Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: March 03, 2020
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Adventure Rating: 4 Stars
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.”
Oooooh boy I have a lot to say. So, buckle up and hold on tight because there is a thought bomb coming at ya.
Here’s the thing, I really liked this book. BUT I also had a lot of issues with it. Let’s start there.
Issue #1: This is an ADULT fantasy and yet Bryce, who is in her 20’s, acted like a spoiled brat of a teenager. She drank and did drugs like no one’s business. She swears ALL THE FRIGGIN TIME. Y’all the f-bomb is on every page. Swearing doesn’t usually bother me, but GIRL GET ANOTHER WORD. So annoying. Bryce was freaking annoying. Get over yourself, Bryce.
Issue #2: This one is a double sided coin. The Plot. It was predictable. It was VERY SJM which is hard because I at once loved it and was like oh, it’s the same plot line as the other of her books.
Issue #3: Usually SJM handles depression/ mental illness pretty well… Bryce just totally ignored hers and didn’t get the help she needed.
Whew, still with me? Let’s talk nicely now because I did, in fact, really enjoy this book.
Here’s what I loved:
Loved #1: The Plot. See? Told you it was double sided. It was intense with A LOT of elements to keep me entertained. There were deaths, destruction, and mysterious characters and plot lines.
Loved #2: RUHN. Oh my gosh I loved him. He was way more responsible than Bryce and tried to be the best brother ever. He is adorable. And I love his POV and the romance plot line SJM is clearly setting him up fore.
Loved #3: The Romance. Hunt and Bryce fit each other perfectly! They had great chemistry and were both messed up but helped each other rather than bring each other down.
Loved #4: The World. Oh my gosh! It was SO cool to see a “modern” world mixed with magic, witches, fae, werewolves, mer people (Tharion!! More of him please!), angles, demons, shifters, and more (like cute little messenger otters)! It was perfect and made for lots of story telling!
Loved #5: The Writing. SJM does have really good writing, just like, stop using the f-bomb. We get it. It’s an adult fantasy. Congrats, you can use the word, now STOP.
See? I had way more loves than issues! It was a behemoth book so I just had a lot to say.
Let discuss! If you have read it, what did you think?!
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