I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I struggled so much and became disinterested in the plot, and it’s really saddened me because I enjoyed the first three of the series so much and truly could not wait for the fourth!
I still love Jade and Mal, I think they’re great but could have benefited from more character development? I felt there was a lot of dialogue in the book and more ‘telling ’ than ‘showing. Which was a shame. I think the author could have given us more with the world building, but I do appreciate the book is only a short read.
It was nice to finely learn a little about Malachi’s backstory and see Jade’s power grow….but I just like there could have been so much more!
Again a good book. We just keep learning so much in just. It sure where this is going... lots of different twists and a lot of unexpectedness... a little hard to follow at times and I feel like we keep getting more questions than answers. Still like the series but it seems to drag out the main plot with small adventures.
Idk about this one. This was like the closest knock off to ACOTAR so far and honestly, I’m not a fan of conflict in the relationship now that is finally worked out. That’s not my vibe when the relationship is slow burn. Idk. Let’s see how this sucker ends.
SPOILERS ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Edit: Now that I am done reading this book, let me say how much I hate Jade. She has become a spineless, needy, pathetic character. She keeps thinking how she will do anything Malachi wants, destroy anyone for him, take over any kingdom he wants, get more power for him. I hope the last book gives her an actual spine cuz with this so called power she has, she's nothing more than a simpering shadow. And she's cool with it. For the peacemaker, she's sure hell bent of murder. Maybe that's supposed to be the point, something to overcome, but Malachi gets a hard-on every time she obliterates anyone, so 🤔.. He's all about Jade, who cares about the entire kingdom he's responsible for, he will let it all be destroyed as long as jades ok. What kind of king is that? And really he shouldn't even be a king..hes not royal..not anymore. They are both awful people now and just all about power and murder.. I'm hoping Adeleline gets to take over. These two suck. Talk about 🚩🚩🚩🚩. This is a relationship made to destroy, not made to prosper. Any rulers who put their people 3rd, behind themselves and power, are garbage. Here's hoping for a new QUEEN 👑 🤞 🤞. Btw, why not rip off silas' head or turn him to ash?? 🤔🙄🙄🙄 1st review, halfway thru:::::::::Let me say this, I am only 40% deep in this book. However, I am seriously annoyed with the amount of times Malachi feels it is necessary to say, Jade is HIS. He WILL protect her. He does EVERYTHING for Jade. No one will take her from him! WE GET IT. the first 5x was enough. Yet, someone did harm her, while he was right next to her. They did basically take her(life), and she's exactly where he swore she wouldn't be...in the temple of the paragon, being tested. Good job, Malachi.🙄 I don't know if it's to fill pages but it's beyond annoying now. He failed. So now it's, "No one will ever take her again, no one will harm her again, he will protect her and kill everyone.. Yet he didnt..🤔And when they get to the temple we are reminded over and over and over again that Malachi lived there and he's scared. He has MEMORIES, yet hasn't shared any. Silas made him a killer. Every time he attempts to tell Jade about his time there, we get zero info and then the chapter ends and starts off later on. That's it. 40% of the book is gone and that's what we've learned. 1. He's scared 2. Silas made him a killer 3. He passed the trials. 4. Ester knows Silas, used to live with him( I have a feeling where that's going). I'm sure the answers will come later in the book but page after page of the same nothing is frustrating! Perhaps this should have been a novella? This book feels like the story is just standing still. No progress at all. No new revelations, just Malachi growling or staring off into space 🌌.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I don’t know anymore because I loved her other series, but with this one, I can’t get past her show not tell writing and that fact that she keeps throwing random things at us without any lead up. It’s abrupt after abrupt. It also lulled in the middle and I’m just ready for this to be over. I still love the characters, and the storyline had so much potential, but this is not her best series and it could’ve been written so much better. Go read Wings So Wicked instead.
Ugh. My heart. This one was so good but so torturous at the same time. I love seeing Jade and Malachi become even closer and falling in love. This one was intense. And seeing Jade be such a badass? Yes. More of that!
THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT! she is an independent woman and doesn’t need a man to protect her anymore. perfect length of book and very well written. the trials were crazy, kinda wish they had the third one to see her future!
Ok, I’m not gonna lie, this wasn’t too bad of a book. I really enjoyed it. I loved the growing relationship between Mal and Jade but also the growth in Malachi’s character as some of his vulnerabilities were coming to the surface. The trip to the paragons mountain was really interesting and entertaining with so many different plot lines or details which made me want to read more.
I wish that there was a bit more focus on Tessa at the end of this book as her death still felt very incomplete and it almost felt as if it was forgotten. There were some spelling errors but still a good read. As I’ve said with the other books, I wished there was a little more detail and there was many missed opportunities to add more to the storyline and allow the reader to pick up on visual locations. I knew somehow that Mal and Jade were connected but I did not expect them to be life and death as they are. I mean it makes so much sense and seems honestly a bit basic so I hope the final book will expand a bit more on the Saints and the original connections between Erebus and Anastasia.
