“You saw it down there, Joron, smelled it. The stink of death and rot. The slightest wound in those conditions will fester, the slightest crack in a mind will be broken wide open. I would wish such imprisonment on no one and will prolong the suffering of none.”

No second book syndrome here. I made a point of only reading this one in the dark and in the latest hours of the night, it just felt fitting considering how dark the content was from early on.

All was chaos in the dark. Joron saw vague shapes. Was it gion, was it a woman? Was it varisk, was it a man? Was it a sword, was it a branch? Was it? Was it? Was it? Keep. Going.

So many micro battles, so much beloved character loss. There was never a lull, where one battle ended a new journey and quest began. Along with the overarching plot line and character development this book was brilliant from the first chapter.

There would be no quarter.
No surrender.
No mercy.
He would do anything.
And within him, a powerful song became louder.

Arghhhhh what a way to close out the book. 4.5 Stars I can not fathom how much I adore this series and writing

P.260 One thing I’ve realized the past few weeks is that I don’t know John as well as I thought I did.

No shit sweetheart. 

And yet they both already loved each other well before this point. 

This book is wild, horrific and messed up in every way, but non of that had a negative affect on the rating since all of the horrors where detailed in the trigger warnings. TW one needs to take very, very seriously! 

My issue with this book was although Sarah had been attracted to John for a decade, they didn’t actually know each other at all. Their chemistry was purely superficial, and although very sweet in the end I didn’t overly believe it at any point. Honestly the first “warm” female John entered, and showed him kindness would have won is broken heart. 

Second to this, I expected half the town to get slaughtered, so I’m gutted about that. Really was aiming for a ‘I Spit On Your Grave’ kind of revenge plot line for the ending. Not pastels and open invites.

"I want to say, I left university because solitude became loneliness; this loneliness became oppressive, the sadness of it pressing down like two hands on my shoulders. I want to say, I felt so unwanted, I didn't want to be with myself. I want to tell her of the tears, of feeling broken."

No one writes rhythmic poetry into novels like Caleb Azumah Nelson

"I don't really know how to hold myself when I dance, but I do know how to surrender, how to let my body bend to the melody, like prostrating to something Godlike, something honest. Tonight, I might find my faith again; I might believe in my own ability to love. And if it's going to happen, it will be where I know myself best: in the moments just before the beat drops"

Love - Music - Freedom - Faith - Race - Pain - Anger - Grief- Suffering - Surrender

I want to say, I have lost, I have hurt, I have ached. For so long, this pain I've carried has made me feel ugly, like I have no place in this world, but right now, as I take a step for each one Nii does, in this church we've built for each other, both of us flinging our arms about as if caught in rapture, in prayer, I feel so beautiful, so free.

If you want to heal, if you want to find freedom, if you want to stop feeling alone.

Because while the grief is never over, we find a way to walk in the light someone has left behind.

I have an inclining that I would have enjoyed the physical book more than the audio format. Will read the next book in the series, I remain optimistic.

“Talk to me scotch”

So much of this book comprised themes I’m just not into; clicks, social status, blackmail, fake dating. And yet it was done so well. The trust and comfort grown between the main characters, truly beautiful and believable.

“Where only playing at being boyfriend and girlfriend but where not playing at being friends.”

"And would you look at that. The queen coming back to her tom. Must be mating season." Harvey cackles to himself as he moves into the crowd, presumably to make jokes that toe the line of appropriate to someone else.

Full review pending. To be fair for many reasons this is the best book in the series, really well structured, humorous, perfect tension, character growth, and the overall character dynamics and interactions by this point where perfectly interwoven. Cade & Rhett still hold my torch. And Harvey is still my favourite character.

3.5 ⭐️  So much greatness. Surrounded by so much of nothing and same same same same turmoil. 

Harvey as usual 5 ⭐️ character 

The greatness ~ Edging / Dominance ~ overall this book isn’t that spicy, but what’s there is great. 

Also the greatness, these beautiful moments;

~That night, with only the moon as his witness, a devastated boy divulged his deepest, darkest secrets to the most inconsequential person he could find. 
A girl who never looked at him with pity, only adoration.
And he shredded his heart for her. Left all the jagged, torn pieces at her feet.

~"I feel like I could crumble under the weight of not wanting to disappoint you. I'm paralyzed by my fear of losing you."

~"A little girl is supposed to love her dad, but he's supposed to love her back. Protect her at all costs.
And if these last months have taught me anything, it's that you don't love me the way I've loved you. I deserve better."

~"Let's just hole up in Chestnut Springs with a hot country boy and never go back to the city. The city fucking sucks, and so does everyone who lives there. “

Perfect timing for a perfect book. 

One of my least favourite tropes, one of my favourite romances of all time? Riddles 

Oh and apparently reading 338 pages in one day will result in your waters breaking.