This Review can also be found at MissKatiEllen & Goodreads.

I’ve really been struggling trying to get through this series and I’m not 100% sure as to why, I’ve got a mental block I can’t get through. I know I’ve been enjoying this series, the character and plot development has been steadily growing but I think what has stopped me from looking forward to sitting down and reading these books is that sometimes no matter how far Rose comes suddenly she’ll be like she was in the first book, almost like she never really grew and matured. If you’ve ever read or watched any of my reviews covering the series so far you’ll know the on going frustrations that I’ve had a rant or too about over Rose.

After leaving behind her duties to Lissa, Rose sets off to track down Dimitri, now a Strigoi, and kill him. In this book we get to see the friends without each other’s familiar support, especially Lissa who is already vulnerable learning to wield spirit and keep a lid on the side effects. Lissa too is in a new place, continuing her studying under the watchful eye of Queen Tatiana. I feel Lissas story suffered, it was very slow building till suddenly things were happening towards the end and you’re left sat there thing wait what? It doesn’t help that her story is told through Rose. Had it been from her own POV I felt like her storyline could have broken up the more dragging parts of the book at the start.

This book is very Rose, leaping into action without truly thinking of the consequences, with no real plan in place and not really giving much thought to actually killing the man she love Rose sets off to his family home doing what she knows is right and what Dimitri would want. The beginning half of this was an effort to read, once she gets to Baia it becomes very easy for her to settle down with his family forgetting about her mission. Things only really get going when she finally meets Dimitri. From this point on the book rewards you for sticking at it. Although it is clear what Dimitri has become he’s still retained much of his ‘old’ self and this is where Rose stumbles. The emotional conflict that Rose goes through takes up a lot of the book, but is ultimately worth it in the form of an epic showdown between herself and the love of her life.