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Cainsville #5
Rituals
The fifth book and the exciting conclusion to bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's "impossible-to-put-down" Cainsville series, in which she mixes hard-hitting crime writing with phenomenal world-building to create a brand of fiction all her own.
When Olivia Taylor-Jones found out she was not actually the adopted child of a privileged Chicago family but of a notorious pair of convicted serial killers, her life exploded. Running from the fall-out, she found a refuge in the secluded but oddly welcoming town of Cainsville, Illinois, but she couldn't resist trying to dig out the truth about her birth parents' crimes. She began working with Gabriel Walsh, a fiendishly successful criminal lawyer who also had links to the town; their investigation soon revealed Celtic mysteries at work in Cainsville, and also entangled Olivia in a tense love triangle with the calculating Gabriel and her charming biker boyfriend, Ricky. Worse, troubling visions revealed to Olivia that the three...
When Olivia Taylor-Jones found out she was not actually the adopted child of a privileged Chicago family but of a notorious pair of convicted serial killers, her life exploded. Running from the fall-out, she found a refuge in the secluded but oddly welcoming town of Cainsville, Illinois, but she couldn't resist trying to dig out the truth about her birth parents' crimes. She began working with Gabriel Walsh, a fiendishly successful criminal lawyer who also had links to the town; their investigation soon revealed Celtic mysteries at work in Cainsville, and also entangled Olivia in a tense love triangle with the calculating Gabriel and her charming biker boyfriend, Ricky. Worse, troubling visions revealed to Olivia that the three...
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2017
276 people are currently reading
4499 people want to read
About the author
Kelley Armstrong
299 books33.7k followersKelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 720 reviews
July 27, 2020
The End. 😭😭😭 What a journey!
August 16, 2017
So, I have sort of conflicted feelings about this book that I'm going to attempt to talk out through the review. If it gets super rambley, please know that's why.
August 31, 2017
A fitting ending to a great series, and what a rollercoaster ride it's been. Twists and turns in this last installment, with quite a few that weren't even hinted at before giving this series new surprises until the very end. As we turn the last few chapter on Cainsville, I must say I'll miss this odd crew of fae, mythical creatures, mayhem, murder, mystery, traps, betrayals, double crosses and so much more.
March 13, 2018
I'm happy I didn't read this series until July, so I only had to wait one month for this book. I'm not sure I could have survived a full year. I set my alarm for 5:30 and there it was waiting for me. "Ah, sweet mystery of life.." Ok. I'll just say it was well worth the wait. Readers were cheated a bit re: Gabriel, but it was made up for by one of the loveliest ending imaginable taking place in Cainsville.
November 21, 2017
Let me start by saying that I have loved this series from book one! Liv, Gabriel, and Ricky are fantastic characters each in their own right, but their dynamic together just rocked these books.
But Gabriel has been my favorite since the beginning. He has come so far in so many ways, and this book seals his transformation while still maintaining what makes him Gabriel. I actually felt he made the most progress in the previous book by admitting things to himself, and I feel in this book it was taken to the next level in his outward expressions to other people, not just Liv.
Having said that, there was A LOT of stuff crammed in this book that ALMOST made me wish it was broken up into two. I say almost because I also wish some of it had been eliminated and just gotten right to the meat and potatoes, so to speak. I think some things could have been left out or abbreviated without harming the actual story. This is why I didn't give it 5 stars.
This book was less on plot, unlike the previous ones, and seemed more about wrapping things up, explaining some plot threads that carried through the entire series, and, of course, the resolution of what will Liv choose? I'm not even going to comment on that, other than to say that THIS reader was satisfied with the decisions Liv made and especially happy about one in particular. 😉
I'm sad this series is over, but it was definitely one of my favorites, and I have a little glimmer of hope burning inside me that Kelley Armstrong will decide to visit them again some day.
But Gabriel has been my favorite since the beginning. He has come so far in so many ways, and this book seals his transformation while still maintaining what makes him Gabriel. I actually felt he made the most progress in the previous book by admitting things to himself, and I feel in this book it was taken to the next level in his outward expressions to other people, not just Liv.
Having said that, there was A LOT of stuff crammed in this book that ALMOST made me wish it was broken up into two. I say almost because I also wish some of it had been eliminated and just gotten right to the meat and potatoes, so to speak. I think some things could have been left out or abbreviated without harming the actual story. This is why I didn't give it 5 stars.
This book was less on plot, unlike the previous ones, and seemed more about wrapping things up, explaining some plot threads that carried through the entire series, and, of course, the resolution of what will Liv choose? I'm not even going to comment on that, other than to say that THIS reader was satisfied with the decisions Liv made and especially happy about one in particular. 😉
I'm sad this series is over, but it was definitely one of my favorites, and I have a little glimmer of hope burning inside me that Kelley Armstrong will decide to visit them again some day.
September 4, 2022
Rituals is the final book in the Cainsville series by Kelley Armstrong and was a satisfying conclusion and wrap up to this amazing series.
Olivia (Eden) has a tough choice to make in this book. She needs to choose between two supernatural forces and another enters the mix in this book. Olivia know her time has run out and is torn between both sides and two men who she loves - Gabriel and Ricky. When faced with this third supernatural force who is without mercy and a cause of chaos and destruction, Olivia has a second battle on her hands in saving both the men she loves, the people and beings she cares for and her parents who are both in prison. When Gabriel's mother returns from the dead even more confusion and chaos erupts around Olivia and she must determine who she can trust.
This is such a satisfying end to this series and I enjoyed the way the book was wrapped up at the end of the story. If you love hard-hitting crime fiction with supernatural elements you need to read this series.
Olivia (Eden) has a tough choice to make in this book. She needs to choose between two supernatural forces and another enters the mix in this book. Olivia know her time has run out and is torn between both sides and two men who she loves - Gabriel and Ricky. When faced with this third supernatural force who is without mercy and a cause of chaos and destruction, Olivia has a second battle on her hands in saving both the men she loves, the people and beings she cares for and her parents who are both in prison. When Gabriel's mother returns from the dead even more confusion and chaos erupts around Olivia and she must determine who she can trust.
This is such a satisfying end to this series and I enjoyed the way the book was wrapped up at the end of the story. If you love hard-hitting crime fiction with supernatural elements you need to read this series.
August 20, 2017
This book in a gif:
Seriously, every little thing was wrapped up and addressed and dealt with.
But to make it more detailed:
- I know that blurb makes it look like that is THE story, but the final book in Cainsville series confirmed what I was always felt about these characters: once you take out the whole love triangle out of the equation, they are actually pretty cool and likable and have more interesting and more important things to do.
So, the whole choice thing. Armstrong heavily touched this in previous book, but Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky are simply knowing and respecting each other well enough not to make the fact they are living embodiment of greatest love triangle in fae world decide what will they do and become the most prevalent thing in their lives. So, I liked how she decided to ditch this thing and make her main trio of characters adult about it even if centuries-old fae in Cainsvile and Cŵn Annwn aren't. Hence, I wasn't surprised how Armstrong wrapped up this thing because she stayed true to characters she's written- when I finished I thought it's exactly what Olivia I got to know through series would do. But I liked it for it also provided ( in my opinion) a very fitting end- one where fae need to evolve.
-I guess you noticed how I didn't mention the choice Liv has to make because she is Matilda reborn in connection to romance development. Well, that's because Olivia's decisions in that department were never written to be anything BUT hers and the result of how she felt in that particular time of her life. And it was that way with any of the men she was involved in: even James, when she was just high society girl at the beginning of the first book. Her attraction to Ricky, and then Gabriel felt organic and believable. And you know what? She didn't have any doubts about the man she wants to be with in this book either. Stupefying the whole thing about three of them being Matilda, Arawn and Gwynn reborn and equaling it to love triangle where she has to choose one of them because she is Matilda and they are Arawn and Gwynn is the worst fucking thing Armstrong could have gone with. So, thank god for that.
-Which leads me to Gabriel. I think he is the most interesting character in series. Just the way KA decided to introduce him to reader- as this skeevy lawyer who wants money- who thought reading that scene that this is the guy I will care the most about and want to see him happy? This slow de-layering of a very complicated character who says more between sentences and his journey to the man who is still complicated and often misunderstood, but, finally, in peace with himself and rest of the world was great. Gabriel is just awesome.
