About the Book
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Author:
- Claudia Gray
Cover Story: Fancy Dress
BFF Charms: Caution x 4
Talky Talk: Gallows Humor
Bonus Factor: Supporting Characters
Anti-Bonus Factor: The Power Of Hate
Relationship Status: Not My Genre
Cover Story: Fancy Dress
This time, the girl on the cover is Elizabeth, judging by her curly auburn hair. The designers made her look much prettier – more like the glamour she projects – than her real self, probably because it sells better.
The Deal:
Nadia Caldani has done something she swore she’d never do: agreed to serve the One Beneath and learn from the sorceress Elizabeth Pike. In exchange, Elizabeth released hundreds of people from the dark-magic-induced coma in which she was holding them. This reprieve is only temporary, however. Elizabeth still plans to use Nadia’s magic to release the One Beneath and merge his hell dimension with the real world. How do you defeat an entity that might as well be the devil himself – especially when you’ve already promised him your soul?
BFF Charm: Caution x 4
Verlaine nicknames herself and her friends “Team Not Evil”, because she’s not sure if “good” applies. She has a point: Nadia is (albeit under duress) helping Elizabeth bring on the apocalypse. Mateo has anger issues that make defending a friend turn into a full-on fistfight. As for Verlaine and Asa, her demon love interest, their relationship hits a whole new level of messed up. Still, the four of them do at least have some empathy. That’s more than I can say for Elizabeth, who still gets a “Hell No”.
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Whether you find these relationships swoonworthy or scary depends on how thick your boundaries are between reality and fiction. Paranormal romance tends to justify behaviors that would raise a red flag in real life. If your boyfriend asks you to start researching ways to kill him in case he’s forced to betray you, being a demon is no excuse – you both need help. Also, Nadia and Mateo make some seriously questionable choices on each other’s behalf without stopping to think about what the other would want.
Talky Talk: Gallows Humor
Verlaine’s sense of humor and pop culture references bring some much needed relief to an otherwise grim story. “To the Batmobile!” she declares when giving her friends a ride in her vintage car, and “If we’re going to Hell, you’d best believe I’m wearing Dior.”
Bonus Factor: Supporting Characters
Kendall, a gossipy ditz who appeared as a running joke in the earlier novels, finds a stressed-out Mateo sleepwalking in her neighborhood. Instead of laughing at him and telling all their classmates as he expects, she lends him a coat and gives him genuinely helpful advice. It shows how much the disasters around town have affected everyone, and that Elizabeth’s tactics are backfiring: instead of driving people apart, sometimes a disaster brings them together.
Anti-Bonus Factor: The Power Of Hate
During the final battle, the One Beneath gets taken down with a weapon made of “pure hate”, which seems counterintuitive to me. I don’t see how that would do anything but make him stronger.
Relationship Status: Not My Genre
All due respect to Claudia Gray, but this really made me want to go back to her sci-fi series.
Literary Matchmaking:
Literary Matchmaking
Steadfast (Spellcaster #2) by Claudia Gray is the prequel to this story.
Defy the Stars (Constellation #1) by Claudia Gray is one of my favorites of hers.
A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1) by Claudia Gray is another favorite.
(FYA Disclaimer: I got no compensation for this review.)
