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A Tempest of Shadows #5
A World of Lost Words
I was born with a shadow inside me, a beast clawing and ripping its way to freedom. I was born with a clock inside me, the tick-ticking of my heartbeat drawing us all closer to the inevitable, the inescapable. The end of everything.
And now, finally, it has arrived.
The world is burning, the souls are screaming, the castles are crumbling. Death is here for us all, but I am a warrior of light, a conqueror of worlds, a protector of souls. I have seen the face of death, and it is only one face in a sea of many, one name in a language so vast, most of the words have been forgotten … but languages can be learned.
In a world of lost words, even death has a name.
In the forgotten places full of forgotten whispers, magic can always be found. Even by the weakest of us. Even the cursed and condemned, the stewards or sectorians, the warriors or maidens, the gods or mortals.
Even someone like me.
This epic, apocalyptic fantasy is dark, lush and gritty. The heroin has multiple, slow-burn love interests, who all begin as true enemies, so you don't have to choose your favourite anti-hero. This series has some intense and dark themes, and the heroes begin as utterly irredeemable alphaholes, so consider yourselves warned!
And now, finally, it has arrived.
The world is burning, the souls are screaming, the castles are crumbling. Death is here for us all, but I am a warrior of light, a conqueror of worlds, a protector of souls. I have seen the face of death, and it is only one face in a sea of many, one name in a language so vast, most of the words have been forgotten … but languages can be learned.
In a world of lost words, even death has a name.
In the forgotten places full of forgotten whispers, magic can always be found. Even by the weakest of us. Even the cursed and condemned, the stewards or sectorians, the warriors or maidens, the gods or mortals.
Even someone like me.
This epic, apocalyptic fantasy is dark, lush and gritty. The heroin has multiple, slow-burn love interests, who all begin as true enemies, so you don't have to choose your favourite anti-hero. This series has some intense and dark themes, and the heroes begin as utterly irredeemable alphaholes, so consider yourselves warned!
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 25, 2021
142 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
About the author
Jane Washington
34 books4,570 followersJane is a Wall-Street Journal bestselling author who spends all her time writing books and then telling people not to read them.
Find her here: https://linktr.ee/janewashingtonbooks
Find her here: https://linktr.ee/janewashingtonbooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
September 16, 2024
⤷
“No life without you loving us is worth living.”
I want the epilogue tattooed on my body. I carved a special little place for it in my heart so I'll remember it forever and ever <3
so so much suffering in this book. it's been a while since a book made me cry this much. what an experience.
dragged a little in the middle but that was mostly because I *still* could not care less about the darkness.
the last 30% tho? god what a way to end a series. my heart feels bruised.
also that one smut scene by the fire got me all teary eyed lol
lavenia and the men: *fucks*
me: *sniffles* THIS IS SO EMOTIONAL AND ROMANTIC AND HEARTBREAKING AND I CANNOT STOP CRYING
⤷ “And trust that we will always bring you back to us. Safe. Protected. Loved.”
and get you a man like Andel <3 who puts a living cow in your room so you can get fresh dairy for your snacky time <3 and get you a harem of men like Helki, Vidrol, Andel, Fjor and Vale who makes a *service* schedule for you so you can be taken care of, safe, happy, satisfied, protected and loved every single second of every day <3
I want the epilogue tattooed on my body. I carved a special little place for it in my heart so I'll remember it forever and ever <3
so so much suffering in this book. it's been a while since a book made me cry this much. what an experience.
dragged a little in the middle but that was mostly because I *still* could not care less about the darkness.
the last 30% tho? god what a way to end a series. my heart feels bruised.
also that one smut scene by the fire got me all teary eyed lol
lavenia and the men: *fucks*
me: *sniffles* THIS IS SO EMOTIONAL AND ROMANTIC AND HEARTBREAKING AND I CANNOT STOP CRYING
⤷ “And trust that we will always bring you back to us. Safe. Protected. Loved.”
and get you a man like Andel <3 who puts a living cow in your room so you can get fresh dairy for your snacky time <3 and get you a harem of men like Helki, Vidrol, Andel, Fjor and Vale who makes a *service* schedule for you so you can be taken care of, safe, happy, satisfied, protected and loved every single second of every day <3
August 16, 2025
“The Darkness has taken everything from us. If I have to die to finally end it, I will. I’ll die again and again until this fucking world is wiped of pestilence.”
- Calder
Lavenia Lihl!!! I love her so much! By far the best character in this series. Her perseverance, her humor, her tenacity, her stubbornness, her love for her people and her determination to save them and her world was EVERYTHING. Her character arc was amazing. But I’m so sad over the ending she got. I’m sorry, but no. She deserves way way way better than that. I absolutely hate the turn the plot took.
Let’s talk about the guys because I need to get a few things off my chest. So here’s the thing with me, right. When I dislike an mmc—especially an mmc in a reverse harem book— I dislike them to the point they disgust me. And that’s how I felt about Vidrol and Andel throughout the entire series. To the point where I had to skim or entirely skip their spice scenes with Lavenia because it made me shudder in revulsion. Why do I dislike them? I guess you could say their personalities simply don’t align with mine- I honestly don’t know. But I can’t help how i feel. I won’t say they’ve done nothing wrong because this is very much a bully romance. And they didn’t even grovel smh.
Now Helki, he has a loooooot of funny scenes. I mean to the point where I’m cracking up at 2am from his dumbass. But I only like his character in a platonic way. And when I like a character platonically, I can’t read their spice scenes without feeling like I’m intruding lol. It’s just weird for me. So I also skimmed his spice scenes with Lavenia.
The only two mmcs I like are Vale and Fjor. Fjor, I like him but not enough to actually anticipate his scenes. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat waiting for him to appear on page. But when he did, I enjoyed his scenes for the most part. Vale however, I always anticipated his scenes, he’s my favorite, I like him but not enough to get him on a book boyfriend list or anything. I’ll definetely forget about him soon
When I say this a slow burn I mean it’s sloooow in every aspect and not just spice. They hate each other up until around the ending of the third book. Lavenia doesn’t tell them she likes them until this book, though I wish she didn’t tell them because I think she deserves better honestly. But whenever I love an fmc, I always think no man could ever deserve her lmao. I feel like this might’ve been too much of a slow burn when it comes to the emotional part of her relationship with the guys. But at the same time, Lavenia isn’t a very overtly affectionate or romantic person, so the development to their romance makes sense in alignment to her character. But if you’re someone that prefers a lot more romance than plot, this may not be the series for you.
Spoiler warning - skip if you want:
I’m sorry, but Lavenia’s ending being her sacrificing her life to save the world, turn into a beast in the afterworld, and rule as the immortal queen of the dead with her five husbands is quite literally the worst ending she could’ve gotten. I wanted her to finally LIVE. If it ended with the guys turning mortal and them ruling the REAL world, I would’ve enjoyed it. But simply reading about her now being stuck eternally with them makes me feel suffocated 😭 especially since I only properly like one of the guys. If I were Lavenia i would’ve lost my mind. And she’s already dead so it’s not like she can die to get out of this… she’s stuck like that forever. I think the best way to describe how the ending of this series made me feel is claustrophobic
I gotta say, after Lavenia, Calder is my favorite character. He’s so heartbreakingly tortured. His reunion with Alina had me bawling my eyes out. His life has literally been nothing but pain and sacrifice for other people. His heart is so pure, everything and I mean everything he does is for the people and never for himself. I’m so so glad he got his happy ending with Alina. Honestly, and I mean this, if it was possible in this storyline, I would’ve wanted Lavenia and him to end up together. They had chemistry and they had depth.
