The Rundown
The final book in the Bonds of Blood and Spirit series sees Regina’s mixed pack of shape-shifters and vampires all living under one roof and preparing for a final battle with the evil Dupree and monstrous Talutha. The majority of this book builds up to the oncoming war, and this added a sense of dread and tension to almost every page. It was also interesting to find out more about each of the characters, with family secrets and revelations pouring in, new relationships formed and tested, jealousies rearing and the pack constantly growing. With the pack undergoing such internal change and turmoil, the ‘bad guys’ could not have picked a worse time to start a war. Regina must control the ever-changing relationships in her pack, whilst allowing each member to find their feet and to feel valued. With her own baby on its way, she must also confront her love for Cole and Harry and work out a way to have them both, whilst preparing herself and the pack for war. A slower book in some places, as so much history is revealed, and characters spend a lot of time talking and negotiating and plotting, but if you have enjoyed the rest of the series as much as me, you will find this interesting and vital to the plot of the book which leads to the final battle. A perfect tying up of loose ends revealed secrets and new alliances. I think I will continue to wonder, what happened next?
The Recommendation
The final book in the Bonds of Blood and Spirit series, in my opinion, achieved what it set out to. The horde of shape-shifting characters introduced in the first three epic books, come together to fight one final battle. You need to read the books in order, and I would also suggest reading them fairly close together, as at the start of this novel I struggled a bit to recall who was who, as there is an extensive cast of characters. It soon came back to me though, and although long, I found myself gripped by the constant threat of peril from rogue wolf Dupree. This book goes into great depth in examining the characters histories and motivations, and many of them faced particular challenges as family secrets and revelations came to light. With the pack undergoing such internal change and turmoil, the ‘bad guys’ could not have picked a worse time to start a war. Regina must control the ever-changing relationships in her pack, whilst allowing each member to find their feet and to feel valued. With her own baby on its way, she must also confront her love for Cole and Harry and work out a way to have them both, whilst preparing herself and the pack for war. A slower book in some places, as so much history is revealed, and characters spend a lot of time talking and negotiating and plotting, but if you have enjoyed the rest of the series as much as me, you will find this interesting and vital to the plot of the book which leads to the final battle. A perfect tying up of loose ends revealed secrets and new alliances. I think I will continue to wonder, what happened next? I recommend this to readers who enjoy an epic saga, a vast but believable array of colourful characters, plus plenty of romance, danger, action and adventure. This series has it all.
The Rating
5 Stars (out of 5): Highly recommended. This book did exactly what it set out to do, with originality, style, and maybe even a twist. It stands out next to popular, traditionally published novels in its genre.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Characterization, Dialogue, Page Turner, Plot, Strong World-BuildingCons: Very Long
