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Review

5 MASSIVE STARS!!

HOLY SHIT! That was … I can’t even… wow! Just… wow! This book was absolutely sensational, and I am obsessed, officially and absolutely obsessed with this series!

The third book in The Captive series, this is by far my favourite book of the series so far, it absolutely blew me away with its awesomeness! The prologue had me instantly on edge, and expecting one hell of a ride, and that’s exactly what I got!

Revolution is in the air, and Braith and Aria are searching for allies to assist them in their cause. From a desert wasteland, through woods, dark caves, and swampy marshes, their travels take them far as the war planning and strategizing kicks into high gear.

The romance between Aria and Braith is still definitely a major focus of the book as their relationship continues to strengthen. The love between these two is absolutely beautiful. They are amazing together, and I smiled and squeed and swooned through each of their scenes.

“I would die for you and not think twice about it. I won’t, I can’trisk losing you. I need you to stay with me.”

I am a huge fan of Braith (seriously, I love him HARD), and he really shines in this book. Not only as a swoon-worthy romantic hero who is brutally protective of his girl…

“I think you’ve figured out the extremes that I will go to, and that there isn’t anything I won’t do, any one I won’t destroy, to protect her.

“War or no war, followers or no followers, I will kill you if you touch her. Remember that.”

… but he is also coming to understand his role in what is to come, and as unwilling as he may be to accept it, he is realising his importance in what they are trying to achieve, and struggling with those expectations as opposed to what it is he really wants. And through these different aspect of him, the powerful, ruthless, and formerly detached vampire reveals his passionate side, and lets his emotions fly.

“You shouldn’t be in danger.”
“I’ve always been in danger.”
“But I want more for you!” he exploded. Aria was startled by the devastation behind his words. He was in front of her in an instant, his hands grasped hold of her arms… “Don’t you understand that? I want you to be safe; I want you to know peace for once in your life. I don’t want you to know fear and death anymore.”

Aria also continues to grow as a character, and I love her more and more as the story goes on. She is intelligent, brave, and utterly determined to contribute to the upcoming fight. And her strength in this book just floored me! I love her absolute acceptance of Braith, and her unwavering faith in him. She loves her man (vampire), is proud to stand by his side, and is absolutely and selflessly supportive of him. But she is also a very strong heroine on her own, kicking ass whenever required. She and Braith truly complement each other, rather than her being the poor defenseless human, and I love that about her.

Chock full of action, romance and intrigue, this book moves at a great pace, and I was enthralled the whole way through. In addition to all of the happenings above, there is also a bit more revealed about the mythology of the vampire world, which I really enjoyed. But it’s the characters that make these books so amazing. Of course Aria and Braith are sensational, but the secondary characters also really stand out – particularly the grouping of Braith, Jack, Ashby and Gideon. What a sensational bunch of guys! Each a great addition on their own, the dynamic and bantering between them is gold. I loved seeing Aria with her brothers, William and Daniel, and even poor old Max’s story plays a part. And then Xavier… what is he up to? I have a feeling he’s going to be a major player in the next book. There are still some big reveals to come.

And then there’s the heartbreak. Oh my God, I actually had chest pains while reading through one part of this book and seriously, my heart broke for everybody. So much sadness! The emotion the Stevens puts into her writing is amazing, and I felt so much while reading this book. The good, the bad, and the painful, I loved every minute of it!

And then that ending. WTF was that ending? OMG, cliffy HELL! But so clever. I have a heap of theories zooming around in my head, and cannot wait to see how it all plays out! I honestly don’t remember being this excited about finishing a series for a VERY long time.

5 massive stars.