These Twisted Bonds (These Hollow Vows, #2) (2024)

how dare this series only be a duology. this story EASILY could have been a trilogy and i will forever be bitter about that. i need more fae magic, i need more warring kingdoms, i need more brooding princes (aka finn), and i need more betrayals. lol.

is this the most complex or intricate story out there? no. but it is wildly entertaining. bingeable is an understatement as i never wanted to put this down. ugh. im so obsessed with this series (aka finn haha).

so a great conclusion - everything ends perfectly and i honestly have no complaints. if you are looking for a fun fantasy series, this duology is where its at.

↠ 4.5 stars

Who do I need to sell my soul to in order to get an arc? 👁👄👁

Edit: My soul is intact and I didn't get an arc. That's okay though 😅
Happy to say that I finally finished reading it and I LOVED IT!

✅✅✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ There is only one bed and one horse
✅ Fake dating
✅ Angst
✅ Sexual tension
✅ Politics and scheming
✅ Pace and plot
✅ Expansion of the world-building
✅ Characters
✅ Misha (can we get a spinoff pretty please?)
✅🆗 Rushed resolution of the BIG problem at the end
🆗❌ "I'm not like other girls" 🙄

4.5 stars - I admit that I am not 100% objective, my heart is guiding me right now.

I said in my review of These Hollow Vows that the ending was very promising and that I was expecting a more enjoyable second book. Well, I was not disappointed. It is not a perfect book, and there is definitely room for improvement, but despite that, I really enjoyed it and I flew through it... Objectively, I think this book should be 4 stars because of some flaws, but I just loved it SO much despite those flaws...

These Twisted Bonds picks up right where the first book ended. Brie is fleeing the palace after waking up as a fae and learning about Sebastian's manipulation and lies. Alone in a dangerous land, Brie cannot trust anyone, and she doesn’t know where to go or what to do to escape Sebastian. Brie finds an unexpected new ally in the Wild Lands, and together they try to find a way to get Finn and Sebastian to work together to save the Unseelie court and face the threat of queen Arya’s court before it’s too late.

The pace was great, and it was a very quick read due to the good flow of the story and the many important moments for the development of the relationships, and the good amount of action. The only thing that I liked less about the pace is that the “big confrontation” at the end is resolved quite quickly and easily? The book is a big build-up towards finally finding a solution to bring a semblance of peace to Faerie, and when they finally get some answers after days (or weeks) of traveling and searching, the last part of the story also feels a little rushed. I wouldn’t have minded an extra 50 pages to elaborate the last 10% a little more. Honestly, this could have been a trilogy and I believe it would have been great, maybe even better because there would have been more time to elaborate on the politics and resolve certain issues.

I liked Brie more in this book than in the first one, but while I admire her whole selflessness willingness to sacrifice herself and her happiness for the realm, and I understand that she is willing to do it because she’s always wanted to protect the weaker ones, it is still a HUGE change from the first book where she hated the faes in general. She is a flawed, but good person, but while the angst-lover in me reveled in all the drama caused by her feelings for Finn clashing with her bond with Sebastian, a part of me was angry that she was still protecting Sebastian and was willing to forgive him. I know it was the right thing to do, but I would have wanted her not to take the high road right away and to make him suffer for a bit longer… But that’s just the evil part of me talking I guess.

I don’t understand how I could be so special. I’m not even pretty enough, I’m just a human who fell in love with two males and I am nothing. I wish I could sacrifice myself to save people from the agony of being near me.

I am meant to be here. I am shadow, I am flame, I deserve better than these two males trying to hold me in. I’m a bird.

One thing that annoyed me a little in the first half of the book was all of Brie’s internal monologues that were contradicting each other from page to page. She had an “I’m a worthless human who can’t help herself and I would be better off dead” mode, and an “I’m a badass who doesn’t need anyone and nobody is good enough for me” mode and both were just a little too intense to be likable. It got toned down in the second half thankfully, so in the end, she was not that annoying, it’s just those few intense moments that had me rolling my eyes a little.

"But you did. You took the potion, and in doing so, you salvaged one beautiful thing in a world full of ugliness. I, for one, will never be sorry for that."

Finn was, and remains, my favorite character in this duology. He also has much more space in this book, and it was AWESOME to see him so much and to see his sweetness and kindness with Brie and all the other faes around him. Seeing how he is willing to leave the throne to Sebastian if it’s what’s best for the Unseelies, and him saying that he was not raised to rule the Unseelies, but rather to serve them made me love him so much more! He truly cares about the well-being of his people, and always puts them before him or his ambitions, and I admire that.

Sebastian… I hated him so much at first, and every time he opened his mouth to ask Brie to “give them a chance” or to tell her that she had to “promise him to let them try to be together” I hated him a little more. It’s clear that he truly loves Brie, and that while he lied to her and manipulated her, he did care about what would happen to her and he truly believed that everything would work out and that they would live happily ever after and love each other, but it does not excuse the decisions he made. Not only that, but the fact that he kept clinging to her, refusing to give her her freedom, or to accept that she would not love him back, was SO aggravating. I have to say though, that he redeemed himself in the last third of the book, and while I can’t say that I like him because I spent most of the two books disliking or hating him, I tolerate him, and I definitely respect him more than I did at the beginning of this book.

