Book Review
Title: Soul of Cinder (Heart of Thorns #3)
Author: Bree Barton
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance
Rating: DNF
Review: Tears of Frost infuriated me as a book, it took forever for anything to happen and when it did it was a major middle finger to all the character work and development that was laid down in the first book. The only reason I decided to read the final book was to see if the series could redeem itself and because I have become very attached to Mia and Quin as characters and I wanted to see their arcs play out completely. The opening of Soul of Cinder was interesting as we see that Quin has escaped the avalanche that claimed Ange’s life and presumably the life of Freyja and Wynna as well and he is making his way home to the River Kingdom to reclaim his throne.
Quin is determined to be a good and just king although he says himself if the Twisted Sisters (referring to Mia, Pilar, and Ange) return then he will kill them but I don’t think he has the stomach for it as he isn’t able to kill Tristan who tried to rape his sister as his magic knowns his true intentions. Quin moves closer to the castle finding strange symbols carved everywhere there is violence and death and a farmer informs him these might belong to the group calling themselves the Embers as they are trying to seize the power of the River throne but as he gets closer, he manages to find Dom and Tobin, his former lover. With Pilar, Mia, and Nell we see that they have been making their way to Pembuk, the Glass Kingdom in order to see the Shadowess but things aren’t great here either. Nell is from Pembuk and is planning on leaving the girls once she delivers them to the Shadowess but there is no love lost between Mia and Pilar despite Mia making the effort to get to know her sister, Pilar doesn’t want to be seen and retreats into herself and withdraws from Mia. However, Nell does tell them about a place within Pembuk where they can be freed for all their hurt and pain even if it is only temporary.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, the trio finally arrive in Pembuk and Mia’s sensations are starting to return slowly which is driving a wedge between her and Pilar. Pilar wants to be sisters with Mia but she can’t undo the life she has led and she doesn’t want Mia to pity her which she obviously does but when Mia proclaims that she is beginning to feel and taste again Pilar isn’t happy as when they fully return, she believes that Mia won’t need her anymore. Pilar is also suspicious of the Shadowess as everyone she has known that has held a position of power has abused it but Mia can’t wait to enter a space filled with logic and debate. In the River Kingdom, Quin has accidently learned that Tobin seems to be leader of the Embers and invites Quin to stay one night with them but instead of taking him to their headquarters, Tobin is taking him home to the castle and I am not sure what is in store for him as this Tobin is very different from the one Quin remembers and the one, he loved. Back with the girls they have arrived at the House of Shadows to meet the Shadowess but we see something different about Pilar and Mia. Pilar is very suspicious of Nell now and the Shadowess and what the House of Shadows while Mia is dazed and in awe of everything around her. They end up meeting Nell’s younger brother, Stone and learning that the current Shadowess is Nell’s mother which really doesn’t sit right with Pilar. Again, we are also a ¼ of the way through the novel and nothing much has really happened and I am really hoping it isn’t going to be a repeat of Tears of Frost. It seems nothing is going right for anyone as Quin isn’t sure where he stands with the Embers despite having some history with Tobin and the girls don’t know what to expect from the House of Shadows, even Mia is beginning to question whether it is better to be numb than to feel again but she is pulling aside by Pilar to talk.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Quin meets the majority of the Embers who aren’t happen with the return of the rightful king as they don’t want to be hurt anymore but Quin manages to win most of them over as he sides with them against Kings and tyranny and even demands the return of the Twisted Sisters so they can face punishment for their crimes and despatches the letter we read at the beginning of the novel. We can feel the tension building towards something as it seems like Quin is going to start a war against the Twisted Sisters but honestly right now, I have no real desire to continue on with the novel. I am DNFing this book at 30% mainly because I didn’t like the turn the story took in Tears of Frost and I just wasn’t enjoying this final book which was a shame.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Also see: Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton
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