The Umbra King (Vincula Realm)

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Rory, I adore her. The way she had me laughing majority of the time but then ready to fight people for her the next! I couldn't be happier with her growth individually as well as with Caius. Caius, he is an adorable bean who can completely destroy you, but that doesn't take the adorableness from him. Both of them had me swooning but also getting teary eyed at the angsty moments. Their love for one another was so beautiful and so infinite, it made you FEEL like nothing could win against it. Their growth as a couple in this book was one of my favorite parts about it for sure. They couldn't get enough of one another & I couldn't get enough of them! This book surprised me in the best way. I’ll be honest, the first 25% was a little up and down for me. The writing took some getting used to, but I am so happy I stayed patient because the rest of this book was fun, the banter was top-tier, and the enemies-to-lovers romance was so worth it! The enemies to lovers is done so well the transition feels authentic and entirely unavoidable as they surrender to their mutual attraction.

The book was supposed to have so much potential based on such a minimal ending in the first book. I hoped the entire story would actually unravel here, but NO! There was no story to discuss at all. I think the author had a world but not a story. She never gave up her search for the man who killed her sister, but when she is convicted of thirteen murders and sentenced to five-hundred years in Vincula, the prison realm, she knows her sister’s death will never be avenged. GAHHHH this book!! I think I will forever be scarred by the phrase "Time to wake up now" 😭💔 After that brutal cliffhanger in book 1, we're dealing with the aftermath of Rory no longer remembering her time in Vincula and her love for Caius, while she is unknowingly being hunted because of that relationship. The romance in this book was immaculate, the spice was a nice bonus because it wasn't too much, but it wasn't too little. The friendships and side characters really made you feel something, the prophecy and the murder mystery really kept you engaged in the story. Overall, it was amazing. The cliffhanger will have you salivating for the next book.

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I would like to thank the author for the eARC opportunity. Like always, this review is voluntary & honest! I really liked Rory. It's not every day you see a book with a sassy strong female FMC who is a beautiful shade of morally grey. I like that she was not a perfect little angel. She had killed people by her own moral code and this made her a great complex character, especially given how she developed and progressed through the story. She's gone through some trauma and has made some bad decisions and has to deal with the repercussions of her trauma. I also like the fact that she still managed to find a family, grow into herself, and stand up for herself. Maybe not all the time, but she wanted to do it for her, so she wouldn't feel weak WHAT I LOVED: The characters and romance, of course. Rory, the main FMC, can definitely be a handful. But she had me laughing at times throughout and was ready to do anything to fight for those she loves. Her growth after the shattering ending of book one is exponential…especially with Caius. Caius is such a cinnamon roll MMC, and you can’t help but love him. His love for Rory is really all-encompassing and we see him admit to mistakes that allow them to grow as a couple. I honestly couldn’t get enough. There’s nothing that I didn’t love and while I’m sad this duopoly has come to an end. I can’t see what’s cooked up in the next standalone, A Silenced Fate.

When Aurora drops into his throne room, representing everything he despises, they begin a game of cat and mouse, and before long, their hatred turns into something else. Upon death, glitch particles were emitted from The Umbra's body and the voicelines appeared to lag. And while this book was a little on the longer side, I really enjoyed getting to see all of the side characters and watching their relationships develop. I am SO excited for Sam's book and I can already tell we are going to be put through the ringer with it... Please don't break my heart too much, Jamie!! 😭Basic Elf • Speedy Elf • Gingerbread • Snowman • Snow Golem • Tough Cookie • Ripped Elf • Present3 • Present2 • Present • Sleigh • Cookie Guard • Bomber Elf • Evil Elf • Builder Elf • Toy Soldier • Gatekeeper • Papa Bread • Mecha-claus

My major issue, and what caused me to DNF the book, was our main character Rory. First of all, her name is Aurora Raven. Do with that what you will (again with the YA feeling). Secondly, she was built up (and admittedly started) as a badass vigilante character hellbent on justice for her murdered sister. While she began the story along those lines, I became less and less convinced of her competency and intelligence as the book progressed. Also, if I have to read one more enemies-to-lovers book where the MC has an uncontrollable physical attraction to (what is to her) a literal murderer, I'll scream. STAND UPPPP! Am I not horny enough to understand the appeal of that concept?!

The bunch of secondary characters: they felt flat and unimportant. I can’t remember any quality about them. Firstly, I have to say I love Caius so much in this book. He's so hot and at the same time so cute! He's charming and SO caring, he truly is boyfriend material - wait no, even better, he's husband material 😍 Support towers such as the Commander and DJ Booth are crucial since they can boost the firerate and range respectively. This is NOT a standalone. It is the second and final book in the Vincula Realm duology and must be read after The Umbra King. The Umbra's name is the word for the inner shadow of any opaque object. When an eclipse happens, the celestial body caught within the umbra of the overlapping object experiences a total eclipse.