Reviewed by Leigha on
And so begins another series by Sarah J. Maas. Listen, if you’ve read and mostly enjoyed her books up to this one, you’re probably going to like it. It’s got the bad ass heroine with a tarnished heart of gold; a broody-mcbrood pants that loves said bad ass heroine; the ride-or-die homeboy related to bad ass heroine; and a cast of side-characters making you pine for them to be one big happy family. (If you’re a newbie Maas reader, I actually recommend you start with A Court of Thorns & Roses. It’s a complete series featuring all of her trademark themes, characters, and one-liners.)
My biggest issue is the world-building. Maas loves creating these complex fantastical worlds. Her other series did a good job starting with a small portion of world building before expanding outward. Not this series. As soon as you start reading, you’re thrust into the middle of a gigantic world with a million different species, a complex social structure, and a ton of settings. I had to read the initial excerpt from NetGalley twice just to feel like I understood some of the world building. It’s too big, too expansive, a little too much early on.
My second issue is, of course, length. If you cut out all the times Maas says the full character’s name (or a character’s title) you’d cut this book by 10%. Cut out some of the unnecessary world building or scene setting, and you’d cut another 10% more. I barely have time to make it through a first read let alone a re-read. A good editor could shore up some of her weak points while maintaining her signature style.
And finally, folks, what you’ve all been waiting to hear – should you invest in the romance? Her other series have started with a Plot A romance, only to be thrown over by Plot B. Is Hunt the next Chaol, Dorian, or Tamlin? I hesitantly say their romance is a mixture of Plot A and Plot B. I think him and Bryce will be end game despite their dispute toward the end of the novel. His story arc reminds me a lot of Chaol in Tower of Dawn, but with the characterization of Rowan. But who knows, I could be wrong.
tl;dr With her signature themes, characters, and romance, long time fans of Maas will enjoy this expansive new series.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 5 March, 2020: Finished reading
- 5 March, 2020: Reviewed