What do you think?
Rate this book
Leaves May Fall #2
Mountains Will Crumble
Is it the corrupted who thirst for power, or does power corrupt those to whom it is given?
Merriam and Mollian have survived demon attacks, heartbreak, and a complete upheaval of their lives, but their struggle is far from over. Merriam is now Sekha’s Marshal and is known throughout the kingdom as the demonslayer. Though many of the Royal Guard respect her position, there are still some who begrudge her prestige and would love to see her fall. Mollian, who never expected to rule, is determined to make the most of his reign. But the magic he possesses runs deep, and its presence in his blood has only grown more insistent and demanding since he was crowned.
Friendships and alliances shift within the kingdom while across realms, a demon king plots to take control of the Gate that would grant him access to any reality in existence. It’s not just the fate of Nethyl, but the fate of all life that rests in the hands of a third-born Keeper and the human whose soul is tethered to his.
Merriam and Mollian have survived demon attacks, heartbreak, and a complete upheaval of their lives, but their struggle is far from over. Merriam is now Sekha’s Marshal and is known throughout the kingdom as the demonslayer. Though many of the Royal Guard respect her position, there are still some who begrudge her prestige and would love to see her fall. Mollian, who never expected to rule, is determined to make the most of his reign. But the magic he possesses runs deep, and its presence in his blood has only grown more insistent and demanding since he was crowned.
Friendships and alliances shift within the kingdom while across realms, a demon king plots to take control of the Gate that would grant him access to any reality in existence. It’s not just the fate of Nethyl, but the fate of all life that rests in the hands of a third-born Keeper and the human whose soul is tethered to his.
495 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2023
79 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
June 6, 2023
Thank you Carissa for giving me a chance to read your second book baby in advance!
May Contain Spoilers for Book One.. Leaves May Fall! So please proceed with caution.
4.5/5 🌟
Mountains continues on the journey of Molli, Ria, and the rest of the gang in the aftermath of Leaves of Fall.... one year later. Molli is having to come to terms with inheriting a position he was never intended to have. Ria is dealing with her grief and becoming Marshal of Sekha. Even though she is mostly respected there are some that want to see her fall. The magic in Molli is awakening stronger then ever and Ria's strength is tested. Can they remain strong and defeat the demon king across the realms who wants to rule all? Or will they falter with the weight of the world on their shoulders?
Merriam, our FMC, is going through her grief the best she knows how. I love how determined she is though to not repeat the same decisions she has made in the past. It really shows her growth. The growth of being closed off to just shouting to the world... like hey this is me. Her relationship with Molli is still heartwarming and amazing. And the budding relationship with Rovin had me begging for more. Especially since Rovi smells like fall.... my favorite season. Haha. 🥵🔥
Molli, our MMC, is coming to grips that he is king now. And that means a lot of responsibilities that he was never taught. It's a learning curve. When Mer isn't around it is harder for him to focus and feel at peace. He is also dealing with traitors in his mix and his magical abilities growing exponentially and not knowing what that means.🖤
The side characters.... I'm putting Rovin in this mix. Even though I don't feel like he is much of a side character. But anyways.... I loved getting the flashbacks of his life and what made him be who he was. I loved to see his character arc. He was my favorite in Leaves May Fall and in book two it is no different. I love how open and honest. And protective and loving he truly is. He was just a misunderstood lover biscuit and now he isn't so misunderstood. My protective alphahole.🖤🖤 Aleah and Kodi are everything! I love their diabolical relationship so so much. Bellamy with Ryddan... I mean come on... completely done!!!! Their bond was out of this world heartwarming. If you don't melt with their interactions and cry... I would have to assume you are heartless. Ryddan and his dynamic with everyone was a nice addition to this story. I wish we would have gotten more the mercs in this book then what we did. They were a huge part of Ria's life so I was expecting more. But I understand it's a duology you can only write so much with certain characters.
What To Expect:
▪︎High Fantasy
▪︎Second book in Duology
▪︎Enemies to Reluctant Allies to Lovers
▪︎Found Family
▪︎Platonic Soulmates
▪︎Slow Burn 🔥🔥🔥
▪︎LGBTQ+ Rep
▪︎Magical System
▪︎Fae, Human, and Demons
▪︎Romance Subplot
▪︎Nicknames
▪︎Trigger Warnings: ⚠️⚠️ (May Contain Spoilers)
*Violence
*Murder/Death
*Strong Language
*Drug and Alcohol Use
*Kidnapping
*Torture
*Threat of Rape (no sexual assault occurs in the book)
*Sexually Explicit Content
▪︎And More....
Car's writing is so richly detailed in both books. She really does transport you to this whole other universe you wish you could be a part of. She makes you laugh, makes you scream, breaks your heart, and then heals you all within a span of a paragraph. And that is a win for me when someone can do that. Sometimes the pacing felt a bit off for me in random times of the book. All in all this duology will always hold a special place in my heart. The first one broke me and the second one healed me. I will always recommend it to anyone that is looking for this type of book recommendation. I can't wait to see what Car has cooking up in the future....and maybe if we are lucky she will let us come back to this world.
May Contain Spoilers for Book One.. Leaves May Fall! So please proceed with caution.
4.5/5 🌟
Mountains continues on the journey of Molli, Ria, and the rest of the gang in the aftermath of Leaves of Fall.... one year later. Molli is having to come to terms with inheriting a position he was never intended to have. Ria is dealing with her grief and becoming Marshal of Sekha. Even though she is mostly respected there are some that want to see her fall. The magic in Molli is awakening stronger then ever and Ria's strength is tested. Can they remain strong and defeat the demon king across the realms who wants to rule all? Or will they falter with the weight of the world on their shoulders?
Merriam, our FMC, is going through her grief the best she knows how. I love how determined she is though to not repeat the same decisions she has made in the past. It really shows her growth. The growth of being closed off to just shouting to the world... like hey this is me. Her relationship with Molli is still heartwarming and amazing. And the budding relationship with Rovin had me begging for more. Especially since Rovi smells like fall.... my favorite season. Haha. 🥵🔥
Molli, our MMC, is coming to grips that he is king now. And that means a lot of responsibilities that he was never taught. It's a learning curve. When Mer isn't around it is harder for him to focus and feel at peace. He is also dealing with traitors in his mix and his magical abilities growing exponentially and not knowing what that means.🖤
The side characters.... I'm putting Rovin in this mix. Even though I don't feel like he is much of a side character. But anyways.... I loved getting the flashbacks of his life and what made him be who he was. I loved to see his character arc. He was my favorite in Leaves May Fall and in book two it is no different. I love how open and honest. And protective and loving he truly is. He was just a misunderstood lover biscuit and now he isn't so misunderstood. My protective alphahole.🖤🖤 Aleah and Kodi are everything! I love their diabolical relationship so so much. Bellamy with Ryddan... I mean come on... completely done!!!! Their bond was out of this world heartwarming. If you don't melt with their interactions and cry... I would have to assume you are heartless. Ryddan and his dynamic with everyone was a nice addition to this story. I wish we would have gotten more the mercs in this book then what we did. They were a huge part of Ria's life so I was expecting more. But I understand it's a duology you can only write so much with certain characters.
What To Expect:
▪︎High Fantasy
▪︎Second book in Duology
▪︎Enemies to Reluctant Allies to Lovers
▪︎Found Family
▪︎Platonic Soulmates
▪︎Slow Burn 🔥🔥🔥
▪︎LGBTQ+ Rep
▪︎Magical System
▪︎Fae, Human, and Demons
▪︎Romance Subplot
▪︎Nicknames
▪︎Trigger Warnings: ⚠️⚠️ (May Contain Spoilers)
*Violence
*Murder/Death
*Strong Language
*Drug and Alcohol Use
*Kidnapping
*Torture
*Threat of Rape (no sexual assault occurs in the book)
*Sexually Explicit Content
▪︎And More....
Car's writing is so richly detailed in both books. She really does transport you to this whole other universe you wish you could be a part of. She makes you laugh, makes you scream, breaks your heart, and then heals you all within a span of a paragraph. And that is a win for me when someone can do that. Sometimes the pacing felt a bit off for me in random times of the book. All in all this duology will always hold a special place in my heart. The first one broke me and the second one healed me. I will always recommend it to anyone that is looking for this type of book recommendation. I can't wait to see what Car has cooking up in the future....and maybe if we are lucky she will let us come back to this world.
May 20, 2023
"𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧'𝙨."
First of all, thanks to Carissa for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion, I am deeply honored and grateful.
Also, there aren't major spoilers, but I did add some quotes from the book, so be aware of that.
Oh, I can't believe it's over.
Carissa, is it really over?
We only got two books with these characters and I feel that's not enough, but then again, as their creator, she knows if she's done telling their story surely better than I do.
Well, where to start? Probably by saying that I gave 4 stars instead of 5 (like I did for Leaves) only because I feel like the first had probably a more emotional impact on me. There were times then when I couldn't stop crying and I'd say that while MWC is definitely not without its peak emotional moments, LMF was a book that DEMANDED tears. Mountains is a journey that speaks of hope, smiles, second chances and learning that there's a life ahead of us that we can fight for and that can be full and amazing despite the pain in our past.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧-𝙙𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙..." 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧, 𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬-𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙨.
"𝙄'𝙢 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚," 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙡𝙮.
Merriam (and Mollian) suffered a GREAT loss in the past book that affected them personally, but that also affected the whole kingdom. Mollian is now king and Merriam is at his side now more than ever. And the threat they all face is something their world has never seen before. Demons. Demons who aim to control the Gate and its magic and through it dominate all the other universes.
