Stunning photo by @bookobsessed_emily
Hello Fairy Friends!
How are we all doing today? Still shocked from the ending of the last chapter we read? Because same, let’s just get right to it!
Today we are reading from Chapters 22 to the end of Chapter 29!
Please be warned, the following will include spoilers for These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan Chapters 22-29! Read only if you’ve finished those chapters!
-!SPOILERS!-
Brie is in really bad shape, in and out of consciousness, she hears Finn telling Pretha to heal her but Kane is livid, it’s an offering from the old gods? What does he mean. She wakes again to Finn and Pretha talking, but the next time she’s in a room she doesn’t recognise, Finn’s room and he’s watching over her.
She finds out that it was a Slaugh that lured her in with a vision turned reality the minute she started interaction and believing it. The fire became real but her sisters screams were not. Another moment between Brie and Finn, and she’s curious as to how the aging of fae’s work, wow Arya is close to Finn’s age. Brie tells him that he should be on the throne and that she’s willing to help him find Oberon’s crown.
She asks the mirror to show her king Oberon’s crown, but the mirror doesn’t change from her reflection…. Could the mirror really be wrong as Finn said or did she just find the answer to where the crown is?
Brie is back at the palace and she manages to coax information out of the twins – the queen has a seaside palace and Brie thinks that where the book is. She meets Sebastian and convinces him they should go to the other palace for a few days, Brie feels really bad for all the lies and the guilt is building up.
She’s back at Finn’s and the king and queen of the wild fae are here. And we find out more secrets – Pretha is the princess of the wild fae, Misha the king is her brother. And she’s in love with Amira, the queen. When her parents found out she was in love with Amira, they set her off to get married to the younger prince of the Unseelie court. ?
Brie starts training but there’s a knock at the door – it’s Sebastian and he’s looking for Brie, omg how did he find her? Oh damn, that face off was heated between Sebastian and Finn! The amulet!! It’s a tracking device not for protection oh wow. Back at the palace, Sebastian is in her room and confronts her about Finn – oh nooo. She tells him he’s been training her, so half the truth. Things get a tad heated but Sebastian stops it before it gets any further. He leaves but not before saying he wants something but she’s not ready.
Brie decided to test out her powers and walks the palace, and goes to the family wing – and finds Sebastian kissing another woman! Oh my. She’s absolutely devastated but there’s nothing she can do so she goes to the ball and bumps into Riaan and accidentally lets it slip about Sebastian. He tells her Sebastian wants to bond with her, but the reason he’s with another woman right now is because she was with Finn! Whaaatt?!
Brie just wants to dance, so she does and starts drinking the wine Riaan gives, and he’s back telling her Sebastian left the woman and that she should go to him- to bond? Why does this seem like a set up? She gets dancing again and starts to take her clothes off but Pretha disguised as one of the twins, stops her and takes her away.
At Finns new place, they try to find the antidote, she’s been poisoned, was it Riaan? The antidote won’t work, they have to bring her temperature down, but Brie wants other things especially with Finn – ohh my what a scene that was in the shower. ?
Brie wakes up and remembers everything, she’s mortified and Finn is loving every second of this. She’s dressed and downstairs Kane mentions what happened, turns out Jalek was home and he heard everything! OMG
Pretha comes in with Lark and she’s bleeding and Pretha is worried! Lark can’t heal like a fae, she heals like a mortal. Whatever is going on to the Unseelie folks, Pretha can’t say anything to Brie about it.
Back at the palace Brie summons bakken and asks him what’s causing the Unseelie to heal like mortal and so Bakken finally tells her. Long ago, Queen Arya fell in love with king Oberon but before they could unite Oberon got stuck in the human realm and there he fell in love with a human. Upon his return Arya begged him to take her back but he refused and thus she cursed the Unseelie to become mortal, and thee only way they could use their powers was to take human lives.
For another lock of hair, Brie asks how it can be broken, Bakken say she can break it and ask her which of the two options she would like to know; the one with her dead or the one with her surviving. Choosing the latter we find out in order for the curse to break she has to kill the queen.
