Reviews with content warning for Grief - Barbarian's Hope

I really loved this one. It gave me a new perspective on Asha and why she behaved the way she did to everyone. While not entirely excused it explains a lot into her actions. She has a very fiery and stubborn personality and not everyone understood the way she grieved.

I also loved seeing her and Hemalo working through the issues of their relationship. Their issues definitely came down to each other's actions and their clear lack of communication and it didn't help that they have such differing personalities. But once they got through the miscommunication issue, I think they have a great relationship in the end. They both clearly love each other they just didn't always show it in the best ways. Actions truly do matter in the grand scheme of things.

And I truly felt for Asha and Hemalo when they resonate again both of them knowing that they'll now have to go through another pregnancy terrified of the same results as their first one. But like all the other books this one ends happy and I think it probably has the happiest ending than all the other books so far.

This may actually be my favorite one so far. As always I'm excited to get into the next story.

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Asha and Hemalo’s story is one of the most moving tales in the entire series. The push and pull between the two estranged resonance mates and their grief as bereaved parents is so deftly portrayed. If this book were only about them I would give it five stars, no question. Unfortunately there is a third POV from Claire that repeatedly interrupts the main story. Even worse, that storyline attempts to gaslight the reader into believing that Claire and Bek didn’t work out as a couple because they were just a bad match and acts like Bek never behaved abusively toward her, attempting to isolate her and badgering her into compliance with his demands. Still, the main story between Asha and Hemalo is so exquisite that this book is well worth reading more than once (though you can safely skip the Claire/Bek chapters, in my opinion).

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