Illumined Shadows is the third and final book in the Treble and the Lost Boys series, and we finally get Vic's story. You know something big is behind him, due to how he was with Ryley, however, in this book you get the full tragedy of just what exactly happened.

Everything is brought back to Vic when he rescues Colby from the 'Bad Man'. This was a perfect example of how monsters can hide in the light, when Colby only felt safe in the dark. These two have one helluva road to travel, and the rest of the Treble gang are there to help whenever needed.

This book has a trigger warning for a reason! This is a dark story, that doesn't hold its punches, so be warned. However, it is also excellently written, being descriptive enough to get the full horror, without being gratuitous.

I have loved this series, and have no hesitation in recommending it. I will say the only reason this is a 4-star book is simply because I couldn't quite get my head around Colby's age. Due to his lack of growth, he was small for his age (Vic is able to carry him around on his hip!). Due to his lack of education, and the atrocities that happened to him, his mindset is slightly child-like. Couple this with Vic calling him 'My sweet boy', and it became slightly uncomfortable for me to read. I had to keep reminding myself he was actually 22-years-old.

On the whole, this is a fantastic book that finishes off this series with aplomb. Absolutely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

What happens when you mix a half-merman with a reformed siren - all sorts of salty goodness! Ok so that might have been a little over the top, but this was a really great story. Both Zander and Ianthe were incredibly unique, but with just enough of the traditional lore mixed in to merge the two in a very believable manner.

This next edition of The World in Shadows series get very interesting. Winter is on the hunt for an artifact, sending Zander off on the chase. But he'll need a siren (his arch-enemy) to get the job done. He never expects to find Ianthe - probably the only siren on earth that won't kill him on sight - and now he just needs to convince her to join him in the treasure hunt.

Ianthe is so much, I'm not even sure where to begin. I love her personality so much - soft spoken, but quick to laugh, protective but not afraid to fight back or pull a prank or two (quite hilarious). She plays incredibly well off Zander and I just loved them together.

A couple times the story didn't quite live up to what it promised. A scene fizzled out or didn't quite build up the the excitement I felt like it should have. But others....well others went above and beyond and really pulled me away from reality into an amazing world.