gagey_baby's review
4.0
OMG. Great read this book! I was on the end of my seat throughout the story and rooting for the good guys the whole time. It was really cool how the story line encompassed all the playing fields-Heaven, Earth, and Hell. This book brought to life the balance between all three needed to have stability in the "universe" we'll say. The Angles and Wolves really came into this book and it was great to see how the interactions happened. This was probably one of the best books of the series. Can't wait until 5 comes out!
gerd_d's review
4.0
It starts out with the Alpha, Abel, vanishing from the werewolf sanctuary leaving his mate back in worry, and to worsen matters it’s not just that Abel has vanished, so has all trace of him, giving sure sign that some powerful magic must have been involved. Rylie, who is still gnawing on Seth’s death, desperately turns to the only person that can help her find her mate again, demon Elise, current ruler of Dis.
Meanwhile in angelic Shamain the body of Leliel is discovered, closer to death than life. Nashriel who gets called in to examine the site finds that the seemingly impossible has happened, a demon managed to cross borders into Heaven. When the attacker can’t be found he goes for his fiancée Summer to enlist her help in the search.
Left by both Alphas, and now his sister, Abram reluctantly takes up temporary leadership of the pack. At this time they get attacked by Clotho, a new sort of powerful demon-hybrid loyal to Belphegor and the Union closes in.
I loved this book - quelle surprise, eh?
As if I actually couldn’t love a book that practically opens with Rylie.
Okay, okay, it does really open with Abel on his last day in the Sanctuary, before he vanishes, but Rylie does make an early appearance. The opening chapter shows us a different side of Abel, one that is usually hidden behind cocky stubbornness and possessive behaviour, making me inclined to like him more again.
As usual I loved the exploration of Rylie and Elise’s friendship, them being such different characters, united in their hunt after James Faulkner.
James was the character that surprised me the most in this instalment of the series, or rather my personal reaction to him. So far I was quite contend with seeing him as the bad guy, but the more we do get to learn about his twisted love for Elise, the less I can help it but almost sympathize with him.
Neuma does play only a minor role again, but it’s nothing short of memorable as it shows us both sides of her, the succubus demon’s and the human’s, and there’s a wonderful moment of bonding that offers Elise for one some well deserved quiet and peace and for other lifts their relationship beyond mere sex to something truly meaningful.
Following the tradition, the fourth book in the Ascension series also offers more information on one of the side characters, and this time it’s Abram who gets to share some of the spotlight, allowing him to become a character in his own right.
"Caged in bone" is definitely more sexy that it’s predecessors, yet I feel that it marks growth to S.M. as an author by the fact that she manages this by not putting more sex in, which seldom works to advantage, but to write the sex there is with more impact, adding emotion to it that goes beyond the simple sating of some carnal hunger.
All in all the story is again extremely well told, never short of surprises, with new alliances being revealed and old acquaintances reappearing, all building up steadily towards an unexpected climax that takes the series in a new direction.
But where other books left off on minor cliff-hangers, just leaving enough open for us to stay curious about what the next book may bring, this one is almost leaving us in a free fall, desperately wondering what will come next and how bad things will turn for our heroes when we hit the ground.
Meanwhile in angelic Shamain the body of Leliel is discovered, closer to death than life. Nashriel who gets called in to examine the site finds that the seemingly impossible has happened, a demon managed to cross borders into Heaven. When the attacker can’t be found he goes for his fiancée Summer to enlist her help in the search.
Left by both Alphas, and now his sister, Abram reluctantly takes up temporary leadership of the pack. At this time they get attacked by Clotho, a new sort of powerful demon-hybrid loyal to Belphegor and the Union closes in.
I loved this book - quelle surprise, eh?
As if I actually couldn’t love a book that practically opens with Rylie.
Okay, okay, it does really open with Abel on his last day in the Sanctuary, before he vanishes, but Rylie does make an early appearance. The opening chapter shows us a different side of Abel, one that is usually hidden behind cocky stubbornness and possessive behaviour, making me inclined to like him more again.
As usual I loved the exploration of Rylie and Elise’s friendship, them being such different characters, united in their hunt after James Faulkner.
James was the character that surprised me the most in this instalment of the series, or rather my personal reaction to him. So far I was quite contend with seeing him as the bad guy, but the more we do get to learn about his twisted love for Elise, the less I can help it but almost sympathize with him.
Neuma does play only a minor role again, but it’s nothing short of memorable as it shows us both sides of her, the succubus demon’s and the human’s, and there’s a wonderful moment of bonding that offers Elise for one some well deserved quiet and peace and for other lifts their relationship beyond mere sex to something truly meaningful.
Following the tradition, the fourth book in the Ascension series also offers more information on one of the side characters, and this time it’s Abram who gets to share some of the spotlight, allowing him to become a character in his own right.
"Caged in bone" is definitely more sexy that it’s predecessors, yet I feel that it marks growth to S.M. as an author by the fact that she manages this by not putting more sex in, which seldom works to advantage, but to write the sex there is with more impact, adding emotion to it that goes beyond the simple sating of some carnal hunger.
All in all the story is again extremely well told, never short of surprises, with new alliances being revealed and old acquaintances reappearing, all building up steadily towards an unexpected climax that takes the series in a new direction.
But where other books left off on minor cliff-hangers, just leaving enough open for us to stay curious about what the next book may bring, this one is almost leaving us in a free fall, desperately wondering what will come next and how bad things will turn for our heroes when we hit the ground.
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