Review: Deep, Dark, & Delicious
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 20, 2013
Taunting Destiny immediately picks up where Fighting Destiny left us. Full disclosure: I absolutely adored both these books. But that isn't going to help you decide whether to invest in this series, so let's talk.If we have to assign a genre to this book, I guess paranormal romance comes the closest for me. But to call the complex relationship between Synthia and Ryder a romance, does not even scratch the surface of what is going on between them. It is raw emotion, desire, need, anger, the two of them relentlessly drawn to each other, often against their better judgment and common sense. It is fascinating to watch them falling in love with each other while they both admit it is the last thing they want. This book (and the previous one) have some dark moments, and a dark "hero". Some of his words and actions are cruel, along the lines of "sacrifice the few to save the many". But it is important to remember that Ryder is not human. Nor does he live by human rules. He is so powerful, no one has been able to challenge his decisions. That is until Synthia came along.We found out in the first book that Synthia is not human, as she thought, but in fact Fae. This book really developed the nature/nurture struggle Syn is dealing with. She was raised human, she thinks and loves like a human. But now, there are a million Fae in her face, telling her what her destiny is, and what she must do to fix things. I thought the author did a great job communicating Syn's frustration level. She can't get a moment to stop and think about what she wants. People and events just keep pushing and pulling at her. We still aren't sure just how powerful Syn is and what she can do. I hope in the next book we finally get to see her hit her breaking point and put everyone in their place. Ryder included!Speaking of Ryder, we are getting tantalizing hints about the beast that lurks within him. And are left to wonder just how much control Ryder has over him. Added to that, this book gives us lots of political intrigue. We learn more about the four castes of Fae and just how devious and back-stabbing they can be. No Tinker Bells in this story!Now, while the world building is well done and draws you in, it would be remiss to not mention the heat level in this series. The sex is hot and explicit. But, and I know it is a cliché, it is important to their relationship development. No spoilers, but Ryder and Syn need that connection, not only to draw closer to each other, but also to learn things about themselves. Those deep, dark things that we try to hide from the light of day.I am not a fan of first person POV. It tends to pull me out of the story. And I want to know what everyone is thinking, not just one character. This author, however, does it well. It is primarily written from Syn's POV, but Ryder and a few other folks jump in every once in a while. And the dialogue between characters fills in the blanks. And it pains me to say this, because cliffhangers make me insane, but this book ends with a whopper. Thank God the author is not making us wait a year between books.So, if you are looking for boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl live HEA, don't buy this book. It's not that simple. But, if you like to immerse yourself in other worlds and cultures, want complex heroes and heroines who might not always do the right thing and aren't always nice guys, and you aren't offended by raw, intimate sex, well then, by all means, read this book!