jaduhluhdabooks's reviews
309 reviews

BRUH. THIS IS WHAT I WANT IN A ROMANTASY. ALL OF THIS. 

I don’t know what it is about Rebecca’s and their chokehold on fantasy books, but alas - I am benefiting so I won’t be mad. Like. 

The characters. The story telling. THE WRITING. Bring back good fantasy writers PLEASE. Rebecca has some insanely beautiful lines throughout this novel and while she wasn’t writing super mysteriously, and there were some predictable things, I still found myself enthralled and kept in the story. These days I’m just HOPING an author will keep with a story without trying to do too much and lose sight of their characters and narration. 

I just. I ATE THIS BOOK UP purely because of the writing and the characters and the depth of their development from main to supporting. Chefs. Motherfucking. Kiss. I WAS CRYING ON A PLANE BC OF THIS BOOK. Just - yes. Give me book two. NEOW. 

Bro. I as I live and breathe for Ali. This was. I literally found myself fighting back tears so many times like. Miss MAAM is always writing characters I emotionally connect with on a deeply fucked up level like. But like is that not just humanity yah know ? 💀

Anyways. Scarlett I see you girl and hear you on control and letting someone come in let you relinquish that control, scary and wildly freeing and frightening as hell. 

I also just. I love all the men that Ali write and I simply adore Lukas. Simply adore. 

They’re crazy and I love them for it and I’m - raw. This whole lil
Book makes me feel raw lol - I’m just existing at this point and trying to hold on. Ugh. 

Love. 

Ok, listen. I will start with some things I enjoyed about book 3. Considering I have Iron Flame 2.5 stars… I was not expectant for this book at all, so I was pleasantly surprised by some of the things in about to name. 

I loved the scene between her squadmates joking about her and Xaden always fighting and not knowing what they’re fighting about. What a way as a writer to take that criticism and turn it into a laughable moment saying “I see what y’all mean by this, I will get more clear, but also this is something her close friends would roast her for” and they did. I genuinely laughed out loud. 

Mira. My queen. I lovvvvveee and love for the Sorrengail siblings and their dynamic. The familial connections in Iron Flame really continued to develop / moved in a new direction with her and Mira and Mira and Brennan. I would be interested to see if they grow into new comforts / continue to learn the lore behind their parents and grandparents.

I loved the world building in this book. I saw someone say that it has the potential to move it into high fantasy and I don’t think I would go that far - respectfully, the writing is too juvenile, but the world has expanded and the customs and the differences in magic and levels of existence beyond the wards and in the isles. Loved that. Very interesting. 

AARIC. Yes. This I loved too. I think I roughly remember her mentioning at Navarre was an aristocracy in FW, but for sure in Iron Flame and felt like I wanted more about that dynamic and we got it with Aaric in this book. I think he’s such a unique character and I loved that she developed him more this book. 

As always. The iron squad eats down. Sawyer. Rhiannon. RIDOC - ALSO LOVED HIS DEVELOPMENT THIS BOOK. And the flier additions :,) - Cat, Maren, and the rest. Love. 

Ok - now. Here are my thoughts / wonderings. Maybe it’s just personal preference, but I found it SO hard to stay in these story. Like - I thought the organization was wild. And I often had to backtrack because I genuinely didn’t know what was going on. This happened the most when the dynamics and politics and battle strategy were trying to be explained, so in think she should just get more console about who’s saying and not try to be ominous is her writing to create curiosity amongst the reader. At the end of the day forming curiosity is a trained and continued art - sometimes concision and cohesive comprehension fair far better that confusion. 

Y’all. I’m REALLLYYY struggling with Violet. The Violet in Fourth Wing to Onyx Storm are not the same. I LOVED FW Violet!! She was fierce, and loyal to her squad, and yes - falling in love with Xaden, but didn’t let that distract from her bonds with her dragons or permeate her entire decision making process and she was adamant that it wouldn’t. Fast forward to OS and every last thought is Xaden. I got tired of being in her enternal dialogue every 5 seconds with Xaden needing to mentioned. Shoot I get why Tairn was always like “stay focused” BECAUSE ME TOO. 

Halden felt unnecessary to me and Xaden’s starting to piss me off. Like they’re relationship and codependency is LITERALLY killing people. Like no. Get in your dragons and follow orders - yall are the most powerful riders, you can trust each other to get shit done and kiss later. GOOD. NESS. .

“And once again. Going three for threE at number one, is [the ending]”

ARE YOU TELLING ME. WHILE VIOLET WAS CATATONIC. HE FORCED MARRIAGE ONTO HER. WTF. AND WHY THE FUCK IS HE EVIL AND DOES THAT NOT IMMEDIATELY END THE BOND WITH SGAEYL!? Like HUHHHH. ALSO. IS SHE BONDED TO ANDARNA AGAIN AND WHY CAB SHE STILL ACCESS HER POWER AFTER THE SEVERS THE BOND !? that don’t make sennnnssseeeeee - they keep referring to her and Xaden’s pov at the end referred to someone who also channeled and revealed Pancheck as the mole so was that the someone else or is there someone else likes!? Babes. Huh. And finally - wtfffff is going on with Theophanie and the Dunne Priestess?? Like we created the dedication process but I actually still don’t understand lol anyways.