"In a different world, in a different life, we'd be together. No kingdoms to rule, no people to save, just you and me..."

I have a hate/love relationship with love triangles. I love the angst that comes with it, but on the other hand, I am often so afraid that the main character will not end up with the one I’m rooting for, it creates much anxiety! While the relationships in this book were not exactly a love triangle since Brie made it clear from the start that she was not romantically interested in Sebastian, she is still bonded to him, and that makes everything more complex, and it also gave a kinda love-triangle vibe to the interactions between Brie, Finn, and Sebastian.

"This is a throne of the night, of the misfits and the lost. This is the throne for all those who had to endure the darkness to find the stars..."

Brie spends time in the Wild Lands at the beginning of the book, and I loved how it allowed us to see more of Faerie. One small complaint that I had about the first book was how the world-building was a little basic. In this book, they travel more, so we can see the Wild Lands, the Unseelie court and lands, and even a hidden and dangerous realm. There is still a good amount of magic and dangerous creatures, and I could definitely feel the “Faerie” vibe more in this sequel.

There was a big political aspect in the first book as Sebastian and Finn were both after Oberon’s crown so they could claim the Unseelie throne, but the stakes are higher in this book. The Unseelie court is starting to die because nobody can sit on the throne, Queen Arya is moving her forces to claim the Unseelie lands, and if Brie, Finn, and Sebastian don’t find a way to work together to find a solution, their court will die, and Arya will have control over both courts. We could feel the urgency and the bigger implications in this book. It was not just about two brothers fighting for power anymore, it was about saving a whole realm, and stopping a tyrant from gaining even more power.

I have to take the time to talk about my second favorite character in this series: Misha, the King of the Wild Faes. I don’t know what happened, but as soon as he arrived, I was in love with him, and I am DESPERATE for more of him. I want a spinoff of him so bad! He’s an awesome character. He knows how to play the games of politics, but we can see that he is good and he truly cares about his lands and his people, but he’s also cheeky and develops this sweet friendship with Brie when she desperately needs someone to support her. He truly stole the show in the first half of the book, but I am not mad about it at all, he’s awesome!

Overall, I really enjoyed this duology. The first book was even better the second time around, and this one has this unputdownable quality. I just couldn’t stop reading it, partly because I was just so desperate to know who Brie would end up with: the one she loves, or the one she’s forever bonded to and still cares for?

"Pick a star", he whispered in my ear. "Make a wish."

These Hollow Vows ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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“I want to be a better male for you.”

Shut. The. Frick. Up.

Rating: ✨✨ 2.4

That was paraphrased, but you get the gist.

This went downhill since page 1.

"Beyond the castle gates, the sun rises and the birds sing, but the Golden Palace is draped in a veil of night. My night. My darkness. My power."

(first sentence as reference)

Since I disliked this book passionately, I shall describe in excruciating detail how many things this book did right.

Finn.

For the first half.

When he was not present.

Or corrupted.

…The End.

Okay, fine. I must be nice, for the sake of my conscience and future writing endeavors that now consist of me screaming at my computer because my brain is not braining and I’m sick of it, make sense?

Literally, this bloody book in a nutshell.

For starters, let me clarify that this is NOT against the author in any way, quite the contrary really, I’m proud that the author wrote a book- I’m just angry that the editors and publishers didn’t read what I read or I read something ENTIRELY DIFFERENT because how is it even possible for a sequel to leach the life out of me, but making it in an addictive way?

Kind of like waiting for a killer to hunt you down, but the killer is an imbecile who doesn’t know what they’re doing, so it’s plain entertainment-

You end up dying in the story, but all for the fun and fun for all!

Now, I read the first book a while ago, and my brain cells are commonly known for auto deletion in various modes, HOWEVER, I do not recall the first book making me want to eat chunky bleach (the chewy version to prolong the effect) with my eyespheres.

I really really don’t! And that’s what’s ultimately depressing about all this. I WAITED for this book, I CRAVED this book, I GOT THE NETGALLEY ARC REJECTED BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT ‘OH HEY, LET’S MAKE THIS GIRL MISERABLE, BUT REALLY, WE’RE SAVING HER LIFE AND THE REVIEWING RATIO- so yes, this book and I have a long, traitorous journey that lasted weeks and painful days when I had to singe the words ‘female’ and ‘male’ from my poor, dead retinas.

It’s been a minute or so since I finished (metaphorically speaking, of course. I finished this wonderful fan fiction, this morning and since then, I’ve been trying to organize my thoughts into something resembling coherence. But, you know, that and I, we don’t match) and I’m saying that to justify the utter disaster (but entertaining, if you will, like this story) that will be so carelessly written by moi.

Are you strapped in?

Do you have your blinders on and a cup of vinegar to wash down the things I’ll dramatically express?

If so, do walk in, take a seat right by my catatonic self and enjoy! Again, this is NOT towards the author, but I have a lot of things to say about one of my most expected releases that went WOOOOSH to a battlefield and lost.

