Cecilie
2nd read Feb 2020This book is big and so epic. Like, it is epic at a level that Clare has not reached before, and I assume it will only become bigger as we move on to The Wicked Powers in a few years time. However, this is also the main reason why it has half a star knocked off its rating because it is not a finale. Yet it is marketed as such. So, okay, rant:
I get the reason; Clare writes her stories in trilogies and the only reason why TMI is a six books series is because the last three were not part of the original plan when the first was published. I love TMI and I think it makes sense for that series to be one single series, but could of course easily be read as two seperate ones. TID works easily on its own as a trilogy and it makes sense to me already that TLH will also be its own trilogy (I've yet to read TLH though, but I highly suspect). The Wicked Powers, however, is a direct continuation of the plotline in TDA, this is obvious not only because of where the plot goes and will continue to go, but because we will be dealing with the characters we already know well from this series (not the same mains, but we know them well enough and in LoS and QoAaD they even have their own storylines). I believe TWP will be two or three years into the future but it will undoubtedly be a continuation of the fallout from TDA, and because of that QoAaA is not a finale, which makes it somewhat unsatisfying with two many strings still to be tied up, so I had to knock of half a star. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Okay, rant over, let's continue.
I loved Ty and Kit working on scary shit that you know is going to go wrong. Like, it's a recipe for disaster yet I still think it works.
The book is so long that I feel like it's hard to distinguish where it began from where LoS ended, which I think speaks miles about the journey we go on throughout and the epicness of it all that I've already mentioned. We go beyond in this one, and it's awesome (and also the reason why the ending is not satisfying enough). Although, I do think towards the end we get a little too much magic. It might sound weird to say, but you know, to the point where you sort of lose sight of where the limit is, you know what I mean? And that's a bit of a problem, but I do think Cassie will put a lid on it somewhat in the future. There were also a few times where it suffered from being just a tad too convenient for my taste. And by now I've mentionend several things to take down the rating of the book, and yet I still only knocked off half a star, but guys. Guys. THE BOOK IS MORE THAN 900 PAGES LONG. I mention the problems because they stand out among all the greatness of the book!
It was hilarious how they tried to play off Julian's ruthlessness as less than, because we all know he would kill any bitch to protect his family. Like, he has no quamls about it whatsoever. And that's why we like him! (at least I do.)
I loved loved loved seeing more of Diego and Jaime in this one, and I especially loved seeing Diego and Kieran spending time together. Though it was brief, it was chef's kiss. Kieran in general, actually, he has my heart. Seriously, Kieran, you want it? You can have it, here. It's yours.
Drusilla is also an absolute darling, and I can't wait to have more of her in TWP and I'm even more excited about her storyline in regards to Ash and how all that will go down. I'm sure Jaime will be part of it somehow but I very much hope he will be a side character, who just pops up occasionally because otherwise... yeah, we don't want that. Ash, yes. More Ash, please, and thank you.
I'm super excited for more of Kit in TWP too (and obviously Kitty), but also because I just want to see how comfortable he becomes in the life he's chosen, I really want that domesticity.
Honestly, me talking about everything I'm looking forward to, really just drives in the point that this is not a finale, IT IS A MIDDLE BOOK.
Diana was amazing, Christina was amazing, Jia Penhallow was fucking great, and HELEN AND ALINE. OH MY GOD, DID I GO THIS ENTIRE REVIEW WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT HELEN AND ALINE???? Queens, my badass lady wives, I loved seeing their relationship, it was open in an entirely different way than Magnus and Alec (because we know how Alec is), and I just had such heart eyes for them. such queens, the both of them.
I love the family moments, though they are few and far between in this one, but whenever we get them it's amazing. The family dynamics have always been one of this series' key selling points, and I think it's so wonderful.
The more I know of faerie, the more intrigued I am (which is actually the opposite reaction of the first time I read TDA, where I was always hesitant about the parts in faerie. I've come to appreaciate it so much more). Everytime we visit, there are new things to discover about the place, things that are entirely unknown to at least the reader and often also the characters.
Anyway, this has gotten really long, I think it's time to close up my thoughts.
It's a fantastic book. I love all of the charcaters. I adore the last 50 pages. I'm so excited about what comes next. It was not a finale.
Fin.
I've put my first review of the book as spoilers because, while I don't think it reveals major plot points, it does mention a few things that I feel could be easily classified as spoilers, so... read at your own discretion.
