One month has elapsed since Pandora turned out the sun, and things in the Mortal World are shifting as though something dark is just on the horizon. Sephy has been patrolling the streets, preventing demon attacks when she can, but things at the estate fall deeper into chaos with every passing day.Luce is beyond reach, consumed by both grief and the darkness, and while Xion feels like he owes her … he owes her the help she once gave him, he’s beginning to wonder if she’ll take it. Then, with the discovery of a solution to tame Lucifer’s darkness emerging from their joint past, the cogs of fate begin sputtering into motion.
For you see, Pandora might have the throne, but she still doesn’t possess the undying loyalty of the Demon Lords, and with an unexpected visit from The Higher Plains, Pandora begins to realise she needs power of her own to truly grasp her revenge.
Will Sephy, Xion, and Luce thwart her pursuit of the destruction of all they hold dear? Or is the sacrifice they are expected to pay to maintain the balance of worlds just too great?
This teen and young adult Underworld fantasy romance is a perfect blend of high fantasy world building mixed with contemporary characters, Greek and Roman mythology, and fast-paced action. Perfect for fans of Gena Showalter, Sarah J Maas, Becca Fitzpatrick, Deborah Harkness, Sara Holland, and Holly Black.
THE QUEENS OF FANTASY SAGA
BOOKS IN THIS SAGA
TRILOGY ONE- THE TIDAL KISS TRILOGY
THE KISS THAT KILLED ME
THE KISS THAT SAVED ME
THE KISS THAT CHANGED ME
TRILOGY 2- THE ASHEN TOUCH TRILOGY
THE OPAL BLADE
THE ONYX HOURGLASS
THE OBSIDIAN SHARD
THE AETHERIAL EMBRACE TRILOGY (COMING 2019)
INDIGO DUSK
VIOLET DAWN
LAVENDER STORM
BOOK 10- CONCLUDING NOVEL
QUEENS OF FANTASY
for more information on this saga and the rest of the Kristy Nicolle Infiniverse, go to www.kristynicolle.com
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Pandora has taken Mortaria with the help of the Demon Lords, but all is not as perfect for her as it seems. She needs their support to continue, but she lacks the power to hold her position on the throne. The mortal world has turned into a frightening place for Sephy, he cohorts, and humans alike. Luce has opened a can of worms that has allowed the darkness to attempt complete control over her, making her impossible to trust or bargain with. Xion is working his hardest, trying to gain some ground with Sephy and get through to Luce, both situations he feels responsible for. They are all trying to find the one thing that will either give Pandora the power she needs or stop her from gaining power. And if they find it, will the cost be too much for all of them?
There wasn’t a moment of this story that was predictable or didn’t surprise me. This author has such a twisted sense of humor and a dark imagination. I can’t fathom where her ideas originate, but wherever they come from, she gleans pure gold. There were moments that had me laughing out loud while others had me holding my breath. I shed tears several times, and cheered on the heroes as they worked to discover what it would take to save the mortal world and stop Pandora from tipping the balance and destroying every plane of existence. Even after finishing the story, my heart is still in my throat, and I’m trying to find the meaning of it all. This trilogy has been dark and consuming from the first book, and I wait on pins and needles for the next thing she writes.
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
This review contains spoilers from previous books but not this book 🙂
Sephy Sinclair has been through a lot. First, she finds out that she is the daughter of none other than the ruler of the underworld — Hades. She is nearly killed by the Demon Lords and Pandora, who are scheming to take over Mortaria. Then she is actually killed by a measly human using Sephy’s own opal blade. She struggles to adapt to the world (and Mortaria without her father, who gets killed by Pandora) when she is painfully resurrected by Luce. She must deal with the darkness that has been brought out in Luce and work to help restore her to the way she was before. Amidst all this, she is falling in love and does not want to admit it.
In this last installment, Sephy struggles against the realization that she must do something about the impending apocalypse. With the Hades and the Mortarian sun gone, the balance between worlds is precarious, and Pandora continues to scheme and plot. When Sephy is attacked in her own home, she realizes that, no matter how much she wants to be just a “normal girl,” she is needed desperately by the world to restore order…
I’ll admit I fiercely disliked Sephy in the first book. She was selfish and not really that nice of a person. She has gone through incredible character growth throughout this series though. She never asked to inherit Hades’s powers. She never asked to bear the responsibility of defeating Pandora, but she handles herself with much more grace in this book. She is less whiny.
The relationship between her and Xion is heartbreaking throughout the entire series, as first she finds herself attracted to him but pushes him away, saying she will never love him. He constantly brings out the best in her, and he is patient and loyal throughout. This book tore my heart open with Xion’s ultimate fate, but what is a book if it doesn’t elicit strong emotions?
I also love Luce’s transformation through the series. She starts out as a very pleasant, friendly person who struggles from time to time with the darkness inside. When she succumbs, it is easy to understand why. We understand her motivation, but Thane does not, and her departure is incredibly selfish. I hate Thane for what she did, though it is also understandable.
Hades is probably one of my absolute favorite characters, and I missed seeing more from him in this book. I could honestly read an entire book from his POV. 🙂 I find the Higher Plains fascinating, and I loved how we did get to experience a bit of his presence near the end.
Jules is, of course, dependable and reliable as ever. I always enjoy reading anything about him. Sephy is surrounded by such an amazing, loving, caring group of people. I was honestly very happy with the ending to this book, and ending a series satisfactorily is a challenge for any author!
The events of this book are frankly mind-blowing. Sephy and the rest are like old friends, and each page was honestly thrilling.
I found Pandora to be sort of a puzzling villain. She came in a sort of black horse, and no one really took her seriously. But then she managed to pull off some pretty incredible and terrible things thanks to the box and the fickle loyalty of the Demon Lords. I found her to be a weaker villain in this book — falling for stuff she shouldn’t, trusting the Demon Lords too much (until it was too late), and not considering Sephy a serious threat. Her fate was also sort of confusing to me. I have trouble keeping track of where people can go and what powers they have. The last scene with her was pretty funny though 🙂
I thought the section about them staying in a hotel and going to McDonald’s was hilarious, and a much needed breath of fresh air after all of the intense action they have to go through.
I agree with the other reviewers that this is Kristy Nicolle’s best work yet. I have the Tidal Kiss Trilogy sitting on my shelf and hope to crack that open soon. I am also looking forward to her next trilogy.
What a amazing read that will have the whole story complete and blowing your mind away. I was hooked from the first page tell the very ending.
Are you prepared? No really..are you prepared for this book?
This is the final installment of the Ashen Touch Trilogy and Kristy finishes it off with multiple bangs, clangs and fire all around. We are thrown back into the world where Sephy has to continue to fight her own feelings while trying to save the world and everyone in it from a crazed lunatic and her band of merry men..err demons.
While I was prepared to have my own feelings hurt a bit, I found myself immersed in this book to the point where I cried when the character’s cried and I yelled when they yelled. I felt joyous when it seemed like everything was going great and felt my heart sink at other moments. Kristy takes your heart and gives you life…then slowly chips away until you want nothing but revenge and destruction for the characters she has created.
If you want a series that will make you laugh until you cry and also break your heart into a thousand pieces then peice it back together with the fire of Haedes, then I think it’s time you click READ NOW.