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msalexnicole's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I love this series! Book 1 was a 5 star read while this one was a 4.5 star read. I love the 2nd book but just not as much as the first one. We she the FMC unravel and try to find out who she is outside in a new kingdom. She struggles a lot but she is young and that is part of the journey.
Expect:
- forced proximity
- 2 possessive MMCs!
- Stalking
- tension
- secrets
- miscommunication
- politics
- Fae and fae adjacent
- monsters
- hidden powers
This is a dark!!!! Romance so read your trigger warnings.
Expect:
- forced proximity
- 2 possessive MMCs!
- Stalking
- tension
- secrets
- miscommunication
- politics
- Fae and fae adjacent
- monsters
- hidden powers
This is a dark!!!! Romance so read your trigger warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and War
booksalacarte's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
3.75⭐️3🌶️
Book 2
Dark adult Fantasy
Multi POV
Orphan FMC
Fae/fae adjacent
Folklore/mythical creatures
Stockholm syndrome
Slow burn
Fated mates
Forbidden romance
Secret identity
Separation
Tw: questionable guardian/ward relationship, toxic relationship, repressed trauma
This series is so rich in internal monologue imagery. The flower and foliage. SAP does this so consistently. She also doesn’t back down from putting her characters through the wringer, physically, mentally AND emotionally.
This is a self discovery book, for sure. Book 1 was such a narrowly focused book. With the only setting being the castle and watching the FMC strain against herself and her fallbacks.
Book 2 opens everyone’s eyes to the bigger fantasy world and it’s such an interesting one. Learning about the world along with the FMC is interesting and something SAP is very intentional with. However I felt that so many of the characters were fairly inconsistent from book 1 to 2… which was disappointing.
But the angst is at an all time high, throughout the entire book.
This had the biggest cliffhanger ending. I finished at 1am and immediately had to start book 3.
—————————
—————————
Crystal Bloom Series: unfinished
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom- 4.5⭐️2.75🌶️
To Snap a Silver Stem- 4⭐️3🌶️
To Flame a Wild Flower- 3.75⭐️3.5🌶️
Book 4- unannounced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
hberg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This second instalment definitely defined the series as more of a “fantasy with romance subplot” instead of the romance focus I was hoping for. I had a bit of trouble identifying the plot as I thought it was going to go in a different direction. It felt to me the plot in this book wasn’t very clear. Elements that were introduced in the first book weren’t followed through which makes me wonder why they were there in the first place. Additional characters got a POV which I also didn’t understand because it didn’t at much to the plot for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit
wildroseoftexas's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I want to see character development. The main character looks, acts, and thinks the same from page one to the end of the book swapped in guilt and addicted to a weird “love”.
The overall storyline and plot is so hard to see. We get glimpses in such tiny bites, I would get frustrated every time we change character points of view. It feels like the layers aren’t fleshed out and ideas were thrown in as it was written without working them out to the whole picture.
I want less *tension* and changing eye colors. How old is R anyway??? This still feels like a gross and abusive relationship. I need to clear explanations that make this make sense.
I asked myself several times, “Is this a vampire story?” Spoiler alert: It’s not.
I have more questions than answers, and not in the excited, what-will-happen-next way.
The overall storyline and plot is so hard to see. We get glimpses in such tiny bites, I would get frustrated every time we change character points of view. It feels like the layers aren’t fleshed out and ideas were thrown in as it was written without working them out to the whole picture.
I want less *tension* and changing eye colors. How old is R anyway??? This still feels like a gross and abusive relationship. I need to clear explanations that make this make sense.
I asked myself several times, “Is this a vampire story?” Spoiler alert: It’s not.
I have more questions than answers, and not in the excited, what-will-happen-next way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child death and Sexual content
aliteraryescape's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Gore, Blood, and Vomit
deesquared's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I mean, I still have no idea what the story’s about. It was a good book, in the sense it’s addictive to read when you get into it. But I couldn’t really tell you the plot. Or what was going on with Kai’s side quest.
I am looking forward to the next book, not least so I can find out what happens next.
Also the cliffhanger o_O
I am looking forward to the next book, not least so I can find out what happens next.
Also the cliffhanger o_O
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
samantha_ellen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was everything I wanted from this story & MORE. I am in awe of Sarah’s writing, such beautiful prose with dark unflinching emotions in a magical fantasy world.
Orlaiths journey is hard & raw but so beautifully explored.
I still have so many questions but we were also gifted with a lot of answers.
But holy Fuck! That ending has me SHOOK!
I can’t believe that happened but also I can see all the steps that lead to it.
I don’t feel like 5 ⭐️ is enough for this book - or this series as a whole… I CAN NOT WAIT for B3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment