Not once has it been mentioned that Rhordyn had been inappropriate towards Orlaith or had shown any desire for her prior to the events in this book. Eventually, it's pointed out to which moment he actually started to feel more than just a protective instinct (as I said they have a unique connection that is likely a mating bond). I like to change up the way I do things every now and then. Keep you on your toes. You never know when a dragon’s going to swoop down and snatch you or a ninja will appear from the darkness or a talking sword will force you on a long, likely fatal journey. Gotta stay vigilant. Don’t get complacit. I'm going to be honest, this isn't a badly written book and the story has its good points and some people will love this I have no doubt.

This is a good story, and then the main characters interact and I question my entire reason for reading this in the first place. The relationships that she has crafted are toxic, frustratingly vague in their motivations, and don’t make me want to hope they end up together, we know they will because of the nature of the story, but both main characters are so caged up in their feelings for each other that it’s not fun to read their love story. To switch things up a little bit, I’m going to introduce you to To Bleed A Crystal Bloom by sharing some of my favorite quotes!Soooo....is Cainon Shulak too? Also I think this proves even more than orlaith is Maars daughter. That's why cainon is so obsessed with her. The romance comes secondary to Orlaith's journey but YES! you will get a clearer answer of who is Orlaith's endgame. There's 100x times more angst in this book. But whew this was beautiful. This made my heart feel whole. Sarah has a way of creating characters who live in the middle ground...not good or evil but in some gray shadow in between. There were times when I disliked Orlaith, and times when I loved her and hurt for her. And times when I felt certain ways about other characters (let me just say that Baze is my favorite of all). I've come to love these characters, and they are familiar to me, and it is so sad closing a book and knowing that there is a long wait until the next one. I'm so excited to see where this goes next. To see Orlaith continue to grow and heal and take control of whatever that power is that she has and use it and wield it. Its too slow. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a slow build up, but this feels a little TOO slow. But honestly I am so excited to see where we go!

On her dying breath, she asks rhordyn to protect her. No mention of her son, or her family, or anyone else. I think she was tasked with protecting orlaith AT THE SAFE HOUSE Rhordyn needs to tell the truth or i’m punching his face. Also, stop fkg acting like she belongs to you when you give her nothing in return and always brush her aside like she’s just a burden. He seems to be tainted by her affections, not because they repulse him but because she is too good for him. He wishes that she could see the monster underneath his skin, probably in belief that it may deter her.As Sarah's immense world continues to expand, we get to learn more about each character inside and out. Long-held secrets are revealed, but in true Sarah fashion, more sprout in their wake. I can't believe I talked myself into reading half the book and all I got out of the plot was that the heroine is best friends with a fish—I mean merman excuse me, and that she's got that female instinct to forage, which she puts to good use by foraging for plants to make her own narcotics. Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I'm safe...though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily. Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who's utterly unavailable.

All my main issues are below but let me say this. I had no idea what to rate this. I thought about it exhaustively and came to the conclusion that I didn't want to rate it. In the end I just decided because there were some amazing scenes and definitely some disturbing scenes that these two dichotomies they averaged each other out. Call me a cop out but I stand by it. It is such a wild ride that I cannot rate it anything other than 3 stars. This book tried to be too many things. There were mermen, random monsters, I am pretty sure she was described as fae but I can't be sure and none of them were described and explained and we were just left to understand by ourselves... Ooh so this is a loch ness monster, oohh this man living in sea literally lives in the sea. Full of the most poetic prose that grips you with imagery & emotion & doesn’t let you go until the last word, The toxic relationship explains why Orlaith acts that way. Why she’s soooooo enamoured by this unavailable d***head. A man who won’t even teach her about the world. Yes. He’s hot. But he’s so fkg frustrating. I wanted to hit him so many times. I wanted to slap her too because girl kept whining on how she needed to be done with this toxic relationship but drop everything once he gives some attention/affection. I hope she’ll realize that she deserves better than this.

After my reread, I think Rhordyn is so incredibly misunderstood as a character and his role in this story. The world-building expands through multiple POVs but what I love the most, same as the first book, is how the world is unfurling for the reader the same way it does for Orlaith. I love that we're learning and experiencing things alongside her. I love being in her head and following her throughout this journey. I legit didn't know what the hell was happening the entirety of this book. For example: What do they look like? How old are the males in this world? Do they look 20 or 50? You’re terrible,” he flips to another leaf in the book. “And you were made from stones, so you’re not much better off.”

The mental health rep in this book is unmatched. I truly understand every decision (bad or otherwise) she has made, because the author has written such a 3 dimensional character.

To Bleed a Crystal Bloom

If you choose to read this book, and I definitely urge you to do so, you'll experience frustration, sorrow, pride, yearning, the steam AND THAT ENDING.