These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan

These Twisted Bonds finishes These Hollow Wows duology that began with a book of the same name. It’s YA fantasy set in an original world, and since it’s impossible to review without spoiling the first book, be warned.

The book starts where the first ended. Abriella—Brie—is fleeing, feeling betrayed by Sebastian and Finn, the two princes competing for her heart and the crown, and battling her new powers as a fey, knowing she can never return to her home in the human world. She finds an unexpected ally in Misha, the king of the Wild Fey, but she isn’t entirely able to trust him either.

Once things settle down a little, she sets out to solve the mess she finds herself in. She’s bonded to Sebastian she no longer loves and who she believes wants her only for her new powers so that he can take the throne. She loves Finn, who deserves the throne, but can’t have it, because of all sorts of complicated reasons. All she wants is to be human again and bring peace to the fey realms.

I confess, I couldn’t see a way out of the complicated dilemma. I’m not entirely sure I cared for the outcome either. Unlike in the first book, I didn’t like Brie much. She’d lost her strength and self-reliance gaining her new powers and was constantly relying on men to solve things for her—mostly because she had no idea what was going on, but it was still annoying. Finn and Sebastian were as bland as ever, and while I rooted more for Finn, I wouldn’t have minded if she hadn’t chosen either of them.

There was action and twists and turns aplenty. Brie found her backbone in the end, though not quite the way I would’ve hoped, as the shadow-self was a kind of random, deus-ex-machina move. And I was a little disappointed with the final twist. It was elegant and emotional enough for YA sentiments, but it solved everything for Brie without any input from her, which was a bit of a let-down. And reducing the two men with Brie to consorts and lesser beings so that she could shine was downright disappointing. It saved her from becoming a supreme being and taking all the power, which wouldn’t have fit the YA genre, but at least it would’ve given her the keys to solving things. Other than that, the ending was neat and satisfying enough so that the reader doesn’t crave for more.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.