1st read5 stars
Spoiler
Oh my god, Jace and Clary at the end. Clary is always so weirdly worried that Jace doesn't love her, and it's just like.... dude. he literally went to hell for you. what more does he need to say????
as for everything else:
oh my god. oh my god. holy shit. i can't even. the marriage, it was so beautiful, like i can't even. this was so good, it literally doesn't even feel like a finally finale, like i mean it does because of how it ends but also THERE ARE SO MANY NEW QUESTIONS! i can't even believe it's over. these will never be main characters anymore. i'll have to wait like a bajillion years to get the next part of ty and kit's story. of ash's story. dru's story. oh my god. like i just can't, i'm so done but i'm also so NOT done, like holy shit, i need another book continuing this story line ASAP! Thule Jace is so scary and he gives me the creeps, i just, shit man, why is cassie so good?? i had really hoped for things to go differantly with ty and kit, but i'll have to wait for new books for that to happen and it's literally going to take like six fucking years I CAN'T. At least there's The Last Hours to keep me company along the way from like november 2019.... I'll just cry myself to sleep, thanks.
But wow, man. That was so good. It's just so good. I love Cassie's world, her characters, I love them so much.
2nd read Feb 2020
This one kills you. It just kills you.
First of all, it's fantastic.
Ty's absolute honesty, and Kieran's as well, is very welcome against Emma and Julian's bullshit. Those two... I mean, they get their shit together eventually, but like GUYS. CMON.
The amount of traveling happening in this one book seriously makes me feel like I've read three books. I'm not even joking, THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON AT ALL TIMES. AND I'M NOT EVEN MAD ABOUT IT! Because it's so. good.
Fuck, if I could just... Like, the last 100 pages is just me in a constant state of heart arrest, everything just keeps happening and I'm constantly worried, and the fighting and the plans and aaaaahhhhhh. It's a lot.
And Julian, with every book just gets scarier. Like, he has moments in LM where he makes you slightly uncomfortable because he doesn't seem to have a STOP button. In LoS, he's scary. He is frighteningly smart, like, boy just comes up with a new plan in like 0.5 seconds, nothing fucking surprises him, he's able to manipulate literally anyone, is the biggest (and best) liar in the entire world, and I just love him.
Lastly, we get so much more of Kieran in this book, and I just- yes. Yes, please. Keep it coming, I want it, I need it.
Oh, and also THE KITTY. By the Angel, it's so obvious.
1st read Feb 2018
I feel... broken.
sobs in a corner
Thank god, the book is still fantastic. There's a lesser sense of general angst once you already know everything, but it's still pretty angsty though, lmao. But in the best way. Like, the pining, OH, THE PINING! I love me some good pining.
Julian is such a ruthless bastard and I can't tell you how much I love it. Like, Jace is the fake badboy who tries to convince everyone he's bad and never succeeds, whereas Julian is the kind of person who could literally turn into the villain if he'd been dropped into the wrong world, you know what I mean? Like, he'd do anything for his family, like quite literally ANYTHING.
I adoooooooooore Emma and Christina's friendship, I would just die for the both of them, honestly, and the two of them together. Oh, the love. I love me some good girl friendship, I crave it, even, and Cassie just deliverrrrrrrrs!
Hands down the best of Clare's first books in a series. Not just for the writing, which is better with every series she does, but things like the overarching plot of the book, the setup for the trilogy as a whole, and its role as a first book in general; it is just an immense amount of fun and feelings.
Also, soft boy Mark Blackthorn is literally everything.
I actually really enjoyed this.
It had some good moments and was interesting enough in general. It's also nice how at certain points it becomes very clear that you're reading a poem; the rhythm of it just stands out sometimes (a better intellectual might get it the whole way through but whatever, I noticed sometimes and it was nice), but the poetism (???) never takes away from the narrative. It kind of does everything I expect a story that precedes year 1000 to do, but I didn't mind the obvious foreshadowing (do you even call it that when it's obvious?), or the fact that I knew from the beginning what would happen to the hero (we all do, like duh), but it was still enjoyable, so Kudos.
There were a couple enjoyable parts. I thought Addie's one chapter was really interesting, but we only got the one, so...
For about 100 pages i didn't get the point of the story and then at the end when the point REALLY settled i was just super disappointed. I don't even know the characters well, but even I could tell some decisions the characters made weren't actually logical for the character and were made purely to get to the ending that was wanted for the story (and was really unsatisfying btw, like how about tying up some of those like five loose ends, yeah?) all in all, it was just annoying tbh
2nd read
This reread took forever! It was just as good the second time around, and this time I was really able to soak up so much more of the story, instead of rushing through it like I did the first time. I can't believe I had any doubts on who Neil was going to end up with. By the halfway point of this book Neil and Andrew do nothing but keep an eye on each other, though none of them will admit that they do it. They're so attentive to each other as well as pretending they can't stand the other person, and at the same time can't stop thinking about how interesting the other is. Andrew is always touching Neil and Neil is just like “Okay we're doing that” and he doesn't realize the importance! Gah, all the feels. My precious broken children. Y'all are so messed up, I fucking love you.
