I have been meaning to write this post for the longest time, given that I have finished the book ages ago. But for some reason, I only got the energy and time now to actually sit down and write down my thoughts about this series, and I have to say that this is still by far the most captivating love story (at least the first book 😅) that I have read in recent times.

Have you ever read something that you loved so much that you ended up resenting it in the end? LOL this is what happened to me with this book series. But I have to tell you, I really fell hard with these books that I was willing to produce the Netflix adaptation to this myself 🤣. And after finishing the first three books, I love and hate the books at the same time.

I encountered the first book through the Good Reads awards. It was the year's winner for Best Romance book. I began working from home that year (like most people in the world), and so it was the best time to escape the pandemic world and deep dive into this fantasy world filled with adventure and love.

After reading the first book, I understood why it got the award and I must say it was well deserved! The second book was a thrill also. There were lots of twists in the story, but the fire of romance never faded. 

At that time, only the first two books had been published. Good thing I already had my Kindle back then, and so I preordered the third book The ​Crown of Gilded Bones. I think it was at that point that I realized that I did feel some disgust with all the plot. I recognized the pet peeves that I had with Jennifer's writing and that the plot twists didn't have the desired effect on me. 

And then I heard there would be a fourth book in the series... and a fifth... and a sixth? Gods! (😐) I now knew by the end of the third book, I was out of the honeymoon phase. I want a divorce now. 😅 The beginning was so good, it should have ended there.

But I have to still give credits to the series, because it did entertain me during the pandemic. Here are my happy memories while reading the first three in the series (to end things in a good note 😆):

• I just finished watching Bridgerton during that time, and I was imagining Hawke to look like the Duke. 🥰

• Taylor Swift's Willow became my book reading soundtrack, and now whenever I listen to it, I remember the events of the first book.

• In the second book, Kingdom of Flesh & Fire, the wedding ceremony was so beautifully written.

Nevertheless, I will still be interested to see a series adaptation of the books. 😉