It’s over! And part of me is sad. The same way I’m sad to leave books with characters I grow to love.
I do grow to love these two. I mean, I’ve loved Hawk since day one, but Aspeth grew so much during this book, and I’m glad for it. It made me root for exactly the ending she got.
I am a big fan of the HEA for a romance-focused book, fantasy or no, and this did not disappoint me. I do wish Aspeth stood up to her father, but I get why she didn’t. I also didn’t like how the king threatened to marry her off to Barnabus, even though she was already happily married. That kind of thing grinds my gears. But again, I get it.
But fucking Magpie. I knew the other shoe was going to drop, but that was some bullshit. She made for a consistent character, and she redeemed herself in the smallest amount by recommending Hawk take her spot in the guild, but still…
I wish we knew WHY she was drunk all the time and what happened to make her his way, but the best I can assume is how rough life was made for her by the men who run and work in the guild. I’m able to fill in a lot of gaps, but my mind gets really dark the more I wonder.
Aspeth’s other four, I loved them throughout. The way they built as friends was realistic and heartwarming. They truly risked everything for each other, and I’m glad they get to try again in the guild. That Lark and Mereden get their romance. And Kipp was their true savior in the tunnel collapse. It was a great group of characters. And they were all so distinct.
Dixon did a good job with this group.
Now, the Conquest Moon… how could I not talk about this. I like how this was handled. That Hawk both saved them, and couldn’t control himself with Aspeth to the point that everyone else ran off.
Hawk gave off enough dominance to be hot, but we were kept on the right side of how that could have gone. The knotting was nicely handled, both physically, and for the characters emotionally. I loved how they were able to create intimacy in those moments that reflected them before, when they were getting to know each other.
And of course, their ending showed them more on equal footing, both in their bedroom and in life. I couldn’t have wished for a better ending for these two. I’m happy about it.
Did you finish Bull Moon Rising with me? Let me know your thoughts! We’ll be skipping next week’s Read Along blog for Thanksgiving, and we’ll be back on the 6th with our first thoughts on A Bloom in Winter by J.R. Ward up to Chapter Thirteen or page 148.
See you then!