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The Casquette Girls #4
The Gates of Guinée
A trip to the Afterworld might be the end of the supernatural world.
As the Ghost Drinkers seep into the crevices of the Crescent City, leeching the French Quarter of magic, the local witches are consumed with a new fight for survival. Adele has one chance to save everyone she loves, but it will mean breaking away from her coven and trusting a vampire.
For the first time in four hundred years, Niccolò Medici feels on the precipice of finding his stolen grimoire. But in order to restore his family’s legacy, he’ll have to succumb to his darkest desires.
New York transplant and first responder Isaac Thompson will stop at nothing to protect Adele, even if he has to give in to his Spektral magic to unearth the truth about Nicco’s monstrous past.
For those who choose to pass through the Gates of Guinée, the rules of the Afterworld are simple: Don’t eat the food. Tell no lies.
In a whirl of lucid dreams, fetish markets, and ancestral reunions, only those who bare their souls will survive this ghostly hunt, or else they’ll join the land of the dead permanently.
Teetering on the razor’s edge between everything she desires and utter madness, only her heart and her magic can lead Adele back home... if only Callisto Salazar hadn’t stolen her Fire, and the most secretive one of them all hadn’t stolen her heart.
As the Ghost Drinkers seep into the crevices of the Crescent City, leeching the French Quarter of magic, the local witches are consumed with a new fight for survival. Adele has one chance to save everyone she loves, but it will mean breaking away from her coven and trusting a vampire.
For the first time in four hundred years, Niccolò Medici feels on the precipice of finding his stolen grimoire. But in order to restore his family’s legacy, he’ll have to succumb to his darkest desires.
New York transplant and first responder Isaac Thompson will stop at nothing to protect Adele, even if he has to give in to his Spektral magic to unearth the truth about Nicco’s monstrous past.
For those who choose to pass through the Gates of Guinée, the rules of the Afterworld are simple: Don’t eat the food. Tell no lies.
In a whirl of lucid dreams, fetish markets, and ancestral reunions, only those who bare their souls will survive this ghostly hunt, or else they’ll join the land of the dead permanently.
Teetering on the razor’s edge between everything she desires and utter madness, only her heart and her magic can lead Adele back home... if only Callisto Salazar hadn’t stolen her Fire, and the most secretive one of them all hadn’t stolen her heart.
550 pages, Paperback
Published January 19, 2021
103 people are currently reading
896 people want to read
About the author
Alys Arden
6 books929 followersAlys Arden was raised by the street performers, tea leaf-readers, and glittering drag queens of the New Orleans French Quarter. She cut her teeth on the streets of New York and has worked all around the world since. She either talks too much or not at all. She obsessively documents things. Her hair ranges from eggplant to cotton-candy colored One dreary day in London, she missed home and started writing The Casquette Girls.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
February 13, 2021
You ever read a book/series and it feels like coming home? That is this series for me. I have been waiting for this book for awhile and to finally read it was amazing. The books keep getting better and the characters, all of them are growing and developing just as I hoped they would. I truly believe this series is one of the best and is sadly underrated. The plot was so fast paced. I'd be reading and realize and hour went by and it only felt like five minutes. I cannot praise this series enough. It's wonderful. If you like Witches, Vampires, Magic and New Orleans then you really need to pick up this series. It's (insert chef's kiss) impeccable.
November 7, 2021
I was going to have a break before I read this one but the world drew me back in. I'm not any happier with this book than book 3 tbh and if it had been entirely about Nicco and Adele, I would have DNFed because I do not care about either of them anymore.
Things I liked
- the world building is great. Arden's passion for New Orleans really shines through
- it's a multi layered plot - I despise this growing trend in YA to have very linear plots. The subplots here kept me invested.
- the side characters, no matter how grumpy or larger than life.
- the mixture of folklore, history and lived experience.
- Cody - he's a sweetheart. Dee is badass. Isaac is very relatable.
Things I didn't like
- it plods in places
- the structure is wobbly. And the timeline is becoming preposterous. I don't mean in terms of hurricane Katrina having happened a long time ago or when the characters are in an altered plane of reality. I mean the rest of the time. Three months is collapsed into a few paragraphs and then contradicted. Then two thirds of one of the books can happen in a single night. As in characters will eat, sleep, argue, make up, have sex, sleep etc multiple times in a single night. I know they're teenagers but this reads like the author has lost track of what's going on.
- Adele is emotionally abusive. She accuses Isaac of things that she has done to other people (ie Isaac in a moment of panic using magic to calm her down versus Adele removing her father's memories of him, when the two of them had formed a friendship.) Isaac acts from concern and love, and basically being a love sick 17 yr old boy; Adele acts from anger and spite, having failed to be honest, set boundaries, and just acts in a way that is emotionally cruel to Isaac.
- Adele dates Isaac because she can't be with Nicco. She keeps flirting with the idea she might misbehave with Nicco, which is very apparent in her behaviour and which she is aware of, but she gaslights Isaac whenever he raises concerns.
- everyone screws up unless it's Adele, at which point no matter the damage done, it's not her fault.