- Like I mentioned, the book is actually not all about Matilda's choice or Liv's love life. Our main characters figured out fae were directing them in various situations (and their reasons behind it), they figured out the mystery of killing spree Liv's real parents committed (and their reasons behind it), but that's not the whole story. Every major player in this thing was manipulated into bargain by someone much darker and sinister and these pesky fae and Wild Hunt are studying Liv's sleeping arrangements so meticulously to figure out if she chose their champion, they don't even see the real trouble and bad guy closing in on them. Armstrong incorporated another fine part of Celtic folklore into story introducing the sluagh, which worked because 1)their usual depiction is scary and Armstrong took that and just went creepier with it and 2)because of what they are it plays in interesting ways with Liv's premonition powers and ability to see dead people.
-but like I said wrapping up is the theme- we have both Olivia and Gabriel resolving complicated relationship with their parents. This book opens up with the appearance of Gabriel's, believed to be dead, mother and she is really something. (0_0)
-We also see dryads and they are fun.
-I chucked the star off because I think book would benefit from cutting a few scenes off. For example, scene where Rose is musing about past proved to be unnecessary when KA didn't elaborate on that or make something of it later.
All in all, I liked how this series ended up and I also liked the fact it ended up instead of making it longer.
Farewell, Cainsville. It was fun! :)
Seriously, every little thing was wrapped up and addressed and dealt with.
But to make it more detailed:
- I know that blurb makes it look like that is THE story, but the final book in Cainsville series confirmed what I was always felt about these characters: once you take out the whole love triangle out of the equation, they are actually pretty cool and likable and have more interesting and more important things to do.
So, the whole choice thing. Armstrong heavily touched this in previous book, but Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky are simply knowing and respecting each other well enough not to make the fact they are living embodiment of greatest love triangle in fae world decide what will they do and become the most prevalent thing in their lives. So, I liked how she decided to ditch this thing and make her main trio of characters adult about it even if centuries-old fae in Cainsvile and Cŵn Annwn aren't. Hence, I wasn't surprised how Armstrong wrapped up this thing because she stayed true to characters she's written- when I finished I thought it's exactly what Olivia I got to know through series would do. But I liked it for it also provided ( in my opinion) a very fitting end- one where fae need to evolve.
-I guess you noticed how I didn't mention the choice Liv has to make because she is Matilda reborn in connection to romance development. Well, that's because Olivia's decisions in that department were never written to be anything BUT hers and the result of how she felt in that particular time of her life. And it was that way with any of the men she was involved in: even James, when she was just high society girl at the beginning of the first book. Her attraction to Ricky, and then Gabriel felt organic and believable. And you know what? She didn't have any doubts about the man she wants to be with in this book either. Stupefying the whole thing about three of them being Matilda, Arawn and Gwynn reborn and equaling it to love triangle where she has to choose one of them because she is Matilda and they are Arawn and Gwynn is the worst fucking thing Armstrong could have gone with. So, thank god for that.
-Which leads me to Gabriel. I think he is the most interesting character in series. Just the way KA decided to introduce him to reader- as this skeevy lawyer who wants money- who thought reading that scene that this is the guy I will care the most about and want to see him happy? This slow de-layering of a very complicated character who says more between sentences and his journey to the man who is still complicated and often misunderstood, but, finally, in peace with himself and rest of the world was great. Gabriel is just awesome.
- Like I mentioned, the book is actually not all about Matilda's choice or Liv's love life. Our main characters figured out fae were directing them in various situations (and their reasons behind it), they figured out the mystery of killing spree Liv's real parents committed (and their reasons behind it), but that's not the whole story. Every major player in this thing was manipulated into bargain by someone much darker and sinister and these pesky fae and Wild Hunt are studying Liv's sleeping arrangements so meticulously to figure out if she chose their champion, they don't even see the real trouble and bad guy closing in on them. Armstrong incorporated another fine part of Celtic folklore into story introducing the sluagh, which worked because 1)their usual depiction is scary and Armstrong took that and just went creepier with it and 2)because of what they are it plays in interesting ways with Liv's premonition powers and ability to see dead people.
-but like I said wrapping up is the theme- we have both Olivia and Gabriel resolving complicated relationship with their parents. This book opens up with the appearance of Gabriel's, believed to be dead, mother and she is really something. (0_0)
-We also see dryads and they are fun.
-I chucked the star off because I think book would benefit from cutting a few scenes off. For example, scene where Rose is musing about past proved to be unnecessary when KA didn't elaborate on that or make something of it later.
All in all, I liked how this series ended up and I also liked the fact it ended up instead of making it longer.
Farewell, Cainsville. It was fun! :)
September 9, 2017
I'm so conflicted about how this all went down.
"Can you stall him? Please?"
"Gaze up adoringly at him. Like you did when you first arrived. Call him Gwynn, mighty king of the Fae. He loves that."
If you'd asked me a few years ago what series to start with, as an Armstrong newbie, I probably would've recommended Cainsville. Mostly because it wasn't a giant commitment like The Women of the Otherworld series, it wasn't one of her YA supernatural books, and it seemed dark and edgy and sexy. But that was until book four. And my doubts had started to creep in around the third. After this wrap-up? I wonder what the point of extending this series, aka being more than trilogy, even was.
It was a Gabriel hug -- an awkward embrace that feels more like restraint. I swore he counted to three before letting go. But then he reached out and patted my back, the kind of "there, there" comfort you give a child who has scraped her knee, and I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing through my tears.
But there were some really excellent factors. Gabriel. You'll see a lot of Gabriel quotes because I'm trash for him. Seeing Gabriel's progression over the course of the books, which probably still could've been demonstrated in three, was amazing. He's my precious. I was never a fan of Ricky, mostly because I knew he was only a distraction, and after that little reveal at the end.. I feel vindicated. But also, really? Really? All this time and.. arg. Which kind of mirrors my feelings about the ending but hold up I'll get there.
For Gabriel, eating cookies for breakfast was indeed seizing the day.
And about that ending? I just can't even. Five books, people. That basically just culminated in a rehashing of everything from the first four into the last one. Forcing us to endure the recap show we never wanted because five books. And the Big Bad? I.. I don't know. One was let off the hook and we're meant to feel sorry for them, and the other was almost.. too big? Too bad? And eventually you can't be impressed with phenomenal crafty cosmic power.
Gabriel was bluffing about the sedatives. He certainly didn't keep them on hand. If he did, there'd be far too much temptation to use them on far too many people.
I'm such a huge fan of this author, my collection of her books is ridiculous, I will never stop reading her, but this was a story that I feel kind of got away from her. Or maybe just me. But I also found the style, the way things unfolded, the way things were constantly stated/explained instead of just done or shown.. I don't know. It sometimes felt very much like being spoon-fed. I never felt challenged, and yet things still managed to feel overly complicated and confusing for no reason.
"Dryads. Why does it have to be dryads? [You know, from] Raiders of the Lost Ark?"
"Is that a book?"
"We have serious father-son bonding time to catch up on. We'll start with movie nights."
But then we'd have a bickery bantery scene between Gabriel and Patrick (shoutout to that novella that featured them almost exclusively and which I looooved), or some sweet moment between Gabe and Liv (so fucking overdue), or.. oh, maybe that's really it. We did have two new-to-us characters introduced in RITUALS that I fell in love with too, though. But of course we didn't get much of them being as this is the end.
"She's bound."
"How else could we make sure she stayed put?"
"And gagged."
"You've met her. Can you blame us?"
One of my hopes for this book, which I put in a status update, was that we were owed a lot of Gabe & Liv sexytimes. And we did get them. But also.. not? How is it that we were forced to endure aaall sorts of Liv & Ricky naked shenanigans over the course of four books and yet I felt like the ones between the OTP were.. half-assed? Am I wrong? I need someone to chime in on this.
".. we were just attacked by the [blank] and fell through three floors, and this may not be the time to discuss my love life."
"Love life. You said love life. Not sex life. Meaning it wasn't a heat-of-the-moment tryst followed by oh-no-we-really-shouldn't followed by another whoops-- yes, I write romances."
Anyway, suffice it to say, this isn't a series I'll be rereading or keeping on my shelf. I am mostly satisfied by the way things resolved for the love triangle, but hugely unsatisfied at the same time because.. it was obvious, and very underwhelmed that five years of waiting for each release has come to this. With that final chapter. And not even a damn epilogue.
2.75? 3?
"Can you stall him? Please?"
"Gaze up adoringly at him. Like you did when you first arrived. Call him Gwynn, mighty king of the Fae. He loves that."
