Rating: 4 Stars

Now Playing: Ice Dance by Danny Elfman

Favorite Quote: “The stars themselves should bow to you, for you are the most radiant creature to ever walk this earth.”

My Thoughts:

This was such a cute read. While it isn’t an essential installment, it’s a cozy, festive story that would have been perfect to pick up during the Christmas season.

As always, I did have a few issues. The first is that I wish we had learned more about the ghosts. We’re given a glimpse into their story and what happened to them, but I found myself wanting more depth and time with them.

My other concern is that, as far as I’m aware, this is the final book in the series. Unless Adalyn Grace plans to return with another novella or a new series in the same universe, there are still quite a few lingering questions. These are questions that are lingering from Wisteria and were brought up again in this book. While I understand this wasn’t meant to be as heavy or plot-driven as the main trilogy, I still would have appreciated a bit more closure. It feels like there’s room for another novella to tie up those loose ends, and I think readers would eagerly pick it up.

That said, there were so many elements I loved. The standout for me was the family dynamic between the main four characters. In the previous books, we didn’t really get to see them function as a unit, but here we finally get both the romantic relationships and the sibling bonds. Sylus and Aris constantly bickering was especially endearing—you can tell their dynamic has shifted from hostility to something much more affectionate. Blythe and Sylus were also a highlight, as it’s really touching to see Blythe begin to trust and rely on him rather than fear him. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Aris and Signa; their contrasting personalities make for a fun pairing, and while they’d never work romantically, they make a great sibling duo.

I also loved the chaos surrounding the ghost, especially with Signa and Aris trying to hide them so Blythe can have the perfect Christmas. Since the ghost was one of my favorite elements, that’s another reason I wanted more of their story. The scenes with Signa interacting with them were genuinely funny, and their final moment in the book actually had me tearing up.

I mentioned this in my Wisteria review, but it’s worth repeating here—Elijah really stood out to me. I’ve grown to love his character so much over the course of the series. When we first met him in Belladonna, I wasn’t sure how I felt about him, but he’s become one of my favorites. The depth of his care for the people he loves, and the lengths he’s willing to go to for them, makes him incredibly compelling.

Going into this series, I wasn’t even sure I would continue after Belladonna, but I’m so glad I did. It’s become one of my favorite series, and I’m genuinely a little sad to say goodbye to these characters.

Rating: 4 Stars

Now Playing: A by Thomas Farnon

Favorite Quote: “You have every right to be angry,” he told her. “You have every right to be sad, or to be anything in between. But you’re going to be all right, Blythe.”... “I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but you’re going to be all right.”

My Thoughts:

This was an amazing series, once you get past the first book. I’m not saying I disliked it, but it does feel like the weakest installment of the trilogy. I’m not sure if that’s because I prefer Blythe’s point of view over Signa’s, but I definitely found Wisteria to be my favorite of the three.

That said, I did have a few issues, which is why I’m giving it four stars instead of five. My biggest complaint is that the ending felt rushed. Blythe falls ill, we discover who she accidentally brought back, and everything is resolved within the final 20% of the book. I wish we had more time with Chaos as the villain, or that the person Blythe resurrected had played a larger, more sustained role in the conflict. Instead, it felt like the story needed a major twist and saved it all for the end. Even though the groundwork is clearly laid earlier in the book, the rapid resolution left me wanting more.

There were, however, plenty of things I loved. The highlight for me was watching Blythe and Aris fall in love. While part of me kept wishing Blythe would reveal that she was Life, I’m ultimately glad she didn’t—because it allowed Aris to fall in love with her for who she is now, not who she once was. That made their relationship feel much more meaningful, as he wasn’t trying to reshape her into her past self but instead embraced the person she has become.

I also grew to really love Aris. In both Foxglove and early in Wisteria, I found him frustrating and a bit arrogant. But as the story progresses, you see a different side of him. Yes, he struggles with pride like anyone else, but he does take responsibility when he goes too far. He apologizes, acknowledges his mistakes, and proves himself to be fiercely protective of the people he loves. While Sylas was my favorite in Belladonna, Aris steadily won me over and ended up being a standout character for me.

Another character I especially enjoyed was Elijah. He’s no longer the grieving, broken man from the first book, nor is he imprisoned as he was before. In Wisteria, we finally get to see him as the devoted father, and he truly shines in that role. It’s easy to see where Blythe gets so much of her personality from. Despite everything he’s endured over the past few years, he remains kind, steady, and deeply caring. The moment that got to me most was near the end, when Blythe reflects on how Elijah sat outside her door every day, telling her stories even when she wouldn’t respond. It was such a quiet but powerful display of love and dedication.