- Isaac gets character assassinated. Basically torn up Tamlin-Maas style so Adele can have a guilt free tryst with another character.
- Nicco (400yr old vampire, 20 when he was turned) has an attic full of witches he keeps in chains who he tortures and feeds on. But apparently that's ok?
- Adele, demonstrating that the reason she keeps making bad calls because she's as dumb as a box of rocks, actually turns out to know this and still considers him good boyfriend material.
In short, I'm not against love triangles in books because if they're done well, then they explore character arc. But what we learn about Adele is that she's thoughtless, selfish and cruel.
- Finally, Arden decided to use rape threat as a shorthand for 'these are the bad guys' in the previous book, which is a trope I hate, not least because it's lazy. Having done that, she only wheels out Adele's trauma when it suits the plot - namely to punish Isaac. (Amazing how quickly it vanishes when Adele is with someone else.)
- There is far too much contrivance
Final verdict: I love the world so much that I probably will read the final book. I just wish Adele and Nicco weren't going to be in it.
Things I liked
- the world building is great. Arden's passion for New Orleans really shines through
- it's a multi layered plot - I despise this growing trend in YA to have very linear plots. The subplots here kept me invested.
- the side characters, no matter how grumpy or larger than life.
- the mixture of folklore, history and lived experience.
- Cody - he's a sweetheart. Dee is badass. Isaac is very relatable.
Things I didn't like
- it plods in places
- the structure is wobbly. And the timeline is becoming preposterous. I don't mean in terms of hurricane Katrina having happened a long time ago or when the characters are in an altered plane of reality. I mean the rest of the time. Three months is collapsed into a few paragraphs and then contradicted. Then two thirds of one of the books can happen in a single night. As in characters will eat, sleep, argue, make up, have sex, sleep etc multiple times in a single night. I know they're teenagers but this reads like the author has lost track of what's going on.
- Adele is emotionally abusive. She accuses Isaac of things that she has done to other people (ie Isaac in a moment of panic using magic to calm her down versus Adele removing her father's memories of him, when the two of them had formed a friendship.) Isaac acts from concern and love, and basically being a love sick 17 yr old boy; Adele acts from anger and spite, having failed to be honest, set boundaries, and just acts in a way that is emotionally cruel to Isaac.
- Adele dates Isaac because she can't be with Nicco. She keeps flirting with the idea she might misbehave with Nicco, which is very apparent in her behaviour and which she is aware of, but she gaslights Isaac whenever he raises concerns.
- everyone screws up unless it's Adele, at which point no matter the damage done, it's not her fault.
- Isaac gets character assassinated. Basically torn up Tamlin-Maas style so Adele can have a guilt free tryst with another character.
- Nicco (400yr old vampire, 20 when he was turned) has an attic full of witches he keeps in chains who he tortures and feeds on. But apparently that's ok?
- Adele, demonstrating that the reason she keeps making bad calls because she's as dumb as a box of rocks, actually turns out to know this and still considers him good boyfriend material.
In short, I'm not against love triangles in books because if they're done well, then they explore character arc. But what we learn about Adele is that she's thoughtless, selfish and cruel.
- Finally, Arden decided to use rape threat as a shorthand for 'these are the bad guys' in the previous book, which is a trope I hate, not least because it's lazy. Having done that, she only wheels out Adele's trauma when it suits the plot - namely to punish Isaac. (Amazing how quickly it vanishes when Adele is with someone else.)
- There is far too much contrivance
Final verdict: I love the world so much that I probably will read the final book. I just wish Adele and Nicco weren't going to be in it.
March 26, 2021
i've been flying through the first three books in this series under the assumption that the entire series was released, only to find out that there's an incoming fourth book. this makes finishing book three even harder and i CANNOT WAIT for this to be published. i'll just be spending the rest of 2020 wondering what happens to the coven, nbd
October 30, 2021
So much drama, so much magic, so many choices….love this witchy tale, set in New Orleans! Only this time they go to the Afterworld. These kids are full of angst like most teens, only with good reason, but they have each other’s backs through all of it. Truly enjoy this series and can’t wait to see how this author wraps things up.
January 26, 2021
This is a more obscure series that isn't often talked about on Bookstagram, but I know there are lots of dedicated fans. Adele and company are really in deep shit at the beginning of The Gates of Guinee. Adele's magic is gone, her father has been kidnapped, souls are on the loose, people are getting possessed....The scooby-gang, um no, The Casquette Girls coven, decide the only way to set things right is to take a little trip to the Afterworld. But of course, Adele is still consumed mainly by Nicco. I can't say I blame her, I mean, ancient hot Italian vampire, mmm.
She does get it together long enough to hatch the scheme on how to pass through the hallowed Gates of Guinee, and what follows is some crazy, fever dream, glitter dipped, and fairy winged insanity. I mean that in the best possible terms. I adore this gang of misfits so much, and have become quite invested in them all, even when they act like idiots (looking at you, Issac). You should be prepared to pick your jaw up off the floor a couple times, and get your sewing kit ready for your broken heart. The Gates of Guinee is a gem, and I'm so stoked Alys is writing a 5th and final book.
