3.5 stars, rounded up because goodreads doesn't allow us halvsies.
As a whole, I really do love the world that Kim has created with the Witches of Hollow Cove. I love the witches and their magic, and how we've over all learned that it works, I love the way the demons work and how we learned last book and Tessa working with the Soul Collector that they aren't too far from us with their own hierarchy and rules to their people, and I love the shifters - specially that our key shifters are the wereapes because of Marcus and Alison.
The world does feel lush, inviting, and I want to get lost in it.
And I'm sure you're going, but then why only 3.5 stars for the book, right?
The problem is that in a lot of ways, I don't feel like the characters are learning from everything that they've been through in the books. It also hit me this book that everything in the six books has happened in the span of a couple MONTHS. Because after each book the author hit right into the next issue, the next plot point, the next major OMG THIS IS HAPPENING moment. It's only been a few months since Tessa got her Merlin's license. It's only been a few months since we watched Tessa be accused of murder, Ruth confess to murder, Gran come back as a zombie and Tessa learn who her dad was, and then work for the soul collector.
It's like there's no down time in the world, which when I realized that also gave me a little bit of whiplash, because while yes, books normally hit boom, boom, boom for us the reader. I'm almost shocked that the characters don't even get like a week of downtime to rest, to wrap their heads around what just happened before moving on. We don't even have to see that on page, just a small reference to like a week had passed since the whole ordeal with the soul collector, or something.
And I know, book 5 left us off on the cliffhanger that led directly into this issue, so there would be no downtime because end of book five she had left to see Marcus and it was mentioned they were all sitting around the table. But it's just a lot when you realize just how little time has actually passed between book 1 and this book (6).
This next bit may contain a bit of spoilers for later bits of the book, but I do want to mention it, so be warned. I'll try not to be OVERLY spoilery as I can but I had a couple major issues with how a couple things were handled that also lead to my deducting stars off the book.
I'm also not in love with how abusive the MIAD allows their agents to be not only to those under investigation, but also to OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT. What Silas did to Marcus, purely because Marcus had arrested Beverly first was absolutely and utterly uncalled for. And for him to not be punished in any way by anyone in the MIAD is horrible. I get not seeing eye to eye on cases, but the fact that Silas was already out for all four of the Davenport witches from before he had ever stepped foot in Hallow Cove, and then torturing another law enforcement officer - and the highest one in the town itself no less, and him not being called to task for overstepping and being such a shit person, I don't love. Because if that is how shitty the MIAD is, why has no one overthrown it and dismantled it. It shows a clear disinterest in actually finding out the truth, about anyone, and only following through with vendetas. And an organization who has members that go rouge in that sense, shouldn't be managing an entire magical community of people.
My other bone to pick, if you will. I HATED the whole argument and being pissed off at Tessa when she said she couldn't make the dinner that Marcus' mother had planned. No one asked Tessa if she was available. No one checked with Tessa if she'd be up for a dinner. No one said anything until she accidentally ran into Marcus and his mother, and they just expected her to be at a dinner, THAT NIGHT, that no one had told her about. She's a whole grown ass woman. You want to do an important, introduce her to the family dinner, you fucking coordinate that shit. Even if she wasn't being hunted by a demon and working to keep Beverly out of Azkaban, who don't know what she may have planned with her aunts, with her father she's still getting to know, with Iris and Rowan even. And she's expected to drop everything for a dinner she didn't know was on the books because you as her boyfriend couldn't have let her know about it?
I don't care how hot you are, or that you're the chief of the town, or that your mother is only here for a limited time and that was the only time it could be done. You do not get to be mad at your girlfriend because you drop she needs to be at mom's house for a dinner less than 12 hours before said dinner is happening. Even if you had been missing each other, you could have fucking texted her 'hey mom wants to meet you, she wants to do a dinner on this day, at this time, can you mark your calendar' the moment it was set up. People have lives, and while SOs are important, it is not our responsibility to drop everything because of your poor planning choices. And you don't get to be mad if less than 12 hours from said event, you tell us about it and we say we have plans we can't get out of. Just. No. That irritated me beyond belief.
That and Marcus not taking Tessa's side when Alison was being a bitch at every turn. Including at the dinner when his mother moved HER to sit next to Silas, but left Marcus where he was so Alison could sit next to him when Tessa does risk her life because demon hit man out there for her, to attend the stupid dinner since Marcus was such a man baby about it. Like, she risked more than you know, she tried to come and talk to you to tell you what was up, and you can't even tell your mom no when she separates you at the dinner table? What's the point of Tessa being at this dinner again?!
I think that got a little ranty, sorry. But as you can see I had some little issues about those moments.
Will I keep going, I mean I'm almost halfway through the series, so why not? I'm hoping we learn more about her dad, the premise of the next book seemed interesting, so I'll track on and keep on moving on.