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Ordinary Magic #3
Gods and Ends
Keep your gods close and your monsters closer…
Police Chief Delaney Reed thinks she knows all of Ordinary, Oregon’s secrets. Gods on vacation, lovelorn ghosts, friendly neighborhood monsters? Check.
But some secrets run deeper than even she knows. To take down an ancient vampire hell-bent on revenge, she will have to make the hardest decision of her life: give up the book of dark magic that can destroy them all, or surrender her mortal soul.
As she weighs her options, Delaney discovers she can no longer tell the difference between allies keeping secrets and enemies telling the truth. Questioning loyalties and running out of time, Delaney must choose sides before a kidnapping turns into murder, before rival crochet and knit gangs start a war, and before the full moon rises to signal the beginning of Ordinary’s end.
Police Chief Delaney Reed thinks she knows all of Ordinary, Oregon’s secrets. Gods on vacation, lovelorn ghosts, friendly neighborhood monsters? Check.
But some secrets run deeper than even she knows. To take down an ancient vampire hell-bent on revenge, she will have to make the hardest decision of her life: give up the book of dark magic that can destroy them all, or surrender her mortal soul.
As she weighs her options, Delaney discovers she can no longer tell the difference between allies keeping secrets and enemies telling the truth. Questioning loyalties and running out of time, Delaney must choose sides before a kidnapping turns into murder, before rival crochet and knit gangs start a war, and before the full moon rises to signal the beginning of Ordinary’s end.
363 pages, ebook
First published May 14, 2017
About the author
Devon Monk
71 books2,024 followersDevon Monk is a national best selling writer of urban fantasy. Her series include Ordinary Magic, House Immortal, Allie Beckstrom, Broken Magic and Shame and Terric. She also writes the Age of Steam steampunk series, and the occasional short story which can be found in her collection: A Cup of Normal, and in various anthologies. She has one husband, two sons, and lives in Oregon. When not writing, Devon is either drinking too much coffee or knitting silly things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
September 30, 2020
[1.5/5 stars] Huh.
What happened to that thoughtful, calculating main character who’s been around since the introductory novella? I mean, she’s always kind of done things her own way (to a fault), but she’s never been what I would call reckless. It’s part of why I liked her so much – enough flaws to feel realistic, but adept enough to be fun to read about. I really don’t care how much attention the author drew to her bad decision-making in this book through other characters, I’m afraid it didn’t compensate for how unrealistic the whole thing came across based on the character profile established up to that point.
And don’t even get me started on the demon.
Ugh. His introduction felt clunky. And a very compelling through-line of the series involving Delany’s father (which could’ve gone somewhere meaningful) was reduced down to a single chapter of wtf is happening to this series? I thought the “mysteriously deceased father” plot point was strong enough to warrant an entire investigation novel within itself, and I would’ve been much more satisfied had a lead-up like that culminated to ::enter the demon, stage left::, but as it stands, it was a clear throwaway.
I’m feeling uncharacteristically ranty, if you can’t tell, but I can say with certainty that none of the elements that made me rate the first two books so highly were represented in this book. I think the conflict with the vampires should’ve been resolved completely in the last installment. There are just too many other potential plot ideas already in place for that expansion to be necessary. At this point the series is morphing into something completely different than its beginning premises. It’s a series about vacationing gods in a quirky town… why is the main focus now about only werewolves, vampires, and demons? There are just too many ideas compacted into one story, almost as if two different series are being forced together. And as of this book she has essentially removed everything that made the plot stand out from the crowd.
And let’s say for a minute I didn’t mind the change in direction – I still had a problem with the execution. There were so many premonitions, warnings, and prophecy-like conveyances that it basically outlined the entire book. It left nothing to be discovered and made me feel like I was wasting energy reading when I already knew how things were going to wrap up. Lets just say, by the end of the book I was grateful most of the foreshadowed conflicts had been resolved because it meant a cleaner slate for the next installment.
