I'm definitely in the minority here.

But....that's it? That's the conclusion to one of my favorite series?? How disappointing. Maybe I just read this on an off day.Or maybe The Ruby Circle was written on an off day. Either way, this was a big fucking disappointment.

After the first book, the series rapidly went downhill, IMO. I absolutely adored the first book. It was a five-star, gold medal, 1st place brilliant perfection. Second book was a bit of a disappointment, but nonetheless enjoyable.

Then The Shadow Throne happened. And I am so, terribly disappointed in how subpar this is when compared to the brilliance of The False Prince.

Firstly, let's talk about Imogen for a second. Actually, a bit longer than a second, because I have a lot to say about her. I don't like her. At all. In fact, I hate her. Her mere existence angers me. An editor should have seen that her character serves absolutely no purpose other than to be a bland and boring love interest. She should not be allowed to exist.

So, as callous and bitchy as this may sound, I was sort of happy

Speaking of Jaron, I feel like that clever, sarcastic, mischievous boy we all know and love from the first two books was replaced by his evil twin. Jaron's not a mischievous but likable kid in this book, he's just plain stupid. How do his plans even work? They shouldn't but somehow, they do. And I hate how everyone just worships Jaron and follows all his orders without question. Trust me, the kind of shit Jaron pulls off would not fly with me.

Okay, another big issue; the ending. Everything is all wrapped up in a neat and tidy package and

essentially everyone lives happily ever after and all the kingdoms are at peace! And all that shit happens in one freaking chapter. NO, that is NOT how you end a book. Sure, happy endings are great but I do NOT want everything to suddenly be perfect.

One positive thing about The Shadow Throne was that there is a lot of action so it's easy to read and it doesn't drag or anything.

So, I decided on two stars. I originally gave this book three stars out of loyalty to the first and second book, but two stars more accurately reflects my feelings.

You have no idea how much I wanted to love Ash. I mean, a Cinderella retelling where Cinderella (Ash) is a lesbian? Count me in! For sure!

For such an interesting and original premise, Ash was pretty dull. Pretty much NOTHING happens throughout the whole book. There is no conflict that has to be resolved. It's so boring. The descriptions of gowns and balls and such were exquisite, but got old after awhile.

Ash herself isn't too likable. It's not that she's annoying, she just has no personality.

Don't even get me started on the semi-love triangle between Ash, Sidhean and Kaisa. Sidhean could've been the villain, and a great one, but he wasn't. The blurb LIES. He is not a "dark and dangerous" fairy at all. He lets Ash go so easily, even after "claiming" her.

Kaisa also had potential to be a great love interest to Ash, but wasn't, IMO. There was scarcely anything to their relationship. It's not that it was insta-love, it's just that there's no emotion. It doesn't feel like there's love there.

The only thing I really liked was the writing, which was gorgeous. Other than, Ash was kind of disappointing. It wasn't unenjoyable though.

I was seriously contemplating giving this one star. The Pledge had an interesting premise, but it utterly failed.

The sole reason I didn't give this one star was Xander and Brooklynn. They were definitely the most interesting characters (far more so than Max and Charlie) and if the story was written from one of their perspective, it would have been so much more fun to read.

I really didn't like Charlie. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way. But I hated Max a hundred times more than Charlie. Max was a condescending smug ASSHOLE. He follows Charlie. He lies to her. He acts strange and then pretend like he doesn't know what she's talking about when she calls him out on it. He's super protective of her, and he met her, like what, two days ago? Come on! Stop being a stalker, Max. But it's not like Charlie cares. She likes him and he's "intrigued" with her from the moment they meet. Can you say Insta-love? Yup. 

This "dystopia" world that the author tried to create did not work. So, apparently Ludania at war and there's a lot of "restriction" and "rules" and stuff. Yet they're allowed to go to parties and clubs and stuff? And school? They're free to just wander around the whole city, basically. What? It doesn't make sense.

So I was unhappy about how The Pledge turned out. Then I read the author's note at the front of the book, and found out this was based on an interview with a woman who was a child during the Holocaust. WHAT THE FUCK?! How about instead of making a FAKE "dystopia" world (and a crappy one at that), you write a historical fiction that pays homage to the REAL VICTIMS!!! Huh? Is that too hard, Ms. Derting?! 

If you can't tell, I don't recommend this book.