It’s not every day a girl finds out her fated mate has a mistress.Reeling from the sudden revelation that Jareth loves another, Crysta decides happily ever after is completely bogus and forms alliances with the most unlikely inhabitants; from a Fae Dragon sidekick, to a Satyr King, a Mermaid Queen, and an army of Dark Elves. She finally knows what it will take to bring King Moridan down, but the … King Moridan down, but the key to his destruction is missing, and Chantara is the only one who holds the answers they seek. Unfortunately, all well laid plans—and those thrown haphazardly together—never go off without a hitch.
As Crysta, Jareth, and their group of friends rush to save the Fae realm, she must come to terms with her identity, her power, her memories, and her fated mate before a problem far more invasive serves to destroy her bond with Jareth.
Will she choose to remember the assassin she once loved, or will he be lost to her forever?
This series will appeal to fans of Amy Sumida, Cassandra Clare, Helen Harper, Rachel E. Carter, and Julie Kagawa.
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Wow love this series and this one was full of twist and turns with so much happening. Much was explained from prior books but now we have new mysteries too. Action packed romance with inventive new fae, new mystery to solve, magic and action and a wonderful adventure. My only drawbacks is it being under 300 pages..
Wow! What a crazy twisty-turny story! So much is revealed and still much remains hidden. Many new creatures are invented by Ms Anaya and many traps to figure out and unlock. I have enjoyed the creativeness written in these pages. The different worlds were amazing, the magic hard to grasp. I found myself in awe, holding my breath, biting my nails, shaking my fists, clutching my jaws, flipping pages so fast hoping to come to a winning conclusion but….we still have more to wait for. Don’t really know how long I can hold out for. I would really love to get my hands on the next book immediately but, alas, I have to wait. This has been a wild ride I’m sure many other fantasy lovers would love to take. I would highly recommend this one.
Sadly, fourth time is no charm. I’m not saying that this book was bad in any way, nor that it couldn’t measure up to the previous three in the series. Truth be told, I have liked the previous books, but I have also had issues with them. Those issues were amplified and way more visible in this book, which is why I now stand disappointed and a bit let down.
What I like about C.J Anaya’s writing style is that she doesn’t usually waste time for long overdone introductions or descriptions. She jumps right in to the action and drama. This was also the case for this book with a very intense first few chapters. As soon as it was resolved however it became sort of slow paced and underwhelming. Sure, stuff happened and there were twists and adventures, however nothing was really that unpredictable or kept me on my toes. The storyline even annoyed me a bit. From the beginning a fated mate bond was described as this beautiful and extremely rare thing between two people/faerie/creatures and having such a bond with someone of another kind was unheard of. Suddenly out of freaking nowhere fated mates found each-other left and right between every race with no issues or difficulty. What made the fated mate theme so romantic and heartwarming to begin with was that it was so rare. Suddenly, to be rare no more, felt like it meant as much as a promise ring between preteens in a movie. Nothing. It all was just too convenient and mechanical that so many faeries found and was bonded with so many fated mates in one day just by searching within a different race. If it really was that simple then I feel like they they should have discovered this a long time ago. The different races mingled all the time!
The suddenness of fated mates in every crevice was not the only underdeveloped or unrealistic thing either. Important and life altering facts and memories were just forgotten by characters that are supposed to be smart (eg Chantara forgetting her last moment with Crysta’s mom, Kheelan and Rodri forgetting to glamour Crysta as a baby, Jareth forgetting important spells). And then they suddenly remembered it in detail when reminded? And Jareth getting overly possessive and aggressive because of a unfinished bond? Why all of a sudden? Shouldn’t it have gotten worse and worse throughout the series? While its out of nowhere appearance was unrealistic, I did enjoy seeing Crysta and Jareth romance flare with the possessive and lusting behavior he got. It really built up the conflict in the end. I just wished his behavior would have been spread out and worked on earlier, instead of just thrown in into a page and then been left there.
Another thing I’ve noticed in the series is how stilted and callow the writing sometimes were. In the earlier books it wasn’t so much in my face that it bothered me, but this time it did. Every character in the scene always had a written out reaction or mention to something happening, like laughing, gasping, snorting or any kind of facial expression or noise. As a reader I don’t need to know who exactly sat beside who when sitting down and no one in real life gasps or makes noise every time someone do something out of the ordinary. Even the swearing was awkward with all kinds of flaming pixies, dung or hobgoblins. What made it even more obvious was that the swearing was everywhere. Please, tone it down or use ordinary curse words. They are still okay to use.
I know I’m bashing a lot, but I do it because I care. I love this series and want it to be at its best. And don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy myself reading it. There were drama, action and a heartfelt romance that I absolutely loved. I was just a bit let down is all. With such a suspenseful cliffhanger however, I am very excited for what comes next!
I am voluntarily reviewing a complimentary review copy of this book.
OMG. I want the next book NOW. I must have it. I must know what happens next. Is this the end for Crysta trapped with King Meridian? Will Jareth go back and get to her in time? Will his brother release the curse? Will they all survive? Absolutely brilliant series. Love each and every one of the books. Bring on the next one and hurry up. I MUST read it. Five most definite stars.
Holy Crow!!! Things pick up from book 3 and they are off and running at full speed. Jareth and Crista finally get a break but not for long and that’s for sure! The book ended on a cliff hanger in my opinion and what the heck will I do until the next book comes out??? This series is smokin’ hot and if you haven’t started the series you are MISSING OUT!!
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.