Series status: I’ll be reading the novella compilation and the next book in the series because I’ve already purchased them (and I still have hope and a great couple of examples what the story could be), but this book almost knocked me off the wagon well enough that it had better slow down and let me clamber back in if I’m to read beyond that... the final scene helped a little.
Recommendations: after the first two books I was professing this series as a fun little new excursion from the more serious urban fantasies out there, but now I have to pull back a bit for re-evaluation. We’ll see how the next book goes – stay tuned…
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like (based on the first two books, not the new direction taken by this one):
What happened to that thoughtful, calculating main character who’s been around since the introductory novella? I mean, she’s always kind of done things her own way (to a fault), but she’s never been what I would call reckless. It’s part of why I liked her so much – enough flaws to feel realistic, but adept enough to be fun to read about. I really don’t care how much attention the author drew to her bad decision-making in this book through other characters, I’m afraid it didn’t compensate for how unrealistic the whole thing came across based on the character profile established up to that point.
And don’t even get me started on the demon.
Ugh. His introduction felt clunky. And a very compelling through-line of the series involving Delany’s father (which could’ve gone somewhere meaningful) was reduced down to a single chapter of wtf is happening to this series? I thought the “mysteriously deceased father” plot point was strong enough to warrant an entire investigation novel within itself, and I would’ve been much more satisfied had a lead-up like that culminated to ::enter the demon, stage left::, but as it stands, it was a clear throwaway.
I’m feeling uncharacteristically ranty, if you can’t tell, but I can say with certainty that none of the elements that made me rate the first two books so highly were represented in this book. I think the conflict with the vampires should’ve been resolved completely in the last installment. There are just too many other potential plot ideas already in place for that expansion to be necessary. At this point the series is morphing into something completely different than its beginning premises. It’s a series about vacationing gods in a quirky town… why is the main focus now about only werewolves, vampires, and demons? There are just too many ideas compacted into one story, almost as if two different series are being forced together. And as of this book she has essentially removed everything that made the plot stand out from the crowd.
And let’s say for a minute I didn’t mind the change in direction – I still had a problem with the execution. There were so many premonitions, warnings, and prophecy-like conveyances that it basically outlined the entire book. It left nothing to be discovered and made me feel like I was wasting energy reading when I already knew how things were going to wrap up. Lets just say, by the end of the book I was grateful most of the foreshadowed conflicts had been resolved because it meant a cleaner slate for the next installment.
Series status: I’ll be reading the novella compilation and the next book in the series because I’ve already purchased them (and I still have hope and a great couple of examples what the story could be), but this book almost knocked me off the wagon well enough that it had better slow down and let me clamber back in if I’m to read beyond that... the final scene helped a little.
Recommendations: after the first two books I was professing this series as a fun little new excursion from the more serious urban fantasies out there, but now I have to pull back a bit for re-evaluation. We’ll see how the next book goes – stay tuned…
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like (based on the first two books, not the new direction taken by this one):
December 21, 2021
Gods and Ends
(Ordinary Magic #3)
by Devon Monk
A fun, complex story that has each book building on each other. Just enough suspense, humor, wit, and romance to make it enjoyable. The smart plot with rich characters really make this series stand out. This one was the most intense yet!
(Ordinary Magic #3)
by Devon Monk
A fun, complex story that has each book building on each other. Just enough suspense, humor, wit, and romance to make it enjoyable. The smart plot with rich characters really make this series stand out. This one was the most intense yet!
March 25, 2022
So, I pretty much abandoned the Allie Beckstrom books because I was sick of an impulsive, TSTL protagonist. I don't know why I expected better from this book series. Maybe I just liked the premise of the series better, so I had hope that the author would spontaneously start writing her female protagonists better.
... Nope.
