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trayslays's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexual content, Death, and Violence
_isabel_'s review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
I can't believe this series is over. It seems like I've been on a big, long adventure with all these characters and their loved ones, and now I'm feeling very, very lost without them.
But "Alastair" was the perfect conclusion to their story, and the overreaching plot of this series. I couldn't have asked for a better way to say goodbye to them all. Yes, I know Jaclyn Osborn has an epilogue novella out next month, but *sobs* I already miss them all.
Alastair has been my favourite Nephilim brother from the very start and being in his head for the first time was incredible. He's such a complex and multilayered character, prideful and arrogant and brilliant. He's also an anxious mess, in constant and desperate need of approval, and surprisingly very, very bratty at times. I never expected these sides of his personality, but let me tell you, I LIVED for them.
Lazarus, on the other, was his perfect counterbalance. He's as cold and sure of himself as Alastair, but he's also the only one who can give Alastair the approval and praise and security he so desperately needs. I loved both of them to absolute bits and their dynamic was SO DAMN PERFECT. The gorgeous build-up to their romance, the palpable chemistry and tension between them, every single one of their interactions (during, and before, this novel) was spot on and impeccably done.
“You did so good,” I panted, pulling him to my chest. “My perfect boy.”
Also, let me tell you, Alastair having a praise kink? His very bratty behaviour and temper tantrums? The way Lazarus was just about ready to snap and spank him? PRICELESS. The only thing that would have made their relationship better was if Jaclyn Osborn had actually gone ahead and given her readers a proper spanking scene *sighs* but nevermind.
The other characters were equally unforgettable. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: Jaclyn Osborn is a found family genius. All the brothers and all of their mates are fabulous characters, and after seven books, I feel like a family member myself. And Clara and Baxter, Nico and Sirena, Konnar and all the other fantastic minor characters are as incredibly lovable as the main ones; and Michael, although I've had you for one book, I'm already ready to lay my life down for you. I love you okay???????! *swooning noises*
The plot was as unforgettable. I gasped and laughed, swooned and screamed, cried and sobbed and then cried a bit more. Because yes, I cried a lot by the end. Their final fight against Lucifer was a tough and heartbreaking one, and the whole thing felt like a punch to the gut.
And, needless to say, I devoured it.
It's a bit like choosing who you love more out of your family, but I think I'm going to finish off this review with a ranking; because, although I absolutely adored them all, I feel like a few of these books deserve a round of applause.
So yes.
Bellamy and Phoenix still own my whole heart, but they're closely followed by Daman and Warrin and Alastair and Lazarus. Gray and Mason take fourth place, then my babies Galen and Simon, Raiden and Titan, and then Castor and Kyo.
But, like a said, together as an ensemble, all of them absolutely shine.
I'm so looking forward to "Beyond the Storm" and any other novel and series Jaclyn Osborn will gift us! I feel like there are a ton of characters that have so much potential (yes, Michael, Konnar, Baxter, Clara; all of you), so now I'm both sad and excited to finish off this chapter and start a new one with brand new romances and stories.
But "Alastair" was the perfect conclusion to their story, and the overreaching plot of this series. I couldn't have asked for a better way to say goodbye to them all. Yes, I know Jaclyn Osborn has an epilogue novella out next month, but *sobs* I already miss them all.
Alastair has been my favourite Nephilim brother from the very start and being in his head for the first time was incredible. He's such a complex and multilayered character, prideful and arrogant and brilliant. He's also an anxious mess, in constant and desperate need of approval, and surprisingly very, very bratty at times. I never expected these sides of his personality, but let me tell you, I LIVED for them.
Lazarus, on the other, was his perfect counterbalance. He's as cold and sure of himself as Alastair, but he's also the only one who can give Alastair the approval and praise and security he so desperately needs. I loved both of them to absolute bits and their dynamic was SO DAMN PERFECT. The gorgeous build-up to their romance, the palpable chemistry and tension between them, every single one of their interactions (during, and before, this novel) was spot on and impeccably done.
“You did so good,” I panted, pulling him to my chest. “My perfect boy.”
Also, let me tell you, Alastair having a praise kink? His very bratty behaviour and temper tantrums? The way Lazarus was just about ready to snap and spank him? PRICELESS. The only thing that would have made their relationship better was if Jaclyn Osborn had actually gone ahead and given her readers a proper spanking scene *sighs* but nevermind.
The other characters were equally unforgettable. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: Jaclyn Osborn is a found family genius. All the brothers and all of their mates are fabulous characters, and after seven books, I feel like a family member myself. And Clara and Baxter, Nico and Sirena, Konnar and all the other fantastic minor characters are as incredibly lovable as the main ones; and Michael, although I've had you for one book, I'm already ready to lay my life down for you. I love you okay???????! *swooning noises*
The plot was as unforgettable. I gasped and laughed, swooned and screamed, cried and sobbed and then cried a bit more. Because yes, I cried a lot by the end. Their final fight against Lucifer was a tough and heartbreaking one, and the whole thing felt like a punch to the gut.
And, needless to say, I devoured it.
It's a bit like choosing who you love more out of your family, but I think I'm going to finish off this review with a ranking; because, although I absolutely adored them all, I feel like a few of these books deserve a round of applause.
So yes.
Bellamy and Phoenix still own my whole heart, but they're closely followed by Daman and Warrin and Alastair and Lazarus. Gray and Mason take fourth place, then my babies Galen and Simon, Raiden and Titan, and then Castor and Kyo.
But, like a said, together as an ensemble, all of them absolutely shine.
I'm so looking forward to "Beyond the Storm" and any other novel and series Jaclyn Osborn will gift us! I feel like there are a ton of characters that have so much potential (yes, Michael, Konnar, Baxter, Clara; all of you), so now I'm both sad and excited to finish off this chapter and start a new one with brand new romances and stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, War, and Violence
aromarrie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
the avatar of Pride would be pleased to know how much this story had confirmed this series absolutely deserves to be in my top 10 reads of the year. probably not so happy that bellamy is still my most favorite book out of all of them, but bellamy & phoenix were just in a completely different realm of their own. either way, this finale was seriously everything. so much of what appealed me to the series was the quality of the characters, who were all charming in their own way; this story of brothers fighting for humanity and for themselves, using their curses for good due to the grave sins of their fathers. while the writing at times faltered a bit for me, the magic of this series never failed and i looked forward so much for alastair's book here because as the leader of all the Nephilim brothers, alastair holds a huge weight that forces him to have a more mature perspective, and the way the author explored how heavy that weight is was incredible.
what i liked:
- the relationship alastair had with his brothers. this was something that's been shown second-hand since the beginning, but actually getting to read alastair's personal feelings about how much he cherished kallias, galen, castor, daman, gray, bellamy, and raiden was on a whole different level. i loved how he had moved from seeing them as simply his subordinates because in the grand scheme of things, only alastair as the avatar of Pride holds the power to spread influence to the others as like a superior of sorts. there were moments over time where he faltered, though, a clear show of how much he grew to care for & love all of them due to them training with each other and growing together in all those years of their childhood, up to becoming adults.
it was as seen in galen's story when alastair encourages galen to accept his bond with simon, despite how up to this point, they were always forced to put duty above all else, including love. it was seen in daman's story when in so much of the story, daman felt cast off from his brothers while all the way in Russia, willing to risk his own life because he thought himself worthless, only for alastair to break and plead with him that he not sacrifice himself without having his brothers there to protect him. it was seen in bellamy's story when despite how forbidden & reckless his bond with phoenix was, despite how much it could fracture their goal to keep Light Bringer out of asa's reach, alastair held back from killing phoenix, knowing how bellamy wouldn't be the same no longer if phoenix was dead. it was seen in raiden's book when phoenix was captured and tortured, and despite how clearly a trap it was to bring them closer to lucifer, alastair held no argument at going to save him, just like phoenix saved him when he was at risk of death more than once, and just like he knew phoenix & bellamy didn't deserve to be separated.
all of that culminated to this finale here where we got to witness how powerful of a force alastair's love was for his brothers. the fated mate bond between these main couples of the series is something not to be reckoned with and is the source of what saves these eight boys in the end, but barring the fates, these bonds would not have existed if it wasn't for how hard alastair fought for them all to find their own happiness by taking these risks. by taking his own risk through the encouragement of his brothers, we got to see alastair fall in love in a way he never felt before. this series is a romance first and foremost but it's also a love story between brothers who don't share the same blood but will fight to the death for each other, and they're the cause of scenes that absolutely broke my heart.
i'll always love how close alastair & gavin were of all the brothers, and daman & bellamy--one special relationship that stood out to me, though, was the dynamic between alastair & bellamy, specifically, because in bellamy & raiden's books, it's something that just really stood out to me. and even through its rocky roads, it was a path molded by their enduring love and how protective alastair was for his brother who seemed to take the biggest risk of them all when it came to finding love. it just went to show how impossible it is to balance the scales between good and bad, because it could easily go one way or another until it all became muddled. which leads me to another thing.....
