A review by ceruleanshelves
Bound & Tide by A.K. Caggiano

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

“All of you keep your mouths shut or, so help me dark gods, I will turn this griffin around, and nobody will be raining terror or destruction down on anything!”

if you haven't read the villains & virtues series yet, what are you even doing!?!?!?

it is so bittersweet to have the villains & virtues universe come to an end! and with such a fitting book, following the deliciously diabolical xander.

the way this managed to be the most emotional yet also spiciest book of the series???? ok!

“How in the realm do I find you so beguiling?”
“Because for all the torture I put you through, I’ll take you somewhere you’ll enjoy, in the end.”
Dark gods, that was the crux of it, wasn’t it?

while this still had caggiano's trademark silly terry pratcher-esque humor throughout the story, i felt like this was the most down-to-earth and heaviest of the series. it's not super heavy, but there's definitely more of a sensitivity dealing with xander's childhood abuse and toxic relationship with his mother, resulting in insecurity, self-deprecation, and self-loathing.

She would have slapped him if she didn’t have an inkling they’d both enjoy it.

“You fucking bastard!”
“I did not do this,” Xander protested.
“Oh, not you."

It was unfortunate for Evangeline that she found men to be both endlessly annoying yet achingly desirable.

it was fun to see him meet evangeline and a few other characters who warmed up his jaded little heart and gave him the love and family he deserves 🥲

final line:
Love made one wild and free but safe and sincere too, and it overcame birth and duty and even hopelessness because, in the end, it was the most transcendent of virtues, and even a villain understood that.
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