If that wasn't enough, the conflict isn't only caused by external forces, but by greed that corrupts even those who should be fighting on the same side. Oh, you'll be pissed with our personal POS Captain Ferrick (btw Carissa, did you choose that name on purpose? If so, *HIGH FIVE*).
Rangers and mercenaries have to finally come together to face this threat as one if they want to survive.
"𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙪𝙢𝙗 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩." 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙝 𝙜𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙙.
𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙢 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧. "𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩."
I have a feeling that we saw less of the group of mercenaries in this one, the friends who have become Mer's family and I did miss that dynamic a little bit. Ryddan is an amazing addition, I love that little guy to bits. I love how attached he got to our characters and he definitely played a more central role in this book. One could say he was really the focus of the war and the action part.
And now, if you read my Leaves review, you know I have a weak spot for Rovin Arwood, and Mountains finally gave my shipper heart its juiciest desire. Finally the Merriam/Rovin (DemonWood?? Rorriam??) chemistry had the chance to bloom (or burn, if you prefer). These two are more alike than they think and I caught those vibes from the very first moment Rov was introduced in Leaves. I loved the combination of brilliant banter that remained between them and the new moments of softness and lightness that surface once they both decide they can be vulnerable with each other. They realized almost right away that what was between them was more than just physical and I really appreciated that. Theirs was also not the only romance that blossomed. (And yes, "pet" did in fact turn from a slur into a term of affection *SIGHS*)
"𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪." 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮.
𝙍𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣'𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙. "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚, 𝙥𝙚𝙩."
It was captivating to follow all the developments and understand the way the author tied together the threads from Leaves to Mountains, expanding on the way the magic works and changes and how it too can be corrupted and used against its nature. We got some new POVs that allowed us to get to know characters we'd already met, like Bellamy, or Kodi.
Once again Cassandra manages to mix humor and severity splendidly, heavy moments counterbalanced by equally signficant carefree ones.
"𝙍𝙞𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣, 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣' 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚," 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜.
The battle braids scene was everything. It was poignant and heartwarming, connecting even more this family of misfits, royals and law-abiding warriors.
Certain images were so vived in my mind as I read that I could picture them perfectly.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝."
The final line made me smile. It gave my heart peace and drew a smile from my lips as I relished in the knowledge that even if Cassandra was closing the door on these characters, their story had only just begun. Maybe one day she'll bring us back and allow us some more time with them.
For now, I am, again, incredibly thankful I got the chance to read this in advance and I really hope anyone who stumbles on these little reviews is intrigued and wants to step throught the portal these pages offer to travel to Merriam and Mollian's world.
First of all, thanks to Carissa for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion, I am deeply honored and grateful.
Also, there aren't major spoilers, but I did add some quotes from the book, so be aware of that.
Oh, I can't believe it's over.
Carissa, is it really over?
We only got two books with these characters and I feel that's not enough, but then again, as their creator, she knows if she's done telling their story surely better than I do.
Well, where to start? Probably by saying that I gave 4 stars instead of 5 (like I did for Leaves) only because I feel like the first had probably a more emotional impact on me. There were times then when I couldn't stop crying and I'd say that while MWC is definitely not without its peak emotional moments, LMF was a book that DEMANDED tears. Mountains is a journey that speaks of hope, smiles, second chances and learning that there's a life ahead of us that we can fight for and that can be full and amazing despite the pain in our past.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧-𝙙𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙..." 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧, 𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬-𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙨.
"𝙄'𝙢 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚," 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙡𝙮.
Merriam (and Mollian) suffered a GREAT loss in the past book that affected them personally, but that also affected the whole kingdom. Mollian is now king and Merriam is at his side now more than ever. And the threat they all face is something their world has never seen before. Demons. Demons who aim to control the Gate and its magic and through it dominate all the other universes.
If that wasn't enough, the conflict isn't only caused by external forces, but by greed that corrupts even those who should be fighting on the same side. Oh, you'll be pissed with our personal POS Captain Ferrick (btw Carissa, did you choose that name on purpose? If so, *HIGH FIVE*).
Rangers and mercenaries have to finally come together to face this threat as one if they want to survive.
"𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙪𝙢𝙗 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩." 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙝 𝙜𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙙.
𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙢 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧. "𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩."
I have a feeling that we saw less of the group of mercenaries in this one, the friends who have become Mer's family and I did miss that dynamic a little bit. Ryddan is an amazing addition, I love that little guy to bits. I love how attached he got to our characters and he definitely played a more central role in this book. One could say he was really the focus of the war and the action part.
And now, if you read my Leaves review, you know I have a weak spot for Rovin Arwood, and Mountains finally gave my shipper heart its juiciest desire. Finally the Merriam/Rovin (DemonWood?? Rorriam??) chemistry had the chance to bloom (or burn, if you prefer). These two are more alike than they think and I caught those vibes from the very first moment Rov was introduced in Leaves. I loved the combination of brilliant banter that remained between them and the new moments of softness and lightness that surface once they both decide they can be vulnerable with each other. They realized almost right away that what was between them was more than just physical and I really appreciated that. Theirs was also not the only romance that blossomed. (And yes, "pet" did in fact turn from a slur into a term of affection *SIGHS*)
"𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪." 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮.
𝙍𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣'𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙. "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚, 𝙥𝙚𝙩."
It was captivating to follow all the developments and understand the way the author tied together the threads from Leaves to Mountains, expanding on the way the magic works and changes and how it too can be corrupted and used against its nature. We got some new POVs that allowed us to get to know characters we'd already met, like Bellamy, or Kodi.
Once again Cassandra manages to mix humor and severity splendidly, heavy moments counterbalanced by equally signficant carefree ones.
"𝙍𝙞𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣, 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣' 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚," 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜.
The battle braids scene was everything. It was poignant and heartwarming, connecting even more this family of misfits, royals and law-abiding warriors.
Certain images were so vived in my mind as I read that I could picture them perfectly.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝."
The final line made me smile. It gave my heart peace and drew a smile from my lips as I relished in the knowledge that even if Cassandra was closing the door on these characters, their story had only just begun. Maybe one day she'll bring us back and allow us some more time with them.
For now, I am, again, incredibly thankful I got the chance to read this in advance and I really hope anyone who stumbles on these little reviews is intrigued and wants to step throught the portal these pages offer to travel to Merriam and Mollian's world.
June 17, 2023
While I also gave Leaves May Fall a three star rating, Leaves stuck with me for some reason, despite my critiques of it so I knew I wanted to read Mountains Will Crumble to finish out this duology.
Mountains suffered from similar issues I had with the first one. Until about 30% into the book, I had no idea where the plot was going. It felt like it meandered around. It wasn’t even until 50% in where the main antagonist actually becomes relevant. I understand the trip south was to tie up other characters arcs and introduce some new characters but it didn’t feel completely relevant to main story at all. More like it should be a side story released later. The whole building a railroad plot arc simply showed up in the beginning disappeared and then suddenly reappeared at the very end. It was odd. The plot in general needed to be tightened up a little. Perhaps not every character needs a love interest?
On the romance side of things, it didn’t feel very compelling. Because there is a one year gap in between the first and second book, I feel that we missed a lot of important character development for Rovin and Mer to justify where they are at in the beginning of Mountains. Like they are already into each other… and everyone knows it too. I just felt I needed more build up to really care about their relationship. Missing what assume to be character development on Rovin’s part in that year made Rovin feel like a completely different character all together.
In terms of writing, it was alright but sometimes I felt like characters jumped around from action to action, missing the steps in between or not illustrating that time had passed. Additionally, I found some lines to be kind of cringey in a way? Or feel far too modern for the fantasy context, even if Mer is from Earth.
Rydd was an enjoyable character and I thought the author was setting him up to be more convinced by his uncle to switch sides. But that ended up falling flat as soon as they arrive to save him.
All this being said, I did enjoy the book despite my complaints and the end was satisfying, even if we didn’t get a clear explanation of how Molli got his powers to begin with or anything.
Mountains suffered from similar issues I had with the first one. Until about 30% into the book, I had no idea where the plot was going. It felt like it meandered around. It wasn’t even until 50% in where the main antagonist actually becomes relevant. I understand the trip south was to tie up other characters arcs and introduce some new characters but it didn’t feel completely relevant to main story at all. More like it should be a side story released later. The whole building a railroad plot arc simply showed up in the beginning disappeared and then suddenly reappeared at the very end. It was odd. The plot in general needed to be tightened up a little. Perhaps not every character needs a love interest?
On the romance side of things, it didn’t feel very compelling. Because there is a one year gap in between the first and second book, I feel that we missed a lot of important character development for Rovin and Mer to justify where they are at in the beginning of Mountains. Like they are already into each other… and everyone knows it too. I just felt I needed more build up to really care about their relationship. Missing what assume to be character development on Rovin’s part in that year made Rovin feel like a completely different character all together.
In terms of writing, it was alright but sometimes I felt like characters jumped around from action to action, missing the steps in between or not illustrating that time had passed. Additionally, I found some lines to be kind of cringey in a way? Or feel far too modern for the fantasy context, even if Mer is from Earth.
Rydd was an enjoyable character and I thought the author was setting him up to be more convinced by his uncle to switch sides. But that ended up falling flat as soon as they arrive to save him.
All this being said, I did enjoy the book despite my complaints and the end was satisfying, even if we didn’t get a clear explanation of how Molli got his powers to begin with or anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2023
I received an ARC for an honest review.
