etymoye's reviews
45 reviews

adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? No

2.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Possessive Hero, Competent Heroine, Magic, Royalty/Aristocracy, School/College

While Fourth Wing left me feeling somewhat neutral-positive, I’d say unfortunately Iron Flame left me with more negative impressions, mostly thanks to the writing. I felt like more happened in this book plot-wise than in Fourth Wing, which is frankly why I finished it. That being said, this book needed a few more rounds of editing, and it was pretty clearly pushed out fast to capitalize on the hype of book one.

In addition to the clunky sentences, there were at least two times where I definitely felt like I suddenly missed key information that wasn’t explained anywhere. For example, the rest of the squad learning that

feathertail dragons are actually hatchlings (aka children). Sawyer just casually mentions this to Violet in passing, but I couldn’t figure out when this was revealed to them. In Fourth Wing, Tairn made it ABUNDANTLY clear that this was a huge secret and Violet didn’t have permission to endanger the hatchlings…so when did she tell everyone? And shouldn’t she have cleared it with the dragons? Why are the hatchlings suddenly no longer in danger by exposing this secret to everyone?

Similarly, there were many, many times where Yarros would intentionally keep information from the reader in order to create tension, but it honestly felt clumsy and distracting more than anything. For example, here’s some of Violet’s internal dialogue at one point:

Gravity shifts. That can’t be right. That would mean—

Yarros intentionally cuts away there, keeping Violet from finishing her thought and making the reader wait pages to see what the big revelation is. I feel like this is a writing tactic that’s really only effective when it’s used intentionally and sparingly, and Yarros used it to the point where it felt incredibly annoying, like Violet could never finish any of her own thoughts.

As for whether or not I’ll read book three when it releases…I’m not sure. I liked Fourth Wing well enough, and when Yarros has a good editor and the time to devote to making a book shine, I think it definitely shows. But I’m not sure Onyx Storm will be in a much different boat than Iron Flame was, so I’m on the fence.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Violent is 21 in this book, Xaden is 23.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

We meet Cat, Xaden’s ex-fiancee in this book. The engagement was arranged and Xaden never had feelings for Cat, but Cat clearly wants him back and is incredibly hostile to Violet. Honestly, I pretty much hated everything about Cat’s character. Adding her accomplished almost nothing except to instill jealousy in Violet.

Separation:

Yes, Xaden has graduated from Basgiath in this book, so he stationed elsewhere. However, they try to see each other once a week, but this doesn’t always happen.

Triggers:

Some descriptions of violence, death, and a torture scene of Violet.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, book 2 in a series.

Content Warnings

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

3.5

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

★★★½

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Possessive Hero, Competent Heroine, Magic, School/College

I was mostly pretty neutral about this book. I liked the worldbuilding, and the use of dragon bonds to power magic was interesting. I liked our heroine, Violet, moreso in the first half. Seeing her overcome physical disadvantages and using her intelligence to defeat others was a nice change of pace.

That being said, it started to feel like Violet was already in danger of becoming overpowered by the end of the book, and this is only book one, so that definitely makes me wonder about future books.

I also felt like the romance between Xaden and Violet was sort of underdeveloped. At the rate things were moving between them, I kind of expected their romance to be a slower burn over multiple books, but in the last hundred pages or so, suddenly it switched gears and apparently they’re in love.

This probably would have been a solid 3-star read for me, but I added half a star for the plot revelations at the end, which I liked.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Violet is 20, Xaden is 23.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

At the start of the book, Violet thinks she has feelings for her childhood best friend, Dain. There’s a kiss between them, but Violet realizes she isn’t into him after all.

Separation:

Violet and Xaden aren’t exactly a couple in this book until closer to the end, so they do get separated for a few days at a time for various reasons.

Triggers:

Some mentions of war and death. Violet is injured several times, including broken bones.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, book 1 in a series.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

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dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The tension between Cardan and Jude is phenomenal, but this is a slow burn, so there’s not really much romance happening in this book. That being said, I absolutely loved Jude, our heroine. She’s determined, kind of bloodthirsty, and not always likable.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Both are 17.

Cheating:

Jude casually dates a man who is not the hero in this book. She later discovers that he is planning to ask for her twin sister’s hand in marriage.

Other Man/Other Woman:

Jude casually dates a man who is not the hero in this book. She later discovers that he is planning to ask for her twin sister’s hand in marriage. There is also mention of the hero, Cardan, being with other women before Jude.

Separation:

Jude and Cardan aren’t really a couple in this book, so they are separated numerous times.

Triggers:

Mentions of violence and death.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, first in series.

Content Warnings

Lord of Gold and Glory by Lisette Marshall

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Age Gap, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fae, Found Family, Possessive Hero, Competent Heroine, Magic, Royalty/Aristocracy, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Once again, I’m impressed by how well Marshall can balance complexity in her main characters, Creon and Emelin. We see Emelin growing into her powers, but she isn’t infallible. I can think of at least two times in this book where Emelin’s flaws are on display, and I thought the author did a good job of keeping understandable and likable.

