Review: Absolutely addictive! I loved this book!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 19, 2014
Darian's spent two weeks with her friend Brakae in the faerie realm of O Anel to recover from the trauma in Crave the Darkness. When she returns home, six months have passed for everyone else. As she starts to reconnect with her friends, she discovers that Xander's been so preoccupied waiting for her to get back that he's neglecting his kingdom. He wants to pick up their relationship right where they left off and doesn't seem to understand how traumatized she still is. Her reunion with Tyler is more successful, but the Jinn council has forbidden their relationship. Then, as if her personal life isn't complicated enough, her old "friend" Lorick shows up making demands as well. Darian's torn between her desire to help her friends with their problems and the need to focus on her own.Sometimes when a character goes through an ordeal like Darian did at the end of the last book, much of the next one is focused on the emotional aftermath. Although Darian does have nightmares and moments of panic when she recalls Kade, this book doesn't wallow in her angst. The story is fast-paced and hard to put down. I very nearly read it one sitting.I also really enjoyed getting to know Asher better in this book. He not only provides a different perspective on Xander and the Shaedes, but his history is really interesting in itself. I hope he continues to be Darian's bodyguard/sidekick in the future. A few of the other supporting characters get a little extra time on the page as well, which I loved.I was surprised how many elements from the previous books in the series pop up in this one. Everything is explained well enough that I don't think readers would get lost if they started here, but the world is richer with that background knowledge. I actually wish I would have reread the series leading up to this book just in case I'm forgetting something. I really enjoyed reminiscing about where we've been but I also feel like it's hinting at something big still to come. (There are 2 more books planned in the series.)Cliffhanger Alert! The end of the last chapter was like a right hook to the gut. I started to feel a little better during the epilogue, only to get hit with the left. That was just mean, Amanda! Hurry up with that next book.I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.