I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Abriella, or Brie as she's more often known, has hated the Fae ever since her mother abandoned her and her younger sister, Jas, to her wicked aunt, and ran off to find the Fae she fell in love with years before. To survive her aunt, she's always used her gifts to steal and thrive, but when her debt becomes too much for her, Jas is sold to the cruel Unseelie King, and Brie would do anything, even travel to the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, to get her back. Making a deal with the Unseelie King, she needs to become a prospective bride for the prince of Seelie, Prince Rohan, who just so happens to be someone from her past, who she's always loved, but never knew was Fae. Pretending to want to marry him is easy, and she feels safe with Rohan, but the Unseelie Prince Finnian, who's in exile and trying to reclaim his throne, is just as alluring, and she's torn between them. Considering she spent most of her life hating Fae, Brie is soon falling for two, and when it seems that she might have more of a history with Fae magic than she ever expected, it's clear that she's in over her head, and the danger is just beginning.

I'm going to start by saying I don't normally love Fae stories, but as soon as I started These Hollow Vows, I was hooked, and needed to devoured the entire book as soon as possible. The idea of the book is very much Cinderella to start off with. Both Brie and Jas are hidden away in the basement, and have to work for her aunt and cousins (in lieu of a stepmother/stepsisters), and are basically indentured servants. They never will be able to repay their debts and gain their freedom, not with how vindictive Madame Vivias is. And when Vivias sold Jas off to the Unseelie King, to be made to be a servant, or worse, in his Court, Brie stops at nothing to save her. I loved how strong and feisty Brie was, but she also had a vulnerable side, that we see again and again, especially as she comes to term with her feelings about the Fae she meets, and realises it's not all black and white, good vs evil. The mission that Brie is sent on isn't tenuous, but it's extremely dangerous, and would spell certain death if it was discovered - and she's playing with magic she never realised she had control of.

The romance is perfect too, and though I normally hate love triangles, or the hint of one, it was fantastic in this book. I did definitely have a preference of one of the princes, but they were both brooding and mysterious in their own rights, and have pros and cons for Brie to consider. One had a lot more cons than the other, with red flags flying, and I was glad to see my opinion of him vindicated, but I can understand why Brie was attracted to him. The whole cast of characters, but especially the band of misfits who followed Finn and helped Brie with her efforts to stop the Unseelie King were wonderful. I was completely blown over by the final chapters, and am gutted I'm going to have to wait so long to see what comes of the revelations! A truly amazing debut!

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for the chance to read and review this book.

Abriella, "Brie", doesn't like the Fae and she wants to be far away from their schemes, but when her younger sister Jas is kidnapped by the cruel king of the Unseelie Court, Brie is forced to make a deal with him and help him steal three magical relics from the rival Seelie court. Gaining access to the court is easier that she thought. She will pose as a potential bride for the Queen's son, Ronan, a prince she will get to know very well. Unwilling to let herself get distracted from her deal and her sister, Brie accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits, but as she spends more and more time with their leader Finn, her heart begins to struggle to resist his charms. Torn between Ronan and Finn, her love for her sister and the world she's getting to know there, Brie will have to do anything in her power to protect herself and those she loves.

I really loved reading These Hollow Vows. The story is thrilling, full of secrets and plot twists, captivating and sexy characters and love interests, glamourous dances and dresses, dangerous secrets and deal and artifacts.
Brie is a brilliant main characters. Strong-willed, driven by her love for Jas and willing to do anything in order to keep her safe, even making dangerous deals with the Fae. The reader gets to know a stubborn Brie, fighting to protect herself and her sister, living in misery, mistreated by her aunt and cousins at the beginning of the story. But when Jas is sold to the Fae, everything changes and she will be forced to play under different rules, to visit the Fae world and to discover more about it and herself.

In a retelling of Cinderella, with Fae and magic mirrors and dangerous deals, Brie stands out for her courage, stubborness and charm. She's relatable in her fierce love, in her fears and desires, wants and dreams. While discovering more and more about the world she's now living in, Brie starts to understand more about herself, her love and family and what she wants to do in her future. Between goblins and magic lessons, dresses and decadent lunches, cruel queens and kings, curses and stolen relics, Brie moves in the Fae world, torn between her heart and her loyalty. Her character is absolutely well written, but so are the side ones, above all, Ronan and Finn, complex in their intricacies, desires, duties and schemes.