Overall, I found myself enjoying this series more and more with each book. Now I’m moving on to the novella, and I already know I’ll be a little sad when I have to say goodbye to these characters I’ve grown so attached to.

Rating: 4 Stars

Now Playing: Reflections by Tony Ann

Favorite Quote: “You are mine.” The words were not possession, but a promise. “For as long as you’ll have me, you are mine, Signa Farrow. I will burn this world to cinder before I let anyone take you from me.”

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book much more than Belladonna. Foxglove does a great job further exploring Signa’s powers, adding depth and making her journey feel more dynamic as she learns to navigate them.

I especially liked Blythe this time around. Instead of being defined by her illness, we get to see her as a fully realized character. She’s clever, perceptive, and knows how to use information to her advantage, which made her chapters particularly engaging. Her banter with Aris was another highlight—I loved how well their personalities and wit played off each other. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of them in Wisteria.

Death and Signa remain a really cute couple, and I’m excited to see their relationship continue to grow now that she can see and touch him without the constant fear of dying or needing belladonna just to be with him.

The murder mystery element continues to be one of my favorite aspects of the series. While I don’t think it was executed quite as strongly here as in the first book, the question of who killed the Duke still created a compelling sense of tension throughout the story. That said, it also ties into my least favorite part of the book: how Elijah is ultimately cleared of the murder. I wish there had been a more satisfying explanation than Aris simply using his powers to convince everyone the Duke died of natural causes. It felt a bit too easy. I understand it was meant to serve as a cover—especially since the Duke was in fact murdered—but the execution didn’t quite work for me.

Overall, I’m really looking forward to Wisteria. I especially hope we get more from Blythe’s point of view, as she’s quickly becoming my favorite character in the series.

Rating: 3 Stars

Now Playing: Niamh’s Lullaby by chuck e. myers ‘sea’

Favorite Quote: “King or not, Erik Bloodsinger, I would follow your darkness across the skies and seas. You are mine, a beautiful monster, a passionate lover, a loyal friend, a vicious king. All mine, And that is all I will ever want.”

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this sequel, and even though it had been a few months since I read the first book, I didn’t find it too difficult to jump back into the story. There were a few moments when I forgot who a character was, but usually the book would naturally reintroduce or briefly explain them a moment later, which made it easy to follow along again.

There were a few elements that I felt hindered the story, the biggest being the pacing in the middle of the book. While a lot does happen overall, most of the action takes place within the first 200 pages and the final 100 pages. The middle 150 pages felt like they dragged, and very little seemed to happen. I don’t mind slower sections in a story, but having such a large portion of the book feel uneventful made an already long book feel even longer. I think if the book had been about 100 pages shorter, I would have enjoyed it much more.

That said, there were still elements that I really enjoyed. One of my favorite aspects was seeing the sea folk and the earth folk working together. Many of the characters had great chemistry, and it was nice to see them put their differences aside and learn to cooperate. I also appreciated that we were able to get to know the earth folk better. In the first book we only saw them in the opening chapters, so spending more time with them here helped show why they mean so much to Livia.

I also thought the action scenes were done very well. I found myself really enjoying the rescue scene and the battle sequences, and at times I even wished there were more of them because they were so entertaining.

While there were moments in the book that felt slow or boring, I still found myself enjoying the characters and the action scenes overall. Many of the side characters were interesting, and I found myself wanting to learn more about them. I may continue with the series, as I think it could be interesting to see how Jonas and Skadi’s relationship develops. I’m also very interested in Tait and Mira’s story, especially since Tait ended up being one of my favorite characters.

Rating: 1.5 Stars

Now Playing: Back to the Dust by Song Jae Kyeong

Favorite Quote: “And yet, as he watched Ren walk away, he had the fleeting thought that he might try to save the world for her.”

My Thoughts:

Well, it’s safe to say I did not enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed the first one and had been excited to jump into the sequel. However, almost as soon as I began, I found myself bored. I have quite a few problems with this book, but my main issue is that it felt unnecessary. The Floating World should have been a standalone. As I was reading The Demon and the Light, I kept hoping it would add something meaningful to the story—something that would justify why the series became a duology—but it really didn’t. Because this book didn’t add much to the overall story, especially in terms of character development, it ended up feeling redundant and full of filler.

My second issue I had was the number of times the characters re-explain scenes from The Floating World. The Demon and the Light was released only six months after the first book, so if you read them close together, most readers probably wouldn’t have forgotten what happened. Yet the story repeatedly pauses to give detailed explanations of past events. Sometimes these explanations appear in dialogue with characters who weren’t present before, which would make sense, but other times they show up as internal thoughts that rehash entire scenes. One example is the lab scene from the first book, when Sun-oh finally remembers what happened to his brother. We are reminded of that moment multiple times through conversations or internal reflections. The first few times it happened I didn’t mind, but as it kept repeating, it began to feel disruptive. Each time, the story would pause for a long explanation before abruptly returning to the present scene.