I feel slightly annoyed I spent time reading it … still undecided if I'm gonna continue to series but, I’m tired lol. 

Ok. I have not give. This book enough credit in the past and I think it’s because I read it sorta in college. Re-listening to it has given me a new appreciation for Alex and Poppy and their story. As a friends to lovers Stan, this book does my heart so good. And I just get Poppy. 

Like. Mine wasn’t a school bully, but it was someone who I deeply cared for and he deeply scarred my heart and it really does change the game ever 10 years later when you run into each other and they apologize and ask for forgiveness. 

There are a few things, but big things in this book that  I really connected with and it’s changed my whole outlook on this story. 


Also, I just. Alex. My lil love sick puppets - so in love. It was giving Love, Rosie so hard like 😩🤎

A power telling of Quiara’s life that led her to her passions as a wired and story teller.

I definitely think this is a memoir you listen to and soak in! I loved hearing Quiara’s language and dialects blend as she shared her narrative. It was fascinating to glimpse the world of her mother versus her father - two histories that are vastly different, yet shape who she is. 

I think it was a bit long, but what parts of your story do you leave when they all shaped who you were ? I think about that often and can’t fault her too bad for that, because it was still worth it to listen to it all and I’m grateful. 

My first romance of the year and it did NOT disappoint. I will stand by this statement: marriage of convenience is the best trope. Like it EATS EVERYTIME. 

And Scarlett and Drew I love you. Like you little billionare business savvy icons - I love you. Ahaha. 

Yall know I love some Hawthornes. But I NEEES book two. Need to see wtf is up with Rohan and Savannah.  Ngl Grayson and Lyra feel so forced to me. Like - no. Maybe I’m just still on my anti-Jameson kick. But like Avery and Jameson don’t make sense to me and I’m like - Grayson is just settling and Lyra deserves better than that soooo. 

Anyways. lol. 

As someone who has been on the research and academic side of linking the toxicity of purity culture to rape culture this book hit close to home. As someone who has constantly been on the side victimization and told that I take it too far, gaslit into believing it’s not that deep, this book shines a necessary and large light on the deeply rooted monetization and glorification of human, sex, and child trafficking, pedofilia, and molestation. 

It is an extremely heavy read, but a necessary one ad one I think that large organizations - especially monetary conglomerates should stop and listen to. Money talks and it talks loudly and when needed, aggressively and effectively… listening to Laila’s story and fight for justice for countless of rape and child abuse victims, who’s traumas are monetized and immortalized on the internet is both heartbreaking and fueling. 

As someone who has experienced the intensity that abuse can have in your life, to have it exposed and repeatedly used against you and for profit is just disgusting and … just the mental health implications of this, as well as, the disingenuous representation of actors and workers who are trying to make appropriate light of industry corrupt with individuals who are more focused on money than people. 

I know this is not a book about sex work, but I think that provides a clear distinction between what is what is not sex work. I appreciated the industry actors who came along side traffickinghub and Laila to expose the nature and inter workings of sites like these the content they were allowing onto their site. I think this is just one example of how they are not one and the same.

There is such an eerie feeling about pornhub having the power and the exposure capacity that it does, as well as, how connected it is to predators. This also makes me think about social media outlets that too have access to these allowances like X (formerly known as Twitter) and Tik Tok. It’s scary and I just think about the biggest exposé that could be uncovered if these tech and media companies came together to expose these individuals, rather than work with them for profit. 

People over profit always. Image is so much more than traffic - it should be at least. I hope that this continued fight will continue to boldly call out and fight against these individuals and these companies. That predators are exposed / no longer given access to harming children in horrific and awful ways. 

The fight is now. 

Now THIS is what I’m talking about! I was so over SaB but this makes up for it for sure !! 

I have never loved each character so much at the end and have rooted so hard for each of them! From Kaz to Matthias, the character developing was DEVELOPING. 

I mean, WELLLLLL written characters for sure ! I also LOVE Inej. Whenever an authors can write a characters who’s experienced intense grief and trauma and made her this incredible character with depth that cannot be matched in the same way the other characters experiences can- not even Kaz’s and Kaz’s character knows this which is why he feels so incredibly unworthy of her and YET. 

Inej says “it’s ok, I healed and you can too” and I just 😩

ALSO. WYLAN AND JESPER. I love you my kings 💅🏾🫶🏾 they better - if you know you know. 

Ugh give me book two NEOW.