Now I really need to find the rest of Stradiotto's books! This book is absolutely AMAZING! I love the world and how it builds on what the author's done with another of her series. The characters had me invested from the get-go and although this book is quite a bit darker than what I've read by Stradiotto before, it is so tantalizing. Both Malin and Kane are such brilliantly flawed characters. Neither is nice, but as they worked through their issues, they honestly became endearing and I needed them to get their act together. The steam is so hot! And the tension just hit the spot. Truly awesome.
There is a really unique twist on the common battle between light and darkness and I really enjoy how Stradiotto and Johnson portray the twistedness of seeing the world in black and white and claiming one side is superior to another. The underlying message is that the darkness simply is. No judgement. It has its purposes and there is a need for it, but it is neither good nor bad, and claiming it is evil leads a person down a path of evil even if they claim to follow the light and "good" by extension.
I really look forward to the continuation of the series, because there is still so much to unpack and I have serious high hopes because this first book really tied off everything so neatly while still leaving scope for more. That, to me, is perfection! I hate cliffhangers and this book shows exactly how unnecessary they are.
Wonderful book. Highly recommend.
