The Sharpest Blade The Shadow Reader, Book #3
By Sandy Williams
ISBN# 9780425265888 Author’s Website: http://www.sandy-williams.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Vanessa
Synopsis:
Torn between two worlds.
Torn between two lives.
McKenzie Lewis’s ability to read the shadows has put her—and …those she loves—in harm’s way again and again. The violence must end, but will the cost of peace be more devastating than anyone ever imagined?
After ten years of turmoil, the life McKenzie has always longed for may finally be within her grasp. No one is swinging a sword at her head or asking her to track the fae, and she finally has a regular—albeit boring—job. But when a ruthless enemy strikes against her friends, McKenzie abandons her attempt at normalcy and rushes back to the Realm.
With the fae she loves and the fae she’s tied to pulling her in different directions, McKenzie must uncover the truth behind the war and accept the painful sacrifices that must be made to end it. Armed with dangerous secrets and with powerful allies at her side, her actions will either rip the Realm apart—or save it. (Goodreads)
Review:
I can not express how much I thoroughly LOVED this book. Having read the series from the beginning, I was anxiously awaiting and dreading this final book in the series. So often our expectations of the final book can lead us to disappointment. However, that was NOT the case with this book.
Does this book tie things up in a neat little bow? No.
If you’re expecting this book to give you a happy ending for everyone in the series, then you will be sorely disappointed. I enjoyed the fact that it didn’t make things end in a perfect “happily ever after”. It made things feel more real. The ultimate conclusion: things don’t always work out the way we want or expect them to, but that doesn’t mean the ending we eventually come to isn’t the perfect one in its own right.
The story drops us right back into the action from the very first chapter and doesn’t stop until the last page. As we see McKenzie’s story come to a close, we experience every emotion on the spectrum. Happiness, disappointment, passion, sorrow and many, many more. If you haven’t read this series, you are missing out on one of the most beautiful and well told stories that I have come across. Mrs. Williams balances the art of a well written and developed plot with an emotionally thought provoking romance. There are a limited number of series that combine a beautiful romance along with a great, fast paced story.
McKenzie faces her biggest struggles yet in this final conclusion to her story. We see her fully come into her own and make definitive decisions about her life and the future. Not once was I bored or disinterested during this book. From beginning to end you are thrown right back into McKenzie’s world and all the feelings and emotions she experiences. This book does bring about a conclusion to most story lines, but there were a few things that left me with a question in my mind. However, I won’t say, as that would definitely spoil things. I will say that we do get a conclusion to the romantic drama between McKenzie, Aren and Kyol. (But that’s all I will say!)
What I really found exceptional about this book was that the passion and romance were just as strong and exciting in this book as they were in the previous stories. Although it was sad to see this series come to an end, I can say that I am 100% thrilled with how things turned out and I wouldn’t ask for it any other way. I strongly recommend you give the Shadow Reader series a try, you will not be disappointed! I can’t wait to see what Sandy has in store for us next!
