im not even really a character driven type of reader, but Gleam was so worth it. im thoroughly impressed at how Auren took charge and fought for her freedom. i thought that the H would be THE leading man saving her from all kinds of troubles, but i was wrong. Auren said she was choosing herself, and she proved it. even when i was scREAMing in my head, “wheres the H? this is his time to swoop in and BE THE HERO!” during Midas’ constant manipulation & abuse on Auren, he never came...which disappointed me a little, but at the same time i marvelled at how Auren managed to hold her own every single time. 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. Auren is still trying to deal with the emotional aftermath of Rip's lies and "betrayal" (although in my humble opinion it's not really a betrayal...), while she is also trying to figure out how she feels about him, because it's obvious that she is not indifferent, and she cannot seem to stop thinking about him. At the same time, Auren's Midas-colored glasses shatter and we get past her internal love-him-hate-him conflict. (I despise love triangles but I can't even call this one, so it doesn't even annoy me at all.)

I mean you’re mine to please. To pleasure. You’re mine to protect. To adore. To hear. To see. To experience. To love.” This was a mess. This whole series was far from perfect, but this book just really took it to a whole new level. 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. Listen, don't gild me but I didn't like this installment as much as I wanted to. So, before I'm cast out let me explain:Although it helps to have a great and hilarious support system like The Wrath, and the love interest. The understanding, and emotional intelligence in this male character and the found family are almost unfathomable. He somehow sees straight through her facade, anticipates her every move & word, while simultaneously building her inner self up, and showing her how powerful she really is. I could go on, and on about this character… but really I think you just need to experience him for yourself. Be warned, he’s quite vocal. 😉 This is a dark fantasy romance, so it’s not always sweet and cuddly. Queen Malina's side story. Her importance to the story has been a mystery to me, and I never really enjoyed her POV chapters in any of the books until now! Her role in what happens at the end is a huge deal, and I'm curious to see what she does moving forward. ALSO SHE DID THAT!! THE WAY SHE UNLEASHED HERSELF MADE ME JUMP OUT OF MY SEAT AND HOOT IN SATISFACTION. Sorry for the yelling. My friends, once again, I am here writing a review for this series and saying "I'M OBSESSED." Because, well, I am. After living amongst the terrifying army of Fourth Kingdom, I find myself, once again, in strange lands and a kingdom surrounded by liars.

To add salt into the wound, expect some heart-wrenching scenes. There were moments I was on the verge of tears. There were new POVs I did not expect but I enjoyed and they were appropriately sprinkled around the book but they don't overwhelm the POV chapters of Auren and Slade, those extra POVs are integral to the plot and there's a new romance on the horizon. Because I won’t be caught in a cage again. No, this time, it’ll be me setting the trap...I just hope my heart comes out of this unscathed.Sigh...this wasn't my favorite book, ever. This is just my opinion so take this with a grain of salt, but I thought this book could have been better. I'm happy with how Raven dealt with Auren's arc especially after the events of Gleam. Her healing journey is one of my favorite fictional journeys of all time and the trauma and grief she had to come to face with after she had awoken simply shattered my heart. Auren is also still at the stage of understanding the world around her since she is a grooming victim so she has plenty to come to terms with. Raven truly did it justice. I love them so much! Midas can go die and rot in hell (haha) This series is so fantastic and full of great moments. I can't even believe the depth of some of the topics (mental health, abuse) but Raven Kennedy managed to create a wonderful book that went into most of that with such ease and navigational skills. I mean, that takes some guts and talent.

The dirty talk during sex scenes. I've come to realize the way Raven Kennedy writes these is not for me. While the actual sex scenes are creative and unique (like the carriage scene 🥵), it's ruined for me by the dirty talk. For example: Queen lady / wife of Midas: ☆.5 stars - *0.5 stars for #girlpower and not trying to conform to the patriarchy. Being a Queen seems hard especially without Midas the abusive manipulator King. To bad she tried to murder a big chunk of her citizens for being upset that they were poor. -1000 stars for that. No one likes a dictator especially a homicidal one. Out of the three ground rules of any sexual encounter, no matter how kinky, Slade and Auren score a solid 0/3 for safe, sane and consensual play. Great. I have fallen for Slade. I liked him before but I'm just so in love with him now. I mean, he's a guy who owns more daggers than shirts?? How is that not random amazing? And just the anggsstt between Slade and Auren?? I was waitng for so much and it happened at last. There were so many sweet and tender moments where my heart felt like it was just going to burst. These precious moments <3

See a Problem?

There were also at least a couple of deus ex machina moments thrown in too, though more so on Slade’s side when inevitably trying to rescue Auren from all the things happening to her. The romance peaks but there are things that must be dealt with. There is tenderness, there is passion, there is clashing, there is love, there is wildness, and of course... it gets deliciously filthy. Raven Kennedy is a tea and dark chocolate kind of girl and can often be found binge-watching The Office or The Great British Baking Show. No, Goldfinch,” he interrupts. “I’m good to you. But I am every bit the villain that I warned you I was.”