Review: Not Just Another Spin-Off Series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 10, 2014
I had to wait a bit after the Hayle Coven series, all 26 or so books, until it all settled in my mind, and also wait for Meira's trilogy to be finished, so I could read all the books back to back.  Which is the best way to read a Patti Larsen series.  Even though she's one of the fastest writers in the Universe, even waiting a day is painful.So, I'm reviewing all three books here.I didn't think we'd get a really powerful story in those three books.  Hayle Coven is a hard act to follow.  I was wrong.  When Patti Larsen creates a world, she gives it all to you, and it all makes sense.  It's all beautiful, and ugly, and ordinary, just like real life.  To be fair, we already knew all the main characters, and already loved them, so Larsen's job was a lot easier.This series covers the four years that Meira holds the First Seat in Demonicon, although the first 3 and a half are touched upon, mostly in retrospect.  In this story, Meira becomes the Hayle sister she's meant to be, and grows into, develops, is given, or takes control of her Demonborn sorcery.  She becomes the most powerful demon in the world, and saves Demonicon from being splintered, and it's people enslaved.In these books, Larsen develops, fully, the idea of Demonicon: its history, its science, its politics.  We finally understand, (or at least I finally did) how the planes all originally became connected, what role the Drach played in the history of the Universe, (including some very interesting history that is personal to the Hayle sisters), the history of the Maji, and a whole lot about sorcerers.  All of this was just breezed over in the HC books, and I never had a grasp of it, or had any real understanding of who any of these players were.Larsen's world building skills are extraordinary.  She is also an economical writer.  She writes about what we need to know, writes it very well, but doesn't waste a lot of time or space on superfluous stuff.  She's a spare writer.  All her words count.  You can't really skim a Larsen book, or would want to.  She writes so fast, that there will be a lot waiting for you when you are done, and you won't want to spend time rereading.  It's also a pleasure to read her books.  Because of her style, her books are never boring, and yet, as a result of the fascinating interior life she grants her characters, you will own them.The primary series (that really is what Hayle Coven is) ripped me to pieces as it ended, and then brought everything together in a more satisfying way than it had been before.  (There were a few things that felt off.  Sebastian, for instance.  The end to his story just wasn't right.  It just wasn't.)  But, in Meira's book, I was thankful that I didn't have to be put to that test again.  Meira gets the right man, finally, and sets that House in order.So, you will want to read this if you want to move forward in the Hayle universe.  Syd DOES play a large part in these books.  There is no sign of Quaid, Mom and Dad, or any of the Coven people, other than the very first scene, a birthday party scene, which simply sets the tone the book opens to.  Syd is Meira's back-up in these books.  She plays a completely different role.  Sass is, of course,  there.  There couldn't be a Hayle book without him.  But, the book belongs to Meira.Don't hesitate on these.  They're all 5 Star additions to the Larsen library.  What I like to call "Pattiland".