She does get it together long enough to hatch the scheme on how to pass through the hallowed Gates of Guinee, and what follows is some crazy, fever dream, glitter dipped, and fairy winged insanity. I mean that in the best possible terms. I adore this gang of misfits so much, and have become quite invested in them all, even when they act like idiots (looking at you, Issac). You should be prepared to pick your jaw up off the floor a couple times, and get your sewing kit ready for your broken heart. The Gates of Guinee is a gem, and I'm so stoked Alys is writing a 5th and final book.
January 5, 2021
Once again, I was fortunate to get an early version ahead of publication, and I’m happy to report that Alys Arden delivers another thrill-ride filled with atmosphere and endearing characters.
Set mainly in the underworld of Guinee, the book sees nearly everyone teaming up and working together to fight the threat of the Ghost Drinkers. All the main characters experience a lot of growth and development. And we continue to see more how this struggle is slowly stripping away Adele’s innocence. Plus, there’s a new POC character that fans are going to more than welcome.
After book three, I didn’t think there could be more at stake, but this installment manages to up the ante, and it makes me extremely eager to find out what will happen. I’ve been a big fan of this series from the beginning and I’m amazed by how it continues to pick up speed and deliver new surprises.
Set mainly in the underworld of Guinee, the book sees nearly everyone teaming up and working together to fight the threat of the Ghost Drinkers. All the main characters experience a lot of growth and development. And we continue to see more how this struggle is slowly stripping away Adele’s innocence. Plus, there’s a new POC character that fans are going to more than welcome.
After book three, I didn’t think there could be more at stake, but this installment manages to up the ante, and it makes me extremely eager to find out what will happen. I’ve been a big fan of this series from the beginning and I’m amazed by how it continues to pick up speed and deliver new surprises.
April 12, 2021
I...have no coherent words for what i just read. Other than to say that Alys took my heart and broke it into pieces, to make it better again, and then to leave me at quite a cliffhanger. I need the fifth book, NOW!!
June 5, 2025
On my god
This book has utterly destroyed me!!! Isaac!!!!!! I can't breathe not knowing what's going to happen and what Adele will do when she realizes what he's given up for her.
This book has utterly destroyed me!!! Isaac!!!!!! I can't breathe not knowing what's going to happen and what Adele will do when she realizes what he's given up for her.
January 29, 2021
Holy heckin’ wowowowowowowowow!!! I’ll keep this review spoiler-free except for a little section at the bottom and the summary, so if you haven’t read the first three books of this series, just avoid those sections so you’re not spoiled when you go read the books :)
My Moodboard
Goodreads summary:
As the Ghost Drinkers seep into the crevices of the Crescent City, leeching the French Quarter of magic, the local witches are consumed with a new fight for survival. Adele has one chance to save everyone she loves, but it will mean breaking away from her coven and trusting a vampire.
For the first time in four hundred years, Niccolò Medici feels on the precipice of finding his stolen grimoire. But in order to restore his family’s legacy, he’ll have to succumb to his darkest desires.
New York transplant and first responder Isaac Thompson will stop at nothing to protect Adele, even if he has to give in to his Spektral magic to unearth the truth about Nicco’s monstrous past.
For those who choose to pass through the Gates of Guinée, the rules of the Afterworld are simple: Don’t eat the food. Tell no lies.
In a whirl of lucid dreams, fetish markets, and ancestral reunions, only those who bare their souls will survive this ghostly hunt, or else they’ll join the land of the dead permanently.
Teetering on the razor’s edge between everything she desires and utter madness, only her heart and her magic can lead Adele back home... if only Callisto Salazar hadn’t stolen her Fire, and the most secretive one of them all hadn’t stolen her heart.
Wow. Just wow. It’s been a long time since I have been so shocked and twisted around in the span of a single book. This book is pure, glittery, mysterious, magical chaos, and I loved every. Single. Page.
I feel like I’m in so deep with these characters that I’m not sure how to write much of a spoiler-free review, to be honest. The magical world Alys Arden has constructed is… unique, and that’s a huge accomplishment in the YA industry. I have read so many books that most of them are decently predictable to me. Not necessarily a bad thing, just the truth. But this series makes me feel ALIVE again in my reading! The angst as I wonder furiously if my ship is endgame, the utter confusion because I have no idea what’s going on but in the best way, the emotional thrill ride that is reading a book and you see nothing coming before it smacks you straight in the feels. That’s what reading this series is like. There’s a lot of character development in this one, some that has been much needed, and I think that was a big focus of this addition to the series, along with the introduction of an insane new side of New Orleans where nothing is as it seems!!
I am obsessed with this series and I mean it when I tell you that if I could make everyone read one series, this one literally might just be it. This is the fourth book, so you have four to binge before the fifth and final book comes out (PLEASE MAKE IT QUICK ALYS ARDEN!!), so hop on it, y’all!! You really don’t want to miss out on this unpredictable joyride filled to the brim with witches and vampires, spirits and possessed, love and hatred. It’s utterly genius.