Delaney, the police chief of a magical town in which the gods vacation without their powers, is stupid. She got bitten by a vampire last novel, which admittedly could happen to anyone. However, here she doubles down on corruption by voluntarily trading her soul with a demon, after a single 5-minute conversation. The impulsivity is staggering.
To be fair, she is not the only character to do such a thing. Last novel we saw her boyfriend, Ryder, readily agree to becoming the avatar of the god Mithra with no real thought or consideration. And last novel there was a minor, demigod character who stole a bunch of god powers on little more than a whim. So there are multiple impulsive characters, at least one of whom is a man. And, you know, Delaney's ex-boyfriend readily agreed to taking on the mantle of Heimdall really quickly as well. So, maybe this whole book series just follows a group of impulsive psychopaths.
But then, Delaney doubles down on her terrible decision-making process even further.
I like the idea of a quaint small town. I like the idea of some of my favorite gods from different pantheons hanging out in the modern world. I even sort of like the idea of the vaguely magical sisters displaying very weak powers.
But I don't know how much more of this TSTL behavior I can stand.
However, I am pleased that the crime Delaney investigated in this book largely centered upon a gay male couple. A male vampire and a male werewolf were firefighters, and in love. The vampire man had been kidnapped and was missing. This also wasn't particularly exploitative or anything, and neither man appeared to be much of a stereotype.(Although, I do roll my eyes a bit at Delaney saying that their home was decorated surprisingly nicely. Because of course all gay men are great interior decorators.) Still, it was refreshing for the main characters to take for granted that a gay man needed to be saved, and his love was just as valid as anyone else's.
... Nope.
Delaney, the police chief of a magical town in which the gods vacation without their powers, is stupid. She got bitten by a vampire last novel, which admittedly could happen to anyone. However, here she doubles down on corruption by voluntarily trading her soul with a demon, after a single 5-minute conversation. The impulsivity is staggering.
To be fair, she is not the only character to do such a thing. Last novel we saw her boyfriend, Ryder, readily agree to becoming the avatar of the god Mithra with no real thought or consideration. And last novel there was a minor, demigod character who stole a bunch of god powers on little more than a whim. So there are multiple impulsive characters, at least one of whom is a man. And, you know, Delaney's ex-boyfriend readily agreed to taking on the mantle of Heimdall really quickly as well. So, maybe this whole book series just follows a group of impulsive psychopaths.
But then, Delaney doubles down on her terrible decision-making process even further.
I like the idea of a quaint small town. I like the idea of some of my favorite gods from different pantheons hanging out in the modern world. I even sort of like the idea of the vaguely magical sisters displaying very weak powers.
But I don't know how much more of this TSTL behavior I can stand.
However, I am pleased that the crime Delaney investigated in this book largely centered upon a gay male couple. A male vampire and a male werewolf were firefighters, and in love. The vampire man had been kidnapped and was missing. This also wasn't particularly exploitative or anything, and neither man appeared to be much of a stereotype.(Although, I do roll my eyes a bit at Delaney saying that their home was decorated surprisingly nicely. Because of course all gay men are great interior decorators.) Still, it was refreshing for the main characters to take for granted that a gay man needed to be saved, and his love was just as valid as anyone else's.
March 6, 2022
The town of ordinary where the gods come to vacation always seems to have something interesting going on. Deleney and Ryder are trying to figure out their relationship and how that is going to work with the God he made a deal with. There is also a missing vampire, a potential werewolf war about to break out and random knitting showing up to decorate light poles, benches and fir hydrants in the town.
Delaney has her work cut out for her. She is going to need the help of a few gods, a master vampire and a fae lock breaking elf if she is going to be able to find and kill the old vampire trying to get a book of dark magic out of the town of Ordinary where it is protected. There might even be a demon to deal with and bad choices made all around.
I'm having a great time with this series. The town is great and anytime you can have a war counsel with Ares or ask Death for a favor since they are both on vacation it is a good day. The three sisters who watch over the town are a lot of fun to hang out with and I like how they are all so different and bring something important to the town.