Despite my numerous dislikes, I don’t know if I can bring myself to give this a rating lower than 3 stars because the writing is so good, and I love Lavenia and Calder; their character arcs are the best thing about this entire story. if I were to ever recommend this series, it would be for these two and not the mmcs lol. But of course, this is just my own opinion and my own preference!
- Calder
Lavenia Lihl!!! I love her so much! By far the best character in this series. Her perseverance, her humor, her tenacity, her stubbornness, her love for her people and her determination to save them and her world was EVERYTHING. Her character arc was amazing. But I’m so sad over the ending she got. I’m sorry, but no. She deserves way way way better than that. I absolutely hate the turn the plot took.
Let’s talk about the guys because I need to get a few things off my chest. So here’s the thing with me, right. When I dislike an mmc—especially an mmc in a reverse harem book— I dislike them to the point they disgust me. And that’s how I felt about Vidrol and Andel throughout the entire series. To the point where I had to skim or entirely skip their spice scenes with Lavenia because it made me shudder in revulsion. Why do I dislike them? I guess you could say their personalities simply don’t align with mine- I honestly don’t know. But I can’t help how i feel. I won’t say they’ve done nothing wrong because this is very much a bully romance. And they didn’t even grovel smh.
Now Helki, he has a loooooot of funny scenes. I mean to the point where I’m cracking up at 2am from his dumbass. But I only like his character in a platonic way. And when I like a character platonically, I can’t read their spice scenes without feeling like I’m intruding lol. It’s just weird for me. So I also skimmed his spice scenes with Lavenia.
The only two mmcs I like are Vale and Fjor. Fjor, I like him but not enough to actually anticipate his scenes. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat waiting for him to appear on page. But when he did, I enjoyed his scenes for the most part. Vale however, I always anticipated his scenes, he’s my favorite, I like him but not enough to get him on a book boyfriend list or anything. I’ll definetely forget about him soon
When I say this a slow burn I mean it’s sloooow in every aspect and not just spice. They hate each other up until around the ending of the third book. Lavenia doesn’t tell them she likes them until this book, though I wish she didn’t tell them because I think she deserves better honestly. But whenever I love an fmc, I always think no man could ever deserve her lmao. I feel like this might’ve been too much of a slow burn when it comes to the emotional part of her relationship with the guys. But at the same time, Lavenia isn’t a very overtly affectionate or romantic person, so the development to their romance makes sense in alignment to her character. But if you’re someone that prefers a lot more romance than plot, this may not be the series for you.
Spoiler warning - skip if you want:
I’m sorry, but Lavenia’s ending being her sacrificing her life to save the world, turn into a beast in the afterworld, and rule as the immortal queen of the dead with her five husbands is quite literally the worst ending she could’ve gotten. I wanted her to finally LIVE. If it ended with the guys turning mortal and them ruling the REAL world, I would’ve enjoyed it. But simply reading about her now being stuck eternally with them makes me feel suffocated 😭 especially since I only properly like one of the guys. If I were Lavenia i would’ve lost my mind. And she’s already dead so it’s not like she can die to get out of this… she’s stuck like that forever. I think the best way to describe how the ending of this series made me feel is claustrophobic
I gotta say, after Lavenia, Calder is my favorite character. He’s so heartbreakingly tortured. His reunion with Alina had me bawling my eyes out. His life has literally been nothing but pain and sacrifice for other people. His heart is so pure, everything and I mean everything he does is for the people and never for himself. I’m so so glad he got his happy ending with Alina. Honestly, and I mean this, if it was possible in this storyline, I would’ve wanted Lavenia and him to end up together. They had chemistry and they had depth.
Despite my numerous dislikes, I don’t know if I can bring myself to give this a rating lower than 3 stars because the writing is so good, and I love Lavenia and Calder; their character arcs are the best thing about this entire story. if I were to ever recommend this series, it would be for these two and not the mmcs lol. But of course, this is just my own opinion and my own preference!
January 14, 2023
I wasn't ready to let this series go. It was one full of heartbreaking, but also happy moments and it definitely became one of my favorites.
Now, please excuse me, I'm trying to stop crying
Now, please excuse me, I'm trying to stop crying
March 7, 2022
WARNING: MAJOR spoilers ahead, continue at your own risk! I also apologize in advance for such a LOOOONG review. Enjoy! :)
What a book to really kick of the new year! Yeah, I know we're in March, but we're still in the beginning months of the new year so I'm countin' it! lol It was such a good addition to my 2022 faves list because honestly it was just THAT AWESOME! Great storytelling, an engaging world to disappear into, AMAZINGLY well written characters, a FIERCE yet approachable and loving FMC (Lavenia), and 5 perfectly imperfect heroes who win over not only our heroine Ven, but who also really steal the heart of the reader!
So, here’s a round of applause to Jane Washington for another FANTASTIC read!
Now, just because I gave this book a 5 star doesn't mean that it was perfect. There were plenty of flaws. Like the fact that it is a MAJOR BULLY romance. There is no real love for the guys until the end of book 3 and it's still on the looser end of love and more like they are being tolerated. They are such straight up A**holes that I really couldn't imagine Ven accepting them in any way, shape, or form for the first two books. In fact, I was disgusted in the beginning by how poorly they treated her and its injustice to our heroine, that I nearly cut it halfway through the first book.
Yeaaaaahh....that was really hard to get past. BUT I stuck with it because if I know Jane, she always comes through even when the going is tough. And boy I am not kidding, it was ROUGH for our gurl Lavenia. This is where the beauty of this book shines through though and it is the perfect example of how GREAT this book becomes. I have read bully books where I never find a reason to love the characters. They just are that abusive or just wayyyy TOO MUCH for my liking, ya know? These guys were very borderline THAT level, but their reasoning for it....SUCKED. Yes. It sucked.
BUT it made sense. So, here's the beauty part that I was getting to. It was beautiful because it helped not only shape Ven but helped show us her resilience. Part of the reason why I hate the bullies that go too far or step over my boundary lines (reading wise) is because of the FMC. Let me explain, if the FMC is too sweet or too weak or she is just plain stupid (aka blindly following the bullies), it will make the bullying feel worse and I'll just be like NOPE. I'm out.
However, this gurl is STRONG. She is torn apart again and again by these guys. Maybe not literally but pretty darn close. Like when she is forced to sit on the rooftop of the Obelisk with barely anything on in the freezing cold. It was pure torture, and I was so close to reaching into the pages to punch someone. I was that upset. The thing is though, Ven said something in the first book that clicked with me, and it kept me going. She said something along the lines of....” they never force me to do anything.”
They made deals with her that she usually fell for and tricked her to agree to them, but she was never FORCED. Which is a VERY big thing for me because it helped ease some of that burning hatred, I had for our anti-heros. It made me want to gain the answers to questions like how can they redeem themselves or how is Ven going to prosper next?