If you'd asked me a few years ago what series to start with, as an Armstrong newbie, I probably would've recommended Cainsville. Mostly because it wasn't a giant commitment like The Women of the Otherworld series, it wasn't one of her YA supernatural books, and it seemed dark and edgy and sexy. But that was until book four. And my doubts had started to creep in around the third. After this wrap-up? I wonder what the point of extending this series, aka being more than trilogy, even was.
It was a Gabriel hug -- an awkward embrace that feels more like restraint. I swore he counted to three before letting go. But then he reached out and patted my back, the kind of "there, there" comfort you give a child who has scraped her knee, and I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing through my tears.
But there were some really excellent factors. Gabriel. You'll see a lot of Gabriel quotes because I'm trash for him. Seeing Gabriel's progression over the course of the books, which probably still could've been demonstrated in three, was amazing. He's my precious. I was never a fan of Ricky, mostly because I knew he was only a distraction, and after that little reveal at the end.. I feel vindicated. But also, really? Really? All this time and.. arg. Which kind of mirrors my feelings about the ending but hold up I'll get there.
For Gabriel, eating cookies for breakfast was indeed seizing the day.
And about that ending? I just can't even. Five books, people. That basically just culminated in a rehashing of everything from the first four into the last one. Forcing us to endure the recap show we never wanted because five books. And the Big Bad? I.. I don't know. One was let off the hook and we're meant to feel sorry for them, and the other was almost.. too big? Too bad? And eventually you can't be impressed with phenomenal crafty cosmic power.
Gabriel was bluffing about the sedatives. He certainly didn't keep them on hand. If he did, there'd be far too much temptation to use them on far too many people.
I'm such a huge fan of this author, my collection of her books is ridiculous, I will never stop reading her, but this was a story that I feel kind of got away from her. Or maybe just me. But I also found the style, the way things unfolded, the way things were constantly stated/explained instead of just done or shown.. I don't know. It sometimes felt very much like being spoon-fed. I never felt challenged, and yet things still managed to feel overly complicated and confusing for no reason.
"Dryads. Why does it have to be dryads? [You know, from] Raiders of the Lost Ark?"
"Is that a book?"
"We have serious father-son bonding time to catch up on. We'll start with movie nights."
But then we'd have a bickery bantery scene between Gabriel and Patrick (shoutout to that novella that featured them almost exclusively and which I looooved), or some sweet moment between Gabe and Liv (so fucking overdue), or.. oh, maybe that's really it. We did have two new-to-us characters introduced in RITUALS that I fell in love with too, though. But of course we didn't get much of them being as this is the end.
"She's bound."
"How else could we make sure she stayed put?"
"And gagged."
"You've met her. Can you blame us?"
One of my hopes for this book, which I put in a status update, was that we were owed a lot of Gabe & Liv sexytimes. And we did get them. But also.. not? How is it that we were forced to endure aaall sorts of Liv & Ricky naked shenanigans over the course of four books and yet I felt like the ones between the OTP were.. half-assed? Am I wrong? I need someone to chime in on this.
".. we were just attacked by the [blank] and fell through three floors, and this may not be the time to discuss my love life."
"Love life. You said love life. Not sex life. Meaning it wasn't a heat-of-the-moment tryst followed by oh-no-we-really-shouldn't followed by another whoops-- yes, I write romances."
Anyway, suffice it to say, this isn't a series I'll be rereading or keeping on my shelf. I am mostly satisfied by the way things resolved for the love triangle, but hugely unsatisfied at the same time because.. it was obvious, and very underwhelmed that five years of waiting for each release has come to this. With that final chapter. And not even a damn epilogue.
2.75? 3?
August 20, 2022
I adore Cainsville so much, probably more than any other Kelley Armstrong series, though they're all amazing. This book was excellent, truly excellent and I enjoyed every page.
February 3, 2019
August 20, 2017:
I finished Rituals and I have lots of thoughts!!! I will write a full review shortly! :)
August 16, 2017:
I have picked up my copy and am going to dive in tonight so... see you on the other side.
August 15, 2017:
HAPPY RITUALS RELEASE DAY!!!
August 13, 2017:
Just want to mention before everyone dives into the book... I don't know the exact page count, but some sites are now saying less than 496. The copyright page also indicates this. I think it's around 471 instead. Just so people don't get to end expecting there to be 20 more pages than there is... that always hurts. Also if you're searching online, be careful with the Google Books preview... there is one that starts around page 200!
Two. More. Days!!!
August 1, 2017:
HAPPY RITUALS MONTH!!! Only two more weeks... I'm so ready.
July 22, 2017:
Google Books has uploaded their preview... and it's much longer! It goes all the way to page 60. However, there are some pages missing in-between, but still... more Rituals words. :D https://books.google.com/books?id=tOAsDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
July 17, 2017:
I've started my re-read of the entire series leading up to the Rituals release. For the next month, my life will be nothing but Cainsville and it is awesome.
July 15, 2017:
ONLY ONE MONTH LEFT UNTIL RITUALS IS HERE!!!
June 2, 2017:
Yup, it's June 2. Past midnight. I spent two glorious hours reading the first 30 pages, soaking up every single word. And I knew before I even began reading that no matter how slow I read, when I reached that last page, I would desperately want more. And here I am, desperately wanting more. GOSH IT WAS SO GOOD!!! I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the preview, but the entire experience can be summed up by my reactions: laughing out loud, doing little fist bumps to cheer on the characters, making weird sobby noises, and squealing. Lots of squealing. Yup, safe to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. Only two months left - bring on August 15!!!
June 1, 2017:
Well, it wasn't May... but it was pretty darn close. THE FIRST FOUR CHAPTERS OF RITUALS ARE HERE!!! I'M GETTING READY TO READ THEM I'M CRYING I CAN'T BREATHE OKAY HERE'S THE LINK: http://kelleyarmstrong.com/PDFs/Rituals-excerpt.pdf
May 28, 2017:
Kelley's website has been updated. Please let that mean a Rituals preview is coming soon. *crosses everything I've got*
April 29, 2017:
Kelley's website says that she will release preview chapters "later this spring". I really hope *Justin Timberlake voice* it's gonna be May. Fingers crossed!
April 28, 2017:
Over the past month, I watched as sites like Amazon changed their page count listings from 400 to 496, but now, FINALLY, Goodreads has updated theirs, too, which means: sayonara 400 pages, hellooooo 496! I can't believe Rituals is going to be almost 500 PAGES!!! 500!!! I AM DOING THE BIGGEST HAPPY DANCE RIGHT NOW OH MY GOSH
February 20, 2017:
The Canadian publisher is showing 400 pages, the UK publisher is showing 496 pages. WHAT IS THE TRUTH?!
February 2, 2017:
Now sites are showing that the book is 400 pages, making it the shortest one in the series. Noooooooooooooo
January 30, 2017:
The cover is up! It's a bit underwhelming, given this is the final book, but I'll reserve my harshest of judgments until I read the book and see how it ties into the story.
January 7, 2017:
Two synopses have made their way to the Internet! Sounds like there's a third supernatural force that makes themselves known in this book - a far more evil and chaotic one. One that's been lurking ever since Olivia was born. I'm intrigued.
Also - sites are reporting that Rituals is 496 pages, making it the longest book in the series. Sign me the heck up.
July 13, 2016:
I've just read the first two chapters and holy guacamole, this seems like the best one yet. How will I ever make it through this 13 month wait?!
May 25, 2016:
Gahhhh, this is going to be such a painful wait. I can't believe there's only one book left in the series! The rational side of me says the wait is good - it'll allow me to cherish the series and accept that it is coming to its end. The irrational, completely obsessed fangirl side of me says that I NEED to know more NOW! You can guess which is the far more dominant side.
I finished Rituals and I have lots of thoughts!!! I will write a full review shortly! :)
August 16, 2017:
I have picked up my copy and am going to dive in tonight so... see you on the other side.
August 15, 2017:
HAPPY RITUALS RELEASE DAY!!!
August 13, 2017:
Just want to mention before everyone dives into the book... I don't know the exact page count, but some sites are now saying less than 496. The copyright page also indicates this. I think it's around 471 instead. Just so people don't get to end expecting there to be 20 more pages than there is... that always hurts. Also if you're searching online, be careful with the Google Books preview... there is one that starts around page 200!
Two. More. Days!!!
August 1, 2017:
HAPPY RITUALS MONTH!!! Only two more weeks... I'm so ready.
