I pause, ears straining, but all I hear are faint sounds from the city below and the constant draw of the waterfall at the base of the mountain. And she smiles, through the tears dried on her cheeks, through the glassiness of her eyes. The sight is so damn beautiful that it’s hard to breathe. Manu arrives. He tells Auren that Kaila is calling her to a Conflux so they can judge whether Auren killed Midas and/or Prince Niven. Like a phoenix caught fire, I will need to rise from the ashes and learn to wield my own power. Because my wings may have been clipped, but I am not in a cage, and I'm finally free to fly from the frozen kingdoms I've been kept in. By bestselling author Raven Kennedy, comes the first book in a stunning new fantasy series, perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout.

Plus the obvious calculation by inserting quotes and copy-pasting well-known quotes almost word for word into the book leaves me with no other choice than to drop the series, leave a one star review and steer clear from any future publications. Everything is reaching its crescendo. I cannot wait for the fifth book. I need someone to put me into sleep paralysis until the next book is released because how am I supposed to move on..While I love Slade, his character definitely took a hit between this and the last book, though there were a few memorable moments and interactions between him and Auren (especially after the second and before the third time they slept together - when she asked if this is what love is and he confirmed, and when she told him she wanted to explore the world and other people and he was all for it whilst making it clear that he would still ultimately be endgame because… he said so). He most definitely did not act like the calculating king/commander that he was in the previous books. While I liked his softer side, it was a bit too guilt ridden for me. And when it came to Auren he was more shortsighted than a 15 year old whose girlfriend called him up to tell him that the house was empty… all he cared about was Auren, whilst claiming that he always did what’s best for his people. That was simply not true, and, in fact, some of his decisions were so callous that I truly wondered how his Wrath had not put him straight yet. Ryatt was the only voice of reason in this, and even he somehow came to admit that he was wrong by the end… it was just… disappointing, because it shows an inability of the author to balance and explore more complex issues and dynamics. I won’t allow another storm to touch Auren. She has been flooded and wrung out, left to take the barrage without shelter. But so long as I’m here, I will be her shelter. For ten years, I’ve lived in a gilded cage inside King Midas’s golden castle. But one night changed everything.

SO, all in all, I think what I’m getting at is this-these books are special to me, they hold a very deep place in my heart and in my soul, and they only continue to get better-maybe not for everyone. Maybe not in content… but in strength and heart. And I think that’s something amazing, something to behold. And I cannot wait (or maybe I can. I hate final books almost always…they almost never end a series in a way I like or find believable, but I have tentative hope for Kennedy) to see how two of the newest editions to my rabid ride-or-die-or-perish-in-a-sea-of-feels OTPs fare. I hope they all find their happily ever after….or, ya know, I’ll perish in a sea of not-so-great feels.Slade is a villain through and through. He is unapologetic about it and he fully embraces his Fae nature and it's ruthless urges. I'm glad this is something Raven did not erase or attempt at a redemption arc and while he does have good intentions but he is ready to unleash the villain if anyone as so much harms a hair on Auren. You can say something until you’re blue in the face, and it won’t do any good. People rarely change their opinions when they’re argued with. They only tend to listen to the voices of those they already agree with.”