1st read 4 stars
This was... this was like... like sports anime on stereoids, that's what it was.
The mostly male cast checks out (although it's not even close to how sports anime usually does it), the sport checks out(obviously), the training part, the first game, the main character who's good enough to be on the team but not actually good enough (yet), the hardcore upperclassmen who hate the MC, the upperclassmen who take care of the MC, the player who initally hated but eventually respects the MC, I feel like I could go on, honestly.
HOWEVER,
Y'all, the criminality in this shit literally scares me. Like, I got way in over my head with this one, was not expecting the kind of murderous past everyone had, and the characters are so horribly mentally unstable that every little thing gets me nervous, the drugs (medical and otherwise) are almost part of some characters' identity. I mean, this is literally insane and an absolute fucking shitshow. It was also VERY entertaining, though. This book was such a starter, I can't wait to get onto the next one. At the end, we're finally getting enough of Andrew to see him as a real person. Neil is constantly in anxiety-mode (bc he's running from death, can't really blame him), but it really carries a paranoia over the entire novel, which sets the tone well. Most of the characters we've only just scratched the surface of who they are, so I can't really say how I feel about them yet, but overall I was simply addicted to this and really enjoyed it.
Oh, I really really liked this. Having Brother Zachariah and Jem in the same book is always a blessing, this collection of stories simply confirms what City of Heavenly Fire and Clockwork Princess already knew. It's a fantastic journey, and is more similar to that of The Bane Chronicles, in that we move chronilogically through 150 years or so, and not so specifically set in one place and time frame as Shadowhunter Academy (which is arguably the best of the story collection books). Seeing Jem living through these historical things, either from the mundane world or in the shadowhunter world, he has so much wisdom, and he reads people so well, he's just an absolute wonder to follow.
There is so much information in the first eight stories that is essential before going into both The Last Hours as well as Queen of Air and Darkness, the 7th and 8th story are particularly VERY important when it comes to QOAAD, like you want to know this before reading QOAAD.
The 9th and 10th stories spoil the entire plot of QOAAD, so I would defer from reading them until after finishing it. It's very important to do this.
Individual ratings:
Cast Long Shadows - 5 stars
I love Matthew Fairchild. This story will rip your heart out. Good luck. RIP to you.
Every Exquisite Thing - 4 stars
Anna Lightwood is an absolute treasure and we must cherish her. I love parents Cecily and Gabriel, and aaaah this one just oozes family love and I diiiiiiiig.
Learn About Loss - 3.5 stars
It goes a bit slow and is interesting and fascinating, but not particularly exciting. Amelia, the Iron Sister, is really awesome, and I wish we saw more of her. I hope to see more of her, of Iron Sisters in general. Give me more of the Iron Sisters. Also, the Lost Herondale.
A Deeper Love - 3.5 stars
Just Jem and Tessa pining for each other because they can't be together. Also there's WWII and the Lost Herondale and all that crazy stuff. Someone almost dies, you know, just how things usually go with Shadowhunters.
The Wicked Ones - 5 stars
This one is just SO INTERESTING. We honestly know so little of The Circle, and getting this insight into Valentine and how he manipulated the people around him is so jarringly fascinating. The Mortal Instruments gives us little of the old members of The Circle, and I love getting to know more. We meet Stephen Herondale and Céline Montclaire, we see Robert Lightwood in his youth after the shit we found out about in Shadowhunter Academy. This one is just really good, you know. Also, the Lost Herondale. (are we noticing a pattern perhaps?)
Son of the Dawn - 3 stars
Alternatively, The One Where Jace Learns About Family, but I digress. It's a sweet little story on Jace. It was nice.
The Land I Lost - 5 stars
The Land I Lost is soooooo gooooooood I wanna scream about this story forever. LILY CHEN IS SO WONDERFUL AND I LOVER HER. Honestly, the Malec stories always manage to bless us to the heavens, like I can't. Alec is so oblivous and grown up, and I love him and his stupid ass. It really lays out the changes that have happened since Sebastian and it's a welcome thing to see the downworlder side of the entire ordeal, since we always follow shadowhunters. Just fucking great. Must be read before QOAAD.