July 22, 2017:
Google Books has uploaded their preview... and it's much longer! It goes all the way to page 60. However, there are some pages missing in-between, but still... more Rituals words. :D https://books.google.com/books?id=tOAsDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
July 17, 2017:
I've started my re-read of the entire series leading up to the Rituals release. For the next month, my life will be nothing but Cainsville and it is awesome.
July 15, 2017:
ONLY ONE MONTH LEFT UNTIL RITUALS IS HERE!!!
June 2, 2017:
Yup, it's June 2. Past midnight. I spent two glorious hours reading the first 30 pages, soaking up every single word. And I knew before I even began reading that no matter how slow I read, when I reached that last page, I would desperately want more. And here I am, desperately wanting more. GOSH IT WAS SO GOOD!!! I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the preview, but the entire experience can be summed up by my reactions: laughing out loud, doing little fist bumps to cheer on the characters, making weird sobby noises, and squealing. Lots of squealing. Yup, safe to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. Only two months left - bring on August 15!!!
June 1, 2017:
Well, it wasn't May... but it was pretty darn close. THE FIRST FOUR CHAPTERS OF RITUALS ARE HERE!!! I'M GETTING READY TO READ THEM I'M CRYING I CAN'T BREATHE OKAY HERE'S THE LINK: http://kelleyarmstrong.com/PDFs/Rituals-excerpt.pdf
May 28, 2017:
Kelley's website has been updated. Please let that mean a Rituals preview is coming soon. *crosses everything I've got*
April 29, 2017:
Kelley's website says that she will release preview chapters "later this spring". I really hope *Justin Timberlake voice* it's gonna be May. Fingers crossed!
April 28, 2017:
Over the past month, I watched as sites like Amazon changed their page count listings from 400 to 496, but now, FINALLY, Goodreads has updated theirs, too, which means: sayonara 400 pages, hellooooo 496! I can't believe Rituals is going to be almost 500 PAGES!!! 500!!! I AM DOING THE BIGGEST HAPPY DANCE RIGHT NOW OH MY GOSH
February 20, 2017:
The Canadian publisher is showing 400 pages, the UK publisher is showing 496 pages. WHAT IS THE TRUTH?!
February 2, 2017:
Now sites are showing that the book is 400 pages, making it the shortest one in the series. Noooooooooooooo
January 30, 2017:
The cover is up! It's a bit underwhelming, given this is the final book, but I'll reserve my harshest of judgments until I read the book and see how it ties into the story.
January 7, 2017:
Two synopses have made their way to the Internet! Sounds like there's a third supernatural force that makes themselves known in this book - a far more evil and chaotic one. One that's been lurking ever since Olivia was born. I'm intrigued.
Also - sites are reporting that Rituals is 496 pages, making it the longest book in the series. Sign me the heck up.
July 13, 2016:
I've just read the first two chapters and holy guacamole, this seems like the best one yet. How will I ever make it through this 13 month wait?!
May 25, 2016:
Gahhhh, this is going to be such a painful wait. I can't believe there's only one book left in the series! The rational side of me says the wait is good - it'll allow me to cherish the series and accept that it is coming to its end. The irrational, completely obsessed fangirl side of me says that I NEED to know more NOW! You can guess which is the far more dominant side.
August 17, 2017
Rituals by Kelley Armstrong
Actual rating: All the stars, despite the batshit crazy plot
AAAHHHHH!
Okay, so there are valid criticisms out there of this book. Sometimes I felt like the plot made no goddamned sense. And there were things that I wanted to see addressed that never did (what is TC? What's the deal with the gargoyles? What did Gabriel do the first time someone cheated? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLANS TO RETURN TO THE CABIN?!)
The formatting issues of the kindle version also pissed me off. I paid $12 for a poorly formatted ARC??
And yeah, I felt a little ripped off that Liv spent FOUR BOOKS developing her relationship with Ricky...only to break up with him. Like, I'm not gonna lie, it kind of feels like wasted emotional energy as a reader. Why did I learn to like Ricky if he was just going to get dumped anyway? And homeboy kind of needed to take some more time away, I think, before jumping back into a friendship with Olivia, because it bummed me out how he was basically willing to settle for whatever scraps of attention she was willing to give him.
BUT GABRIEL AND LIV ARE TOGETHER NOW! *swoon* And I am a total Gabriel/Liv fan girl, so here, book, have all the stars. I loved that Gabriel is now physically affectionate toward Liv. I loved that he was willing to take her to the cabin for a getaway (and his ridiculously thought out plan for seducing Liv was HILARIOUS/ADORABLE). I even loved that he now enjoys sex. Go have sex Gabriel and Liv!
Plus now my baby is all grown up and THINKING OF OTHERS, not just Liv. I mean, Gabriel's not a saint. But he's also not a sociopath anymore. ALL THANKS TO LOVE.
I also adored the fact that Liv is NEVER shamed for having prior relationships, not by Gabriel or anyone else. Gabriel straight-up acknowledges at one point that he was not ready for a relationship with Liv before. So many heroines are expected to be innocent virgins until they meet their one-true-love. For all his issues with understanding people, I'd argue that he's downright feminist. Gotta love heroes who break the stereotypes!
Actual rating: All the stars, despite the batshit crazy plot
AAAHHHHH!
Okay, so there are valid criticisms out there of this book. Sometimes I felt like the plot made no goddamned sense. And there were things that I wanted to see addressed that never did (what is TC? What's the deal with the gargoyles? What did Gabriel do the first time someone cheated? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLANS TO RETURN TO THE CABIN?!)
The formatting issues of the kindle version also pissed me off. I paid $12 for a poorly formatted ARC??
And yeah, I felt a little ripped off that Liv spent FOUR BOOKS developing her relationship with Ricky...only to break up with him. Like, I'm not gonna lie, it kind of feels like wasted emotional energy as a reader. Why did I learn to like Ricky if he was just going to get dumped anyway? And homeboy kind of needed to take some more time away, I think, before jumping back into a friendship with Olivia, because it bummed me out how he was basically willing to settle for whatever scraps of attention she was willing to give him.
BUT GABRIEL AND LIV ARE TOGETHER NOW! *swoon* And I am a total Gabriel/Liv fan girl, so here, book, have all the stars. I loved that Gabriel is now physically affectionate toward Liv. I loved that he was willing to take her to the cabin for a getaway (and his ridiculously thought out plan for seducing Liv was HILARIOUS/ADORABLE). I even loved that he now enjoys sex. Go have sex Gabriel and Liv!
Plus now my baby is all grown up and THINKING OF OTHERS, not just Liv. I mean, Gabriel's not a saint. But he's also not a sociopath anymore. ALL THANKS TO LOVE.
I also adored the fact that Liv is NEVER shamed for having prior relationships, not by Gabriel or anyone else. Gabriel straight-up acknowledges at one point that he was not ready for a relationship with Liv before. So many heroines are expected to be innocent virgins until they meet their one-true-love. For all his issues with understanding people, I'd argue that he's downright feminist. Gotta love heroes who break the stereotypes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2019
Mulling.....
August 31, 2017
2.5 stars
It was alright, the best part was the love triangle was finally over and done with. Also, the secondary characters were great too, loved Gabriel/Patrick and the dryads.
The worst part was how Liv turned into the biggest snowflake ever with everyone constantly fighting over her and acting like she was the the most amazing thing ever. Also, the ending was disappointing, Liv's non choice was a total cop out, there were 5 books of the fae and the hunt trying to win her over and make her choose between them, it should have ended with her finally picking a side and showing the consequences of that, her choosing both of them wasn't even an option.
The Sluagh and Sienna stuff kind of bored me, I was far more interested in resolving Pamela/Todd's arc, and doing justice to what was going on between the Cainsville fae and the hunt. Those parts needed more focus but were instead glossed over for the rubbish, one dimensional, came out of nowhere slaugh.
That Arawn reveal was quite interesting, him and Ricky at the end seemed like the real villain of the piece. Arawn was a snake to make that original pact with Gwynn when he knew Matilda/Gwynn only had eyes for each other, and the second pact was even worse, he really screwed Matilda and Gwynn's life, all because his ego couldn't handle the fact Matilda only saw him as a friend. He was a right nasty piece of work.
It was alright, the best part was the love triangle was finally over and done with. Also, the secondary characters were great too, loved Gabriel/Patrick and the dryads.
The worst part was how Liv turned into the biggest snowflake ever with everyone constantly fighting over her and acting like she was the the most amazing thing ever. Also, the ending was disappointing, Liv's non choice was a total cop out, there were 5 books of the fae and the hunt trying to win her over and make her choose between them, it should have ended with her finally picking a side and showing the consequences of that, her choosing both of them wasn't even an option.