It suddenly became clear to me that the reason why I ended up liking the guys and accepted them in the end was ultimately because of Lavenia. Not because she just went Poof! and accepted them because they showered her with some form of attention or a smidgeon of kindness like some bully romances try to illicit. NOPE. It was because with each push the guys gave in the form of torture, she pushed back tenfold. She showed strength with every fiber of her character, which instantly helped me accept the guys reasonings for their behavior because she was par on par with them instead of being weaker than them or too nice to them. She met them head on. Yeah, I still think they could've been nicer and that they really didn't have to do half of the stuff that they did. But at the end of the day, I understood their reasons for doing it. Their backstory was so well-thought out that I was able to accept them. They were just as broken as Ven was (if not more). They were just as untrusting, just as guarded, and just as hard to please as she was. So, when they started to change by book 4 (I would've liked the changes to happen sooner, but it worked either way), I was like "alright, I can get behind it." Why? It's because they needed her JUST AS MUCH as she needed them.
After all, sometimes it’s harder to forgive than it is to apologize. Yet the fact that both parties did both, really sealed the deal for me.
Another reason why this book is so beautiful is because EVERY character was important down to the pet pig. I cared that the side characters cared for Ven, even if she did rely on the guys for everything else. We had an outlet to their testosterone caveman challenges, by getting a few heartwarming scenes that were lightened because of her great relationship with her friends. These friends were not magically procured, and they were not fast friendships. No. These were bonds made almost as roughly as Ven's relationship with the guys. A good example is Sig, he wasn't a friend that she made easily. Nope there was a lot of venom at first before they accepted each other as friends. She even thought that he was a horrible person when she first met him and they even had a physical fight. We got to see a whole different dimension that never strayed from his original personality but enhanced his character. If that makes sense.
That’s another thing. ALL OF THE CHARACTERS were so well written. They each had their unique personalities/quirks that really set off the tone to the story. Jane Washington is always very good at being comfortable with stretching her characters to their limits and molding them in different directions, without having them lose their core identies. For example, Frey and Jostein. They were from different sectors that have similar dispositions. They are usually far removed from their own emotions and are hard to communicate with because of their flat affects. However, they were each still very identifiable as characters based on their actions and word choices. Frey had different abilities, was more “mother-friend” type, had a more comfortable way of speaking than Jostein, and even joked a few times. Yet her character changed as the story went on, showing growth even as a side character. Like when she started her relationship with Bjern. It showed that she grew as a character by the little progresses like letting Bjern hold her hand or relaxing when he actually went to hug her. I read such little details that showed everything in such a big way that I felt like it was magic!
Okay, so I have to also address Calder before I wrap this review up. This is for the pure reason that this was something that can really make it or break it for the reader. So, this is for those of you who have disregarded my warning and would like to know ahead of time what this relationship is about. I had a hard time for the first two books digesting what happens to this character. I actually liked him better that the guys I knew Ven would eventually end up with. He was sweet and caring. He knew what Ven usually needed, and they had chemistry. I won’t spoil too much, but I will say it’s a pill that DOES NOT go down easy. Yet, again with the beauty thing. Jane Washington DOESN’T disappoint. Calder does get his HEA and I ended up being okay that Ven moved on. I was mad at first, but I’m glad things happened the way that they did. It showed a different dimension to Ven’s character and the fact that trust was a VERY important key to her heart. It further helped put in a brownie point to the guys because in a way I understood that they did the one thing that Calder NEVER did. They never tried to pretend they were anything different. They were cruel, and they knew it. They never tried to convince the FMC to trust them, or to treat her as if they were these sweet, nice guys. Nope. They were d*cks and you knew they were. It was actually more work to find that sweetness in them than see whether they were malevolent or not. So to see in the end that the trust between them was built and not just given like with Calder (who actually expected Ven to trust him), was interesting to see. It added depth to the story that is just the cherry on the cake!
There were just so many things that I loved about this book and if I wrote them all down, I’d probably use up all the characters I’m allowed to type in one review. So, I won’t put you guys through all of that. I will say this much though. The cover art was GORGEOUS. The book is not filled with just serious moments, but a lot of scenes made me LMAO. There was never a dull moment, and the flow was pretty decent for a book with major world building. Although it is a SLOW BURN and when I say slow burn, I mean SLOOOOOW. Seriously, you won’t see any action until book 4 for sure. BUT IT IS SOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!! I am so glad I stuck around until the end. I DARE YOU to read this one guys because it is so fudging worth it. Trust me, I was a sceptic at first because I wasn’t sure I was going to like it and it really hits you like a porcupine. Sharp on the outside, but soft on the inside. So, try it and if you like it *thumbs up*. If you hate it…well all I can say is at least read this one to the end before deciding that. I swear you just might change your mind. Anyways, ENJOY!
Lines I LOVED 💜:
💜“What did you do while I was away today?” he asked against the top of my head.
“Bit of this, bit of that,” I evaded.
“So you trained until all of the King’s guard pretended to have other duties so you would stop beating them up, and then that weird little compass inside you directed you to the nearest defenceless steward and you wasted an entire afternoon pretending to be a saint.”
💜 I reached for my knife again, but was too late, because there was already one sticking out of Helki’s shoulder. He grunted, pulling it out in a quick jerk and tossing it onto the table, flicking blood everywhere.
“Sit. Down.” The silky order came from behind us, and I glanced over the back of my chair to see Fjor drawing another knife, his dark eyes fixed with steady, murderous intention on Helki.
Helki remained standing, reaching for an embroidered napkin, which he pressed to his stab wound. I watched Bjern—who was sitting closest to him—pick up his chair and subtly move it even further down the table.
💜 Andel groaned, his head falling into his hands. “Tell me she didn’t just make a spinal injury joke.”
💜Andel seemed surprised. “You figured that all out on your own?”
Helki frowned back, his hand dropping back to his side. “You motherfucker. You actually think I’m stupid, don’t you?”
“No,” Vale inserted, and for a moment, I thought he was actually stepping in and trying to act the peacemaker. Until he continued. “He didn’t come up with it on his own.”
What a book to really kick of the new year! Yeah, I know we're in March, but we're still in the beginning months of the new year so I'm countin' it! lol It was such a good addition to my 2022 faves list because honestly it was just THAT AWESOME! Great storytelling, an engaging world to disappear into, AMAZINGLY well written characters, a FIERCE yet approachable and loving FMC (Lavenia), and 5 perfectly imperfect heroes who win over not only our heroine Ven, but who also really steal the heart of the reader!
So, here’s a round of applause to Jane Washington for another FANTASTIC read!
Now, just because I gave this book a 5 star doesn't mean that it was perfect. There were plenty of flaws. Like the fact that it is a MAJOR BULLY romance. There is no real love for the guys until the end of book 3 and it's still on the looser end of love and more like they are being tolerated. They are such straight up A**holes that I really couldn't imagine Ven accepting them in any way, shape, or form for the first two books. In fact, I was disgusted in the beginning by how poorly they treated her and its injustice to our heroine, that I nearly cut it halfway through the first book.
Yeaaaaahh....that was really hard to get past. BUT I stuck with it because if I know Jane, she always comes through even when the going is tough. And boy I am not kidding, it was ROUGH for our gurl Lavenia. This is where the beauty of this book shines through though and it is the perfect example of how GREAT this book becomes. I have read bully books where I never find a reason to love the characters. They just are that abusive or just wayyyy TOO MUCH for my liking, ya know? These guys were very borderline THAT level, but their reasoning for it....SUCKED. Yes. It sucked.
