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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.
slc333's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Good finish to the series with everything tied up and satisfactorily explained. I like the progression of Gabriel & Liv’s relationship but as with all triangles when I like all parties I can never been completely happy with how they turn out. Ricky continues to be mature and awesome about the whole thing.
kjllueh's review against another edition
5.0
This is starting to be one of my faves of the series! It has a lot more humor and is excellent so far!!
a_h_haga's review against another edition
3.0
REREAD 2021
I don't really have anything new to say about this book since my last review. It's not a bad book, but I don't think it's as strong as the other books in the series. I feel like too much is going on at once, and that this book could easily be split into two books, filling out the storylines and characters and mysteries.
I'm not sure HOW it could be done, but I do think it could be done. Maybe just throw in some of the stories that ended up in the ''unofficial'' books - I know that it's not that easy.
Either way, it's a good book and it has a good solution to the main story-ARC.
-------------------------------------------
I finished this days ago, but have been too sick to write a review. Even sitting on my computer now, I'm starting to get dizzy, but I need to get this review down before I forget.
This is the last book in the Cainsville-series, and I've seen a lot of people say it was a good ending to a good series. I'm not sure I agree.
Sure, the writing is good, and the story in this book is interesting and dark and fits right into the world and works as a good ending. My problem is that it all felt rushed. We haven't really gotten any hints of the many things that are reaveld in this book, and I feel like Armstrong suddenly had to finish the series before planned.
This feeling of rushedness kept hanging over me as I read, which was a disappointment.
Also, it annoyed me that it took them that long to figure out what the bad guy was talking about. But I guess that's the privelege of abled-bodied people. They don't have to be afraid that their body will suddenly stop working.
I did enjoy the new characters introduced.
And I did cry at the end. Just one tear, but still, that's a tear.
Writing was good, and it was on ok book, but it was a little disappointing in regards to what I've come to expect of Armstrong when it comes to foreshadowing.
SPOILER
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
There's one more thing that really annoyed me, and it is in regards to Liv's condition. The creature mentioned that Liv would be really bad now. That she'd need help breathing and regulate her waste and such. Why, then, when the cure was taken away, did Liv just lose the use of her legs, but nothing else? She would get better because she would grow into an adult body, so wouldn't her adult body have those problems?
Another thing was the apeal Liv mentioned in the end. How could they have a strong case without Imogen? Again, that felt really rushed.
I don't really have anything new to say about this book since my last review. It's not a bad book, but I don't think it's as strong as the other books in the series. I feel like too much is going on at once, and that this book could easily be split into two books, filling out the storylines and characters and mysteries.
I'm not sure HOW it could be done, but I do think it could be done. Maybe just throw in some of the stories that ended up in the ''unofficial'' books - I know that it's not that easy.
Either way, it's a good book and it has a good solution to the main story-ARC.
-------------------------------------------
I finished this days ago, but have been too sick to write a review. Even sitting on my computer now, I'm starting to get dizzy, but I need to get this review down before I forget.
This is the last book in the Cainsville-series, and I've seen a lot of people say it was a good ending to a good series. I'm not sure I agree.
Sure, the writing is good, and the story in this book is interesting and dark and fits right into the world and works as a good ending. My problem is that it all felt rushed. We haven't really gotten any hints of the many things that are reaveld in this book, and I feel like Armstrong suddenly had to finish the series before planned.
This feeling of rushedness kept hanging over me as I read, which was a disappointment.
Also, it annoyed me that it took them that long to figure out what the bad guy was talking about. But I guess that's the privelege of abled-bodied people. They don't have to be afraid that their body will suddenly stop working.
I did enjoy the new characters introduced.
And I did cry at the end. Just one tear, but still, that's a tear.
Writing was good, and it was on ok book, but it was a little disappointing in regards to what I've come to expect of Armstrong when it comes to foreshadowing.
SPOILER
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
There's one more thing that really annoyed me, and it is in regards to Liv's condition. The creature mentioned that Liv would be really bad now. That she'd need help breathing and regulate her waste and such. Why, then, when the cure was taken away, did Liv just lose the use of her legs, but nothing else? She would get better because she would grow into an adult body, so wouldn't her adult body have those problems?
Another thing was the apeal Liv mentioned in the end. How could they have a strong case without Imogen? Again, that felt really rushed.
shelby7's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
3.75
rosie_one's review against another edition
5.0
This isn't the best book in the series, but it resolves a great series in pretty much the ways I would have wanted it to. I love Cainsville, in all its creepiness, mystery and lore and the story of Gwynn, Matilda and Arawn crossed with Liv, Gabriel and Ricky. I recommend this for fantasy, supernatural, romance, lore, and urban fantasy readers. [a:Kelley Armstrong|7581|Kelley Armstrong|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1199068298p2/7581.jpg]'s writing style shines through -- there's a reason she's my most read author. Read the entire series and enjoy the conclusion. You won't regret it.