The fight at the end and everything that happened was intense, having some interesting consequences. Deleney has put herself in a bit of a pickle though and it will be interesting to see what the fallout of the deal she made will be in future book. I hear we are going to start to get some books for the PoV of a different sister and I can't wait to be in their heads and learn more about their powers for the town of Ordinary.
Delaney has her work cut out for her. She is going to need the help of a few gods, a master vampire and a fae lock breaking elf if she is going to be able to find and kill the old vampire trying to get a book of dark magic out of the town of Ordinary where it is protected. There might even be a demon to deal with and bad choices made all around.
I'm having a great time with this series. The town is great and anytime you can have a war counsel with Ares or ask Death for a favor since they are both on vacation it is a good day. The three sisters who watch over the town are a lot of fun to hang out with and I like how they are all so different and bring something important to the town.
The fight at the end and everything that happened was intense, having some interesting consequences. Deleney has put herself in a bit of a pickle though and it will be interesting to see what the fallout of the deal she made will be in future book. I hear we are going to start to get some books for the PoV of a different sister and I can't wait to be in their heads and learn more about their powers for the town of Ordinary.
May 18, 2017
3.5 stars
~*~* SPOILER-Y REVIEW ~*~*
Repeat warning, no spoiler tag for this one, so you've been warned :)
Okay, I am not completely blown away with this book, which is a sad fact considering how much I enjoyed the first and second one... ESPECIALLY after the event in the second one, when the old evil vampire Lavius bit Delaney and kidnapped Ben. I thought Gods and Ends would be the final book, but it turned out that there would be at least two more books in this universe. So I wonder if Gods and Ends suffered from middle-book syndrome.
The thing that made me unsatisfied was the part about Delaney and the devil, Bathin. OMG, I think I spent almost almost 90% of this book FUMING at Delaney for the choices she made. Sure, it wasn't her fault that she was bit by Lavius and Ben was kidnapped.
However, everything after that ... the fact that she just easily dealt with Bathin by rendering her soul ... it screamed RECKLESS for me. I hated how Delaney acted rather nonchalant about the whole thing; she didn't understand why her sisters and Ryder were upset with her decision. She justified it by saying "there was no other options". MY GOD, DELANEY, AT LEAST TALK TO THEM FIRST, WHY DON'T YOU!?!?
All right, all right, I know that the situation didn't exactly let her to, the deal with Bathin must happened right at the very moment. But I still thought that she could at least take more time to think about the consequences. Oh, and also her complaints with her sisters changing the locks at her house. What is that, Delaney?! She is being stubborn for all the wrong reasons, me thinks.
I didn't mind the additional demon in this book -- I am sure that Bathin will serve his purpose later in the series. Plus I think there is a delicious tension between him and Myra, and I want to see THAT further explored. Oh, talking about the other sister, Jean? Yeah, her boyfriend Hogan was so sweet! I want the short story later this year to be about Jean and Hogan too, please?
But as always Devon Monk is a master of twists. I thought the final showdown between everyone vs. Lavius was awesome. And then Death strolled around the battlefield and doing what he did best. Gah, I am so going to miss Than in the next book because all the gods must leave Ordinary for a year.
In conclusion, I am not happy with Delaney in this book. Hopefully she redeems herself in the next one. It will be interesting to see Delaney without souls, Ordinary without gods, plus Myra and the tension with Bathin.
~*~* SPOILER-Y REVIEW ~*~*
Repeat warning, no spoiler tag for this one, so you've been warned :)
Okay, I am not completely blown away with this book, which is a sad fact considering how much I enjoyed the first and second one... ESPECIALLY after the event in the second one, when the old evil vampire Lavius bit Delaney and kidnapped Ben. I thought Gods and Ends would be the final book, but it turned out that there would be at least two more books in this universe. So I wonder if Gods and Ends suffered from middle-book syndrome.