5 stars for the whole series! Car really outdid herself with this book. In many stories, especially fantasy ones, you know certain characters will make it out alive and have a happy ending. That is not how I felt reading Mountains Will Crumble. Book 1 left me a bit scarred so from the beginning I was nervous for everyone's well being especially at the last battle. I started reading the second book right after rereading the first one so my emotions might have been heightened but this was another emotional book for me. Like I mentioned in my review on the first book, I get attached to side characters and I just wanted all of them to get their HEA.
One of the things I loved the most about book one was the connection between the mercs and Merriam. Book 2 took it a step higher and expanded the little family circle. Now we had Kodi, because of Aleah, Rovin, because of Kodi, and Bellamy who had a beautiful friendship with Mollian and Merriam. We get more character development from all three rangers and I would kill for Bellamy. His relationship with Ryddan is the cutest and can melt the coldest heart. Bellamy finds love unexpectedly and I love them. I won't say much about them, except that they were just simply meant to be 🖤
There are flashbacks to the past as there was in the first book but this time it includes Rovin's POV which are very much needed to understand the past between Merriam and Rovin. As much as I loved Oren, I am an enemies to lovers girl because I love the banter and how they push each others buttons. They felt like enemies in the first book but while reading the second one and gaining insight to what they felt during those interactions it felt like they were nemesis at best. There is still a lot of back and forth between them trying to accept what their feelings have evolved to.
I am so happy to have gotten the opportunity to read this series but so sad that it's over. This has quickly turned into one of my favorite books that I will always recommend.
5 stars for the whole series! Car really outdid herself with this book. In many stories, especially fantasy ones, you know certain characters will make it out alive and have a happy ending. That is not how I felt reading Mountains Will Crumble. Book 1 left me a bit scarred so from the beginning I was nervous for everyone's well being especially at the last battle. I started reading the second book right after rereading the first one so my emotions might have been heightened but this was another emotional book for me. Like I mentioned in my review on the first book, I get attached to side characters and I just wanted all of them to get their HEA.
One of the things I loved the most about book one was the connection between the mercs and Merriam. Book 2 took it a step higher and expanded the little family circle. Now we had Kodi, because of Aleah, Rovin, because of Kodi, and Bellamy who had a beautiful friendship with Mollian and Merriam. We get more character development from all three rangers and I would kill for Bellamy. His relationship with Ryddan is the cutest and can melt the coldest heart. Bellamy finds love unexpectedly and I love them. I won't say much about them, except that they were just simply meant to be 🖤
There are flashbacks to the past as there was in the first book but this time it includes Rovin's POV which are very much needed to understand the past between Merriam and Rovin. As much as I loved Oren, I am an enemies to lovers girl because I love the banter and how they push each others buttons. They felt like enemies in the first book but while reading the second one and gaining insight to what they felt during those interactions it felt like they were nemesis at best. There is still a lot of back and forth between them trying to accept what their feelings have evolved to.
I am so happy to have gotten the opportunity to read this series but so sad that it's over. This has quickly turned into one of my favorite books that I will always recommend.
March 28, 2023
Coming off of this beta-read, I cannot say enough how much I loved this book.
The duology as a whole is fresh, fun, and pulls at the heartstrings.
Hardcastle did it again, and I highly recommend this duology to anyone who loves epic fantasy, found families, trauma bonding, and flaming hot love.
Yes, I gave this five stars and it’s not even PUBLISHED. Because yes, it was that good.
The duology as a whole is fresh, fun, and pulls at the heartstrings.
Hardcastle did it again, and I highly recommend this duology to anyone who loves epic fantasy, found families, trauma bonding, and flaming hot love.
Yes, I gave this five stars and it’s not even PUBLISHED. Because yes, it was that good.
March 9, 2024
Again...so many emotions packed into one little book! My heart hurt reading some spots. I laughed, I cried. The ending however is so sweet and I give both the first book and this one all around 5 stars!
June 9, 2023
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars!
Ugh I loved this duology so much. Book one took my heart and ripped it out of my chest—and this one slowly put it back together again.
I love these characters and this story. This is one of the best found family group of characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, truly. Merriam and Mollian’s bond is so pure and their friendship is everything. I’ll never get over the fated friendship aspect of this story because it was so unique, so raw, and it’s something I’ve never seen in fantasy before which I greatly appreciated!
Without giving away spoilers, Merriam’s healing journey was so nice to see. She is so badass and strong, both mentally and physically, and I really just loved her so much. She cared for the people in her life fiercely and she is just an overall wonderful FMC.
Rovin. Ugh my dear Rovin!!! His character development was believable and beautiful. I loved him in book one despite his angst because I just felt like he would be something more. I loved him 10x more in this one and he was one of my favorite characters in this story.
Bellamy. I just want to hug him forever.
Mollian’s growth was also beautiful to see. I loved how level-headed he was, his sarcasm and sass, and his deep love for Merriam. So sweet.
As I said in my review for book one, I really loved how this duology handled the whole fae realm / human realm situation. I usually cannot stand when modern day earth is incorporated into a fantasy novel, but this one does it so well and only when necessary. It made sense, wasn’t overused, and just for really well into the story especially towards the end.
Overall, I’m so glad I found this duology and gave it chance because it is so, so good. It’s beautiful, it’s sad and heartbreaking at times, and bittersweet. Love love love!
Ugh I loved this duology so much. Book one took my heart and ripped it out of my chest—and this one slowly put it back together again.
I love these characters and this story. This is one of the best found family group of characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, truly. Merriam and Mollian’s bond is so pure and their friendship is everything. I’ll never get over the fated friendship aspect of this story because it was so unique, so raw, and it’s something I’ve never seen in fantasy before which I greatly appreciated!
Without giving away spoilers, Merriam’s healing journey was so nice to see. She is so badass and strong, both mentally and physically, and I really just loved her so much. She cared for the people in her life fiercely and she is just an overall wonderful FMC.
Rovin. Ugh my dear Rovin!!! His character development was believable and beautiful. I loved him in book one despite his angst because I just felt like he would be something more. I loved him 10x more in this one and he was one of my favorite characters in this story.
Bellamy. I just want to hug him forever.
Mollian’s growth was also beautiful to see. I loved how level-headed he was, his sarcasm and sass, and his deep love for Merriam. So sweet.
As I said in my review for book one, I really loved how this duology handled the whole fae realm / human realm situation. I usually cannot stand when modern day earth is incorporated into a fantasy novel, but this one does it so well and only when necessary. It made sense, wasn’t overused, and just for really well into the story especially towards the end.
Overall, I’m so glad I found this duology and gave it chance because it is so, so good. It’s beautiful, it’s sad and heartbreaking at times, and bittersweet. Love love love!
May 21, 2023
ARC review
I was honored with the arc of this amazing book and I'm in awe.
This is the perfect finish for the duology. Going on another adventure with Mer, Mollian and the Mercs felt like coming home. And this book had me smiling, crying, holding my breath and screaming. Every single character's perspective felt so natural, even the enemies, that I couldn't disconnect their feelings from mine and I was hurting for every single one. The character development is so supple, but so astonishing at the same time. The friendships (more like found family) felt true to the heart and I was so glad to see Mer have such an amazing support system and them taking in Molli without behaving differently since he was crowned king. Seeing Kodi and Rovin slowly integrate into the group while the tension between Rovin and Mer still exist was so fun. And I love how Bellamy was basically just adopted by everyone while he adopts Ryddan. I don't know where Shiloh came from but they're perfect in this group and the merc's needed someone who can see the wonder in simple things. They brought a smile to my face every time a card trick was done and I can totally imagine them reading dirty magazines with Bellamy. I just love every single character in this book and I'm going to miss them.
While the characters are already amazing, the plot is genius. I wasn't able to predict anything and seeing a new enemy show up and become more of a thread than the big evil demon... I was shocked. I don't want to spoil anything so I'm not going to say much, but be prepared for a wild ride.
So what is left to say except thank you, Car! Thank you for this amazing book and the whole duology. You wrote the perfect ending and thank you for Rovin. I love your characters and everything you managed to express. Writing such an amazing, inclusive and astonishing story must have been so hard, but you did it. So thank you for sharing them with us. Sharing Mer's story and Molli's love and every character you created. They will forever be in my heart ❤️
I was honored with the arc of this amazing book and I'm in awe.
This is the perfect finish for the duology. Going on another adventure with Mer, Mollian and the Mercs felt like coming home. And this book had me smiling, crying, holding my breath and screaming. Every single character's perspective felt so natural, even the enemies, that I couldn't disconnect their feelings from mine and I was hurting for every single one. The character development is so supple, but so astonishing at the same time. The friendships (more like found family) felt true to the heart and I was so glad to see Mer have such an amazing support system and them taking in Molli without behaving differently since he was crowned king. Seeing Kodi and Rovin slowly integrate into the group while the tension between Rovin and Mer still exist was so fun. And I love how Bellamy was basically just adopted by everyone while he adopts Ryddan. I don't know where Shiloh came from but they're perfect in this group and the merc's needed someone who can see the wonder in simple things. They brought a smile to my face every time a card trick was done and I can totally imagine them reading dirty magazines with Bellamy. I just love every single character in this book and I'm going to miss them.
While the characters are already amazing, the plot is genius. I wasn't able to predict anything and seeing a new enemy show up and become more of a thread than the big evil demon... I was shocked. I don't want to spoil anything so I'm not going to say much, but be prepared for a wild ride.
