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aharner88's review against another edition
5.0
Great end to this series
I absolutely loved this series, the obstacles they overcame to get to the point they were in was page turning and so very entertaining. Kelley Armstrong did an amazing job with this series and I would recommend it for any magical/ fantasy lover!
I absolutely loved this series, the obstacles they overcame to get to the point they were in was page turning and so very entertaining. Kelley Armstrong did an amazing job with this series and I would recommend it for any magical/ fantasy lover!
nelsonseye's review against another edition
4.0
Rituals was a good official close to the Cainsville series. I believe there are some short stories and possibly an epilogue which I will be adding to my tbr pile. There was a good mix of action, mystery, some unexpected humour, and some truly sad moments as well. I will also say that I really enjoyed the details that went into the Carew house and architecture in the series as a whole.
melissa_fonseca's review against another edition
5.0
I am so sad this series is done.
What a great book and series. Kelley's mind amazes me, I don't know where she gets such creative, magical ideas, but I'm so happy she has them. I wish I could read more, but it's a pretty great ending.
What a great book and series. Kelley's mind amazes me, I don't know where she gets such creative, magical ideas, but I'm so happy she has them. I wish I could read more, but it's a pretty great ending.
kirstysbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
This series started off so well but it went downhill around book 3 for me. I continued to read the series as I was interested to see where the story was going to go.
The way this book ended was a bit of a disappointment. Liv was supposed to make a choice between the fae and the hunt but she ended up not making a choice. I found that parts of this book were really slow moving and it was a struggle to get through in places.
I feel like I've forgotten the majority of what happened in this book which to me is a sign that this book wasn't particularly good. This series got progressively worse for me. I feel like too much of it was focused on the love triangle which I did not enjoy.
I do like Kelley's books but this series was just not for me. I will continue reading her books particularly the Women of the Otherworld series which I really enjoy.
The way this book ended was a bit of a disappointment. Liv was supposed to make a choice between the fae and the hunt but she ended up not making a choice. I found that parts of this book were really slow moving and it was a struggle to get through in places.
I feel like I've forgotten the majority of what happened in this book which to me is a sign that this book wasn't particularly good. This series got progressively worse for me. I feel like too much of it was focused on the love triangle which I did not enjoy.
I do like Kelley's books but this series was just not for me. I will continue reading her books particularly the Women of the Otherworld series which I really enjoy.
ackopec's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Amusing. Not amazing but certainly amusing.
thenowofmylife's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
roshyyc's review against another edition
5.0
Kelley Armstrong has done it again.
I've read (almost) all her books, starting with Women of the Otherworld. The characters are compelling and complicated. The plots are tricky and interesting. The endings always leave me wanting more. I dont know how she does it, but every time I start reading a new series, I end up staying up all night to finish it.
I've read (almost) all her books, starting with Women of the Otherworld. The characters are compelling and complicated. The plots are tricky and interesting. The endings always leave me wanting more. I dont know how she does it, but every time I start reading a new series, I end up staying up all night to finish it.
kaeldra's review against another edition
3.0
Read June 17, 2020 - June 18, 2020.
So.... it's over. I have a lot of feelings about this book. And the series in general. I'll try to start with more book specific stuff and then go more broadly into what I did and didn't like in the series as a whole. I'm also probably not gonna use spoiler tags, considering this is the last book in the series. Just a warning!
This particular volume was just non-stop stuff happening from start to finish, wasn't it? I won't say non-stop action, because there were some quieter moments that the characters were able to grab away from the chaos, but there was still a bunch of character development and plot detail to fill up those spaces whenever there was a chance. I did enjoy the fast pace, keeps things interesting.
As always, I love the characters. Even if I can admit that sometimes Kelley's characters do feel very similar to those from other books she's written (personally I notice huge similarities between Derek and Gabriel, and again between Simon and Ricky, but it could also be exacerbated by the fact I've read that particular trilogy too many times, lmao) they're usually character archetypes that I really enjoy so I don't mind too much. The dryads were super super cute too, I wish we could have seen more of them but I get why they didn't show up until this point in the story.
I kept waffling between "love u Patrick" and "GO AWAY PATRICK" but I think overall he's pretty chill. Seanna was absolutely a bitch, but it makes a lot more sense having read the end, and I wish things could have been different for her, and for Gabriel's sake. But if they had been, we wouldn't have the story as it is, so.... hm.
I do wish the sluagh had been sort of subtly introduced in previous books, because it did feel sort of like a way of working around the fact that the Cwn Anwwn and the Tylwyth Teg weren't really huge threats anymore but there still needed to be a book to wrap up the end. In hindsight I can see the markers, but they're not big enough to immediately lead me to think "Oh of course, demonic birds that are literally impossible to kill", you know? I think it could have had a bit better of an impact if we'd seen these horrendous creatures before and were able to make the connection, imo. It still worked well for what it was though, and I really liked the whole "both sides coming together to fight the big bad" thing in the end. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.
