Winter's Heir Fairy Queens #7

"Bargains," she cackled as the owl spread its white wings. "Only the truly desperate make them. Only the truly desperate need them. And always, the desperate pay." Ahh! I was going to give this book a lower rating. The beginning half was a continuation of the previous book, Daughter of Winter, with the story of Elice and Adar. It was a bit drawn out for my taste, and I started getting bored. There was plenty of action and a lot was happening as the rivalry between Nelay and Ilyeana come to a head. It just seemed like a lot of it was "filler" to get from one major point to the next. After the halfway mark, everything started to be revealed, and connections to the previous books of the series were made to tie off any lose ends. The way these books all tied together, nothing was left to wonder why there were so many separate stories, (which I didn't fully get at the time as I thought it was more for the purpose of showcasing the events and lifestyles of each era,) were all answered in the final chapters. AND THAT CLIFFHANGER EPILOGUE!!! I want another book! I loved how a resounding theme in the last few installments of this series focused on how two people, from opposite spectrums, can come together and even love one another. Sacrifice. Through their (major) differences, they were able to find ways to change things for the better. Overall, I was very impressed with this series' writing style, themes, and genre. It was fluid, expressive, engaging, and very enjoyable. A solid 4 stars. This review can also be viewed on my blog: She's Going Book Crazy