The thing that made me unsatisfied was the part about Delaney and the devil, Bathin. OMG, I think I spent almost almost 90% of this book FUMING at Delaney for the choices she made. Sure, it wasn't her fault that she was bit by Lavius and Ben was kidnapped.
However, everything after that ... the fact that she just easily dealt with Bathin by rendering her soul ... it screamed RECKLESS for me. I hated how Delaney acted rather nonchalant about the whole thing; she didn't understand why her sisters and Ryder were upset with her decision. She justified it by saying "there was no other options". MY GOD, DELANEY, AT LEAST TALK TO THEM FIRST, WHY DON'T YOU!?!?
All right, all right, I know that the situation didn't exactly let her to, the deal with Bathin must happened right at the very moment. But I still thought that she could at least take more time to think about the consequences. Oh, and also her complaints with her sisters changing the locks at her house. What is that, Delaney?! She is being stubborn for all the wrong reasons, me thinks.
I didn't mind the additional demon in this book -- I am sure that Bathin will serve his purpose later in the series. Plus I think there is a delicious tension between him and Myra, and I want to see THAT further explored. Oh, talking about the other sister, Jean? Yeah, her boyfriend Hogan was so sweet! I want the short story later this year to be about Jean and Hogan too, please?
But as always Devon Monk is a master of twists. I thought the final showdown between everyone vs. Lavius was awesome. And then Death strolled around the battlefield and doing what he did best. Gah, I am so going to miss Than in the next book because all the gods must leave Ordinary for a year.
In conclusion, I am not happy with Delaney in this book. Hopefully she redeems herself in the next one. It will be interesting to see Delaney without souls, Ordinary without gods, plus Myra and the tension with Bathin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
January 16, 2024I discovered my next airplane book
July 22, 2017
I was really excited about the release of this book. As always, it seems as if they always come as an unexpected surprise because of the lack of general news about release dates ahead of time (or at least I always seem to miss it). But as much as I was jumping with excitement to dive into GODS AND ENDS, once I started I found myself easily putting it down. So I set it aside and gave it some time to come back to it maybe at a time that was better for my mood. Sadly, things didn't improve that much from there.This book picks up right where DEVILS AND DETAILS left off. I was intrigued by the story line in this one but I'm not sure I loved so much the execution and the turns of events. One of my favorite things about this series are the Gods and they were missing a bit from the story here. Not completely, but the feel of them was certainly less. Less jokes, less Death. Perfect example of what I wanted more of is one of my fave quotes/moments referenced below. I needed more of that! In the end, it seems there might be a little switch on where the rest of the series will go especially with how things turned out in this book, but I'm still holding out hope that we can get that essence back in the next installment.
But all that aside, we have Delaney Reed. The heroine we've been coming to love throughout this series. And she's just as great in this one. I really do like her character and her fierce loyalty for upholding her role and protecting people. Even at the highest cost to her. She was one of my favorite parts of this book! And yes, maybe a certain demon as well. Is that wrong of me? I kinda love those obscure characters that you don't know whether they're good or bad, or maybe just a mix of both. So that was a refreshing addition to story.
Everything else, though, felt like it took a backseat. The town and the romance... While this was a more subdued version of Ordinary in my opinion and lacked that spark that originally attracted me to the series, I'm curious to see where we go from here for sure.
Favorite Quote:
“It’s much worse than demons.”
“Vampires?” I asked.
She pressed her lips together, disappointed in my mental abilities. “How about you just tell me, Bertie so I know what kind of weaponry to pack.”
“It’s the knitters. They’ve declared war. And the crocheters are geared up for the siege.”
Pause.
“What now?”
“The knitters. You know. The K.I.N.K.s and C.O.C.K.s.”
Reviewed by Francesca❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
March 1, 2023
3.5 - another good one
April 3, 2023
This one was kinda all over the place. Every time I got into the story it was over and onto another one. It's like a bunch of mini stores.
