Review: These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan

 

Goodreads / Amazon / My Bookstagram

 2.5~3 stars

I'm sad to say I don't think this book was for me. :( Considering the popularity and glowing reviews, it's definitely a case of "it's not the book, it's me" lol. 

*sorry, rant ahead*

I was very excited to start this series, as I have a weakness for Fae books, but sadly it didn't deliver, in my opinion. The potential was there, but... I didn't really feel it.🥺

"Cruel Prince meets ACOTAR"??*smh*. Clearly. Add a bit of Iron Fey in there too and it's not much left to the actual story.

I could see pieces of those series throughout the book (like even the wine drinking and dancing scene 🙄) but otherwise, it added little on the originality front.

The premise was good, with the relics, the two courts, hidden agendas and heroine stuck in the middle of some immortal power struggle, but the plot twists were predictable, the characters made annoying decisions and the world could have been developed more.

And the love triangle... *sigh* That's usually my least favorite trope, but my not loving the story had nothing to do with that. I just didn't believe them. I didn't really care for Brie, 'Prince Ronan' was too good to be true (just too soft and dreamy to be believable, there was something off about him) and Finn needed more presence in the book to keep things interesting and balanced. He is actually the only character I liked 😁 - and not because he was the supposed villain (and we all love our villains, am I right?) but because he was the only one who was authentic. Who meant what he said (albeit a little harshly) and whose actions spoke more than his words.

On the plus side: the writing was beautiful and engaging, the worldbuilding was not bad and Fae court intrigue is always fun, so I'll settle for 2.5~3 stars (though I almost DNFed at one point🙊).

I will read the second book, as I want to see what happens after that cliffhanger and how it all ends and I enjoy Lexi's writing, but I'm just not getting into it with very high hopes this time. 

xo

Deea