Now Alpha of the Chicago werewolves and the first female one in North America, Seraphine Thomas has more on her plate than she can handle or wants to. Engle had to go, and while she’s glad the threat to everyone in the city—both humans and paranormals—is dead and gone, now there is a huge mess to clean up. Not to mention the challengers that will come assuming she isn’t strong enough to lead the pack.
And still she doesn’t have field trained agents in her office. As she works on fixing that situation, while making sure they get experience as well as training, crimes committed in Chicago won’t take a time out because she needs one.
When another group of shifters needs saving, she’s not only needed as FBI but Alpha as well, even if it means upheaving her entire life. But chaos brings out the best or worst in people, and now is the time Sera finds out who is truly with her and loyal or who will stand beside her no matter what comes. The terrifying question is... Will there be anyone left standing after trouble blows into town?
Erin is a born Chicagoan who decided to state hop a bit, given she works from home. She currently resides in Georgia with her pup, Lord Vader Flynn. With an eclectic and addictive personality, there isn’t much that doesn’t interest her or she won’t pour herself into if it catches her fancy. She has always been interested in the darker aspects of life and mythologies—especially vampires, shifters, the occult, and anything paranormal.
To date, she has published more paranormal books than she can keep up with the characters for, in different genres with dedicated readers who await each release to her numerous series under any of the three Flynn names she writes.
There is so much going on and so much missing it’s hard to gain control and know what’s going on. There’s investigations, the pack, the vampires, the fbi, working with other branches, lots of names of people too there’s just a TON going on and it makes it difficult to keep track of.
In this one I don’t even recall if there was an investigation in this one, not really. Sera easily makes alliances and friends so she’s doing well on that front. While help out one of the alliances friends she hears some boys crying and finds abused kids who were infected as kids and are now rare rabbit shifters. Kids who she basically adopts as hers.
Tristan is over the line again about the kids, and we don’t actually see nor interact with Riley at all this book. I find it odd that either of them can be away from Sera being she used her siren gift to tie them to her. You’d think there’d be a proximity thing.
Then comes the deals and stuff with Igor and Vlad. This here I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand how allowing Igor to have sex with Sera and her siren would benefit the pack. We get to witness everything but I guess the repulsion of this wasn’t completely conveyed. I also think it wasn’t completely conveyed because Sera is struggling with it herself since she did consent. But the consent was taken for granted and they went over her boundaries. But she kept doing it. Then she’s all traumatized afterwards which I don’t blame her but it was still confusing.
Due to Igor breaking there agreement Sera then conveniently gets all of Igor’s belongings and money after he forfeited his life. Because of this she ends up buying a mansion. But then she gets attacked and is down for several unclear amount of days. The way they said how long she is out was unclear but it seemed to be long enough to have a lot of her contracting issues with the new mansion taken care of? Seems a bit too easy or quick for the length of time she was seemingly down. Unless she was down for more than a handful of days?
I do like this series but some of it and the direction it’s going is difficult to follow.
Review of the Seraphine Thomas Series by Erin Flynn (Books 1–18) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Overall)
I’ve officially read all 18 books in the Seraphine Thomas series - yes, all of them - so you don’t have to (but maybe you’ll want to). I’m a longtime fan of Erin Flynn’s writing. Her stories are creative, emotionally rich, and often addictive. There's always at least one character per series you end up rooting for, and her talent for immersive world-building is undeniable.
That said, my experience with this series has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Let’s break it down honestly - but respectfully.
🔥 The Positives: Compelling Worldbuilding: The supernatural FBI + polyamorous twist is unlike most in the genre. Think Forever meets Castle with a Vampire Diaries vibe.
Long-Term Character Arcs: The series spans a wide timeline and shows dedication to character growth (even if not always in a direction I enjoyed).
Addictive Early Books: Books 1–7 had me hooked. They had humor, high-stakes emotional drama, and solid pacing. These earned a solid 3.5/5 stars from me.
