I’ve never really liked the second book better than the first, but wow… this was a good one! It pulled me in right from the first sentence, it wasn’t as slow paced as the first book and the messages it conveys about life and love and everything in between, shows the reader how hard people will fight for happiness, for their family, for love and for their rights.

First of all, I want to talk about character development. Beginning of the book, I could hardly recognise Feyre. The events from the first book had really affected her and she struggles to find herself again as she deals with horrors in her own nightmares. Feyre comes back better than ever and she is so fierce and full of compassion with such bravery and I definitely preferred this girl compared the first book.

Tamlin annoyed me. Point blank. He was so blinded by his ‘love’ for Feyre that so many people suffer from his actions. The guy has issues and a lack of understanding that not everything can go his way. I can’t even sympathise for him even if he does have trauma that messed him up. It doesn’t excuse the way he acts in the book with his rash decisions.

However, Rhysand is definitely up there for all time favourite male characters. He is the sort of character who is actually quite soft, despite his mask he puts on for others. Sarah J Maas created a cunning, sometimes arrogant and powerful male who has his own insecurities and doubts as much as the next person. That’s one reason that I liked his character. Another one is that he is a feminist which does warm my heart a little. Well maybe a lot. From what I’ve seen books don’t often have male characters who want equal rights as much as the next woman. I appreciated that as I’m sure many other readers will.

The new characters have an amazing bond, making them a tight knit family and they all have very different personalities but it all fits and they did make me laugh with their banter. Although they’re side characters I guess you could call it, they each have so much depth and dimension with back stories that makes you understand why they might behave the way they do and that are so upsetting, which almost made me shed a tear.

A lot of people wrote in reviews that there is a love triangle. However, in my eyes, there wasn’t a love triangle. I saw it as someone who grew as a person and realised that in the past they wouldn’t have minded a male who is controlling, but now they realise their own worth. It’s a healthy relationship, each partner having mutual respect and supporting the other. I won’t spoil who this couple is 😉 This couple had banter that bounced off each other, amazing chemistry and tension and a heart-warming friendship.

There is less romance in this book, it’s still there but in this book it is a subplot rather than the main plot. I preferred it more as there is a lot more room for action and drama. The book focuses a lot more on character development and drama which has everyone wanting to read the book as fast as they can so they can get to the grand finale.

The ending is seriously full of so much emotion and horror that I wanted to get my hands on the third book as fast as I could! It wasn’t a cliff-hanger but it may as well have been and I can’t wait to continue this story. What are your thoughts?