I wish I could give it a 2.5. I like the series, but I didn't love this one. The plot seemed rushed to get to the end...and then it kind of didn't. To be honest, I was looking forward to the end of this arc so they could do something real, or just close it out, but there's no real end to the arc here, and it doesn't really feel like there's an end to the book.

Another book worth a beach read, but not unless you have the sequel to hand. ( )

When the author begins their book thanking Joss Whedon and saying they understand now you know you're in for a hell of a ride. This book was well-named. ( )

Completed 12/29/16 ( )

Jade knew this day was coming and she’s been practicing magic like crazy. The sorcerer she’d escaped from so long ago has found her and is having fun tormenting and killing the people around her. Jade wants nothing more than for the people she cares for to leave town and let her fight Samir by herself, but hey, her friends have other ideas.

I’m really torn on this 5th book. The writing is good as are the situations, tension and actions. Samir makes an even scarier threat than I imagined he would. Jade pulls some new interesting tricks out of a hat, but the way she does it doesn’t come across so much like a Mary Sue. And all of the characters we’ve come to care about are on hand and affected by the happenings. So I’d give this 4 stars for that aspect of the book.

But this appears to be a 2-book story and we’re left in a place guaranteed to make you want to get the next book to see just how she’s going to defeat this guy; which I would imagine would have to be wrapped up in the next book coming out in June. It’s rather frustrating since the prior books each carried the back story along while wrapping up the immediate threat being faced.

I’m wondering if a reader of this series waited, if these apparently last 2 books in the series wouldn’t be released as 1 book in the future. ( )