Bookish Mumma

This last act feels a little disjointed if I’m honest, but considering we are now end game, the quotes in each chapter that I can comment on are fewer because of spoilers and I think I’ll leave out the last chapter so you all have to read the book for yourselves, which you can get here.

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Chapter 1

“At least growing up in that hellhole was good for something. We can help the men.” We have to help them.
“About that.” Grace won’t quite meet my eyes. “I’m going to be brutally honest with you-“
“When are you anything less than brutally honest?” We’ve only been travelling together for two days, but Grace’s bluntness is both a balm and an aggravation. She doesn’t lie; she doesn’t even bother to cushion harsh truths. I sit up, I’m about to get another of those harsh truths right now. “What’s wrong?”

Brutal honesty is something Mina needs, in my opinion. Malachi, Wolf and Rylan have been trying to shield her from the realities of the world she has found herself in. Sure, she grew up with an asshole of a father and was abused to shit, but that was only a small part of the world that she is in and the consequences of her birth are something that shouldn’t be hidden from her.

“He seemed fair,” I say finally. “Or, if not fair, then honest.”

Again, something she needs, though caution is always advised when approaching demons. Even Mina, as naïve as she is, should know that.

“It was worth a shot,” she repeats, shaking her head. “You are out of your damn mind, Mina.” Grace scoops up her backpack from the floor and a small gun from the desk to tuck into her waistband.

Uh oh, our heroine is cracking!

Chapter 2

In the distance, the mist rolls away and a familiar form of a man stands there. I recognize his pale skin, short white mohawk, and lean frame. The bond inside me thrums happily and nearly jerks me off my feet. “Wolf!”
He turns slowly, recognition brightening his light blue eyes. “Mina.”
One step brings me to him. I reach out a trembling hand and press it to his chest. Real? Not real? I can’t be sure.

Losing her mind or new powers emerging? No way to know with Mina.

“Honey, I don’t know what you were doing, but that wasn’t normal dreaming.” Grace shudders again. “Your eyes were open and you had this aura… It was like some demon possession shit.”

I suppose this is one way to stay connected with the three men as a reader when there are going to be several chapters without them and mostly with just Mina and Grace. Don’t get me wrong, I like Grace, but I couldn’t do Mina alone for several chapters.

Chapter 3

I’ve been in bad spots before. I was born into a bad spot, a powerless dhampir in the compound my father rules. Normally, dhampir children – those who are half human and half vampire – inherit powers from their vampire parent, at least if said vampire parent is a bloodline vampire. Not me, though. Up until I met Malachi, Rylan and Wolf, I thought I was defective.

This section makes me think that each of the acts weren’t supposed to be the same book. Or at least, the last act wasn’t supposed to be in the same one as the first two. Mentioning dhampirs, their inheritance and the fact that they are half and half of vampire and human feels disjointed. We’re 16 chapters away from the end, if the reader doesn’t know what a dhampir is, their make-up and their inheritance, I’d be concerned.

He gives that sharp smile. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Have your answer by then.” He casts a disdainful look at the blood-stained floor. “Next time, use my card.” It appears in the air above me, floating carefully down to rest on my thigh that isn’t covered in blood.

I love the fact that this demon has an alternate method of summoning and that it is 1800-demon (it probably isn’t, but imagine that!)

Chapter 4

“No.” Malachi shakes his head. “It’s too dangerous. We’ll figure something out.”
“Like you figured out a way to escape that house?” He spent a hundred years trapped and slowly starving between sacrifices my father sent him. I can’t bear the thought of him suffering through that again, let alone Rylan and Wolf, too. I glare up at him. “Out of the question.”

See this is why I don’t like Malachi as much as I like Rylan. Malachi isn’t protective, he’s controlling. I can tolerate that to a degree in fiction because, well, it’s fiction, but it feels wrong for the character I’m sure Katee was trying to create. Rylan, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to want to choose for her and respects that she has choices of her own even if she doesn’t realise that she has them.

I don’t like the betrayed look Rylan sends my way. Even worse is the slow anger building on Malachi’s face. He drags his hands through his long hair. “We talked about this, Mina. It’s out of the question.”

See the above point, but also note how Rylan is hurt, but he doesn’t say anything about the choice that Mina made? He may not like it, but he knows that 1) the choice us already made and 2) it was HER choice!

Chapter 5

I can’t tell whether Grace looks victorious or sick to her stomach. She lifts her chin. “Rescue Malachi, Rylan and Wolf, and kill Mina’s father in the process. Then I’ll go with you.”

I hate the idea of saying goodbye to Grace so soon, I like her as a character and I told she’s a badass.

I want to be relieved, but I can’t. I can’t. Too many people are paying debts that should be mine.

Correct. So do something about it!

Grace is gone.
Fuck.

I hope we get to see her again, I liked her.

Conclusion

I was hoping that Mina was going to actually buck up and start doing shit for herself and sure, there is a very big limiting factor that I refuse to mention because it would spoil a big part of this act, BUT Grace is an ally that she could have been leaning on rather than having Grace take all of the initiative. This act also just feels pretty disjointed and different to the others, both in explaining things we already know (or should) and the introduction of asterisms (the little ornamental breaks between scenes you see in some books). I feel like I’ve been pulled back from the story if I’m honest, but maybe that will improve with the following chapters.

As always, if you want to follow in or fill in the gaps, you can get the book here.