The Sluagh and Sienna stuff kind of bored me, I was far more interested in resolving Pamela/Todd's arc, and doing justice to what was going on between the Cainsville fae and the hunt. Those parts needed more focus but were instead glossed over for the rubbish, one dimensional, came out of nowhere slaugh.
That Arawn reveal was quite interesting, him and Ricky at the end seemed like the real villain of the piece. Arawn was a snake to make that original pact with Gwynn when he knew Matilda/Gwynn only had eyes for each other, and the second pact was even worse, he really screwed Matilda and Gwynn's life, all because his ego couldn't handle the fact Matilda only saw him as a friend. He was a right nasty piece of work.
August 16, 2017
OKAY SO HERE'S THE THING. Kelley Armstrong is just my author. Maybe my favorite author. And I've read almost all of her books. She has her misses for me, but I more or less knew what to expect from this one. For me, IT WAS WONDERFUL. I mean, no, not the plot, but the relationship/character stuff was written exactly for me. I'll be re-reading parts a lot.
December 9, 2020
At first I was annoyed (read my status updates). Then it got a bit boring, because I couldn't easily imagine what was going on (fae have never been my choice of urban fantasy). And I'd already read the description for Rough Justice, so I already knew what Olivia chooses.
I'm so disappointed. A series that started so promisingly (serial killer parents!), went downhill with each book.
I'm so disappointed. A series that started so promisingly (serial killer parents!), went downhill with each book.
September 11, 2017
Trigger warnings: gore, murder, flashbacks to child abuse.
I was pretty hesitant going into this book. I wasn't so keen on the fourth book in the series, and I honestly wasn't sure how Armstrong was going to be able to wrap everything up in a single book. And yet somehow, she managed it in fine form.
Things start off with the return of a character that everyone thought was dead, so you pretty much know from the get go that it's going to be a wild ride. It's fast paced (despite being nearly 600 pages, I sped through it in an afternoon/evening) and full of action, and it kept me guessing through until the end.
After five freaking books and a mehTP (IDK if that's a thing, but I'm making it a thing), my ship finally sailed and it was GLORIOUS. You guys probably know by now that I am 100% not a fan of love triangles, but I actually enjoyed the way that this one played out in the end.
So overall, I liked the characters and the writing and the plot. The ending was, to be honest, eeeeeever so slightly a cop out (), but I ship it so hard that I didn't really care that it was implausible.
I was pretty hesitant going into this book. I wasn't so keen on the fourth book in the series, and I honestly wasn't sure how Armstrong was going to be able to wrap everything up in a single book. And yet somehow, she managed it in fine form.
Things start off with the return of a character that everyone thought was dead, so you pretty much know from the get go that it's going to be a wild ride. It's fast paced (despite being nearly 600 pages, I sped through it in an afternoon/evening) and full of action, and it kept me guessing through until the end.
After five freaking books and a mehTP (IDK if that's a thing, but I'm making it a thing), my ship finally sailed and it was GLORIOUS. You guys probably know by now that I am 100% not a fan of love triangles, but I actually enjoyed the way that this one played out in the end.
So overall, I liked the characters and the writing and the plot. The ending was, to be honest, eeeeeever so slightly a cop out (), but I ship it so hard that I didn't really care that it was implausible.
August 26, 2017
Rituals is the fifth and final book in the Cainsville series. I adore Kelley Armstrong. And I am a huge fan of the Cainsville series. Rituals was one of my most anticipated reads of 2017.
I would describe the Cainsville series as part mystery and part paranormal (this aspect has increased with each book).
The main narrator of this book is Olivia Taylor Jones (she is in her mid-twenties). The book is told first person by Olivia. But there are also some third person chapters (Gabriel, Ricky...).
In the first book Olivia found out that she was adopted and that her birth parents (Pamela and Todd) were serial killers. She decided to move to Cainsville to uncover the truth. Olivia has visions. But also the fae play a big part in the story.
Also there is the Cwn Annwn/Wild Hunt and Tylwyth Teg/Welsh fae/the elders component. Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky embody these people. In Rituals Olivia is expected to choose one side or the other.
So the key issues in this final book were: 1)Would Olivia choose Gabriel or Ricky? 2)Would Olivia's parents stay in jail? 3)What would be Olivia's final choice - Cwn Annwn or Tylwyth Teg?
Here are some of my thoughts:
For most of the Cainsville series Olivia has been with Ricky. I like Ricky. But I am Team Gabriel. Gabriel is one of the most unique characters that I have ever seen. I just wanted him and Olivia together.
I didn't really know what to expect from this final book. But I knew that I wanted Olivia to choose one guy over the other. And I wanted some resolution with all of the loose ends (from the previous books).
Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Did most of my questions get answered? Yes. But there were definitely some parts of the story that I was less happy with.
Here is what I thought about parts of the story (for those who have read Rituals):
Overall, Rituals did tie together most of the loose ends (that readers wanted answers to). It was a good conclusion. But I wanted more. I definitely look forward to reading future Cainsville novellas.
I would describe the Cainsville series as part mystery and part paranormal (this aspect has increased with each book).
The main narrator of this book is Olivia Taylor Jones (she is in her mid-twenties). The book is told first person by Olivia. But there are also some third person chapters (Gabriel, Ricky...).
In the first book Olivia found out that she was adopted and that her birth parents (Pamela and Todd) were serial killers. She decided to move to Cainsville to uncover the truth. Olivia has visions. But also the fae play a big part in the story.
Also there is the Cwn Annwn/Wild Hunt and Tylwyth Teg/Welsh fae/the elders component. Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky embody these people. In Rituals Olivia is expected to choose one side or the other.
So the key issues in this final book were: 1)Would Olivia choose Gabriel or Ricky? 2)Would Olivia's parents stay in jail? 3)What would be Olivia's final choice - Cwn Annwn or Tylwyth Teg?
Here are some of my thoughts:
For most of the Cainsville series Olivia has been with Ricky. I like Ricky. But I am Team Gabriel. Gabriel is one of the most unique characters that I have ever seen. I just wanted him and Olivia together.
I didn't really know what to expect from this final book. But I knew that I wanted Olivia to choose one guy over the other. And I wanted some resolution with all of the loose ends (from the previous books).
Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Did most of my questions get answered? Yes. But there were definitely some parts of the story that I was less happy with.
Here is what I thought about parts of the story (for those who have read Rituals):
Overall, Rituals did tie together most of the loose ends (that readers wanted answers to). It was a good conclusion. But I wanted more. I definitely look forward to reading future Cainsville novellas.
June 2, 2017
I was lucky enough to get one of the few "ARCs" available for this title and I gotta say this did not disappoint! I won't say much about it because if I do then I will start gushing and no one wants spoilers. Let's just say that things you were hoping to happen happen, a lot of loose ends are tied up, and there are a lot of surprises ahead. I'm sad that this is the final book in the series because I feel Cainsville has many more mysteries and secrets to offer our intrepid trio.
September 12, 2017
I've loved this series from the start and I have always, ALWAYS been team Gabriel. So the books/series played out with all the twists and turns and as ever, Kelley Armstrong delivered.
My only gripe with this final book was the way it was written. Yes it covered all the answers, yes we have a complete ending but it's how we got those answers and that ending that bothered me. I wanted a bit more oomph to the story, a bit more power and maybe a bit more insight into Gabriel's thoughts.
Having said this, I loved the series, loved all the characters, I just wish I could have given 5 stars as I did with this books predecessors.
Highly recommended!!
December 5, 2017
The Cainville series has consistently been a series that I can count on to deliver a great story that not only deals in murder and mystery but in legends and lore as well. Full of unique characters and even more unique premises, I have loved this series from the very first book.
I don't even have all my words and thoughts together about how I feel about this book but I loved it, I really did and it is so very hard to say goodbye to these characters that I have loved from the beginning.
I don't even have all my words and thoughts together about how I feel about this book but I loved it, I really did and it is so very hard to say goodbye to these characters that I have loved from the beginning.
August 7, 2017
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Rituals is the final book in Kelley Armstrong’s sensational Cainsville series! This series has been so phenomenal I wasn’t sure how she was going to be able to wrap it all up in a way that satisfies and answers all the strange mysteries that make up Cainsville. And in some fitting way, she does answer the big questions but still leaves us with a bit of mystery that is truly Cainsville.