You’re walking into this divided world, full of war and sadness and pain, shadow and light, kings and queens dying for the chance to make their voices heard and obeyed- years and years AND YEARS OF TORTURE AND WAITING FOR THE ONE SAVIOR. And in comes this girl, with flawless skin (but she's so so different from other girls because she's not gorgeous but every 'male' proclaims her beauty every five pages), a Mulan haircut moment with none of the amazingness that was Mulan, and these two ‘males’ that cannot bear to be apart from her.

And of course, if that wasn’t good enough, we have the fact that every single MOMENT that we’re in the main character’s head (literally the whole book, if you may), she’s always saying:

“I don’t understand how I could be so special. I’m not even pretty enough, I’m just a human who fell in love with two males and I am nothing. I wish I could sacrifice myself to save people from the agony of being near me.”

NONETHELESS, at the less second, this same self victimizing bucket of acidic waste, says:

“I am meant to be here. I am shadow, I am flame, I deserve better than these two males trying to hold me in. I’m a bird.”

**next page**

“My wings are broken. I cannot be a bird. A bird is too kind and powerful, I’m weak. I’m the soil beneath the feet that trample my very being.”

**moments later**

“I don’t know how my wings were ever broken because people must kneel before my power. Yes, power curses through my veins like the broken stars that litter in one of my male’s gaze.”

And so on and on and ON, if she had an off switch, I would slam into it.

Seriously, in the first book? She was tolerable, slightly relatable, and the drama was enjoyable! In this … thing? HA! Good luck, my loves. Because I needed it and the luck went FTYUJHGFGTYU

I really did try to like her, I really did. I saw this book as more of a funny in between story because if I had delved into thinking this book actually meant to be SERIOUS? I would’ve been heartbroken- more so than I currently am.

The only light that saved the first novel of this duology? My husband Finn?

I’m sorry, baby, but what in the hecking world HAPPENED TO YOU. You, with your amazing feelings and mysterious self and strong yet gentle personality, now you turned into a (forgive my french) simping-who-knows-WHAT.

Simping for who??? Brie????

What???

Why???

And since I unknowingly made this into the section of characters, let’s have a chat concerning Sebastian.

Man, oh, man. This ‘male’ (UYTFRTYUIKJHGV) made me want to tear out someone’s eyes and shove them into their ears, so their vision was as muddled as their freaking HEARING. Did this dude not LISTEN when Acidic Waste was telling him she did not want the bond???

No, because he saw him first, thus, he definitely wasn’t going to let her go.

Literally his words. Written. In the book.

And you know what? I WISH I was done with the things that disappointed me about this story, but sadly, I haven’t even scratched the edge of the iceberg yet.

(Can you imagine if an iceberg had killed them all? Oh, what a lovely end that would’ve been.)

The supreme highlight of this book was Misha. Period, no comma, no paragraph, nothing. Just him and his sassy, lovable, genius, telepathic, devious self.

Questionable romance set aside, he was the reason I found the strength to suffer through.

The things I had to suffer, though, they were entirely different.

The plot was all over the place. Things did not match up, randomness was flying everywhere, AND WHAT THE HECK WERE THE POWERS MENTIONED??? Brie had shadows, apparent hallucinogenic powers too, had night power- boo, do you want the whole spectrum of it???

Should we give you star dust and gift you a part in Tinkerbell? Or **gasp** you’re too normal and average to ever be a fairy of any kind.

**resounding smack**

To this time of the day, I am confused and since I read just to read and not to really catalog anything or even understand, I don’t really care.

(That’s a straight-up lie, Booksy does in fact, care. A bit too much, I might say.)

The writing was a fail for me too in this specific book, in the previous one? I was like, GO OFF QUEEN. SLAYYYY. YASSSSS. YASSIFY THAT ISH, KILL ME WITH YOUR WORDS, ANNIHILATE ME WITH YOUR METAPHORS- SLICE ME WITH YOUR PARAG-

Okay, I’ll stop.
(she, in fact, did not stop)

I just feel like this book was poorly written, and there’s nothing sadder for me to say than saying that. The end felt meh, the storyline was okay, drama was amazing, romance was in shambles (and I do like well done love triangles when they add some kind of pizzazz to a storyline, but not this thing), the characters left so, so much to be desired, and the inability to say men and women rankled me to the every edge of the sanity I don’t have.

I’m not even angry at this point, I’m just giving up. I gave my best efforts to THINK about the things I felt for this in a positive light, but apparently, that light is from Hades and he’s a devilish idiot who doesn’t like to share.

On a closing note, I’m sure you’re as tired as I am of my words jumping in and out (or you were viciously hooked to this review! In which case, here’s a wedding ring and you can choose the venue for our elopement), I do think this book had potential. There was a chance for the characters to grow personalities and wings that weren’t brittle, character development to take those wings and turn them into armor. I did find this addictive and unputdownable, but at the same time, would I read it if I were to suddenly develop elective memory loss?

…

Noh.

If you'll excuse me, I’m going to throw a tantrum in usual ‘female’ fashion now.

......................
Don't bring up the "You're so special" bloody nonsense, and I may enjoy this as much as the first one. 😊

If Finn isn't endgame, I'll have some words to say. 🙃

4/5 ★★★★☆

“In a different world, in a different life, we’d be together. No kingdoms to rule, no people to save, just you and me and a simple life loving each other.”
“But we’re in this world. In this life. So I’ll have to save that for my dreams.”