August 23, 2017
Great urban fantasy trilogy with a twist!
This series has really drawn me in. The premise of gods and monsters being able to vacation in neutral territory, if they agree to set aside their powers intrigued me. The depth of the characters and the twists of the story kept me reading book after book.
This is the last book in the trilogy and the main story line is wrapped up as promised. But, there will be a few short stories that explore some of the side characters/story's that were also really interesting. Yes to more books! This book does wrap up the big bad that is the ancient and evil vampire Lavius. Along the way we learn much more about the residents and visiting deities of Ordinary. I very much enjoyed seeing more of the sister relationship between Delaney, Jean, and Myra. There was a little bit more going back and forth and waiting for the big confrontation. That feeling of treading water kept the book from being 5 stars for me.
Overall I very much enjoyed this book and series. Ms. Monk is one of my favorite urban fantasy writers and I can't wait for the short stories and to see what she comes out with next!
This series has really drawn me in. The premise of gods and monsters being able to vacation in neutral territory, if they agree to set aside their powers intrigued me. The depth of the characters and the twists of the story kept me reading book after book.
This is the last book in the trilogy and the main story line is wrapped up as promised. But, there will be a few short stories that explore some of the side characters/story's that were also really interesting. Yes to more books! This book does wrap up the big bad that is the ancient and evil vampire Lavius. Along the way we learn much more about the residents and visiting deities of Ordinary. I very much enjoyed seeing more of the sister relationship between Delaney, Jean, and Myra. There was a little bit more going back and forth and waiting for the big confrontation. That feeling of treading water kept the book from being 5 stars for me.
Overall I very much enjoyed this book and series. Ms. Monk is one of my favorite urban fantasy writers and I can't wait for the short stories and to see what she comes out with next!
May 29, 2017
"Gods and Ends" is a great follow up to book two in the Ordinary series. There is no shortage of drama, action and just plain old fun in this read. I found myself laughing so hard throughout the story.
This time Delaney has to call in for additional officers from a neighboring town hoping to ease some of the burden on her over worked sisters. Jean is questioning what to do about her growing relationship with Hogan and Myra seems to be becoming over protective and depressed.
As the tensions between the wolves and vampires continue Delaney is working hard to keep the peace, find a way to rescue Ben and destroy Lavius. Of course she also has to deal with the war brewing between the Knitters (K.i.n.k.s) and the crocheters (C.o.c.k.s). My, my, my!
We also get a chance to learn more about the girl's father, Robert Reed. This information will bring about some interesting developments that will leave Delaney reeling. The author is planning some novellas for later this year and a couple of more books in the series. I'm glad because I for one can't get enough of Ordinary, Oregon.
This time Delaney has to call in for additional officers from a neighboring town hoping to ease some of the burden on her over worked sisters. Jean is questioning what to do about her growing relationship with Hogan and Myra seems to be becoming over protective and depressed.
As the tensions between the wolves and vampires continue Delaney is working hard to keep the peace, find a way to rescue Ben and destroy Lavius. Of course she also has to deal with the war brewing between the Knitters (K.i.n.k.s) and the crocheters (C.o.c.k.s). My, my, my!
We also get a chance to learn more about the girl's father, Robert Reed. This information will bring about some interesting developments that will leave Delaney reeling. The author is planning some novellas for later this year and a couple of more books in the series. I'm glad because I for one can't get enough of Ordinary, Oregon.
May 23, 2017
A great finale to a fun series.
Delaney has now been shot AND sold her soul to the demon Bathin. On the plus side she has got Ben back and they are working on a plan to defeat Lauvin.
As usual humour mixes with fantasy as the knitting and crocheting grandmas of Ordinary face off in a battle where both sides brandish steel weapons.
Delaney has now been shot AND sold her soul to the demon Bathin. On the plus side she has got Ben back and they are working on a plan to defeat Lauvin.