This book is captivating, well written and sexy, full of secrets and mysteries, intricate characters and I loved everything and after this ending I can't wait to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them. But when her sister is sold to the evil king of the Unseelie court, she makes a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court. To gain access to the Seelie court, Brie has to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his charm. Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.

I loved These Hollow Vows! It's exactly the kind of fantasy romance novel I needed right now, and I forgot everything around me while reading it. I read the last 250 pages in one go because I couldn't put it down and I need the sequel ASAP. :( I even stayed up late to finish These Hollow Vows, because it was so addicting. I immediately liked Brie and I understand why she was torn between Prince Ronan and Finn. I don't always like love triangles, but this one was done so well and not annoying at all! I'm team Finn though. :D

The plot was so fast-paced and I got into the book really quickly. Honestly, there's not really anything I can criticise about the book! The world-building was great and I enjoyed learning about the Seelie and Unseelie court. I wasn't confused at all, which can be the case with fantasy books, but everything was explained so well.

Overall, the book highly entertained me and I couldn't get enough. These Hollow Vows actually gave me a book hangover. I didn't want it to end and I hope there will be a sequel soon!

It's quite weird. A part of me is done with the Fae hype. It seems every new book is just much more of the same and I feel like I already read the good ones. However, when I saw this book I got curious and wanted to give these Fae another chance. Mostly because I have a weak spot for princes and also because the plot sounded different from the other books I read. I was really looking forward to start the Netgalley arc I got from the publisher this morning.

I read this entire book in one sitting. It was almost impossible to stop and to put the book down. It's hard to pinpoint what makes this book so addictive. It's for sure partly the writing style. It flows so incredibly nicely and it reads so incredibly quick and easy and yet it fits the characters and the world they're living in. I think it's also so addictive because it's basically a romance, but with Fae. Yes, there is a little more to the plot, but the romance is the most important element.

Objectively I think it's easy to say that if you start this book thinking it's a fantasy you're gonna be disappointed. Our heroine is spending most of her time within castles and safe houses, which means we see not too much of the world and have to rely on information told instead of shown. And although there is some political conflict, some curse and a throne to fight over, our main character doesn't realize that she's playing a part in that war.

And because of the nature of the story both princes are witholding a lot of information, which means that even by the end of the book it doesn't really feel like I know them that well. However, for some reason I really liked the tension between both princess and our heroine. I did like the constant push and pull. I did enjoy the he loves and he hates me. And I most of all did enjoy the not knowing who's the good guy and who's the bad guy. Or if there even are good guys and bad guys.

I most certainly want more!

The story is very Cinderella like in the beginning, with the main character and her sister living in a cellar and an evil relative stealing all their money. There's even a ball (albeit a fairy one) and gowns, and of course...princes. Two of 'em.

I also saw the ACOTAR similarities, mainly in some parts of the plot and the way the two love interests were written. Also, the darkness.

The plot was predictable from the start, but did that hinder my enjoyment? Heck no!

I've read books that were predictable and similar to their comps in the first installment and then grew into something unique in the next, so I want to see where this story goes. But let's leave that excitement for later.

The writing style is easy to follow and very addicting too. I really didn't like having to put this book down for more boring tasks because it's so bingeable.

And the world building is good. I felt like I was in a different realm while reading.

As for the characters, I liked Brie and Jas (and Oberon, even though we never met him). Although, Brie did frustrate me when she didn't figure obvious things out. But she's new to the fairy world so I'll give her a pass.

I liked Sebastian better than Finn all the way to the end. I think he's a nicer person in general, but in my opinion, I'd rather see Brie alone after everything those two put her through. Or with some random new character we haven't met yet.

When you think about it, the three of them were almost related? But it's not even that, it's all the betrayal...they both seem nice at first and then you don't even know who's supposed to be the good one with all the twists. So again, THINK HARD BRIE.

The ending made me angry. Angry, because it took Brie so long to realise what was really going on, and because it seems the love triangle will go in a direction that I'm not overly fond of. And it was a cliffhanger.