Okay, this was a roller coaster, to say the least. Excuse me while I translate my fangirling into words (and use tons of quotes!).

How to describe this book in three words?

Yes, it was. A pretty standard YA story with a traditionally annoying protagonist who has as love interests two brothers who give off Tamlin and Rhysand vibes. Of course, I had to read it... AND I LOVED IT!

Leave me alone, I'm a basic reader 😂 This book became one of my guilty pleasures, so what?

To be honest, I'm really surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. Reading the first book, even though I liked it, a lot of things fell short and I would've left it at that if it wasn't for the ending, which had me really looking forward to reading the sequel. I mean, I needed to see where everything was going to go. Thank the universe for that!

These Twisted Bonds presents us with much more information regarding the world and the magic system created by the author. Many loose ends start to be tied up and the result makes sense once you know the big picture. Plus, we get to know Finn a lot better while Lexi Ryan gives us exquisite banter between him and Brie.

“Aren’t you, like, hundreds of years old? Why are you acting like a spoiled child who doesn’t want to share his toys?”
His grin is smug, and his gaze is pure wicked intention as he looks me over slowly. “I don’t consider you a toy, Princess, but if you’d like to play, all you have to do is ask.”

Yes, yes, Finn is an attempt at Rhys, but I really enjoyed every second of it. More than once I was left smiling like an idiot and it's been a long time since a character made me be a fangirl. Points for that.

I'm not even gonna lie, the romance was cheesy and on point. It's the main reason this book got a good rating from me, even if I'm not sold on Brie as the main character. Every scene between her and Finn was written exactly as it was meant to be, with nothing left over or lacking. Also, I liked seeing that development in their "relationship" and the undeniably increasing tension between them.

On the other hand, something important to remark here is that the majority of this sequel is based on the characters traveling from point A to point B, which isn't something I particularly enjoy in the books. However, as I mentioned before, the romance was so well managed that this time, it didn't bother me. I'm just mentioning it in case someone is bothered by it and prefers to avoid these kinds of stories.

“Don’t blame yourself for fissures in a world that was broken long before you were born.”

As for the characters, I have a lot to say about them, but I will focus on four.

1. Brie: She has never convinced me as a MC and in this case, my opinion of her hasn't changed too much. It stresses me out a lot that she's always thinking "I'm not like other girls" or when she spends half the time wallowing in her self-pity. Like, girl, you got yourself into the bond with Sebastian despite the four hundred warnings you were given! I can't sympathize too much with a character like that.

“I’ll no longer allow anyone to weigh me down in heavy skirts and tie me up in breath-stealing corsets. I’m done with flimsy shoes and fine fabrics. I’m done being controlled.”

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to laugh at that. Since when does wearing dresses mean being controlled? But here comes another thing:

“But knowing she’s okay doesn’t make up for the fact that I may never see her again. Of everything Sebastian stole from me, this hurts the worst. If Jas needs me, I won’t be able to return to Elora to care for her. I can never live there again. I can never go home.”

Bitch, you thought about your sister like twice in the whole book, so let's skip that part 😴

It's a pity that the sister was only an excuse in the first book and that in this one she didn't have a shred of importance. But, oh well...

Anyway, as incredible as it seems after everything I've complained about, I don't hate Brie 🤣​ I guess she's just meh for me. Oh, and being stuck in her head reading her inner monologue is exasperating as f*ck.

P.S. Brie's cheeks must have burned at this point because she kept saying how her cheeks burned every two words 🤡
P.S.2. If I read "I bow my head" one more time, I'm going to scream.

2. Finn: And so we have our best boy.

Romance aside, I enjoyed seeing Finn's new facets in this sequel. His past, his origins, and the way he cares about his people gave him a more human and realistic touch that completely conquered me. Especially when he mentioned his first priority was to serve his people instead of ruling them.

“Finn, you were raised to lead your kingdom. You’ve spent your whole life preparing to take the throne, and suddenly you’re told I’m supposed to take it instead. How are you so accepting of this?”
His expression softening, he strokes my cheek, his eyes and his touch full of tenderness. “I was raised to serve my kingdom. To do whatever I needed to protect my people and provide for them.”

And as if that wasn't enough, he's a complete cinnamon roll.

“Because I know you think you don’t fit in this world. I know you think that by giving up your human life, you also gave up your only chance of going home.” He takes my hand and squeezes my fingers. “I can’t change what happened, and I can’t make the mortal realm a safe place for you, but I can give you a place to call home. The most beautiful place in my whole court. It’s yours.”

He had already won me, but that made me emotional 😍​😭​ Right after washing her feet... Sebastian, who?

P.S. Is Finn a dog? Why was he always growling and grunting? (Sorry, I had to 😂​)

3. What's his face: After that ending, I don't entirely hate him, but dude, this boy was INTENSE. Let me show you:

“You were falling for him. As long as Finn had a chance to trick you out of the crown, you wouldn’t be safe. That’s why we needed to bond. That’s why I deceived you—because taking the crown for myself was the only way to keep you safe, and withholding the truth was the only way you’d bond with me.”

