This Book Forced Me Into Therapy—Thanks a Lot, LJ Andrews

Night of Masks and Knives – My Review

Book Four in The Broken Kingdoms Series by LJ Andrews

Okay. Now listen up.

This book.

Phew. Deep breaths.

I was raging with this book.

How silly of me to dive headfirst into a fantasy series like The Broken Kingdoms, thinking I could absolutely avoid the deeper shadow work I’ve been needing to address and instead fall in love with yet another couple—only to find my wonderful plan foiled by one of those very characters doing the exact opposite of what they are supposed to be doing.

No, I had absolutely no clue that this would turn into a forced therapy session, making me come to terms with things I didn’t even realize I had an issue with. So I guess I should say… Thanks to LJ Andrews for making me go to therapy anyway???

Okay, at this point, I just know you’re thinking… Did we read the same series?

And here’s the thing… Yes. And no.

The awesome thing about any book is that no one person is going to read it and feel the exact same way. Sure, there will most likely be a general consensus on things, but because of our own personal life experiences, everything around us becomes defined by those experiences through confirmation bias…

Still with me? – Okay, good.

So the main trigger point for me throughout most of the book is that Nightrender can’t make up his damn mind, and the Memory Thief gets stuck in this constant emotional whiplash—except without the fun loops of a rollercoaster. Instead, she’s just constantly slamming into walls, trying to break through his exterior.

It was a trigger because it felt way too much like the crap I’ve been avoiding for, oh, I don’t know, close to 15 years. So again… this book forced me to look at some truths I did not want to address and had been happily avoiding.

Because let’s be real—men don’t control shadows in real life, so how could this ever remind me of my own issues?

LJ Andrews said, “Hold my coffee, reader.”

A Love/Hate Relationship With This Book

Overall, this book was my absolute least favorite in the series. But also… I couldn’t put it down.

I finished the book and immediately went to Threads to rant about how I had no clue how I felt. I told myself I’d need a breather before the next book. So, I bought the first book in another long series and went downstairs to make dinner.

Yet, while I’m doing my kitchen duties, my mind keeps wandering back to the ending of this book.

I can’t help but ask myself…

“What happens next? Will they finally resolve this seemingly never-ending, thorn-in-their-side villain issue? Or will the next book be another spiral of struggles that trigger every part of me that I do not want to address?”

Apparently, I’m a masochist because I’m already 3% into book five.

And if that doesn’t perfectly describe this damn series, I don’t know what does.

Final Thoughts & Steamy Level

If you get to book four and hate it… stick through it.

Don’t give up.

I was still annoyed at 78%, then again at 94%, and yet—I couldn’t stop reading.

That’s what makes this series so damn good. No matter how pissed off you might be, you need more.

Thank god books are good for the brain and help prevent dementia, because otherwise… I’d be so screwed.

As for the steamy level—honestly? I have no clue. My autism was acting up, and the spicy scenes weren’t vibing with me, so I literally skipped a few. I think it was around a 6 or 7, but don’t come for me if it’s hotter than that.

Oh, and don’t be like me and forget there’s a bonus chapter at the end of the book. If you’re reading the ebook, LJ Andrews literally puts the link right there for you to grab it.

But incase you missed it.. here is the link : BONUS CHAPTER

Loved this review? Let’s talk about it! Follow me on Threads @BlondeBookDiaries and tell me what you loved (or raged about) in this book! 📖✨💬