An Epic Conclusion to an Epic Story

This was a really satisfying ending to a great story. I was pleased with the outcome of so much in this book, not only the love triangle but also the court intrigue and the whole "whose gonna rule" question. The additional characters were great additions as well. Misha was a hilarious new face and I really enjoyed his friendship with Brie throughout the book.

This final installment really made the book feel much more high fantasy than the first book. Mind you, the main plots are still heavily influenced by the romance but there's a lot more going on than just that such as political intrigue, underworld shananagins, seers with prophecies and past ghostly rulers.

The love triangle felt very reminiscent of A Court of Mist and Fury during some moments except that Brie is a much more forgiving person who genuinely loves deeply. She really struggled especially at the beginning with her emotions and it did make the triangle feel more human-like. Her choices were not made easily and the author never gave either love interest some dastardly deed that made them end up being the bad guy. I really appreciated how both of the guys were trying to be the best version of themselves after the follies of book one.

Tropes!
✅ One horse
✅ Shadow selves 😉
✅ Jealousy moments
✅ One bed

My biggest annoyance with this book was how the queen was dealt with. I was kinda hoping for a more badass moment and it was all very foreshadowed so it didn't feel as high stakes as I had hoped it would. Also, I really wanted to know what happened to Brie's mom. Not just the bare facts but her story once she disappeared. I felt cheated on that front a bit 💀 Also, what the heck did Finn's dad say to him when they almost drowned?!

Overall!
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice 🌶️ (1.5)
Audio 🎧🎧🎧🎧

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An acceptable ending

The ending is acceptable but it could have been amazing. The book suffers from major pacing issues and the whole story is in too compact of a timeline. This should have been a trilogy and the epilogue should have taken place many years after the events in the main story.

Not as good as the first

This took too long to get to the meat of the story which then made it feel crunched towards the end. The love triangle also takes way too long to resolve- the cringe of it hobbles it’s way through the story unnecessarily.

Better than the first

This has a much better plot and more twists than book 1, highly recommend if you enjoy Sarah J Maas A Crown of Rose and Thorns series.

I couldn’t stop listening

It took a minute to get back into the story but once the plot picked up again, I didn’t want to stop!! It was so good and the ending was so satisfying! Definitely worth the listen!

Insecure

I wish I hadn't bought the second book. The main character's very insecure. I'm having trouble continuing. I know that level of maturity is relative to anyone. I just kept wishing she wasn't so self depreciating. I kept hoping she would gain more confidence and see the bigger picture.

Glad it’s over but it was nice

For some reason this book felt longer than it should have been and yet it still felt rushed? The storyline was ok and the ending was good. However, I feel like I could have done without a lot of parts of this book and yet some interesting parts felt like they still needed more back story to make it feel complete. That’s why I didn’t give it 5 stars.

Long journey to the ending

This second book concludes the story of Abriella, Prince Ronan (Sebastian), and Prince Finn. They have a complicated relationship. Brie bonded with Sebastian, but his betrayal let her realize she didn't love him as Prince Ronan, but as the "human," Sebastian, she thought she knew. Thanks to Sebastian's betrayal, Brie comes to terms with her growing love for Finn. But with her bond to Sebastian, where they can feel each other's emotions, Brie feels trapped, and fears she will never be allowed to truly give her love to Finn. Their tangled relationship is a huge part of this second book.

The Seelie Queen is desperate to retain control and continues to send mercenaries to capture Brie and stop her from finding a way to Queen Mab. With its crown and power split, the Unseelie throne remains unclaimed, and the consequences of it remaining unclaimed could mean the end to all of Unseelie.

I'm glad I listened to the audiobooks instead of reading for myself because this second book, especially, felt too long, as far as getting to a resolution among all the main characters and storylines. I am glad it ended the way it did.

Second Book Made it all Worth it

I was kinda irritated by the plot of the first book and never felt a real connection to the sister but the second book is 'chef kiss'. The characters are more fun and Abriella really becomes a lot more confident and interesting in my opinion. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get the second book since I felt a little wishy washy after the first but it was worth it!

Fantastic!

My daughter and I read this such a great story, liked the first book but second was even better! We both cried at the end,
I hope she writes more!!