“You want this? You—no, it doesn’t matter,” he says, his voice cold as he turns back to Finn. “Brie is mine. She bonded with me, not you. You can’t have her.”

“You have no idea how much I’ve sacrificed for you. How much more I was willing to sacrifice for you.”

And my all times favorite: “You’re mine, Abriella. I found you first.” ☠️​

I wanted him dead just so he would stop being annoying 🤣​ After those quotes, I don't think I need to explain myself. This dude had serious issues. Whether as Ronan or Sebastian, I simply don't like him lol. However, I'm curious about what happened with him after that ending. It left so many things in the air.

4. Misha: Another savior of this book (which seems to be a pretty common opinion lately, but I swear it's true).

Let's be honest, Misha is that comfort character everyone likes. And I'm not complaining at all. He was interesting and I would love to read a book exclusively about him and his situation with Amira.

That being said, I just wanted to add how rushed the ending was. Honestly, it let me a bit down, but I'm forgiving it for the other many things I did like. Perhaps it would have worked better as a trilogy or adding another fifty pages to this sequel. I don't know, I was just expecting an epic battle and what I got was about three pages with zero impact.

Also, many things were left unanswered. What happened to Pretha? Will Brie's sister turn into a fae? How is the dynamic between Finn and Brie now that they are bonded? How did Sebastian manage to run a court as a human? And Misha? I think we all want answers to those questions, but it is what it is.

Overall, I think this duology is a comfort, addictive read for anyone missing ACOTAR. However, don't expect to find a complex story. In fact, the plot twists were easily predictable. I just said that because of certain vibes it gave me and how much it entertained me.

Definitely recommended.

The book was dragged out for so long and then the last 50 pages were faster than the flash.
He also says she smells like moonlight. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN???

I am also confused about what genre this is…
It says young adult but then these are the quotes:

“I lift my hips, rocking into him and showing him with the rhythm of my body just where I need this to go.”

“his fingers hook into my pants and peel them off me. I barely have time to catch my breath before his mouth is on me again, big hands on my inner thighs, holding me open for him as his tongue dances along my most sensitive skin, his mouth alternatively teasing and demanding until I’m whimpering.”

“I shift my hips, urging him to slide into me.”

“I tuck my hips and find him between my legs, slowly leading him into me.”

This doesn’t feel very YA to me.
Also yet again this guy is like an over 50yo fairy and a teenage girl…

*It is so bad I wanna give u a zero but that's not possible so I give u a one*

"The shadows bring balance to the sun, the dark balances the light."

THIS IS MY HATE REVIEW OF THESE TWISTED BONDS Y'ALL WAITED FOR🤺

"I'm just a human girl"
"What could you possibly want to discuss with me? I'm no one, but foolish girl"

Starting off strong with bathing🛀 in self pity mc🧍. Annoying af. The amount of times she said she's "just a human girl" pissed me off so much😑

"I never asked for any of this."
"I do know this: you're more powerful than you realize."

I wanted to slap her so hard👊 like girl just stfu🤬, everyone was telling her how ✨special✨ and ✨more powerful✨ and ✨not like other girls✨ she is and she was like no🖐️ no that's not me🥺 I'm just stupid human girl, who got tricked😥 and I don't have this cool ass powers y'all are talking about🥺

"When you came into my life, you were a bright star in an endlessly dark night."

AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THIS GOD-AWFUL LOVE CORNER🤦Pls this sh*t was so irritating, we all knew since the beginning who she'll end up and it was just so enraging🤬, like the guy🧝 manipulated and lied to her gazillion times and she still came running🏃 to him whenever he opened his mouth.

"Magic is the possibility of breaking rules."

This book was so simple yet the history📜 and things happening outside the love corner🙄 plot were so confusing. I didn't know what was happening where🧍, cuz there was no description or anything. Don't get me wrong I don't like 3 pages with descriptions of the paint on the walls, but some basic details of background🏞️ is necessary. In this book there wasn't any description beside mc saying how plain she was and how ugly she looked with short hair 🙄

"Pick a star", he whispered in my ear. "Make a wish."

This felt like 🌌ACOTAR🌌 fanfic written by 12 year old who just finished A court of mist and fury🌫️ and tried to write something similar, but ended up copying✍️ almost everything. Or when you're copying✍️ ur friend homework for school and u "change" some things so the teacher won't notice.

"Is that what I am to you?" he asks, stepping close. "A mistake?"

Reading this book was mistake. After disappointing first book I should've forget this series existed. The only good in this book was Misha. His back must be hurting from carrying this book. 1,5/5⭐ (0,5 for Misha)

Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

IF SHE DOESNT END UP WTH FINN BUT THAT SLEAZY WHITE-HAIRED FREAK I WILL JUST CEASE TO EXIST

update/edit:
the characters were repulsive and the plot was as nonexistent as my career 🙁. i think i died 48383 times while trying to get through the never-ending cringe, i honestly don’t know how I did it. it was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting.

“I will be by your side, as long as you’ll let me. Wherever you are.”

This book was so good! These Twisted Bonds follows Brie as she goes on a journey of love, truth and redemption. Along the way Brie learns about her developing powers and who she is as a person. Brie must make a decision that will have a lasting effect on her life and the people she loves.