Gabriel’s mother, Seanna, who we long thought dead has returned to Cainsville. She’s a cruel and selfish woman and now she’s in town out to put an end to Gabriel’s happiness. Gabriel has worked hard for himself to have life that’s filled with safety, security, and even a possible something-more-than-friendship with Liv. And now his worst nightmare is back.
But Seanna being in town is only the beginning to Liv’s problems. For months now she’s been told she would have to choose sides, either the Cwn Annwn or the Tylwyth Teg, knowing that whomever she chooses would be the one who has the best chance at survival. But now there’s a new fae in town, one that claims ownership of Liv and basically making itself a third choice for her to contend with. But with the way it acts, it’s clear that it will be the only one who will survive. And so begins another truly mysterious and puzzling mystery for Liv and Gabriel and Ricky to solve. Who is this mysterious fae that claims to know Liv and how can they destroy it?
The world of Cainsville isn’t like one we’ve uncovered before with Kelley’s other books. It’s different, as I’ve likely said time and time again these past five years. But I love that about this series! It’s so intriguing and alluring in a way. I don’t know if I would call it world-building, since it seems to be more about the culture that is fae, I struggle to think of a proper term but for lack of a better word, I’ll call it story-building! There’s so much history and lore being shared and not just with the Matilda story. As we once again get to see more from the original roles that are characters are playing now.
We finally get to see what I feel like I’ve been waiting for since Omens, some Liv and Gabriel time. Since throughout this series we do get snippets from both Gabriel and Ricky’s points of view, we know that Gabriel has had feelings for Liv. And since Ricky essentially broke up with Liv at the end of the last book, Gabriel sees his chance is nigh! And boy do the sparks fly!! While I’ve always liked Ricky, I did find myself more of a Team Gabriel fan! Gabriel may seem like a cold and unfeeling person, but that’s not the case at all. He has his own broken past and he’s had to help shape himself into being the kind of man he is now. And I like to think that Liv even helped break some of that hard exterior shell into being a bit more feeling like!
Answers. There are a good dose of answers in this one! All but one…but more on that in a moment! We get to know more about the mysterious new fae, though it’s not a very detailed answer, then there’s the choice Liv will have to make, there’s the matter of Seanna that gets settled with a little light shined onto things that we didn’t even know was a possibility! The only thing I felt that was left unsaid was the fate of Liv’s true parents who were still in jail. There were talks about an appeal on Gabriel’s part since he’s still their lawyer, but the end result was never made. I guess in my own everything-must-end-happily-way-at-the-series-finale way, I’ll say it was a positive outcome!
Kelley Armstrong brings yet another masterpiece to a fitting conclusion! She’s been one of my favorite authors for years and I’m always amazed at every book she writes! They’ve all been incredibly amazing reads! Cainsville was yet another delightful series that I will look back on fondly in my times of reading several hundreds of books in my lifetime! She’s truly one of the great ones! If you’ve yet to visit Cainsville, I highly recommend it! It’s a trip you’ll never forget!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Rituals releases August 15, 2017
Rituals is the final book in Kelley Armstrong’s sensational Cainsville series! This series has been so phenomenal I wasn’t sure how she was going to be able to wrap it all up in a way that satisfies and answers all the strange mysteries that make up Cainsville. And in some fitting way, she does answer the big questions but still leaves us with a bit of mystery that is truly Cainsville.
Gabriel’s mother, Seanna, who we long thought dead has returned to Cainsville. She’s a cruel and selfish woman and now she’s in town out to put an end to Gabriel’s happiness. Gabriel has worked hard for himself to have life that’s filled with safety, security, and even a possible something-more-than-friendship with Liv. And now his worst nightmare is back.
But Seanna being in town is only the beginning to Liv’s problems. For months now she’s been told she would have to choose sides, either the Cwn Annwn or the Tylwyth Teg, knowing that whomever she chooses would be the one who has the best chance at survival. But now there’s a new fae in town, one that claims ownership of Liv and basically making itself a third choice for her to contend with. But with the way it acts, it’s clear that it will be the only one who will survive. And so begins another truly mysterious and puzzling mystery for Liv and Gabriel and Ricky to solve. Who is this mysterious fae that claims to know Liv and how can they destroy it?
The world of Cainsville isn’t like one we’ve uncovered before with Kelley’s other books. It’s different, as I’ve likely said time and time again these past five years. But I love that about this series! It’s so intriguing and alluring in a way. I don’t know if I would call it world-building, since it seems to be more about the culture that is fae, I struggle to think of a proper term but for lack of a better word, I’ll call it story-building! There’s so much history and lore being shared and not just with the Matilda story. As we once again get to see more from the original roles that are characters are playing now.
We finally get to see what I feel like I’ve been waiting for since Omens, some Liv and Gabriel time. Since throughout this series we do get snippets from both Gabriel and Ricky’s points of view, we know that Gabriel has had feelings for Liv. And since Ricky essentially broke up with Liv at the end of the last book, Gabriel sees his chance is nigh! And boy do the sparks fly!! While I’ve always liked Ricky, I did find myself more of a Team Gabriel fan! Gabriel may seem like a cold and unfeeling person, but that’s not the case at all. He has his own broken past and he’s had to help shape himself into being the kind of man he is now. And I like to think that Liv even helped break some of that hard exterior shell into being a bit more feeling like!
Answers. There are a good dose of answers in this one! All but one…but more on that in a moment! We get to know more about the mysterious new fae, though it’s not a very detailed answer, then there’s the choice Liv will have to make, there’s the matter of Seanna that gets settled with a little light shined onto things that we didn’t even know was a possibility! The only thing I felt that was left unsaid was the fate of Liv’s true parents who were still in jail. There were talks about an appeal on Gabriel’s part since he’s still their lawyer, but the end result was never made. I guess in my own everything-must-end-happily-way-at-the-series-finale way, I’ll say it was a positive outcome!
Kelley Armstrong brings yet another masterpiece to a fitting conclusion! She’s been one of my favorite authors for years and I’m always amazed at every book she writes! They’ve all been incredibly amazing reads! Cainsville was yet another delightful series that I will look back on fondly in my times of reading several hundreds of books in my lifetime! She’s truly one of the great ones! If you’ve yet to visit Cainsville, I highly recommend it! It’s a trip you’ll never forget!
Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Rituals releases August 15, 2017
October 5, 2017
Answers we finally get answers to the big questions. Who would Oliva choose Ricky or Gabriel? Will her parents be set free? Who will she accept, the Cwn Annwn or Tylwyth Teg? Of course, her journey hasn't been an easy one. Armstrong introduces us to a dark new evil in RITUALS ..but in the end, it was worth it and I devoured this story.
For those dying for answers regarding the triangle that has plagued us since book one, Armstrong removes that from the table fairly quickly and ooh-la-la. I was delighted and conflicted as the losing man was both gracious and wonderful. They were all so adult about it. Her choice rang true and was ultimately what I wanted. I was glad it resolved quickly because Olivia is about to face her biggest challenge yet! A new evil emerges and in typical Armstrong fashion, this force is scary and demanding.
A new evil emerges and in typical Armstrong fashion, this force is scary and demanding. Oliva needs to choose between the Cwn Annwn and the Tylwth Teg but this new evil a third form of Fae demands she align with them. This causes plenty of action scenes before leading to a huge showdown.
We learn about Gabriel and Oliva's births and discover just how much meddling has gone on involving this third branch of the Fae. Armstrong thrilled me with all of these shocking tidbits as Gabriel and Oliva ran around in circles demanding answers and piecing things together. We see growth in all of the characters even among the Fae as they must work together to face down this new threat.
I thought Armstrong did a stellar job of wrapping up the Cainsville series. Olivia's decision regarding the Cwn Annwn and Tylwyth Teg felt very much like her. I would love to revisit this world. I have come to love the different supernatural creatures and rich characters. For me, this is one of my favorite series by Armstrong and I hope she delivers more. There were a few minor questions left, but I am hoping Armstrong delivers a few novellas. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
For those dying for answers regarding the triangle that has plagued us since book one, Armstrong removes that from the table fairly quickly and ooh-la-la. I was delighted and conflicted as the losing man was both gracious and wonderful. They were all so adult about it. Her choice rang true and was ultimately what I wanted. I was glad it resolved quickly because Olivia is about to face her biggest challenge yet! A new evil emerges and in typical Armstrong fashion, this force is scary and demanding.
A new evil emerges and in typical Armstrong fashion, this force is scary and demanding. Oliva needs to choose between the Cwn Annwn and the Tylwth Teg but this new evil a third form of Fae demands she align with them. This causes plenty of action scenes before leading to a huge showdown.
