didn't connect with it. If you are interested after reading the synopsis, and if you don't mind YA on a younger side - give it a try.


Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. 

While I really liked all of the main and side characters, the writing was the biggest weakness for me. I think it needed a lot of polishing. And I do think it could have been cut down by at least 100 pages.

Oh, the drama... I just didn't really care for half of it. I really only enjoyed one viewpoint and pairing so I really struggled to pick the book up. I'm still not sure if I want to continue with the series. I'll probably have to be in a particular mood to pick up the next book.

Finally got around to reading a sequel to one of my favorite reads of last year - Queen of Blood. I picked it up to fulfill an ‘Elemental magic’ prompt in this year's r/fantasy bingo. I’m determined to finish one card and at least start another one, wish me luck. 
 

I picked this book up without reading the synopsis so the first portion of the book felt very jarring and a bit sudden. It felt like a rehashing of the same plot from the first book but with different characters. And the best part of the first book for me was the plot and the pace, so when I basically had to read it all over again I was a bit let down. I didn’t really expect to see new characters but they grew on me as the book went on.
Although the climax and the reveal were very surprising. I also loved that we saw some characters from the previous book. And the whole plot thread with the healer's mother is the most interesting and I can’t wait to see where it leads in the next book.
 
I can’t really say that the new protagonist as much as I loved Daleina. It was all a bit too much mama bear. It felt like her whole personality was her kids. But she provided a really great contrast for how young all of the previous queens really were and what burden was placed upon such young women. 

All in all, I really enjoyed it. I’m excited to read the series finale. And if you liked the first book I would still recommend you continue with the series. The pace is still on par with the first book, and if you don't mind a very protective mother as your main character, I'm sure you will enjoy this sequel.

It wasn't the best romance I've read but it wasn't bad either. It definitely took a bit too much time to get to the wedding portion of the book since it's so heavily advertised as such. The writing also could have been more polished. There were too many internal thoughts that we really didn't need to know about.

Overall I would mostly recommend it for slow-burn lovers and if you like the he-falls-first trope.

I really like this one. The first 20-30% were a bit rough for me since it was set up for the world and characters' motivations. Since this book is a standalone that is very understandable. But once the real plot kicked in, I could not put it down. If you are a plot-driven reader this one is for you.
I also didn't particularly like the way it ended, but considering that there is now a sequel I understand that the author was trying to keep that door open for something down the line. 

I can't wait to read more books in this world.