This book is told from Brie's perspective. This book had everything I wanted in fantasy romance including magic, one-bed, one-horse, great chemistry between the characters and fake-dating. The pacing in the beginning is great, but the pacing in the middle is a little slow. The world-building in this book was great, I really liked how the author continued to develop the world. The plot was so interesting and I really enjoyed all the twists and turns. I loved Brie in this book, she is brave, strong, caring, and stubborn. Brie's character development was well done, I liked how she learned more about herself throughout the book and understood her purpose. I loved Finn, he is caring, handsome, strong, brave and will do anything to protect Brie and his people. I have mixed feelings about Sebastian, at times he was arrogant and other times he was kind to Brie. I liked how Sebastian grew as a character at the end of the book. The chemistry between Brie and Finn was amazing! I loved their relationship, they understood each other and would do anything for each other. The ending was so good!! I'm so sad that this series is over.

ㅤ “There is only one thing I can trust, and that is that no one can be trusted.”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ━ 3.3 - 3.5 ☆ ━
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⊱ ──── might contain spoilers ────⊰

ㅤㅤPleasantly surprised to discover that, in comparison with the previous book, "These Twisted Bonds" managed to bring a tad more complex plot and quite a bit of development to the characters, which were so briefly introduced and explained in the first book from this duology. Despite, the slightly better improvements, however, I would not consider adding this to the category of 'good fantasy books'; yet I would still call it rather entertaining, despite being predictable.

ㅤㅤI think this review will not be entirely focused on what is happening in this book, but rather on how some things were improved, or not, regarding some aspects of the book itself; this is mainly due to the fact that I do not want to enforce any huge spoilers for whoever desires to read this. Once again, the book starts directly in the middle of the action, where Abriella, after a very entitled temper tantrum, finds herself once again on the run. Feeling betrayed and deceived

ㅤㅤWith these very basic and general ideas being stated, let me try to find some new things to mention as I go into the more specific aspects of this book.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ world-building, writing and action ༺ ˎˊ-

ㅤㅤI was actually happy to see some improvements in terms of world-building. This book succeeded in providing the historical context that the first book lacked, and as a result, it explained a number of perplexing things about the fantasy world's politics and ways of organizing. I would have liked to see more information added concerning the magical system, as

ㅤㅤMy opinion did not change regarding the writing of the book. And it still includes no serious complaint in this regard, as it perfectly serves the scope of the book:

ㅤㅤThe action of the book, fortunately, also receives quite an improvement. Despite the fact that the book's beginning did not appear promising and gave the impression that the second book would not change significantly from the first, the second half of the book undoubtedly brings much more to the table. The only downside is that the second half comes a little late and is forced to conclude quickly owing to the book's finale. Therefore,

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ characters ༺ ˎˊ-

ㅤㅤ Despite some minor changes in terms of the characters, I don't think it was enough to make you genuinely care about them and sympathise with their positions and struggles. I'm not sure whether I'm too old for the series' intended public, but it didn't need to label me old as frequently as it did.

ㅤㅤ✧ Abriella - such a sad case of an underdeveloped FMC. Despite some clear developments being made to her character, they are so sudden and they come so late in the book, that they were just entirely anti-climatic and seemed so forced. The better part of the second half of the book is just spent trying to portray her as this changed, very mature and completely altruistic person, despite some of her decisions still being so childish and immature -therefore making her quite hard to understand and rather self-contradicting. I wanted to enjoy her as a character, and perhaps I still do, but I couldn't stand how immaturemany of her emotions and acts remained. And once this was combined with the idea of a character's fast rise to power who has had little time to develop into such a position, I was left with a character I could not like.

ㅤㅤ✧ Finnian - i actually highly enjoyed his development in this book. It might not be the perfect evolution of a male character that I badly expected and wanted, but the revelations about his character were actually really sweet. He truly made the few banters really elite, and it all just makes you root for him. You get to understand his actions much better as more and more details are getting revealed about him, and, for me at least, he really earned my respect for the maturity he proved towards a lot of the issues in this book. I would have loved to see him way more involved somehow and to actually see that cunningness that he apparently possesses in action.

ㅤㅤ✧ Ronan - this boy just acted like a child whose sweets got stolen the entire book and it just got so, so tiring at one point that it was simply hard to read about his character. I did love his redemption arc, but it should have been way more detailed in order to fully get one to like him. I do not hate him as much as I did in the first book, and I was really glad to see him truly becoming better, but they could never get me to like him either.

ㅤ❧ I simply

ㅤㅤ✧ Misha 🧎🏻‍♀️ - he was probably the best addition to this book, and he just skyrocketed to becoming my favourite character in this book as well. He is wise, he is a really good friend and his firty and joking side truly makes him so likeable and so endearing to the reader. I just absolutely adored all his scenes and I think he brought a very huge improvement to the series with his presence.

