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allmadhere106's review
3.0
2.5 stars. I was so interested in this series, but this installment missed the mark for me. While the second book ups all the things, this one wrapped up all of the various plots well enough, but in doing so, it loses a lot of the spice and fire. This is VERY plot focused, to the point where there isn't nearly as much sex/romance as the previous books. It made the book feel heavy and it took me far longer to get through than any other book in the series.
The POVs also get a little out of control for my liking. Sometimes it would switch POVs multiple times within the same page, and it got very confusing. We also added quite a few more characters, so it was something like 15 or so (the pack, Lucifer, the angels, Master, the woman, the other woman, other members of other packs, Kalfu, the Darkest Truth, etc.). I found it distracting instead of illuminating most of the time.
Overall, I still really liked the characters and I found that the plot was wrapped up in a pretty nice way. I'm not sure how we are going to get other books in the series though. I'm curious to see where it will go from here, but I'm not sure when I'll pick the next trilogy.
Tropes: reverse harem; dark fantasy/horror; feisty female Hound meets her pack of Hell Hounds (4 males); NOT a slow burn; crude language and much sex throughout; blood, death, murder, violence, gore, and characters in peril; sex with multiple partners at a time; BDSM, kink, toys, and a sex club visit; some M/M action, though not a lot; torture and mentions of history of torture; conspiracies and looming threats; character death and near character death; possessions.
Heat rating: NUCLEAR—explicit sex, indelicate language during sex, and graphic depictions of a sexual nature used to further the story; may also include light kink; not quite enough for an EXPLICIT level (5), but takes it a level past HOT (3).
The POVs also get a little out of control for my liking. Sometimes it would switch POVs multiple times within the same page, and it got very confusing. We also added quite a few more characters, so it was something like 15 or so (the pack, Lucifer, the angels, Master, the woman, the other woman, other members of other packs, Kalfu, the Darkest Truth, etc.). I found it distracting instead of illuminating most of the time.
Overall, I still really liked the characters and I found that the plot was wrapped up in a pretty nice way. I'm not sure how we are going to get other books in the series though. I'm curious to see where it will go from here, but I'm not sure when I'll pick the next trilogy.
Tropes: reverse harem; dark fantasy/horror; feisty female Hound meets her pack of Hell Hounds (4 males); NOT a slow burn; crude language and much sex throughout; blood, death, murder, violence, gore, and characters in peril; sex with multiple partners at a time; BDSM, kink, toys, and a sex club visit; some M/M action, though not a lot; torture and mentions of history of torture; conspiracies and looming threats; character death and near character death; possessions.
Heat rating: NUCLEAR—explicit sex, indelicate language during sex, and graphic depictions of a sexual nature used to further the story; may also include light kink; not quite enough for an EXPLICIT level (5), but takes it a level past HOT (3).
e_dav_29's review
4.0
Happy happy joy joy
Wonderful wrap up of the segment of the story. I'm looking forward to reading about other packs and see more interactions with Luce.
Wonderful wrap up of the segment of the story. I'm looking forward to reading about other packs and see more interactions with Luce.
brii_brii's review
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
crystal_bookworm's review
5.0
Loved it
Absolutely loved this book and the characters. Such a good plot with romance, steam, action, team dynamics, twists and turns you didn't expect. Definitely going to get the next one.
Absolutely loved this book and the characters. Such a good plot with romance, steam, action, team dynamics, twists and turns you didn't expect. Definitely going to get the next one.
catnaping's review
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bunnerz's review against another edition
3.0
While I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first two books of the trilogy, the last book somewhat fell apart for me. Too many new characters were introduced to move the plot along, and new facets of personalities were revealed with no consistency of reason.
Lastly, the flexible Alpha explanation for Sara's pack in some random scene where Tanner felt possessive was something that dropped in out of nowhere. I thought Jack was the Alpha when Sara wasn't around?!
Although I still had no trouble enjoying the writing and finishing the book, overall, the plot was a bit too messy and convoluted for a single book. I do still fully recommend this series though, as it's a wonderful world and kick-ass characters.
UPDATE: After having finishing the entire series...
---
Ratings - completed series:
First trilogy - Sara
#1 Restless Spirit: ★★★★☆
#2 The Dark Truth: ★★★★☆
#3 The Devil's Darling (this book): ★★★☆☆
Second trilogy - Tilly
#4 Hard to Find: ★★★★☆
#5 Hard to Love: ★★★★☆
#6 Hard to Kill: ★★★★☆
Third trilogy - Lucifer
#7 Raise Hell: ★★★★☆
#8 Raise the Dead: ★★★★☆
#9 Ruler of the Righteous: ★★★★☆
Spoiler
I was most irritated at the reveal of the human villains - there was no hint of them in previous books, and most of the main characters didn't even know the name! Lucifer's angel brothers kept popping back in, but they didn't seem to do much towards actually helping to solve the traitor issue other than keep emphasizing that Lucifer would always be stuck in hell unless it fell. We find out more hints about the Dark Truth and the voodoo god, but it's all surface facts even though apparently they were important enough to get a few POV snippets.Lastly, the flexible Alpha explanation for Sara's pack in some random scene where Tanner felt possessive was something that dropped in out of nowhere. I thought Jack was the Alpha when Sara wasn't around?!
Although I still had no trouble enjoying the writing and finishing the book, overall, the plot was a bit too messy and convoluted for a single book. I do still fully recommend this series though, as it's a wonderful world and kick-ass characters.
UPDATE: After having finishing the entire series...
Spoiler
I'm still a little bitter that we don't get more backstory on what the heck happened to Magdeline/Dark Truth. We definitely get our questions all answered about the angels and Lucifer by book 9, and I'm quite satisfied with that, but there were still loose ends that weren't tied up satisfactorily IMO.---
Ratings - completed series:
First trilogy - Sara
#1 Restless Spirit: ★★★★☆
#2 The Dark Truth: ★★★★☆
#3 The Devil's Darling (this book): ★★★☆☆
Second trilogy - Tilly
#4 Hard to Find: ★★★★☆
#5 Hard to Love: ★★★★☆
#6 Hard to Kill: ★★★★☆
Third trilogy - Lucifer
#7 Raise Hell: ★★★★☆
#8 Raise the Dead: ★★★★☆
#9 Ruler of the Righteous: ★★★★☆
rubyn's review against another edition
Not gonna lie, I howled at the end of Jack’s letter
jamies_bookreads's review against another edition
5.0
Seriously love these first three books and the characters that it follows. Sara and her hounds are fantastic. There is so much more going on in this storyline as it continues to unfold in the best and most interesting ways. The side characters, including Lucifer (which I love his character), and some of the other angels just add to the mystery. Also these books are hot!!!! Excited to continue the series! TW/18+ 4.5/stars
pritenpink2's review against another edition
2.0
I didn’t finish this book. I got distracted with another book and then couldn’t bring myself to come back to it. Maybe I’ll pick this book up again at a later date and read till the end…
depressedpanda's review against another edition
5.0
Read this series nowwww
Such an amazing series! I cannot tell how much you need to read these books. Briana manages to have the perfect blend of everything you want and more, strong yet vulnerable characters and amazing storyline that keeps you hooked until the very end!
Such an amazing series! I cannot tell how much you need to read these books. Briana manages to have the perfect blend of everything you want and more, strong yet vulnerable characters and amazing storyline that keeps you hooked until the very end!