BUT it made sense. So, here's the beauty part that I was getting to. It was beautiful because it helped not only shape Ven but helped show us her resilience. Part of the reason why I hate the bullies that go too far or step over my boundary lines (reading wise) is because of the FMC. Let me explain, if the FMC is too sweet or too weak or she is just plain stupid (aka blindly following the bullies), it will make the bullying feel worse and I'll just be like NOPE. I'm out.
However, this gurl is STRONG. She is torn apart again and again by these guys. Maybe not literally but pretty darn close. Like when she is forced to sit on the rooftop of the Obelisk with barely anything on in the freezing cold. It was pure torture, and I was so close to reaching into the pages to punch someone. I was that upset. The thing is though, Ven said something in the first book that clicked with me, and it kept me going. She said something along the lines of....” they never force me to do anything.”
They made deals with her that she usually fell for and tricked her to agree to them, but she was never FORCED. Which is a VERY big thing for me because it helped ease some of that burning hatred, I had for our anti-heros. It made me want to gain the answers to questions like how can they redeem themselves or how is Ven going to prosper next?
It suddenly became clear to me that the reason why I ended up liking the guys and accepted them in the end was ultimately because of Lavenia. Not because she just went Poof! and accepted them because they showered her with some form of attention or a smidgeon of kindness like some bully romances try to illicit. NOPE. It was because with each push the guys gave in the form of torture, she pushed back tenfold. She showed strength with every fiber of her character, which instantly helped me accept the guys reasonings for their behavior because she was par on par with them instead of being weaker than them or too nice to them. She met them head on. Yeah, I still think they could've been nicer and that they really didn't have to do half of the stuff that they did. But at the end of the day, I understood their reasons for doing it. Their backstory was so well-thought out that I was able to accept them. They were just as broken as Ven was (if not more). They were just as untrusting, just as guarded, and just as hard to please as she was. So, when they started to change by book 4 (I would've liked the changes to happen sooner, but it worked either way), I was like "alright, I can get behind it." Why? It's because they needed her JUST AS MUCH as she needed them.
After all, sometimes it’s harder to forgive than it is to apologize. Yet the fact that both parties did both, really sealed the deal for me.
Another reason why this book is so beautiful is because EVERY character was important down to the pet pig. I cared that the side characters cared for Ven, even if she did rely on the guys for everything else. We had an outlet to their testosterone caveman challenges, by getting a few heartwarming scenes that were lightened because of her great relationship with her friends. These friends were not magically procured, and they were not fast friendships. No. These were bonds made almost as roughly as Ven's relationship with the guys. A good example is Sig, he wasn't a friend that she made easily. Nope there was a lot of venom at first before they accepted each other as friends. She even thought that he was a horrible person when she first met him and they even had a physical fight. We got to see a whole different dimension that never strayed from his original personality but enhanced his character. If that makes sense.
That’s another thing. ALL OF THE CHARACTERS were so well written. They each had their unique personalities/quirks that really set off the tone to the story. Jane Washington is always very good at being comfortable with stretching her characters to their limits and molding them in different directions, without having them lose their core identies. For example, Frey and Jostein. They were from different sectors that have similar dispositions. They are usually far removed from their own emotions and are hard to communicate with because of their flat affects. However, they were each still very identifiable as characters based on their actions and word choices. Frey had different abilities, was more “mother-friend” type, had a more comfortable way of speaking than Jostein, and even joked a few times. Yet her character changed as the story went on, showing growth even as a side character. Like when she started her relationship with Bjern. It showed that she grew as a character by the little progresses like letting Bjern hold her hand or relaxing when he actually went to hug her. I read such little details that showed everything in such a big way that I felt like it was magic!
Okay, so I have to also address Calder before I wrap this review up. This is for the pure reason that this was something that can really make it or break it for the reader. So, this is for those of you who have disregarded my warning and would like to know ahead of time what this relationship is about. I had a hard time for the first two books digesting what happens to this character. I actually liked him better that the guys I knew Ven would eventually end up with. He was sweet and caring. He knew what Ven usually needed, and they had chemistry. I won’t spoil too much, but I will say it’s a pill that DOES NOT go down easy. Yet, again with the beauty thing. Jane Washington DOESN’T disappoint. Calder does get his HEA and I ended up being okay that Ven moved on. I was mad at first, but I’m glad things happened the way that they did. It showed a different dimension to Ven’s character and the fact that trust was a VERY important key to her heart. It further helped put in a brownie point to the guys because in a way I understood that they did the one thing that Calder NEVER did. They never tried to pretend they were anything different. They were cruel, and they knew it. They never tried to convince the FMC to trust them, or to treat her as if they were these sweet, nice guys. Nope. They were d*cks and you knew they were. It was actually more work to find that sweetness in them than see whether they were malevolent or not. So to see in the end that the trust between them was built and not just given like with Calder (who actually expected Ven to trust him), was interesting to see. It added depth to the story that is just the cherry on the cake!
There were just so many things that I loved about this book and if I wrote them all down, I’d probably use up all the characters I’m allowed to type in one review. So, I won’t put you guys through all of that. I will say this much though. The cover art was GORGEOUS. The book is not filled with just serious moments, but a lot of scenes made me LMAO. There was never a dull moment, and the flow was pretty decent for a book with major world building. Although it is a SLOW BURN and when I say slow burn, I mean SLOOOOOW. Seriously, you won’t see any action until book 4 for sure. BUT IT IS SOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!! I am so glad I stuck around until the end. I DARE YOU to read this one guys because it is so fudging worth it. Trust me, I was a sceptic at first because I wasn’t sure I was going to like it and it really hits you like a porcupine. Sharp on the outside, but soft on the inside. So, try it and if you like it *thumbs up*. If you hate it…well all I can say is at least read this one to the end before deciding that. I swear you just might change your mind. Anyways, ENJOY!
Lines I LOVED 💜:
💜“What did you do while I was away today?” he asked against the top of my head.
“Bit of this, bit of that,” I evaded.
“So you trained until all of the King’s guard pretended to have other duties so you would stop beating them up, and then that weird little compass inside you directed you to the nearest defenceless steward and you wasted an entire afternoon pretending to be a saint.”
💜 I reached for my knife again, but was too late, because there was already one sticking out of Helki’s shoulder. He grunted, pulling it out in a quick jerk and tossing it onto the table, flicking blood everywhere.
“Sit. Down.” The silky order came from behind us, and I glanced over the back of my chair to see Fjor drawing another knife, his dark eyes fixed with steady, murderous intention on Helki.
Helki remained standing, reaching for an embroidered napkin, which he pressed to his stab wound. I watched Bjern—who was sitting closest to him—pick up his chair and subtly move it even further down the table.
💜 Andel groaned, his head falling into his hands. “Tell me she didn’t just make a spinal injury joke.”
💜Andel seemed surprised. “You figured that all out on your own?”
Helki frowned back, his hand dropping back to his side. “You motherfucker. You actually think I’m stupid, don’t you?”
“No,” Vale inserted, and for a moment, I thought he was actually stepping in and trying to act the peacemaker. Until he continued. “He didn’t come up with it on his own.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2024
Sacrifice, loyalty, and survival.
The FMC grapples with difficult choices and the consequences of past actions. There’s plenty of action, emotions, and love.
This series was… a lot! I didn’t really like the first two books that much, but the last three got quite good. 👍
The FMC grapples with difficult choices and the consequences of past actions. There’s plenty of action, emotions, and love.
This series was… a lot! I didn’t really like the first two books that much, but the last three got quite good. 👍
April 28, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up.
