More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
The man tilted his head. “You show up as if you materialize from the wind itself, to save the life of the crown prince whom you jumped off the side of the Pass in an attempt to save. You’re unassuming, you’re filthy, and you’re soaked in what I can only presume to be the blood of our enemies.” A grin slowly spread across Jax’s face, like that of a rabid beast. “Who said anything about being disappointed?”
There was something about his madness that called to her own.
During the day, she transcribed notes for Jax as he helped manage half the army.
Girl boss
“Well, I can’t recall the last time I caught a woman in my brother’s bed.” Baldair laughed summer into her frozen world.
Vhalla was beginning to learn that the man known for breaking hearts seemed to have a rather large one of his own.
Daniel’s feet went from dragging to a near run as he crossed to her in desperately wide steps. His body crashed against hers and his arms swept her into an all-encompassing embrace. Her arms responded before she could think, ready to welcome the only person who had been there when the world had taken everyone else from her.
Fuck I love Daniel
He obliged her wishes and neither said anything for the rest of the night, everything was somehow understood and beautifully simple. Daniel held her and warded away the emptiness that she’d been
I will say that I’m a little confused by this entire situation but I love it I love Daniel
Surprise retreated from his face. His black eyes grew even darker with an intensity she’d never seen before. It sent his jovial exterior running in terror. A grin spread across Jax’s cheeks slowly, baring his teeth like an animal. “Do you want to do this, here, now?” he asked softly. “I’ve been a very gracious host to you so far and am happy to continue to be.”
I’ve been waiting for him I’ve been waiting for this character thank you
“Daniel,” she whispered into the darkness, hoping he was asleep. “Yes?” She swallowed her trepidation. “What are we?”
This is so strange like genuinely so strange I’m very confused
“But understand it is only an illusion. You will never experience freedom again.”
Damn
“Major Reale was killed.” Elecia didn’t have to say any more—neither of them did.
Holy fuck
“Well, you won’t be launching any suicidal campaigns if you can’t even get out of bed.” Baldair stood. “I’ll go fetch the clerics.”
“Don’t give up on me.” Aldrik pressed his eyes closed tightly. “I am not worthy of all you have done for me . . . but, you, this is the first thing to make me feel human in almost a decade, to make me want to strive for something more. You are the first person to make me truly happy, to make me want and hope again.”
he is so fucking dramatic
Aldrik spoke and sealed his words with kisses, “I will place you by my side, Vhalla. I will shower you with every trimming that the world has so woefully denied I give to you thus far.” Her head was pressed against the door as his eager tongue rubbed against hers before he pulled away again. “You will be a paragon for the world to see. The future Emperor’s guiding sun. A goddess among woman, a lady, an idol . . .”
this is excruciating, maybe I'm not in the right mindset but wtf
“Good. You are my lady, and I will see the world knows it. I will place you by my side, I promise.”
huh so he really wants to make her a queen
“Don’t you dare.” Vhalla inhaled sharply, staring down daggers at him.
nah because she has no right to be angry at him she genuinely lead him on
It held that dangerous kind of beauty that promised problems in exchange for the wonders it whispered. Much like a certain prince she knew.
“I’m eating breakfast with half the royal family, Golden Guard, and a Western noble, at the siege of Soricium,” Vhalla wheezed. “And it feels perfectly normal.”
this was incredibly painful to read
“Among the other commoners,” the Emperor said with emphasis. “They may get this mad notion that you are one of us.”
honestly only continuing to read this to see this man squashed
“Not you,” she breathed.
lmfao bitch shut up literally shut the fuck up
“You owe me nothing for spending time with me. You can do so without it meaning anything, or, well, anything that you don’t intend for it to mean.”
nah because this still doesn’t sit right w me, is it the internalized misogyny or is it my annoyance w Vhalla fucks sake
“Well, that doesn’t make it right,” Vhalla finally spoke.
oh my god bitch please i-
“Vhalla, my lady, my love, you’re fine now,” he soothed.
this- this feels like a bit much
“I want to go home.” Her fingers scraped against his armor, desperate for purchase.
i- am no longer a fan of Vhalla
These people were not mindless killers.
really. ya think. no one is ever right in war
Everything Vhalla had heard and learned about the war had been from the mouths of the Empire. It was the collective tongue that wagged on behalf of the Emperor.
well. obviously. i find it incredibly ridiculous that she is literally librarian and doesn’t understand that history has multiple perspectives. she’s SUPPOSED to be intelligent.
