SPOILER ALERT *** I loved how much of a page turner this was for me. However, there were points I felt could have been improved upon. Like I felt the daughter Cecelia could have been more developed. And the husband did no??t seem like a true abuser to me. Most have patterns and I didnâ??t fully believe him. Also, the gardener spoke English the entire time and only used the word danger with Millie. Seemed kinda off. There were a few things like that that bothered me. However, I did really enjoy the book and I read it in like 7 hours. I am looking forward to the sequel.

I give this really a 3.5 stars review. I read this right after From Blood and Ash. I felt the characters continued to grow and had more development. I continued to have interest in them, and I loved them. The plot was interesting and kept growing. It was well written. However, it was not as much of a page turner for me as the first book. I felt the book as a whole could have been condensed some. And because it felt over developed in a sense, hashing out the same issues over and over, almost too much repetition it felt, that I almost lost interest. Almost too slow moving maybe is the correct reason. I do love the beginning and the end. If this were to become a movie or tv show I would definitely watch it, but I don’t know if I’ll continue to read the series. I might add it to my list to read further on in time. I definitely feel it’s worth the read right after Blood and Ash. I needed more, and I got that with this book.

The plot is done well, it is well written, and the characters have that reverse development. The size of the book was perfect for what this was. Any more, I would have rated less because it did not need more. This was not a page turner for me. I had to sit and read and reread. Understand the person in Odilo’s head and the person of Odilo.

However, this book was wild. Just the concept of understanding a person’s life backwards from the point of view of forwards was insane. How your poop went into you and you vomited food and took that food to the store for money before putting it on the shelf. Everything was backward. Just this concept was a thrill to be a part of the journey.

And the person inside Odilo who lived there and was trying to understand everything from his death to his birth. You get a good idea of the character of him. That he might have been a good person had he had his own body.

But then you understand Odilo and his nightmares. His fears. Why he prefers a larger woman, of Irene.

I had hoped Odilo, Hamilton, John, Tod, that he’d have been a good person. He was terrible, and yet had kind moments in the beginning (his older age). And looking back to the end (his childhood), I tried to find when it started. When that change took place from innocence. Was it his father hitting him or his friends in college and the environment he grew up in? How his treatment of his wife was worse after he married her. The camp. Even Rosa.

I’m glad I read this book. It’s definitely one that will have me thinking about it for a long time.

Wow, so much happens in this third book of Crescent City series. I’m glad that Sarah J. Maas doesn’t cram it all into one chapter to make the book shorter or cut off the book to not allow for everyone to have their endings. It is well drawn out in a good way.

The twists and turns kept going. It almost felt like whiplash after every chapter with everything that was happening. This was definitely more of a page turner for me than the last book in this series.

I loved the character growth and how they still had more potential to grow even after the story was finished. I really fell in love with the side couples and their individual intertwining stories.

The toe dipping into the world of ACOTAR was a nice addition to the story. I loved every moment of it. However, it wasn’t a ton of overlap so I wouldn’t get your hopes up a ton if you’re expecting a lot.

The leveling up and action in this book almost remind me of video games in a good way. I think for those out there who love video games and books may enjoy a game like this. Maybe something to think about.

Hunt and Bryce’s relationship dynamic wasn’t my favorite. But it felt more real maybe in that way that it was so imperfect. I’m glad they got their crap together to work together and be okay in the end.

The way Bryce handles things at times was a little frustrating as well. However, I loved how she grew and changed and adapted to what she needed to become. I do wish she would have been like more of a power figure in the end as it’s hard to picture her going back to such a simple life after all of that.

I’m really glad I read this series. My sister recommended this series to read before the Throne of Glass series so that’s my next series to conquer. I’m excited!