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Review

3 stars

A part of the Irin Chronicles series, this is a spin-off from the original trilogy, and a story for side character Leo. While it technically stands alone from the original, events from the previous books have directly led to this one, so I would not recommend reading this book as a standalone.

Leo is an Irin Scribe who has fallen for Kyra, a Kareshta – sisters of the Grigori, who were previously enemies to the Scribes, and are now tentative allies. Their worlds are only just beginning to intersect, and when they are both sent to Thailand on separate diplomatic missions to help their respective races, Leo is ready to take his shot with the woman he cares for so deeply.

I loved these characters. Leo may be a huge beast of a man, but he has a gentle soul, and he is wholly committed to Kyra. He wants her for life, and though he’s ready to claim her as his, he is endlessly patient with her, and it’s so beautiful to see them together.

Kyra is a great heroine. She has lived an overprotected, silent and sheltered life, and she’s ready to branch out and truly start living, and I loved seeing her start to explore the world and find her own strength. She has feelings for Leo, but she is understandably wary and has some hurdles to overcome before she’s ready for more.

The love story is sweetly romantic as Leo guides shy but very willing Kyra into exploring more with him, while giving her complete control of the pacing. The relationship is swoony, passionate and emotional, and they are so good together.

But while Leo and Kyra are finding their way, they’re also teaming up with an uneasy group of Irin and Grigori to rescue kidnapped women. The rescue mission sees them travelling into wild jungles and across borders to track down the bad guys and prepare for battle as they take on a fallen angel.

On the whole, though, this is a bit of a slow-moving book. I found the main mystery/action storyline a bit boring, and I wasn’t as invested as I wanted to be. I did enjoy Leo and Kyra and their romance, but the rest of the book was a bit blah.

Still, it’s a good read, and I’m enjoying seeing the world from the original three books expand. I loved that trilogy, and I’m happy to keep exploring this universe, even if this particular book didn’t quite grab me as much as I’d hoped.

3 stars.

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Aaron Shedlock, and he does a great job. This is a good book to listen to.