I love this series.. however, I can’t stand how the author uses sex as a filler. I love spicy books as much as as the next person but there are scenes that are just so unnecessary and I end up skipping them so we can move the plot forward. I will say this was my second time reading so maybe I just wanted to skip all that and get to the good stuff but.. the only spicy scene I enjoyed was the joining scene.

I devoured the first four books in a matter of days, staying up far too late and neglecting everything else in my life to find out what happened next. Jennifer Armentrout has created something genuinely addictive here - compelling characters, intense romantic tension, supernatural drama, and cliffhangers that make it impossible to put the books down. The world-building draws you in, the emotional beats hit hard, and the pacing keeps you racing through pages. So why am I not recommending this series without reservations? The editing is frustratingly sloppy throughout. Characters in this fantasy realm regularly use jarringly modern phrases like "my two cents" and "later, man" that completely shatter immersion. You'll find yourself pulled out of carefully built fantasy scenes by dialogue that sounds like it belongs in a contemporary college dorm rather than an otherworldly setting. The word "utterly" appears with exhausting frequency, and repetitive dialogue patterns ("I just...I just don't understand") become a lazy shortcut rather than authentic character voice. These aren't small nitpicks - they're consistent issues that suggest rushed editing and a lack of attention to maintaining the fantasy world's integrity. Proper ellipses are ignored in favor of mashed-together periods, and basic copy-editing problems persist throughout all four books. The most disappointing aspect is that these are completely fixable problems that wouldn't change the compelling story underneath. Armentrout clearly knows how to create emotional investment and page-turning plots. With careful editing, this could have been both addictive AND well-crafted. As a reader who values literary craft alongside entertainment, I found myself constantly fighting the prose while being pulled along by the story. It's exhausting to mentally edit as you read, and frankly, readers deserve better. The bottom line: If you can turn off your internal editor and just want escapist fantasy romance, you might enjoy this. But if sloppy writing and poor word choices pull you out of stories, save your time for authors who respect both the genre and their readers enough to deliver polished prose alongside compelling plots. Note: Based on reviews, Book 5 appears to be largely a retelling of Book 1, suggesting this series has moved into cash-grab territory. I won't be continuing.

By far my favorite book in the series. Amazing character development and twists and turns of plot lines mixing together

Just another amazing book I’ve read in a month. Already jumping into the next one.

This series just makes things get better and better. I don’t think I’ve ever loved a book series so much

Had to stop. I’ve tried sticking with this series which had many high points but it’s gotten too muddled and complicated. And now the storyline is going down as well. At about 19% in and I’m done. Wish I hadn’t spent the money on this one but too late now.

I couldn’t put it down, it was so good! There’s a lot of detail in this book so keep an eye out!!

This book could have been cut in half and the plot/romance would not have suffered. Author spends three books developing/describing a relationship as singular, rare between two protagonists so much so that when Kieran and poppy’s friendship grows she makes sure to say it’s different from the relationship between poppy and cas and that it’s not romantic. Poppy/cas/kieren share a friendship that is clearly established throughout all the books. So the “Joining” didn’t add to their friendship, bond, or character development, it simply made it sexual and cheapened the Actual friendship and the romance story she has been building up for three whole books. Not impressed

I love this series and the characters are so well written.

Love the detail in these books, sometimes hard to follow but explained very well. A must read!