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I'm living. I'm dying. I'm laughing. I'm crying. I'm preaching. I'm loving. I'm not sure when is the last time I've been quite so immersed and invested in a book. Absolutely incredible. Follett is a genius. Simply that.

It's not like I thought this book was bad or hated reading it. I don't even have that many issues to point out. Mostly, it was just that I didn't care. I thought at first that it's just that this is not my type of a book, and I don't think I was wrong there 'cause I don't think I like this type of witchy books, but more than that I don't think I had enough time to grow to care for the characters or the story.

What a book. I love Wendell beyond words & what a charming setting & cast of characters this book has. Everything with the faeries is brilliant, & I can't wait for more. I liked the end of this book, but don't honestly have that much else to say. I enjoyed both the end conflict & the resolution to it. But beyond that, this book has got me both reading & writing again & just feeling more creative than in a long while.

I knew something had to happen as we are reaching the end of the book, but I had honestly completely forgotten about the faerie ring – which might've even been the intention. I have no idea how the book will conclude though, & can't wait to find out....

So, I read a single chapter, but that was one hell of a chapter. "I love you"'s were exchanged –marriage proposals were exchanged! Hands were touched. What peak romance! But what will happen now... (*fear*)

I frankly can't say much else, but I don't care. I picked this up 'cause I felt like I needed a break from Valour but now I really would rather be reading that. It's a short book though so I will be finishing it, but I just can't find myself to be interested to any degree.

Frankly, my dear, I wanna scream & shout& let it all out 'cause this is too good. "My faerie!" Yes, your faerie, my darling. The same who calls you "my dear dragon" & writes into to your journal about how he let your head rest on his shoulder (though of course you'd mind knowing this) & who could not finish the sentence "I suppose that's partly why–" as that would desecrate the scientific vessel that is your journal.

It is actually quite an alright book – more than alright – t's just the truth that I'm not that interested. Frankly, I'm quite bored. I don't find the writing style captivating, the book is too straightforward if that makes sense. I'm also not sure this is the type of witch story or historical fantasy I'm interested in. Beyond that, there is something about the character dynamics that doesn't appeal to me.

I don't really have many thoughts yet, but I'm generally interested. I don't know if it's a bad idea to begin this series from the prequel but here we are. It's a short intro into the world, and even if I don't end up loving it, I'll still definitely jump into the actual series after this.

So, umm, if possible, I'm even more obsessed. I can already feel the new-favourite 5-star-read. I want to devour the next book after this & can't wait to have my hands on the 3rd. This book has got me excited about reading again on a complete other level. I'm this book alive. I love the atmosphere & the setting & am literally obsessed with Bambleby, as I said yesterday. I just love fairy stories & want to write them.

Omg, I am obsessed. I can't believe I thought this wouldn't be my cup of tea. This is that Susanna Clarke type of literature I wanna write myself. Just everything about this is brilliant. The classical fairytale take on faeries. The Edwardian academic vibes. The footnotes & the way its formated. The setting & the grumpy mc! But beyond everything else, Wendell Bambleby & the romance to come. I devoured those 70 pages.

Ngl, the warring makes me kinda zone out. But I am still excited to follow Coen. Beyond that excited about the magic stuff mostly. Oooh, & am actually quite interested in the Giant POV. Also an exciting development is having Corvin be labaled the black prince or smth by the other side.

(16.3) I can't believe I'm saying this a day later but I feel like I'm becoming ever-so-slightly more invested in the story. Still couldn't give a shit about the giants, & frankly, Veritus has lost most of his appeal from the 1st book. I really dig Coen's storyline but her & Corvin are just giving Sansa & Snow vibes maybe a bit too much. I also still love Corvin the most from the story, & am interested in the magic.

(15.3) At the minute, Coen is who I'm most interested in, but in general I feel less than captivated by the plot.

(13.3) So, I won't lie, I currently don't care very much. I don't think it helped that I read a few fantasy books after the first one 'cause now having returned to this series I've realised that I'm not very invested. I will continue, & do hope that I will grow more invested, but my interest in this series surely hasn't gone up from the first book as of yet. Also, I already can't remember anyone....

Soooo... I ended up enjoying it basically the same I enjoyed the first book. But I don't think that's a problem! No, it's not my favourite thing ever. No, I don't think I will come to love it. Yes, I have my problems with it -- even ones that could be easily fixed. But I also enjoy this series. At the same time I hope we would get more from the mysteries, but they also feel like the weakest part of the story...

Like I said, surprised by how much I'm enjoying this. It's just the chill yet intrigued-filled time I was looking for. I like the vibes, I like the protagonist, I like the tone, I'm intrigued by the mystery – and I think the reason why I might be enjoying this one a bit more than the first is that a) I think I find this mystery a bit more compelling, & b) I'm returning to this "world" and these characters.

I'm really enjoying this and I think that's 'cause I'm currently very much in the mood for this type of literature – what's that? I'd describe this book as like reading Da Vinci Code made a mass market paperback "faija dekkari" made for queer women.

Like I said on page 503, I hate Philip Pullman. I had heard of the devastation that is the end of this series, but I was not expecting to cry like 5 times during the last 100 pages. What a book, and what a series. Yes, you could maybe call the ending of this bit stretched, but I think that pace is precisely what made it so harrowing. I am beyond mad at myself for DNF'ing this for a few years. Beautiful and profound.

An interesting beginning to a promising fantasy series. I began only really caring for Veritus, and ended with being more invested in literally every other perspective. Corvin is my boy and I will follow him until the end, like Snow, who I love dearly. I can't wait to see where we go from here. This beginning was slow to begin but it certainly ended with a bang, and now we're running and I don't wanna stop.

Wow. Just wow. I am in awe of Salih's writing. I find it both very fitting and very ironic that the first book recommended at the back is The Outsider by Camus, because these two books certainly share a quality that makes them both my favourites, but also you know... I'm not even fully certain what to say because this is a book I very much need to digest better. It's a short book but it contains multitudes within it

In the end, I felt about it exactly the same I felt throughout it. It's a stellar book. And I frankly wouldn't be surprised if it will do a Baudolino, and it will become a favourite in retrospect. The plot was stellar, but in a soft way. I (throughout) THOUGHT it was brilliant, my emotions just didn't factor in that much. But the writing, the storytelling, the characters, the ideas—fucking fantastic. It's Gaiman.