Kara Gillian is in some seriously deep trouble.
She’s used to summoning supernatural creatures from the demon realm to our world, but now the tables have been turned and she’s the one who’s been summoned. Kara is the prisoner of yet another demonic lord, but she quickly discovers that she’s far more than a mere hostage. Yet waiting for rescue has never been her style, and Kara has no intention of being a pawn in someone else’s game. There’s intrigue to spare as she digs into the origin of the demonic lords and discovers the machinations of humans and demons alike. Kara is shocked to discover that she has her own history in the demon realm, and that the ties between her and the demonic lords Rhyzkahl and Szerain go back farther than she could have ever imagined. But treachery runs rampant among all the lords, and she’s going to have to stay sharp in order to keep from being used to further their own agendas. The lords have a secret that dates back to earth’s ancient history, and it could have devastating repercussions for both worlds. Yet more than anything else, Kara’s abilities as a homicide detective will be put to the test—because this time the murder she has to solve is her own |
This book has a lot going for it - compared to the others in the series, it's much longer. It fully explores a lot of the demon world (98% of the book takes place there). Kara learns about new abilities and how to strengthen as a summoner and further.
On the downside, most of the characters which are well known and loved from the previous series aren't around. They helped keep the life of the other books so their absence is missed. The biggest issue is a huge change with a major character. Their personality is revealed here to be completely different. Well, maybe not completely different, but not likeable anymore. It almost feels like a cop-out sort of cheat to me, and several other readers, as forcing the hand to end a triangle. I would wonder if this is the author's reasoning (or part of it) but then Kara ends up getting together with someone new again!
Also, the book, while fascinating with the world exploration, seemed to drag on at parts when it didn't before. There's a lot of decent action, but it's spread far out.
As with another book in this series, I again had issue with Kara's unreasonably vulgar, and unrealistic language. I'm no prude and profanity is used often in Urban Fantasy (realistically), but this example is just crass and turns me off:
Click the button for an example of the unrealistic, unreasonably vulgar language:
I mean, seriously? Who talks like that?? No one I know.
Besides the language annoyance, the slower parts that could keep things less nail-biting than before, the bitter change of a main, and the absence of characters and the world Kara exists in we typically adore, there's also a pretty big change in her career. In addition, when characters are finally shown, they just don't see the same or like the ones we know. Perhaps that's just me though, or else I felt different after reading such a long book where Kara was with different people, in a different environment, and setting different priorities than she ever has before.
If you're a fan of the series, it's worth a read. Of course at the end I was wanting more but thankfully the author did NOT end on a massive cliffhanger like before. In my mind this is the weakest of the series.
I did an "Early Chapter" feature for this book with links to the first two chapters.
Book Quotes:
“Hell, right now my only weapons were Obnoxious and Snark, and I intended to use them whenever possible.”
“I have missed you. And I did not know anything was missing.”
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