This book. Is amazing. I loved every single page. Celeana, thumbs up, most awesome character EVER. Her history is very interesting and added to the tension between her and basically everyone else.
Dorian, the Crown Prince. Well he was hot. Didn't see that one coming. It wasn't until a bit over half way when I changed my opinion about Dorian, originally sharing Celeana and Nehemia's view that he was arrogant to say the least. But after a few cute romantic scenes, and some stunning blue eyes that melt your heart, I couldn't get enough of him. But time and time again I felt that he let her down. He stands up to his father only a couple of times, and at the least helpful times. I'm just like, come on Dorian, pull yourself together and be a man and ACTUALLY help her when she NEEDS help. Not just when she's almost dead. Hence, this made me feel less inclined to be rooting for Dorian and look towards other alternatives. Pah, flirting and snogging just didn't quite pull off as a guise for chivalry. Still, he was smoking.
Chaol on the other hand. ;)
I felt that for a lot of the book Chaol was there but pushed aside because of Celeana's fascination with flirtatious, and ridiculously good looking prince. And all that time I wanted to give him a hug for being her subtle knight in shining armour, who, unlike Dorian, was there whenever she needed him, despite his heart slowly being pulled to pieces as he was pushed aside. He never gives up on her and their love/hate relationship is absolute gold. The only issue I had with Chaol's character was that I couldn't create him right in my minds eye. That made it hard for me to really get along with the character because I couldn't shake the incorrect image I had forged in my mind's eye, and that obviously kept clashing with what the book was telling me. Nonetheless, he had to be my favourite character aside from Celeana. HERE'S TO TEAM CHAOL! I really thought that without him this book would NOT have been so amazing. Whilst the flirting between Celeana and Dorian was enjoyable, it was cliché and made me feel sad for Dorian because that's not who he wanted to be - but I felt like he would have treated all the other ladies in the court the exact same way if he wasn't so obsessed with Celeana. Poor guy. Chaol and Celeana don't like each other from the beginning, there's more of a tense friendship between them, which makes their progression to "something more" wayy more genuine. It's a subtle shift, and not pushed. And damn, that scene with the chalk line - where can I find one of these men.
Looking for a few people to really hate? People to sink those fangs of yours into? Let all that angst out? I present to you; Kaltain, a spiteful woman who suffers from frequent headaches, as do most pompous snobs in books. I hate her, and she's annoying, and she's horrible, insufferably clingy and selfish, and did I mention I hate her? Oh but there's more, after her take a good long bite out of Cain, and Perrington (if you dare get close to those smelly beasts). So yeah, let it all out, there's some good hating to be done.
And let's not get started with the pure awesomeness of Nehemia. She redefines friendship on so many levels. From the first moments her character and Celeana's just click. The fact that they can both converse together in another languation just makes me want to go, ooh burnnn, to people like Kaltain, as they show her up in some seriously deceitful translation "mishaps". They compliment each other through their personalities. She better have a big role to play in Crown of Midnight, or I'll get my pitchfork out and start waving it around in protest. Where's the line for Team Nehemia? I'd like to join, and also buy a t-shirt with some fancy Wyrdmarks on them so I can cheer her on from the sidelines.
The creepiness of the Wyrdmarks bring the books to a whole new level. Adding the excitement that was needed to make this book tick all the right boxes: unique setting, wonderful love triangle, action/fighting/death, awesomest friendship, a cute dog, solid fantasy and a bit of a thrill.
READ THIS BOOK. Or you are missing out. Big time.
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