I loved the little detail of Jade having Anastasia communicating to her in her head and the final words “he will be your downfall” make me wonder how the final book will go. I really liked the new character Cordelia and I wish we got to hear a bit more about her at the end. Also what happened to dragon? We just didn’t even get to know what happened at the end for him. And finally, there is no way that Silas is going to stay dead, or at least I don’t think it is going to be that easy. I really would have liked more detail on them escaping Paragon mountain as it was supposedly an impossible fortress to escape and they just easily slipped out. I really loved the add in towards Jades trials, I will say that it do feel very Acotar core with the trials but in a different which was nice that the author switched it up a bit.
Anyways on to the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I feel like my reviews for this series are becoming slightly repetitive, but I sort of feel the same about every book. The books were really easy to read, fast-paced, and relatively short, just like the others, and while they are enjoyable, they don't really feel the most original. I still don't really think there is anything that really makes this series stand out amongst the sea of fantasy romance or romantic fantasy books but I do think that this one does probably edge out the others in the series ever so slightly. This book features a magical trial and a bit of magical training leading up to the magical trial and I'm sorry to say but I am getting a bit tired of magical trials as a plot point lately because I've read so many books lately with a trial in them. I think I'm just feel a bit overwhelmed with trials, so reading them isn't as fun as it used to be. I wish that I felt a little more invested in the characters by now since I'm four books in but I just find Jade and Malachi okay and their romance is just fine but I kind of wish I liked them a bit more. I find Ester's character extremely frustrating, and I hate that you can never tell if she can be trusted or who's side she is one. I honestly think that Malachi deserves a better mother. I now only have one book left in the series, and I honestly feel like this isn't going to be a memorable one for me. I think it's enjoyable enough in the moment, but I think it could have used a bit more development in certain aspects of the book. I don't think this is going to be one I'll reach for again, but it's such a quick and easy read that I'm not mad that I gave this series a try.
I wish Goodreads provided a big, fat "DNF" option, because I would have clicked it so fast. In fact, I didn't even finish this book, hence the single star I'm rating it. There are so many things wrong with this story I don't even know where to begin. If you value your time and sanity - just don't even pick up the book. Don't even read the synopsis - just keep scrolling.
Here are my shallow, recapped thoughts from this series (which I will not continue to read): 1) The plot is all over the place. Characters come and go without adding any sort of value to the storyline. Speaking of, the storyline doesn't even make sense. It's like Blackwood grabbed a bunch of wixy sticks, smashed them together and called it a Van Gogh piece of art. There are so many plot holes and so many threads happening, but none of them every circle back around to answer or solve any of them. 2) The enemies to lovers situation was barely that. The romance happened so quickly without much conviction. Child's play, really.
This series simply gets better and better with each book. The more I read of this series the more I fall in love with the characters. I’ve become overprotective over Jade even though she did annoy a bit during the first two books. Malachi is also such a sweetheart and I love how we get to see a glimpse of his past and how did he earn his name, Prince of Shadows. As well as how we get to see more vulnerable side of his during this book. As I said before, the series had a lot of potential right from the beginning and even though this book felt a bit like a stepping stone between the previous one and the finale, I have to say the world building was amazing. I really love where things are going and the lore feels incredibly rich. I’m a huge fan of convoluted storylines and I’m enjoying being able to sit through the characters growing and becoming more their own people.
This book was slow going at first. Very slow going. I had to push to get through it. It just didn’t draw my attention like the first three did. But when it picked up I couldn’t stop reading. I will say I feel for poor jade and what she went through in this book. It broke my heart, but she came out stronger then when she started.
Malachi definitely went through it in this book. He had so much to deal with and he learned so much about himself. For him it was plot twist after plot twist. He found out so much about himself in this book.
I do hate how Cordelia and Esther kept stuff from both jade and Malachi. There were so many secrets and we still don’t know the big secret. What is Jade supposed to do as peacemaker?
I’ve become bored with this series and the characters and I won’t finish it.
Jade is now reduced to doing whatever she can to please Malachi which in most cases is just kill. She is very angry and lets that anger guide her. Malachi likes it. It gets him all hot and bothered. The end though definitely had them looking and sounding like ruthless dictators - kill anyone who voices an opinion against theirs.
The trials this book is named after were lame. They were over very quickly and honestly weren’t that bad. I thought they’d be way worse based on how they were described.
Weak world-building can be okay sometimes but in this case there aren’t even good character relationships or decent character depth to make up for it.
I love a book based around trials. I was probably the most excited about the prospect of this series getting an actual plot and getting better!