ㅤㅤ✧ Tynan, Pretha, Jasalyn, Kane and Jalek - unfortunately, not much was added in terms of these second characters in this book either, to my utter disappointment. I would have loved to see them way more active in the plot, but they still did their job perfectly. I just like Kane SO MUCH 🥰

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ ending and conclusions ༺ ˎˊ-

ㅤㅤI am really sorry to have to say this, but I did not feel satisfied with the ending of this book as much as I probably should have. The fact that the ending was very predictable is one thing, and I wouldn't mind it; but, it was alsowas so rushed, and the major conflict was resolved so swiftly and bluntly, that I was actually concernedI had missed some pages from the book. The overall closure that was presented also seemed disappointing, since not only did it not accurately depict the current state of all of the individuals who were heavily involved in the narrative, but it also failed to feel like the joyful conclusion that everyone deserved.

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ────────── 　༻✧༺　──────────

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ.˚౿ Pre-reading ࿐ ࿔*:･

ㅤㅤI know I may be overly optimistic to still have a glimmer of hope in my heart that this will be any better than the first book, but I just really hate leaving things unfinished.

if ur gonna steal from miss maas at least make it worth it good god

To było lepsze niż wszystkie książki SJM razem wzięte <3

Praying that Lexi brings her A-game on this one🙏🏻

✨More swordplay✨
Heres to hoping Abriella will become a badass fighter.

✨More magic battles✨
What can the fae do with their magic? I need more details

✨More spice✨

✨More info about the faerie world and courts✨

✨More Finn(!!)✨
Finn could potentially become my new favorite man.

✨More flirting and banter✨
I loved «Also not what you said last night» from Finn. I need more of those!!

✨More pages✨

these hollow vows (literally one of the worst books i’ve ever read, without a single original thing) is nominated for the best fantasy of the year and i lost faith in sanity of humanity. but i’ll read this sequel anyway because i probably like to suffer.

~2.5 stars~

I don't understand how this was so long but basicallynothinghappens. I don’t know why I was expecting this to be any different. Sooo much dialogue. 😫

I was kinda vibing with the book in the first half ngl, even tho it reminded me of from blood and ash where poppy and cas are just traveling and lounging for 3/4 of the book which is quite telling 👀 that one was at least better, and there was plot actually.

the romance was so lacking!! like where’s the angst and the pining and the jealousy??? we barely skimmed the surface of what it should be like. and THAT f*ckING ENDING?? 😔 and the nerve, the f*cking audacity of the epilogue??? literally wtf i’m actually so pissed at how lackluster and boring and been-there-done-that this book was.

I'm basically not satisfied. Then again, I didn't like the first book and this was no exception.

-----------‐---------

Update 14 march 2021: hear me out, I didn't like the first book, but I'm going to give this one a chance.

at least the cover is pretty(with that person

This should have been a trilogy. Plain and simple. There was so much story left to tell that we didn’t get. Overall I loved the duology. But the landing didn’t stick.

Oj kochani, spodoba wam się

Why is Prince Ronan on the cover, I’m scared 👁👄👁

____________________________________________________
After Finishing the book:
Hello friends and welcome to one of my most highly anticipated books for the year!

Rating: 4.25 ⭐️

I started this duology when it first came about (almost exactly a year ago) and I loved the first book! It was definitely a series with promise and I have to say that book two DELIVERED. This book was fabulous and everything I wanted out of this duology and I thought it was a fabulous way to end a series!

Sorry but if you are a seasoned Romance/Fantasy reader this was like the most MILD love triangle I have ever read about in my entire life. Like TWILIGHT (yes I went there) was more will they, wont they - who is she gonna choose? - than this. So please goodness gracious to not stress yourself out, just enjoy the ride.

I can’t comment too much on this actual content of this book because I want it to be a surprise for those who have been waiting for this one for a while so I’ll just say that there were two distinct reasons why I didn’t give this book a 5 ⭐️

1. Brie at the beginning of the book 🫠
2. THE PACE, oh good God this book was SO SLOW at time, I literally just had to put it down and get back to it I just couldn’t

All and all, I would highly recommend this duology to any who is just starting out in the romance fantasy genre its a great place for beginners!

one of the worst books i've read in awhile. it was like reading a 10 year olds fanfiction of ACOTAR.

Oooof I don’t know, this just didn’t hit for me. It felt like there were no stakes, every twist that came I predicted at the first hint, the magic system felt too easy, the character development was just not even there. I don’t know, I feel bad, I know this is a book many people adore- I just felt like I’ve read it before and liked the other versions more.

I’m going to try and sum up this book for everyone.

Imagine Cardan from the Cruel Prince series had a brother- a blond brother- and they were fighting over Bella Swan from Twilight.

I’ve DNFd this book at 53% and I cannot physically force myself to read anymore. It’s just so bad. It started off really good but then things started to take a turn when she went to that camp to save the children. It just started rapidly declining from there. I liked the new king they brought in but even he couldn’t take my mind off of the fact that this book is one of the worst sequels I’ve ever read.

4.5 Estrellas
DE TONTA ME QUEDABA CON LAS GANAS DE SABER COMO TERMINA ESTA HISTORIA, CON EL FINAL DE SU PRIEMERA PARTE.

O sea... es que yo necesitaba saber que iba a pasar con Sebastián, Brie y con Fynn. La verdad es que odio los triángulos amorosos, y en este libro temo decir que no fue la excepción. Odio que las personas sufran por amor, me choca, y como hay un triángulo amoroso, uno va a sufrir.

