dreamerfreak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Violence
molls's review
medium-paced
Coming off a strong #2 and #3 this installment was disappointing. It felt like the author had a plot she wanted to write and was shoehorning her characters into it. Everyone is being way, way, waaaaay too chill about vampire stuff. It's super jarring after how book 3 ended; Mercy and her found family should be and in fact are on higher alert in the beginning of the book, but that apparently doesn't apply when it's convenient for the plot. I'm doing a series re-read trying to figure out where I gave up the first time and I'm wondering if it was this book.
The plot does a disservice to all of the character building done on Adam and Mercy (and to a lesser extent everyone else) previously, and fits in awkwardly with pivotal series moments
Spoiler
Mercy can barely tolerate a hug from her brand new mate. The forced distance feels like a way to delay the inevitable, which I wouldn't begrudge if it made sense. Mercy almost died a week ago and became national news, but sure, go out of town on a highly suspicious side quest without any werewolf backup while marked for death by the local vampires. How is Mercy having panic attacks all over the place but totally unbothered about being bitten without her knowledge by a strange vamp and then having to submit to a coercive and potentially permanent bond with Stefan? She casually mentions being Stefan' new sheep, as if the end of the last book and the beginning of this haven't been about her recovering from an attack where she was under someone else's control. As if she has not spent the entire series resisting both Samuel and Adam because she didn't want to be controlled.The plot does a disservice to all of the character building done on Adam and Mercy (and to a lesser extent everyone else) previously, and fits in awkwardly with pivotal series moments
Spoiler
such as Adam officially declaring Mercy his mate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death
Minor: Rape
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This one just puts its toe over the line of how much adult content I'm comfortable with, but it's kind of plot/character development necessary after the trauma Mercy went through last book, and from that stand point I really like how the arc and relationship are handled in this book. (If that content level is a new series standard I'll probably have to either stop after the next book, or switch from audio to print so I can skip scenes more easily.) Also loving how she's starting to realize that even a 'strong independent' woman can benefit from having an even stronger male around, especially one who really cares about her. <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Cursing, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Sexual content
Minor: Child death, Rape, Excrement, Infertility, and Miscarriage
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