As usual humour mixes with fantasy as the knitting and crocheting grandmas of Ordinary face off in a battle where both sides brandish steel weapons.
August 5, 2019
Wow. Just wow.
The first three books in the series are fun, amazing, and simply wonderful. The intensity rose with each one as the stakes increased and while I gave all three a 5-star rating, THIS one is even better. Wish I could give it a 6!
The first three books in the series are fun, amazing, and simply wonderful. The intensity rose with each one as the stakes increased and while I gave all three a 5-star rating, THIS one is even better. Wish I could give it a 6!
July 2, 2017
Alright, Delaney is kind of an idiot at times but I really love this story and the people in it. Great world building. I'm so glad 2018 will bring us more.
November 17, 2023
This was basically the second part of the previous book, which was left quite open ended. Some twists were easily guessed or rather clearly hinted at, nonetheless it managed quite nicely to spread various moments of sweet interactions between the denizens of {the not so} Ordinary. There is quite a plethora of various characters in all types and species and yet the town dynamic somehow works. There were some rather big swings that were made in this installment, which are likely to share the series as it continues.
April 13, 2020
Great
I find this authors books to be very enjoyable. She writes a wonderful story, and I have read most, but not all of them.
I find this authors books to be very enjoyable. She writes a wonderful story, and I have read most, but not all of them.
July 19, 2020
She really got me .... Kleenex is needed.
Mithra is an incredible asshat, and the blue llama of penance really needs to be a thing. 😅
Mithra is an incredible asshat, and the blue llama of penance really needs to be a thing. 😅
October 19, 2019
4.5 Stars... This series continues to get more and more entertaining... With every supernatural being you can conjure, as well as three sassy and spunky sisters, an incredibly sexy and sinfully gorgeous soldier, and finally tie it all together with a witty and deliciously dirty demon and you have the making of a magnificent paranormal read... A war is pending in Ordinary and Delaney Reed will go to any lengths to protect the ones she loves; even relinquish her soul... However, there are other games afoot and the past is not all it seems to be... Delaney must untangle the truth from the lies before it is too late:)
June 17, 2017
Pretty dark and very eventful story with the fabulous Delaney Reed and her vacation spot of the gods - Ordinary, Oregon. I loved it! This book began where the last one left off, with the attack of an ancient vampire that has arrived in Ordinary to retrieve a powerful book of dark magic from the resident vampire leader that has Delaney and her team working to contain the problem. After seeing her father’s ghost, Delaney makes a deal with a demon, much to her family’s dismay, but she’ll do anything to protect her town and its residents, which includes her family and friends. I was a bit worried that she had gotten herself into something she couldn’t get out of this time, but with the help of those closest to her, it all comes out right in the end, just as I hoped. I really love this series and I hope we get more books to enjoy, since those folks in Ordinary are always up to something and it’s so entertaining to follow along.
March 18, 2018
This seems to be the conclusion of a trilogy story arch, but there's definitely room to continue the series, and I'm very hopeful the author will continue it. It's a perfect blend of interesting characters, mystery, humor, charm, and a little bit of grit. And there's every kind of magical being you can imagine, all living in this small town named Ordinary. It's fun, though this third book is intense. Demons, evil vampires, and hit-and-run, nearly killing someone, intensity. The ending could be a finale, but it feels like there's more to tell.
April 19, 2019
Really happy with how this ended. Is it pretty cliche, the good guys win, and the story is tied up in a nice bow? Yes. But I don't care 'cause that's what I want! I may be tempted to read the following short stories because there are more stories to tell in this world but overall, I'm happy that this remained a trilogy and "nothing" more.
June 6, 2018
Some crazy stuff goes down! Great continuation of series, characters keep growing and we learn more. We get some new ones, and life is nuts, and the town is just insane anyway so it doesn't disappoint - I wish I had a craft group to join like they have there!
October 16, 2017
Good story line! I wonder what will happen now without the Gods.
