A Heart So Fierce and Broken (January 2020) Buddy Read Discussion - Laura, Heather, Shorouk

[Aless, Discord/Readathon Procrastinator]

Welcome to A Heart So Fierce and Broken Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on January 9th and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each week we will be reading by chapters. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 1/9
January 9: Chapters 1-5
January 10: Chapters 6-10
January 11: Chapters 11-15

Week of 1/12
January 12: Chapters 16-20
January 13: Chapters 21-25
January 14: Chapters 26-30
January 15: Chapters 31-35
January 16: Chapters 36-40
January 17: Chapters 41-45
January 18: Chapters 46-50 + epilogue

PARTICIPANTS
~ Laura
~ Heather
~ Shorouk

[Aless, Discord/Readathon Procrastinator]

I updated the schedule now that the book is out. You can read at your own pace, but here is a starting point.

[Laura ☾]

Thanks Aless!

[Aless, Discord/Readathon Procrastinator]

Laura ☾ wrote: "Thanks Aless!"

Of course!

[Laura ☾]

Thoughts up to Chapter 5

I'm loving being back in this world!
(view spoiler)[So far the shift in Rhen's character reminds me a bit of Tamlin.. will Grey turn out to be the Rhys? haha

Harper still kind of annoys me (she also did in book one) (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Laura! I'm trying to knock out Children of Virtue before I start this so I'll be a tiny bit behind! Sorry!!!

[Laura ☾]

That's fine! I'll just keep posting with spoiler tags

Up to Chapter 10 (view spoiler)[I feel like this is kind of dragging so far. (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Ch 1-10
(view spoiler)[ I'm so excited to be back with these characters! I do agree that it feels like it is moving pretty slowly though. I'm sad her brother and Noah left, I liked what their characters brought to the pages last book and was looking forward to more of them. I can totally see the Rhen/Tamlin comparison and honestly.. I liked Grey better in book one so I wouldn't be upset by that haha! The new POV character could play a pretty interesting role if done right so I'm curious to see where that whole thing goes. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura ☾]

Up to chapter 15

(view spoiler)[ I’m really starting to dislike Rhen.. and Harper seems to be sidelined completely

I also like Grey better but I also feel like Grey and Harper wouldn’t fit together ! (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

(view spoiler)[ I'm really trying to go at this as a whole new book on it's own rather than a sequel because it just isn't the sequel I hoped for. Rhen is so bleh, Harper is almost non-existent as you mentioned. I love Grey and I'm starting to enjoy Lia Mara's chapters more now that I'm accepting that this isn't going to be a continuation of the characters I loved from book one but rather an exploration of other characters in the same world coming into play. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura ☾]

Up to Chapter 20

(view spoiler)[ Yeah! I'm intrigued by Lia Maria.. and Grey is my favourite by far! interested to see where this goes..

And finally Harper got some attention! (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Finished 20.
(view spoiler)[ WTH RHEN?!? I’m so angry for Grey but also mostly for Tycho. He did absolutely nothing! (hide spoiler)]

[Laura ☾]

Finished Ch25

(view spoiler)[ SERIOUSLY WHAT THE HELL?? at least Tycho's okay,,,
“You bet I’m angry. I know things are … different here, but it doesn’t
matter. War and torture are two different things.” - YES NOAH

Ugh at Harper still defending Rhen... Tamlin I tell you!



(hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Ch 25

(view spoiler)[ SO MUCH TAMLIN FEELS HERE... UGH!!!

Noah's quote was incredibly perfect and I adore him so much!

I'm digging this thing between Lia Mara and Grey though.. (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Ok.. I may have jumped a bit ahead through ch 35...

(view spoiler)[ I'm really into this idea of Grey as king and Lia Mara by his side so I'ma need that to happen. Also, I LOVE JAKE AND NOAH! I'm so glad they are getting more page time finally!! I want Harper to be a bigger part but also enjoying this separate story of Grey and Lia.

And, Isaac? ADORE! (hide spoiler)]

There's a decent chance I will finish this tomorrow night....

[Laura ☾]

Haha no prob heather! I’ll read your comment when I catch up 😂 I won’t hold back either then!

[HeatherH]

I didn't figure you'd mind moving faster!

[Laura ☾]

Hahaha you know me! Work's been busy today though so don't have that much time - only up to Chapter 28 (will read more tonight and your spoiler once I'm caught up)


(view spoiler)[ Ok I really like this budding thing between Grey and Lia Mara... and I actually like her a lot better than Harper!

"And underneath it all, so tiny that I almost don’t acknowledge it, a kernel of pride that instead of magic bringing fear and torment, the way Lilith did, or pain and death, the way my sword would, my magic brought healing and trust, and that is not a small thing at all." I LOVE GREY



(hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

hah my spoiler has a comment almost identical to the first line of yours here!

[Laura ☾]

Soooo I finished it.

Overall thoughts

(view spoiler)[ I liked this..but not as much as the first one - but I feel like this may also have had a mild case of middle book syndrome. Not as badly as Children of Virtue and Vengeance, but still feels like it was more geared towards setting up the finale...

BUT I LOVE GREY. and Lia Mara. And Jake, Noah and Isaak! When Jake decided to stay in Emberfall... oh my.. (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Finished!
(view spoiler)[ YES! Jake deciding to stay by Grey's side was perfection.. Their whole friendship and how it developed throughout this book was one of my favorite things!

I definitely agree that it felt a little like middle book syndrome but did a fantastic job still of setting up the last book while still being interesting in its own. The pacing felt pretty steady and the characters that got introduced were so great! (hide spoiler)]

[Laura ☾]

I agree! That’s why the first book was 5 stars from me but this one 4/4.25 - a bit of Middle book syndrome but still great!

[HeatherH]

Same! I'm really excited for it to all come together. And curious how I will feel about it when I reread both the first two before the last one since lordie knows I'll have to!

[Laura ☾]

I have a feeling there will be a lot of drama and emotions in the third!

[Shorouk]

I am so late :( . I am at ch 22 and I read your comments up to ch 20 and agree with most of it. I liked Grey from book 1 and still like him but I needed more of Harper here (view spoiler)[Also, I am not feeling this is the same Rhen . He was better than that. I got a glimpse of him when he was talking with Grey as a friend before the torture :/.Also I love Tycho and want him to live happily (I don't know what is his fate yet?) . I like Lia Maria but I think she got a role in the book very late (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Shorouk wrote: "I am so late :( . I am at ch 22 and I read your comments up to ch 20 and agree with most of it. I liked Grey from book 1 and still like him but I needed more of Harper here [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Lia and Tycho are definitely great additions to this series! <3 (hide spoiler)]

[Laura ☾]

Yes! I agree :D