Something should be said about Maas’ style. I love that she is willing to truly show the dark struggles of her characters. Feyre endured physical and psychological horrors last book and no love, no man, could instantly make that damage go away—Maas gets that. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a romantic! I enjoy a love-conquers-all happily-ever-after just has much as the next person. And yet, to see the struggle, to experience the hollow brokenness with Feyre and then the long and painful healing process afterwards was powerful. I became invested. I was empathetic. I ached for her pains and, when at last she began to heal, I savored her happiness. And then the book ends!! With all the feels, Maas leaves us hanging—hopeful, yes, but messed up that I have to take a break from these character’s lives. This book will be a constant reread until I have the next installment in my hands.
Ok, all my feels off to the side now, it’s time to be blunt. This is not a YA novel. This series is not meant for the growing teens, it’s meant for the maturing adult. There is sex—in detail. There is language. Maas’ characters are not dainty, so they will be vulgar and drop the F* word frequently. There are complicated emotions and feelings that both the character and reader must grapple with. With that disclaimer though, I think this book has merit in the complex and messy emotions and relationships it works through. If nothing else, Maas is honest and in tune with how the real world functions. She doesn’t use her novels to rose tint the world around us and that is worthwhile.
