House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)

“Yet while Bryce would inherit barely enough power to do cool party tricks, Danika was expected to claim a sea of power that would put her ranking far past Sabine’s—likely equal to that of Fae royalty, maybe even beyond the Autumn King himself.” 

The irony of this statement is only apparent in retrospect. At the beginning of the story, Bryce is judged superficially in comparison to her magically gifted friend. By the end of the novel, her own power exceeds that of her dismissive father—the Autumn King.

“Reid had the easy manners of someone brought up with money, education, and no doors locked to his desires.” 

Although human, Reid’s family does business with the wealthy Vanir. As a result, he possesses the privileged attitude of the magically gifted. Significantly, he is the only human alphahole in the entire novel.

“Isaiah had tried to ignore the fact that Hunt seemed to exist within a permanent ripple of stillness. It was the bated silence before a thunderclap, like the entire land held its breath when he was near.”

While Isaiah’s perception of Hunt is colored by Hunt’s reputation as the lethal Umbra Mortis, there may be another reason for his stillness. Hunt is living in self-imposed emotional exile. He is still grieving the loss of Shahar decades after her death, and nothing can penetrate the wall of his despair.