Tengo que admitir que sí es un poco obvio con quién se iba a quedar por como lo iba manejando la autora, pero yo no quería decidir y admito, que aún no sé si me hice un team al final. Al principio pensé que sí, pero en realidad no. Los dos son increíbles y los amo con todo mi corazón. Y los dos tienen los mismos defectos, pero con el que se quedó es más cliché y lo entiendo, pero igual me duele que el otro haya sufrido. No quería que sufrieran mis bebés.

Fue un gran final, todo lo que pasó y las cosas que seguían pasando. Este libro me inspiró a querer crear un mundo de fantasía, porque la autora lo hizo INCREÍBLE.

Una bilogía de fantasía que DEBEN de leer. Espero que lo traduzcan pronto. Lo necesito, por ustedes.

Woww I really loved this book! I thought this was so much better than the first one and delivered a great conclusion to the series 🥰

✅ THE PACING WAS seriously amazing. I feel like duologies are so underrated and this is an example of one that was perfectly executed. Everything tied up nicely and there was constantly something going on that kept me wanting to know more.

🆗 BREE DID A PRETTY BIG flip-flop from really hating to fae in the first book to wanting to save them all in this book. It worked well into the story so I tried not to think about it too much or else I might like the book less 😆

✅ THE TENSION IN THE romance was sooo good!! This delivered everything I was looking for in the romance from the first book. This was one love triangle that I actually enjoyed and I think made the romance better in the end.

✅ PLUS IT WAS KIND OF STEAMY, which totally surprised me (but in a good way lol). The first book was more fade to black so I was taken aback by how much more descriptive this one was - but I’m here for it so it totally worked for me 😍😍

🆗 I KIND OF GOT SOME Rhys and Tamlin vibes in this one. But I think this story handled the relationships better so I didn’t mind so much.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for a YA fantasy centered around fae. I really enjoyed all the characters and the romance was one of the better YA romances I’ve read lately. The last 10% was a little rushed, but I prefer that to dragging things out unnecessarily with a third book.

Este segundo libro me dejó con la boca abierta todo el tiempo. Es decir, siento que revivió las emociones que viví leyendo la primera parte de ACOMAF… Y no les puedo decir mucho más sin spoilers, pero creo que es una de estas bilogías que de verdad valen la pena y son increíbles.

Sí, hay muchas cosas, conceptos y dinámicas similares a las de los libros de Sarah J. Maas. Incluso hay personajes muy parecidas y resoluciones parecidas, pero a mí eso no me importó. De hecho, creo que esas características hicieron que disfrutara de todo muchísimo más porque todo el tiempo estuve pensando en lo que me gustaba esa dinámica y en las grandes revelaciones de cuando alguien muestra su verdadera personalidad.

Así que fui muy feliz leyendo esta segunda parte. El romance es espectacular, las decisiones son increíbles y lo amé todo. Entonces, si les gusta la fantasía y están buscando algo para llenar el vacío que nos dejan los libros de Sarah J. Maas, sepan que pueden leer esta bilogía.

EEEEEEE I have an ARC 🤩🤩🤩

Rating: 4.5
Author: @writerlexiryan

OH MY GOSH. This book nearly killed me. I was so into the love triangle and hoping and praying that my favorite would be the winner that I almost didn’t enjoy this one. I found myself speed reading until their scenes together and trying to be on the lookout for any clues that would give anything away. I was filled with so many different emotions and my stomach was literally in knots. I was extremely tense reading this. I buddy read this with @sirenofbooks and she finished before me. So I literally spoiled the ending for myself and asked her which guy won. It wasn’t until I knew the outcome that I could finally relax and read at a normal pace. I am pleased to say the guy I wanted to win won but of course due to spoilers I will not say his name.

This book was phenomenal. Honestly, if you enjoyed the first one then you will definitely enjoy this one. The writing was well done, the characters full of life and personality, and the pacing was on point. I loved the direction the author took with the story and how she showed us more of that world. The chemistry between the characters was chef’s kiss. I could have definitely used more scenes. Overall, I really enjoyed this book because it had a little bit of everything. I did have some minor issues with some parts being a bit repetitive and the ending felt a little rushed. But other than that, I loved it and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you so much @clarionbooks & @netgalley for a #gifted copy on #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am definitely team Finn. I love him, he reminds me so much of Rhys. But the book let me with a major cliffhanger I don't Know if I will be able to wait for the second book! I hope we will se more Finn and Brie in this book. Can someone ask the author if she can speed up the release date?

I just finished the book and I absolutely loved it!! Finn and Brie gave me life. I love him so much. And this books was soo good.
I still hate Sebastian. Every time he talked I just wanted to stick a sock into his mouth. He’s annoying.
But overall def read this book

"I want all of you, not just some dark and twisted secret corner of your mind"

➼ five stars

I always crave the feeling of reading a book and being physically unable to stop. These Twisted Bonds gave me that feeling.

This was for sure my most anticipated release of the year and I can't even begin explaining just how good it was.

I wish that this was a trilogy but I can't deny that everything was wrapped up nicely and that everyone in this book got the ending that they deserved! (especially Arya, that bitch)

i though sebastian was irrelevant. why the hell is he on the goddamn cover.