April 27, 2021
The book came be summed up with three letters... WTH 😐
I'm not a writer, but it seems odd to me to create an entire new storyline in the finale book of a trilogy. Imagine that you're reading a book where the characters had one scene where they were baking cookies and then BOOM!!! You learn that the cashier at the grocery store where they bought the cookies is a wanted bank robber and she left a treasure map to the money inside the cookie dough... what you're thinking about that is exactly how I felt about the random story line in this book.
It isn't that the reader hasn't been curious about the father in the other books, but the presentation of what should have been a critical part of the trilogy was not done well. It felt like the author finished the book and then realized she never added anything about the father. So she just went back and slapped it on there even though it didn't fit perfectly.
Delaney is still a terrible sheriff. She still reads more like a teenage character. She pines over a guy so hard that she can't do her job. She randomly does dangerous stuff without back-up. This belongs in the comedy section because it's that silly at times.
The concept for this world was sooo good. I just felt disappointed. By the end, the author tries to steer us out of silly into semi-serious territory but it was too big of a turn. So the story just skidded across the road until it made a hard stop.
I wont continue the story anytime soon. If I ever need a comedy break then I'll come back.
I'm not a writer, but it seems odd to me to create an entire new storyline in the finale book of a trilogy. Imagine that you're reading a book where the characters had one scene where they were baking cookies and then BOOM!!! You learn that the cashier at the grocery store where they bought the cookies is a wanted bank robber and she left a treasure map to the money inside the cookie dough... what you're thinking about that is exactly how I felt about the random story line in this book.
It isn't that the reader hasn't been curious about the father in the other books, but the presentation of what should have been a critical part of the trilogy was not done well. It felt like the author finished the book and then realized she never added anything about the father. So she just went back and slapped it on there even though it didn't fit perfectly.
Delaney is still a terrible sheriff. She still reads more like a teenage character. She pines over a guy so hard that she can't do her job. She randomly does dangerous stuff without back-up. This belongs in the comedy section because it's that silly at times.
The concept for this world was sooo good. I just felt disappointed. By the end, the author tries to steer us out of silly into semi-serious territory but it was too big of a turn. So the story just skidded across the road until it made a hard stop.
I wont continue the story anytime soon. If I ever need a comedy break then I'll come back.
June 18, 2019
Okay, I didn’t like this book at all. It was very repetitive, and Delaney had no problem at trading her soul to a demon NOR did she have a problem asking her friends to kill her in order to trap and kill Lavius, and then hope someone would bring her back, hopefully. It was totally ridiculous. I won’t be moving on to the next book. The only thing good about this was the funny conversations that went on.
No sex and the F-bomb was used 2 times.
As to the narration: Khristine Hvam did a fantastic job narrating these books. She got better with each one. Her voices were just awesome, and her emotions were perfect.
June 30, 2022
I was going to take a break from this series after this, since it took me longer than usual to get through this book. But the last 15% went by so quickly! And, I really want to find out all the things about Bathin… ALL the things! So, um … maybe I’ll just read the three novellas right away and hold the next novel off for a while longer? Lol.
January 5, 2018
Police Chief Delaney will do anything to keep the peace in her town of Ordinary. The problem is that there are two vampire factions squaring off and people are getting hurt.
Why I started this book: I've been doing a bit of stress reading and avoiding my alarming to-do list.
Why I finished it: "One more chapter-itis" meant that I had more time to procrastinate the grown-up things in my life. I'll make better choices tomorrow... Right after my nap.
Why I started this book: I've been doing a bit of stress reading and avoiding my alarming to-do list.
Why I finished it: "One more chapter-itis" meant that I had more time to procrastinate the grown-up things in my life. I'll make better choices tomorrow... Right after my nap.
December 28, 2021
Another good book in this series. It was action packed and I loved all the characters. I loved the surprise ending because I did not know that was possible. I can't wait to read the next book!
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