So, last year, I wrote up a truly gushing review of Immortal Beloved, the first in this trilogy. I mean, I loved that book. LOVED. So let me tell you all I would’ve thrown the world’s biggest temper tantrum on twitter (I mean, bigger than the one threw when Pottermore sorted me into Slytherin) when the publication of Darkness Falls was pushed back from September to January. I would have….except I had an ARC and all was well in the world.
I love Reyn so much! He gets the very first line of the book and it’s possibly my most favourite first line ever. And there’s a scene where he wakes Nastasya up in the middle of the night so she can see puppies! And then there’s a bit where he walks close to her in the dark. And then there’s this other bit where he holds the wiggly, runty puppy and…and….
Maybe I should talk about the book. And, you know, Nastasya. Who is awesome and still has her sarcastic, smart alec, voice. Which I love so much. Darkness Falls continues to focus on Nastastya’s road to self discovery and growth and such. And while Immortal Beloved was more about her becoming comfortable in her own skin, I felt that this book was about Nastasya accepting her power and her family’s power. As someone who has seen the horrible things people with power do, and done horrible things when she was in a position of power, you can tell she is reluctant and wary of the power she has.
And then, of course, everything goes wrong around her and Nastasya believes her power is, itself, inherently evil.
I loved the look we got into River’s past. You could tell from the first book that she had a darkness in her past and being 1300 years old or whatever she is, you know there’s got to be some major drama. And she continues to understand Nastasya so well, better than Nastasya understands herself possibly, and I enjoy the repertoire the two have. River wants so much for Nastasya and isn’t willing to give up on her or let her take an easy path. I can just see, hundreds of years from now, these two being the best of friends and laughing about what an idiot they both used to be.
I don’t want to spoil anything but I will say that I’m glad a certain character/plot thread got all tied up in this book. It leaves the last book open for something new and more evil.
OR for Eternally Yours to be about Nastasya and Reyn making super cute, immortal, viking babies. I am totally okay with that being all the third book is about. And Dufa. I want more Dufa. Wriggly, ugly, adorable Dufa.
Things that worry me. Well, Cate Tiernan doesn’t exactly have the best track record for giving her characters the happily ever after I want them have. I’m still angry about Morgan and Hunter…sigh. And while I know Balefire had originally been planned to be longer, there was little to no resolution between Thais and Luc and I NEEDED those two together. But I can forgive Balefire because it was cut short. And Luc and Thais are happy and together in my head.(I really didn’t care at all about Clio and Richard)
But…but…I’m not going to be able to deal if Nastasy and Reyn do not have a good ending. The title suggests a happy ending…right?
I’m going to end it here…this wasn’t much of a review so much as it was a rant about things I liked. But, whatever. Reyn is awesome. And Nastasya is kick ass.