This Wicked Fate (This Poison Heart)

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Finn was Eva's perfect match, a druid with a heart of gold who had devoted his life to protecting his kingdom. A true hero despite his conflicted feelings otherwise, he was willing to sacrifice anything and everything for Eva and that was sexy as hell. I loved the all-consuming love between them, so intense it was almost painful, and how she made him come undone. He was possessive as he claimed her yet protective and caring as well. Their connection was steamy and magnetic but underneath it all, there was so much vulnerability and innocence too. For fans of The Witcher and Brave, this fantasy romance, featuring a fierce heroine and a druid with Golden Retriever energy, is both steamy and swoon worthy!

Unlike my sisters, I was never arranged to marry a monster. I was imprisoned from birth. I have a unique gift and my father– the King of Solaria–fears it. Yet, he's far too curious about how my magic works to let me go. Firstly, the characters. There isn't a HUGE cast of characters in this series and the main group mostly consists of Bri, her moms, Karter, Marie, and some other members of her family. I did like the characters in this, but they weren't AMAZING, if you know what I mean. Like, they were well-developed and many of them were very likeable, but they didn't blow me away. That may also be because I read this immediately after Queen of Shadows, which has a VERY strong cast of characters, but I dunno. However, I did really like our main character, Briseis- her struggles with grief felt very genuine and she was very easy to root for. I also liked Circe and Bri's moms. Overall, pretty good but I didn't adore them. I really enjoyed This Poison Heart, so going into this I was nervous - what if the sequel wasn't as good? As with most sequels, my review will focus on the duology as whole as well as the book itself.The man's a thief who owes the dungeon warden a life debt. To repay it, he's been tasked with smuggling me out of the kingdom. I know nothing about him. Not his name. Not even his species. Yet, his alter ego has made it clear that this isn't just an assignment. I'm his, and though he'll see me safely out of Solaria, he has no intention of letting me out of his sight. The main issue is that they’re in the monster realm. Meaning whoever wins the gauntlet is a monster. Eva doesn’t have faith that she’ll survive marriage with a gauntlet winner, so she enters the gauntlet to win her own hand.

I think what is realistic (ha!) is that our MC EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS A GREEK NAME AND POWERS hasn't put much thought into Greek mythos/stories etc. Seems realistic for sure for a Gen Z character. So her ignorance with the fates etc didn't ring true (also because she keeps referencing the Disney Hercules and they have a role in that?!). So the myths side was fairly poorly done. The romance was angst ridden (which you know I loathe) and queer or otherwise I just wasn't invested in the characters. I wanted to be because the first book was a lot of fun! Throughout the story, Eva learns how to live her with inner beast. Finn discovers his place in this world, and it might not be at the right-hand of the future king. The true, beautiful highlight of this phenomenal book were Marie and Bri. Their relationship was somehow both tender and thrilling. Marie was the soul of this book. I loved finding out all the intricacies of Marie and learning what drove her actions. Their romance was written so well, and I got a little sunshine and grump energy from them at times, which I absolutely adored. I loved how Marie protected Bri, while the protagonist helped the former open up to those around her. However, my only criticism of this book is also related to relationships. Marie and Briseis's romance felt forced, and didn't really add much to the plot. The time frame of this duology is short (only a couple of months), so that relationship didn't feel very meaningful or help character development. It felt like an after thought - they read as friends who would kiss sometimes. I don't think it took away from my enjoyment of the story, but it did feel rushed.

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Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to this depth filled, Greek myth inspired Duology and I definitely recommend to lovers of Greek myths, YA fantasy and strong female protagonists. Beyond the writing, I’m a mom to two beautiful, tiny humans and a furbaby, and married to my best friend. My favorite holiday is Taco Tuesday and the second is a close tie between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pretty much, if I can get away with wearing oversized, cozy sweaters and host BBQ’s or bonfires, I’m happy. That, and I love the fall aesthetic. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sometimes having your world turned upside down isn’t a bad thing, because when you finally figure out where you belong, you’ll be glad you never settled for less.” I’m the Princess of Solaria, a realm full of beasts that could make the Devil cower. Except that title means nothing, because I’ll be dead by the week’s end.

I read a comment that said that this book reminded them of Deadpool and you can definitely see that with the development of Eva and Finn’s relationship (and her beast). He would constantly make light (but serious) jokes about not wanting to get eaten because he wouldn’t taste good. I wish we could’ve seen more of Eva’s sisters and their “abilities” but it wasn’t an all important aspect of the storyline and plot. Half the book is a babble of nothing. Just the characters standing around making plans and hiding everything from Bri so, like Bri, you have no idea what's going on. The secrecy is supposed to make the book more interesting, to compel the story forward because you want to find out more, but Bayron overused this, making the story incredibly frustrating and the characters unlikable. Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood.Finn’s love for Eva is obvious since the beginning and I love how he cares about her and never leaves her alone but respects the fact that she is more powerful than him. Their banter is so cute and funny.

I loved that some of Briseis’ knowledge of Greek myth (which we explore in more detail here) stems from Disney movies—and given most of what people learn (or at least remember about mythology) seems to come from pop culture via tv and movie (and yes Disney) I found this very relatable. The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children... Amanda Aggie created a dark and delicious, intricately crafted world full of monsters and magic along with well-developed characters who were strong through their flaws. This was the first of her books I've read but I was able to become fully immersed in the story. It would have helped me understand a few things more clearly had I read The Crimson Queen first but I enjoyed this nonetheless. These books are wonderful in that they are fun fantasy reads but also cover serious topics; as Bayron states: generational burden, grief, and healing. It covers the bonds of family and also friendship. A delicious mix of intoxicating fantasy and coming of age, steeped in Greek mythology and peppered with references to the Jordan Peele films Get Out and Us' - Observer New Review on THIS POISON HEARTFinn is such a fantastic hero (and reminded me a bit of Finn Rider). I love how devoted he is to Eva, and how much he respects that she is the stronger of the pair. I fell in love with both Eva and Finn and their banter. Eva is strong, fierce and despite her monstrous side (which was super fun), very caring. Finn is so lovable, fun, respectful and as the author said “a hero with golden retriever energy”. As the novel comes to a close, Bri is settling into a life with Thandie, Angie, and also Circe. Bri and Circe work with plants as Circe adjusts to life without the responsibility for Absyrtus Heart. Bri's relationship with Marie advances, and Bri is happy to consider a future focusing on giving and receiving love. The book is set in the same universe as the Dark Halo Series and it’s the first stand-alone out of three. If you’re afraid you won’t understand this universe without reading the prior books, you don’t have to worry, the author gives enough information to fully comprehend this world. The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.