- i loved loved how even in a series where these brothers are painted as heroes while other characters the villains, the lines blur so easily at times it seems practically useless to follow such black & white thinking. it's something obvious to note with phoenix's character when it's revealed he and bellamy were mates because once the other brothers found out, they were so adamant there was no hope for him and that he would only cause pain for bellamy. but then he goes on to protect bellamy with all he has, or he at least tries, and he's so upfront with where his motives lie, which had always been with himself safe first & foremost, but even he's tested as he meets someone who he will come to always put first.
the highlight of having lazarus' pov in this book here is that we also got to see how the heavens weren't a complete haven where all things good were alight; there was just as much a grey area as there could be anywhere else. uriel was an angel i had the most trouble with because he was so consumed with hate for lucifer's betrayal from all those centuries ago, and the betrayal of other angels as well--the boys' fathers--that he immediately cast the brothers as creatures good for nothing, only capable of spreading their own darkness despite all the light they've clearly shown in the good they've done. while his hate was so annoying to me, it wasn't completely unfounded due to how big of a deal it was what lucifer had done--it was bound to cause these great fears and paranoia.
i liked how the author showed these two sides to help understand why characters like him thought the way they did, and it was even more amazing seeing how alastair himself had to reflect on the damage & manipulation that lucifer was capable of, all despite some of the gentleness he showed in caring for him as a child. whether that gentle nature was out of some ploy or not, it revealed a side to lucifer that was hard to shake and actually seeing those moments of him in the present felt so incredibly significant. we also saw this in the relationships that castor and gray had with their fathers, who did such irreversible damage that could've potentially destroyed humanity but who showed a side of themselves that only their sons could see and for that, they would never be able to move on from what could've been. this is one of those things i specifically wish we could've seen, if i may be honest.....not all the sons with their fathers, as not all of them had a good relationship with their parents, but with castor, gray, and even raiden, i just wonder what it could've been like if we got to see just one moment with each of them, knowing how big of an effect it could've had on these characters. but maybe that's the tragedy of it....castor & raiden's fathers were already long-dead and belphegor clearly was set on a path where he would not be forced to turn back, even if it meant losing his son.....
- something else i greatly enjoyed were all the side characters. while each book in this series focuses on a cast of 14 characters with 14 povs, there's a huge ensemble that stand out completely. i particularly loved kallias' character and how the author utilized his journey even if it was all being told secondhand. out of all the brothers, what kallias goes through is a tragic love story of its own and to see it all the way through to the end was such a transformative experience, let me tell you. this is something i respect greatly about the author as i feel she has a genuine talent for writing these large casts of characters in her stories who encompass so many parts of the story and fit so perfectly within the fabric of what keeps the plot together. it's all so well-rounded, and what kallias' character means to these brothers here, to alastair, it was such an absolute joy and a heartbreak, too, and i enjoyed every single minute of it. i enjoyed seeing how alastair stood with him to the end, and not for any reward or praise as being the avatar of Pride wishes, but simply because kallias & him are blood no matter what anyone says, and kallias will never be alone again.
i'm trying to focus on so many characters here but michael was a completely new one that, as lazarus' best friend, brought such a well of light of his own into the story and it's truly baffling how quickly i latched onto him. i really figured that due to this one scene that mentioned lucifer was the source of the light in which michael was eventually born from that there was something to be alluded to in the future but it never happens, at least not in this book, and i'm really curious if there's more to explore with his character. right now, i could confidently say that as someone who's a warrior first and foremost, michael still managed to add so much humor. he was still a crucial voice to the story as he put alastair in line in times when it was necessary due to alastair's pride sometimes getting in the way of him. it was really special to see him be a sort of mentor for lazarus but also just his best friend all in all, and one who gave him the guidance he needed whether he asked for or not. the teaser that there's more for his character to come has me so thrilled and happy, you wouldn't believe.