Spoiler-y section below for some discussion if you’ve read this book! Keep comments spoiler-free but feel free to message me if you want to fangirl!! 😂
If you enjoyed this review, you can friend me here on Goodreads and follow my Bookstagram/Pinterest/Twitter @ashton_reads. Thanks for reading!
My Moodboard
“As curses come, as curses go…”
Goodreads summary:
As the Ghost Drinkers seep into the crevices of the Crescent City, leeching the French Quarter of magic, the local witches are consumed with a new fight for survival. Adele has one chance to save everyone she loves, but it will mean breaking away from her coven and trusting a vampire.
For the first time in four hundred years, Niccolò Medici feels on the precipice of finding his stolen grimoire. But in order to restore his family’s legacy, he’ll have to succumb to his darkest desires.
New York transplant and first responder Isaac Thompson will stop at nothing to protect Adele, even if he has to give in to his Spektral magic to unearth the truth about Nicco’s monstrous past.
For those who choose to pass through the Gates of Guinée, the rules of the Afterworld are simple: Don’t eat the food. Tell no lies.
In a whirl of lucid dreams, fetish markets, and ancestral reunions, only those who bare their souls will survive this ghostly hunt, or else they’ll join the land of the dead permanently.
Teetering on the razor’s edge between everything she desires and utter madness, only her heart and her magic can lead Adele back home... if only Callisto Salazar hadn’t stolen her Fire, and the most secretive one of them all hadn’t stolen her heart.
Wow. Just wow. It’s been a long time since I have been so shocked and twisted around in the span of a single book. This book is pure, glittery, mysterious, magical chaos, and I loved every. Single. Page.
“We keep things hidden with masks and glitter and songs that steal your soul and drinks that steal your memories. We sing in the streets, cry in the streets, and bleed in the streets. New Orleans will be your muse. She'll fuel your dreams and your vices and your kinks. She’ll tie you up and make you beg for more, all while you search for the je ne sais quoi giving you that joie de vivre, never knowing that the magic flows freely and the dead thrive and the witches rule… Why wouldn’t the gates to the Afterworld be here? Hidden in plain sight amongst the living, guarded by the dead, covered up by stories of the magical?”
I feel like I’m in so deep with these characters that I’m not sure how to write much of a spoiler-free review, to be honest. The magical world Alys Arden has constructed is… unique, and that’s a huge accomplishment in the YA industry. I have read so many books that most of them are decently predictable to me. Not necessarily a bad thing, just the truth. But this series makes me feel ALIVE again in my reading! The angst as I wonder furiously if my ship is endgame, the utter confusion because I have no idea what’s going on but in the best way, the emotional thrill ride that is reading a book and you see nothing coming before it smacks you straight in the feels. That’s what reading this series is like. There’s a lot of character development in this one, some that has been much needed, and I think that was a big focus of this addition to the series, along with the introduction of an insane new side of New Orleans where nothing is as it seems!!
“A part of me wanted to sabotage the mission so my secrets stayed buried, as they had been for two centuries. But another part of me believed enigmatically in her. In us.”
I am obsessed with this series and I mean it when I tell you that if I could make everyone read one series, this one literally might just be it. This is the fourth book, so you have four to binge before the fifth and final book comes out (PLEASE MAKE IT QUICK ALYS ARDEN!!), so hop on it, y’all!! You really don’t want to miss out on this unpredictable joyride filled to the brim with witches and vampires, spirits and possessed, love and hatred. It’s utterly genius.
Spoiler-y section below for some discussion if you’ve read this book! Keep comments spoiler-free but feel free to message me if you want to fangirl!! 😂
If you enjoyed this review, you can friend me here on Goodreads and follow my Bookstagram/Pinterest/Twitter @ashton_reads. Thanks for reading!
January 30, 2021
A good series being dragged out.
After waiting months for this third book I found myself disappointed. The way it started felt like I'd turned the page from the last book in the middle of an action scene, no set up, no transition. Overall I think the plot of this one felt like a way to just keep making more books, I needed an ending or at least a more gratifying development to keep me on this suspense train. I hope the next book brings the callisto plotline together to a satisfying ending.
After waiting months for this third book I found myself disappointed. The way it started felt like I'd turned the page from the last book in the middle of an action scene, no set up, no transition. Overall I think the plot of this one felt like a way to just keep making more books, I needed an ending or at least a more gratifying development to keep me on this suspense train. I hope the next book brings the callisto plotline together to a satisfying ending.
June 1, 2021
This book just about broke me. I finished it last night before bed, big mistake. I had to take about ten minutes telling myself that the characters weren't real, that what happened hadn't truly occurred. I found myself feeling for every single character in this book. There was no villain, no "good guy," only humans (and vampires). For that alone, I give the book a 5/5.
Being from New Orleans, the descriptions, especially City Park, filled my heart with absolute joy and longing. I'd love to be there now. I cannot wait for the next book. I'll be checking my inbox everyday for news about it.
Being from New Orleans, the descriptions, especially City Park, filled my heart with absolute joy and longing. I'd love to be there now. I cannot wait for the next book. I'll be checking my inbox everyday for news about it.