I had fun reading this book. I'm happy I got approved because it's definitely worth the read. And I'd love to have it on my shelf too. I have a feeling the sequel will be even better, and I'm hoping the side characters get some bigger roles.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

When I read 'Cruel prince meets ACOTAR'? I had to read this book!

I was so curious about this book and couldn't wait to start in it. Thank you so much for the e-arc!

'Aaaah, I need the second book right now!' Was my thought when I just finished it. I really enjoyed this story. It has love, trust, mistrust, heartbreak and so much more. I totally get the reference to TCP meets ACOTAR. It gave me those vibes, but it is a completely different story.

Even though I really enjoyed it, some things that happened were a bit predictable. Doesn't make it any less fun though! The writing style is fantastic, it's easy to read and you just want to continue reading once you start.

That love triangle? I knew who brie (Abriella) would choose, even though I wished I was wrong haha. The ending makes me hope though...

If you love the world of fae, spying and scheming games this is the book for you!

Thank you NetGalley and hodder and stoughton for letting me read this magnificent book.
This is an amazingly written fantasy romance between a human and a fae. It really captured my attention from the very beginning and I did not want to put it down. I’m new to reading fantasy and this has made me want to read even more from this genre

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

These Hollow Vows follows mortal sisters Brie and Jas. One day Jas is sold to the Unseelie King and Brie would do anything to get her back, so she makes a deal with the Unseelie King. She has to steal 3 relics from the rival Seelie Court and so we follow her journey as she sets of to do just that. I liked Brie and her sister Jas's sister bond and I also liked the side characters, the "unseelie misfits"that we followed.
This book has themes of deception, friendship, romance, a love triangle and magic, so if you enjoy books like that then you will definitely enjoy this book!

This book was so exciting and wow that ending! Cannot wait for book 2 to come out!

These Hollow Vows is a great addition to the fae YA fantasy world.

The beginning of These Hollow Vows gave me slightly Cinderella feels, but it worse with the contract and the threat of slavery.



One thread that follows through the book is the stories and rhymes that Brie mother told her when she was a child. I like the stories on their own but even more when they connect to the current story.

Brie is the leading lady in These Hollow Vows, I really liked her as a character. As she will do anything to protect and save her sister. She wants to help people even after everything she has been through. She evolves in These Hollow Vows as she comes to learn not all Fae are evil monsters. As the book progresses I enjoyed finding out more about the world of Fae and Brie deals with her feelings.



As I finished the book I was left ruminating on the ending. As I was very angry with one of the characters, very angry. Like I want to punch said character.

These Hollow Vows has;

Action
Romance
thievery
spying
Magic
Deception
My rating for These Hollow Vows is 4.8 out of 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

My rating: 3,5/5 stars

I don't even know why I was really intrigued by the blurb A court of Thorns and Roses meet The Cruel Prince, even though I haven't read them. But, there's fae! And the cover is gorgeous! So I'm sold!
Anyway, this book follows Abriella or Brie, who hates Fae more than anything. But then, her sister is taken by the King of Unseelie court, so Abriella has to make a deal with the king to save her sister. She has to steal 3 magical relics from Seelie Court a.k.a the rival of the Unseelie court.

What I like about this book:
- Worldbuilding is really intriguing! But I wish I can see more of this Faerie world.
- Abriella's relationship with her sister Jas! We love to see a good family relationship.
- I love Pretha and the rest of the gang * The reason why I always ended up liking the side character more than the main character is still unknown*
- The writing style. It's easy to understand what's going on and the pacing is perfect, not too fast and not too slow either.

What I don't really like:
- Yeah I know from the description that there's going to be a love triangle, and honestly, I'm not a big fan of that trope, but if it's done right it's great! In this case, I dislike it. I don't really feel great chemistry between Brie and Prince Ronan or Brie and Finn. \ But anyway, hope she ended up with Finn!!!
- As I said, I hope she ended up with Finn because Prince Ronan is very annoying thank you very much. This is such a red flag to me! Bye Prince Ronan!!
- Brie's decisions annoy me sometimes!

