Blurb:
The
final book in USA Today bestselling author Kristen Callihan's critically
acclaimed Darkest London series!
Miss
Layla Starling, the young, beautiful, and extremely wealthy heiress, is the
talk of London. Until now, she's managed to evade the marriage noose. Despite
the fact that she is unfortunately American, she's received a staggering number
of offers. And turned down every one. St. John Evernight does not want to admit
the relief he feels every time he hears that she has rejected one of her
suitors. Which is unfair of him. Layla deserves to be happy. But he can not
offer her happiness. He will never be normal, never be anything but a freak in
her world. So St. John resolves to keep his distance, until he is recruited by
the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals to guard Layla. For she is in
grave danger, and he is about to learn the full extent of his powers.
Themes: angels, demons, paranormal, historical
Rating: 5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Sad
to say but the wonderful Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan has come to
an end with this amazing story of two childhood sweethearts who find love,
through strife, danger, and differences beyond belief. I have been an avid fan of this series, surprisingly
to myself, since I read the very first book and have been dying for Sin to
finally get his HEA. For those that are
coming into the series with this finale, you will sadly miss out on a lot of
the subtext and subtle references, but you will still enjoy the hell out of
this story and will be given enough information that you won’t feel lost or overwhelmed. As usual, Callihan amazes with her
characters, setting and ability to turn the most mundane and seemingly boring
of settings in history—19th century London—into a remarkable world
of angels, demons, vampires, and so much more. I am sad to see the story end
but was thrilled to get to enjoy Layla and Sin’s story as they both found their
place in the world, reunited with family, and found a way for their love to
blossom and save them both. The
thrilling end of the Darkest London series will leave you breathless and on the
edge of your seat as these two lovers navigate the dark and disturbing waters
of the danger surrounding Layla as she comes into her powers and finally learns
the truth about her past and her true nature.
Layla
is the kind of woman that has always known what she wanted, even though she
suspected she would never have it, and Sin is the man she always thought would
be her husband. When they were separated
on her fifteenth birthday, she pined for him, but always held out hope she
would see him again, so when she returns to her guardian’s home, defeated, and disillusioned
she is pleasantly surprised to find Sin back in her life. At least until he opens his mouth. Sin has changed a lot from the young boy she
once loved, but the attraction he feels for Layla is surprising and beyond
unwelcome, especially when her guardian, his mentor, decides that the best way
for Sin to serve as her protector is to become her husband. As Sin works hard to keep her safe, more and
more Layla is coming out of her shell, and she’s not going to let Sin deny
their pull. But even with all the
passion between them, can they overcome their differences, keep each other and their friends safe, and find a way
to be together, all while battling an epic demon, as well as facing their own
inner demons. Can love truly conquer all
or are these two doomed?
Sin
has always had issues with the powers that were trapped in his body,
inexplicably coming to the front at the worst times, but after being kept as a
blood slave for much of his adult life, he has to face facts—he is screwed up
and needs serious help. With these new powers to contend with as well, Sin is determined to prove to his mentor that
he is worth the trouble. I enjoyed
finally getting to know St. John, the last single Evernight, and seeing him
grow and develop into the truly powerful hero he was always meant to be. There were some real family dramas as Sin
refused to face his past and make his family accept the truth of his past
actions, but with Layla’s help, he was able to get the closure he needed and
find that loving foundation of family that he needed all his life. He is obviously a tortured hero, but often
those are the best kind as they work to find the good in themselves and show
that to those that love them. I loved
Sin’s interactions with Layla, even when he was being an ass, because it
reminds us that sometimes the factor that makes a man truly great is the love
and support of the woman that has captured him heart and soul. Layla too has some serious concerns to
overcome as she finds her place in this new and amazing world she is thrown
into. Living ignorant of all the
entities that share the world, vampires, demons, and so much more, leaves her
at a distinct advantage, but with Sin by her side and trusting in her own
instincts she finds that, while Sin is necessary to her happiness and well-being,
she can survive on her own and will do everything she can to protect herself
and her man. I liked Layla a lot and was
thrilled to see her learning to kick ass as well as finding a way to make Sin
see her as a woman to be reckoned with.
The best part to me of course was seeing Layla discover her true origins
and accept the difference within herself that make her a truly great
heroine.
Forevermore,
the thrilling finale to the Darkest London series is beyond exciting and
borders on incandescent in the ways Callihan brings her characters to their
ultimate HEA and allows them both to grow into protectors for the unsuspecting
humans of the world. Sin was a man that
has walked through fire and come out the other side stronger for the traumas of
his past, but with the love of his woman will never forget that there is good
in the world and that is worth continuing the fight against evil. Layla might seem like a naïve youth that is
playing a game in the world she thinks she’s living in, but when her eyes are
truly opened her ability to adapt and overcome challenges marks her as a woman
that will not be denied and will not be defeated. I loved seeing these two find their hearts
entangled and the passion between them was sometimes beyond scorching, but
always there was the underlying sweetness of two youths that fell into innocent
love long ago, proving that love given is never really returned and can develop
into the deepest and most life altering of connections. While I am sad to see this series end, we got
just the right amount of cameos from previous couples to know that the
characters we have fallen in love with over the years will have long lasting
happiness and if in the future, another story visits their world it will be
like visiting an old friend. Callihan
has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I am looking forward to her
next project with baited breath and know that whatever it is will be remarkable
and unforgettable just like Darkest London.
Great work Kristen, thanks for the memories!
*ebook provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
