Book Review: These Twisted Bonds (These Hollow Vows #2) by Lexi Ryan
As a colossal fan of immersive fantasy, I eagerly anticipated Lexi Ryan’s follow-up, These Twisted Bonds. The first installment, These Hollow Vows, gripped me with its blend of intrigue and complex characters. So, naturally, when I opened this sequel, I was primed for a wild ride. However, what unfolded felt more like a chaotic stumble through a carnival funhouse than the majestic journey I expected.
From the very first lines, Ryan sets a stark tone: “Beyond the castle gates, the sun rises and the birds sing, but the Golden Palace is draped in a veil of night. My night. My darkness. My power.” It hooks you in with promise—a world steeped in shadows and power struggles. Yet, as the story develops, the brilliance quickly dims, leading me down a path I wouldn’t wish on my most despised literary villains.
The crux of my disappointment lies within the protagonist, Brie. She oscillates wildly between self-deprecation and an unfounded sense of superiority. At one moment, she claims, “I am not even pretty enough… I wish I could sacrifice myself,” only to later proclaim her power is unmatched. This dissonance was exhausting and rendered her character frustratingly inconsistent. I kept wanting to shake her and scream, “Be one or the other already!”
Finn, the intriguing male lead from the first book, sadly devolves into a shadow of his former self. The romantic tension that made my heart race has been replaced with confusion and questionable decisions driven by clichéd tropes. He transforms, in my view, into a caricature of a ‘simping’ hero—one who seems to forget his own complexities amidst the clutter of unattainable love. What happened to the Finn who beautifully balanced tenderness and strength?
Sebastian, the other love interest, felt like a poorly sketched villain—loud and annoying without depth. His obsession with Brie left me grinding my teeth in frustration. The writing here, which blew me away in the previous book, felt muddled and chaotic, often dragging me into a disjointed plot filled with random revelations about magical powers that left me scratching my head. “…what the heck were the powers mentioned?” I echo my own confusion in my heart. At times, the randomness of the plot felt almost like a comedic detour rather than the riveting fantasy I had hoped for.
The shining gem, though, was Misha—a character who managed to shine through the murk with a mix of wit and charm. His telepathic, devious demeanor brought a spark of life that kept me tethered to the pages. Perhaps he was the only stable character in a sea of emotional turbulence.
While the book captured me in fleeting moments, I found myself more entertained by the chaos than invested in its core themes. That darkness and power Ryan set up so beautifully? They were drowned out by heavy-handed tropes and a lack of genuine character evolution. I longed for the plot to unify, to rise beyond the predictability, and to lend me the satisfaction of resolution that felt deserved.
In closing, These Twisted Bonds might find adoration among readers who revel in chaotic love triangles and aren’t deterred by inconsistent character arcs. For those like me, hoping for a sequel that captures the magic of its predecessor, it may be time to temper your expectations. It’s a ride, that’s for sure—just not the one I had hoped for. If only Brie could take flight on stronger wings, perhaps this journey wouldn’t feel so bittersweet. For now, I’ll leave the door open, hoping maybe someday I’ll revisit this world—when the shadows might align more amicably with the light.
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