As someone who hasn't read the rest of the series, Oliver works well as a standalone, catching you up on the previous books and continuing along with him and Phoebe. The flashbacks help build up their relationship even further, as well as recap some of the past.
The book deals primarily with Oliver's journey through trauma recovery, and it handles this extremely well. Expect vivid descriptions and fantastic humour amongst the spice, the anger, and the worldbuilding.
I loved reading about Oliver and phoebe. This book pulled on all my emotions 😔 poor Oliver you just find yourself rooting for his happiness and Phoebe was determined to be by his side no matter what. She’s a star. Well worth the read,you definitely won’t be disappointed.
An absolute gripping tale of a dark past and rediscovered hope. Oliver is broken and Phoebe wants nothing more than being able to help him. It's heartbreaking and deals honestly with the difficulties of trauma. How it doesn't affect only one person but also the people who care. A Gryphon, Syreni, Djinn and witches against Demons and ghosts of a long forgotten past make it a story I couldn't put down. The 🌶️ is just the right amount to fit into the plot but it's absolutely 🔥. This is a sequel to "the tides" trilogy, but can be read as standalone. The other books might further the understanding of what happened but it is not necessary. If you are sensitive heed the TW!