January 6, 2023
I can not wait for this, and i know ive already scored a 5 star before its released, but come on... theres no way the writing of this doesn't stand up or exceed our expectations of Alys Arden's captivating and beautifully detailed storytelling!!
Oh, added to my want to read list too
Oh, added to my want to read list too
February 15, 2021
YESSSSSSS!!!!!
Finally ❤️
Adele & Nicco 🥰
Finally ❤️
Adele & Nicco 🥰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2021
my fellow Nicco fans - this one's for us. thanks, Alys.
July 11, 2022
Leaving 4 stars because it ends on a cliffhanger, and there's NO news on when the 5th book (the supposed "epic conclusion") comes out. I can't find anything about it...
December 28, 2022
If you’re not reading this series, YOU’RE SLEEPING ON A GREAT ONE. The world building and magical framework was already insane in books 1-3, as was the setting of New Orleans true to form - but Guinée (the afterworld) in book 4 exceeded my wildest dreams!!
This series has it all: multiple plot lines, a deeply rich setting, and characters that you can’t help but absolutely adore and root for. The character development runs deep, and although it’s frustrating at times - they’re all incredibly human, which makes it so much more real and heart wrenching. Even the supporting characters are larger than life and could be spin offs all their own (Ritha, Ren, even Annabelle). I’m also absolutely thrilled this book gave ample coverage to the original Casquette Coven. It felt like a gift from Arden.
Other top props are for Arden’s impeccable research of the Medici Family, Iwa, Ghede, etc - I go down Google rabbit holes all the time for the real life inspiration of these books and it’s fascinating.
Lastly on the love triangle - I’ve solidly shipped one couple over the other for the past three books. This book delivered in my favor and I hope we see more of it in the final book. That being said, my heart aches and tears for the other two. THEY COULD BE SO GOOD TOGETHER, but they both don’t *trust* one another. Without trust, I never see that relationship working.
Overall, this series is 5/5! I cannot wait for the last book and already know I’m going to be heartbroken and book hung over when this series comes to an end.
This series has it all: multiple plot lines, a deeply rich setting, and characters that you can’t help but absolutely adore and root for. The character development runs deep, and although it’s frustrating at times - they’re all incredibly human, which makes it so much more real and heart wrenching. Even the supporting characters are larger than life and could be spin offs all their own (Ritha, Ren, even Annabelle). I’m also absolutely thrilled this book gave ample coverage to the original Casquette Coven. It felt like a gift from Arden.
Other top props are for Arden’s impeccable research of the Medici Family, Iwa, Ghede, etc - I go down Google rabbit holes all the time for the real life inspiration of these books and it’s fascinating.
Lastly on the love triangle - I’ve solidly shipped one couple over the other for the past three books. This book delivered in my favor and I hope we see more of it in the final book. That being said, my heart aches and tears for the other two. THEY COULD BE SO GOOD TOGETHER, but they both don’t *trust* one another. Without trust, I never see that relationship working.
Overall, this series is 5/5! I cannot wait for the last book and already know I’m going to be heartbroken and book hung over when this series comes to an end.
February 8, 2021
If you haven't read the other books in this series, go read them first and in order, otherwise, the magic will be lost. The series is mildly like Twilight, but also different. There are witches and way more diversity and representation.
It is an emotional rollercoaster. This book switches between four different characters' points of view and in an alternating fashion. This does add to the rollercoaster effect since there are several cliffhangers throughout the book. But, I also loved seeing the plot through all four pairs of eyes and I haven't read many other books that do that as well as Alys. It's so very cleverly woven together.
The friendship between Desiree, Codi, and Isaac is lovely and reminds me of the golden trio in Harry Potter. #DreamTeam
Loved all the voodoo magic, the fantastical scenes within Guinea, and folks in the afterlife giving love advice to some of the living characters. There are several beautifully written descriptions that flow rather well with the story. #Magic
This love triangle is SO intense. I can’t even... I find myself being equally annoyed and adoring of both Nicco and Isaac...the suspense. Though I like that it is STILL up in the air. lol.
I am rather excited for the fifth book!
It is an emotional rollercoaster. This book switches between four different characters' points of view and in an alternating fashion. This does add to the rollercoaster effect since there are several cliffhangers throughout the book. But, I also loved seeing the plot through all four pairs of eyes and I haven't read many other books that do that as well as Alys. It's so very cleverly woven together.
The friendship between Desiree, Codi, and Isaac is lovely and reminds me of the golden trio in Harry Potter. #DreamTeam
Loved all the voodoo magic, the fantastical scenes within Guinea, and folks in the afterlife giving love advice to some of the living characters. There are several beautifully written descriptions that flow rather well with the story. #Magic
This love triangle is SO intense. I can’t even... I find myself being equally annoyed and adoring of both Nicco and Isaac...the suspense. Though I like that it is STILL up in the air. lol.
I am rather excited for the fifth book!
January 29, 2021
So worth the wait!
