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booksandteatime's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Confinement
friends2lovers's review
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
3.0
The story line overlaps a bit with the events of the previous book, which means we meet our hero and heroine as competitors in the Talisman’s Hie - “a treacherous and grueling scavenger’s hunt for magickal talismans, amulets, and other mystical riches over the entire world.” Bowen MacRieve is a werewolf who wants to win the Hie so he can use the prize, a magical time-travel key, to go back in time and save the life of his mate. Mariketa is a witch who entered the Hie to prove her worth to her coven.
Bowen and Mari were making eyes at each other in a very obvious way in the background of the previous book and it was fun to finally see them interacting on-page. I liked their dynamic, though it does feel very similar to those in the previous books. The heroes seem to have an automatic, primal reaction to meeting their mate (or bride, for vampires). The heroines feel a sexual attraction, but it still takes them a while to catch up and accept being mated. I hope this doesn’t start to feel too repetitive. The plots and settings have all been refreshingly different, so maybe that will make up for the monotony of the romance dynamics.
I thought Mari’s reasons for being wary of Bowen made a lot of sense though. He did trap her in a cave with a bunch of incubi. And for a long time, he makes it clear that he’s torn between her and his previous mate Mariah. And she is very young, only 23. Though, I didn’t like that she thought he needed to be in the know about pop culture and video games and stuff. In the grand scheme of things, especially for immortals, sharing those kinds of interests doesn't really signify compatibility.
My brain was weirdly fixated on the Winter part of the book title and so the setting of this was not at all what I expected. I kept thinking they were about to make it out of the jungle and go to Scotland or something. I was looking forward to something wintery since it's currently the holiday season. Perhaps it’s unfair, but I hate when I am expecting a particular mood or atmosphere from a book and I get something completely different. It would be like if you picked up a book called Beach Read and the entire novel took place during a blizzard in Canada. Yes, the prologue and the final chapter are set in winter. And there are a few allusions to snow and winter within the narrative, but not enough to make the title sensical! The previous two book titles actually fit the stories well, so I don’t know why this one is so mismatched. Going forward, I will try not to let the title/cover influence my expectations about a book.
_______________
Bowen and Mari were making eyes at each other in a very obvious way in the background of the previous book and it was fun to finally see them interacting on-page. I liked their dynamic, though it does feel very similar to those in the previous books. The heroes seem to have an automatic, primal reaction to meeting their mate (or bride, for vampires). The heroines feel a sexual attraction, but it still takes them a while to catch up and accept being mated. I hope this doesn’t start to feel too repetitive. The plots and settings have all been refreshingly different, so maybe that will make up for the monotony of the romance dynamics.
I thought Mari’s reasons for being wary of Bowen made a lot of sense though. He did trap her in a cave with a bunch of incubi. And for a long time, he makes it clear that he’s torn between her and his previous mate Mariah. And she is very young, only 23. Though, I didn’t like that she thought he needed to be in the know about pop culture and video games and stuff. In the grand scheme of things, especially for immortals, sharing those kinds of interests doesn't really signify compatibility.
My brain was weirdly fixated on the Winter part of the book title and so the setting of this was not at all what I expected. I kept thinking they were about to make it out of the jungle and go to Scotland or something. I was looking forward to something wintery since it's currently the holiday season. Perhaps it’s unfair, but I hate when I am expecting a particular mood or atmosphere from a book and I get something completely different. It would be like if you picked up a book called Beach Read and the entire novel took place during a blizzard in Canada. Yes, the prologue and the final chapter are set in winter. And there are a few allusions to snow and winter within the narrative, but not enough to make the title sensical! The previous two book titles actually fit the stories well, so I don’t know why this one is so mismatched. Going forward, I will try not to let the title/cover influence my expectations about a book.
_______________
Endnotes
Series: Immortals After Dark #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Setting: Present day in the jungles of Guatemala, mostly. Briefly, a private island off the coast of Belize, Scotland, and New Orleans, LA.
Heroine: Mariketa the Awaited (witch)
Hero: Bowen MacRieve (lykae)
Tropes/Themes: fated mates, hero pursues heroine, dead ex-lover, tortured hero, powerful heroine
Format: Kindle ebook borrowed from Libby (in ‘The Clan MacRieve’ bundle), copyright 2007
Length: 437 pages, 119k words
Read Date: December 10, 2021
Heat Rating: Medium
Flames: 3🔥🔥🔥
Density: 2.4📑📑
Intensity: 4💓💓💓💓
Burn Speed: 2.5💨💨
Overall: 3🌡️🌡️🌡️
Sex & Kink Notes:
Sex Scene Details:
※ My star and heat ratings are explained → here
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Gore, Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Sexual content
I didn't note any dubious or non-consent, but the hero does exhibit some controlling behavior towards the heroine
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