And then no. She just… leaves the trials and kills everyone? Like. She doesn’t even actually do them? And the trials she does complete are just stupid mind games that are really obviously fake and ridiculous. Man, I can’t express how let down I was!
And let’s be real. Jade’s powers are getting utterly ridiculous. It’s nonsense that she's grown so flipping powerful and turned into this killing machine. Her character development is trash.
This only gets 2 stars because I’m going on to book 5 and I figure if it was a 1 star book I wouldn't bother… To be frank, I really shouldn’t bother - but I need closure.
Nu dat ik in het vierde boek heb uitgelezen, heb ik al wat meer een mening over de volledige serie. Zoals ik al eens eerder heb aangebracht heb ik oprecht geen idee wat er allemaal gebeurd is in het eerste boek. Het hoofdkarakter Jade, is niet beste dat er is, maar ik vind haar niet perse zo irritant meer. Dit boek liep wat trager dan ik wou, maar uiteindelijk... the plot is thickening. Gaat dit een van mijn favoriete series zijn, nee, maar ga ik het wel uitlezen ja.
Is het een aanrader, ik weet het niet zo echt. Soms kreeg ik de 'ick' van hun relatie doorheen het boek, maar dat kan ook liggen aan mijn niet bestaande liefdes leven. Voor de rest niet slecht,
3.25 ⭐️ This was definitely the most intriguing of the series thus far. There's a lot of really good plot points and ideas it's just not executed very well. It also feels like there's too much of it at once and one after another that it becomes unnecessary. It seems like twists and side plots for the sake of saying you can rather than if you should. The characters also feel so randomly disconnected from their previous actions and progression. It's very sporadic overall. Not a bad concept though and i'm still invested in seeing where it's going, but i'm a bit nervous as to how we're meant to wrap up everything in about 200 pages lol
As the series progresses, so do the characters and relationships. I thought this book was the best one yet, and I am a sucker for the MMC being wholeheartedly devoted to a FMC that comes into her power and upstages him. Malachi is the winner, standing behind and protecting Jade with everything he is.
There is a fair amount learned in this book about Jade and Malachi, and the story is being pulled together amazingly well. I do not like the foreshadowing of Malachi being Jade’s downfall, but… as long as these two don’t lose sight of the fact they complete each other I will be fine.
Run, don't walk to download this entire series. I'd suggest you have some emotional support snacks to help you process book 4!
🗺️ The world building is easy to follow and pleasant to stroll through. Nothing overly complicated to follow through and no note book needed to try remember the who/what/when/how am I so lost moments.
🌶️ The spice level is around the lower medium mark. Tantalizing and intriguing at times to keep you keen to see what happens next.
🧅Characters are well developed and keep you entertained with their secrets from this first book to the end. I'm secretly hoping that the author gives us some more details on the backstories of the side characters with their own books!
📚 This book is for you if you loved The Fated Ones and are prepared for a delightfully wonderful series to distract you from reality.
✈️ An easy read that's perfect for travel. Note that this is the fourth in a series, that is now ready and released. I'd strongly suggest you collect the entire series and download in preparation for a marathon reading session.
This book dragged for quite a bit. A good chunk of it is just Mal and Jade trying to get to the mountain where the Paragon is. The book didn't do a good job of clarifying what the Paragon was or who was involved in it. Lots of things being said by various characters that are cryptic and no answers provided. It's similar to the other books in the sense that the story just didn't draw me in. I finished it because I kept thinking it would get better and now I'm at a place where I just need to finish the series. Lots of similarities to ACOTAR series in my opinion - not as well written though.
I am in love with Malachi. He is one of the best book boyfriends to ever exist. His love for Jade never falters; he's always amazed with her strength and in awe of her beauty. Jade is one of the best FMC I've read. This girl does not let anything beat her down and shows up for the ones she loves. I'm excited to see how her power transforms now that we have the knowledge of a certain Saint whispering in her mind. I also love that the bond between Malachi and Jade is woven together on a deeper level and seeing how their magic intertwines.
This book was soo good! It was better than books 1,2, and 3! It was nice to finally have them together and accepting their love for each other. I loved how we’re getting to see her power grow as well. The only thing that kept this from being a five star read was that I felt like their enemies were defeated too easily. Silas, the immortal that has never been able to be killed, was killed without a hitch in one try. Seth was murdered with not a single battle. It all seemed a bit too good to be true, but other than that, the romance was great and the plot was super good as well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I struggled so hard with this book. As it is, I felt like the trials were thrown out of left field, never having been mentioned until the end of the previous book.
Then Malachi refusing to share what they were to help prepare Jade helped a whole lot...not! She only had a week to prepare and was taught things she didn't actually need for her trials.
This whole book was fueled by rage but didn't do anything in the grand scheme other than possbly end one of the evils in the world.
Maybe the next book will show Malachi and Jade as a real team with respect for each other.