Overall, the premise and the world-building really great, but I don't get a connection to the character, especially to Brie. If you love Fae, love triangle, easy-to-read fantasy book, and unique world-building go read this book!

You know that feeling when you’re really excited for a book and it completely lives up to all of your expectations when you read it? That’s what happened to me with These Hollow Vows!

It feels like every book with Fae in it is now marketed as “for fans of ACOTAR” but this one really is! It genuinely filled the little Fae romantasy shaped hole in my heart that’s been there since reading ACOSF. That said These Hollow Vows is it’s own book and deserves hype for what it is all by itself so I won’t say any more on that in this review.

This book has a strong female lead, Fae, royals, magic, and romance. While there are two potential love interests for Brie, I would hesitate to call it a love triangle because there’s not much page time with the two males or all three characters together, meaning it doesn’t have as much of the messy triangle drama. I started to get some found family vibes but of course things had to go wrong because this isn’t a standalone. I’m hoping we’ll get back to that closeness between Brie and other characters in the sequel though.

While the ending didn’t surprise me it did have a good twist and the cliffhanger has me super excited for book 2! I think this one will take bookstagram by storm once it’s out and I’m looking forward to being able to discuss the details with you all!

Read for:
• A strong female lead
• The perfect blend of fantasy and romance (it’s YA so nothing high on the smut scale but there are shenanigans)
• A quest to save a family member
• Fae
• Some found family goodness
• Royals and court intrigue

I gave These Hollow Vows 5/5🌟 It’s out on the 20th July and you best believe I’ll be grabbing a physical copy for my shelf!

I received a free copy of this book from @hodderscape through @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Headlines:
Familiar tropes
Seelie-unseelie good and bad
Un-trustworthiness

My, my, that was some knotted up mess of character disaffection veiled as loyalty. This story keeps you spinning in terms of who to set your hopes on, who is trustworthy and who is downright sneaky. I have to say that I called it totally wrong and ended up surprised by the final twists in this story.

This book took a little while to really capture my attention but when life changed for Brie and Jas, that was when I got fully on board. This story had some very familiar tropes and I did see those parallels I've heard mentioned with The Cruel Prince and ACOTAR characters. If they're not your bag, this probably won't be either.

The only characters I really liked in this story were Brie (although she did occasionally frustrate me), Jas and Lark. The rest of the characters, including the love interests just garnered my suspicion and I felt like I was looking over my shoulder throughout the read. Even so, I was gripped.

I loved the creatures like the banshee, barghest and sluarg that invaded the story and although they weren't pleasant, they added colour and excitement.

This book leaves you with a gasp, a bucket-load of questions and a burning read to know more. This story definitely builds as it goes and it you can take the angst, the back and forth and some of the relationship tropes, then this could be a favourite.

Thank you to Hodder Books for the early review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and Lexi Ryan for granting me access to this book's ARC.

(3.5 stars)

Abriella and her sister Jasalyn live in a world where Fae are dangerous and not to be trusted. They are demons in faerie form, who steal away humans for slaves and spend their lives embroiled in bitter court rivalries between the Seelie and the Unseelie. When Jas is stolen away by the dark Unseelie fae, Abriella is plunged into a world of faerie princes and sinister monsters in order to get her back - just in time for the Sun prince, Ronan, to begin choosing a human bride... but everything is not as it seems, and Brie finds herself becoming far more entangled in the world of Faerie than she ever imagined.

I raced through this book. I think the main reason I'm rating it four stars is because I genuinely did thoroughly enjoy the story, with all of its twists and turns; Lexi Ryan kept me gripped, and trying to piece together all the bits and pieces in my head was the most fun I've had reading a book in a while. I'm pretty sure I actually gasped aloud a couple of times. The fact that this was all set in such a dark and fascinating fantasy world only made it better for me - I adored all of the magical elements, the lore, the faerie history. The world was immersive and I truly enjoyed traversing it alongside Brie.

To be honest, I'm banking on the second book being better than this one. The ending left us on a very interesting cliffhanger, and set Brie up to be a much more memorable character (capable of a far more fascinating story) when we return to her journey next. A lot of people hated Brie from what I've read, but pretty much all of the characters are morally grey in some shape or form, and in my opinion Brie merely plays into this. I didn't hate her, but I didn't particularly love her either, and I'm hoping that Ryan can change my heart in the next installment.