I've been checking and rechecking for what seems like forever, and finally, Book Four released! It was well wort the wait and then some. I believe this installment is even more action packed than the last. The series just keeps getting better! Adel's growth , experiences, and new revelations come on an emotional rollercoaster. We learn so much more of the background in relation to past events that make a profound impact on what's happening now. And the journey to Guinea is wrought with challenges and hard truths. I absolutely cannot wait for the epic finale! I refuse to leave spoilers, but if you haven't begun this series, it's a five-star must read that will leave you craving more! I highly recommend this heart-stopping, well-written novel.
I've been checking and rechecking for what seems like forever, and finally, Book Four released! It was well wort the wait and then some. I believe this installment is even more action packed than the last. The series just keeps getting better! Adel's growth , experiences, and new revelations come on an emotional rollercoaster. We learn so much more of the background in relation to past events that make a profound impact on what's happening now. And the journey to Guinea is wrought with challenges and hard truths. I absolutely cannot wait for the epic finale! I refuse to leave spoilers, but if you haven't begun this series, it's a five-star must read that will leave you craving more! I highly recommend this heart-stopping, well-written novel.
January 21, 2021
I read the entire book in one day! Or like 6 hours, if we’re being specific. 😂
Alys has a talent for making you feel like you’re there with the characters. This book introduced some new POV’s, which I enjoyed. It answers a few questions, all while adding new ones. I love this series!
This entire series is captivating and I CANNOT wait to find out how it concludes. If you haven’t read any of these books, let this be your sign to read them immediately
Alys has a talent for making you feel like you’re there with the characters. This book introduced some new POV’s, which I enjoyed. It answers a few questions, all while adding new ones. I love this series!
This entire series is captivating and I CANNOT wait to find out how it concludes. If you haven’t read any of these books, let this be your sign to read them immediately
January 23, 2021
I just.. can’t right now.
Too many revelations and too many things..
I just...
If you have read any of this series you must read Gates of Guinea.
Too many revelations and too many things..
I just...
If you have read any of this series you must read Gates of Guinea.
March 14, 2021
And now to wait for Book 5!
March 4, 2022
3.5ish. SPOILERS AHEAD
I lost all respect for adele in this book because she goes swings wildly between nicco and isaac depending on her mood, and which one she's angry with at the moment. It is exhausting keeping up with her mental state.
The other extremely frustrating thing about this book in particular is the timeline. We jump months ahead and spend a few chapters on one day then skip weeks, spend chapters on another day, and then suddenly we get an explosion of events that take place over 30 or so chapters--that all happen in one day, AFTER sundown. They had time to begin a night festival, argue, make up, take care of the sick, have sex for hours, have a sudden battle in the city, argue (and make up) again, patrol the streets, gather souls, have the leaders get called away in an emergency hours away AND get back later to help with stuff, plan to go to the underworld, discover an unexpected shrine, meet up with the rest of the coven and adapt the underworld plan, gather the thousands of souls that were somehow collected in this timeframe while half of them had been triaging inflicted humans, and then go to the underworld and get back--all under the same moon that night for the festival. There's just no way.
💌 Random thoughts as I read:
Um, the peach plant part? Did I just fall in love with codi???
Seeing them with their ancestors talking, catching up, consulting, preparing for battle, is the mushy family stuff I absolutely live for.
Dee and codi are endgame. Please give us more.
If I have to read "observe adapt dominate" ONE more time....
EVEN NOW after what Isaac did to her, he thinks it was right and the only option. Because he values his own opinion above hers.
"I needed to talk to Chatham. He could get Adele out of the Medici house."
-Just Isaac constantly consulting everyone but Adele herself for her own decisions.
"As we took our places at the table, Nicco didn’t insert himself between me and his brother, just stood steadfast at my other side."
-Because he knows you're strong enough.
Would be rich if I had a dollar for every character that freaks out whenever adele mentions nicco or even gets a tingle in their nicco spidey senses.
And how many times is she gonna forgive isaac? Let's be honest, it's unhealthy.
Do we really have to keep sitting though so many Isaac chapters? His chapters are so lightly laced with toxic controlling thoughts that are craftily laid between actual profound thoughts. His fatal flaw is so subtle and I hate that.
"She was Nicco’s perfect victim: innocent, kind, and desperate to know about her magical lineage. But she was also smart and sharp, and she didn’t trust anyone . . . so why had she let him in? What did he do to make her so blindly protect him?"
-This quote particularly infuriates me because it tells you exactly how little Isaac thinks of her compared to his own view of things as they are. We're four books in and he still doesn't trust her to know her own damn mind.
"The house was dark and quiet, but I knew with him at my side, I could fight the emptiness from filling me. Nicco wouldn’t let the boat tip."
-😭 FINALLY
I lost all respect for adele in this book because she goes swings wildly between nicco and isaac depending on her mood, and which one she's angry with at the moment. It is exhausting keeping up with her mental state.
The other extremely frustrating thing about this book in particular is the timeline. We jump months ahead and spend a few chapters on one day then skip weeks, spend chapters on another day, and then suddenly we get an explosion of events that take place over 30 or so chapters--that all happen in one day, AFTER sundown. They had time to begin a night festival, argue, make up, take care of the sick, have sex for hours, have a sudden battle in the city, argue (and make up) again, patrol the streets, gather souls, have the leaders get called away in an emergency hours away AND get back later to help with stuff, plan to go to the underworld, discover an unexpected shrine, meet up with the rest of the coven and adapt the underworld plan, gather the thousands of souls that were somehow collected in this timeframe while half of them had been triaging inflicted humans, and then go to the underworld and get back--all under the same moon that night for the festival. There's just no way.
