(2.8 / 5)
I was just so disappointed with this book. I instantly fell in love with the first book “three dark crowns” and was excited to have found another YA series that offered something new and had so much potential. But to my great sorrow this next installment really went off the rails.
One of the main characters does a complete 180 in personality with very little explanation, taking everything I loved about her and throwing it in the trash. Another MC lost all her strength (metaphorically) and just faded into the shadows. The third (who was my least favorite at the end of book one) became even more irritating and never grew as a character.
Perhaps my biggest complaint is that the book was just so boring. The plot slogs along and in the end everyone is more or less in the same position as where they started at the beginning of the book. I feel this story could have been a fantastic dualogy and maybe even an acceptable trilogy. But four books?! No. It’s clear from the fact that nothing happened in the book, and no new information came to light, that the author is being stretched thin for plot. Blake had many opportunities to give us something good, but she disappointed every time. She is hoarding her few secrets (I hope she has something up her sleeve!) for the end, but I’m afraid by then she won’t have many readers left to enjoy them.
I did enjoy the first half, even though it was painfully slow the anticipation for what I was sure would come kept my spirits up. The last half was a battle between just getting it over with and becoming increasingly furious that the author squandered such a potentially great book. And by the end it was such a hot mess that it felt that Blake was literally throwing all the punches just to make something happen. As a result, it felt artificial and forced.
I am sorry to be so harsh, I think it’s mostly just my high expectations were so thoroughly killed. Even though I loved the first book I think this is where the road ends for me.
Violence: Medium+ Language: Medium Adult Content: Medium-