We learn about Gabriel and Oliva's births and discover just how much meddling has gone on involving this third branch of the Fae. Armstrong thrilled me with all of these shocking tidbits as Gabriel and Oliva ran around in circles demanding answers and piecing things together. We see growth in all of the characters even among the Fae as they must work together to face down this new threat.
I thought Armstrong did a stellar job of wrapping up the Cainsville series. Olivia's decision regarding the Cwn Annwn and Tylwyth Teg felt very much like her. I would love to revisit this world. I have come to love the different supernatural creatures and rich characters. For me, this is one of my favorite series by Armstrong and I hope she delivers more. There were a few minor questions left, but I am hoping Armstrong delivers a few novellas. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
August 20, 2017
Let me start with saying I LOVED this series, I read it in a week and have been eagerly waiting for the last book, counting down the days, so excited with the promise of romantic resolution after four (FOUR!) books of slow burn. The plots I found less developed than I might've liked, but honestly didnt even notice because I was so deeply, deeply in love with all the characters.
Now begins my rambling, definitely containing spoilers, so reader beware. I've also literally just finished reading the book, so I'm a little "passionate" atm. I love Kelley Armstrong, have read so many of her books and thoroughly enjoyed them, I have only respect for you girl!
So... the thing that bothers me most, the thing that grinds my gears and wants me to throw every single one of my cliches of frustration at it is Gabriel and Liv's relationship. Four books. FOOOUR books of this great tentative dance between them. The kind that has you turning the pages just as much as the actual story, if not more. I had my huddled under my covers reading into 2, 3, 4 am.
It had me giggling spontaneously, not able to control my glee at every little hint and clue. The idea of me being a hot mess over them is seriously tipping of my hat to Armstrong, HOLY MOLY was it good.
And then what? NOTHING! One fling in front of the fire place and suddenly Gabe and ol' Liv are together, settled in their relationship as an old married couple. I felt ROBBED! Where was the little stumbles, those delicious little tumbles of a baby relationship. The thumping of my heart as they sat in their vulnerability and showed how they felt without the safety net of an old relationship. Stolen from me!
I had gotten one kiss and one (gloriously written, I'll admit it) sex scene and then BOOM! They're together and happy and that's it.
I'm devastated.
Now begins my rambling, definitely containing spoilers, so reader beware. I've also literally just finished reading the book, so I'm a little "passionate" atm. I love Kelley Armstrong, have read so many of her books and thoroughly enjoyed them, I have only respect for you girl!
So... the thing that bothers me most, the thing that grinds my gears and wants me to throw every single one of my cliches of frustration at it is Gabriel and Liv's relationship. Four books. FOOOUR books of this great tentative dance between them. The kind that has you turning the pages just as much as the actual story, if not more. I had my huddled under my covers reading into 2, 3, 4 am.
It had me giggling spontaneously, not able to control my glee at every little hint and clue. The idea of me being a hot mess over them is seriously tipping of my hat to Armstrong, HOLY MOLY was it good.
And then what? NOTHING! One fling in front of the fire place and suddenly Gabe and ol' Liv are together, settled in their relationship as an old married couple. I felt ROBBED! Where was the little stumbles, those delicious little tumbles of a baby relationship. The thumping of my heart as they sat in their vulnerability and showed how they felt without the safety net of an old relationship. Stolen from me!
I had gotten one kiss and one (gloriously written, I'll admit it) sex scene and then BOOM! They're together and happy and that's it.
I'm devastated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2018
One of my favorite series and this was a fantastic end to it! I love Cainsville and could picture the city so perfectly in my mind. Olivia, Gabriel, and Ricky are wonderful and well written characters that I absolutely adore. I love escaping into worlds and this series did that for me. Highly recommend this book and the whole series. It truly is time well spent.
June 10, 2019
A nice, satisfying ending to the series. The ending wasn’t particularly surprising but the journey to get there was a very pleasant read. I would heartily recommend this series to anyone who likes a nice urban paranormal series.
August 17, 2017
This was a solid 4.5, and I ruminated for quite some time whether to go up or down on the rating. I love Cainsville, and I've enjoyed reading and re-reading it, and I have no doubt that I will continue to do so. But while this finale gave me pretty much everything I wanted, there just wasn't that visceral, emotional oomph that I need to plant me firmly in 5 star territory.
What's great:
- Armstrong doesn't string us along interminably on the slow burn that's already taken 4 books to ignite fully. I was halfway afraid Gabriel and Olivia wouldn't get over themselves until the last chapter, but we finally get what we've been waiting for at a good place in the book to make it significant, but not the primary focus. And I enjoyed them finally moving forward, but here's one place I didn't get quite as much oomph as I wanted. Although they are both very matter-of-fact people, I got more butterflies out of Gabriel just thinking, "I love her" in the last book than I did them actually getting together in this book. (which is not to say I wasn't super happy they finally got together)
- We find out there are plots within the plots within the plots. Armstrong builds a solid wrapper around everything we've been told up 'till now, and then throws in even more unexpected twists that give it yet more depth.
What's good, but not great:
- Because of all those twists, Olivia and Gabriel spend a LOT of time running around. It felt like we were continuously circling between Patrick's house, Rose's house, the prison, Ioan's house, Grace's apartments, the Carew house, and then back to Patrick's house...and various random other places in between. It was hard for me to catch my breath; I have no idea how Olivia wasn't out-and-out dizzy. All those stops were necessary to tell the story, but my brain spun trying to keep up with timelines and geography.
- I wanted to get more emotional oomph out of the reappearance of Seanna. The first scenes with her were excellent, but then she just petered out to become basically a prop for everyone else rather than a fully-formed character in her own right. People spent more time talking about her than talking to her.
- Similarly, when Olivia and Gabriel find themselves stranded at an abandoned amusement park, I wanted this to be a big, significant event in a big, significant setting. But instead it was a one-and-done for a minor vision and a meet cute with a couple of supporting characters.
SO, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and Cainsville is by far my favorite Armstrong fantasy world. It's been a wonderful arc with highly entertaining, well-formed standalone (yet connected) mysteries in each volume. The main characters stick with you and make you want happiness for them all. Now, if only we knew whether the Larsens will ever earn parole...
What's great:
- Armstrong doesn't string us along interminably on the slow burn that's already taken 4 books to ignite fully. I was halfway afraid Gabriel and Olivia wouldn't get over themselves until the last chapter, but we finally get what we've been waiting for at a good place in the book to make it significant, but not the primary focus. And I enjoyed them finally moving forward, but here's one place I didn't get quite as much oomph as I wanted. Although they are both very matter-of-fact people, I got more butterflies out of Gabriel just thinking, "I love her" in the last book than I did them actually getting together in this book. (which is not to say I wasn't super happy they finally got together)
- We find out there are plots within the plots within the plots. Armstrong builds a solid wrapper around everything we've been told up 'till now, and then throws in even more unexpected twists that give it yet more depth.
What's good, but not great:
- Because of all those twists, Olivia and Gabriel spend a LOT of time running around. It felt like we were continuously circling between Patrick's house, Rose's house, the prison, Ioan's house, Grace's apartments, the Carew house, and then back to Patrick's house...and various random other places in between. It was hard for me to catch my breath; I have no idea how Olivia wasn't out-and-out dizzy. All those stops were necessary to tell the story, but my brain spun trying to keep up with timelines and geography.
- I wanted to get more emotional oomph out of the reappearance of Seanna. The first scenes with her were excellent, but then she just petered out to become basically a prop for everyone else rather than a fully-formed character in her own right. People spent more time talking about her than talking to her.
- Similarly, when Olivia and Gabriel find themselves stranded at an abandoned amusement park, I wanted this to be a big, significant event in a big, significant setting. But instead it was a one-and-done for a minor vision and a meet cute with a couple of supporting characters.
SO, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and Cainsville is by far my favorite Armstrong fantasy world. It's been a wonderful arc with highly entertaining, well-formed standalone (yet connected) mysteries in each volume. The main characters stick with you and make you want happiness for them all. Now, if only we knew whether the Larsens will ever earn parole...
September 11, 2023
This is the much-heralded finale to Kelley Armstrong's five-volume Cainsville series, in which the series-long love triangle of Liv, Gabriel, and Ricky reaches its conclusion. The triangle reenacts the Welsh version of the tragic Celtic myth of Matilda of the Night, Gwynn of the Fair Folk (Tylwyth Teg) and Arawn of the Wild Hunt (Cwm Annwn), and it's one of many such triangles that have occurred over the ages in which three people, as improvisational actors, get the opportunity to bring the original myth to a happy ending.
