Publication Date:November 5th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Entangled Teen
Synopsis:
No one can save her.
In order to protect Prince Lucien d’Malvane’s heart, Zera had to betray him. Now, he hates the sight of her. Trapped in Cavanos as a prisoner of the king, she awaits the inevitable moment her witch severs their magical connection and finally ends her life.
But fate isn’t ready to give her up just yet.
With freedom coming from the most unlikely of sources, Zera is given a second chance at life as a Heartless. But it comes with a terrible price. As the king mobilizes his army to march against the witches, Zera must tame an elusive and deadly valkerax trapped in the tunnels underneath the city if she wants to regain her humanity.
Winning over a bloodthirsty valkerax? Hard. Winning back her friends before war breaks out? A little harder.
But a Heartless winning back Prince Lucien’s heart?
The hardest thing she’s ever done.
* I would like to thank Entangled Teen for a copy of this book in return for an honest review*
“These are places I’ve been as a different person, as a monster pretending to be a human.”
Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf was my favorite book of 2018. It ended in such a way that had me needing the sequel that second I finished it. I had such high expectations for this sequel and it was my most anticipated book of 2019. I feel like this book definitely fell into that middle book slump. Although I really enjoyed it, the story was just missing something for me. It needed a little something to help move the plot forward it tended to drag a few times. But Wolf has such a way with crafting a unique story, with morally gray characters.
” Once again, I’m chained by more than chains. A prisoner in my own body.”
The struggle that Zera deals with throughout the story, along with so many moving parts in regards to the upcoming war kept an air of mystery woven between the pages. Wolf had kept me guessing and although I kind of guessed some of it there were more twists that I was not expected. The characters went through a lot, had to make a lot of decisions and learning what is the better of two evils. Zera faced the choice of saving her heart or following her heart. And it was something that felt so relative to the true struggle of life. It that struggle of the fight between your head and your heart.
We definitely got to see more character development and all of them were so full of sass and wit. I was laughing so much at the quick remarks between the characters and how much shade was thrown. Then add in the Valkerax, which was also such a well though out and developed character. The nonsensical way in which it spoke reminded me of Wonderland!
Where I think Wolf fell short is with the Worldbuilding aspect. We do get to learn more about the backstory/history that I felt helped to answer questions I had from book 1. It also lended to help understand some of the characters choices. We also got to understand more of Gravik and see him flushed out as a character more. But I felt like the concept of witches and that element were expounded on although mentioned frequently.
“Even scars fade.”
Although it was a victim to middle book syndrome, because it was a lot of set up for the next book. Wolf wove together a story with characters that had such big personalities and also a little morally gray. She was able to write a story full of mystery, sass, and surprising twists in regards to character choices. It was a good addition to a unique series that has its own magical elements and history that I find new and refreshing. I mean what is better than a heartless striving to win their heart back, concurrently finding love while having no heart!
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