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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
I feel like when I watched the last season of Game of Thrones: perfection until it wasn’t. A wee bit disappointed with the last 20% of the book, though overall 4.8 for the whole series. It’s 100% worth.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
I struggled with the middle couple books but books 5 +6 made me so happy I stuck with it. The big reveal in this was HUGE and my husband probably was so tired of me trying to explain it all to him because I was so enthralled.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ok, gotta admit, Kristy Cunning writes plot well. It is not the most groundbreaking fiction ever written, and I still take exception to the Gypsy side of it, but just like Violet, I’ll stick a pin in it.
This was a full fledged 700p+ novel, and with lots of intricacies, and side plots from previous five that got tied up in a neat little bows.
And I do love that the main female character never has to give up her power, but also is afraid to become a criminal mastermind so wants to live her slightly unhinged, weird life brewing potions that go wrong and running a sanctuary that’s just a hotel that doesn’t take guests.
But this book suffered from being-too-long-itis combined with really some of the best writing of this series.
And while I was not wishing for Anna to come back, the biggest reveal of her whole existence made up for her reappearance in spades. Especially because Violet is even more frustrated with her at the end than the beginning.
4 stars for the author, 3.5 for the final book. I have no idea how she can keep so many conversations threads going with so many people and so many different types of monsters with hundreds of years of history.
And to make the transitions in character seamless, its amazing.
The story got bogged down (for me). Lots of info that had me skimming to push ahead instead of savoring every moment. I think that if I had started the series from book 1 again and read all the way to book 6, I would have felt more connected to the characters.
But, having to wait for each installation just kept me from really getting all the good "feels" from the relationship between Violet and her "monstar" squad.
I do like how they loved her even more when they saw how bad she really was, since the human tendency is to love someone less the more we see their dark side- to pull away. And that is exactly what she expected too, for them to pull away.
Except they are MONSTERS, and they love and respect that power and ability to kill in a single motion :)
Unique story, great relationship with steamy moments but ultimately too long with way too much information that I felt took away down a sweet story.
And to make the transitions in character seamless, its amazing.
The story got bogged down (for me). Lots of info that had me skimming to push ahead instead of savoring every moment. I think that if I had started the series from book 1 again and read all the way to book 6, I would have felt more connected to the characters.
But, having to wait for each installation just kept me from really getting all the good "feels" from the relationship between Violet and her "monstar" squad.
I do like how they loved her even more when they saw how bad she really was, since the human tendency is to love someone less the more we see their dark side- to pull away. And that is exactly what she expected too, for them to pull away.
Except they are MONSTERS, and they love and respect that power and ability to kill in a single motion :)
Unique story, great relationship with steamy moments but ultimately too long with way too much information that I felt took away down a sweet story.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-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
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence
I initially started reading this series because I knew it was a PNR. And reverse harem on top of that. But there's sooo much more to this series than that! The author really really thought out all the fine details of this story and it made it that much better. All the characters were well written. Even some of the side characters. You kind of fall in love with all of them. Violet and the boys were a story I loved reading about. I would say I wish this series was longer but it is 6 books. Lol. It's just long enough to keep you entertained for a while but plenty long enough to keep you thinking about it even after you're done reading it! Can't wait to read more by this author!
I honestly loved this series, and I'm sure I'll read it again and again.
It is a complicated story with a lot of detail, and there are parts of this last book that felt a little choppy ... but my feeling is that that is because there was just SO MUCH detail to reveal that my brain got a little whirly.
I loved finally discovering Violet's truths, and I loved even more that it wasn't what I thought - it seems like it is becoming a rare things for stories to really land a well-earned (by which I mean well set up, instead of totally out of left field) twist like that.
I also think it was a little choppy because the author would abruptly cut from things she wanted to keep secret from us for a little while longer. I feel like that maybe went on a little more than it should have, which is where the narrative started to feel like it was hiccuping.
That all said, again, I loved it. Violet was every bit as awesome as I wanted her to be - after a few nervous moments - and I was really thrilled that the guys didn't pull some dumb crap at the last minute. And I'm glad that, when all is said and done, Violet is still Violet. She gets to live the life that will make her happy, and I'm really satisfied with that.
There are some open-ended bits here - minor threads, honestly - that make me wonder if Kristy Cunning is planning to come back to this world and these characters. The fact that she opened the door a crack there at the end gives me hope, anyway.
Edit to add: Glancing through reviews, I see a whole lot of whining that this book wasn't out sooner, and it surprises me. Book 1 of this series was published Dec 2018. This book - book 6 - was published end of Aug 2019. That's a whole lot of writing - and GOOD storytelling - coming to readers super fast. Oh noes, you had to wait from book 5's mid-April 2019 release until end of August for book 6!!!! How fucking entitled and spoiled are people nowadays, seriously? No wonder so much stuff coming out right now is repetitive tropes glued together and crapped out, if people are so impatient that 4 and a half months between books is too much. FFS, people.
