I was hooked after reading the first book. So thank you to Clarion Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It starts right where the last book left off, and the action never stops.
I fell in love you Brie and Misha friendship growth though out the book. I wish they had more moments.
The plot was fast moving, but not rushed (until the end). Also loved how it had a little bit more spice to it.
Would highly recommend this book.

This is a stunning conclusion to author Lexi Ryan's duology and worth the wait. In, These Twisted Bonds, what started as a rescue becomes a tale of unforeseen connections and unexpected love. Two handsome princes, a prophecy, and an unpredictable destiny lead Abriella down a path she could never have dreamed of in the mortal realm. Now she is in a race against time to heal a broken kingdom and fulfill her destiny while working to keep her heart intact. Brilliantly written and blessedly not a trilogy, this series is worth reading again and again.

not my favorite. I must admit I am a little disappointed with this one, I had such high hopes after loving the first book so much but here's a little recap of the things that annoyed me:

- the whole thing at the beginning was so confusing
- miscommunication, i hate this trope so much
- I felt like they made up/changed up the rules as the story went or what was convenient at the moment (for example when they talked about the bonding switching like wtf isn't that permanent?)
- the ending felt so rushed
-nothing really happens at the beginning up until like the 70% mark
- the whole time they're trying to get to Mab and then when they finally get there, Mab’s solutions were stupid
- this is stupid
- why is she letting sebastian make demands? Fuck him. Aelin would never
- rhysand would never

First and foremost thank you to Clarion Books and Netgalley for providing me with the arc in exchange for my honest review.

These Twisted Bonds is the sequel to These Hollow Vows, the debut fantasty novel by Lexi Ryan and one of my favorite books of last year.

As Abriella comes to terms with her transition into Fae, her magic, and the bond, she is also dealing with the conflicts between the Seelie and Unseelie courts and her role in the war to come. We lose absolutely no time between THV and TTB as we join Abriella post bond with Bash, she struggles to understand the full implications of what that bond means. Very quickly in the book we meet one of my new favorite characters, Misha, who is a breath of fresh air between all the longing and suffering in the main love triangle. Misha provides both a sense of humor as well as some just plain fun flirtation, as opposed to all of the heavy implications and emotions tied to Finn and Bash.

Now I loved both of these books, but there were definitely some points where I felt like Brie was being purposefully oblivious, which took me out of the story a bit. It makes sense with everything she's been through that she is hesitant to trust people, but for me it was definitely frustrating watching her try to push away her feelings and everyone else's to stick with the "they're just using me" narrative. I also found that the ending of the book was a bit rushed as there were still a lot of loose ends when I was 90% done the book. I had a moment where I thought maybe this had been turned into a trilogy and I had missed the memo.

Overall I loved these books, the love interests were fantastic foils of each other, light and dark, old and young, devotion and possession. The obstacles they faced kept the pace moving quickly while allowing the characters to develop. Just a delightful read and a fantastic final installment of this duology (although I certainly wouldn't mind visiting this world again if the author decides to come back to it!)

This review has been posted to goodreads as of 02May2022.

I think I liked These Twisted Bonds better than These Hollow Vows but at the end of this duology, I'm realizing that there wasn't anything new delivered in this series. None of the book's plot twists, character choices, etc. fazed me in this book because it has the exact same tropes, plot twists, character archetypes, and lore that I have read in literally any other fantasy book about Fae. Some of the tropes and themes also felt a little outdated and problematic for a YA fantasy novel being published in 2022, so I'm not sure why they were included.

I won't lie, I was a little afraid of this book. I hate love triangles. They are the bane of my existence. So when tiktok threw These Hollow Vows at me and I got sucked in BEFORE I learned about the love triangle, I decided to run with it. I definitely do not regret it.

Did I love this duology enough to rethink my hatred of love triangles? No. Did it give me a momentary pause on these feelings I harbour? Yes. It very much did.

The conclusion to Brie, Finn and Sebastian's story is not one that doesn't cause a hefty amount of anxiety and frustration. We start this book immediately after Sebastian's betrayal and Brie is not interested in being anywhere near him or his court. Finn is not innocent in all of this, so when Brie is on the run, she finds herself in the company of a new friend.

Misha was a lovely new addition to our little mix here. I loved the secondary cast of characters, except I would really just consider them the main characters too. But Sebastian!?!?!?! I wanted to smack him. I truly don't know how many times Brie had to tell him that romantically, they're over, only for him to immediately turn around and try to puppy dog eyes his way out of the consequence of his own actions was so annoying. He was giving me Tamlin vibes and I hated it once, so I definitely hated it this time around too. Sebastian definitely had great character growth though. They all did. Brie's the winner of the ultimate character growth award though. Without a doubt. The self-realizations she makes herself face throughout the two books was one of my favourite parts.

