No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to dare mount a secret rescue operation. A teenage girl. A human of untested abilities. But she has something no one else does. She is predestined for Dimitri—as he is for her. And there is nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true. Whatever the risk.
Comment: Ever since I read Dark Legend back in 2008 or something, I got interested in Skylar's story and how would she deal with a romance. This is that book, Skylar's story with her lifemate Dimitri, who's been waiting for her to grow in years - if not in maturity - and now it's finally their time. I had some expectations about this story...
Skylar is now a 19 year old, very wise for her years who's decided to save her lifemate from torture as soon as she realized he was in danger. She travels with her friends Joseph and Paul and they make up a plan to save Dimitri. But, at the same time, Mikhail and the other important Carpathians are dealing with a pack of lycans about a treaty and they don't need problems, especially when Skylar realizes the ones torturing Dimitri are from the shifters' clan. In a race against time, saving Dimitri will have personal consequences Skylar might be ready for... or is she?
I will admit it right away, I was expecting something else. Not much better or much worse, only slightly different. The series has gone on an interesting path but after more than 25 books are the Carpathians closer to solve the problems they had in the first books? I don't think the answer is that closer...and to be honest, it's tiring to keep reading about the same personalities, the same actions, the same moods, even if the characters and their circumstances change.
I've stopped reading two books ago and only came back because this is Skylar's book, a character I've felt interested in since the beginning. But in terms of world development, despite the new types of characters, ideas, etc., I still don't feel the author is closer to closure on important subjects. I understand the need for dragging and certainly other readers don't feel the same way, but for me it's all so repetitive and static...
That said, this is Skylar's book so I felt a special interest in knowing what would happen. I wanted to see what kind of grown up she is (although 19 is...well, she might be older mentally but it's still weird) and how she would be with Dimitri, as a couple, after her awful past. Somehow, the books in between have diluted the impact of that first meeting Skylar because I didn't feel as emotionally affected as I thought I would. Or maybe my impression of the general series has impacted my POV on this particular story too... I only know that the book's content wasn't as special as I always imagined. Skylar and Dimitri's relationship is balanced yes, he did wait for her, they talked and established a platonic relationship until she got older and that helps in their connection, but I wanted more feelings, more passion, I don't know, everything felt so polite, so perfect it's hard to imagine a young, damaged person now feels so calm about everything, despite the situations were we see she acts doubtful. I just don't think the author convinced me of their love, even while I was reading about it.
Skylar had an interesting evolution, she is a brave young woman...I liked her relationship with other characters, how things progressed in terms of socializing.
Dimitri isn't as focused on, his moments with Skylar and even with others are classic Carpathian and that's fine but he doesn't feel different from any other Carpathian and I saw that in the book where he and Skylar met. I think something was lost in the years until this book.
The general feel of this book is difficult for me to specify. For me, things got different, the books coming out now feel so far away from the first ones... maybe it's me who feels this way... the author certainly inserts all the necessary elements, the writing and content is recognizable but it just doesn't feel the same. I didn't dislike this story, I'm still happy Skylar and Dmitri got their HEA but it wasn't as magnificent as I always envisioned.
I don't plan on reading more...or at least not in buying any more. Maybe in the future I can get them for free in one of the exchange sites I visit, or if not, I honestly don't feel that bad about it.
Still, for hard core fans, I'm sure this is amazing. And it is good to see the author trying to make some characters look different, act different...just not enough for me.
Grade: 6/10
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