So what is left to say except thank you, Car! Thank you for this amazing book and the whole duology. You wrote the perfect ending and thank you for Rovin. I love your characters and everything you managed to express. Writing such an amazing, inclusive and astonishing story must have been so hard, but you did it. So thank you for sharing them with us. Sharing Mer's story and Molli's love and every character you created. They will forever be in my heart ❤️
May 26, 2023
*Big shouts to Car for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 ⭐️
Ugh. Where do I even begin? This duet is literally the perfect poster-child for the found family trope. Yes, there's romance. Yes, there's lots of action and demons and fighting and cursing. But what really makes this duology something special are the friendships and how those friendships become family worth dying for.
I want to spend a drunken night playing Odds with the mercs. I want to have a night out with the Rangers. I want to have silent conversations in my head with my soul-bonded best friend. I WANT IT ALL.
My only, teensy gripe is some struggles I had with the pacing, but those issues are minor and more than overlooked by the characters within these pages. I'm such a slut for a character-driven story, and this was another great one.
Car, I'm so proud of you for telling this story. I can't wait to read more of what is floating in your mind (which...did we get some sneak peaks? 👀 You don't have to answer but I have SUSPICIONS that make me so excited).
Until then, live.
*cries*
4.5 ⭐️
Ugh. Where do I even begin? This duet is literally the perfect poster-child for the found family trope. Yes, there's romance. Yes, there's lots of action and demons and fighting and cursing. But what really makes this duology something special are the friendships and how those friendships become family worth dying for.
I want to spend a drunken night playing Odds with the mercs. I want to have a night out with the Rangers. I want to have silent conversations in my head with my soul-bonded best friend. I WANT IT ALL.
My only, teensy gripe is some struggles I had with the pacing, but those issues are minor and more than overlooked by the characters within these pages. I'm such a slut for a character-driven story, and this was another great one.
Car, I'm so proud of you for telling this story. I can't wait to read more of what is floating in your mind (which...did we get some sneak peaks? 👀 You don't have to answer but I have SUSPICIONS that make me so excited).
Until then, live.
*cries*
January 3, 2024
This pains me to write as Leaves May Fall was one of my favorite reads last year.
This book felt odd. The pacing. The dialogue. Everything just felt a bit off. I was in Rovin’s number 1 fan club in the first book and I had high hopes for him and Merriam in this one. That sadly fell very short as the chemistry just wasn’t there. Everything felt so forced compared to the flow between her and Oren.
A lot of the actions and reactions in this book felt clunky and out of place. There was a severe lack of emotional/internal build up to outbursts. Maybe this was a consequence of an already monstrous page volume?
This book felt odd. The pacing. The dialogue. Everything just felt a bit off. I was in Rovin’s number 1 fan club in the first book and I had high hopes for him and Merriam in this one. That sadly fell very short as the chemistry just wasn’t there. Everything felt so forced compared to the flow between her and Oren.
A lot of the actions and reactions in this book felt clunky and out of place. There was a severe lack of emotional/internal build up to outbursts. Maybe this was a consequence of an already monstrous page volume?
July 19, 2023
Yet again, Carissa has captured my imagination with her world and characters in the Leaves May Fall duology, Mountains Will Crumble. Every emotion felt, challenge faced, and relationship in this series is gold.
I feel a kinship with Merriam and love seeing her grow and change throughout while staying true to herself.
The last several chapters did feel rushed to tie up the story with where characters are at in life and relationships post *not giving anything away*.
I love these books and never do re-reads but you can bet your bottom dollar I will be re-reading these!
I feel a kinship with Merriam and love seeing her grow and change throughout while staying true to herself.
The last several chapters did feel rushed to tie up the story with where characters are at in life and relationships post *not giving anything away*.
I love these books and never do re-reads but you can bet your bottom dollar I will be re-reading these!
May 17, 2023
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book. The first in the series, Leaves May fall was one of my top three books I read last year. The second book didn’t disappoint. This world is fantastic and the characters are amazing.
I absolutely love the representation in this book. It doesn’t feel forced, and I wanted to know what was happening with all the side characters.
The thing I love most about this book is the friendship and connection. The two main characters have a unique relationship that I don’t think I have ever read in a book. They have love each other, and it’s completely platonic. This is very special to me because I relate to this so much. My best friend of 31 years is male. We have so much love and admiration for each other in a completely platonic way.
I highly recommend these books as I know, they will be a favorite of mine for years to come.
The only thing that sucks is that this is the end for these characters.
I absolutely love the representation in this book. It doesn’t feel forced, and I wanted to know what was happening with all the side characters.
The thing I love most about this book is the friendship and connection. The two main characters have a unique relationship that I don’t think I have ever read in a book. They have love each other, and it’s completely platonic. This is very special to me because I relate to this so much. My best friend of 31 years is male. We have so much love and admiration for each other in a completely platonic way.
I highly recommend these books as I know, they will be a favorite of mine for years to come.
The only thing that sucks is that this is the end for these characters.
May 20, 2023
I was very happy to have received a e-arc copy of this book as Leaves May Fall may have been my favorite read of 2022. I was instantly swept up in Carissa’s world and was infatuated with the love story between Mer and Orin. Mountains picks up a few months after Leaves. I love the fated friends trope and the deep bond between Mer and Mol. The band of merc friends is a group I would love to have an ale with. I love the Ryd/Bellamy storyline so much. My only struggle was I was not into the Rovin/Mer relationship as much, but it’s due to how much I was in love with she and Orin. The POV switching was a little confusing at times, but overall highly recommend and a great ending to a great story.
May 19, 2023
What a ride this duology has been.
I loved the concept of platonic soul mates and loved how the author brought everything to an end with this book. Merriam has grown so much in this book along with Mollian, and I love all the side characters (aka Main FC love interest)
I loved the action and the banter between everyone. It made for a fun read. Of course, I love everything to do with the fae and so knew I'd love this story.
If you're looking to read a story where the author writes so well you feel like you're "there" alongside the characters, then you've found the book to read here.
Thanks, Carissa, for writing this story and for giving me all the feels with these characters!!!
I was honored to receive an ARC for an honest review.
I loved the concept of platonic soul mates and loved how the author brought everything to an end with this book. Merriam has grown so much in this book along with Mollian, and I love all the side characters (aka Main FC love interest)
I loved the action and the banter between everyone. It made for a fun read. Of course, I love everything to do with the fae and so knew I'd love this story.
If you're looking to read a story where the author writes so well you feel like you're "there" alongside the characters, then you've found the book to read here.
Thanks, Carissa, for writing this story and for giving me all the feels with these characters!!!
I was honored to receive an ARC for an honest review.
September 12, 2023
“Aren’t all the best adventures a little reckless?”
Once again, Carissa Hardcastle delivers the most relatable characters while making sure none of them get lost. Even the minor characters have me emotionally invested. I loved all the banter balanced perfectly with some of the darker elements of this book. Amongst a beautifully written found family trope we also get to explore the different ways we process grief. The spice was *chef’s kiss*. The action scenes were enthralling. Yet again, an emotional rollercoaster. I’m so happy there is a novella because I will never be ready to let go of this world.
Favorite Character: Bellamy, Shiloh
January 23, 2026
2.5
This took me so, so, soooo long to finish. Why is this book so flipping long?? There is so much filler that adds absolutely nothing to the story or the characters and made this book almost impossible to slog through. There were times I actually forgot what the actual plot was because of how much time was focused on NOTHING.
We hardly spent any time focused on the literal demons that were invading the world, instead spending all of our time focused on nonsense internal fights for power within their own inner circle.
I love the idea of the gate so much but the magic surrounding it is hardly even a main plot point of this book. It's skipped over constantly and half ass mentioned every now and then as like… what? A reminder that it still exists?
Honestly, the entire arc of this story is the demons and they don't even really show up until 70% into this book. If that doesn't tell you how much extra unrelated fluff there was right there. I wanted action! And Politics! Not day to day blah goings on in the castle.
This took me so, so, soooo long to finish. Why is this book so flipping long?? There is so much filler that adds absolutely nothing to the story or the characters and made this book almost impossible to slog through. There were times I actually forgot what the actual plot was because of how much time was focused on NOTHING.
We hardly spent any time focused on the literal demons that were invading the world, instead spending all of our time focused on nonsense internal fights for power within their own inner circle.
I love the idea of the gate so much but the magic surrounding it is hardly even a main plot point of this book. It's skipped over constantly and half ass mentioned every now and then as like… what? A reminder that it still exists?
Honestly, the entire arc of this story is the demons and they don't even really show up until 70% into this book. If that doesn't tell you how much extra unrelated fluff there was right there. I wanted action! And Politics! Not day to day blah goings on in the castle.
August 14, 2024
I was lucky enough to have been sent an ARC of this after reading and adoring Leaves May Fall earlier this year.
This is by far my favourite read of 2023.
Found family, platonic soulmates, portal magic, romance, cross world battles, a badass axe wielding FMC. This book packs in so much.
Car is such a natural writer, she manages to pack in so much action and emotion into one book but its so beautifully done and both MWC and LMF are so easy to read. MWC rounds off the story beautifully for Merriam and Mollian.
I have a real mix of emotions because I'm so thrilled to have experienced their story and yet so sad that its over.
If you read any duology this year make sure it is this one.
This is by far my favourite read of 2023.
Found family, platonic soulmates, portal magic, romance, cross world battles, a badass axe wielding FMC. This book packs in so much.
Car is such a natural writer, she manages to pack in so much action and emotion into one book but its so beautifully done and both MWC and LMF are so easy to read. MWC rounds off the story beautifully for Merriam and Mollian.
I have a real mix of emotions because I'm so thrilled to have experienced their story and yet so sad that its over.
If you read any duology this year make sure it is this one.
June 20, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️
There is so much that I loved about this duology and this may have resulted in me expecting more from the story as a whole. There were so many elements which, individually, were outstanding and blew me away, yet despite this, the sum just wasn't as great as the parts.
