Just when I think the series can’t get any better, I am proven wrong. Boy, was I wrong. One would expect book number eight in the series to be simply another entertaining read that one comes to expect from this husband and wife writing team. One would be wrong. As the title suggests, there is a major shift in the story arc. It was hinted at towards the end of the previous book, and it delivered on its promise here. It is a whole new ball game. If you are just jumping into the series, this would be as good of a place as any, although you would have missed out on earlier awesomeness.
Kate and Curran are trying to build a new life together apart from the Pack. No longer being the Beast Lord and Consort has its advantages and disadvantages. Not having to deal with Pack politics is freeing, but trying to be an unassuming couple in the suburbs is proving to be more difficult. Especially when trouble tends to follow you and set itself on fire at your front door. The neighbors tend to frown on things like that.
When George (Georgetta), Curran’s closest thing to a sister, asks for help to find her missing fiancé, they realize there is more to the story when ghouls start showing up in packs and giants reanimate themselves into numerous other creatures. Throw in some manticores and carnivorous unicorns, and you have yourselves a party that only Kate Daniels can throw. Of course, in every freaktastic party, some characters must inevitably bite the dust. It did surprise me how many of them did that in this book. Not any of the main or secondary characters, but I did start getting a Game of Thrones vibe. I can only hope it is not a foreshadowing!
What makes this series truly top-notch is how every book advances the overall story arc. There is no “same circus, different clowns” approach, and that journey has brought us to this turning point. We still see some of the Pack members but for the most part, that drama has passed. The focus is, who will remain standing after Kate and her father finally face off? Kate’s identity and powers are out in the open now. Her sense of responsibility to the city of Atlanta drives her to make uneasy sacrifices. But no matter how bizarre the creatures get or how dark the circumstances become, what makes me adore this series is the heart. The relationships between the characters are real. They struggle with the most basic human needs and desires just like everyone else, shapeshifter or not.
And then there’s the humor through it all. The witty banter and sassy replies make the punches easier to take. When life knocks you down and keeps its foot on top of you, steady relationships and humor go a long way in keeping you afloat. Kate and Curran’s relationship is the epitome of that belief, and it is what keeps them alive and together.
If you can’t tell by now how much I love this series, let me clarify: I. LOVE. THIS. SERIES. If you haven’t read it yet, go do it now. Start with this one, in fact. I guarantee you will be back for more.
ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review.
Jennie Ivins
Julia Kitvaria Sarene
Nice choice of Claudia Black for the cover.
No! No! No! Don’t start with this one! If you haven’t read it–get thee to the bookstore with cash or library with card. But you’d better have some vacation time, because you’ll be starting on an 8 book binge.
In all seriousness–start from the beginning. The first story arc is completed, but that was like finishing book 1 of a trilogy–there is so much more story to be told.