I think my main issue with this book is that it begins very quickly. Usually I love this in a book, but I think more context and time spent with Sebastian and Jas beforehand would have been helpful for the rest of the story. Brie's main motive is to save Jas, but... this seems to disappear for a lot of the book as it becomes more about Brie and her love triangle and her mysterious past and future. Learning more about Jas, her character, and the sisters' relationship would have really helped in this respect, and made the story more meaningful and emotional.

Additionally, we learn from the start that Brie's key love interest is Sebastian, the mage apprentice who trains next door. As intense and fervent as their relationship is supposed to be, I never really felt attached to it, and I think this is because we never see it develop in any sort of way. She just IS in love with him, and he just IS in love with her. When you read the book you'll understand why this is necessary (angst!), but for me the insta-love style meant that I was never truly rooting for them.

Finally, we come to Finnion's band of misfit-fae. Finn is the dark, brooding princely love interest of the book (whereas Sebastian is the golden cinnamon-roll), and to be honest I really liked him for most of the story (although... not necessarily as Brie's love interest. I'm not sure I'm rooting for either of them). I was disappointed that his group wasn't explored in more depth. Also, I think it's especially important that you go into this book expecting morally corrupt characters, otherwise you'll just hate them all. It's a dark, twisted story full of deception and betrayal, and the characters reflect this.

Overall I'm glad I read These Hollow Vows and I am very much looking forward to where Lexi Ryan takes the story in the next book! A little cliché, yet an enjoyable read, I would recommend this to 18+ fantasy fans looking for something dark, fast-paced, and a little spicy.

DNF at 25% just didn’t love this one sadly. I couldn’t get on with the characters and the writing style didn’t feel very developed or particularly well written. The story felt like a million stories I’ve read before. Which I’m sorry to say. It may definitely be a good read for some but I think with fantasy these days because I’ve read so much of it I need books that bring something new and exciting to the table and this one just didn’t.

These Hollow Vows had me at fae... I loved it and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy. It really filled a hole that was last filled by Cruel Prince! I can't wait for what comes next!

All of the comparisons to ACOTAR and Cruel Prince did not lie, this felt like the natural third story in this trio of great books about faeries and humans and their inevitable romances!
I really liked Brie and her attitude and voice, she was smart and caring (for her sister) and just trying to do her best in a bad situation.
The fae princes were fine, but honestly, I didn't really care who she ended up with. The love triangle was interesting and added another layer of fun to the story.

I had been eager to read These Hollow Vows since I read the synopsis ages ago. And while it wasn’t a bad read, I felt it was a bit of a letdown because it’s very similar to many other books in the genre. I think if you were new to the genre, then it would be more enjoyable, but I’ve read so many of these kinds of books that this one just didn’t bring anything new for me!

Abriella “Brie” Kincaid and her younger sister Jasalyn live in the rotten quarters of their wicked aunt and cousins home, for a costly monthly fee and where they do all of the household chores. When Brie’s aunt sells Jasalyn to the Unseelie Court’s self-proclaimed King to make up for a late payment, Abriella is distraught.
However, the very same night, the portal between the Fae realm and mortal realm is open, because the Queen of the Seelie Court is holding a ball to find a bride match for her heir. Brie decides to crash this party to find a way to save her sister.
What transpires is a treacherous adventure full of revelations and challenges that will change everything for Brie and both the Fae courts.

UHHH… that??? Ending?? Is the author or Hodder & Stoughton going to pay for my therapy? Because I’m obsessed with this story. I still think about it MONTHS later… it literally haunts me in the night.
These Hollow Vows played so many mind games to the point I never knew who or what to believe. It is a deliciously deceptive introduction into what I can only call an addictive first in series that promises an exciting and dangerous fuelled horizon.
 