What was great? (potential spoilers from Book 1 may be discussed)
The world-building was incredible and the magic-system was very intriguing. I loved the elements of inter-dimensional travel and the exposure to demons and other worlds. I was also extremely entertained by the dialogue and banter between the characters (even if, at times, there was too much contemporary language used). The large ensemble of characters with charming personalities also ensured that I was thoroughly invested in their outcomes. The action/battle scenes were always captivating and some even had me in a chokehold until I reached a point of some resolution.
The shining light in this duology has to be Mollian and his relationship with his platonic soul-mate, Merriam. His character arc was incredibly satisfying to follow, and the depth of his powers, his emotions, his love for Merriam, and his devotion to his friends and his kingdom make him an instant favourite character. As with book 1, I am insanely jealous of the bond he has with Mer and being able to experience their love and loyalty towards each other was an incredibly unique and special aspect of this story. My only criticism of his arc is the lack of clarity regarding his powers, why he has them, more clarity/development on why his connection with Mer is so different (given they can Cast images etc.) and I would have loved some better closure on this very important part of the story.
What disappointed me? (this section may contain spoilers)
A big issue I had with book 1 was the nature/development of the relationship between Merriam and Oren, and as I predicted, it had an effect on my experience of the new relationship between Merriam and Rovin. The time jump between book 1 and 2 may have (off-page) granted Merriam the time to grieve her loss of Oren and a change in dynamic between her and Rovin, but as the reader, we don't experience that growth, therefore it doesn't feel like a natural transition from Mer/Oren to Mer moving on with her 'enemy'. I also personally felt that the way Mer's relationship with Oren was written ultimately made it difficult to follow a romantic storyline with Mer and any other character. Too much time was spent on Mer/Oren (ineffectively as well) in comparison to what is given with Rovin. Though this isn't impossible to do both relationships justice in theory, the romance in this book was a sub-plot (in comparison to book 1), and therefore there wasn't enough time or focus on the natural development of Mer and Rovin's relationship for me to be fully convinced and invested in it. It also lacked the emotional, intimate qualities and interactions that both characters had in their inner dialogue but was never fully expressed on page in a way that will make you want to root for a couple.
I was also somewhat disappointed in the overall use of Rovin's character. In the end, he felt like a vehicle for Merriam's journey despite the fact that he had become such a vital component of the King's circle and important plot points, so I was just hoping for more from his own arc in this book, perhaps more of a role in the outcome/climax of the book. Rather, I felt that his main arc of this book was that he had earned Mer's forgiveness and become her partner (which is disappointing for his character since Mer has a much stronger bond with Molli and Oren. He deserved something more than his relationship with Mer). Again, this would be fine for a secondary character but he was written with a backstory and flashback scenes which built him up to be a main character and so I wanted more from his overall arc.
I also felt some secondary characters were written into the story for book 2 but ultimately had no contribution to the plot. Some of these could have been removed and the plot would not have been effected at all. Whether this was for means of representation, I am not sure, but I would have preferred to see these characters actually be relevant to the events in the story, or more time given to the other characters who could have benefitted from more development.
Lastly, there were several pacing issues which created the overall experience of the sum not being as great as the parts. Some major points in this story ended up being far more exciting than the final scenes (in my opinion) but more importantly the parts in between these events felt somewhat pointless and dragged at times. A major and incredibly intense plot point happens around 60%, after which the plot slows down significantly for weeks to allow for dynamics and interactions which didn't feel natural to be happening at this point of the story. These kinds of interactions had already been used several times in earlier parts of the story (therefore were not essential at this point) and it would have made the build up to the ending be more exciting and effective without these insignificant delays right before the climax of the story.
Overall, this duology had several aspects which consumed and entertained me, and I genuinely am disappointed that I didn't love it as much as I wanted to, as some of these characters and the interactions between them have truly become favourites of mine.
There is so much that I loved about this duology and this may have resulted in me expecting more from the story as a whole. There were so many elements which, individually, were outstanding and blew me away, yet despite this, the sum just wasn't as great as the parts.
What was great? (potential spoilers from Book 1 may be discussed)
The world-building was incredible and the magic-system was very intriguing. I loved the elements of inter-dimensional travel and the exposure to demons and other worlds. I was also extremely entertained by the dialogue and banter between the characters (even if, at times, there was too much contemporary language used). The large ensemble of characters with charming personalities also ensured that I was thoroughly invested in their outcomes. The action/battle scenes were always captivating and some even had me in a chokehold until I reached a point of some resolution.
The shining light in this duology has to be Mollian and his relationship with his platonic soul-mate, Merriam. His character arc was incredibly satisfying to follow, and the depth of his powers, his emotions, his love for Merriam, and his devotion to his friends and his kingdom make him an instant favourite character. As with book 1, I am insanely jealous of the bond he has with Mer and being able to experience their love and loyalty towards each other was an incredibly unique and special aspect of this story. My only criticism of his arc is the lack of clarity regarding his powers, why he has them, more clarity/development on why his connection with Mer is so different (given they can Cast images etc.) and I would have loved some better closure on this very important part of the story.
What disappointed me? (this section may contain spoilers)
A big issue I had with book 1 was the nature/development of the relationship between Merriam and Oren, and as I predicted, it had an effect on my experience of the new relationship between Merriam and Rovin. The time jump between book 1 and 2 may have (off-page) granted Merriam the time to grieve her loss of Oren and a change in dynamic between her and Rovin, but as the reader, we don't experience that growth, therefore it doesn't feel like a natural transition from Mer/Oren to Mer moving on with her 'enemy'. I also personally felt that the way Mer's relationship with Oren was written ultimately made it difficult to follow a romantic storyline with Mer and any other character. Too much time was spent on Mer/Oren (ineffectively as well) in comparison to what is given with Rovin. Though this isn't impossible to do both relationships justice in theory, the romance in this book was a sub-plot (in comparison to book 1), and therefore there wasn't enough time or focus on the natural development of Mer and Rovin's relationship for me to be fully convinced and invested in it. It also lacked the emotional, intimate qualities and interactions that both characters had in their inner dialogue but was never fully expressed on page in a way that will make you want to root for a couple.
I was also somewhat disappointed in the overall use of Rovin's character. In the end, he felt like a vehicle for Merriam's journey despite the fact that he had become such a vital component of the King's circle and important plot points, so I was just hoping for more from his own arc in this book, perhaps more of a role in the outcome/climax of the book. Rather, I felt that his main arc of this book was that he had earned Mer's forgiveness and become her partner (which is disappointing for his character since Mer has a much stronger bond with Molli and Oren. He deserved something more than his relationship with Mer). Again, this would be fine for a secondary character but he was written with a backstory and flashback scenes which built him up to be a main character and so I wanted more from his overall arc.
I also felt some secondary characters were written into the story for book 2 but ultimately had no contribution to the plot. Some of these could have been removed and the plot would not have been effected at all. Whether this was for means of representation, I am not sure, but I would have preferred to see these characters actually be relevant to the events in the story, or more time given to the other characters who could have benefitted from more development.
Lastly, there were several pacing issues which created the overall experience of the sum not being as great as the parts. Some major points in this story ended up being far more exciting than the final scenes (in my opinion) but more importantly the parts in between these events felt somewhat pointless and dragged at times. A major and incredibly intense plot point happens around 60%, after which the plot slows down significantly for weeks to allow for dynamics and interactions which didn't feel natural to be happening at this point of the story. These kinds of interactions had already been used several times in earlier parts of the story (therefore were not essential at this point) and it would have made the build up to the ending be more exciting and effective without these insignificant delays right before the climax of the story.
Overall, this duology had several aspects which consumed and entertained me, and I genuinely am disappointed that I didn't love it as much as I wanted to, as some of these characters and the interactions between them have truly become favourites of mine.
May 6, 2024
How was this even better than the first book?!
Hands down the best enemies to lovers plot ever done!
A continuation of amazing representation in Hardcastle's work.
The addition of the pronounciation guide in the beginning of the book was *chef's kiss* a lovely surprise.
The overall plot a slightly lacking/ a bit repetitive of this first book but I truly didn't mind because the characters were excellently written.
Hands down the best enemies to lovers plot ever done!
A continuation of amazing representation in Hardcastle's work.
The addition of the pronounciation guide in the beginning of the book was *chef's kiss* a lovely surprise.
The overall plot a slightly lacking/ a bit repetitive of this first book but I truly didn't mind because the characters were excellently written.
June 11, 2023
I honestly don't understand how this is rated so high. I loved the first but this felt like it was 600 pages of nothing. 😞
June 28, 2023
**I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
This is the second and final installment of the Leaves May Fall Duology and I enjoyed it soooo much.
It was really fun to revisit the characters we fell in love with in the fist book. Carissa Hardcastle does a good job of building emotions and the connection within a found family. Ryddan and Bell's relationship is beautiful. Rovin and Mer working through her past together was so much fun and almost annoyingly healthy LOL.
The villains were aggravating and despicable in the best of ways. Although, I have to say that Fennick was the one who got the biggest rise out of me. While Dronin was awful, I thought it was funny that he kept calling Chairn an idiot... and then left his castle unattended. His hubris and overconfidence was not nearly as endearing as Kodi and Aleah and I couldn't wait for him to get punched in his smug face. Donova and Fenneck were power hungry monsters and I'm glad they both...uh... floated away.
I really enjoyed visiting new locations within Sekha. The author put in a lot of effort to flesh out the world and the relationships, although there are times where I felt there may have been too much information. I was so anxious about the main storyline and the fate of the characters that I found myself wanting to rush through the transitionary scenes. I just couldn't wait!