Brie and Sebastian finally leave for the summer palace, but not before they have the ‘talk’… and once again the mention of the bond. They reach the summer palace and take a stroll, and talk about the fake mirror she gave him, ooops and his mother and we see a different take on the story Bakken told Brie.
Sebastian gives Brie a blade that can be used to kill Mordeus and against Finn… if it can kill them both then who will sit on the Unseelie throne….?
And that brings us to the end of day 4! WOW! Things are pretty intense right now to say the least. Any predictions as to how this is all going end?
I’ll see you all tomorrow for the last day of our readalong. ?
Love,
Shaz
Ok, I admit it. I read the whole damn book. I’m not sure I really liked it…but I couldn’t put it down? I’m not sure how to judge it taking that into account.
Anyway, I don’t want to say anything spoilery so I might come back tomorrow instead to share more reactions.
hope you enjoyed the book! I look forward to seeing your reactions on today’s post.
Oh wow. I have more questions than before ? okay, so the curse is interesting.
So when the slrugh burned Brie, pratha was asking Finn to take her life? I mean, human life for power? Is that what he has been doing, killing nearly dying humans? Then why did the human girl kissed and present rocks? Okay, still very confused over it.
Please tell me Brie is not King Osborn, daughter. But that will make Finn her brother? Cousin?
I still feel like Bash is lying; I mean, the explanation that he gave Brie about the other girl still feels wrong and a lie.
And I just realised it is book one of a series! Nooooo, all my questions better are answered in the next few chapters ?
Aaaah I’m loving it! I’m so glad that we’re finally getting some answers! I do wish she’d just listen to Lark, who couldn’t be more clear in my opinion: she obviously means that Finn and the rest have some plot against Brie, but she has to let Finn explain, because otherwise she’ll turn evil, because she’ll let her anger take over.
I didn’t expect Pretha to be in love with the Wild Fae queen, that was such a cool twist! And the amulet was a tracking device!! I can’t/don’t want to believe that Bash doesn’t love her and is just playing a game, he must love her, right? Or did he just not want Finn to get her? I don’t freaking know what to believe at this point!
We did get some sexy times in these chapters, I definitely loved the shower moment with Finn hehe, I’m loving him. I don’t know who I’m rooting for at this point! I think I’m leaning towards Finn, not sure. The way he talked about Isabel was so damn cute as well :’) But what was Sebastian talking about with the catacombs? What is Finn hiding? And why do I feel like it’s Isabel? At least she and Sebastian kinda talked, he knows about the mirror and that she knows about the curse, but not yet why exactly she took the mirror; he will not like that. Can’t wait!
Aaand Sebastian is using her… he really isn’t as nice as he wants her to think.
Definitely something fishy about Sebastian. I’m fully #teamFinn
Riaan, you shady!
I’m getting the distinct impression that there’s something about Brie’s hermit that we don’t know about yet. I want to believe that the fae male her mother ran off to be with was King Oberon, and that he is the reason she has shadow power – her power has to come from the Unseelie realm!
Are you saying she’s the crown?! ?
Still so many secrets between all of the characters! I can’t wait to finish and see what we find out at the end and what we’re going to be left wondering about for the sequel.
Oooo that’s a very interesting theory about King Oberon! yess her powers scream Unseelie !
STAB THE DAMN BOOK!
I’m slightly worried she’s Oberon’s child which will make a certain scene incredibly awkward but I think the timeline is too long ago for me to be right.
now that would for sure be awkward ?
Once again, a lot happened in these chapters. It was very exciting.
When Brie asked the mirror to show her King Oberon’s crown, the image didn’t change and all she could see was herself in the mirror. Is she the crown? Is the crown in her? Is she the clue to get the crown?
So the protection charm was actually a tracking device. Sebastian seems to be manipulating Brie and guilting her out in the hopes she would agree to bond with him. But then, as soon as he leaves her, he just goes to spend the night with another woman! I don’t understand how Brie can still excuse him and say things like she loves him after that. Sometimes Brie exasperates me with her thoughts and feelings regarding Sebastian.
