This is emotional terrorism

I absolutely love this book and this series. I love the bonds the characters have, I love learning the world with the characters, I love Xaden and Violets dynamic, and I absolutely adore the dragons.

Is it the best world building I've ever read? No, but I also appreciate the fact that the mc also was lied to and sheltered from the rest of the continent so we get to learn about the world with the characters. I also don't think it is fair to expect Brandon Sanderson level world building for a romantasy/ author who is branching out form their usual genre.

This book was definitely slower than the first book, and that is okay with me. I appreciate the time given to build character bonds and work on setting the stage. I like the extra bantering between characters and little details that make us as readers feel like we know the characters more personally. Not everything needs a purpose for me.

SPOILERS AHEAD
I hate that Xaden is the one that got "cursed". I love him as a character so much in the fact that he isn't perfect. I am also petrified that this series is going to end with either Violet killing him or both of them dying. The fact that there are "recovered correspondences" from Violet and Xaden at the beginning of the chapters fills me with fear that this whole series is just being written by a scribe recounting events for a journal and all my beloved dragons and characters are going to be dead in the end.
again...
this is emotional terrorism.

From a plot perspective, I liked this better than book 1 (particularly part 2 & the ending): Rebecca Yarros pulls no punches with a fast-paced plot and some unflinching character decisions that makes everything SO interesting and just highly enjoyable. The relationship drama in this book was pretty silly, almost to the point of being unbearable, but “everything in balance,” I guess.

I feel like it had some ideas of its own this time but it also felt like a hunger games rebellion knock-off.
Also the torture scenes reminded me so much of Kingdom of Ash.

I hated how much Violet and Xaden picked fights with each other.
The Cat storyline was annoying.

The writing style was so bad??!! What sentence structure?
It also felt INCREDIBLY rushed.

Again, I wish we knew more about the dragons.

There’s way too many side characters. I need a chart at the book with pronunciation and who is paired with who (dragons/gryphons).

I also struggled with the world building (or lack thereof), again. I had to reference the map so many times.

I just finished this and I am crying goodbye. Andarna WAITED for Violet so she could hatch. Icon behavior. I love you Andarna sweetie. Also Rebecca Yarros better not make me angry with Xaden’s story line in the next book. We must protect Xaden. Goodbye.

I see why people put this book down and didn't want to pick it back up. Those last 10 chapters are worth it though, bb. Get across that parapet.

TF Rebecca…