LiliaFord

Despite the strong opening, Macrieve and Chloe did not catapult to the top of my favorite IAD couples along with Lothaire and Ellie, Declan and Regan, Carrow and Malcolm, and Bowen and Mariketa. Chloe is fantastic--the perfect example of what Cole does so incredibly well. Seriously, she's a pro-soccer player nicknamed "Baby T-Rex." NO one else does heroines like this. And as a group, I like the Lycae heroes the most in the series.

Spoilers: But unlike Lothaire and the other recent books, once we're past the main set up, the plot doesn't have anywhere to go. There aren't any serious villains or ticking time bombs or La Dorada's here to drive things along. That means that Macrieve's back story and prejudice carries just about the whole weight of the plot. The resolution comes down to Macrieve getting over himself, which doesn't leave Chloe with much to do but wait for him to see the light. Chloe could not be further from a Mary Sue, but she's not exactly overbrimming with flaws. Nothing that happens is her fault--she guiltless in their conflicts. She's so spunky you love her for how she handles stuff, but unlike Ellie in Lothaire, she doesn't have the same motive to stay with a guy who's being a complete bastard to her. The story would work better if she had more to do, either in the form of her own self-improvement or in the form of some task or heroic act she must perform.

Cole is such a great writer that the weakest of her books is still ten times better than the vast majority of paranormals out there. I doubt this will go on my "most reread ever" list along with Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, Demon from the Dark, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, Kiss of a Demon King, and Lothaire. That being said, I think Chloe is among Cole's most lovable heroines, and I have no doubt there are many fantastic books still to come in this greatest of all paranormal series.