Review: Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff

I can't decide if I'm happy or not about waiting a few months before reading this. I got an eARC a few months back, and like always, I peeked. Which scared me. So I waited. Then I got my pre-ordered hardcover and I had to re-read Stormdancer and be brave enough to read Kinslayer. I loved it so much. But my god. It broke me to pieces. I felt everything. So much heartbreak.

I feel like I shouldn't have to say that my review will contain a whole bunch of spoilers from Stormdancer. But I'm saying it anyway. There will be a lot of spoilers for book one. Just so you are warned :) Probably no spoilers for Kinslayer, though I wish to write about all that happened. But I won't, promise :D Kinslayer was just so amazing and there were so much happening.

I just can't deal with my feelings for this book. I can't. And I don't really know how to begin this review. How to talk about this book without giving away all the spoilers that I have in my heart. I don't know how to remember to talk about all the characters. But I'm hoping to remember most of them. But even if I don't, I loved them all. Because there are so many. Okay, fine, I did not love them all. I hated most of them. Mostly I just loved Kin and Yukiko and Buruu. Though there were a handful of new characters whose gotten a place in my heart. And they were amazing. Mostly cruel people in this book, though.

Kinslayer starts where Stormdancer ended. About 50 days after Yukiko murdered the Shogun. And since her father died in her arms. Sobs. But the thing that broke me the most, was reading the description of the characters in the beginning. I did not realize while reading the ending of Stormdancer that Yukiko left Kin behind in the city. That broke my heart into a million pieces. Thank god I didn't spend a whole year knowing that information. Sigh. Still, it wasn't too bad. Maybe :D Because Kin is in this book a lot.

This is told from the point of view of many characters. Kin, Yukiko, sometimes Buruu and a whole bunch of new characters. I still love that these books are from so many different characters. I was never overwhelmed by it. Though there were a few times that I wished to read more from one characters point of view, and got a little bit frustrated that I had to wait while reading from someone else, lol. But I did love all the different characters. They were all needed. And it is written so well. Easier than book one :)

Well, okay, that might be a lie. I say Kinslayer was written easier than Stormdancer. Not really. Because it seemed to have taken me forever to read this book, when all I did today was read. But I didn't have any trouble with the book, I understood everything. Though there are many names to remember. Many expressions and things to remember as well. I felt like I remembered them all, though, and I'm very happy about that. Would have sucked a bit to not know what was going on, lol. But it was amazing.

There is just so much happening in this book. I think it all happened in three weeks. And while it took me ages to read this book, I just wished it had been longer. Because, damn it, evil ending. But also pretty amazing. Anyway. We get to see a lot more of Yukiko in this book. Sometimes she pissed me off. She did some dumb things. But I adore her. She's strong and awesome. She's trying her best, even with her awful head pains. Those just broke my heart. But I loved reading about it so much, even so.

I do adore Yukiko. But yes. She really frustrated me in this book. Some things in the beginning broke my heart, the first pages. But then a few pages later I was so, so happy. Then even more heartbroken. Unfair. I don't know what her feelings for Kin is. I hope she loves him. I want her to love him. I need them to be together. But sometimes I got the feeling she was just using him. And I couldn't stand that. Hope I'm wrong. Because a few times when she thinks of him.. Swoon. I loved those moments the most.

Then there is Buruu. The thunder tiger. And oh, how I loved him. I loved him and Yukiko together so much. They are amazing. We get to know him a bit more in this book. A few things that broke my heart. But they also made me curious. I need to know more. Hopefully getting to know a lot more in book three. Favorite part of Buruu and Yukiko together is when she and him are one. It's pretty amazing to read about and gah. It just makes me so jealous. I want my own Buruu. To share everything with.

My favorite character in still Kin. He's so adorable in the beginning. But then, in the end, I didn't really understand him. And it broke my heart so much. But I did get it, for the most part. I just.. I wish it doesn't ruin things. I wish he and Yukiko can be together. Because they do make an awesome couple. But oh. Reading about Kin with the Kage.. it broke my heart into pieces. They were so cruel towards him. So evil and mean. So much hate. And, sigh, a new Guildsman. Girl. Grrr. A bit annoyed about it, hih :)

I talk too much. But I just had to. But oh. I need to mention all the new characters. We get to read a lot more of Michi, whom I'm not sure how to feel about. I liked her, but hated what she did to this one man. Sniffs. We also see more of a few characters from Stormdancer. Won't spoil it. But yeah. It was evil! And heartbreak. And all kinds of awesome. Sigh. I can't deal with all the characters in this book. They were just too many and too amazing and just so perfect. Every character is written really, really well.

A favorite of mine was Hana. And her brother, Yoshi. They were so damn amazing. But my god. The scenes with them broke my heart the most. Well, maybe. Loved their cat, Daken. Heartbreak. Loved Yoshi's boyfriend. Even more heartbreak. Loved Hana so much. She's tough and smart and sweet. And broken too, I think. I just wish to know even more about them. But I loved how much I did get to know about them both. But damn it. So much heartbreak with them. So much pain and torture. So unfair.

You should know that there is a lot of torture in this book. And you get to read all of it. It's awful. And I loved it so much. Must be something wrong with me, lol. But it was amazing to read about. All of it was. But so much pain. So much heartbreak. So much torture. There is also sex scenes between some new characters. Which I kind of liked. Though, uhm, I might have wished for it between someone else, oh well. Maybe in another book :D Anyway. This is still an YA book. An amazing one at that. <3

I wish to talk forever about Kinslayer. But I won't. But my god. There is so much happening and I feel like I haven't expressed it well enough. So many amazing characters. Some new creepy creatures. Whom I NEED to know more about. You know, that gorgeous dragon on the most gorgeous book cover. The plot is just amazing in this book. But damn it. I can't get over all the heartbreak. And the betrayal. Yet I have a small hope inside me. Just need book three now, please. Kinslayer was amazing. Read it. Right now.

I hope my review ended up making sense. My head isn't really making much sense right now, though. Feeling so much. And so little, because Kinslayer did break me. Evil book! Yet I couldn't help but love it. Damn it. I cannot wait for book three. Yet I fear the wait will be more than a year. Sigh. I want it now! Anyway. Kinslayer is a MUST after having read Stormdancer. And you need to read both. Thank you so much to St. Martins Press for eARC via NetGalley, though I ended up reading my hardcover of the book :)

Goodreads - Buy it

Update: Newer and better review of the book can be found here.