Lagir Alpina

84 points/100 (4.25 stars/5).

After Sam left Haagenti out to dry at the end of the last book, she decides to take on a job from the elves to look for a half-elf/half-demon hybrid in a bid to get the elves to deal with her problem.

This series is still incredibly fun to read, and really quick and easy, too. However, something indefinable in this made me not like this book as much. I'll try to explain why, though. I still really enjoyed it, I was just a bit less enthralled with this one than the rest.

This book is much more "traditional" urban fantasy. Sam is looking for a maybe dead baby, maybe alive college aged kid. She doesn't know. It is much more a PI novel than the rest of the series. Sam has a ton of responsibilities this book compared to the last couple. She has to be a responsible Iblis. She ends up having to tack up more onto her plate, as well. There aren't many side trips for good, chaotic, impish fun. She just gets into trouble a lot and tries to solve this mystery for the elves. I didn't find the ending very satisfactory, either.

There is also a lot of jealousy this book. Gregory is jealous of Wyatt. Wyatt is jealous of Gregory. It takes the romance from a cute three pronged relationship into shitty love triangle status. As if either of those could compare with the other - Sam gets different things out of each of them. The audacity of both of them to be jealous of the other is ridiculous and makes me roll my eyes every time it happens. I hate that it is happening, and this is a reread. I forgot just how over the top the jealousy is because it really doesn't make sense.

Her relationship with Wyatt still doesn't make sense, either. This relationship has never really made sense. This is the book where Wyatt starts to really realise it, though. He is constantly trying to provoke her into acting more human while professing that he "loves that she is so different and not human". This book he finally figured out that she isn't human, she'll never be human, and she can't be human just for him. This is incredibly annoying because I've been saying this the whole time and the fact that it is playing out makes me annoyed.

The good things:

Sam is still incredibly funny though. There is a scene involving an angel and a danish that has never failed to make me bust up laughing in this book. Sam really is the shining part of this series. It really wouldn't be the same without her. I just hate that she is bogged down with so much work and responsibility in this book.

Gregory and Sam still are a great couple together, even if they aren't really there yet. Their relationship is still budding, still growing, still becoming what it is destined to be. You can feel this relationship grow with the series. It is so cute the way they act with each other. Definite highlight of this book.

This book sets up the next couple books (because I have read them and know what is going to happen) really, really well. There are a lot of threads left dangling in this book that you are probably looking for the answer towards now. You'll get your answers, but this book sets up really well.

Still fun, just more serious, more "traditional" and the romance has grown tiresome. Still looking forward to the rest, though!
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