Wow. This book. There's so much to say, I simply don't have the time. I do plan to update later with a more in depth review. But for now...

I'm just getting into this author, Kresley Cole. With half of the titles I've read from her, I've had a mixed reaction. I find that in the books I've actually enjoyed readying I was struck by two things: either her genius or being annoyed by how little everything connects. I'm talking about book to book--not scene to scene. There are a lot of loose ends. I feel the author kind of just lets slip by without properly addressing them. Oh, well...

I didn't have an as intense (read: annoyance) reaction to that in this book, but sometimes I wondered where in the world the author was trying to take us. This series is daunting enough in its length and sometimes stories can come across like she's just trying to prolong the inevitable: the end.

Either way, I did enjoy it. The characters were compelling. I was heartbroken at times and overjoyed at others. Do I think it's a literary breakthrough? No. Is it something you can use to escape for a little while? Yes.