that 'something more' being connected to konnar, alastair's vampire best friend, has me even further pushed to the edge of my seat, it's amazing. konnar was a mirror of michael in a way when it came to his own presence in the story as he also provided guidance to alastair, and i just loved so much how the author made this clear point that never once was alastair & konnor ever really a thing and never will be, and not because they're not fated mates (or at least...not just that), but simply there's this comfort between them that doesn't feel right as lovers but feels absolutely important as the best friends that they are. i'm a huge sucker for relationships that could so easily be turned into something romantic but never does, and this dynamic knocked it out of all the ballpark.
this whole book knocked everything out of the ballpark, it really was so epic. this entire journey started with a dip into galen's story all those months ago and it took me here at the end of such a long & tumultous year, and while i haven't reached my "happily ever after", these characters certainly have and they deserved that. to even have the option to see what this happily ever after will look like in the next companion novel to be released next year, it fills me with so much joy because this series truly tested the brothers' wills and what they were willing to give up, whether for the sake of humanity or for themselves. there's so many mythical creatures and love stories to unfold but for these brothers, their journeys of sacrifices & heartache shall be no more and good fucking riddance.
this series will always have a special place in my heart, and i'll never forget it. it's all thanks to the author that i got to meet everyone in the first place, and so i'll never stop talking about them. that's a promise.
what i liked:
- the relationship alastair had with his brothers. this was something that's been shown second-hand since the beginning, but actually getting to read alastair's personal feelings about how much he cherished kallias, galen, castor, daman, gray, bellamy, and raiden was on a whole different level. i loved how he had moved from seeing them as simply his subordinates because in the grand scheme of things, only alastair as the avatar of Pride holds the power to spread influence to the others as like a superior of sorts. there were moments over time where he faltered, though, a clear show of how much he grew to care for & love all of them due to them training with each other and growing together in all those years of their childhood, up to becoming adults.
it was as seen in galen's story when alastair encourages galen to accept his bond with simon, despite how up to this point, they were always forced to put duty above all else, including love. it was seen in daman's story when in so much of the story, daman felt cast off from his brothers while all the way in Russia, willing to risk his own life because he thought himself worthless, only for alastair to break and plead with him that he not sacrifice himself without having his brothers there to protect him. it was seen in bellamy's story when despite how forbidden & reckless his bond with phoenix was, despite how much it could fracture their goal to keep Light Bringer out of asa's reach, alastair held back from killing phoenix, knowing how bellamy wouldn't be the same no longer if phoenix was dead. it was seen in raiden's book when phoenix was captured and tortured, and despite how clearly a trap it was to bring them closer to lucifer, alastair held no argument at going to save him, just like phoenix saved him when he was at risk of death more than once, and just like he knew phoenix & bellamy didn't deserve to be separated.
all of that culminated to this finale here where we got to witness how powerful of a force alastair's love was for his brothers. the fated mate bond between these main couples of the series is something not to be reckoned with and is the source of what saves these eight boys in the end, but barring the fates, these bonds would not have existed if it wasn't for how hard alastair fought for them all to find their own happiness by taking these risks. by taking his own risk through the encouragement of his brothers, we got to see alastair fall in love in a way he never felt before. this series is a romance first and foremost but it's also a love story between brothers who don't share the same blood but will fight to the death for each other, and they're the cause of scenes that absolutely broke my heart.
i'll always love how close alastair & gavin were of all the brothers, and daman & bellamy--one special relationship that stood out to me, though, was the dynamic between alastair & bellamy, specifically, because in bellamy & raiden's books, it's something that just really stood out to me. and even through its rocky roads, it was a path molded by their enduring love and how protective alastair was for his brother who seemed to take the biggest risk of them all when it came to finding love. it just went to show how impossible it is to balance the scales between good and bad, because it could easily go one way or another until it all became muddled. which leads me to another thing.....
- i loved loved how even in a series where these brothers are painted as heroes while other characters the villains, the lines blur so easily at times it seems practically useless to follow such black & white thinking. it's something obvious to note with phoenix's character when it's revealed he and bellamy were mates because once the other brothers found out, they were so adamant there was no hope for him and that he would only cause pain for bellamy. but then he goes on to protect bellamy with all he has, or he at least tries, and he's so upfront with where his motives lie, which had always been with himself safe first & foremost, but even he's tested as he meets someone who he will come to always put first.
