Liani ♡'s Reviews > Reckless

˗ˏˋ 3 / 5 ★’s ´ˎ˗

𓏲 ₊♡𓂃There is such beauty in resilience, in the ability to laugh despite it all.⋆𓂃ִֶָ ⊹˚

So… this book was supposed to be Reckless or Useless? Because it didn’t add anything new to the plot. I’m no expert on fantasy books, but isn’t this book supposed to have some of it? Where was it? We just got little crumbs of it with no special meaning.

  ⚔️𝓛𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 & 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓐𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭⚔️

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❥𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼💭 ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

I enjoyed this book and its vibes. But after Powerless, my expectations were too high. They were crushed after I finished this book. No, let me rephrase that- they were crushed since I was halfway through the book. It started and finished well, don’t get me wrong. But in the middle, it was so boring, and took me forever to finish. I loved the cute scenes of Pae and Kai, and the development of their relationship. All their banter, fights, flirting, and falling in love. But all these things are good in a balance, you know? Not in the messy way shown in this book. They hated each other one second and were flirting the next, and so on. It got so repetitive and meaningless. Also, Kai was a hypocrite. He continually blamed Pae for killing the king and labeled her as a criminal even after learning that he also killed her father. He acted like she was the only one who did anything wrong, and I hated that. I hated that he didn’t fight FOR her, and he only focused on fulfilling his mission of bringing her back to the Kingdom.

I needed something more. I don’t know what, but something that would keep me more captivated.

About the plot: what plot? *I’m still looking for it* The plot in this book was nonexistent. All we got was the timeline of Kai’s journey dragging Pae back to Ilya. There was nothing new. Nothing. Nada. That's why I liked Kitt's chapters because they told us some details that maybe will be delved into in the next book. Things like:

➴ did Callum betray the Resistance? did he control the previous king or is he controlling Kitt in some way? does he know anything about Pae (her biological parents or something like that)? what is he planning? because I have a feeling that he’s up to something.
➴ what is the purpose of what Kitt does? revenge or something else?

So many questions that this book didn’t answer.

By the way, are you telling me that the resistance was destroyed? just like that? I don’t know if I should cry or laugh.

Also, I’m so sad because we didn’t see Mak😫 where is he? What was the point of introducing him in Powerful and mentioning that he's one of the most powerful elites if you’re not going to use such a great character? I feel scammed by this. Lauren better introduce him in the next book because his quality would be a perfect addition to the plot.

❥𝓚𝓪𝓲🖤˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

🌹Her laugh alone could cure the most corrupted parts of me, and that is exactly what it's done since the day I met her.🌹

If you know me, you probably know I’ve been totally obsessed with Kai since I read Powerless. I loved him and I still do. The thing is, he needs to put on some pants and do something. He needs to stop being a coward. He just does what he’s told to do, and he doesn’t even TRY to fight for the things/people/future that he wants/loves. And this was so frustrating. I know that all this is because of his duty, his mission, and all that. But seriously? I was so tired of him and his “pretend”. If I read that word one more time, I was going to throw the book away and not even bother picking it up again.

He needs to learn to speak up for himself and how to fight FOR the woman he loves. Because he loves her, but then he proceeds to take her to the king for a punishment that could have been death, and he just accepts it and does nothing to stop it? Uh? THIS IS NOT THE KAI I FELL FOR. If you love someone you do everything for them. You fight to be with them, or AT LEAST you think so. You’re supposed to do everything in your power to be together. Did he do that in this book? No, he didn’t. He just accepted their fate and didn’t even bother trying anything until the very end. And that was before they met the king and the famous plot twist happened. And what did he do there? He just gave up and accepted that they couldn’t be together. DUDE- didn’t you tell her like 5 minutes before that you were going to try to fix everything so you could be together? have you already forgotten about that? UGH. I really hope this mentality of his changes in Fearless because I can’t handle it anymore.

❥ 𝓟𝓪𝓮💙 ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

🍃He is my anchor, and I am willing to sink, so long as it is with him.🍃

Our reckless and fearless queen Pae✨ I loved her in this book. I loved her badass side as I also liked her vulnerable side. She was willing to sacrifice everything for Kai’s well-being, and this is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. She wanted his well-being, but he was leading her to her unknown fate and possible death after all the suffering she went through. Ouch? She also frustrated me so much. She also wanted to kill Kai, and she kept telling herself this and even tried to do it. But of course, her feelings towards him didn’t allow it. And this game of hating and loving each other was great at first, but there came a point where it became boring. Couldn't something else happen besides this repetitive game? This is the result of the lack of plot. Although I loved the sweet scenes of their relationship, I needed more action and drama. Again: some balance.