The end to this series was a little hard to follow. I found myself skimming a lot because of how drawn out it was. At times, the concepts were so enigmatic that it was difficult to follow. I think the author tried to make the final fight an internal battle for the FMC, but it really was kind of bizarre, and a times weird - like maybe the concepts could have worked if they were better explained, or more developed? Some things just didn’t work for me in this book.
As an overall statement about this series, I think it didn’t need to be 5 books long, and the romance was very underwhelming for having waited 4 books to get any.
This was an okay read, but if you want something done better with similar vibes, read The Bonds That Tie.
The end to this series was a little hard to follow. I found myself skimming a lot because of how drawn out it was. At times, the concepts were so enigmatic that it was difficult to follow. I think the author tried to make the final fight an internal battle for the FMC, but it really was kind of bizarre, and a times weird - like maybe the concepts could have worked if they were better explained, or more developed? Some things just didn’t work for me in this book.
As an overall statement about this series, I think it didn’t need to be 5 books long, and the romance was very underwhelming for having waited 4 books to get any.
This was an okay read, but if you want something done better with similar vibes, read The Bonds That Tie.
February 22, 2025
I love this series. I absolutely love the dynamics of the Master's. I laughed so much in this book. I didn't think the plot ending was all that great but I was so engrossed with the relationship dynamics that it didn't matter. And the epilogue was just hilarious.. great series if you can get past the first book. If I didn't have so much going on with the holidays I would have read it in one sitting.
April 24, 2022
Oh man JW did me dirty. The previous book was so good, a huge change from the first few. And then this... :( it was so nonsensical again. Wordy without saying anything. You could skim for 20+ pages and miss nothing because all she does is die, then have to die again, then have to keep dying for NO REASON because why not amirite?
Defeating the 5 book bad guy was so.... anticlimactic I almost missed it.
Prologue was 5 stars.
Defeating the 5 book bad guy was so.... anticlimactic I almost missed it.
Prologue was 5 stars.
November 27, 2021
OMG! OMG! 😭😭😭 I m literally crying n laughing same time...
This series is so fucking good..
I really love it....
Dear Author thanks for another wonderful series....
This series is so fucking good..
I really love it....
Dear Author thanks for another wonderful series....
November 23, 2025
AND THEY’RE ALL BROTHERS 😩🤤😈
Listen. It’s been AGES since I could properly consume a series with this speed, focus, and growing adoration.
Never waning. Never wanting for more in any form or fashion of disappointment, but rather only in DESPERATION.
Jane Washington provides.
I love her writing, love exactly what she spends time detailing and developing—and most of all, I LOVE that she’s the most sadistic with her slow burns. Wtf do you mean you want me, YOUR READER, to be tortured for multiple MULTIPLE multiple books before the romantic interests start to give in to each other!? 😩
The sweetest, GREATEST literary suffering I’ve endured in a good, long while.
Did I hope this series would wrap up exactly as it did? Yes. Did that make it dull and predictable? Hell NO.
Because of Jane’s creativity and her ability to stay dedicated to her pacing, I loved exactly what transpired and exactly how it lingered. I loved the inevitable romanticization of grief after all the time spent developing everyone’s emotions and purpose. And I love each dash of humor that brings hope back to life—quite literally, in this book.
And was I surprised by the grand reveal of book four? THAT ALL THE MASTERS ARE LITERAL BROTHERS?
Yes, and SO THRILLED 😈 Because nothing says damn-good Reverse Harem like BROTHER HUSBANDS
In all seriousness, their history and story was fantastic and tear-jerking. LOVE love love that immortality gifted them such a loathing for one another until one woman made them into a family again.
You know, Jane is a forever fav. I’ll never get enough.
And apparently I’ll also never be let down.
**For the sake of whatever is worth a disclaimer, I will say that there are a surprising amount of typos in these books. That will be a problem for some readers, sure. But as someone who is VEHEMENTLY against AI in the arts and in this day and age is OVERJOYED to see any sign of human creation, flaw or otherwise, it isn’t a problem for me here. It didn’t detract from this series’ greatness.
That is all.
Listen. It’s been AGES since I could properly consume a series with this speed, focus, and growing adoration.
Never waning. Never wanting for more in any form or fashion of disappointment, but rather only in DESPERATION.
Jane Washington provides.
I love her writing, love exactly what she spends time detailing and developing—and most of all, I LOVE that she’s the most sadistic with her slow burns. Wtf do you mean you want me, YOUR READER, to be tortured for multiple MULTIPLE multiple books before the romantic interests start to give in to each other!? 😩
The sweetest, GREATEST literary suffering I’ve endured in a good, long while.
Did I hope this series would wrap up exactly as it did? Yes. Did that make it dull and predictable? Hell NO.
Because of Jane’s creativity and her ability to stay dedicated to her pacing, I loved exactly what transpired and exactly how it lingered. I loved the inevitable romanticization of grief after all the time spent developing everyone’s emotions and purpose. And I love each dash of humor that brings hope back to life—quite literally, in this book.
And was I surprised by the grand reveal of book four? THAT ALL THE MASTERS ARE LITERAL BROTHERS?
Yes, and SO THRILLED 😈 Because nothing says damn-good Reverse Harem like BROTHER HUSBANDS
In all seriousness, their history and story was fantastic and tear-jerking. LOVE love love that immortality gifted them such a loathing for one another until one woman made them into a family again.
You know, Jane is a forever fav. I’ll never get enough.
And apparently I’ll also never be let down.
**For the sake of whatever is worth a disclaimer, I will say that there are a surprising amount of typos in these books. That will be a problem for some readers, sure. But as someone who is VEHEMENTLY against AI in the arts and in this day and age is OVERJOYED to see any sign of human creation, flaw or otherwise, it isn’t a problem for me here. It didn’t detract from this series’ greatness.
That is all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2021
We were a world of lost words, all trying to speak to each other, but unable to hear each other.
Wow! What. A. Story. 🖤🖤 From the start till the amazing HEA, I fell more and more in love with these characters and the three worlds depicted here. And admittedly, the plot was grand and epic and spectacular. 😍
“No life without you loving us is worth living.”
The emotions this invoked were overwhelming just like the last book..... especially the scene where the masters find their goodbye gifts😭😭💔
Also, another thing special about this book (except literally everything else 😋) is the fact that all 5 of the great masters were 😈🖤 I can't for the life of me choose a favourite...I love all of them.
“Why did you all hate each other so much?”
I deliberately used the past tense, because even though they still argued and fought all the time, it didn’t hold the same tenor of malevolence. They seemed more willing to navigate each other’s tempers and volatile needs.
Fjor seemed to stab the others almost affectionately now.
Almost.
I recommend it to EVERYONE!!♥️💋
Wow! What. A. Story. 🖤🖤 From the start till the amazing HEA, I fell more and more in love with these characters and the three worlds depicted here. And admittedly, the plot was grand and epic and spectacular. 😍
“No life without you loving us is worth living.”
The emotions this invoked were overwhelming just like the last book..... especially the scene where the masters find their goodbye gifts😭😭💔
Also, another thing special about this book (except literally everything else 😋) is the fact that all 5 of the great masters were 😈🖤 I can't for the life of me choose a favourite...I love all of them.
“Why did you all hate each other so much?”
