Please note the following review encompasses books 20 through 26 of the SERIES. As each book depends on the prior books, I am not reviewing each individually to cut down on repetition. Following this review, I will be one final review of my reading experience throughout all 26 books.
As always, I will endeavor to minimize spoilers, but please read at your own risk.
Ok, it's been 19 books, and I haven't really touched on the totally delicious guys in this series. Mostly, because I wasn't sure who was staying and who was going. Because believe you me, Tamsin has her choice of treats. But I want to talk boys for a bit.
Let's start with our dragon. Hudson is a dragon prince, and his dragon, River, is as sweet as pie. Both love Tamsin wholeheartedly, but Hudson needs to learn when and how to pull his head out of that place the sun doesn't shine. He makes more than his fair share of mistakes, but unlike real life, there is almost always a redemption opportunity. I was thrilled he took it.
Next, there's the sexy warlock professor, Julian Craftsman. He is quite literally too smart for his own good. I was ready to throw the towel in and look for a replacement, but, like Hudson, he pulled off a miracle to get the girl. As much as this man frustrated me, he still managed to make me swoon. This man is Fine with a capital F, and the support he ends up providing for Tamsin would not have worked so well for anyone else.
This is the one y'all are looking forward to. Our geeky vampire tutor turned attorney. Most notably, he is the only one of Tamsin's mates that she purposely chose. Everyone else is a fated mate, but she loved Darby enough to tell Fate and the gods to F off. Darby is far from perfect, but he is the normal in her world that's spinning wildly out of control, and let's face it, it's impossible to not find him loveable. He brings a lot of baggage though, and it is incredible to watch him work through it all.
Lucca's relationship started with a ... lie of omission? Not a purposeful misrepresentation, but it still set their relationship back. Truthfully, I didn't expect him to make the final cut, but Lucca worked his butt off to fix his mistakes, to learn and grow from them, and unlike the rest, he doesn't make the same mistake twice. And Harry, his bear, is just too adorable.
And this leaves us with Neldor Donovan, Prince of Dark Fairies, aka Prince of Darkness. When first introduced to Neldor, I knew he was going to be vital to the plot, but I wanted him to die in a fire regardless. He was just flat out mean to Tamsin, but as the story progressed, his character made subtle changes to his attitude and behavior, and I realized that I like the guy. For all of his faults, he ends up adoring Tamsin, and more than any of the other relationships, this one left me with warm fuzzies.
Expect my final review of the overall, full series in a few days.
However, as always, Iwant to leave a content warning of sorts because mental health matters. Contained in the story so far, you will find racism, classism, prejudice and past trauma (physically, emotionally, and smexually.) There are also forced abductions, bullying outside of the harem, references to ongoing trafficking, violence, attempted forced mating and SA, intimate partner abuse, family disconnect and related trauma from both sides, and discussion of forced breeding. Characters have ongoing mental health issues, including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, fear of abandonment, grief & loss, self-worth issues, and suicidal ideation. Please know your limits and read responsibly.