My third issue is with the characters themselves. It felt like many of them did a complete 180 from who they were in the first book. In The Floating World, I genuinely enjoyed many of the characters—especially Ren. I thought she was a strong female lead, but in this book I found her frustrating and, at times, annoying. I’m not entirely sure what changed, but whenever she appeared in a scene I often found myself rolling my eyes.

Another character I liked in the first book but not in this one was Wook (Little Uncle). Even though he didn’t appear much previously, I still liked him and was excited to see how his character would develop. Unfortunately, he ended up becoming one of my least favorite characters. In some ways, I think this is because there was no real need for him in the story. When he travels with Ren, I expected to see them bond and for him to become someone she could rely on. Instead, the opposite happens. In the first book he was someone who jumped into action to protect his family, but here he mostly plays the role of a damsel in distress for Jae-il to rescue. Ultimately, he had very little importance to the plot. You could replace him—in every scene he appears in—with another character and the story would likely remain the same.

Speaking of Jae-il (my favorite character), this book is a prime example of why I dislike love triangles. In the first book it’s obvious that Jae-il is in love with Ren, so how does the author resolve that? By having him suddenly fall in love with her uncle—a character he has barely interacted with. I wouldn’t have minded this outcome if we had actually seen the relationship develop, but every scene they shared lacked romantic tension. I didn’t feel any real connection between them. The relationship felt far too much like insta-love. It would have worked better as a slow burn, with the book ending on something like, “I think you’re interesting and I want to get to know you better.” Instead, we get a dramatic declaration of love after a near-death moment, even though they’ve barely spoken to each other.

This is also coming from a character who repeatedly says he isn’t even sure he understands what love really is. If Jae-il absolutely needed a romantic partner by the end of the book—which I don’t think was necessary—there were other options that would have made more sense. One possibility would have been someone he already had an established connection with, like Sana, his second-in-command. They have history, clear chemistry, and repeatedly risk their lives for each other. Another person Jae-il could have ended up with is, Jun-ho (Sun-oh’s brother). We know Jae-il knew Jun-oh in the first book, so it wouldn’t have been difficult to establish that they had been past lovers.

My other solution to the love triangle is a bit more controversial and probably wouldn’t work for everyone, but I honestly think it could have been a fun direction: letting Ren, Sun-oh, and Jae-il all end up together. The banter between Sun-oh and Jae-il is genuinely entertaining, and the three of them have far more chemistry as a group than Jae-il does with Wook. While it might not have satisfied everyone, it would at least have felt emotionally believable.

The last thing I want to mention is the choice of point of view during important moments. Several major events are told from perspectives that feel oddly disconnected from the situation. For example, when the enemy kingdom proposes a marriage alliance, the scene is told from Jae-il’s perspective—even though he isn’t the main love interest. That moment would have carried much more emotional weight if we had seen it from Ren’s or Sun-oh’s point of view. Instead, the impact is minimized because we never fully experience their internal conflict. This happens multiple times throughout the book, and each time it lessens the emotional intensity of what should have been important scenes.

Unfortunately, this book ultimately fell into the category of an unnecessary sequel. It felt less like a natural continuation of the story and more like an extension that didn’t add much. With confusing plot elements and characters who no longer felt like themselves, it ended up being a very unsatisfying conclusion to what had originally been a beautiful story about found family and learning to love yourself—even the darker, damaged parts.

Rating: 2 Stars

Now Playing: Experience by Ludovico Einaudi

Favorite Quote: “When you find a man you wish to marry, Tessa, remember this: You will know what kind of man he is not by the things he says, but by the things he does.”

My Thoughts:

I feel like I might be missing something. I read the first three books in The Mortal Instruments years ago, back before the fourth one came out, and I really loved them. Because of that, I had been really looking forward to this one, especially since I’ve heard many people say it’s even better than The Mortal Instruments. Unfortunately, it just didn’t quite click with me.

The first thing I noticed was that I had a very hard time caring about the characters. No matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t seem to connect with them. Since Tessa is the main character, she should have been the one I connected with most, but I really struggled to do so. While I didn’t necessarily dislike her, I also didn’t feel particularly invested in her. During moments when her life was in danger, I realized I wasn’t really worried about what might happen to her. Maybe part of that is because I already know she survives and appears in later books, but I think the bigger issue is that I never felt a strong connection to her as a character.

