3.5 stars.

When I started this series, I had mixed feelings about it. I really like the world building and the backstory of the dark races, but Sabina just grated on my last nerve. But now four books into the series, Sabina has grown and evolved- definitely good character development. She's not my favorite paranorm heroine, but that's what I've come to like the most about Sabina, that for a heroine, she wasn't automatically likable. She had flaws, in fact quite a few, which ended up making her more real for me. She didn't start off being the awesome heroine that you wanted to root for, but she's definitely grown in that direction, and the growth has had a solid basis in the overarching storyline. With each book I pick up in the series, I'm finding it harder and harder to put down until I finish it.

As for this book, it did have a slower pace. And that was okay because the slower pace gave Sabina time to breath and reflect a bit. While I was a bit shocked at

(Maise's death)

the ending, I appreciate that it didn't end in a cliff-hanger. Can't wait to find out what happens

in the big battle with Cain

next.