My other favourite part? Finn. As he should've been. Finn ghosted himself into this series and solidified his place with every page. There's always a character that I want to always have nice things and that was him. He was all grumpy and storm clouds for about 3 seconds and then Brie flashed a smile his way or just kinda blinked at him? And he crumbled. Our little soft king was a goner for our princess.

I can't wait for more from Lexi. Part of me senses a spinoff about Sebastian? I'm also totally okay without it. I'll read whatever she wants me to read though.

Lexi Ryan delivers again! These Twisted Bonds, the sequel to These Hollow Vows, is a suspenseful and thrilling read that keeps you on edge. Ryan's creation of complex characters and a fantastical world of Fae sets up a glorious plot that leaves you wanting more. The tension and betrayal in each relationship kept ripping my heart in two no matter how much I anticipated the next heart-wrenching moment coming. This series is GREAT for readers who are new to the Fantasy Realm, but also keeps lovers of Fantasy and all things Faerie and magic engaged. Will be purchasing this book in hard cover when it is published!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan.


These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan is an exhilarating conclusion to the These Hollow Vows duology.

Readers are taken back into the Court of Darkness, where civil war is brewing and Brie has to choose a side. Amidst all the turmoil, Brie finds herself struggling with her own identity - not knowing who she is or where she belongs. I enjoyed reading about Brie's struggle to find her place in this ever-changing world and loved the twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

With an exciting plot and well-developed characters, These Twisted Bonds provides a satisfying conclusion to the series. The story had an opportunity to be more drawn out, with the ending happening very quickly. However, Ryan did a great job of tying up all the loose ends and providing an amazing conclusion. Even while the ending felt a bit rushed, it does not detract from the overall quality of this fantastic novel.

Overall, I would highly recommend these books to anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure. Whether you are a long-time fan of the genre or a new reader just looking for some great escapist fiction, these books are sure to delight and enthrall.

When I read These Hollow Vows I was super dissatisfied with the ending since I didn’t realize when I read it that it was a Duology and the cliffhanger would be resolved with this book and boy was it resolved. It started off in the same moment the last book ended which was great and Brie is fleeing from the Seelie court and ends up with the Wild Fae and staying with the King Misha while trying to figure out how she will help the Unseelie court be strong and beat back the Seelie Court and their vicious Queen who is the Mother of Sebastian who she is trying to stay away from. There is also Finn who is Sebastian’s half-brother and who Brie also has feelings for and who is supposed to be the rightful ruler of the Unseelie throne. I really enjoyed the journey the characters took trying to figure out how to get someone on the throne and help keep the Unseelie court from dying to finding out who Brie actually is and how she was able to hold the power and the Crown of the Unseelie so long as a normal human girl. This was a really great read and I thoroughly enjoyed how everything was resolved.

Thanks to Clarion Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

4/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Clarion Books for an ARC of this book!

Much like the first of this duology, I found this sequel incredibly enjoyable. We start off exactly where we left off in These Hollow Vows and the story picks up from there. The drama of the first few chapters sucked me right in. From there the plot continues to build and while the direction that the story took wasn’t the most original, I still really enjoyed it and read this quickly due to quality of writing and the flow of the story. A point of contention that I did have was how self-sacrificing the main character was. I understand the entire point of Brie is that she is a good person and is willing to give up so much for the greater good but I think she gave forgiveness too freely and was too willing to be legitimately miserable (I’m looking at Finn too). I enjoyed the ending and thought everything wrapped up well. I would’ve loved a slightly longer epilogue, but it was so sweet I’ll let that slide. This series was my first by Lexi Ryan and I look forward to reading more from her and seeing what she publishes next!

These Twisted Bonds is the sequel to These Hollow Vows. Twisted Bonds picks right where the first book ended. Brie is angry and on the run, after being betrayed by someone she thought she loved and who loved her in return. She finds herself in the middle of feuding courts and old prophecy. She has choices to make, but first, she has to figure out what it is she wants in life.

No time was lost jumping into the plot of this book. The plot of this book never stopped. It was constant action, which makes for a quick read. However, for me, the plot moved so quickly that I didn't feel the chemistry in this book that I felt with the first one. The fast-paced also left the book feeling rushed. There was plenty of character development in the first book, but I feel like the second book lagged on the development.

That being said, I did like the plot focused more on the protagonists than the romance of the book. Don't get me wrong, the love story is definitely a major plot point, but I like that it was not the star of the book.

There was also enough angst with the love triangle to keep me emotionally invested. I've seen many people compare it to ACOTAR, and it does follow a similar plot formula. But if you are looking for something to fill the hole that ACOTAR leaves you with, this may leave you filling empty.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it felt very rushed.

Thanks so much NetGalley for the ARC!

I felt like this was a really good ending to this duology, and I loved returning to this world and these characters. They feel so real and I loved the new characters introduced in this book as well! I think this book provided a really satisfying ending half to the story, and I was pleased with it!

