ARC Review--The Righteous by Renee Ahdieh

 

Following the explosive events of The Damned, Odette is facing the final death. The Court of the Lions have done everything they can to save her but have failed. A healer from the Sylvan Vale could help her, but the boundary between realms is one that only a half-fey like Arjun Desai can cross. The Sylvan Vale is a world Arjun despises, but knowing it could save Odette, he returns there with all haste, inadvertently leaving the mirrored tare between the two worlds open.

It's mere days until Pippa Montrose is to wed Phoebus Devereux and become a member of his well-heeled family, offering salvation to her own. But Celine is missing. Pippa has no idea where her best friend has gone, but she's certain it's in the company of Sebastien Saint Germain and that Arjun knows where they are. Pippa enjoins the help of Eloise, the daughter of a powerful sorceress. Together they discover Arjun's gateway to the fey realm, and Pippa marches right through in search of her friend. But what she finds on the other side is a dangerous, duplicitous world full of mischief and magic she doesn't understand, and most unexpectedly, she finds love.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

The Righteous is the thrilling and game-changing third installment of Renee Ahdieh's The Beautiful quartet! While we previously followed Celine's story for the first half of this series, with segues from other characters, this time we are to follow mainly Pippa and Arjun, but again, we get the occasional chapter from Bastien, Celine, and a few others.

In order to save his vampire friend, Odette, from dying, Arjun is to return home to the Sylvan Vale and find a fey healer who might be able to save her. What he doesn't expect is for Pippa to come stumbling on through shortly after him. The Sylvan Vale is not a place mortals wish to be. It's dangerous and frightening, and just about everything there wants to torture then kill you. But Pippa is determined to find her best friend and ensure she is safe and happy.

Pippa is somewhat new to this world of vampires and fey, she knew about vampires previously, but the fey are a while new bag. After convincing Eloise, a sorceress in the making, to help her with her quest, Pippa realizes just how unprepared she was for her journey. She is swarmed by creatures nearly upon entering and it's with the quick thinking of Arjun that she is able to escape safely. The only problem was, in order to save her, Arjun claims she is his fiancee.

Pippa and Arjun have been playing a tangled flirting dance the last two books you could say, they are almost friendly with one another. But Pippa isn't willing to marry him, especially when she is suppose to marry another in a matter of days. But in order to stay alive, they must continue their farce. Arjun's mother, is highly regarded general of the queen--Celine's mother--and she calls Arjun's bluff you could say and soon Pippa and Arjun find themselves staying in the Sylvan Vale longer to have their wedding ceremony there!

But all is not well in the Sylvan Vale. There's something dark and seedy happening in the shadows, for where else would they happen? We learn that certain persons have their own secret agendas but we're not privy to many details. Only that something big is going down and will likely take center stage in the grand finale next year.

This book was amazing!! I loved seeing Pippa in action. I remember her being Celine's saucy best friend. While Pippa does act very proper and ladylike in society, she's truly a force to be reckoned with. She's got an edge to her that I just loved. Having watched her and Arjun interact before was always a delight. I loved watching them have quite a few different interactions in this book.

We of course still get points of view from other characters, Celine and Bastien--though, not as often, Emilie, and Michael too. We also meet a new character, named Ali, who is a guest at Lady Sill's palace, whom Bastien believes has his eyes set on Celine. One thing I've learned in all my readings, never trust the fey, they always have a scheme or two in the works where you can't see. Ali's character hasn't been fully realized yet and whatever his game will be is likely to come about in the next book as well.

There are so many things I wish to say about this ending because OMG! Where did THAT come from? But as you know, I will remain mum. Let's just say that this ending was jaw-dropping! There will be cliffhangers, I will tell you that! Many events are left hanging in the air and we won't know where they fall until next year. The reader's wait is never over.

Needless to say that The Righteous was an amazing read! In true Ahdieh fashion, we have another toe-curling romance that will leave you needing more from Arjun and Pippa! They are the couple we've been waiting for all this time! I'll be curious to see how the final book plays out, if we return to more Celine/Bastien points of view or if it will be back to Arjun/Pippa or something more balanced. There are a lot of characters we've met who get a chapter or two so we can see what they are up to and if you pay close attention you can see how dots are being connected to the bigger picture. That picture is still unclear, but we know the end is nigh now!

The Righteous continues the vampire saga to end all other vampire sagas! This is a series filled with beautiful characters who will hold you riveted with their tales. Ahdieh has always been a master at storytelling since her debut novel and this book continues to hold her fame and title. This book was the ultimate game changer and now I am very much looking forward to 2022 to see how this amazing and thrilling series will end! 

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

The Righteous releases December 7, 2021