the highlight of having lazarus' pov in this book here is that we also got to see how the heavens weren't a complete haven where all things good were alight; there was just as much a grey area as there could be anywhere else. uriel was an angel i had the most trouble with because he was so consumed with hate for lucifer's betrayal from all those centuries ago, and the betrayal of other angels as well--the boys' fathers--that he immediately cast the brothers as creatures good for nothing, only capable of spreading their own darkness despite all the light they've clearly shown in the good they've done. while his hate was so annoying to me, it wasn't completely unfounded due to how big of a deal it was what lucifer had done--it was bound to cause these great fears and paranoia.
i liked how the author showed these two sides to help understand why characters like him thought the way they did, and it was even more amazing seeing how alastair himself had to reflect on the damage & manipulation that lucifer was capable of, all despite some of the gentleness he showed in caring for him as a child. whether that gentle nature was out of some ploy or not, it revealed a side to lucifer that was hard to shake and actually seeing those moments of him in the present felt so incredibly significant. we also saw this in the relationships that castor and gray had with their fathers, who did such irreversible damage that could've potentially destroyed humanity but who showed a side of themselves that only their sons could see and for that, they would never be able to move on from what could've been. this is one of those things i specifically wish we could've seen, if i may be honest.....not all the sons with their fathers, as not all of them had a good relationship with their parents, but with castor, gray, and even raiden, i just wonder what it could've been like if we got to see just one moment with each of them, knowing how big of an effect it could've had on these characters. but maybe that's the tragedy of it....castor & raiden's fathers were already long-dead and belphegor clearly was set on a path where he would not be forced to turn back, even if it meant losing his son.....
- something else i greatly enjoyed were all the side characters. while each book in this series focuses on a cast of 14 characters with 14 povs, there's a huge ensemble that stand out completely. i particularly loved kallias' character and how the author utilized his journey even if it was all being told secondhand. out of all the brothers, what kallias goes through is a tragic love story of its own and to see it all the way through to the end was such a transformative experience, let me tell you. this is something i respect greatly about the author as i feel she has a genuine talent for writing these large casts of characters in her stories who encompass so many parts of the story and fit so perfectly within the fabric of what keeps the plot together. it's all so well-rounded, and what kallias' character means to these brothers here, to alastair, it was such an absolute joy and a heartbreak, too, and i enjoyed every single minute of it. i enjoyed seeing how alastair stood with him to the end, and not for any reward or praise as being the avatar of Pride wishes, but simply because kallias & him are blood no matter what anyone says, and kallias will never be alone again.
i'm trying to focus on so many characters here but michael was a completely new one that, as lazarus' best friend, brought such a well of light of his own into the story and it's truly baffling how quickly i latched onto him. i really figured that due to this one scene that mentioned lucifer was the source of the light in which michael was eventually born from that there was something to be alluded to in the future but it never happens, at least not in this book, and i'm really curious if there's more to explore with his character. right now, i could confidently say that as someone who's a warrior first and foremost, michael still managed to add so much humor. he was still a crucial voice to the story as he put alastair in line in times when it was necessary due to alastair's pride sometimes getting in the way of him. it was really special to see him be a sort of mentor for lazarus but also just his best friend all in all, and one who gave him the guidance he needed whether he asked for or not. the teaser that there's more for his character to come has me so thrilled and happy, you wouldn't believe.
that 'something more' being connected to konnar, alastair's vampire best friend, has me even further pushed to the edge of my seat, it's amazing. konnar was a mirror of michael in a way when it came to his own presence in the story as he also provided guidance to alastair, and i just loved so much how the author made this clear point that never once was alastair & konnor ever really a thing and never will be, and not because they're not fated mates (or at least...not just that), but simply there's this comfort between them that doesn't feel right as lovers but feels absolutely important as the best friends that they are. i'm a huge sucker for relationships that could so easily be turned into something romantic but never does, and this dynamic knocked it out of all the ballpark.
this whole book knocked everything out of the ballpark, it really was so epic. this entire journey started with a dip into galen's story all those months ago and it took me here at the end of such a long & tumultous year, and while i haven't reached my "happily ever after", these characters certainly have and they deserved that. to even have the option to see what this happily ever after will look like in the next companion novel to be released next year, it fills me with so much joy because this series truly tested the brothers' wills and what they were willing to give up, whether for the sake of humanity or for themselves. there's so many mythical creatures and love stories to unfold but for these brothers, their journeys of sacrifices & heartache shall be no more and good fucking riddance.
this series will always have a special place in my heart, and i'll never forget it. it's all thanks to the author that i got to meet everyone in the first place, and so i'll never stop talking about them. that's a promise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Grief and Blood
More...