Also, the development between Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky was just *chef's kiss*
The way they acknowledged that turning against each other would only result in their downfall, and especially Ricky, being so understanding with Liv and knowing she loves Gabriel too I'm just ;-; Of course, personally I think she still very much loves Ricky too and they should all just get together because why not, but I can understand why the books weren't written that way. I'm just super glad that neither of the guys suddenly turned evil and was thrown under the bus so the one remaining would seem like "the right choice". You can be friends!! It's okay!!Also the few Gabriel x Ricky crumbs we got had me crying, pls
And lastly, I loved that Olivia refused to choose. Or rather, she made her own choice an option and went with it. The Cwn Anwwn and Tylwyth Teg are big kids, they can figure it out. Olivia deserves to be happy, especially after all the shit this Matilda business put her through. Let my kids have their happy ending.
As for the series as a whole, I rather enjoyed it. I mean, I finished the majority of it in like a week, so I feel that says something. I did find the emphasis on the whole love triangle business a little bit much, but I suppose it was a fairly large part of the story itself and it was really rewarding to see them all grow together so I'll let it pass. Lmao. Some of the arguments between them did feel like "really? this shit again? didn't you learn last time?" but overall they did grow and learn from their mistakes. Also I have to fit in one more time that I love Rose, best girl 10/10. Life goals.
As an end to the series, I'd say this one worked quite nicely, though it doesn't feel like "the end", you know? Like the main battle of the story is done, but I can sense so much more under the surface that if Kelley ever wanted to continue with these characters later down the road it wouldn't be too difficult. I'll have to read all the Cainsville novellas at some point, too. I do hope we get more Cainsville content someday, though. It holds a special place in my heart.
So, this was a very fun (and much quicker than expected) ride. I'm sure I'll revisit Cainsville again soon, and maybe take things in a little slower this time, haha. I'm glad I finally got around to this <3
So.... it's over. I have a lot of feelings about this book. And the series in general. I'll try to start with more book specific stuff and then go more broadly into what I did and didn't like in the series as a whole. I'm also probably not gonna use spoiler tags, considering this is the last book in the series. Just a warning!
This particular volume was just non-stop stuff happening from start to finish, wasn't it? I won't say non-stop action, because there were some quieter moments that the characters were able to grab away from the chaos, but there was still a bunch of character development and plot detail to fill up those spaces whenever there was a chance. I did enjoy the fast pace, keeps things interesting.
As always, I love the characters. Even if I can admit that sometimes Kelley's characters do feel very similar to those from other books she's written (personally I notice huge similarities between Derek and Gabriel, and again between Simon and Ricky, but it could also be exacerbated by the fact I've read that particular trilogy too many times, lmao) they're usually character archetypes that I really enjoy so I don't mind too much. The dryads were super super cute too, I wish we could have seen more of them but I get why they didn't show up until this point in the story.
I kept waffling between "love u Patrick" and "GO AWAY PATRICK" but I think overall he's pretty chill. Seanna was absolutely a bitch, but it makes a lot more sense having read the end, and I wish things could have been different for her, and for Gabriel's sake. But if they had been, we wouldn't have the story as it is, so.... hm.
I do wish the sluagh had been sort of subtly introduced in previous books, because it did feel sort of like a way of working around the fact that the Cwn Anwwn and the Tylwyth Teg weren't really huge threats anymore but there still needed to be a book to wrap up the end. In hindsight I can see the markers, but they're not big enough to immediately lead me to think "Oh of course, demonic birds that are literally impossible to kill", you know? I think it could have had a bit better of an impact if we'd seen these horrendous creatures before and were able to make the connection, imo. It still worked well for what it was though, and I really liked the whole "both sides coming together to fight the big bad" thing in the end. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.
Also, the development between Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky was just *chef's kiss*
The way they acknowledged that turning against each other would only result in their downfall, and especially Ricky, being so understanding with Liv and knowing she loves Gabriel too I'm just ;-; Of course, personally I think she still very much loves Ricky too and they should all just get together because why not, but I can understand why the books weren't written that way. I'm just super glad that neither of the guys suddenly turned evil and was thrown under the bus so the one remaining would seem like "the right choice". You can be friends!! It's okay!!
And lastly, I loved that Olivia refused to choose. Or rather, she made her own choice an option and went with it. The Cwn Anwwn and Tylwyth Teg are big kids, they can figure it out. Olivia deserves to be happy, especially after all the shit this Matilda business put her through. Let my kids have their happy ending.
As for the series as a whole, I rather enjoyed it. I mean, I finished the majority of it in like a week, so I feel that says something. I did find the emphasis on the whole love triangle business a little bit much, but I suppose it was a fairly large part of the story itself and it was really rewarding to see them all grow together so I'll let it pass. Lmao. Some of the arguments between them did feel like "really? this shit again? didn't you learn last time?" but overall they did grow and learn from their mistakes. Also I have to fit in one more time that I love Rose, best girl 10/10. Life goals.
As an end to the series, I'd say this one worked quite nicely, though it doesn't feel like "the end", you know? Like the main battle of the story is done, but I can sense so much more under the surface that if Kelley ever wanted to continue with these characters later down the road it wouldn't be too difficult. I'll have to read all the Cainsville novellas at some point, too. I do hope we get more Cainsville content someday, though. It holds a special place in my heart.
So, this was a very fun (and much quicker than expected) ride. I'm sure I'll revisit Cainsville again soon, and maybe take things in a little slower this time, haha. I'm glad I finally got around to this <3
kafiene's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed it. However, I will admit that I don't disagree with a lot of the negative reviews.