by Evangeline Anderson

My rating 5 of 5 stars

I love this series and will continue to read it as long as books keep coming out. This entry is no different from the previous ones in that it has multiple stories going on at the same time. The main story of Merrick and Elise, hints of what will happen with Lissa and Saber, and our newest bad guy Draven, not to mention what is happening on the ship. For me each story just gets better and better and the characters I have come to love keep doing the same. The stories are fast paced and keep you wondering so that you can’t help but keep reading. Once I started it was hard for me to put it down because who knew what I might have to wait to find out. The characters are well fleshed out and make you want to know more about them not only their present but their past The themes here might be a little hard for some to take, but they are handles in a way that is both sympathetic and understanding.

Merrick and Elise have formed a bad soul bond and must have it dissolved or they both will die. In order to do that they must go to Rageron, the Beast Kindred home-world and into the Deep Blue for a plant that will aid them. These are two wounded people who have found each other but cannot accept what has been given to them without fighting it tooth and nail, even while wanting nothing more than to submit. They leave the safety of the mothership not knowing that out in the black someone is looking for them, and his intentions are less than honorable.

This was one where I cried or at least misted up a great deal. Elise brought out a lot emotion because she was a strong woman, a survivor who knew she was not living a full life but was willing to give it up in order to remain sane. Merrick was also a survivor who had always felt like an outsider but found someone who he was willing to die for and it made him more noble. All that said, this was a little less hot than previous entries but still brought the heat. This was a fun, sad, heroic, disturbing bit of a read. I enjoyed every minute of it and will be moving on because this story and others are not over yet.