A review by brennanlafaro
Hayward's Revenge by Cailyn Lloyd

4.0

One of the best things about Cailyn Lloyd’s Elders series is the settings each book revolves around. A haunted house, or at least the like, in Shepherd’s Warning. An underground cavern in Quinlan’s Secret. Now a forbidding lighthouse aptly named the doors of death in Hayward’s Revenge. The first two books told largely different stories with some intertwining details, but the third and final installment ties it together and puts a nice bow on it.

The evil force that’s been plaguing the characters from the first two books finally gets a name here as things get intense enough to draw the McKenzies in with Kiera and Willow. Threads are tied to link everything that’s been happening. Essentially, Hayward’s Revenge does what you hope the final book in a trilogy will do.

What sets it apart is that, even though it serves as a bookend, it could function as a standalone as well if one were so inclined. Lloyd gives us glimpses into earlier events, a brief “previously on” for the seasoned reader that provides enough useful bits of exposition to allow a new reader to enjoy the ride. Would you appreciate the characters as much if meeting them for the first time? Probably not as much, but Lloyd still provides depth and connection relevant to the story at hand.

Some may find fault with the ending, not being content to wrap everything up with an ending that overexplains and eschews ambiguity. Lloyd finds the middle ground of providing answers and giving the reader closure, even if it’s not set in stone, and leaving the created world open for more stories. For the reader who enjoys drawing their own conclusion for what happens next, you’ll be satisfied.

Lloyd’s inviting style of writing is once again on display. Her voice takes us from page one of Shepherd’s Warning to page 359 of Hayward’s Revenge setting the scenes in an effective way that doesn’t allow description to overstay its welcome. Vivid action scenes rife with sensory description are sprinkled throughout (Be on the lookout for a scene involving lightning and a sword) and the pacing fills 300 plus pages nicely without meandering and allowing the reader to get bored.

A strong trilogy from start to finish, if you’re not reading Cailyn Lloyd’s fiction, you’re doing yourself a major league disservice.

I received a copy from the author for review consideration.