💌 Random thoughts as I read:
Um, the peach plant part? Did I just fall in love with codi???
Seeing them with their ancestors talking, catching up, consulting, preparing for battle, is the mushy family stuff I absolutely live for.
Dee and codi are endgame. Please give us more.
If I have to read "observe adapt dominate" ONE more time....
EVEN NOW after what Isaac did to her, he thinks it was right and the only option. Because he values his own opinion above hers.
"I needed to talk to Chatham. He could get Adele out of the Medici house."
-Just Isaac constantly consulting everyone but Adele herself for her own decisions.
"As we took our places at the table, Nicco didn’t insert himself between me and his brother, just stood steadfast at my other side."
-Because he knows you're strong enough.
Would be rich if I had a dollar for every character that freaks out whenever adele mentions nicco or even gets a tingle in their nicco spidey senses.
And how many times is she gonna forgive isaac? Let's be honest, it's unhealthy.
Do we really have to keep sitting though so many Isaac chapters? His chapters are so lightly laced with toxic controlling thoughts that are craftily laid between actual profound thoughts. His fatal flaw is so subtle and I hate that.
"She was Nicco’s perfect victim: innocent, kind, and desperate to know about her magical lineage. But she was also smart and sharp, and she didn’t trust anyone . . . so why had she let him in? What did he do to make her so blindly protect him?"
-This quote particularly infuriates me because it tells you exactly how little Isaac thinks of her compared to his own view of things as they are. We're four books in and he still doesn't trust her to know her own damn mind.
"The house was dark and quiet, but I knew with him at my side, I could fight the emptiness from filling me. Nicco wouldn’t let the boat tip."
-😭 FINALLY
February 1, 2024
This book made me angrier than any book has ever. I dislike Adele and Nicco so much and I’m so infuriated it’s like they’re honeymooning in my head resort fee-free.
Isaac fucked up in book 3 (in a very ACOTAR, but out of nowhere way) but more than made up for it by going to the underworld, getting a scolding/attitude adjustment by Susannah, giving Nicco blood and taking Mac’s parasite soul and Adele still goes home with Nicco?
Honestly, Adele is the worst. She’s an immature 16 year old who thinks she can mediate the end of a centuries old blood feud just by finding Leon.
I think my favorite parts of this book are when Adele promises Nicco that nothing in his past could change how she feels about him and when he comes clean about killing Adeline, she’s like “I gotta go”; and when she spends 10 minutes convincing Nicco that he’s “a lamb” and she knows he’ll never hurt her so he’ll drink from her and the second his teeth come near her neck she’s like “Nicco, no!”
And why does the whole Coven act like Adele can do no wrong when she doesn’t trust any of them to help her and acts like they’re useless to her? She’s a bad friend.
She decides to run off in the middle of getting her dad home to give him a magical handjob in the bell tower while ignoring all of her coven’s emergency phone calls.
Adele was so reckless after Callis kidnapped Mac but now that he’s possessed she just leaves him at Dee’s and goes home to have sexy time with Nicco?
If Nicco is endgame I’m going to be furious. He’s a 400 year old vamp obsessed with a 16 year old. When a 30 year old dude gave her eyes at the bar, Adele was like “gross” but 400 years? Yes please!
Will I read book 5? Yes. Will I be happy? Probably not.
Isaac fucked up in book 3 (in a very ACOTAR, but out of nowhere way) but more than made up for it by going to the underworld, getting a scolding/attitude adjustment by Susannah, giving Nicco blood and taking Mac’s parasite soul and Adele still goes home with Nicco?
Honestly, Adele is the worst. She’s an immature 16 year old who thinks she can mediate the end of a centuries old blood feud just by finding Leon.
I think my favorite parts of this book are when Adele promises Nicco that nothing in his past could change how she feels about him and when he comes clean about killing Adeline, she’s like “I gotta go”; and when she spends 10 minutes convincing Nicco that he’s “a lamb” and she knows he’ll never hurt her so he’ll drink from her and the second his teeth come near her neck she’s like “Nicco, no!”
And why does the whole Coven act like Adele can do no wrong when she doesn’t trust any of them to help her and acts like they’re useless to her? She’s a bad friend.
She decides to run off in the middle of getting her dad home to give him a magical handjob in the bell tower while ignoring all of her coven’s emergency phone calls.
Adele was so reckless after Callis kidnapped Mac but now that he’s possessed she just leaves him at Dee’s and goes home to have sexy time with Nicco?
If Nicco is endgame I’m going to be furious. He’s a 400 year old vamp obsessed with a 16 year old. When a 30 year old dude gave her eyes at the bar, Adele was like “gross” but 400 years? Yes please!
Will I read book 5? Yes. Will I be happy? Probably not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2022
If you aren't reading this series, you're absolutely missing out.
