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“I have no qualms about cutting out your tongue, Your Eminence. In fact, after all the years I had to endure your condemning lectures, it would give me the greatest pleasure, so I would advise you hold your tongue while you still possess one.”
I received an advance review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis for this book is short and to the point. It spoils nothing, instead leaving it all to the reader’s imagination. Where is Kaden? What happened to Lia and Rafe? Is the Komizar dead? Don’t worry. I’m not going to answer those questions for you. This review will be as spoiler free as I can manage. After all, I want people to experience this book the same way I did: on the edge of my seat.
The Beauty of Darkness takes yet another step away from the love triangle featured heavily in The Kiss of Deception. The reader still gets their romance fix in this finale; it’s just no longer front and center. Instead, it has been usurped by political intrigue, action, and all sorts of character growth. If you were here for the romance, I really hope you’ll stick around and enjoy everything else this series has to offer.
Lia is the star of this book. You’re probably thinking, “Duh. She’s the main character.” But I didn’t think she was the star of the first or second books. She was coming into her own, but it was slow. She was outclassed by Venda in Heart of Betrayal and “The Twist” in Kiss of Deception. Her growth in The Beauty of Darkness is stunning. She finally takes control of her situation and turns the tides in her favor. We aren’t following a love sick girl anymore. We are reading about a leader. She’s strong, passionate, and dedicated to her people. It is finally Lia’s story and she’s in charge!
Kaden’s development in the book is also fairly significant. I won’t go into the details, because I promised to keep the spoilers to a minimum, but Kaden continues to address his past and what that means for who he is now and who he will become.
I am happy to report that Rafe gets some development as well. Sadly, he’s still underdeveloped compared to the other two. I think it’s largely because Lia and Kaden have a deep connection to their surroundings, whether it be Venda or Morrighan, and Rafe is not connected to these places. His first love is Dalbreck. His connection to Venda and to Morrighan is through Lia. His involvement is based almost entirely on his love for her, and while that is admirable, it makes the character seem one-dimensional when compared to his companions. I wish we had seen more of Dalbreck, if only so we could have seen more from Rafe.
Venda takes a bit of back seat to Morrighan in this book, which was both frustrating and fantastic. I loved that Morrighan finally got the world building it deserved, but after The Heart of Betrayal, Venda really felt like the heart of this story. It had captured the love of both the main character and the reader. Seeing it (and it’s Komizar) dangled off screen for most of the finale was heartbreaking.
In the end I felt this was a solid ending to the series. I didn’t love it as much as The Heart of Betrayal, but Lia’s development and the considerable amount of girl power puts it well above The Kiss of Deception.