- even though Cador spent much of this book feeling remorseful, I still wanted more grovel TO Jem.
- Jem I thought was done well: heartbroken, jaded, sorrowful - not wanting to be weak, feeling like he couldn't trust Cador again and so was protective of his heart…
- The ‘giving in’ sexually directly led to their reconciliation - I didn't really get that, other than it helped Jem see that he trusted Cador
- the ‘playing politics’ elements were weird - like doing a big feast when there were critical matters to discuss? locking up Cador's father?? the conveniently timed death of the evil King guy?
-It comes down to: I didn't believe in the romance from the end of book one. I wanted more love, so the ‘heartbroken’ felt hollow somewhat
- the language was such that if I were invested, this would have been very emotional
- I felt like the plot became too convoluted overall: the sick kids, the evil king, the Queen’s machinations, the clerics vying for power, the romance
- One reviewer points out the ‘simple solution regarding several trees’ and I don't know what that means? I felt like the last 20% was too rushed / unexplained / I didn't care enough to follow the plot