Through Blood, Through Fire - 4.5 stars
Can I hear you say JEM! Can I hear you say TESSA! Can I hear you say JESSAAAAAA!!!!!!!! Much The Lost Herondale. Ties into Lady Midnight. Should definitely be read before QOAAD.
The Lost World - 4 stars
Spoils QOAAD. We get to see Tyyyyyyyyy! And a little of Kit, and some Jem and Tessa and it was real wonderful and also hella fucking sad. The Wicked Powers is too far away. I need, I NEEEEEEED.
Forever Fallen 4 stars
It is so nice to see Kit settled like this. Or at least, fairly settled. My heart just blossomed by reading those parts. Less excited about the more overpowering part of this story, Janus has me very very very very very very very worried. Actually, the entire concept of him as a character has me worried for The Wicked Powers, but I must trust Cassie. She has not disappointed me yet. And I am more excited than worried. SO PLEASE GIVE ME THE WICKED POWERS VERY SOON I AM DYING OF SUSPENSE HERE, DYING I TELL YOU.
Overall, I totally dug it. Need more, please. The family life is too good, I want three books of it.
It was really good. I loved the way it is was written, sort of meta at some points which was really nice. It grounded the story even more in a reality than it already was. It tells the story of a Jewish WWII survivor personally, and it's so emotional. When volume II began and the author was telling about how the father had died and he was having trouble continuing the story, it's just felt so much. Really really liked it. Super sad, but also kind of cathartic. It was really easy to get into and I didn't at all mind the way people were drawn with different animal faces depending on what nationality they were. It was a nice way to show certain things, and how when a jew would disguise themselves as Polish officers, they would be drawn as wearing a pig-mask. I just really dig the way it was told and the honesty in the way the son had grown up with a survivor who had sometimes been a pretty harsh father, and he wasn't maybe particularly fond of him. But he wanted to tell the story and, ahh, okay I just really liked it.
I stick by my initial assesment that this series is basically a sports anime on stereoids. It just has that feeling. And then the mafia and the deep trauma is the stereoids. Like it's just so dramatic.
And it's gay. Oh... it's gay. Canonically gay, unlike sports anime where you just want them to be gay. I'm sorry, I know I'm talking too much about the sport anime similarity, but it's just so fitting. IT'S SO GODDAMN DRAMATIC.
I love all of the characters, except probably Kevin, but I'm comforted by the fact that none of the characters really like Kevin either and I am therefore not alone in this opinion, lmao. He's a very important chracters, but he's super annoying so I'm like ‘whatever, dude' when he's around.
So I love romance, and this series is like the first real slow burn I've read in years. Literal years! I don't think I've read a slow burn since I was an avid fanfic reader. It's really been a good while. I forgot how they're both infuriating and endlessly satisfying. Although, this relationship doesn't give as much fluff as us romance lovers may be used to because trauma is a thing and it messes people up real bad, but like stilllllllllllll it's so goooooooooooooood.
I knew going into this series that there HAD to be gay romance, it was basically the selling point for me to get into the books at all. But I was generally concerned if I had played myself and been lured by what was simply fan-wishing and not actually canon because the first book gave me NOTHING. And I had re-assess everything from that point on and be like “is the slow burn that slow or is it simply never coming???” and the fact that this was a real book and not a fanfic with the specific goal of getting two people together by the end. I simply didn't know (I really try to not know a whole lot about the books I read before reading.) It came, though, and I was not disappointed (high five!)
I wanna point out, though, that this series is heavy, stressful, traumatic, and dramatic. Do not go in lightly, and be aware of trigger warnings. Abuse, sexual assault, torture, a variety of mental issues are all a very big part of the story, and I would advise anyone for whom this might be a trigger to consult other readers before going into it to assess if it is too much. The books do not take anything lightly and some things are quite graphic, which you should be aware of.
That being said, holy fucking shit I loved this to bits.
The series is best on a whole, I honestly don't know if I would have continued with enough interest after the first book if I did not know that what I was really there for was coming later, especially if I would have needed to wait a year or two for the next book. I would have been satisfied with the story at that point and not needed more if I didn't know there would be more than more.
The series overall is fucking fantastic. Don't let your lack of care for sports get in the way of reading. It's too good for that. It is a made-up sport, so no one knows anything when they first read, and while you might be confused in the first book, by the third you know it.
Cannot recommend it enough. (But remember the warnings!) You might need a thing for the dramatic to truly appreciate it xD
Holy fucking shit. The first was good but this one was amazing!!!!!!!!!!! So much developement with the characters, and I just love this team to bits oh my god. I need air because I cannot breathe with how much I love them.
