Eldritch

​4.5 ⭐​This book absolutely ended me. It broke me into a million pieces. I painfully loved every single page of this story, even though it was full of trauma, struggles, violence, and abuses. Let me be clear: it's not a book for everyone. Zevander's story is heartbreaking, I read some pages through fingers covering my eyes and palms covering gasp from my mouth 🫣😢🫢😰. I'm an emotional reader, and the pain, suffering, rage, and love is what I felt while reading this book. Ultimately, the reason I rated it 4.5 stars and not a perfect 5.0 comes down to the pacing.​The main focus of this entire book was to let us know Zevander's past - what he went through - and to give sense and meaning to his current actions. It functions almost like a prequel mixed with current events, which I deeply appreciated for the character work. However, this meant the overall plot development was heavily sidelined and felt rushed, only truly kicking off in the last 10 or 12 chapters.​So, be aware of this before reading. Don't approach it thinking you'll have all the answers.​The shift between Zevander's past and the present didn't trouble me at all; quite the opposite. They were incredibly well done and essential for making sense of his current behavior. The only structural thing that occasionally confused me was Kazhimir's POV. It wasn't poorly written, but I sometimes found myself forgetting where we'd left off in his last chapter.​In conclusion, I have to say that I love Keri Lake's writing style. It is captivating and holds you hostage. I would carefully read the TWs as some abuses are shocking and sickening, but I honestly couldn't put the book down. It felt as if I wanted to give him strength to hold on.​2026 couldn't come soon enough... I need book 3 NOW!!