We are monsters.
this bitch is about to catch these mf hands
Vhalla knew he was forcing himself to be stoic and strong,
lmfao is he
This was an enemy who couldn’t stand. It was an enemy that was bent over and begging. Pleading for the last scraps of happiness they could stitch together with the remnants of their lives.
ah yes the classical “history is written by the winners” epiphany. remind me again what your occupation was before you were awakened.
She was back to loathing the Northerners, but only the select group who furthered the war for their own personal agendas.
LMFAO she’s so two dimensional
She hated those who clung to the past at the expense of the future.
suddenly she has all these opinions about leadership
she couldn’t stand the type of person who cared only for themselves at the expense of others.
isn’t this literally aldrik? you were able to love him anyways bye
He had mourned the loss of his humanity, sacrificed at the altar of duty that forces beyond his control had constructed.
so you’re turning into him bleh get over it
Vhalla was tired, beyond tired, but resolute. “Return that wealth to them and rebuild this land. Show them that the Empire they have every reason to hate is not purely evil.” Aldrik stared at her as though he had never seen her before. His hands were on her face, cupping her cheeks. “Yes. Yes, my lady, I will.”
maybe i’m just a cynic, but uh, this is a ridiculous notion
It was a cheap demonstration. Vhalla knew it didn’t absolve them. It was like trying to wash the blood off their hands with mud, no matter that they were filthy with the acts they were performing. But it was all that could be done.
All of these empty promises between two lovers holding zero weight. I’m literally on their side and this sounds so fucking shallow.
He hadn’t spoken like a prince. He’d spoken like an Emperor.
lmfao what brought this thought upon her
Magic was hot on his tongue, and it melted across her skin. Vhalla relinquished her control, tipping her head back and allowing the prince to take what he had wanted.
god what am i even reading.
“Oh Mother, I don’t want to even think what my brother has called you.” Baldair shook his head and hung it a moment, taking a breath. “We were closer when we were boys.”
me neither, unfortunately i had the displeasure of reading it.
“Haven’t you been listening? Haven’t you seen it?” Baldair shook his head. “We don’t talk. There isn’t a happy end to this, Vhalla. This isn’t the story where the two estranged family members come back together, apologize, and build a new bond.”
apparently this bitch is their therapist, she’s going to solve all their familial problems lol
“Why don’t you start writing a new chapter?” She smiled. The instant flash of emotion, of hope, on the younger prince’s face gave him away.
wow she really said that with her whole chest. very “the simplest solution is almost always the best” very girl boss of her
“What is this treason?” Major Schnurr sneered. “Do you speak against the will of the Emperor?”
sir please shut the fuck up. no one talks shit about Vhalla but me.
“I was raised in a world where I had thousands of friends, each one waiting for me on a shelf every day. While you practiced with the bow or sword, I read. The Imperial Library houses my confidants, and I spent nearly a decade hanging onto their every word. I know them well, and if you will stop questioning me, I will be so kind to impart their secrets to you.”
i really want to like her, i really do, but everything is so fucking cringey. it just feels like Kova is trying so hard to connect the dots m.
She was tired from lack of sleep and from being seen as the girl she was no longer.
she is very convinced of her own character development
“In Shaldan’s lore, Soricium is the birthplace of the world. They consider that forest to be the primordial trees the old gods made first.”
are they seriously about to Avatar the blue people this situation? leave that mf tree alone
Expecting them to abandon their land, their home, their lineage is setting you up for failure.
nvm they’re gonna go all U.S. WWII jesus christ
“Do not expect it to be,” Vhalla cautioned. Hadn’t they been listening? “The Northerners will defend Soricium and the head clan until every last dying breath. If we were to gain a surrender, it would not be in awe of our power, or tactical prowess, or advantage in training.”
am i missing the chapters where she engages in warfare
“Are we in agreement then?” Aldrik spoke over his father.
lol aldrik
“You side with a little girl?” the Emperor nearly sputtered.
literally the only person i hate more than Vhalla is the fucking emperor
“When you asked me to find the food stores, did you really want to know in order to destroy them? Or did you have me find them so you could lead someone else to suggest it? So you could squelch the idea of prolonging the siege past your father’s deadline on my success?”
lol babe relax it’s not that deep
The prince crossed over to her, a wicked and appreciative gleam in his eyes. “You put that together?”
lol jk it was apparently
