The Sundering

Um did I tear up when she had to ride out without Lothar? <br>Ya damn right I did.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1454813052ra/18017033.gif" width="250" height="250" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Also the book starts out with another blindsiding blow to Yvonne when she is suddenly and unceremoniously stripped of her Hunar title by a few of her fellow Hundred. Why? <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="69ee52f8-0c23-4bdd-8ae2-e5a2b3ec8a15" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="69ee52f8-0c23-4bdd-8ae2-e5a2b3ec8a15">Well <i>apparently</i> the reason she is given is that the Hunar cannot have outside attachments, and the bond she created with Guise is the reason. *Cough* bullshit. </label> In her turmoil and disbelief Yvonne accepts this....at first.<br><br>However, with the discovery that even more 9 year old girls have been abducted, and the arrival of her old mentor's lover at her home claiming <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="a753caf2-f7e3-4b45-b6b2-f740f423e665" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="a753caf2-f7e3-4b45-b6b2-f740f423e665"> the Hunar's death </label> was foul play-Yvonne has to really dig deep to keep going. However, it seems that Yvonne can't rest with her pain for long and sets off to discover the truth.<br><br><a href="https://imgbb.com/" rel="nofollow noopener"> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1663419434i/33397926.jpg" alt="60fc8a0d27ce66e24765f03574316c52" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </a><br><br>Unfortunately the journey seems to shake everything Yvonne has ever believed in. However, thankfully she still has her family and loved one's in her corner to back her up with the difficult steps ahead...and her burgeoning relationship with Guise to contend with!</["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]>

3.5/5; 4 stars<br /><br />Yvonne and her growing circle of allies continue on the quest for ‘the bad guy’ despite the fact she is sundered from the Hundred for much of the book. I like how she is continuing to grow in her relationship with Guise as well as the other Goblins, Wulfkin and Rangers.

4.5 stars.<br /><br />Those earlier chapters, were very upsetting ?<br />Poor Yvonne!<br /><br />❤️❤️❤️

I'm really enjoying this series. Interesting mythology, great characters, riveting arc. There's romance, but be aware that like most fantasy (not fantasy romance, obviously) it is very slow burn.<br /><br />This book opens with a terrible betrayal, and my heart literally hurt for Yvonne. The betrayal left her floundering, but even floundering, she doesn't forget who she is: she is a person who helps people. With or without a stupid title. It is her care for others that draws her forward, and it's lovely even as there are several beats that made me cry.<br /><br />I really love Guise too. His patience and support are beautiful. The two of them dance around each other a bit in this book, but on his part, it's because he has such care for her, he doesn't ever want to make her afraid or uncomfortable. On her part, she suffered horrific abuse as a child, and has never had a romantic relationship. She doesn't even have the first clue on how to process her feelings, and the good feelings are interspersed with debilitating panic attacks. She hasn't had those in many years, but that's because she has kept herself walled off. Cracking the door is bubbling all that up. But she never doubts Guise, never doubts she is safe with him.<br /><br />For those wondering about safety: Yvonne was abducted into basically a children's brothel, when she was young. It is not on page, and most of it is just lightly alluded to when she is fighting down choking panic because someone grabbed her arm, or something. It isn't something that bothered me (and I'm pretty sensitive about stuff like that), but as always, YMMV.

<strong>Something Changed</strong><br /><br />This book was so not equal to the first in the series. Oh, the tale is still fascinating and the last half of the book was as good, but the first few chapters were hard to resolve.<br /><br />I don't usually include spoilers in a review, but, be warned, SPOILERS AHEAD.<br /><br />A contrived removal of the Badge of the Hunar from Yvonne by the self appointed "Leader of the 100", combined with two Hunar witnesses was contrary to what we learned of the Hunar in Book 1. Judged by rules never written or told, Yvonne is stripped of her Badge without the chance to object or tell her side of the situation. Yvonnes feeling of loss, sorrow, and betrayal are understandable; the feelings are eloquently written.<br /><br />There is a second awkward transition into the death of Yvonne's mentor the year before.<br /><br />Thankfully, from that point on the book returns with all the style and promise from book one. My personal opinion is that Ms Nelson's beta readers let her down and her editor simply accepted the prose as written. I'd gladly shoot the lot.<br /><br />On to book three.