Something I noticed all the books are missing is trigger warnings, which I guess I can knock down to the fact that the series was released around 6 years ago. But these are characters dealing with A LOT of trauma, like they are so traumatized that when they traumatize each other it is a bonding experience. That's where we're at here.
I couldn't believe what Andrew had been willing to live with, I could not believe it, I was so shocked. It was traumatizing simply to read.
Neil really steps up in this book, he finds a home with his team and it's just wonderful. A girl should have known with that good a situation, things were bound to go gravely wrong at the end.
The abuse is outstanding. I mean that in a bad way, like it is actually insane. These people are insane. You wouldn't believe the shit that happened. I am just- like shit. Everything has gone to shit! Will be continuuing immediately.
I did end up enjoying it some, but I found it hard to get into, and in general I think it's just a case of ‘this story isn't for me'. Huck Finn is a little too reckless and adventurous for me to not constantly feel like he's in danger. And Tom Sawyer is just.... a bad influence? Like that boy is just too much. Wayyyyyyy too much. I couldn't deal with him.
Whenever The King and The Duke were around I was worried for Huck Finn's safety. By the time Huck Finn reaches Aunt Sally he has become more tolerable, and when Tom Sawyer shows up, Tom is clearly the worse of the two, which automatically puts Huck Finn in a better light.
I don't know, there were some parts to enjoy, but for the most part it just wasn't for me.
Watch me freak out at nearly 5am because I just read this book in five hours and it was absolutely AMAZING??? Not that I'm surprised at its quality but I am surprised at the speed with which I read it.
Oh my god. Oh my god! Oh my fucking god!!!!!!
I mean, to everyone who read this book on the day it came out and the following two(????) weeks and kept it a secret that it was a middle book (which it very obviously is), is just fucking awesome of you! With the announcement of a third installment I don't have to worry, but damn, everyone else did so good on not spoiling that!
There were just so many moments, and feelings, and Simon, and Baz, and Penelope, and Baz, and Agatha, and Baz!!!!!!
MY ENTIRE REVIEW OF THIS BOOK COULD LITERALLY JUST BE EXCLAMATION POINTS AND THAT WOULD BE ENTIRELY FUCKING TRUE.
Our beloved characters are so out of their depth here and it brings forward the most wonderful qualities. Simon shines, his seven years of getting alive out of every life or death situation ever is so obvious in this, I mean his skill!! How can this dude even be thinking he's any kind of worthless when he can literally do THAT.
And OH THE FEELS. First of all, I love our friend group. Secondly, I was CONSTANTLY wondering who the fuck I could trust in this entire book because everyone in America is SO. SUSPICIOUS. ALL. THE. TIME.
The humor was on point at all times, so many absolutely hilarious moments! Baz getting a suitcase dropped on him?? I LITERALLY NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT- just, there was so many funny moments and lines. The way Baz so dryly delivers ‘I am every sort of under the weather.' gives me liiiiiiiiiiiife.
I'm very much having a hard time really expressing my feelings about this book but know that I really really really really really really REALLY loved it, okay, I REALLY LOVED IT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY THIS ENOUGH, IT WAS JUST SO WONDERFULLY GOOD AND I ABSOLUTELY NEED THE NEXT ONE ASAP.
Damn, there was a point in the middle of this book where I was legitimately wondering if I would be the first ever to like give it 3 stars. Thankfully, it picked up the pace again, but it just dragged in the middle. Like it really just dragged. I'm torn between giving it 3.5 and 4 stars, because I think it deserves 4 stars but my overall enjoyment is more consistent to 3.5 stars. However, that's because I went in hoping for it to be just SLIGHTLY more lighthearted than it was. Actually, I was more so hoping it would feel like a rom-com of sorts, but it was more like a rom-war kind of thing. It's my own fault for thinking it would be something other than what it was, really.
Anyway, I really liked our MC Patrocles. He was kind of slightly annoying in the beginning, but we grow to love him. Especially as an adult, when it becomes clear that he is more mature than Achilles, who is pretty much blinded by his pride. He was always prideful, but it becomes his doom as an adult. Patrocles just becomes better the older he gets.
I also thought, that while the end is tragic it wasn't as sad, although it would have been if Thetis the Goddess hadn't become more “human” by the end and saw the fault of her ways. If she hadn't, it would have simply been tragic.
I struggled the most with the war aspect of the book, I didn't care for it and it often dragged. It's that middle part that dragged a whole lot. Even though we're still at war when things start picking up, it is helped by the fact that there's something actually happening, and you become invested again.
It's a great read, but do not go into it for fluff. That was my gravest mistake. (It has some, maybe, and it does have romance, but it is not lighthearted like fluff is supposed to be. Well, actually, when they're kids it's pretty cute. So there's that.)
