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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
Sadly, Banishing the Dark isn’t quite the strongest novel in the series in my opinion, though it’s still obviously very good.
One of my pet peeves is the addition of a new POV late in a series. All of the Arcadia Bell series has been Arcadia’s first person POV, and all of a sudden there’s Jupe’s third person limited POV. There are some plot reasons for this, but I think there are other ways this could have been done, and it was jarring. Also, these sections kind of split between trying to do a voicey third and a more traditional third, with the end result being that the Jupe contained in them is a bit less charmingly silly than the actual Jupe.
My other minor gripe is that I immediately crack shipped Jupe with Priya, only to have Jupe get another ship. I was really in love with that m/m ship though. Still, I can’t be too upset, because Bennett does include a solid, happy f/f couple and there’s an m/m couple referenced as well. They’re not main characters, but still it’s nice. Also, aside from Lon and Cady, basically every good person in this series is a POC, which is awesome.
Complaining aside, I truly am pretty happy with how this series ended. The plot’s still good. The way that Cady’s powers evolve works really well. Again, Bennett avoided making her powers too convenient or easy to solve problems with. I love that, when it came down to the boss battle with her mom,Arcadia had to save herself with her mental strength, not her new powers . It’s an ending that could have been a bit anticlimactic, but Bennett pulls it off. It very much felt right for the characters and the plot.
Plus, and I know I sound like a broken record, I am just so fucking impressed that Bennett got me to ship this ship as much as I do. Their chemistry keeps getting better and better, and it’s really unbelievable to me.Oh my god the memory loss was used to such great shippy effect swoon swoon swoooooon. Like, I even love that she’s acting as Jupe’s mom for real now even though she’s only like ten years older. Who even am I? How has Bennett done this???
I’ve not read too many paranormal/urban fantasy adult romance series, but this one very much stands out from what I’ve read. I do think Bennett’s YA debut, The Anatomical Shape of a Heart was better, but the Arcadia Bell series is most definitely worth reading.
Sadly, Banishing the Dark isn’t quite the strongest novel in the series in my opinion, though it’s still obviously very good.
One of my pet peeves is the addition of a new POV late in a series. All of the Arcadia Bell series has been Arcadia’s first person POV, and all of a sudden there’s Jupe’s third person limited POV. There are some plot reasons for this, but I think there are other ways this could have been done, and it was jarring. Also, these sections kind of split between trying to do a voicey third and a more traditional third, with the end result being that the Jupe contained in them is a bit less charmingly silly than the actual Jupe.
My other minor gripe is that I immediately crack shipped Jupe with Priya, only to have Jupe get another ship. I was really in love with that m/m ship though. Still, I can’t be too upset, because Bennett does include a solid, happy f/f couple and there’s an m/m couple referenced as well. They’re not main characters, but still it’s nice. Also, aside from Lon and Cady, basically every good person in this series is a POC, which is awesome.
Complaining aside, I truly am pretty happy with how this series ended. The plot’s still good. The way that Cady’s powers evolve works really well. Again, Bennett avoided making her powers too convenient or easy to solve problems with. I love that, when it came down to the boss battle with her mom,
Plus, and I know I sound like a broken record, I am just so fucking impressed that Bennett got me to ship this ship as much as I do. Their chemistry keeps getting better and better, and it’s really unbelievable to me.
I’ve not read too many paranormal/urban fantasy adult romance series, but this one very much stands out from what I’ve read. I do think Bennett’s YA debut, The Anatomical Shape of a Heart was better, but the Arcadia Bell series is most definitely worth reading.
I loved it! I really can't believe that this is the final book in the series!
I came late to this series after reading the author’s Roaring Twenties book, which I loved. I inhaled the first 3 books without any pauses in between and then waited impatiently for this last one. This book picks up immediately after the end of Binding the Shadows where Arcadia Bell is pregnant and Lon has to figure out how to save her and the baby from Cady’s horrible mother who seems to have come back from the dead. Literally. This was an excellent end to the series and was filled with the paranormal adventure and humor the series has had a flair for the whole time.
Lon and Cady are dealing with more than ever this time, trying to protect their unborn baby from Cady’s mother yet their love for each other still shows through which is something I really loved to see. While Lon has to perform a forgetting spell on Cady it was fun to see Cady have to figure out who Lon is and why he seems familiar to her. Watching them fall in love all over was a nice touch to get to see in the last book and a nod to the first book when they first fell in love.
Jupe provides the comic relief in the book like he has for all four books. I love Jupe and I’ve enjoyed watching him grow up throughout the series. There are a few short chapters told from his point of view thrown into the book and surprisingly they worked for me. I’m usually not a fan of different POV’s within books, especially if they are not consistent. But I really enjoyed hearing his voice so strongly. I had enjoyed Priya in the previous books but I really disliked him in this one as I felt that he took advantage of Jupe’s emotions a few times.
Overall,the plot shines through in this one and is the star of the book. I was anxious throughout to see how it would end. I thought this book was a fantastic end to this fun and dramatic series. I love epilogues and Jenn Bennett didn’t disappoint with hers. I got everything I wanted from this one. ARC was provided from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Lon and Cady are dealing with more than ever this time, trying to protect their unborn baby from Cady’s mother yet their love for each other still shows through which is something I really loved to see. While Lon has to perform a forgetting spell on Cady it was fun to see Cady have to figure out who Lon is and why he seems familiar to her. Watching them fall in love all over was a nice touch to get to see in the last book and a nod to the first book when they first fell in love.
Jupe provides the comic relief in the book like he has for all four books. I love Jupe and I’ve enjoyed watching him grow up throughout the series. There are a few short chapters told from his point of view thrown into the book and surprisingly they worked for me. I’m usually not a fan of different POV’s within books, especially if they are not consistent. But I really enjoyed hearing his voice so strongly. I had enjoyed Priya in the previous books but I really disliked him in this one as I felt that he took advantage of Jupe’s emotions a few times.
Overall,the plot shines through in this one and is the star of the book. I was anxious throughout to see how it would end. I thought this book was a fantastic end to this fun and dramatic series. I love epilogues and Jenn Bennett didn’t disappoint with hers. I got everything I wanted from this one. ARC was provided from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.