This series features a fascinating world build and I really admire the heroine. She's been dealt a rough hand but she's still managing to persevere. I also really adore the slow development in the relationship between the lead characters - makes absolute sense given the heroine's past.

<strong>Friends &amp; foes aplenty</strong><br /><br />Put plainly - the number one issue I had with the first book (constant repetition of world lore) occurred just as frequently here. As well as a few editing mistakes that stood out brightly.<br /><br />Those aside this was another engaging mystery with fewer plot threads winding together than the first book, but no less significant. The start of the book picks up immediately after the end of Book 1, making Yvonne's day go from confusing to painful very quickly.<br /><br />Visits from several old friends occur, and a mystery about Sillman arises that... I'd really like answers about. <br /><br />The action is amped up here a little, and I found I really enjoyed the banter between Guise and Yvonne as they fought together. Their styles complimented each other, but also they picked up on how the other wanted to run things. How they wanted go manipulate their opponents.<br /><br />We learn more about Elinor, as well as Yvonne's history of forgetting important things that could REALLY HELP HER understand what the heck is going on. <br /><br />Plus there's developments on her learning to put her past trauma away so she could live her life more fully. Not A LOT of developments, but a good enough amount for now.

<strong>Awesome! Loved it!</strong><br /><br />I loved everything! I found nothing to dislike in this story. I highly recommend this series I've read the complete series and I want more! <br /><br />The FMC is an awesome woman, the crap she has been through in her life and she's still out there fighting the great fight!<br /><br />She has a goblin companion who is also a great character! I've never come across a human type goblin before. Usually they are ugly evil little creatures but not in this story. I don't want to spoil the story but you should get this series it's such a great story! <br /><br />Vanessa Nelson there's just one thing I regret, is that you didn't add a map of all the places mentioned. It would of made it complete for me as I find it hard to imagine where all of these places are. In books that put maps in I'm always referring to them it helps me see it better in my mind. So if there's one thing I would change it would be to add a map!<br />It's still one of the best stories I've ever read though! Thank you for such an enjoyable journey. I hoe you write more of coz I noticed it was left open as Yvonne still has another mission left to complete. I hope to read that asap! <br />

<strong>Yes, genre fiction can be this good</strong><br /><br />Real, if fictional, persons populate this book. It is a stunning sequel to "The Hundred," the first in the series.<br />The intricate plot is delightful, as are Yvonne's and her goblin fiancé's first tentative steps toward exploring a bond at least one of them thought was entered into only to get them both out of a sticky situation.<br />I should explain that most romances published today make me twitch or just throw the book across the room in disgust (which is hard on one's Kindle). But watching one human commoner and one goblin lord take careful and intelligent steps toward getting to know one another is delightful, and often very funny (see the scene wherein Yvonne receives an invitation from her putative mother-in-law). Now in how many romances does that happen?<br />Overall, though, this an adventure, the second involving Yvonne and Guise. They begin to seem the fantasy version of Lord Peter Wimsey and his Harriet Vane, complete with Peter's mother. That is no bad thing at all.

This is a review for all 5 books in the series as I read them pretty much in one sitting. This was the first book I read of this author who is new to me. Let me now just say that Vanessa Nelson has become a favourite auto buy for me! This series blew me away, the characters and the interactions between people are what make a book for me, even more so than the plot. And these characters stayed with me long after I put the books down. I anticipate that this will be one of those rare series that I return to read again. The world building was delightful and intriguing, Yvonne was powerful, but not all consuming and she was humble and believable. She went through betrayals, set backs and triumphs and I lived through it all with her. Honestly these books were amazing, go read if you love any sort of fantasy (although I think these were pitched with an easy world to understand so you could be new to the genre), light romance (not the over riding story emphasis, but what there was was clean and delightful) and heartfelt characters.