This was actually really fun an enjoyable! Watching it as a play would probably be tons more fun. I read the play while listening to an audio recording (which was awesome; great cast, sound effects, overall great) that really enhanced the entire experience of reading the play. There are a few things I found to be less logical than I would have liked, but I can only expect so much of a comedy, I suppose.
(But seriously tho, are we really going to pretend Sebastion and Antonio weren't in a fully fledged relationship?? That seems like such a stretch, Antonio legit said they spent both day AND NIGHT together for months! And Antonio is constantly confessing his love for Sebastian so why, o why, did they have to pretend their relationship wasn't a thing that was happening?? Damn the hets, man.)
This was so good!! I really enjoyed it so much!
As it took me a (relatively) really long time to get into the story and not struggle so much with the writing style, I think a reread would probably make my review of it more favorable, but even so, it was great.
Volume I of the book was... A nightmare. Relatively speaking. It was SO HARD for me to get into the style of writing, I had such a hard time with who of the characters were who because they all had a million different names. Volume I was just me hanging on by a threat waiting for clarity. Which by the end of it was finally there and I went into Volume II with my hopes up. And it didn't disappoint. Volume II was awesome. Not only did we move to another estate so there weren't so many people in every goddamn scene and I could focus more on the people who were there, it was also more exciting. (But seriously though, there were five Bennet sisters and each of them could be referred to as Miss Bennet and I was CONFUSION for the longest time, thank god for this change.) There were some great Mr. Darcy moments, which I think I missed out on in Volume I as I was in the midst of my CONFUSION with literally everything, and some really great flirtatious moments (bickering, but whatever) between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and denial on Elizabeth's part on how much she actually disliked Mr. Darcy, and it was just great fun. Volume III was of course even better! It was great! Lydia is a fucking bitch brat of a little sister and I hate her, but she was part of the process of getting Elizabeth and Darcy in situations that lead to them eventually confessing their goddamn feelings for each other. Jane was an always welcome character, as well as Mr. Bingley. The mom (Mrs. Bennet) was annoying and I hated every time she spoke, but the dad was really nice and I liked him a lot. But the Gardiners family were like the best uncle and aunt to ask for. Loved them.
This was so gooooooooood!!
I really loved seeing Helene POV as well (although it did take me a little while to get used to her), her storyline brought so much to the table and eventually the plot of the next book and I'm just so excited for it!!
I really wish there was more Laia and Elias team-up in this book, because I'm not sure how that's going to happen going forward and I really just want more of it. But it's exciting and I'm excited and I really wish I could binge the rest of the series but only one more book is out and I do not own it.
Also; AVITAS ENDED UP BEING SUCH A FAVORITE, WHO WOULD'VE EVER THOUGHT. LITERALLY EVER.
And damn, I totally wish Tas would have stayed with Elias, I just wanted them to be a family so bad.
I forgot how good this was. I really did. I don't understand how it was ever marketed as a standalone, when it's very clearly a build-up book. I'm so excited to move on to the next one, and I'm in love with Elias, and I have no coherent thoughts other than that I loved it?? It was brutal?? The trials are fucked up?? What's up with the fucking augors?? Yeah, I loved it.
I loved this, I think.
Like, there were some things that made me roll my eyes and want to mock the book, but when I didn't feel that? Y'all. That was some good shit.
I can tell that Sarah's idea of good shit is basically the same as my idea of good shit because she really likes to give all that good shit and I like to get it.
(And by that I mean, I love happy endings; romance; relationships; twists, even when I see them coming a mile away (and especially if I don't); and when the cranky, mean, short-tempered person gets with the easy-going, witty, and charming person, I just like that, okay, don't @ me.)
I can't help but compare it to the finale of Throne of Glass, which I read before this, and while I thought that was a great finale, I actually liked this one better. It might be because it's a shorter story arc and also focused on a smaller group of characters, as well as written from one POV rather than 3rd person, but I felt the story flowed more easily. The 1st person POV that this series is written in has in some ways been my gripe with the other books, but here I think it centered in the story and made it feel less overwhelming (even though some parts were very conveniently seen by the main character).
Oh and I also know that technically it's not a finale because there's more books, but you're not going to be able to convince me that this wasn't written as a fucking finale, like shut up, i don't care.
I really liked how the first act of the book was centered on this revenge/spy-plot, and how Feyre got out of it, and how much she really has grown from the first book. I think character-arc wise, it would probably have been better to have the events of the previous book set over a longer period of time, but it still works even if she is conveniently good at things at times. I actually think that was one of the biggest things that annoyed me about this book, Feyre being conveniently good at everything. I'm much more lenient toward convenience when it relies on others than the MC because then there's usually been planted some clues for that to make sense. But you know, considering my rating of the book, you'll realize it wasn't THAT big a gripe.
