This was just as good as I expected maybe even better than I had expected.
In a way, this was quite similar to Dark Rise. It has a slow buildup to an eThis was just as good as I expected maybe even better than I had expected.
In a way, this was quite similar to Dark Rise. It has a slow buildup to an explosive climax.
This book was solely carried by Will and James. The other characters were quite exceptionally bland and that includes Violet.
I honestly loved Violet in Dark Rise. I adored her bravery and her friendship with Will. Here, she was a more passive character.
There were many POVs in this book. The only interesting POVs were of Will and Violet(to some extent).
I'm sorry but Elizabeth was just as boring as her sister, Katherine. Their chapters are always so tedious.
Now, let's finally get to the main topic of this book and this review.
Will and James were easily the best characters in this book by far. This book was correctly focused on them since they are the most interesting after all.
James was a mystery in the first book. Here, we learned more about him. (view spoiler)[ In the first book, it appeared as if Will was the good one and James was the bad one. But in reality, James is actually the good one and Will is the bad one. (hide spoiler)]
The dynamic between James and Will was just perfect. The constant push and pull was so fascinating to read. And of course, their chemistry was just off the charts.
(view spoiler)[I liked the fact that their dynamic was so eerily similar and different from the past. They both try to move past it but they can feel the pull. They want to be different from their past selves but they end up falling into the same roles. (hide spoiler)]
Now, let's talk about my favourite character, Will. He is such a fascinating protagonist. I love the fact that we are reading this series from his pov. I have to say it, Will deserves better. Everyone treats him like shit. We also learned about his childhood, which was of course heartbreaking.
(view spoiler)[ It has been hinted that his mother was abusive. Whatever else you might say, abusing a child because of what he potentially might or might not become is horrible.
Will tries so hard to be a good person. He wants to be better than his past self. He is trying so hard. But no one ever gives him a chance. That's just so sad. He is an extremely lonely character.
He didn't tell anyone about his identity because he thought everyone would hate him. That was his worst fear. He was correct. All his life, he has seen how people change the moment they learn his identity. First, it was his mother, then Elizabeth and now everyone else except James. Violet's reaction hurt the most.
People don't see Will as he actually is, rather he is seen as what he once was in a past life. Will wants to stop the dark forces but no one cares about that the moment they learn his identity.
The light characters are ready to do anything in the name of defeating the dark.
Can't they see it? By treating Will this way, they are basically confirming his worst fears and pushing him towards the dark. Every betrayal pushes him more towards the dark. What I would love to see in the next book is Will embracing his powers. He needs to accept himself.
That ending with James was interesting. For a moment, despite everything that had happened, Will was truly happy. But then the illusion shattered. Will thinks he is truly alone now. But is he?
I think it was hinted that James was actively choosing to be with Will despite the collar. Since Will doesn't have his full memories, he only knows what he is told by others. But only Anharion and Sacrean know the real truth about what happened in the past. Maybe the lore behind the collar has been misinterpreted?
Will and James can rule the dark together. (hide spoiler)]
I need an arc for the next book because the waiting period will kill me. Not literally of course, but still.
Pre-release thoughts- The first chapter is out! It appears to be way too good.
“I have waited for you for millennia, Signa Farrow.” There was a silky husk to his voice now, too pleased for his own good. “Since the dawn of this ea“I have waited for you for millennia, Signa Farrow.” There was a silky husk to his voice now, too pleased for his own good. “Since the dawn of this earth, I have waited. You are mine, and I am yours. And together, this world is ours.”
It has been so long since I last rated a book 5 stars. Oh, I have missed this feeling of complete exhilaration. I had very high expectations for this book and it did not disappoint at all.
The writing was quite engaging. Though it wasn't explored in great depth, the world-building was done nicely. It was gothic and atmospheric.
Signa was an interesting protagonist. She was naive but not ignorant. I liked the fact that she tried to embrace her powers instead of outright rejecting them. She was passionate and lovely. I like her a lot.
Death was just amazing. You would expect Death to be mysterious and mercurial, right? But no, in reality, he was a sweetheart. He was morally grey at times but otherwise, he was a good person. His respect and admiration for Signa were just too good. And his powers were also very cool.
The relationship between Death and Signa was the best part of this book. It was done so well. Despite the age gap, their relationship didn't have a power imbalance. Death simply adored Signa and treated her like a queen.
The side characters were also good enough. The mystery was done quite well and had an expected twist at the end.
After reading this book I questioned why I haven't read this before. This book is perfect. It's exactly my type.
Where to even start? How do you descrAfter reading this book I questioned why I haven't read this before. This book is perfect. It's exactly my type.
Where to even start? How do you describe perfection? I think my advice will be to read this book spoiler-free. Trust me, that makes it more fun.
I think I'll rave about the characters. I greatly enjoyed reading about Violet. She was such a brave and loyal character. I loved her adorable friendship with Will.
Katherine was a very boring character and her chapters were just as boring as her. But it all makes sense in the end.
Now, I would like to talk about Will and James. They are the best characters in this book.
Will and James had such good chemistry. Though they didn't interact too much in this book yet all of their scenes were riveting.
James was such an interesting character. I wish we had more scenes with him. I was expecting him to be one of the main antagonists, so I was quite shocked when it wasn't so.
James is a great character but my favourite is Will. Will is an utterly fascinating character. At first, he appears to be your typical YA chosen one protagonist but there is much more depth to him.
(view spoiler)[There were times when I felt that something was off but it didn't linger in my mind too long.
In a way, there were clues all along that predicted the final twist. That twist and the way it was executed was my favourite part of this book.
Some part of me was expecting that twist because, in a way, it was the only thing that made true sense.
I just hope Will embraces his new role. It will make his relationship with James even more complicated. I just hope Will doesn't die in the future books because that is the most common trope.
This is basically a villain origin story. (hide spoiler)]
I loved this book so much that I don't know how am I supposed to wait for the sequel....more
“Sometimes I want to kiss him and sometimes I want to ruin him, but most of the time, I want those actions to be one and the same.”
Violet Made of Thor“Sometimes I want to kiss him and sometimes I want to ruin him, but most of the time, I want those actions to be one and the same.”
Violet Made of Thorns was a surprisingly good book. It's a dark fantasy book which is one of my favourite genres. So that's always a plus point. It reminded me of a lot of 'The Cruel Prince'. It had most of the things I liked about TCP.
Violet was an interesting protagonist and it was fascinating to read about her journey. She was more of an antagonist than a morally grey character. I liked her moral dilemma. She was an unconventional character with her lying self and screwed-up moral compass. She was just so much fun to read about! I hope we discover more about her powers in the second book.
The prince was a mediocre character. His character was quite inconsistent at times but otherwise, he was quite alright.
The romance was also not that good. Their enmity was showcased quite well but the romance part felt very rushed. The hatred between them disappeared quite easily within days and changed into lust. And that lust easily changed into love. It wasn't very well-developed.
I think my biggest issue with this book along with the romance is the world-building. I have no idea what happened there. It was perplexing at best and terrible at worst. Things weren't established well enough. Because of that, the ending felt rushed and confusing.
Despite its flaws, I think this book is very consumable and I'm excited to read its sequel....more
Ana (Hiatus)
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Books:
dark-fantasy
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