Robin D. Owens

I have waited for this book. First, I waited for it to become available at Netgalley. Then I waited for my request to be either declined, or accepted. And there was much rejoicing when it was accepted..

And.. I devoured it. It was one of those books where you sit down to read, thinking I'll just read a chapter, and the next thing you know you are on chapter 8.

I enjoyed meeting the inhabitants of Mystic Circle again, and seeing them from Kiri's totally human perspective. While I was familiar show more with the intriguing world of the Mystic Circle series, Ms Owens managed to make it feel brand new to me. It was fascinating, to get a glimpse of how Waterfolk lived. Both the weaker elementals, like naiders and naiads, as well as the Mer. The interaction between them gives a glimpse into the danger of angering someone at court.


The plot was intriguing. I loved how they used a VR world to gradually introduce Kiri to the existence of magic. The gradually increasing sense of danger, even before Kiri transformed, kept me reading. I also enjoyed how Kiri struggled with her decision to transform, and the sense of uncertainty of what she would transform into. Kiri's struggles with adapting to her new life afterward added another touch of believability to the story.

Kiri and Lathyr's romance was sweet, and I enjoyed following it from their first meeting, and to their HEA. That said, sometimes their romance felt too... subtle. It was there, but it felt like it got buried in all the other things that happened. show less

I love the way Owens makes her female protagonists the active heroes in this series, responsible for their own destinies and that of the planet. The relationships and cooperation between the women are also very satisfying to read about; it's rare to find adventure books about groups of women working together. I read all five books in great gulps and was disappointed that there weren't more, not because the overall plot felt rushed but just because I didn't want it to be over yet.

I have to show more say, however, that my enjoyment of all five books was hindered by their technical flaws: rampant comma splicing, too-frequent continuity errors, and one too many moments where I had to stop and re-read and still couldn't figure out what Owens was trying to say. I'm frustrated, because I think there's enough excellent material here that it would have been worth better editing, by either the author or her press. The fact that I read the whole series and loved the last book is a testament to the artistic talent that outweighed the technical flaws. show less

This one is - deeper? than the others - a lot more thinking about death and philosophy. With two of them learning their way around Lladrana at the same time, it's a little scrambled at times as the action jumps back and forth, but we also get several viewpoints on most of the events, especially after Jikata joins the rest. I think I like Raine the best of all of them - she really has to fight (to some extent, literally) in order to use her talents and do what she wants and needs to do. She show more also has a loving family back on Earth, so her choice is among the hardest. And while I thought Faucon was a total idiot with Alexa and not much better with Calli, he fleshed out a little with Elizabeth and a lot here with Raine. The way he didn't call to her in the Snap was - magnificent, sad, very affecting. The final battle had a lot of aspects I wasn't expecting - from the men being crucial participants to the Singer's part. The end of the battle was a surprise - too easy! And the aftermath - the whole thing, Faucon's demand, the crystal bodies, all of it was wonderful. And we finally got an explanation for Bert! Good story, and I'm glad I finally read all of it. Not sure if I'll reread, though - the first ones weren't nearly as much fun to read this second or third time. show less

I'm not sure about this one. There's an excellent story here - an interesting universe, well-structured characters (all of them, the protagonists down through the brownies to Spark), and a well-earned happy ending. The only part that bothers me, but it bothers me a lot, is the way she handles sex - it's the overwhelming attraction trope to a fare-thee-well. Rafe started it - stealing a kiss, and touching. Amber doesn't object, though. But they end up falling in bed too easily, to my mind. I show more think it would have been a much stronger story if they'd resisted more, if sex wasn't a casual adventure in the middle but an aim in itself. I don't know quite why it does bother me so much - there are plenty of other books where sex starts early, including others by Robin D. Owens, and it doesn't bother me. Maybe because it feels like the sex is all the bond they have, then suddenly there's true love - the other annoying romance trope, if the sex is great it must be true love. Unconvincing. But I will read the others in the series, at least once. show less