Finn, on the other hand, was once again a proper gentleman with Brie, and helped her through the whole drugged up incident. I don’t know what Sebastian is trying to imply about Finn and the catacombs, but no matter what I still don’t trust Sebastian.
the author has done well – even we’re all a little confused though cant forgive Sebastian and Riaan for saying what he did.
I have to ask is anyone else getting Tamlin vibes from Sebastian???? I am having serious doubts about his character. Sebastian is suspicious.
#TeamFinn all the way.
Fair warning, I couldn’t stop reading. Bar the first 16 pages I’ve read the entire book today. Hot damn.
ahhhh! hope you enjoyed the book!
Omg if she takes the book the queen will die but than what happens more fighting between fae
Wtf they wanted to let her die but Finn said that her power could backfire on them why does this give me a feeling tha she is the daughter of Oberon and thats his power in her. And what happens if she dies the girl said if she died during the bonding she would be queen what kind of queen I still hope she is the key to uniting them all.
I don’t know who to trust the fae are all so shady I am so frightened for Brie
clearly the fae are not to be trusted at all ooops
It’s all so crazy and I’m loving it! I still like Finn more, but I’m feeling kind of bad about it cause I think I should like Sebastian more than I do- I just don’t trust him at all! Also that shower scene was steamy ?. I both really wanted something to happen between them and really didn’t want Finn to take advantage of her!
Does anyone else think the Unseelie king fell in love with Brie’s mom? That’s where I think that’s going… Also I’m so torn about that blade and all that Sebastian knows about Brie. Oh and I get the problem, but I think we should just kill the queen (which sounds evil, but come on!).
What are you all thinking? We learned so much backstory in these chapters- although I kinda just feel more confused ?
Maybe the crown is not a thing, but a person..? Maybe she is the crown, I mean, she has the crown’s power or the crown is literally hidden inside her? Too many possibilities.
Pretha’s love story is too sad. 🙁
Sebastian gets shadier by the minute! Maybe it’s not even a coincidence that he got closer to her as a friend in the human realm.
The shower scene was hot, but the aftermath is quite embarrassing with Jalek! 😀
I hope Brie will only use the blade against Mordeus and not Finn! 😐
cue the embarrassment for Brie! Finn was loving it haha
I can‘t with this book! Boring? I don‘t have a clue what it means. The plot never slows down and just when you think you know what goes on… well you don‘t.
I loved the part where Brie was drugged and how is was handled in a light and mockery way instead of being awkward for far too long. She could brake out of her shell and let her emotions flow freely and I felt for her when she just wanted things to happen because of her and not her powers or the bond, which everyone is still obsessing about, especially Bash. I think he keeps to many secrets to be the nice guy he seems to be.
Brakken is such a nice side character, I don‘t even know why, but I really like him. Maybe because he is the only character who doesn‘t seem two-faced. He wants his hair and then he is a happy goblin.
I hope Brie gets the badass moment she deserves and kills the queen and maybe even Mordeus. I would love a little revenge for Jas and maybe she will even become a ruler, who knows? But none of the characters would be more fitting or deserving of it than her.
The part with the mirror gave me more questions than answers. Does it really show the truth? Didn‘t Finn warn her about it? I‘m not sure if it doesn‘t do more damage than good.
I‘m so excited for the end of the book and I hope we will finally get the answers we were waiting for so long to receive.
This curse is really baffling me
Soooo many questions…
Is Finn her brother? We’ve had it wrong the whole time ?
Everyone was thinking Sabastin was the good guy but nopeeee
What’s is going onnnn I need to find out more
I’ve really enjoyed this book 🙂
Hello! Day late again but I absolutely plowed through this section on my lunch break just now.
This book is really easy to read which is nice for my brain, but I was going off it a bit in this section. Everyone is so awful which I get is kind of the point, but theyre not awful in a fun way so my interest is waning. ?
I am intrigued to see how this ends – is it part of a series, or a standalone? Because i kind of don’t see how it can wrap up in the amount of pages left! I am most excited for more shenanigans at the Unseelie Court and under the shamelessly evil King there. Something there has not come to light and I very much want to know what we have left to learn there!