Re-read Sept 2019
You know, the first time through, the bit at the end where the guys "punish" her ... it didn't sit well with me. I have to say it sat even less well on the re-read, to the point where I could barely get through it. It feels like they are whining man-babies salvaging their ego, and I don't like that they are rewarded for manipulating her. I honestly think Violet lets them get away with way too much shit. And I'm not particularly thrilled that the entire monster world still treats her like the Alpha's pretty, brainless pet. This book is a fabulous conclusion to the series ... if you just skip that chapter. Because fuck all of them.
Another quibble: Arion is far and away my favorite, but he never gets equal treatment. His claiming of her was a nothingburger (even Violet thinks so), and then he doesn't even get alone time with her when Emit and Damien both had her for DAYS during their claiming. No, instead he's sharing her for this dumb punishment, and Damien deliberately and directly fucks with him ... after which Arion gets treated - by Vance AND Violet - as if HE is the problem. Fuck that, fuck Damien in particular, and fuck Vance and Violet for treating Arion as if he is so much of a constant problem.
This is the second series of hers that I have LOVED, and then really really really struggled with the ending on - her Four Horseman series is AMAZING, but the ending is total shit. *sigh* At least with this one, the ending to the story lands - who Violet is, how she handles the final conflict - but the resolution with her guys is just not okay. It has a power dynamic that makes me really uncomfortable because it is rooted in lies and manipulation. How do any of these people ever trust each other enough to have a real relationship? From what I can see, they never ever will. That's disappointing.
It is a complicated story with a lot of detail, and there are parts of this last book that felt a little choppy ... but my feeling is that that is because there was just SO MUCH detail to reveal that my brain got a little whirly.
I loved finally discovering Violet's truths, and I loved even more that it wasn't what I thought - it seems like it is becoming a rare things for stories to really land a well-earned (by which I mean well set up, instead of totally out of left field) twist like that.
I also think it was a little choppy because the author would abruptly cut from things she wanted to keep secret from us for a little while longer. I feel like that maybe went on a little more than it should have, which is where the narrative started to feel like it was hiccuping.
That all said, again, I loved it. Violet was every bit as awesome as I wanted her to be - after a few nervous moments - and I was really thrilled that the guys didn't pull some dumb crap at the last minute.
Spoiler
Yes, I'm thinking of Talbot's dumb plan to steal her monster with utterly unreliable blood magic. I don't trust that guy at all.There are some open-ended bits here - minor threads, honestly - that make me wonder if Kristy Cunning is planning to come back to this world and these characters. The fact that she opened the door a crack there at the end gives me hope, anyway.
Edit to add: Glancing through reviews, I see a whole lot of whining that this book wasn't out sooner, and it surprises me. Book 1 of this series was published Dec 2018. This book - book 6 - was published end of Aug 2019. That's a whole lot of writing - and GOOD storytelling - coming to readers super fast. Oh noes, you had to wait from book 5's mid-April 2019 release until end of August for book 6!!!! How fucking entitled and spoiled are people nowadays, seriously? No wonder so much stuff coming out right now is repetitive tropes glued together and crapped out, if people are so impatient that 4 and a half months between books is too much. FFS, people.
Re-read Sept 2019
You know, the first time through, the bit at the end where the guys "punish" her ... it didn't sit well with me. I have to say it sat even less well on the re-read, to the point where I could barely get through it. It feels like they are whining man-babies salvaging their ego, and I don't like that they are rewarded for manipulating her. I honestly think Violet lets them get away with way too much shit. And I'm not particularly thrilled that the entire monster world still treats her like the Alpha's pretty, brainless pet. This book is a fabulous conclusion to the series ... if you just skip that chapter. Because fuck all of them.
Another quibble: Arion is far and away my favorite, but he never gets equal treatment. His claiming of her was a nothingburger (even Violet thinks so), and then he doesn't even get alone time with her when Emit and Damien both had her for DAYS during their claiming. No, instead he's sharing her for this dumb punishment, and Damien deliberately and directly fucks with him ... after which Arion gets treated - by Vance AND Violet - as if HE is the problem. Fuck that, fuck Damien in particular, and fuck Vance and Violet for treating Arion as if he is so much of a constant problem.
This is the second series of hers that I have LOVED, and then really really really struggled with the ending on - her Four Horseman series is AMAZING, but the ending is total shit. *sigh* At least with this one, the ending to the story lands - who Violet is, how she handles the final conflict - but the resolution with her guys is just not okay. It has a power dynamic that makes me really uncomfortable because it is rooted in lies and manipulation. How do any of these people ever trust each other enough to have a real relationship? From what I can see, they never ever will. That's disappointing.
