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Secrets and Ruin (Jacky Leon, #9)

K.N. Banet

Start date: September 1, 2025

Finish date: September 30, 2025

Discussion: Challenges: What's the Rush

Why we're reading this: Part of our group series (re)read: Jacky Leon …more
[close] Part of our group series (re)read: Jacky Leon

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Challenges: What's the Rush

* 2025 Series Read: K.N. Banet's "Jacky Leon"
By Steph , Serious series addict · 110 posts · 33 views

last updated Oct 15, 2025 11:11PM

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* YEAR-LONG CHALLENGES
By Steph , Serious series addict · 1 post · 389 views

last updated Aug 17, 2010 11:14PM

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What Members Thought

Mar 24, 2023 Katyana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ass-kicking-women, favorites, uf, shapeshifters

Wow. I mean ... just wow.

I'm not sure what to say here, other than this: this book absolutely rocked my socks off. I laughed, I got warm fuzzies, and at a couple points I cried my goddamn eyes out. I'm still sitting here sniffling right now.

I don't want to be spoilery at all, so I'll just note that there was massive forward movement in this book, with a lot of threads from previous books paying off in a huge way. Some of it broke my heart, but overall I feel like we're left in a hopeful place. Wow. I mean ... just wow.

I'm not sure what to say here, other than this: this book absolutely rocked my socks off. I laughed, I got warm fuzzies, and at a couple points I cried my goddamn eyes out. I'm still sitting here sniffling right now.

I don't want to be spoilery at all, so I'll just note that there was massive forward movement in this book, with a lot of threads from previous books paying off in a huge way. Some of it broke my heart, but overall I feel like we're left in a hopeful place. Jacky's world is reshaping now, and I can't wait to see where things go next.

A couple odds and ends I'd like to mention, in spoiler tags --

(view spoiler)[-That Cassius cameo was damn sad. Like, I think a year or more has passed in book time, and I hate that he's still so broken and adrift. But Adalni, the half-witch/half-fae...I feel like we're going to see her again in Cassius's journey. Maybe a love, maybe a friend, but they seem destined to intersect.

-Hasan has had a couple wake-up calls before, but they never stuck. I think because they didn't come from someone who had his utmost respect - he neither knew nor cared about Aisha, and Jacky he brushed off as a naive child. But this chat with Subira ... that feels like it had a real impact. I think it's also going to take Hisao out of neutral, which is great because he's the last one of the family I really hurt for - he's so isolated and unsure of his connection with everyone. But yeah, this wake up call left a mark. Being told he's become his hateful warmonger maker, and just like that man, has built an army via his Changed children...that seems to have rattled him deeply.

-When I said Hisao is the last member of the family that I hurt for, I mean it. I don't hurt for Mischa, she's an absolute bitch having a tantrum and she needs to get the fuck over herself already.

That said ... I fucking loathed Davor a few books ago, and I came around. I don't love him. But I do understand him a bit better, and I respect that he's trying to make amends. He seemed like a new person in this book, and that was good to see. I can see him becoming a character I care about.

-Fenris ... *sigh* It wasn't how I thought it was going to go, and my heart fucking hurts for him. He deserved so much better from the world, but I don't see any possible ending than the one we got ... it isn't like they could be detangled into separate people. And also, that letter fucking killed me. Full ugly cry moment there.

-I'm tired of Liza. For reals. She's like the super perfect special precious character who was too good for this world, and she looms so large over the series. I understand why, but I'm exhausted at Jacky being held up to her constantly. Like, fucking exhausted. That's not criticism of the writing, either. It's criticism of the family. The ones most stuck on the precious special perfect one (and I guarantee, had she lived, they'd be well aware of her flaws ... but that's how people get enshrined in memory when they die, especially a tragic death) are the ones most fucked up in the family. It is an unhealed wound, and they need to purge the poison. Davor did, and he's so much better now. Hopefully the rest of them can do it too. I will say this, though - the perspective of Hasan having a non-violent daughter as a way of celebrating the peace that he fought so hard for ... and then her being murdered by the ancient enemy ... boy, that sure shed a lot of light on him as a character. I mean, how utterly devastating. I can't believe he managed to not nuke the werewolves right at that time. His withdrawl, rather than rage, with this perspective just highlights his exhaustion with the world, the war, all of it. But it also gives me hope that he can heal that wound. (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Jun 20, 2023 Larissa rated it it was amazing

Another amazing read in one of my favorite series ever!
This series is a must read to any urban fantasy fan out there :)

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Oct 21, 2025 ~♥*Marianna*♥~ rated it liked it

I skimmed a lot. It’s meh to me. Idk about that ending scene. I didn’t feel the majesty of it. I guess I just don’t know what future I am looking foreward to with this series? Another book was published this year but I just want more of Everly Abbot instead. It’s been three years!

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