Oh, also, I totally think the unseelie king fell in love with Brie’s mum… frankly I will be more surprised if there plot twist is that that *isnt* true lol
Honestly, agreed!
Not me totally forgetting that Brie was the crown ? but you can bet you’re bottom dollar I’d never forget that shower scene and was glad to relive it! ?
So much has happened. I definitely think that Riaan drugged Brie in order to bind with Bash and I’m getting the sense that maybe Bash has known about his mom and has been helping her all along. I really like Finn and Brie together and I can’t believe that Bash was tracking her (and she didn’t even confront him about it?). Can’t wait to see how it ends
Honestly there is way more to Brie’s situation then what we are getting. I really ant to know more. I also want to hear from her mom again. Where is her mom?
Wait wait wait…so Brie’s dad could possibly be Oberon? Brie possibly already has the crown? THIS IS SO TWISTY.
Also I’m definitely #teamFinn after these chapters. Bash leaves Brie and goes to make out with another woman? UGH. And Finn had to try soooo hard to be a gentleman with Brie trying her best to seduce him bahaha. More like that please.
I’m writing a bit late! Truth be told, I finished this book on the second day and then commenting on here slipped my mind (but I have made notes for each day to avoid spoiling).
Who are you, Bash? Surely not the sweet prince you’ve been pretending to be. Even if Brie has been lying to him, I feel so bad for Brie when she spied him with the other woman. And so soon after. You little prick!
I am a sucker for the whole “drank Faerie wine and lost my inhibitions” situation. And the teasing afterward. I’m just entirely onboard with Finn – I adore him.
When I read these chapters I kept wondering if the crown is inside Brie. That the woman he loved is her mother, and to save her he somehow had to place the crown inside or?
All in all, I haven’t been able to put this book down and now that there is only one section of chapters left I’m a bit scared to find out where everyone truly stands.
The shower scene ?? ?
The author really said here are two heart throbs but I’ll make you favour the dark haired one because those are the fae rules.
I must admit at first I wasn’t feeling how lacking the relationship felt between Brie and Sebastian, because it just felt so fast. But I’m loving the slow push and pull between Finn and Brie.
Ok, do a lot happened. I don’t like Sebastian, he’s too much of a mommy’s boy.
I do think it’s clear that King Oberus fell in love with Brie’s mother. He probably saved her life and gave her powers.
Oh, and when she looked into the mirror asking for the crown. She IS the crown. That’s ehy she’s so powerful and why Finn’s friends told him to take her powers instead of healing Brie when she almost died again. At least, that’s why I think. They can’t take the crown without killing her, unless she bonds. So the person to bond with Brie, will have the crown and the powers that come with it.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to read if I’m correct xD
Wow!! These chapters revealed a lot! I also had to take a break in the middle these chapters to finish another book, but I have to say, rereading everything that happened in this section, I realized how dense it was. We get a lot of information about the past and two moments were Brie is in trouble and is save by the Unseelie court.
I think Brie is definitely the crown for the Unseelie court and bonding with her will unite the two courts. However, I wonder how everyone knows – as is seems like everyone does by her scar, but how did they know the scar would be the clue? – and does Sebastian actually like her or just using her…?
Due to the weird conversation that Seb and Brie had in the last chapter, I think he definitely knows she’s up to something because of how quick he is to brush it all aside. I think he’s more cunning than we thought perviously.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this story ends. Does Brie kill the Queen at the end of this book? Will she bond with one of the guys by the end of this book? I think one or both of these will need to happen by the end, so the next oil is all about finding new footing in the wake of this new world.
I fell a bit behind but I’m catching up now and UGH I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
Riaan gives me untrustworthy vibes, something about him doesn’t quite sit right with me…. I think he did poison Brie.
Brie and Finn scene was -chefs kiss- YES. I wanted something to happen, but I’m also glad Finn didn’t try and take advantage when she had lowered inhibitions. BUT I SHIP IT!!!!
There is so much information in these chapters but what is history and what is myth? Is anyone at all trustworthy? I still have a lot of questions and theories and I’m not sure how much will be answered in book one. I’m expecting big twists before the end and then probably a big big cliffhanger.