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A review by beccakatie
Summer Shadows by Joss Stirling
3.0
This was a good final conclusion to the series. Allowing the final members of the Benedict family and the younger friendship group to find their soulfinders rounded everything off nicely. I did enjoy the change of scenery, many of the locations for the previous books have been quite interchangeable, and I've previously noted that Stirling tries too hard to prove that she is familiar with the area.
Bringing in the same characters and plot arc that's appeared in the previous books was an effective decision, as the readers were able to find out what happened after the books ended, as well as gaining a wider understanding of the practicalities of the Savant world and justice system.
It was enjoyable to get to know Victor's character better. He's always been the Benedict brother we know the least about, and his character trait of 'strong and silent' too often meant that he was left in the background. Watching him struggling with how to help his soulfinder and his torn loyalties between his work and his family was a great development.
One problem I do have with this book, and the entire series really, is how the female characters are often written as needing 'saving' and pushed to the side in the final fight scenes. Although they do have strong, standout moments, compared to the Benedict brothers they seem to be typecast as physically weaker, more suited to the emotional labour that comes later. Even in the final fight of this book, they were often left out of focus which I definitely feel was a waste as they are such good characters with such varied potential.
Bringing in the same characters and plot arc that's appeared in the previous books was an effective decision, as the readers were able to find out what happened after the books ended, as well as gaining a wider understanding of the practicalities of the Savant world and justice system.
It was enjoyable to get to know Victor's character better. He's always been the Benedict brother we know the least about, and his character trait of 'strong and silent' too often meant that he was left in the background. Watching him struggling with how to help his soulfinder and his torn loyalties between his work and his family was a great development.
One problem I do have with this book, and the entire series really, is how the female characters are often written as needing 'saving' and pushed to the side in the final fight scenes. Although they do have strong, standout moments, compared to the Benedict brothers they seem to be typecast as physically weaker, more suited to the emotional labour that comes later. Even in the final fight of this book, they were often left out of focus which I definitely feel was a waste as they are such good characters with such varied potential.