Jessica Smith > Recent Status Updates

The woods aren’t quiet anymore. Laurent’s gone, but something far bigger is lurking. Wolves, secrets, and that ache of realizing the world is darker than you ever imagined. Sometimes, I think that’s the hardest part. Learning not everything that saves you feels safe.

Bella’s out here risking it all for a vampire and I’m just sitting here nodding like, yeah girl, same.

It’s a reread for me. Revisiting the start of Bella and Edward’s story feels so nostalgic. I forgot how awkward and intense those early chapters are, but it’s such a comfort read.

Anita admits she isn’t afraid of death itself, only the way it might come for her. And honestly, I felt that. There are fates far worse than dying, and being devoured by something undead ranks high on the list. It’s such a hauntingly human confession tucked inside all this supernatural chaos. The kind that lingers long after you read it.

Necromancy here isn’t a whispered myth. It’s a trade, cold and transactional, yet still deeply unsettling. Watching the dead pulled from their rest feels like prying open a locked grave, and of course greed slithers in, turning corpses into currency and power. The world feels shadowed, hungry, and I can’t shake the chill of how easily life and death is bought and sold.

Nikolaos stays razor-witted, serpentine, and unsettlingly charming… of course she’s my favorite. Why am I like this with villains?

It drifts between quiet, eerie build-up and sudden bursts of action. The pacing keeps shifting, but the dark atmosphere has me hooked.

One of the most breathtaking parts of this story is how the mermaids aren’t just mythical beings, but protectors. The way they call upon sharks, dolphins, and every creature of the sea to fight back against men exploiting the ocean is haunting and beautiful justice. It flips the script: nature isn’t helpless, it’s powerful, and when united it refuses to be broken. That kind of poetic balance gave me chills.