While I did feel that some areas were maybe over-explained or there was a lot of scenes in the transition between major plot points, it didn't strike me as poor writing, the writing was still phenomenal. Hardcastle has already shown many times that is a master of "Show don't tell." To me, it felt more to me like the author wanted to ensure that their characters were portrayed properly. They want to make sure they did justice to each and every character. I feel that Carissa is a wonderful writer and I hope that they can trust that they have already laid the groundwork for us to understand the motivations and emotions pushing their characters forward. She has already provided so much emotion and insight.
I LOVED Shiloh as a character and I loved them as another example of the very vast and diversified characters and world that Carissa has provided. The being said, I didn't feel that they added anything overly tangible to the story, which fell a bit flat for me. I would have loved to see them play a bigger and more impactful role. When they were first introduced I was really excited because I actually thought that they would be a spy for the demons or that she was in league with Fennick. For a time I thought that they might abduct Mer. Or perhaps they were part of a resistance against Aleahs family. They were great for Bellamy but, again, fell a bit flat for me. Maybe it's just a personal preference or because I had put these expectations on the character. Every scene with Shiloh was great and filled me with anticipation... but Kodi may as well come out of the Tree and say "family time" because I was never fully satisfied.
As usual Hardcastle came THROUGH with the battle scenes. Every fight scene was impeccable and had me sweating. To be able to follow the final showdown and the Mercs fighting almost step for step is a testament to the authors dedication, thought and time poured into this book.
The ending I felt was true to the characters and I love how each character stayed true to themselves even in the face of adversity. Bellamy picking up science kits for Ryddan and Molli while at Joann's was so on brand. I can't even describe it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the whole duology. If you are a fan of High Fantasy, Fae, parallel universes, fucking (both the adjective and the noun) dragons and found families saving life as they know it.... this is 100% for you!
This is the second and final installment of the Leaves May Fall Duology and I enjoyed it soooo much.
It was really fun to revisit the characters we fell in love with in the fist book. Carissa Hardcastle does a good job of building emotions and the connection within a found family. Ryddan and Bell's relationship is beautiful. Rovin and Mer working through her past together was so much fun and almost annoyingly healthy LOL.
The villains were aggravating and despicable in the best of ways. Although, I have to say that Fennick was the one who got the biggest rise out of me. While Dronin was awful, I thought it was funny that he kept calling Chairn an idiot... and then left his castle unattended. His hubris and overconfidence was not nearly as endearing as Kodi and Aleah and I couldn't wait for him to get punched in his smug face. Donova and Fenneck were power hungry monsters and I'm glad they both...uh... floated away.
I really enjoyed visiting new locations within Sekha. The author put in a lot of effort to flesh out the world and the relationships, although there are times where I felt there may have been too much information. I was so anxious about the main storyline and the fate of the characters that I found myself wanting to rush through the transitionary scenes. I just couldn't wait!
While I did feel that some areas were maybe over-explained or there was a lot of scenes in the transition between major plot points, it didn't strike me as poor writing, the writing was still phenomenal. Hardcastle has already shown many times that is a master of "Show don't tell." To me, it felt more to me like the author wanted to ensure that their characters were portrayed properly. They want to make sure they did justice to each and every character. I feel that Carissa is a wonderful writer and I hope that they can trust that they have already laid the groundwork for us to understand the motivations and emotions pushing their characters forward. She has already provided so much emotion and insight.
I LOVED Shiloh as a character and I loved them as another example of the very vast and diversified characters and world that Carissa has provided. The being said, I didn't feel that they added anything overly tangible to the story, which fell a bit flat for me. I would have loved to see them play a bigger and more impactful role. When they were first introduced I was really excited because I actually thought that they would be a spy for the demons or that she was in league with Fennick. For a time I thought that they might abduct Mer. Or perhaps they were part of a resistance against Aleahs family. They were great for Bellamy but, again, fell a bit flat for me. Maybe it's just a personal preference or because I had put these expectations on the character. Every scene with Shiloh was great and filled me with anticipation... but Kodi may as well come out of the Tree and say "family time" because I was never fully satisfied.
As usual Hardcastle came THROUGH with the battle scenes. Every fight scene was impeccable and had me sweating. To be able to follow the final showdown and the Mercs fighting almost step for step is a testament to the authors dedication, thought and time poured into this book.
The ending I felt was true to the characters and I love how each character stayed true to themselves even in the face of adversity. Bellamy picking up science kits for Ryddan and Molli while at Joann's was so on brand. I can't even describe it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the whole duology. If you are a fan of High Fantasy, Fae, parallel universes, fucking (both the adjective and the noun) dragons and found families saving life as they know it.... this is 100% for you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2023
5 - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
"He was so lucky she was so strong. Lucky that she possessed every ounce of will and gumption to be forever connected to him and magic he was never supposed to have been given.
No, not lucky...fated."
Mountains Will Crumble is the second and final novel in the Leaves May Fall Duology, which is a New Adult Dark Fantasy Romance following the journey of two soulmates, Mollian and Merriam as that face off with a demonic threat that seeks to rip the realms apart.
We start this novel a year after the events of book one with Molli as king and Merriam as his marshal and neither of them ever expected to be in this position. In addition greater power runs deep within him that Molli struggles to understand and the only person who can help is his mehhen. Friends and alliances are tested as the kingdom shifts but a greater threat looms over the court machinations. The fate of the world resides fate on the shoulders of a fae king and his human soulmate where failure means the gates to the realms of the world will be taken by a king who seeks to ruin them.
First and foremost, at the core of this novel is the relationship of Molli and Merriam that is sheer utter perfection. The love and connection between that transcends the nuances of a physical and romantic relationship and I adore the companionship between them. Their ability to rely on each other while also still grow as characters resonates so much. For those unfamiliar - this is a platonic relationship but it is everything I needed.
For Merriam we see her finally trying to move past her loss while Molli is trying to learning what it means to run a kingdom, a burden he never expected. Their journeys are distinct but I loved seeing the threads that bind them. These are characters who understand burdens sometimes need to be shared.
We also get additional POVS that worked to open up the world, especially with the villains and I really enjoyed this aspect. It fit the story and I was always curious to see the twists and turns that came with it. Also Bellamy was AMAZING in this book and I loved how much his journey infused a hope and sweetness to the story.
This book does contain spice - I would say 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. It is a slow burn romance on Merriam's side that I have been dying to get into after the end of book one. I appreciated the approach and tension build up here. Her relationship with Rovin is packed with history and misunderstanding and the time it took to unravel that made its growth so much more impactful.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you wish you were looking at anything else, but can't force yourself to look away."
Now the story and world in this book is vast and rich to explore. I felt a lot of the building came from book one but I was still delighted to find new additions to the world not only from exploring more of the realm but through the eyes of additional POVS. The story itself was this wave of a journey that grew for me. Relationships are at the core of this novel but the focus on Meri and Molli was powerful and I couldn't put it down. The slices of life, action sequences, mortal peril, and court intrigue all blended to keep the pace moving and I could not help but be in awe of the strength visible in each character as they faced their challenges. My only wish is that this story was not over.
If you want a beautiful and emotionally packed duology with mystery, action, tension, and relationships that just pull on your heartstrings this series is perfect for you. I could not put it down and I need more from Carissa to fill the void.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
"He was so lucky she was so strong. Lucky that she possessed every ounce of will and gumption to be forever connected to him and magic he was never supposed to have been given.
No, not lucky...fated."
Mountains Will Crumble is the second and final novel in the Leaves May Fall Duology, which is a New Adult Dark Fantasy Romance following the journey of two soulmates, Mollian and Merriam as that face off with a demonic threat that seeks to rip the realms apart.
We start this novel a year after the events of book one with Molli as king and Merriam as his marshal and neither of them ever expected to be in this position. In addition greater power runs deep within him that Molli struggles to understand and the only person who can help is his mehhen. Friends and alliances are tested as the kingdom shifts but a greater threat looms over the court machinations. The fate of the world resides fate on the shoulders of a fae king and his human soulmate where failure means the gates to the realms of the world will be taken by a king who seeks to ruin them.
First and foremost, at the core of this novel is the relationship of Molli and Merriam that is sheer utter perfection. The love and connection between that transcends the nuances of a physical and romantic relationship and I adore the companionship between them. Their ability to rely on each other while also still grow as characters resonates so much. For those unfamiliar - this is a platonic relationship but it is everything I needed.
For Merriam we see her finally trying to move past her loss while Molli is trying to learning what it means to run a kingdom, a burden he never expected. Their journeys are distinct but I loved seeing the threads that bind them. These are characters who understand burdens sometimes need to be shared.
We also get additional POVS that worked to open up the world, especially with the villains and I really enjoyed this aspect. It fit the story and I was always curious to see the twists and turns that came with it. Also Bellamy was AMAZING in this book and I loved how much his journey infused a hope and sweetness to the story.
This book does contain spice - I would say 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. It is a slow burn romance on Merriam's side that I have been dying to get into after the end of book one. I appreciated the approach and tension build up here. Her relationship with Rovin is packed with history and misunderstanding and the time it took to unravel that made its growth so much more impactful.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you wish you were looking at anything else, but can't force yourself to look away."
Now the story and world in this book is vast and rich to explore. I felt a lot of the building came from book one but I was still delighted to find new additions to the world not only from exploring more of the realm but through the eyes of additional POVS. The story itself was this wave of a journey that grew for me. Relationships are at the core of this novel but the focus on Meri and Molli was powerful and I couldn't put it down. The slices of life, action sequences, mortal peril, and court intrigue all blended to keep the pace moving and I could not help but be in awe of the strength visible in each character as they faced their challenges. My only wish is that this story was not over.