I deliberately used the past tense, because even though they still argued and fought all the time, it didn’t hold the same tenor of malevolence. They seemed more willing to navigate each other’s tempers and volatile needs.
Fjor seemed to stab the others almost affectionately now.
Almost.
I recommend it to EVERYONE!!♥️💋
November 24, 2021
Oh, by all the gods. This story is a love story for the ages. If I can't find a man who would gladly risk getting his throat slit just to kiss me, then what is the point? Romeo has no idea what love is and Juliet is a fool for settling.
The description of this book should have just been sacrifice. There was so much more lost then just words. This final installment had everything you could possibly want in an ending. I literally have whiplash from the rollercoaster of emotions. Jane left no stone unturned, no question unanswered. It is an epic conclusion I'm still reeling from.
This book was pure magic. I hung on every word like a love sick puppy. Jane's ability to world build is unparalleled and her story telling is sorcery. You'll feel every emotion Ven goes through. Every cut she gets, every tear she sheds, and every heart shattering decision she makes will be a punch to your gut.
The description of this book should have just been sacrifice. There was so much more lost then just words. This final installment had everything you could possibly want in an ending. I literally have whiplash from the rollercoaster of emotions. Jane left no stone unturned, no question unanswered. It is an epic conclusion I'm still reeling from.
This book was pure magic. I hung on every word like a love sick puppy. Jane's ability to world build is unparalleled and her story telling is sorcery. You'll feel every emotion Ven goes through. Every cut she gets, every tear she sheds, and every heart shattering decision she makes will be a punch to your gut.
December 28, 2022
I absolutely adored this series. It’s been a few years now since I’ve fallen in love with a RH the way I feel in love with this one. The end of this book had so much joy in it. I was just bursting for them, to see them so happy after enduring so much shit was just so soothing to my soul. I loved the Hs. They were so protective and possessive but such assholes. Delicious! The h was so sweet and selfish while being incredibly strong. I loved how just took the men as they are. The plot and magic were both new and exciting while also being familiar enough to have such a nice comfort read feel. This whole series felt tailored to every personal preference that I have. There isn’t one thing that I would change or wish was different. I can’t wait to read the whole series over again to see how it reads once you know how everything is going to play out.
November 25, 2021
An excellent conclusion
Buckle up because readers, you're in for a rough one. I love Jane Washington and I am unashamed of this fact. This series and in particular this conclusion was magnificent. It had everything, battle, blood, sacrifice, magic, death, afterlife, friendship and boys that are dumb. This story picks up a month after book 4 with Ven and her husband's coming to terms with her saviour complex while still trying to convince each other that they're worthy of love and living. I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this book and you will too.
Buckle up because readers, you're in for a rough one. I love Jane Washington and I am unashamed of this fact. This series and in particular this conclusion was magnificent. It had everything, battle, blood, sacrifice, magic, death, afterlife, friendship and boys that are dumb. This story picks up a month after book 4 with Ven and her husband's coming to terms with her saviour complex while still trying to convince each other that they're worthy of love and living. I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this book and you will too.
September 17, 2024
Wow. A hard-earned 4.2/5 🌟
I say hard-earned because this was the slowest fucking burn I’ve read so far with a world building which wasn’t too easy to get lost in and I literally trudged through the first two books and half of the third one because up until then the MMCs were CRUEL to our FMC and she even sort of loved a whole other person. And eventually yeah we see the MMCs and FMC warming up to each other but boy was it slow 🥱
All that being said, once I made it to the 3.5 mark, I couldn’t keep it down and finished the remaining books in little more than a day 🫠
In the last two books, we see banter, humor, angst, slowwwww-budding love, fast-paced plot that bubbled up into a delight by the time we get to the end 🥰
One thing I didn’t like was that the MMCs never really groveled for all that they did even though they had a reason for all their actions but I’m glad our FMC never let them forget all they did to her and didn’t make anything easy for them. Also, the FMC had to sacrifice too much. Every other chapter felt like another form of sacrifice for our little badass but it doesn’t get too repetitive even though it does sound like it 😕
Lastly, I think this series has the best epilogue I’ve ever read 💕
PS - I think I love Andel the most. Then Vidrol. Then Helki. Then Vale. And then Fjor. But trust me there’s verrrrry little distinction in this order and they’re all pretty great and adorable by the end 😅
I say hard-earned because this was the slowest fucking burn I’ve read so far with a world building which wasn’t too easy to get lost in and I literally trudged through the first two books and half of the third one because up until then the MMCs were CRUEL to our FMC and she even sort of loved a whole other person. And eventually yeah we see the MMCs and FMC warming up to each other but boy was it slow 🥱
All that being said, once I made it to the 3.5 mark, I couldn’t keep it down and finished the remaining books in little more than a day 🫠
In the last two books, we see banter, humor, angst, slowwwww-budding love, fast-paced plot that bubbled up into a delight by the time we get to the end 🥰
One thing I didn’t like was that the MMCs never really groveled for all that they did even though they had a reason for all their actions but I’m glad our FMC never let them forget all they did to her and didn’t make anything easy for them. Also, the FMC had to sacrifice too much. Every other chapter felt like another form of sacrifice for our little badass but it doesn’t get too repetitive even though it does sound like it 😕
Lastly, I think this series has the best epilogue I’ve ever read 💕
PS - I think I love Andel the most. Then Vidrol. Then Helki. Then Vale. And then Fjor. But trust me there’s verrrrry little distinction in this order and they’re all pretty great and adorable by the end 😅
December 14, 2021
Actual rating: 3,5stars
I'm not sure if it's me, but for some reason this book didn't bear the wow factor the previous books held. It perhaps it went on too long? I'm not sure. Of course, since everybody was now on the same page the real romantic tension lacked in this book. It was still funny as fuck. I rolled my eyes at Calder making an appearance again, but this was soon transformed in a smile with how his storyline is completed. I couldn't have given him a better and more fitting ending. There's quite a lot of typos in the book though, hope Jane will edit at some point again.
I'm not sure if it's me, but for some reason this book didn't bear the wow factor the previous books held. It perhaps it went on too long? I'm not sure. Of course, since everybody was now on the same page the real romantic tension lacked in this book. It was still funny as fuck. I rolled my eyes at Calder making an appearance again, but this was soon transformed in a smile with how his storyline is completed. I couldn't have given him a better and more fitting ending. There's quite a lot of typos in the book though, hope Jane will edit at some point again.
August 27, 2023
I’m in love with this book. For sure one of the best books series I’ve ever read.
December 3, 2021
BEST RH FANTASTICAL NOVEL EVER!
What do you even say about the best, most well written and captivating book / series you have read to date
Words are escaping me.
I loved that this series started out a true hate (really they were hurt) then turned into a deep love.
Jane has seriously outdone herself with this series, but most definitely with this book.
You are brought into and held in this world from the very first page.
I am been in the biggest book slump for two months, nothing could keep my attention but I was over the moon when I saw A World of Lost Words in my kindle. I read one page of AWOLW and was hooked, line and sinker.
Vidrol the beautiful, possessive, deeply passionate King that he is, really pulled my heartstrings and other things during this book. He was probably slightly pulling favour more than the other guys.
But what I liked and really enjoyed about this book was the detail that we got of each of the guys. You really couldn't and can't pick a favourite because there is so much to every single one of them.
Jane really puts Lev through the proverbial ringer. Every page I turned, my reaction was "but wait...there's more 😱".
