This is the most emotional novella so far, emotional to the point where I couldn’t think straight and I was turning the pages so quickly to see what would happen next. I felt sad, thrilled, excited, anxious, angry, swooning– everything. I’ve never felt these mixed emotions in a long while but in this novella, I experienced such a ride.
Celaena is more bearable than she has been every other time I’ve read about her, mostly because this remains the only story where an anti-slavery viewpoint is actually woven into the character. Plus, we get actual backstory on Celaena, which is actually sort of a problem as we should have this information in the series, not have to read companion novels for it.
The pacing of this novella is also plus. It’s fast paced, and the important details were perfectly framed together, as well as the descriptions of the city and the sewage systems. Also, flawless plot! There is a lot of trickery in this book, but there is a lot of satisfaction as well. Although, by now, it’s almost common sense that some kind of betrayal will happen. The twist and turns and the ending were a bit too predictable, but I still couldn’t put it down.
I can’t help but love the way that Arobynn Hamel is written. I want hate him just as much as everyone else who has read these novellas, but I love a good villain. He is so evil that he makes everyone else better characters. I also loved the development of the romance between Sam and Celaena. It was so genuine and sweet and not forced. It hurts so bad knowing how it ends.
“I love you,” he repeated, shaking her again. “I have for years. And he hurt you and made me watch because he’s always known how I felt, too. But if I asked you to pick, you’d choose Arobynn, and I. Can’t. Take. It.”
TandeWrites 