There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I'm coming for you.
Death's fight is just beginning, but it could also be the end. Their enemy has weakened her nearly beyond her limits and as hard as Death fights for her life, she's also fighting for her Reapers. One in particular. From the moment she saw him on the battlefield long ago, he has been the model of the Reapers, the one being that makes her feel weak and yet gives her the strength to continue on. Death is choosing to be blind to the feelings that Reaper harbors for her because the past that claimed her makes her unworthy of his feelings. Cael would never give up that easily though. For centuries he has watched Death, watched over her, and carried out all her orders with unfailing loyalty. Satisfied with keeping his love for her in his heart, never to be expressed, he serves. Until their enemy threatens her very existence. Nothing will stop him from keeping her from disappearing, not even death.
All the glimpses into their pasts up to this point has been to enhance our understanding of why the two MC's belong together. The ones written here are no different, but they give even more this time around. It gives us a clear image of Death, who she is, why she is, why she chose Reapers, and just how devoted she is to one specific male, though she'd never admit it. It was slightly different from before because it wasn't just about the sense of betrayal and resentment that plagued Cael, it was that he clearly saw Death for all she is before he knew her and it only enhanced his loyalty and devotion. It was such a pure love from both of them and their story was well-worth the wait. We've been given small tastes of their perspectives until now and finally we get the full picture and the depth and facets to these two characters were fantastic.
The reckoning we've been building up to was intense and quite painful. It was also much simpler than I anticipated. I think I was trying to find a multi-race war that would be epic. The scale was smaller but no less important or action-packed. Along with the incredible surprises regarding Cael, I was at the edge of my seat for most of my reading. Including the small yet incredibly important crossovers to the Dark Kings series was a great way to get me really angry and excited enough to go back and re-read those books as well. Weaving not just one story, but a full series and all its accompaniments is a talent that Donna Grant seems to have mastered. I'm crazy about this series as a whole because the way it all came together worked and most often kept the focus where it was needed.
I will say, though, that there were a few questions that I felt were left a bit open-ended and while I enjoyed all the action that was included, it was slightly anti-climactic. Death's confrontation with Bran was softer, more tender, and far more vulnerable than I expected. It was a good and sad moment that encompassed all of who Death is now rather than the being Bran was trying to invoke and become. It felt right. And with the last chapter as a glimpse of what may come? Hells yes. It has the potential to bring what and who we learn about in Dark Alpha's Hunger back around if the series continues (which I totally hope it does) and will give the series an added fullness that seemed to be slightly lacking by just finishing with Death and her Reaper. This book was absolutely what the series needed since I was getting a little tired of each MC pairing confronting Bran only to have both sides end up unsatisfied and achieving a narrow escape with more questions than answers. The repetition was getting a little predictable. Dark Alpha's Awakening, however, had enough surprises and enlightening connections that it broke the pattern and gave us both closure and hope for more.
*$6.99 on Amazon!
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