If you want a beautiful and emotionally packed duology with mystery, action, tension, and relationships that just pull on your heartstrings this series is perfect for you. I could not put it down and I need more from Carissa to fill the void.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
May 22, 2023
Thank you for the e-ARC, Carissa Hardcastle! Here is my honest opinion. And yes I would have bought and read this book anyway without the ARC because I love this world so very much, I was estatic when I received the email that I was getting an ARC! I need to pull it together and pick a quote so I can order the signed edition already.... Anyway, here is my review:
Where Leaves May Fall tore me apart, Mountains Will Crumble put me back together. Carissa Hardcastle has a way of storytelling that grabs you into the world and you forget that you are reading.
It is attention grabbing and emotionally moving. Whether it is a pleasant, gutting, triumphant, or an anxious feeling.
Jumping back into the world of Nethyl felt like a smooth home coming. The reintroduction to the side characters was smooth and I was able to remember who they were and their individual characteristics after about a year from when I read Leaves May Fall. It’s the way Hardcastle creates her characters to each be unique and memorable.
The events that transpired kept the story interesting. It wasn’t a read where you had to wait until towards the end of the book for the big reveal or for shit to go down. The entire reading experience was engaging, and it only supplemented the main plot of the story. Action and adventure sequences are something I can count on when it comes to Hardcastle, of course, as well as the emotional aspects of this duology.
The bonds created in Leaves May Fall and Mountains Will Crumble are something most would be lucky to experience. I wholeheartedly believe that this duology is a must read for anyone remotely interested in high fantasy and romance. This duology has got to be one of my favorite reads ever.
I am sad that it has come to an end, but I will always be grateful for this story.
Spoiler thoughts:
Where Leaves May Fall tore me apart, Mountains Will Crumble put me back together. Carissa Hardcastle has a way of storytelling that grabs you into the world and you forget that you are reading.
It is attention grabbing and emotionally moving. Whether it is a pleasant, gutting, triumphant, or an anxious feeling.
Jumping back into the world of Nethyl felt like a smooth home coming. The reintroduction to the side characters was smooth and I was able to remember who they were and their individual characteristics after about a year from when I read Leaves May Fall. It’s the way Hardcastle creates her characters to each be unique and memorable.
The events that transpired kept the story interesting. It wasn’t a read where you had to wait until towards the end of the book for the big reveal or for shit to go down. The entire reading experience was engaging, and it only supplemented the main plot of the story. Action and adventure sequences are something I can count on when it comes to Hardcastle, of course, as well as the emotional aspects of this duology.
The bonds created in Leaves May Fall and Mountains Will Crumble are something most would be lucky to experience. I wholeheartedly believe that this duology is a must read for anyone remotely interested in high fantasy and romance. This duology has got to be one of my favorite reads ever.
I am sad that it has come to an end, but I will always be grateful for this story.
Spoiler thoughts:
May 28, 2023
I am so sad to see this story be over, but I am happy I was here for the ride.
I thought about Leaves May Fall everyday since I read it over a year ago I swear, so when Mountains came out I blew through it.
Leaves was heartbreaking, made me sob many many times, made you fall in love with characters, and stomp on your heart.
Mountains repaired your broken heart I feel. There was hope, change, growth, and closure.
I was in love with Oren and Mer, their relationship was so passionate, hot af, and Oren would have done anything for Mer. But I was 110% a Rovin and Mer shipper. Oren and Mer were hot don’t get me wrong I fuggin sobbed when he died, I haven’t cried that hard in a book in like ever, but her relationship with Rovin seemed more “real”. There was so much emotion, it felt so real because he pushed her buttons, made her talk, put himself out there, and wasn’t willing to hide anything from her. With Oren I feel like Carissa did a great job of making it feel like your first real love/relationship. You swear they’re the one, you’re so sure you can’t live without them and you’re obsessed with them because they’re you’re first. But Rovi, he was truly her match. But maybe I just really loved him haha. And please don’t take this that I didn’t like Oren because I LOVED HIM.
My beef with this book is spice and that’s a personal issue, for anyone wondering real good spice doesn’t happen until about 63% of the way in. Most of the book until then is a tease. Them dancing around wanting each other, stolen kisses, about to get hot n heavy and then BOOM; interrupted. Like damn I was in agony waiting for them to bang and I wanted so many more scenes of it. Again, personal preference I love my spice.
Molli. My sweet sweet Molli omg. A character written so well where I didn’t even care that he didn’t have a love interest. I love how he was written like that, having him and Mer not have any sexual tension and it so strictly platonic. He truly was meant to be king and the star of the show.
Carissa had so many amazing characters in this book touching so many subjects and I feel like this story can please anyone who is interested in the genre. I can’t wait to see what else she writes. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
I thought about Leaves May Fall everyday since I read it over a year ago I swear, so when Mountains came out I blew through it.
Leaves was heartbreaking, made me sob many many times, made you fall in love with characters, and stomp on your heart.
Mountains repaired your broken heart I feel. There was hope, change, growth, and closure.
I was in love with Oren and Mer, their relationship was so passionate, hot af, and Oren would have done anything for Mer. But I was 110% a Rovin and Mer shipper. Oren and Mer were hot don’t get me wrong I fuggin sobbed when he died, I haven’t cried that hard in a book in like ever, but her relationship with Rovin seemed more “real”. There was so much emotion, it felt so real because he pushed her buttons, made her talk, put himself out there, and wasn’t willing to hide anything from her. With Oren I feel like Carissa did a great job of making it feel like your first real love/relationship. You swear they’re the one, you’re so sure you can’t live without them and you’re obsessed with them because they’re you’re first. But Rovi, he was truly her match. But maybe I just really loved him haha. And please don’t take this that I didn’t like Oren because I LOVED HIM.
My beef with this book is spice and that’s a personal issue, for anyone wondering real good spice doesn’t happen until about 63% of the way in. Most of the book until then is a tease. Them dancing around wanting each other, stolen kisses, about to get hot n heavy and then BOOM; interrupted. Like damn I was in agony waiting for them to bang and I wanted so many more scenes of it. Again, personal preference I love my spice.
Molli. My sweet sweet Molli omg. A character written so well where I didn’t even care that he didn’t have a love interest. I love how he was written like that, having him and Mer not have any sexual tension and it so strictly platonic. He truly was meant to be king and the star of the show.
Carissa had so many amazing characters in this book touching so many subjects and I feel like this story can please anyone who is interested in the genre. I can’t wait to see what else she writes. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2023
I've been anxiously awaiting this second book and it did not disappoint. The first book wrecked me and this one pieced my heart back together. These characters Carissa has created are special and I loved how we got to know so many of them so well. It was so impressive and satisfying to not only see the growth of the main characters, but of the supporting cast as well.
By far my favorite aspect was being there every step of the way as this found family was born. Each character has been through so much, I loved getting to see them figure out how to trust themselves and each other. It was a delight to see those scary leaps of faith pay off. And it also made the banter even more rewarding, getting to see the characters become more playful as they got more comfortable.
The worldbuilding was also so good. I was truly transported from Sekha to Do Lech and everywhere in between. I could see, smell, taste, touch and hear as if I was there. That level of immersion I've found to be pretty rare so it was such a treat to have those additional layers. It's one thing to be a fantasy, it's another to be IN a fantasy and Carissa achieved the latter here (again) in stellar fashion.
Furthermore, it felt fresh in a couple of key ways. First, you guys know fated mates isn't my jam but platonic soulmates? I can get on board with that thanks to Merriam and Mollian. I loved seeing the nuances of their bond and understanding what it means for each of them as well as for those around them. Second, I loved how Earth, positioned as a parallel world to Nethyl, is in the current day and age. It opened the door for some cool touches throughout the story and challenged the high fantasy norm of sidestepping time period and technology.
I landed on four stars for a few reasons. First, in covering so many characters at such depth, it felt a bit meandering at times, making it a little difficult to know how important some aspects were to the overall story. I found myself willing to trade off some of that for more time spent with Merriam/Mollian together. And finally, I didn't love a certain nickname. I understood the shift that happened in its use but, for me personally, there was too much negative history with it to accept it.
By far my favorite aspect was being there every step of the way as this found family was born. Each character has been through so much, I loved getting to see them figure out how to trust themselves and each other. It was a delight to see those scary leaps of faith pay off. And it also made the banter even more rewarding, getting to see the characters become more playful as they got more comfortable.
The worldbuilding was also so good. I was truly transported from Sekha to Do Lech and everywhere in between. I could see, smell, taste, touch and hear as if I was there. That level of immersion I've found to be pretty rare so it was such a treat to have those additional layers. It's one thing to be a fantasy, it's another to be IN a fantasy and Carissa achieved the latter here (again) in stellar fashion.
Furthermore, it felt fresh in a couple of key ways. First, you guys know fated mates isn't my jam but platonic soulmates? I can get on board with that thanks to Merriam and Mollian. I loved seeing the nuances of their bond and understanding what it means for each of them as well as for those around them. Second, I loved how Earth, positioned as a parallel world to Nethyl, is in the current day and age. It opened the door for some cool touches throughout the story and challenged the high fantasy norm of sidestepping time period and technology.
I landed on four stars for a few reasons. First, in covering so many characters at such depth, it felt a bit meandering at times, making it a little difficult to know how important some aspects were to the overall story. I found myself willing to trade off some of that for more time spent with Merriam/Mollian together. And finally, I didn't love a certain nickname. I understood the shift that happened in its use but, for me personally, there was too much negative history with it to accept it.
