What Hunts Inside the Shadows by Harper L. Woods
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
**I was provided with an ARC for an honest review.**
For a second book, I wanted….better secondary characters, more Estrella and Caleum: fight fight fight kiss kiss kiss, the lord to die, and what is their actual plan for returning to society?
Overall this sequel was an character entertaining fae-murder-smut roadtrip that left me…unsatisfied
꧁The Worldbuilding꧂
What really pulls this book together (and reason I keep going in the series…) the world is just fucking brilliant and fun. A veil separating fae and mates, evil queen, heroine learning powers, plots of overthrowing tyrannical kings, and did I mention fae gods?
“One day, I’d ask about the shock on his face when I’d touched the thread of our bond. One day, I’d gather that thread into my hands and play with its very creation.”
See what I mean?? It has great elements but continually failed to actually engage the readers in it DURING the book itself. Looking back, these books honestly feels like prequels with overwhelming set-up and background hints that we are building up to something!! But… right now its really boring.
We are now in the SECOND BOOK and the author is still not letting the heroine engage with this awesome world. Instead, we were trapped in the goddamn wilderness— knowing ✨ fae court ✨ rebel ✨ war ✨ shit is happening. But nooooo, we’re stuck reading about the Estrella Caleum ROADTRIP… sigh ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
꧁The Characters꧂
Estrella our heroine is back! She is violent, sassy, trying her best, and totally psychotic
“No wonder you killed him—” he said, his voice cutting off when I sank the blade into the flesh of his upper thigh.
“What the fuck was that for?” he asked, his voice wheezing in pain as I pulled the blade free and returned it to the sheath it called home.
“You looked at me,” I snarled, the monster feeling closer to the surface than ever before.
I did enjoy that her mortal background might not be as …straightforward as we might have thought. But she really needs to assert herself on a higher level. Not just as a warrior, but as a Leader and Decision-maker that choses her next movements, and isnt just being strung along almost a death march to the fae world.
Caelum i love everything about his character. literally everything.
from his endless support
“I wouldn’t dare to deprive the world of your vengeance,” he said, dropping his forehead to mine. “And when he makes his way to Tartarus for his crimes, I’ll have an eternity to make him suffer.”
to his tragedic background
“Feeling your heart flutter for men who would never have been able to give you what your soul craved in the end, and knowing that, I was trapped on the other side of the Veil waiting for you. Just waiting for centuries to be able to hold you.”
to the amazing sass
“Trust me, Little One; if it’s a hate fuck you’re after, I would be happy to oblige you right now.”
This sequel also introduced some other secondary characters that have some importance to come I guess.
I had some high hopes for Fallon, her introduction into the supernatural world really set up some great possibilities. However, their friendship together was explained rather than shown. I desperately wanted more bonding between the two. seriously I know nothing about her character and personality. just a vague background explanation that they are now forever bffs
Holt sounds very promising as a character! he gives me total sassy wildhunt general, dare I make a Cassian comparison?
“Have I told you how much I despise you lately?” I asked, narrowing my eyes into a glare that felt like it dripped venom.
Even if he couldn’t see it, I wanted nothing more than to solidify that glare until phantom talons clawed down his back.
He twitched, rolling his shoulders as he spun to look at me with a shocked expression.”
꧁The Writing Style꧂
Build-up. Set-up. Beautiful. Slow.
I mean seriously. As much as I enjoyed the characters, the sass, and more build-up of the series. I AM BORED. I WANT ACTION TO HAPPEN NOW. I WANT THINGS TO HAPPEN NOW, NOT JUST FORESHADOWING OF THINGS TO COME.
no matter how beautiful of writing is for the characters inner turmoil.
“There was beauty in knowing who I was, and in embracing that in spite of the potential consequences.”
꧁The Sass꧂
“You think they’re watching us because they want to see us squabble?” he asked, leaning into my space. “They’re watching us because they’re hoping I’ll bend you over and fuck the attitude right out of you, Little One.”
꧁The Critiques꧂
sadly this book had all the critiques from the first… then added a couple more offenses
✨Cliche✨ This is a dark fae romance book. It will contain every fae alphahole trope from jealous motherf*cka to i will protect you even from yourself. Either ya like it or ya dont.
✨Basic✨ There is no subtle foreshadowing. We allllll know whats coming but we still have to GET there.
✨slow af✨ This series plot is moving like goddamn sloths combined with the basic foreshadowing makes the read very boring. I mean its entirely character dynamics and no action. I looked back and was so ridiculously unsatisfied by the plot this sequel, its just been long journeys in the wilderness
Overall, this was just a fun trashy fae novel that is just failing to take things up a notch. Yes I am going to keep reading because I enjoy the world, I like the characters and the smut is fire. But this sequel was an opportunity for this series to really wow me. and it didnt.
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