Review: I want more!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 29, 2013
Joanne, Michael, Raphael, and the rest of the gang have certainly had their share of trials, ups and downs, and suffered enough loss to last more than one lifetime, but it isn't over until it is over. The big Battle with Azazel is on the horizon and everyone knows it, they just don't know when, where, and how bad it will be. The waiting is worse than the fighting.Joanne is still suffering some memory loss after her mental break from being held in captivity, though she is functioning much better than before. But that doesn't mean all is well in the camp. She still has trust issues between her and her team. It isn't because she is un-trustworthy, or has problems trusting them, it is more because her memory of their friendship is gone and she is having a hard time re-building those relationships.Pruitt takes these issues, along with the most bizarre love triangle I've ever seen and makes it all work. Along with weaving in a battle of literally biblical proportions, and discussing religion and a Power That Is without being preachy and religious. That is a delicate tightrope act that can either be done well or can crash and burn. Pruitt did an amazing job.The sex was a lot more vanilla in Battle. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think even vanilla sex with either Raphael or Michael could ever be boring - hello, archangels here. It fit with the story. With their world falling down around their ears, sometimes literally sometimes figuratively, they all needed the reminder that there was beauty and love. So I should say there was more making love (and I kinda hate that term for some reason) than crazy wild monkey sex like there was in previous books. But it fit.And yay Raphael wasn't neglected! I had begun to feel bad for him, and was about to offer to go pick up the pieces and comfort him in my own way. But Joanne has finally figured out the balance in her weird relationships with the men she loves (I am going to take a minute here and still be shocked how Pruitt could make me hate a character that I thought was not redeemable and still make be love him with such a passion - oh Michael) and make it work. And they have all made it work. And it isn't weird, because it just works. For them. I can't explain it.And while I won't tell you who lives or dies, if anyone, I will say that although everything wraps up quite nicely there are some lose ends left dangling that I hear could be made into a spin-off series in 2014. So be looking for that. I know I will!