Brie is a mostly likeable heroine. From the story’s opening you know Brie’s gutsy and committed, through a similar parallel to ACOTAR’s Feyre hunting in the woods to survive, but for Brie, it’s more of a Six of Crows vibe, as she steals from a high security vault to survive instead. Brie’s underdog appeal carries on throughout the story but admittedly she does become rather infuriating. Brie acted in ways contrary to what she knew would be in her best interests as a human in a Fae world, and more or less completely disregarded her own self preservation. Because of this, she made me groan and resist the urge to throw my kindle across the room… all the while still rooting for her. Where Brie starts out is completely different from where she is by the end of the book. The book’s events change everything for her and it equally thrilled and pained me.
 
Arguably the biggest part of the book is its tantalising love triangle. I loved it but by gosh did it hurt - which shows it was done well enough to pack such impact. The romance was delightfully saucy and irresistible. Honestly the steam factor was nearly off the charts. I was flipping the pages and sniffling thinking “What does a mere mortal girl like me have to do to have two Faes fawn over her?!”

I kept thinking about that song “torn between two lovers” when it came to the boys… On the one hand you have Sebastian, who is the cute boy next door who Brie’s known for two years, yet you can’t shake it feels too good to be true. Then there’s Finnian, who is moody, cold, aloof and extremely secretive, so much so common sense would tell you to avoid him like the plague. Yet he comes across as the mysterious bad boy you want to know more about and can’t help but rise to the vibes he exudes.
 
I think the author was very clever in how she fed into both romances to create the triangle. She played my heart like a fiddle and for the entirety of the book had me undecided on where my head and heart lay, until the very last page. The love triangle will undoubtedly continue in the sequel and… *squeals* I CANT WAIT. It’s as much my guilty pleasure as Love Island is!! However, I do wish it had been more explicit - sorry not sorry - no half measures here *blushes and hides face*
 
As much as it left me in pain, because it was such fun, I’d likely reread it. In short I was in my element. I was beyond invested in the characters and plot turns, especially with its easy YA style readability and great pace. The entire book is an enjoyable blend of romance and fantasy: it’s action packed, underpinned by subtle politics and the heart pounding romance. I’m curious to discover more and hopefully see a greater development of the world building in These Twisted Bonds. I hope to see more of the politics of the seelie and unseelie courts, their different and similar magics, their histories and the people involved. All of this has made me insatiable for the rest of this series.
 
These Hollow Vows is the newest Fae obsession and I know I won’t be alone. It gives so many questions, so many feelings, so much to theorise and agonise over, and the ending guarantees the sequel is a must read. I can’t wait for the inevitable fandom of this series to take off so I can feed my obsession even more… Until then, quoting the magnificent Jane Austen, I will be half agony, half hope, tortured over what the sequel will deliver, and quite literally count down the days until its release.

Thank you super super super mega amounts to Hodder & Stoughton, @readeatretreat and Netgalley for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I'm disappointed I didn't enjoy this. I wasn't expecting anything particularly unique but I enjoy a lot of other fantasy romances, so I thought it would be fun enough. The main character is particularly boring, and how easily she drops her search for her sister when distracted by the love triangle is frustrating. This book has the whole 'completely ordinary girl but everyone is falling over her and she's actually super special' trope in it and I'm just so bored of that. I'm also not against love triangles but this one wasn't interesting, none of them had chemistry.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

These Hollow Vows sounded like a book I would enjoy; however, in the end, this book wasn’t for me, but there will be other readers who will adore this fantasy romance.

At the beginning of the story, I enjoyed Abriella (Brie), her voice and I was emotionally invested in her life and the depths she was willing to go to in order to protect her sister. However, as soon as she went to the faerie world, it felt as if Brie became a different character. This would have been an interesting character arc and exploration of identity, but I found that it sometimes resulted in contradictory characterisation, behaviour and motivations. She also lost some of her agency and felt passive in places, particularly when it came to searching for the objects she needed, which ended up feeling repetitive. As for the other characters, I couldn’t connect with them because it seemed that we only scratched the surface and when there was potential to go deeper it pulled back, especially the two princes, so I couldn’t understand the romance nor why Brie was attracted (other than their looks) to either of them. However, this could be because it is a series and there will be more development over the course of the series. There were social topics that could have added nuance but often fell at the wayside for the romance.

Despite the aspects of this book that didn’t gel with me, I did enjoy the world, the magic and some of the revelations.