ettaviereads's Reviews (356)

This book did not fall into the 2nd book of a series trap at all. Crawford and Rivers crafted a story that held me captive and wishing to join Nia on her adventures in Brocélaide. 

The way that Nia improved as a character and how her magic developed and changed from book one makes me desperate to see what will happen when we get to return to this story in book 3. I have so many unanswered questions about Nia, Talan, and even Mordred. 

Also, how can I not talk about Talan 🥵. He’s a complex, morally grey shadow daddy with extremely interesting powers that make me wonder what’s actually happening with him. I found myself wanting more and more from Talan and wishing to delve deeper into his plans for the Fey, his kingdom, etc. 

I will absolutely be devouring book 3 when it’s released. 

The premise of this book is quite interesting and even at the end of the first book, I have so many questions!

The dynamic between Tessa and Corrick is addictive. Tessa is a strong FMC who has an affinity for research and apothecary skills. Corrick is a multi-layered prince who has multiple masks he must wear to keep his brother safe and uphold his reputation as King’s Justice. 

The high-stakes politics and corruption from the councillors keeps the reader guessing about what will happen next. 

This was a fun YA read with the vibes of Moana and the Pacific Islander Mythology. There is some magical elements which feel more whimsical while reuniting childhood friends after years apart. 

I loved that animal familiars were a big part of the story and the uniqueness of Hana’s tattoo was a wonderful addition to the story. 

I crushed this book in less than 24 hours. I was completely sucked into the fake dating, the world of the 4 boys plus Savy and her dual life. 

I felt very connected to Savy’s story right from the start as the nerdy girl who got pulled into losing her v-card in a way that came off like check box more than a romantic time. 

The caring personalities of Tate, Jude and Beck got me by the heartstrings almost immediately and my feelings about the boys increased after the initial snow storm. 

Overall, this book was hot 🥵. It had me in such a chokehold emotionally that the ending left me absolutely devastated and desperate to start book 2 immediately. 

Overall, this book was an interesting read and an interesting take on deadly trials put together by deities which ends in a very abrupt way with more questions than answers. 

I loved watching the growth of the FMC, Karys, as she begins to learn more about the Marr and comes to conclusions about some of the lies that have been fed to her by her family and friends for her whole life.  I also love that she is a bit compulsive when it comes to learning and mapping out areas because she is so curious about everything. 

As the story progressed, I liked Drayven more and more. His protective nature and willingness to give Karys a chance made their blossoming relationship cute to watch. I also enjoyed that he created Ramoth in the Tower of Creation, as one of his first creations, and even though Ramoth is flawed, Drayven saw the beauty in the creature and chose to keep him rather than destroy him. 

My largest struggle was that this book was LONG! The initial world building was difficult to get through and it seemed like there were sections of the first 150 pages that could have been left out because they didn’t really add to the overall plot.