May 25, 2023
"I don't think I can lose you." Her voice was so quiet it was almost drowned by the crackle of the fire a few paces away. Rovin's heart constricted. "You can put a leash on me if you'd like, pet."I have a soft spot for Rovin Arwood and it's a big one. I don't think it was just me, but I shipped those two from the beginning. They're banter was IMMACULATE and I'm glad we got to see how their romance blossomed..
AAAAHHHHHH. THESE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING. I was giggling and laughing and crying. Literally every single emotion. A rollercoaster of emotions. This book demanded tears and joy.
"For everyone who understands what it means for your soul to be tethered to another's."
Carissa, why is it over?? had
Why write only two books for their adventures??
The only thing I didn't like was that we didn't see much of the mercenaries, it was sad because they had become a great part of Mer's life. I would've liked to see their dynamics more.
Now, it was so entertaining seeing and follow character's developments and the threads that tied them, from Leaves to Mountains we got some new POVs.
"Just like last time, only less perilous." Merriam joked. "Sure, just like last time." Rovin shook his head. "When you were almost possessed, and I was trown around like a ragdoll." "Don't forget the demon that almost ripped your arm off," Bellamy added helpfully. "I said less perilous, " Merriam reiterated"
A permanent smile was etched onto my face, reading this.
"The light of the moons shones on the small group as they huddled together beneath the large stone castle. Then they were gone, flipping through reality to an abandoned warehouse on Earth. "
I was bawling by the end and it was so beautiful. Knowing that these characters' journey has only begun. It brought me closure, maybe some day Carissa will take us back?
I am grateful that I got the chance to read this beautiful ending as an ARC!
May 31, 2023
ARC review and I can’t say enough how thankful I am for receiving one.
Leaves absolutely wrecked me and Mountains broke me and fixed me all over again. You know how you just know when a writer is so in tune with their characters?? You can just tell that not only did the author create these characters, but they’re truly writing the characters lives out versus when things feel forced for a plot line? This was that book and I’m not convinced that last sentence even made sense but I’m fairly confident that readers will know exactly what I’m talking about.
I fully went into this book so excited, but simultaneously ready to rip apart a specific relationship. And now here I am, absolutely in love with everything that they are. There was genuine evolution of emotions and attachments, the thoughtfulness behind motives was so clear and beautiful and touching. I fckn cant. This book was my therapy.
The character arcs for EVERYONE?! It was such a well rounded story even the side characters didn’t feel like side characters. The little explanations of world building like why technology won’t work in this magic realm. THE LITTLE DETAILS my heart sang. Carissa left no detail out while writing the most captivating character story and losing no plot value. Do y’all get how hard that is and rare to come across a book that every word feels right and necessary and perfect?! The way Carissa makes you feel everything the characters are feeling, ugh my god. I’m in awe and everyone needs to read Leaves and Mountains ASAP the end.
Leaves absolutely wrecked me and Mountains broke me and fixed me all over again. You know how you just know when a writer is so in tune with their characters?? You can just tell that not only did the author create these characters, but they’re truly writing the characters lives out versus when things feel forced for a plot line? This was that book and I’m not convinced that last sentence even made sense but I’m fairly confident that readers will know exactly what I’m talking about.
I fully went into this book so excited, but simultaneously ready to rip apart a specific relationship. And now here I am, absolutely in love with everything that they are. There was genuine evolution of emotions and attachments, the thoughtfulness behind motives was so clear and beautiful and touching. I fckn cant. This book was my therapy.
The character arcs for EVERYONE?! It was such a well rounded story even the side characters didn’t feel like side characters. The little explanations of world building like why technology won’t work in this magic realm. THE LITTLE DETAILS my heart sang. Carissa left no detail out while writing the most captivating character story and losing no plot value. Do y’all get how hard that is and rare to come across a book that every word feels right and necessary and perfect?! The way Carissa makes you feel everything the characters are feeling, ugh my god. I’m in awe and everyone needs to read Leaves and Mountains ASAP the end.
May 25, 2023
Mountain Will Crumble is the second part to Hardcastle's debut fantasy world! A high fantasy with a unique magic system, unwavering love, soul bonds and moments of pure devestation.
Without the risk of spoiling any plot points, I want to make comment on the character arcs of Mollian and Merriam. Car has written their story from childhood friends to King 🤴 and Marshal of the realm brilliantly. Her attention to the small moments between the two are an absolute highlight, as is their banter and unspoken moments 😉.
This duology packs in so many of the tropes that we love in high fantasy. The found family of the mercs and the MCs built in this second installment and made my heart so full whilst reading. The plot was layered, with both political events and trauma, when I tell you I cried in multiple parts of this story, it is not an exaggeration. The intense plot arcs are well balanced with developing romance and a slow burn.
One final note: @car_theauthor absolutely nailed Merri's emotional development. I absolutely adored the way she unravelled the rage her character was holding, and had communication as steasy theme. The mental health and healing journey was sensational! I get goose bumps thinking about this series!! Mountains was truly the perfect ending to their story, 5⭐! I implore you to read this!
Without the risk of spoiling any plot points, I want to make comment on the character arcs of Mollian and Merriam. Car has written their story from childhood friends to King 🤴 and Marshal of the realm brilliantly. Her attention to the small moments between the two are an absolute highlight, as is their banter and unspoken moments 😉.
This duology packs in so many of the tropes that we love in high fantasy. The found family of the mercs and the MCs built in this second installment and made my heart so full whilst reading. The plot was layered, with both political events and trauma, when I tell you I cried in multiple parts of this story, it is not an exaggeration. The intense plot arcs are well balanced with developing romance and a slow burn.
One final note: @car_theauthor absolutely nailed Merri's emotional development. I absolutely adored the way she unravelled the rage her character was holding, and had communication as steasy theme. The mental health and healing journey was sensational! I get goose bumps thinking about this series!! Mountains was truly the perfect ending to their story, 5⭐! I implore you to read this!
May 25, 2023
I received an e-copy of Mountains Will Crumble in exchange for my honest review.
I was not ready to start this book, knowing it would be the end of something I love so much. But even with all the tears, I wouldn’t have changed anything about this story. Mollian and Merriam are perfection. Their bond is something so special, it inspires my real life relationships. Watching these two find their footing in their new roles in the Kingdom while also grieving incredible loss left me a puddle of tears many times throughout my read, but seeing where they end up is worth every moment.
I also loved digging deeper into the lives of the side characters. Learning more about Rovin’s back story, watching Bellamy flourish as a caretaker, seeing Aleah find strength in spite of her last trauma and build a relationship with Kodi. Leo and Campbell still being perfect and in love 🥹
And sweet baby Ryddan, that precious boy deserves everything good in their world.
Y’all, I’ve made no secret of my love for Leaves May Fall, and Mountains is the perfect conclusion. These characters, their stories, will forever hold a place in my heart. I said it the day I finished the book, and I’ll say it here: Car, you f*cking did it ♥️♥️
I was not ready to start this book, knowing it would be the end of something I love so much. But even with all the tears, I wouldn’t have changed anything about this story. Mollian and Merriam are perfection. Their bond is something so special, it inspires my real life relationships. Watching these two find their footing in their new roles in the Kingdom while also grieving incredible loss left me a puddle of tears many times throughout my read, but seeing where they end up is worth every moment.
I also loved digging deeper into the lives of the side characters. Learning more about Rovin’s back story, watching Bellamy flourish as a caretaker, seeing Aleah find strength in spite of her last trauma and build a relationship with Kodi. Leo and Campbell still being perfect and in love 🥹
And sweet baby Ryddan, that precious boy deserves everything good in their world.
Y’all, I’ve made no secret of my love for Leaves May Fall, and Mountains is the perfect conclusion. These characters, their stories, will forever hold a place in my heart. I said it the day I finished the book, and I’ll say it here: Car, you f*cking did it ♥️♥️
May 28, 2023
The first book of the duology, Leaves May Fall, was one of my favourite books of 2022. Because of that, I was super excited to read this book, and Car did not disappoint. The continuity of the story is seamless, the pacing of the book is perfect and the characters so well-developed and cohesive.
There’s so much going on in this story, my mind is still reeling. We follow the personal journey of Mollian and his internal struggle with his position as king, and the protection of not only his realm, but all of the realms. Merriam also continues with the struggle of her lost love and her feelings in general, they’re hard for her to process and express.
The found family they both have in the mercs is second to none, each person is so different yet compliment each other so perfectly.
As in the first book, the worlds Car has created are vivid, so easy to picture, and so real that it feels like you could step right into one of them. Magic, political issues, power struggles, love, kidnapping, battle scenes, friendship, demons, bonding… there’s just so much. I loved every second of it, I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot to highlight a lot of things as I went.
This will remain a favourite series of mine, a comfort read, and I hope you love it too.
There’s so much going on in this story, my mind is still reeling. We follow the personal journey of Mollian and his internal struggle with his position as king, and the protection of not only his realm, but all of the realms. Merriam also continues with the struggle of her lost love and her feelings in general, they’re hard for her to process and express.
The found family they both have in the mercs is second to none, each person is so different yet compliment each other so perfectly.
As in the first book, the worlds Car has created are vivid, so easy to picture, and so real that it feels like you could step right into one of them. Magic, political issues, power struggles, love, kidnapping, battle scenes, friendship, demons, bonding… there’s just so much. I loved every second of it, I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot to highlight a lot of things as I went.
This will remain a favourite series of mine, a comfort read, and I hope you love it too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews