✨Im Literary Anxious✨

Estimated Reading Time🕒: 5 minutes

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Vela Roth✍🏻 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 718📖

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

 

“You have that backward,” he said. “You did not cost me everything. Everything has always tried to cost me you.”

🗡️ Fated Mates 
🌿 Avowed and in Love 
🗡️ Double Date Quests
🌿 Touch Him/Her and Wish You Were 💀  
🗡️ Knight Gets a Dame 🥹 
🌿 Jail Breaks 

The journey I started back in May reading “Blood Mercy” finally came to a (momentary) close when I finished “Blood Feast” a few weeks ago. (And I’m currently pretending I won’t have to wait an unknown amount of time for book 9 🙃)

[DISCLAIMER: I’m a serial procrastinator, and though I’m posting it now, this review was written back at the end of June, and the draft blog post created in September 💀😅😬]

No surprise here, but there wasn’t a single thing that left me unsatisfied. Well… there’s plenty I’m not happy about, but that’s part of the emotional rollercoaster, so I’m happy about… not being happy?

I never claimed reviews are my forte, folks, so this is what you get 😅

At this point, I can’t write a “Blood Grace” review without spoilers sneaking in, so proceed at your own risk.

“Almost losing you—again—changed everything. Gaining you forever changed everything. Even after we leave the tower, I won’t be able to share you the way I did before your Gifting. Not with our duties, not even with people we love.”

“Blood Feast” picks up right where “Blood Gift” left off: Cassia is finally a Hesperine, she’s FINALLY getting avowed to Lio, and Tenebra is still a giant dumpster fire. Meanwhile, Tendo is still metaphorically pulling Solia’s pigtails while she’s (possibly literally) sticking her tongue out at him. My one complaint: not enough Solendo page time.

Of course, because nothing can ever go smoothly for Lio or Cassia, our newly graced bb’s and our favorite fighter bois, Mak and Lyros, end up on the run as fugitives. Clearly, Vela’s theme for this book was “Emotional Damage.” I spent 50% of the book distraught, 40% devastated, and the remaining 10% were the few moments I wasn’t screaming, crying, or hyperventilating.

“Cassia, you were never that self-controlled lady. You were always this powerful mage, locked inside your fear and pain and anger. Don’t ever try to be that careful version of yourself again.” He lifted her face toward his. “Break everything in your path.”

The character journeys of all four—Cassia, Lio, Mak, and Lyros—were so well done. I particularly enjoyed Lio’s growth. Vengeful Lio both broke my heart and made me a teensy bit giddy. Watching him battle with his Hesperine morals and Grace bond instincts was incredibly frustrating.

Overall, my favorite thing about this story was how well Vela showed that everyone has the capacity for vengeance and darkness; it’s how we react to it that makes all the difference.

“When laws don’t match our principles, the laws need to change.”

Without giving away giant spoilers, I’ll just say I was Le Distraught at having to leave Lio like that, and I’ll be obsessing over him until I start chapter one of book nine.

“Cassia,” he began, “although I am known as Glasstongue, I struggle to find words worthy of what you mean to me. But I have always given you my truest words, however imperfect, ever since we first promised we would speak openly, honestly, without judgment. The trust you placed in me that night and every night since is the greatest gift of all. Let our first Oath to each other grow into this vow: I will always be honest with you. I will always be worthy of your trust. When you speak, I will make the world listen. When you fight, I will make your cause mine. And when you long for peace, I will be your Sanctuary. My love for you is as endless as eternity, and my vein will be your abundance for all time.”

As per usual, here are my stream of consciousness reactions:

• Perita came to the avowals 😭😭😭
• Can these poor Hesperines catch a break?!
• Not Tendo jealous of Rhudira 👀
• I don’t like Mom and Dad fighting 😭
• Ben is such a fuck nugget
• Cassia and Lio: proof that even with a mind bond, communication is still important
• Anyone else picturing Sam Tarly from GOT when Ben makes an appearance? 👀