Alys has blown me away once again with a gorgeous story. I think this was the exact story arc this series needed and there were moments I was so shocked, I gasped out loud. There were other moments that I found myself laughing so hard. This story was an adventure and it was so interesting to see the series take on a one-night perspective since the first three books spanned several weeks to a few months per book. I had the pleasure of spending time with Alys this past year virtually as I helped host some read-alongs in the fan group on Facebook. I only grew to appreciate her stories even more as she shared her writing process and the research she put into this series.
I also love the way Alys writes her teenage characters. She does a great job of creating a voice that is true to teenage years. The ending had me in TEARS and I devoured this book so so quickly.
Alys has blown me away once again with a gorgeous story. I think this was the exact story arc this series needed and there were moments I was so shocked, I gasped out loud. There were other moments that I found myself laughing so hard. This story was an adventure and it was so interesting to see the series take on a one-night perspective since the first three books spanned several weeks to a few months per book. I had the pleasure of spending time with Alys this past year virtually as I helped host some read-alongs in the fan group on Facebook. I only grew to appreciate her stories even more as she shared her writing process and the research she put into this series.
I also love the way Alys writes her teenage characters. She does a great job of creating a voice that is true to teenage years. The ending had me in TEARS and I devoured this book so so quickly.
March 14, 2021
Me getting beat up by all the twists and turns in this book.
Whew. Woah. Wow. Alys Arden knows how to pull a mean plot twist. And by 'a,' I mean about 17! Seriously, can a girl catch a break? I was kept on my toes throughout the end half of the book. I cannot WAIT to see how this all ties together.
Little stuff I loved:
-This book is a love letter to New Orleans. No, this series is. It embodies the weird, magical, stanky city that is New Orleans and takes everyone for a ride.
-The voodoo and the Ghede. Arden did her homework and took us through a magical ride to the Afterworld. It was so freaking cool.
-The ancestors. I love how everyone ties together in this one, it is so much fun to watch the dynamic.
Something you can never convince me of:
-ADELE AND NICCO. Just no! Adele drives me nuts with her Nicco obsession. Get away from the vampire.
Eagerly awaiting the final installment.
January 25, 2021
This book kept me engaged for the entire day to finish it..... only to find that there is another book (book 5) to come in ANOTHER YEAR FROM NOW!!!! Too long to find out what happens to New Orleans and the gang. I guess I'll just spend time reading from the beginning to the end.
This is a teen book but I'm long past those years. I picked up the first book in NOLA because I like so many others became intrigued by the stories of the Casquette girls. If you've ever been in NOLA you heard the tale of the seven casquettes hidden in the attic of the church. So of course I purchased this book and been hooked ever since.
This book is action placed and the characters are just amazing. I'm team Issac, but we'll see in the end.
This is a teen book but I'm long past those years. I picked up the first book in NOLA because I like so many others became intrigued by the stories of the Casquette girls. If you've ever been in NOLA you heard the tale of the seven casquettes hidden in the attic of the church. So of course I purchased this book and been hooked ever since.
This book is action placed and the characters are just amazing. I'm team Issac, but we'll see in the end.
January 17, 2023
3.5⭐️ The main reason I enjoy this series is the world building and the atmosphere, I absolutely love it! You can tell how much love the author has for New Orleans. Also the amount of research the author puts in for these books is super impressive so I have to mention that!! I have a couple of issues with this book, but mainly I can’t stand the love triangle any longer. Give me more Dee and Codi!! I would love more of their perspective on their relationship or anything really, especially because it would be through queer identities! Perhaps an Annabelle perspective to see what’s going through her mind?? I don’t know, but anything to not have to suffer through more Isaac chapters.
June 19, 2024
Alys has done it again! I devoured this book on release day and I was not disappointed! Alys has this crazy talent of world building and story telling that makes you want to jump in the book and be part of the action! This book introduces new character POVs, which I really enjoyed - I’ve read these characters from the previous books and now I got to see the story through them! One last thing I love about this series is it’s re-readability, I’ve probably re-read the series three times now and I’ll likely do it again at least twice before book 5 comes out!
January 27, 2021
Magical and amazing!
Just like the other three, this was awesome! I loved every little thing about it. From the streets of NOLA to the gates of Guinee, this book had it all! So magical and exciting! Great attention to details. And I love the characters! Sorry Issac #teamnicco all the way! This author really makes the story come alive! I cannot wait for the next book!
Just like the other three, this was awesome! I loved every little thing about it. From the streets of NOLA to the gates of Guinee, this book had it all! So magical and exciting! Great attention to details. And I love the characters! Sorry Issac #teamnicco all the way! This author really makes the story come alive! I cannot wait for the next book!
January 21, 2021
Weird, confusing
Confusing, I found myself skipping over pages. There didn’t seem to be any character growth and the story was told from too many points of view. I feel like I wasn’t reading the same series as the prior books, they were so good and this book fell flat.
Confusing, I found myself skipping over pages. There didn’t seem to be any character growth and the story was told from too many points of view. I feel like I wasn’t reading the same series as the prior books, they were so good and this book fell flat.
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