Passion's Price: Book 8 of 'The Succubus'

Rachel sat in the balcony, her hands gripping Josh's arm on one side, and Sarah's on the other. Behind them, Jeremy, Maria, and Yasna sat in a row. 

How did it come to this? 

If she had had the good sense to simply drive around that traffic accident a few weeks ago, none of this would have happened. Althea would have perished, trapped in the body of a dying mortal man. She would still be estranged from Josh. Her children would be on the verge of an open break with her, she would never have met Yasna, and Maria and Jeremy would never be more than what they had been at the time; a well-liked but replaceable intern and a maid who was no different than a thousand other women in the city. 

Thus am I repaid for a momentary weakness, she thought morbidly, and had to stifle an insane giggle. 

It was either that, or scream.

Passion's Price: Book 8 of 'The Succubus'

The end.

These words come to all of us, hopefully expectedly rather than not, and in this is the last of a series I have been reading through and reviewing for the last few months. From book one to eight, all the way to the end, sharing my thoughts and feelings along the way. It is what I do, and there are times I seem to think putting my thoughts into words is more for my clarity of thought rather than the review, it is what it is, and I am always happy to share the thoughts which flow through my existence.

And I like reviews which are more trains of thought rather than structured essays one would find in a 'how to review books' book.

If a book is supposed to make us think, then show the thoughts and dispense of the scaffolding.

Because the review is supposed to make you think as well.

And we reach the end of this series, and I am in that moment where I feel I shall never meet these characters again. It is bittersweet, because in what they went through I would not want to see them put through the same, and I feel there is a certain literary cruelty of putting the same cast through the next stakes-raising installment, sequel after sequel, time after time, in a selfish and morbid desire to 'hang out' with the same crowd again and again. I think of the Star Wars story across the original movies and wonder how that would be if the story naturally shifted the cast to 'the next group' rather than recycling the same people to 'do it bigger and better next time.'

Part of me feels the first movie was it, and more than enough adventure for one group of heroes. Let the next generation pick up the torch already, as anything more feels like inflicting the greed of the audience upon the heroes for 'one more time.'

There is a limit in sequels, and there is only so many times one can tell the same story before it feels tread-worn.

Here we have the characters pushing towards the climax, wonderfully encapsulated in the motif of a Shakespearean play. They could have called the whole thing off, but they rose together as one to face evil. They called evil out, and united as one. A thought went through my head early wondering how the writer would pull this off, that it would feel forced, but it didn't. There were good reasons to go there and all participate. And the writer had self-control to not make all of them contribute, the end was what it was, and there is even a spoiler in this that was highly amusing that I shall not reveal.

But it does have to do with a review.

I would not like to see a sequel to this is probably my feelings here, and I feel those out of appreciation and love for the story in which I was told. Once is enough, and the story is told.

Did you know Jack is alive and living in Greenland? Did you know the company that built the Titanic is saying they will do it again, and build an even better and safer ship this time? Did you know the company is inviting all of the survivors to come back and take the 'voyage that should have been' for free?

And did you know the ship has a stop in Greenland, Rose?

...and little did they know they were sailing into the worst winter storm in over 100 years.

Titanic II: Breaking the Ice, coming this summer!

No.

Just no. Spare me Hollywood your saccharine nostalgia. Let the characters I invited into my world be. I don't care if Nazi U-Boats hunt the sequel ship and you throw enough computer graphics at the movie to keep all of Hollywood's visual effects artists employed for the next three years I don't care.

The original is enough.

Just like here.

These eight books told the tale for me.

There is sex in this installment, but it reflects the moment. Furtive anticipation. Relief. Joy and unions. Lust becoming love. The sex here was well-played and did not feel forced, and I enjoyed the temporary reprieve from the gallows which everyone knew cast a shadow over how this ended.

My only thought is I wanted loss here. I know, I am spitting in the face of love and the message of the book, but sometimes what makes love all the stronger between those who end up carrying on is exactly that loss. In memory of. For those who no longer are with us. Part of me feels it would have probably made the book a bit of a downer at the end, but I could have seen the two parents of this tribe playing a role in sacrificing themselves for the younger generation.

Cast minus two, and that feeling they need to be replaced becomes purpose for those who remain.

To honor them.

And the circle of life continues.

Just a stray and random thought I suppose, and that is probably me imposing myself upon a work which I did not write. But they are thoughts still, and worth sharing. The fact I do feel them means I care, and this is just me again being overly critical because I subconsciously love the books. I am more critical of the things which I love. I get those 'should have been' feelings in the things which I care for. I am invested and the book has become a part of me.

There is no greater praise than that, I feel.

A series that takes delight in biting forbidden fruit, dives into faith, twists lust into love, and leaves readers covered in sweat and anticipation.

Nicely done.