So our first-person narrator Liv, with genetic roots in both the Fair Folk and the Wild Hunt, has been faced across five whole books with the impossible challenge of choosing between Gabriel, representing the Fair Folk of Cainsville, Illinois and Ricky, representing the Wild Hunt in the modern form of a motorcycle club. And leaders of the Cainsville Fair Folk are convinced that their community's survival depends on Liv's choice.
You'll have to read all the way to the final chapters before Liv makes that choice, and I agree with her that it's the only choice that makes sense. But it stands as the conclusion to the series. It will obviously have major repercussions as life goes on, and these are unexplored; things are going to be different, but we're left not even knowing what comes next for the world that Armstrong has built.
Each of the five installments of the series has its own self-contained adventure, and this one is a doozy. The summary at the top of this Goodreads page sets it up well, I thought. A "new, terrifying power" is rising--new to us at least though it's been there all along--and it doesn't distinguish between good and evil. It "feeds on chaos and destroys without mercy." It's a third force, apart from the Fair Folk and the Wild Hunt; it's known in Gaelic (not Welsh?) folklore, and unfortunately for this review it isn't really introduced until chapter 15 (out of 49 chapters), so practically anything I say about it would be a spoiler. But these beings are frightening and insidious, working from within to undermine both Cainsville and our trio, and they have had a hitherto invisible hand in the main events of the series plot.
Really, I can't say more. Sorry about that. But this book has the effect of standing the whole story of Liv and her people on its ear--I thought I knew what was going on but I didn't. If you've read the first four books in the series, you have to read this one--even if the ending leaves you, like me, unsatisfied.
So our first-person narrator Liv, with genetic roots in both the Fair Folk and the Wild Hunt, has been faced across five whole books with the impossible challenge of choosing between Gabriel, representing the Fair Folk of Cainsville, Illinois and Ricky, representing the Wild Hunt in the modern form of a motorcycle club. And leaders of the Cainsville Fair Folk are convinced that their community's survival depends on Liv's choice.
You'll have to read all the way to the final chapters before Liv makes that choice, and I agree with her that it's the only choice that makes sense. But it stands as the conclusion to the series. It will obviously have major repercussions as life goes on, and these are unexplored; things are going to be different, but we're left not even knowing what comes next for the world that Armstrong has built.
Each of the five installments of the series has its own self-contained adventure, and this one is a doozy. The summary at the top of this Goodreads page sets it up well, I thought. A "new, terrifying power" is rising--new to us at least though it's been there all along--and it doesn't distinguish between good and evil. It "feeds on chaos and destroys without mercy." It's a third force, apart from the Fair Folk and the Wild Hunt; it's known in Gaelic (not Welsh?) folklore, and unfortunately for this review it isn't really introduced until chapter 15 (out of 49 chapters), so practically anything I say about it would be a spoiler. But these beings are frightening and insidious, working from within to undermine both Cainsville and our trio, and they have had a hitherto invisible hand in the main events of the series plot.
Really, I can't say more. Sorry about that. But this book has the effect of standing the whole story of Liv and her people on its ear--I thought I knew what was going on but I didn't. If you've read the first four books in the series, you have to read this one--even if the ending leaves you, like me, unsatisfied.
August 6, 2018
Kelley Armstrong’s Cainsville series was a series I wanted to read from the moment I heard about the first book. As a fan of Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series, I was more than willing to dive into another series by the author. Thus, when I found out the library had the entire series for me to borrow, I jumped at the chance to dive in.
Omens, the first book in the Cainsville series, sucked me in deep and left me wanting more. It wasn’t quite what I had imagined it would be, but it left me more than willing to continue working through the series. Visions, the second book in the Cainsville series, sucked me in even deeper. In fact, I went from simply wanting to continue reading the series to being desperate to continue reading the series. Deceptions, the third book in the Cainsville series, was even more addictive. At this point, I went into the realm of obsession, needing to devour the rest of the series more than I needed anything else. Betrayals, the fourth book in the Cainsville series, left me so eager for the final book. By the end of the fourth book, I needed my answers so bad – it was the thing I needed most in life. Thus, my expectations for Rituals were set quite high.
Throughout the Cainsville series, Kelley Armstrong has been throwing twists our way. I expected Rituals to be a conclusion of all the twists, bringing everything together, without much new being added. Imagine my surprise when the very first chapter throws a twist in our direction. What we have come to know throughout the series is taken even further in this one, leaving us questioning what we thought we knew. With resolutions to those pesky questions we’ve had throughout, with more twists thrown in to keep us on our toes, Rituals is a book that has you turning the pages at a rapid pace. If you enjoyed the prior books in the series, you’re guaranteed to enjoy this conclusion to the Cainsville series.
Don’t get me wrong, the book isn’t perfect. I felt as though things were a bit too easy at the end, with some of the details that came to light having been predictable. I also expected a wee bit more from some of the scenes, with certain elements never being taken as far as I would have liked them to be. However, as a whole I had so much fun with it. Things progressed and concluded really well, characters continued to be amazing, and Kelley Armstrong was in her element.
Without a doubt, the Cainsville series is a must read.
Omens, the first book in the Cainsville series, sucked me in deep and left me wanting more. It wasn’t quite what I had imagined it would be, but it left me more than willing to continue working through the series. Visions, the second book in the Cainsville series, sucked me in even deeper. In fact, I went from simply wanting to continue reading the series to being desperate to continue reading the series. Deceptions, the third book in the Cainsville series, was even more addictive. At this point, I went into the realm of obsession, needing to devour the rest of the series more than I needed anything else. Betrayals, the fourth book in the Cainsville series, left me so eager for the final book. By the end of the fourth book, I needed my answers so bad – it was the thing I needed most in life. Thus, my expectations for Rituals were set quite high.
Throughout the Cainsville series, Kelley Armstrong has been throwing twists our way. I expected Rituals to be a conclusion of all the twists, bringing everything together, without much new being added. Imagine my surprise when the very first chapter throws a twist in our direction. What we have come to know throughout the series is taken even further in this one, leaving us questioning what we thought we knew. With resolutions to those pesky questions we’ve had throughout, with more twists thrown in to keep us on our toes, Rituals is a book that has you turning the pages at a rapid pace. If you enjoyed the prior books in the series, you’re guaranteed to enjoy this conclusion to the Cainsville series.
Don’t get me wrong, the book isn’t perfect. I felt as though things were a bit too easy at the end, with some of the details that came to light having been predictable. I also expected a wee bit more from some of the scenes, with certain elements never being taken as far as I would have liked them to be. However, as a whole I had so much fun with it. Things progressed and concluded really well, characters continued to be amazing, and Kelley Armstrong was in her element.
Without a doubt, the Cainsville series is a must read.
November 18, 2017
I loved this series don’t get me wrong, but Liv annoyed me. I thought she was too eager to get in bed so to speak with the other party. I liked Ricky and Gabriel. It’s easier to love Gabriel due to his past. And I happen to have a soft spot for broken men. At the same time, when it comes to love triangles, I usually go with the first presented option. While one can make a case for it being Gabriel, he was emotionally unavailable. And Ricky said it right, he gave her everything and not once let her down. So I found Liv fickle and a bit unlikeable going down a predictable path and wanting what she thought she couldn’t have. Otherwise, how Kelley ties everything up was interesting and kept me listening. I will say the choice of two female narrators made it hard to get into switch of POV. And sometimes there was not even a hint of change in voice inflection on both narrators parts at times making it hard to know who was speaking. But overall a great series, lots of twists and turns. I thought though Ricky was excluded from the first part of the book where short appearances would have been better, not “physically”. But phone conversations were excluded which only added to my annoyance and glaringly obvious where this triangle conclusion was headed. That doesn’t mean I didn’t love Gabriel. Because I do. Why couldn’t Liv share... after all they were supposed to always stick together. This reader can dream or maybe a little fan fiction.
August 6, 2018
This is the 5th book in the series so I’ll just try and summarize how I feel about THIS specific book. Olivia is an only child with very wealthy parents. In her mid 20’s she finds out she is adopted and that her birth parents are convicted serial killers....but are they really? She travels to her small birth town known as Cainsville and meets a bunch of peculiar folk. This series is filled with magic and fairies and fae folk. Full of mystery and suspense and romance this book definitely keeps you on your toes and guessing what’s gonna happen next!
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