What a journey we have been taken on with Lev and the guys through this series but particularly the trials and sacrifices in this finale. The perfect amount of angst and overwhelming anguish to those soft, vulnerable moments of sigh worthiness. Chefs kiss 👌
Everyone needs to read this series. You will be blown away by the writing, the world, the characters, the story, the hope and the creativity of it all.
Well bloody done Jane!
What do you even say about the best, most well written and captivating book / series you have read to date
Words are escaping me.
I loved that this series started out a true hate (really they were hurt) then turned into a deep love.
Jane has seriously outdone herself with this series, but most definitely with this book.
You are brought into and held in this world from the very first page.
I am been in the biggest book slump for two months, nothing could keep my attention but I was over the moon when I saw A World of Lost Words in my kindle. I read one page of AWOLW and was hooked, line and sinker.
Vidrol the beautiful, possessive, deeply passionate King that he is, really pulled my heartstrings and other things during this book. He was probably slightly pulling favour more than the other guys.
But what I liked and really enjoyed about this book was the detail that we got of each of the guys. You really couldn't and can't pick a favourite because there is so much to every single one of them.
Jane really puts Lev through the proverbial ringer. Every page I turned, my reaction was "but wait...there's more 😱".
What a journey we have been taken on with Lev and the guys through this series but particularly the trials and sacrifices in this finale. The perfect amount of angst and overwhelming anguish to those soft, vulnerable moments of sigh worthiness. Chefs kiss 👌
Everyone needs to read this series. You will be blown away by the writing, the world, the characters, the story, the hope and the creativity of it all.
Well bloody done Jane!
November 26, 2021
She has proven she is worthy, her resilience, strength, intelligence, and purity have all been tested. She has beaten fate. And now she must do it again. And again. Ven's life has been one of hardship and sacrifice. Now to save the world and all she loves, she will be required to make the greatest sacrifice yet. But she has magic, power, and faith. If successful the world will be as it should have always been and she will gain the greatest of all rewards.
Clever, clever writing, Ms. Washington! You gave us pieces from the very beginning, wove them together in a beautifully intricate tapestry, and finished with a triumphant conclusion. The sense of closure was handled brilliantly. An ending and a beginning all in one. No loose ends, no ridiculous reaching, logical and simultaneously emotional, and ultimately satisfying. Well done. Ven accomplished the miraculous with the darkness and with the Masters. Ven was stunning, hilarious and humble, powerful and brave, resilient and trusting. She proved love has no limits. The Masters' transformation was a thing of beauty. I smile even now thinking of them. The small council, the people, the souls, the beasts, even Goat and Banshee were all integral to the story and provided richness. Jane continues to prove she is one of today's most creative and skilled writers. I look forward to seeing what world of wonders she gifts us next.
The Tempest was glorious!
Clever, clever writing, Ms. Washington! You gave us pieces from the very beginning, wove them together in a beautifully intricate tapestry, and finished with a triumphant conclusion. The sense of closure was handled brilliantly. An ending and a beginning all in one. No loose ends, no ridiculous reaching, logical and simultaneously emotional, and ultimately satisfying. Well done. Ven accomplished the miraculous with the darkness and with the Masters. Ven was stunning, hilarious and humble, powerful and brave, resilient and trusting. She proved love has no limits. The Masters' transformation was a thing of beauty. I smile even now thinking of them. The small council, the people, the souls, the beasts, even Goat and Banshee were all integral to the story and provided richness. Jane continues to prove she is one of today's most creative and skilled writers. I look forward to seeing what world of wonders she gifts us next.
The Tempest was glorious!
July 20, 2023
I didn't want to write a review until I finished the series because this was such a roller coaster of emotions. It took me a while to get into the first book, and the second one pulled me in a little further and then by the third I was hanging onto every word. I felt myself loving characters I had hated to begin with and hating characters I used to love. The last book broke my heart and put it back together and then broke it again.
The writing was a little rough around the edges, I do think some parts dragged out a bit too much and there were other places I wished for more. I personally would've like to see more detail about the world and some of the side characters.
In terms of spice, it was the slowest of burns. Part of me wishes there was more earlier on but I also wonder if it would distract too much from the early story.
All in all I will definitely be re-reading this whole series. I think the story itself was wonderful, a little rough around the edges but oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The writing was a little rough around the edges, I do think some parts dragged out a bit too much and there were other places I wished for more. I personally would've like to see more detail about the world and some of the side characters.
In terms of spice, it was the slowest of burns. Part of me wishes there was more earlier on but I also wonder if it would distract too much from the early story.
All in all I will definitely be re-reading this whole series. I think the story itself was wonderful, a little rough around the edges but oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
November 24, 2021
Such a good read. Absolutely loved the final book, it brought the whole series to an epic end. Lots and lots of wit, drama, intrigue, humour and all of the feels. I genuinely laughed out loud and even shed a tear or two.
Really loved this, Jane Washington writes with such skill and ability that she sweeps you away with her in the adventure. From the very first book where I hated the Masters to this book where I now firmly have my favourite, this series was a rollercoaster, but what a hell of a journey.
Highly recommend this series from this author - and basically everything she’s written, she’s one of my “one click authors” for a reason as she never fails to deliver.
Really loved this, Jane Washington writes with such skill and ability that she sweeps you away with her in the adventure. From the very first book where I hated the Masters to this book where I now firmly have my favourite, this series was a rollercoaster, but what a hell of a journey.
Highly recommend this series from this author - and basically everything she’s written, she’s one of my “one click authors” for a reason as she never fails to deliver.
December 5, 2021
Emotional, fantastic conclusion!
There are no words to describe the epic conclusion to A tempest of shadows series!! The plot thickens with drama and twists that could not be anticipated! Ven has completely stole my heart with her journey to save the world's and her friends and the sacrifices she has made. Jane has given readers a complete story arc had satisfied the most die hard fans. This is a must read!!!
There are no words to describe the epic conclusion to A tempest of shadows series!! The plot thickens with drama and twists that could not be anticipated! Ven has completely stole my heart with her journey to save the world's and her friends and the sacrifices she has made. Jane has given readers a complete story arc had satisfied the most die hard fans. This is a must read!!!
November 27, 2021
Holy fuck. Easily one of my fav RH series 😭😭😭
September 15, 2025
that ending was perfect 🤗
i absolutely loved this series. jane washington is a mastermind when it comes to slow burn romance and layered characters. she’s so good at developing relationships while also improving the characters. ugh she’s so good at what she does. okay enough with the glaze let’s get into the book.
i absolutely loved all of the character dynamics here. i liked how they slowly became more comfortable with each other and they had me laughing out loud towards the end. the dialogue was absolutely HILARIOUS. like i was having stomach cramps from the one liners and goat’s random cameos. also jostein was absolutely amazing. loved his character.
a wee spoiler:
i LOVE when the end of a series has a pregnancy. like i don’t know how to explain it. it’s just like two of my favorite characters made a new character and i already love their personalities, so now they get to be parents??? like i just love it so much. it makes it feel more complete while also starting a new chapter if that makes sense. i kinda hope it’s vidrol’s. as the oldest, i feel like her deserves it lol. but then she’s gotta have four more children so they all have a legacy—even though im sure they’ll be father figures to all the kids of course. sorry. end tangent. i just loved the ending and i kinda wish we had another epilogue to see how the masters and ven are as parents. that would be so cute.