Creon continues to be a complicated hero, and I mean that as a compliment. He’s devoted to Emelin, but he’s got his own issues that prevent him from being there for her the way she sometimes needs him to be. This can be a tricky conflict for some books, because as a reader, you want to see a couple experience conflict, but you also want to feel like the conflicts between them are both in-character and solvable. By the end of this book, I genuinely felt like Creon and Emelin came out stronger and are capable of weathering the storm as a couple.

One complaint I had: for some reason, multiple immortal characters in this book kept mentioning how Emelin was essentially a child in fae years, comparing her to a twelve year old. On the one hand, this comparison makes sense when most of the immortals are hundreds if not thousands of years old. On the other, it gets weird when you remember that Creon is hundreds of years old, too, and he clearly doesn’t see her as a child. I felt like these comments were sort of drawing my attention to the age gap between Creon and Emelin and making it weird even though it hadn’t felt weird prior.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Emelin is 20, Creon is 368.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

We learn more about the Other Woman alluded to in book 1 and Creon’s past. Creon previously developed feelings for Lyn when he was rescued by the Alliance. However, he is very clear with Emelin that he no longer has feelings for Lyn and, in retrospect, was not in love with her but instead was just desperate for kindness/affection.

Separation:

Creon decides to go on a mission for about six weeks for the Alliance. Emelin stays behind. She’s not happy about it, and the couple is working through some issues at the time, but they are definitely not broken up or anything during this time.

Triggers:

Descriptive scenes of violence, death, and war.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, 2nd book in series.

Content Warnings

Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Age Gap, Enemies to Lovers, Fae, Possessive Hero, Competent Heroine, Magic, Morally Gray Hero, Royalty/Aristocracy, Slow Burn

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Wow, this book was good. Even in a borderline over-saturated subgenre (fae romance), this one really stands out. I can’t make up my mind if I want to binge the series or try to drag it out to savor it.

Both Emelin and Creon are well-developed and complex even if we admittedly didn’t get all the Creon backstory that I’d have liked. Creon really does straddle the morally gray line–Emelin (and by extension the reader) have access to a softer side of him, but for the most part, the book doesn’t try to keep vague or whitewash the terrible things Creon has done. Emmaline’s struggle to understand the dichotomy of these two sides of him felt very believable to me thanks to Marshall’s skilled writing.

The age gap in these kinds of stories always has the potential to be problematic, but even though Emelin is comparatively young compared to Creon (20), she’s capable, pragmatic, and at times, ruthless, making their dynamic feel much more equal than the age gap would suggest.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Emelin is 20, Creon is 368.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

None, but there is a hint dropped by Creon’s mother that he may have some kind of past with another woman.

Separation:

Separated in the third act. Emelin and Creon argue, Emelin is essentially kidnapped. Creon does rescue her but is seriously hurt, so the couple doesn’t really get a chance to discuss the argument and fallout in this book. Ends in a cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Some mentions of war, death, and violence, including the death of children.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, 1st book in series.

Content Warnings

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

Fall of Ruin & Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

1st in the Awakening series

★★★★★

Genres: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Age Gap,

Fated Mates,

Forced Proximity, Possessive Hero, Magic

Moods: Adventurous, Dark, Mysterious

Ugh, the double-edged sword of book hangovers. I loved this book, but I wish I’d realized that not only is the next book not out yet, the author currently has two other series she’s writing that she wants to finish before releasing book 2. As much as I loved this book, if I’d realized that, I’d have waited, because this is a plot-heavy book, and God knows I’m going to forget everything that happened by the time book 2 rolls around.

All that being said, I was surprised how much I liked this book. Armentrout’s writing is very hit or miss for me. I’m not sure why, but the quality of her writing really fluctuates from book to book. Maybe it has to do with editing?

I was really impressed by the characterization in this book. Nobody is a stereotype even when you can see how easy it would have been to make them one. Lis’s childhood friend, Grady, is a friend to her, like a brother, and not a romantic rival for Thorne. Claude, the baron whose protection Lis is under, is a weak and selfish person, but he also genuinely cares about Lis and his other “paramours” as he calls them. The characters in this book are a breath of fresh air, and I can’t wait to get to know Thorne’s friends better. We didn’t see them much, but when we did, they were a hoot.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Lis is 22, Thorn is basically some ancient god-like creature. So he’s somewhere in the hundreds of years old though his exact age isn’t stated.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

There are 2 scenes where Lis, our heroine, is involved in some sexual activity with OW & OM on page. She doesn’t have romantic feelings for either, but casual sexual activity is part of the household where she lives under the Baron’s protection.

Separation:

Lis is separated from Thorne in the 3rd act and basically kidnapped. Cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Graphic descriptions of violence and death.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, first book in a series.