There were two characters I really struggled with, to the point of almost hating them. The first is Jessamine. Every time she appeared in a scene, I found myself wanting to skip ahead. I understand that she never wanted the Shadowhunter life, but that doesn’t mean she has to make everyone around her miserable because of it. From what I could tell, Charlotte never forced her to go on missions and seemed to respect her wishes not to fight. Because of that, I had a hard time sympathizing with her. If she had been constantly pushed into dangerous situations with Will and Jem, I could better understand her resentment. As it stands, though, it was frustrating to watch her complain while still benefiting from the Institute's protection and support without contributing much in return.

The other character I had a difficult time with is Will. I did look up his backstory and understand the reasoning behind his behavior, but I still felt that he often went too far when trying to push people away. One moment that really stood out to me was near the end of the book, when Tessa tells him she plans to stay and begins to hint at her feelings for him. Instead of simply telling her he doesn’t feel the same way, he makes a crude comment implying she could become his whore. While I understand that he was trying to drive her away, there were so many other ways he could have done that without being so cruel. My frustrations with him had been building throughout the book, and that moment really was the nail in the coffin for me.

Because I never fully connected with the characters, I also struggled to feel invested in the romance—especially between Will and Tessa. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t like Will very much and only felt neutral about Tessa, so their relationship never really worked for me. I also didn’t fully understand how Tessa developed feelings for him in the first place. There aren’t many moments where the two of them are alone together, and in the few scenes they do share, Will usually ends up being cruel or dismissive toward her. When she kissed him for the first time, all I could think was: why would you kiss someone who storms off every time you try to have a meaningful conversation with him? I did see a bit more spark between her and Jem, though that may simply be because Jem was kind and considerate, while Will often came across as immature and antagonistic. It probably also helped that Jem was the one character I genuinely liked.

My final issue with the book is that it felt far too long. For most of the story, I found myself bored. I understand that this book serves as many readers’ introduction to the Shadowhunter world, but there were several moments that dragged because of heavy exposition. Since Tessa is new to this world, characters frequently explain things to her—but often those explanations are repeated again a few chapters later in slightly different ways. There were also several lengthy stories and monologues that felt much longer than necessary. For example, when Nate explains the plans he overheard, the scene seemed to drag on. I really feel like the important points of that conversation could have been delivered much more efficiently instead of stretching into such a long chapter. Overall, the book could probably have been closer to 300 pages than nearly 500.

Even though I have quite a few complaints about this book, I wouldn’t say it’s the worst thing I’ve read. I never felt the urge to throw it across the room or completely give up on it. However, because I found much of it slow and struggled to connect with most of the characters—aside from Jem—I don’t think this is a series I’ll be continuing.

Rating: 4 Stars

Now Playing: The Call by League of Legends

Favorite Quote: “Lara, no matter where you are in the world, if you need me, I’ll come for you. Please know that.”

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed The Traitor Queen. While I liked The Bridge Kingdom, I thought this sequel was even stronger. It was fast-paced, engaging, and kept me hooked from beginning to end.

That said, there were a few aspects that didn’t fully work for me. My main issue was that the story felt rushed. I truly think this series would have benefited from an additional book told from Aren and Lara’s perspectives. With Lara’s betrayal happening at the end of the first book, it would have made sense for Aren and his people to truly grapple with their anger and mistrust throughout this entire installment, with reconciliation unfolding more gradually in a third book. Instead, we see them reunite and defeat the antagonist fairly quickly. Even though Lara never intended the betrayal to have such devastating consequences, it deeply impacted Aren’s people, and I felt their forgiveness should have taken more time to develop.

Another struggle I had—both in this book and the first—was tracking the passage of time. In the first book, it felt like only a couple of months had gone by. Then in this installment, one of Lara’s sisters is nine months pregnant, which clearly indicates much more time has passed than I initially thought. While there are a few mentions of time passing, it’s still difficult to gauge. I wasn’t sure how long Aren was held captive or how long the battle had been raging. I understand that showing the passage of time can be tricky, but even a simple line such as “it has been six months since the invasion” would have provided helpful context and added weight to the toll the war was taking on Aren’s people.

There were also several elements I genuinely loved. I really enjoyed seeing all the sisters reunited and working together again. Their dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the story. Honestly, I would have liked even more scenes of them planning Aren’s rescue, and I especially wish we had seen them all confront their father together in the final battle. Since he hurt each of them in different ways, it would have been incredibly satisfying to watch them stand united against him rather than leaving that final confrontation solely to Lara.

I also really enjoyed Keris, Lara’s brother. He’s such an intriguing character because his loyalties always feel uncertain. I’m very interested to see where his story goes in future books.

Overall, I enjoyed this book much more than the first. Despite my issues with the pacing, The Traitor Queen was a fun, compelling read, and I’m definitely curious to see where the series goes next.