❥𝓚𝓲𝓽𝓽💛˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

I know there needs to be a plot twist, and honestly? I kind of like what happened at the end because FINALLY, SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENED. But still… HOW DARED HE DO THAT when he KNEW the history and feelings his brother had/has for Pae? I felt betrayed that he did this to Kai. I mean, there must be a logical explanation, right? Maybe because he felt betrayed and all that stuff by her and is planning something big? Maybe Callum is controlling him somehow? Or maybe he’s planning something for the kingdom- uniting the elites and the ordinary? I honestly don’t know.

Also, I don’t think this is a love triangle because in Powerless (for me) the only “connection” Pae made with Kitt was totally like a friendship. She liked him but as a friend. At no point did she show him that she was interested in him romantically and now she loves Kai. So, all this drama is coming from Kitt’s side. He is confused about his feelings, and the grief and betrayal affected him greatly. I don’t know what he wants or expects to happen, so I can’t wait to read more about it in the third book. Because… the marriage can’t happen. Right!? I’m team Kai+Pae. They MUST be an endgame. And Kitt deserves his happy ending (not with Pae, duh). I loved him in Powerless, and I still like him (but I don’t justify his actions).

❥𝓛𝓮𝓷𝓷𝔂❤️˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

IN LENNY WE TRUST!

I absolutely loved him! He’s such a cute, funny, spontaneous, and lovable character. I wasn’t expecting him to rescue her in this book, and I loved when he showed up. I need to know more about him✨ in the bonus scenes, he said he’s going to save the princess (aka Pae), and I can’t wait for it🛐 I need to see more of this cute friendship.

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❥ Many quotes just because I love them ✨

If she is Shadow, then I am Flame.
This girl is the very thing I can't seem to escape- can't seem to go anywhere without the remnants of her following. Where I am, she is. Whether it's in the flesh or in the fragments of my mind.
And where there is a flame, there is always a shadow.
She is my inevitable.

“I'm sick of running. And I won't spend the rest of my life doing it unless it's you I'm running back to.”
“Then I'll spend the rest of my life tracking you down,” he says quietly. “Glimpsing you in the shadows. Fighting you in the streets. Dancing with you in my dreams. Because living without you is only bearable when I know you are out there still living too.”

I used to welcome the idea of drowning in those blue eyes of hers. But now, seeing the disdain she stares me down with, I realize that drowning alone wasn't what I craved, but sinking together.

“Out here I am Kai and nothing more.” His throat bobs. “Out here I am powerless. A monster without an ability to hide behind. An Enforcer free from his masks. A man shouting his love for a woman.”

He continues to kiss my thumb, helping me wipe away every tear decorating my face. My eyes are puffy, face splotchy, but he looks at me with a reverence reserved for religion.

But I'm tired of breaking. Tired of having to lug around pieces of myself that I'm too tired to fit back together.

“Dammit, the minute you threw a dagger at my head, I knew I was done for. There was no longer a before you, only what I wanted with you.”

He's hurt. And I hate it.
That realization might just anger me more.
Because it is then that I understand just how terribly I will hurt anyone who dares hurt him.

Because, despite it all, I've come to realize that there is little I wouldn't sacrifice for him.

“Prove it to me, Gray,” I murmur against her ear. “Hate me enough to use me.”

“Touch her again,” he snarls, voice low, “and I'll slit your throat. She's mine.”

“Do I haunt your dreams, plague your thoughts, like you do mine?”

“Go on, my Silver Savior,” he muses bitterly. “Be my undoing.”

Seeing her enjoy life makes surviving mine suddenly worth it.

She tastes like a piece of the heaven I won't be going to.

We were inevitably imperfect for each other.

Kissing her is relief.
It's a delicate sort of demand.

She was supposed to be my forever.
Now I'll watch her become someone else's.
Because the beast doesn't get the beauty.

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Anyways💜🦋 it’s a good book, but not THAT good like Powerless is. I loved and enjoyed some scenes, while others frustrated, angered, and bored me to death. I just really hope that Fearless has what this book is lacking: a deeper plot. More action, drama, courage, etc.

𓏲 ₊♡𓂃This is not how I will remember us. Not as enemies or traitors or monsters, but as two people dancing in the dark, swaying beneath the stars. Her feet atop mine, her head on the heart that beats only for her.
Just Pae and Kai.⋆𓂃ִֶָ ⊹˚

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˚˖𓍢ִ໋🥀 ·˚ pre-read ˚ · ˖

“For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved”

I’ve been waiting for this book for ages🖤 I'm so excited to read it! let’s go, baby! <3