Content Warnings

Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

2.5

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Magic, Found Family, Love Triangle, Slow Burn

Moods: Adventurous, Emotional, Mysterious, Tense

Available on Kindle Unlimited

This is a book where I wish we had multiple POVs, because I frequently had the feeling interesting things were happening elsewhere, and we just weren’t privy to them. The world Cole has crafted is an intriguing one, but TBH, more often than not, the book feels constrained by its choice of narrator.

Diem really feels overdue for some character growth now that she’s

queen

. She’s a little hard to buy as some kind of

fate-ordained monarch

and seems more like she’d just get everybody killed.

I did like a lot of the supporting characters and the found family aspect. Luther also continues to be a swoony LI.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Diem is 20. Prince Luther’s age is not stated, but he is implied to be mid to late 20s.

Cheating:

See OM/OW note.

OM/OW:

Lots of OM/OW drama. Diem is still technically betrothed to Henri while she has feelings for Luther, not that Henri is around much in this book. (There are some hints dropped to the reader that Henry is being unfaithful.) Diem is also flirted with by Aemmon, Luther’s cousin, who is interested in using her for power. She doesn’t have feelings for Aemmon but does flirt with him a little. We also meet Ileana, who Luther courted “off and on” for years before he met Diem. He does not seem to have feelings for her now..

Separation:

Luther and Diem are separated at the end of the book when she is attacked while being coronated. Cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Death of a parent.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, book 2 of a series.

Content Warnings

Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced

4.0

Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Love Triangle, Magic, Slow Burn

Available on Kindle Unlimited

This was a quick, fun read for the most part. I liked the setting and worldbuilding, both of which were fairly unique. The biggest drawback IMO is the heroine, Diem, who frankly acted more like 16 than 20. It’s pretty obvious to the reader within the first 20% or so what the big “revelation” is going to be (I can’t really call it a twist since the only person surprised by was Diem), yet for some reason it never even occurs to our heroine. Also, her behavior doesn’t always line up with the way other characters describe her. For example, Diem is a healer, and her mentor says how patient and good she is with patients, even the difficult ones. But we almost never see this side of Diem, and more often than not, she’s temperamental and impulsive.

Complaints about Diem aside, I immediately jumped into book 2 to see what would happen next. So clearly that cliffhanger of an ending worked on me.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Diem is 20. Prince Luther’s age is not specified though he is referred to as “several years older” than Diem. So he’s presumably in his mid to late twenties.

Cheating:

See OM/OW note.

Other OM/OW:

Love triangle. Diem has a boyfriend, Henri, but is attracted to Luther. There is a kiss scene between Diem and Luther, and a sex scene between Diem and Henri.

Separation:

This is a slow burn, so the couple isn’t really a couple yet in this book.

Triggers:

Some mention/description of violence, including the death of children. Additionally, due to the love triangle, some people might consider Diem's behavior cheating.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger. First book in a series.

Content Warnings

Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

★★★★★

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Genres: New Adult Fiction, High Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural, Competent Heroine

Tropes: Vampires, Age Gap

Moods: Adventurous, Dark, Emotional

This was really good! More of a novella, so things move kind of quickly, but it never felt rushed, IMO. The development of the relationship always felt natural to me. I look forward to catching glimpses of this couple in book 2!

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Ages are not stated, but the implication is that, as a vampire, Vale has lived hundreds of years.

Cheating:

None.

Other OM/OW:

Lilith walks in on Vale having sex with OW before they are a couple. It’s clearly a casual arrangement, BUT this scene added nothing to the book and should have been cut, IMO.

Separation:

None, really.

Triggers:

None.

HEA/HFN?:

HFN

Content Warnings

The Flame King's Captive by Chloe Chastaine

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adventurous dark emotional

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

The Flame King's Captive by Chloe Chastaine

★★★☆☆

Genres: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Fated Mates, Magic, Nonhuman Hero, Virgin Hero, Virgin Heroine, Omegaverse

Available on Kindle Unlimited

I generally liked this but am on the fence about whether or not I liked it enough to continue the series. The details about the dragons and the Maledinni (the people magically linked to the dragons) were interesting. That being said, omegaverse is often a little hit or miss for me, and I started to get really, really tired of Isavelle’s resistance toward everything by the time the book hit 75% or so. I understand (and even expect) her having to go through growth, but damn, I was getting tired of her by the end.

That being said, the spice is off the charts in this one.

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Zabriel is 23 not counting the 500 years he was asleep, Isavelle’s age is not mentioned.

Cheating:

None.

Other OM/OW:

None.

Separation:

Separated at the very end of the book when Isavelle is kidnapped by the villain. Cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Some mention of violence towards Isavelle by the villain. Some descriptions of violence and death, including the death of a child.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, this is the first book of a series.

Content Warnings

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etymoye's reviews 45 reviews

etymoye's reviews
45 reviews