I did feel that the pacing of this book was a bit rushed at the end. I felt I needed longer to sit with a lot of the fast paced plot pieces, and I wanted them to slow down a bit. I would also really recommend rereading the first one right before reading this one, as there’s not really a comprehensive summary of the events of the first book. I found myself getting pretty confused early on, just because I had forgotten events / how magic worked / the politics of the courts, etc.

If you read the first book, you’ll love this one - and if you love magic, fantasy, love triangles, badass women and soft men, you’ll enjoy the duology :)

These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan

I LOVED this! I received an arc through netgalley and I was SO excited when I got approved. I read Ryan’s first book on a whim and LOVED her story line. Finn and Bash were honestly such great characters from the beginning.

Well, the sequel did NOT disappoint. Events start about 12 hours after the bond ceremony in the last book and from the very beginning we find out exactly what Abriella thinks about Bash bonding with her. So I don’t want to give anything away because I want all of the juicy details to be a surprise, but I was really happy with the ending. I think some people might prefer a gritty ending, but I think Ryan did a great job tying up all of the loose ends throughout the first book.

I think Finn’s character development was SO much better in this novel. I learned so much more about him. He was such a strong and steady character. We even met some new characters like Queen Mab and Misha, the king of the wild fae. Finn and Abriella get thrown into a LOT of situations and we find out more about Finn getting tired and weak.

I will probably give it 4 stars. I still really enjoyed the series, but I was a little disappointed at the end for a couple of reasons that I think will be obvious once ya’ll read it.

So definitely read it!

I really enjoyed this conclusion to Brie’s story. I do think that there were missed opportunities of development for side characters because of the action packed pace of the story but this just wasn’t their story. So, I’m not that upset about it. I enjoyed the love triangle and am very happy with the way it was resolved; even though up until the end I wasn’t sure it was going to go that way. I will definitely be recommending it to other fans of YA fiction! It’s become a favorite duology of mine and I don’t generally like stories involving Fae.

I really enjoyed the first installment of this duology so I was very excited to be approved for the second. And I am happy to say that I enjoyed this one just as much. I think Ryan's pacing is so good and there was never a dull moment throughout the whole story. I was so invested in Brie's story, her character arc, and loved how she stayed true to herself even when she was being pulled in multiple directions. Fae politics will always be some of my favorite stories to read and I loved how we got more myths and history from this world. I only wish this was a trilogy instead of a duology just so I could spend a little longer with these characters.

p.s. This should probably be considered more NA than YA with some more sexual content than the first installment.

Thank you so much to Clarion and NetGalley for the early copy of this book. I adsolutey LOVED the first, and couldn’t believe I was lucky enough to get to read the second before release date in July!

Plot: 5/5 stars! Fast paced, mildly steamy, lots of action. It was run run run the whole story but well worth it for that ending. I mean, come on. I couldn’t have dreamed a better last few chapters.

Characters: ugh! Everyone is so freaking frustrating in the best way! Abriella/Finn/Sebastian love triangle is so well written. I need an ice pack for the whiplash I felt from the constant betrayals, love vows, and GRAND gestures. But I wouldn’t have rooted for any one else.
The supporting roles like Misha and Pretha are so important for the story building. I loved a look into their lives and the friendship they built with Brie along the way.

TLDR: read this amazing book in July, BUT READ THE FIRST BOOK BEFORE YOU GRAB THIS ONE!

This book and series is so good! If you like ACORT then this is for you! I was swept away by the first book and could not wait a minute to read this one. Did not disappoint.

Lexi Ryan's series is so fun. I enjoyed the first book as it reminded me of a cross between Holly Black and Sarah J Maas, and this second book doesn't disappoint! Sexy, surly and fun, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and can see how my patrons will too.

This picked up right off from the first book and not did this not stop. The plot was the same pace throughout. Finn just, GAH. And Misha was a surprise character I grew to love. Loved the first book, and loved this one even more. 5/5 stars!

Oh man I don’t even know what to say!!!! I loved it so much!!

Continuing on the journey, Abriella has just been bonded to Sebastian, but unknowingly turned into the fae she didn’t want to be. After running from his palace, we continue on her quest to bring justice to the Unseely court and choose between the two princes who have captured her heart.

Goodness, I loved this duology so much. It’s very ACOTAR-esque which plays right up into my interests and favorite series. I loved the push and pull of the entire book, and the growing relationship between Finn and Brie. While the ending was a little abrupt for me, I still super enjoyed this book. I think there was so much lead up to killing the queen, and then she gets killed in her sleep? It was a bit anti-climatic for me and I also thought it was a little too rushed with Bash being turned mortal to give her her life with Finn. It’s like the last 25 pages everything came to a head and ended.

I still really really loved this series and will definitely check out whatever else this author puts out.

4.5/5 stars