10 stars!!! The most perfect conclusion

When we left this world at the end of the previous book, it was with the mother of all cliffhangers and our hero and heroine were in the most awful of situations. How on earth is Meg Anne going to take us from THAT to the necessary HEA which we are fairly confident to expect? It can't be done, is what I thought.

Oh me of little faith, she does it all right, but the cost is high. Warning - Meg Anne's Machiavellian genius has caused her to craft a tale so emotionally engulfing and intricate that you will feel like she has reached in to rip out your heart and pull the strings so tight until you can't stand it anymore and then finally release it. The tension in the first half of this book is torturous and heart-breaking with Lucian's frantic attempts to save the woman he loves amongst the backdrop of world in chaos and trying to stave off an insidious evil with no seeming cure or weapon.

If this wasn't bad enough and causing me to cry my eyes out, halfway through this book there is a brilliant plot twist which I was genuinely side swiped by. Unlike the previous book which was a gradual mounting dread of sliding into a twist which you sensed was coming but were powerless to stop, this one literally comes out of nowhere! At least for me, and I LOVE THAT! Its increasingly rare for genuine OMG plot twists that have you gasping out loud but this was one for me.

All this together, including the lovely set up near the end for the next trilogy in this universe, has me saying this is by far, in my opinion, Meg Anne's best written solo work to date. The whole trilogy is beautifully crafted but she has written the most fitting and elegant conclusion in this book.

All of the above is heightened exponentially by her trio of actors for the audiobook of this story. Audiobook doesn't really cut it with these three, thanks to the absolutely revolutionary device of duet narration, these are more like epic immersive audioplays. The talent of James Joseph, Stella Hunter and Shane East is truly breathtaking and indescribable in mere words, it is simply something you have to EXPERIENCE for yourselves. These three manage to perfectly create an entire fantasy realm and the drama that goes with it with just their voices and no other audio effects. In other words, absolute legends.

By now everyone who knows me knows that I am the foremost champion of James Joseph whose uniquely smoky and sultry voice is perfect for romance audio but his talent as an actor is undeniable in that he can play a host of diverse incidental characters with the skill of a chameleon and just have you craving more. I still have unresolved issues about Kieran, who shall we say is definitely not the hero in this one, and I think a large part of that is because I just simply love James' nuanced portrayal of, what could easily be, a plain and simple unlikable brat.

Stella Hunter continues to reign as my ultimate Queen of Audio, her mercurial talent is once again showcased in this one calling on her to play everything from sinister and creepy shadow-touched, ethereal Queens and Goddesses, townspeople, soldiers and of course our beloved fierce and kind Effie. I adore listening to her in everything she does and long may she reign over me and my audioland.

However, Shane East leads the charge in this book and proves once and for all why he is one of the most popular voices in the audiobook world. His portrayal of Lucian in this book is flawless and demonstrates a masterclass of his acting range. From tortured heartache and despair, searing rage, playful seduction, brave warrior and everything in between he is the OG of romance audio narrator. On top of this he manages to voice a myriad of distinctive other voices, including a few scenes where he is voicing a conversation between three very different characters with what feels like effortless ease. This shouldn't surprise me as I have listened to Shane East solo narrate a number of books with amazing skill but he's always pulling out something extra to remind me why I love to listen to him. This book is one of his finest performances.

This book is incredible and I am sad the trilogy is over because I just want more!! Epic book hangover but totally worth it.

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