I enjoyed seeing much more of the sisters in this book and how they played into the story, as well as the trouble of getting all of the high lords to work together, and at that, meeting all the other high lords because we've really only met two before this. I can certainly see how plot points for future books are sprinkled in here, but it's not enough for this to not still be a conclusion, like you could definitely stop here if you wanted.
Anyway, it was great, I loved it, I love Rhysand, I love Amren, and I really found myself adoring Azriel in this one, he really stepped forward and became more than a shadow of a person.
All in all, it was really great.
2nd read 2019 (5 stars)
I loved this the first time I read it and I loved it the second time too. I don't think I loved it as much as the first but enough to give it five stars anyway. It starts off rather slow, much like the first, again because we're seeing a truly miserable Feyre.
ACOTAR - Feyre being miserable because of family and circumstances
ACOMAF - Feyre being miserable because of depression and PTSD
ACOWAR - ???? both?????? I- how will this pattern continue?? (I have not read this one)
But it picks up a little faster than the first. When Rhysand comes to bring her to the night court the first time, a little bit of life breathes in to Feyre and it's tolerable to be with her. And then when she goes permanently to the Night Court everything is like a thousand times better.
I was really surprised how I remembered many things from but in all the wrong places. Like, so many scenes that I thought happened later came earlier, it happened several times. And then when we came to the ending, I realized that while I had known what happened at the end, I had forgotten what exactly happened at THE VERY END. Somehow my dumb ass had forgotten Feyre's stellar acting.
I think the addition of new characters helps the story too, giving more people for Feyre to bounce off. Cassian, Azriel, Mor and Amren all bringing great dynamics that were missed in the first book where we only really had Lucien and Tamlin.
And I'm a total sucker for Feysand. Like, total. That's all.
Also, why is it that everyone remembers and talks (myself included) about this book as an absolute smutfest when it actually isn't???? Like, yeah we get some sex, sure, but like... There were literally hundreds of pages, probably 400 or something like that without sex and I was like ?????? why did I remember it as smutty when we get like two scenes??? me no comprendo. My memory does not serve me well, honestly.
I really loved this. I think Rhysand ultimately carries the book, as his character is so charismatic and fun in ways that Feyre just isn't (and it is written from her pov, 1st person, so we can't avoid her feelings). That's not to say that Feyre is boring. I mean she is for about 100 pages, but then she finds the light and begins to feel again. And then she's less boring. But Rhys is just a force to be reckoned with. He's witty, charming, charismatic, devastating, and kind? Like, what's not to love?In my first review I said Feyre was more badass than Celaena. That's... well... up for discussion.
1st read 2016 (5 stars)
How does one survive being ripped to sheds?
Because I was by reading this books.
I can barely BREATHE right now, and I'm sitting here wishing I was home alone so I could scream my guts out because this book makes me want to scream.
I cannot BELIEVE- I LITERALLY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THIS HAPPENED AND I'M SO EXCITED AS WELL AS INCREDIBLY FEARFUL OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT BOOK.
I AM DEAD, OKAY? I AM FUCKING DEAD, THIS BOOK KILLED ME TO THE BONE, AND I'VE BEEN CRAWLING IN MY BED AND SCREAMING INTO MY PILLOW BECAUSE MY FEELINGS ARE LITERALLY SO OUT OF CONTROL AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, I JUST FEEL ENTIRELY FED UP BY ALL OF MY FEELINGS AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.
THAT. ENDING.
Okay so actual thoughts:
I loved this a bajillion times more than I did ACOTAR. And I loved ACOTAR.
Tamlin's story arc is... interesting. ;)
Feyre is more badass than Celaena. I will stand by this statement till the day I die.
Rhys is dreamy. That's all I gotta say about him.
The dream team is my favorite thing ever. (lol get it? DREAM)
NESTA. nuff said.
I will literally die when Amren goes home. DIE. (my bae)
Can we just talk about the romance that SHOULD be happening between Cassian and Azriel?
I wish we saw more of the Summer Court because Tarquin, man. Potential ally, I'm telling you now.
Don't know if I should be happy or annoyed by all this mating. I mean I do love love stories. And romances. And happy endings. So don't blame me if I'm happy!
Lucien... when you open your mouth I want you to say things that have ACTUAL VALUE AND GOOD REASON.
Oh, and as a last thing: BY THE CAULDRON, THAT WAS GREAT.