i loved this series endlessly. the start was bitter, but the end was sweet. i mean we went from them trying to kill her at every turn, to the guys literally shedding tears over the possibility of her being asleep forever. they came such a ways and the conclusion left such a warm feeling in my heart. i loved the plot, the characters, and the romance! five star series ☺️
I LOVE LOVE AND I ALSO LOVE JANE WASHINGTON BOOKS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
i absolutely loved this series. jane washington is a mastermind when it comes to slow burn romance and layered characters. she’s so good at developing relationships while also improving the characters. ugh she’s so good at what she does. okay enough with the glaze let’s get into the book.
i absolutely loved all of the character dynamics here. i liked how they slowly became more comfortable with each other and they had me laughing out loud towards the end. the dialogue was absolutely HILARIOUS. like i was having stomach cramps from the one liners and goat’s random cameos. also jostein was absolutely amazing. loved his character.
a wee spoiler:
i LOVE when the end of a series has a pregnancy. like i don’t know how to explain it. it’s just like two of my favorite characters made a new character and i already love their personalities, so now they get to be parents??? like i just love it so much. it makes it feel more complete while also starting a new chapter if that makes sense. i kinda hope it’s vidrol’s. as the oldest, i feel like her deserves it lol. but then she’s gotta have four more children so they all have a legacy—even though im sure they’ll be father figures to all the kids of course. sorry. end tangent. i just loved the ending and i kinda wish we had another epilogue to see how the masters and ven are as parents. that would be so cute.
i loved this series endlessly. the start was bitter, but the end was sweet. i mean we went from them trying to kill her at every turn, to the guys literally shedding tears over the possibility of her being asleep forever. they came such a ways and the conclusion left such a warm feeling in my heart. i loved the plot, the characters, and the romance! five star series ☺️
I LOVE LOVE AND I ALSO LOVE JANE WASHINGTON BOOKS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 11, 2024
I loved every second of this series and this book! The final battle, almost losing everything, ultimate sacrifice, and finding the way back to what matters the most. I laughed, I cried, and the epilogue was the perfect happily ever after!
August 23, 2022
Beautiful and fitting conclusion to the series.
May 21, 2024
What an epic saga!
I have to say though.. the Lavenia in the first book is no where close to the Queen in this book.
I have to say though.. the Lavenia in the first book is no where close to the Queen in this book.
November 28, 2023
4.5 stars
May 22, 2024
I can feel myself slipping into a pit of despair, as I reached the end of this book, and after I closed the book, I couldn’t hold back the tears. Such a sweet, yet funny and heartwarming ending to a strong and vivid tale. I’ll always hold this story so dear to my heart.
December 20, 2021
This book completely
shattered my heart,
to then slowly mend its mangled and bleeding pieces back together.
I just have to say, WOW.
What a fucking incredible journey this has been.
Right from the get-go, this series has had me in a chokehold; it utterly blew me away from the start and just kept getting ridiculously better from there.
I truly have nothing but the HIGHEST praise for Jane after finishing this series; the world building is nothing short of a masterpiece, the plot was fantastically developed, the relationship building was top-fucking-tier, I seriously don’t know what more you could ask for in a series.
This book in particular, took me through an especially brutal rollercoaster of emotions.
With Ven having cultivated such a beautiful and uniquely special relationship with each of her husbands, it was extremely difficult and gut-wrenching to watch her complete her final task; when she was only a presence in the sky and the masters found what she left behind in each of their rooms while she watched on, I lost all composure.
I was full sobbing, gasping for air, and simultaneously obsessing over an author who can make me feel this way and cursing them for making me feeling this way.
WHO CARES ABOUT THIS LITTLE OLD HEART, AM I RIGHT?
The end of the book felt like it was wrapped up very quickly.
It was bittersweet to say the least; I was expecting a bit more of a story after everything was all said and done but overall, I’m quite happy with how all the loose ends were tied.
I’m beyond sad to be saying goodbye to this group of characters; from Tempest and her men, to the fated 5 and the twins, there we’re so many memorable and truly amazing characters that we met along the way and that I will miss so dearly.
We really got to know and understand each of the masters and their quirks, even though we didn’t experience things from their POV; usually, this is something I would complain about but it worked well for this series in particular.
I don’t think I’ll EVER get enough of slow burn RH series; especially those that play out like this one.
There isn’t anything remotely comparable to a relationship that starts out completely inconceivable and morphs, through blood and tears, into something passionate and sweet.
It certainly helps that Jane’s writing has been consistently beyond breathtaking.
I am truly having a hard time finding the words to describe the intricacies and the creativity that is the detail and plot within this series.
I’m sad my KU notes are not showing, otherwise you would be able to see that I highlighted about 200 passages within this book alone.
Jane’s writing easily transports you and wraps you up in the essence of whatever you’re reading; it is such a lovely experience, to feel so wholly and deeply connected to the characters and the places you are reading about.
Overall, this series is one im so fucking happy I picked up and it’s going into the favourites pile without a single doubt!
I cannot wait to see what else Jane has in store for us in the future; all I know, is I will completely devour anything she writes.
~5 stars~
I just have to say, WOW.
What a fucking incredible journey this has been.
Right from the get-go, this series has had me in a chokehold; it utterly blew me away from the start and just kept getting ridiculously better from there.
I truly have nothing but the HIGHEST praise for Jane after finishing this series; the world building is nothing short of a masterpiece, the plot was fantastically developed, the relationship building was top-fucking-tier, I seriously don’t know what more you could ask for in a series.
This book in particular, took me through an especially brutal rollercoaster of emotions.
With Ven having cultivated such a beautiful and uniquely special relationship with each of her husbands, it was extremely difficult and gut-wrenching to watch her complete her final task; when she was only a presence in the sky and the masters found what she left behind in each of their rooms while she watched on, I lost all composure.
I was full sobbing, gasping for air, and simultaneously obsessing over an author who can make me feel this way and cursing them for making me feeling this way.
WHO CARES ABOUT THIS LITTLE OLD HEART, AM I RIGHT?
The end of the book felt like it was wrapped up very quickly.
It was bittersweet to say the least; I was expecting a bit more of a story after everything was all said and done but overall, I’m quite happy with how all the loose ends were tied.
I’m beyond sad to be saying goodbye to this group of characters; from Tempest and her men, to the fated 5 and the twins, there we’re so many memorable and truly amazing characters that we met along the way and that I will miss so dearly.
We really got to know and understand each of the masters and their quirks, even though we didn’t experience things from their POV; usually, this is something I would complain about but it worked well for this series in particular.
I don’t think I’ll EVER get enough of slow burn RH series; especially those that play out like this one.
There isn’t anything remotely comparable to a relationship that starts out completely inconceivable and morphs, through blood and tears, into something passionate and sweet.
It certainly helps that Jane’s writing has been consistently beyond breathtaking.
I am truly having a hard time finding the words to describe the intricacies and the creativity that is the detail and plot within this series.
I’m sad my KU notes are not showing, otherwise you would be able to see that I highlighted about 200 passages within this book alone.
Jane’s writing easily transports you and wraps you up in the essence of whatever you’re reading; it is such a lovely experience, to feel so wholly and deeply connected to the characters and the places you are reading about.
Overall, this series is one im so fucking happy I picked up and it’s going into the favourites pile without a single doubt!
I cannot wait to see what else Jane has in store for us in the future; all I know, is I will completely devour anything she writes.
~5 stars~
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