Hello book lovers! Today’s weather is gloomy, cloudy, and cold — perfect for a fantasy review, right? 👀🖤✨
✔️royal romance
✔️arranged marriage
✔️multi-pov
✔️slow-burn
✔️closed-doors
✔️vampire/feye/elf
real rating 3.75
This is the second book in a duology
First of all, writing and publishing your first duology at just 15/16 years old is an incredible achievement — and I truly admire the author for that!
I struggled a bit more with book one, but I genuinely enjoyed this sequel. It was a strong continuation and a satisfying ending to the story. While I still found it hard to fully connect with Nyra, I appreciated how much more consistent and grounded she felt in this book. Her growth was noticeable, and I enjoyed seeing that.
I also liked the development of Nyra and Zayran’s love story — I’m always a sucker for arranged marriage/marriage of convenience tropes, so I was excited for their dynamic. It was sweet, but still felt like it lacked a bit of spark or depth. Maybe it was because we only had Nyra’s POV, but Zayran sometimes came across as too passive. I think having his perspective would’ve really helped bring him to life.
Surprisingly, I ended up loving Kaeden and Aelora’s storyline! I’m not usually into vampires, but their romance was beautiful — full of vulnerability, forgiveness, and great chemistry. Loved it!
The overall plot was engaging, and I liked how the Feye and vampire storylines came together. While some twists were predictable and a few resolutions felt a little too convenient, it was still an enjoyable, fast-paced read.
The author clearly has talent and potential, and considering her age, that’s incredibly exciting. I truly believe she’s going to write even more amazing stories in the future — and I’m looking forward to reading them!
Thank you so much to R.I. Aryn for the eARC. This review is my honest and personal opinion.
love, Lin