For all the people who haven't read this book, I have a fun game for you.
Here is a list of names:
Azriel
Cassian
Amren
Morrigan
Nesta
Varian
Tarquin
Nuala
Cerridwen
Do your best and try to guess who are men and who are women. Seriously. Try.
I think this is a solid book. It gets a lot of shit but I honestly think it's good, exciting, corny at parts absolutley, but I ultimately liked it.
There was a lot of talk back in the day before ACOMAF whether you were rooting for Feyre and Tamlin or Feyre and Rhysand and I honestly never really got why there was even a contest. And now still basing it off just the first book, and not considering what I know from the second, I still feel that way. Or at least, I don't think that whatever issues you can see in Feyre and Tamlin's relationship really have to do that much with Tamlin, and seem to have much more to do with Feyre, her self-worth (or how much she values her life), and what she believes the relationship means for her. I honestly don't think there's anything in Tamlin's actions of the first book that make him problematic without redemption. Feyre loves him, he loves Feyre. And that's basically it.
ANYWAY.
The book starts out pretty slow, like it really takes a while to get into it. Even during this reread, knowing what happens, the first few chapters just really drag. But I think the story finally kicks off when Feyre starts going out on trips with Lucien and essentially just begins to live an actual life, which she hasn't really ever done, and she finally becomes a person to the reader. I also actually like that Feyre supposedly overheard conversations and meetings on purpose, rather than simply by accident. I think it adds a nice layer to her figuring out what's going on. Although, upon this reread I really do wish the answer to Amarantha's riddle had been something else, like. Yikes, can we get more cliché than that?
I LOVED reading about the trials, I think they add such well-needed thrill and action to the story and basically I just really liked it.
I also found that my feelings about Nesta were much less hateful during this reread, like I really remember hating the crap out of Nesta but this time, I think when we see her after Feyre comes back from fairyland she's much more tolerable and I just generally liked her a lot more than I remembered doing during my first read. But I still think Elain is so annoying tho. Like can she stop with the innocent act, it makes me want to vomit every time I see it and Feyre just takes it, like, stop.
Overall, I think the book is fun and exciting and I really liked it.
Everyone is hot. So if you're not into that this might not be for you. Also, you know, the Fey are there. I happen to like the way SJM writes Fey (hot people, powers, and as I believe readwithcindy said, big dicks) but, again, if you're not into that it might not be for you.
ACOMAF HERE I GO!
Second read, 2019
I think this is such a wonderful collection of short stories giving insight into the happenings after City of Heavenly Fire. And I honestly think everything that happens here is absolutely essential knowledge in moving on to the next books, it's crazy that it's marketed as ‘bonus material' when it literally gives you information you should know not only before reading The Dark Artifices, but also before reading The Last Hours! The academy stories gives insight into The Circle, who we mostly know as parents, and Valentine as a young adult. It tells us about Tessa and Will and James and Matthew and so many more things that you want to know.
Individual ratings
Welcome To Shadowhunter Academy - 3 stars
Feels like an introduction because it is. Too long to be entirely interesting but at the same time neccessary.
The Lost Herondale - 3.5 stars
An alternative title for this could be ‘The Clave is a bitch'. Things start picking up a little more, but we're still not entirely into it yet.
The Whitechapel Fiend - 4 stars
A flashback! Wonderful, we love going back to the TID characters and also gives way to some detective work we don't often get to see Shadowhunters do.
Nothing But Shadows - 5 stars
Fucking amazing. Babies James Herondale and Matthew Fairchild. You don't want to miss it. SO GOOD. (Features daddy Will Herondale).
The Evil We Love - 4.5 stars
Valentine is manipulative and cruel and I hate him. Gives great insight into Robert Lightwood.
Pale Kings and Princes - 4 stars
Sizzy!!!!!!! Faries shit!!!!!!! Sizzy!!!!!! In the running for the alternative title ‘The Clave is a bitch 2.0'.
Bitter of Tongue - 4.5 stars
Also in the running for ‘The Clave is a bitch 2.0'. Simon gets trapped. Mark Blackthorn. A wedding! Makes me cry with every mention of a Blackthorn.
The Fiery Trial - 3.5 stars
Parabatai stuff. Foreshadowing. It was good.
Born To Endless Night - 5 stars
MY HEART IS BURSTING I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH.
Angels Twice Descending - 4 stars
My girl Marisol stole the show until she didn't.
First read, 2016
This was so great! Started out a bit slow, but I loved seeing all my beloved characters after City of Heavenly Fire happened. And I adored the flashbacks, oh my goodness!!