This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.It is always hard to write a review for a J.R. Ward book, because I try so hard to avoid spoilers, and yet, I want to either rant or rave about almost every tiny detail.
At times this book was so overwhelming with minute details, that it felt as though she were trying her hardest to give every single character that had ever appeared in the stories, if not an actual cameo, at least a mention. And yet, at other times, it felt as though important characters and events were glossed over with a quickness that left me re-reading a few pages thinking that I must have missed something, because I ended up not quite sure what exactly was going on.
In the end, however, there are two main factors that I feel I should focus this review on. First, the relationship between Blay and Qhuinn, and second, the overall progression of the series’ story arc.
On the first, I can say I was generally pleased. The pacing was perfect, with tons of angst and heartache on both sides, as well as plenty of chemistry. While the actual love scenes were mostly deliciously hot, there were a few quirks that left me a bit cold, and that’s coming from someone who’s typically a fan of male-male romance.
On the second, however, is where the book really shone. Old foes come back to the forefront, with surprising results, and the villains from last book begin to take unexpected paths in their quest to wipe out the Brotherhood and Wrath. In addition, we get quite a bit of history on the Shadows, Trez and iAm, as well as a very fascinating (and sexually charged) sub-plot with the dangerously sexy Assail.
Add to that an absolutely fabulous epilogue, and this book is definitely a keeper.
Newcomers to the series, however, should realize that this is not a series that can really be read out of order.. Books 1 – 5 are arguably interchangeable, and able to stand on their own, but I would personally suggest just going ahead and reading everything in order and saving yourself the massive headache of trying to sort things out.
A very solid 4.5/5 Stars