😬 Mixed Feelings & Constructive Critique: 1. Tone and Authorial Voice While the author’s writing style is generally engaging, I personally found some of the commentary in the closing author’s notes and certain narrative choices to feel more personal or opinionated than expected in fiction. I completely understand the need to address issues like piracy, but I believe there might be more neutral or inclusive ways to communicate those messages.
2. Relationship Complexity vs. Clarity This isn’t a typical “Why Choose” or Reverse Harem setup. It’s a deeply layered polyandrous dynamic - messy, intricate, and sometimes emotionally chaotic. If you're looking for straightforward bonding arcs, be prepared: the relationship development gets incredibly convoluted. Personally, I found the shifting dynamics between mates, sirened partners, consorts, and friends-with-benefits confusing as the series progressed. A glossary or relationship map might be helpful in future installments.
3. Character Fatigue By Book 18, I found myself struggling to connect with many of the characters - especially the main character, Sera. She starts off as a resilient, sharp, and likable FMC, but over time, her decisions and relationship management felt inconsistent or frustrating. The push-pull dynamic in her personal life, paired with very little progress in her supernatural education even 18 books in, made it difficult for me to continue rooting for her.
Many love interests were introduced with big emotional weight, only to fade into the background or disappear altogether. Some characters who were well-developed and emotionally resonant (like Dain or Tristan) seemed to get less closure or fair treatment than others who felt more peripheral. In contrast, some relationships dragged on without significant development or payoff.
4. Pacing & Structure Books 8–18 dropped to a 2.5/5 rating for me. The pacing slowed, and more focus seemed to shift toward commentary and expanding the cast rather than continuing the central storyline. Political and social themes started to feel more prominent than the core plot, which I found distracting from the fictional narrative I was invested in.
🧍♀️Sera Thomas (FMC): Early-series Sera was fantastic: witty, brave, emotionally complex, and vulnerable. I loved her journey through the early books. But as the series continued, her indecision, emotional volatility, and seeming lack of introspection made it harder to sympathize with her. She often reacted rather than reflected, and by Book 18, she felt less like a hero and more like a character stuck in loops.
💔 On the MMCs: Too many to list fully, but here are some key points:
Tristan: Felt unfairly treated by both the narrative and Sera. He brought a lot to the story emotionally and deserved more.
Dain: A standout for me. Loyal, strong, and emotionally available. Frustratingly underappreciated by Sera.
Brian, Riley, Hagan/Reagan: Relationships with these characters didn’t feel satisfying or necessary by the end.
Noah, Axel, Eugene, Jason: Struggled to leave a lasting impression. Some started strong but faded, others never quite clicked.
Carter: Felt like his storyline was mishandled. A simple conversation would have solved a lot.
Ari, Virgil, Lucca, etc.: Either forgotten or sidelined. At 18 books in, I’m struggling to remember who’s still important and who isn’t.
⚠️ Final Thoughts: This series started with a bang but has become increasingly complex - sometimes at the expense of clarity, pacing, and emotional payoff. I’d still recommend it to readers who enjoy dark paranormal romance with poly themes, complex emotions, and an ongoing world that spans dozens of characters.
But for me, the series may have reached its natural peak. I’m unsure whether I’ll continue with future books unless there’s a notable shift in focus and tone. Still, Erin Flynn’s creativity and dedication to her characters is commendable, and I hope future installments bring some much-needed resolution to long-standing arcs.
TL;DR: Started strong with a bold and complex heroine in a unique supernatural world. Became bloated with characters and unresolved plot threads. A frustrating but ambitious series worth reading - if you have patience.
Let me start out by saying that I started with Flynn's Artemis University series, and I read all 5 books that are out. I won't really be eagerly waiting for the next book in that series, for the same reasons I stopped reading this series mid-way through the 3rd book.
I think the Seraphine series was written before the Artemis series, which is strange because it seems a bit more well-edited than the Artemis series. However, both series need extensive editing. The plot line and books are so erratic that I sometimes get a headache reading them and trying to figure out the connections between situations and characters. Not only that, these series are essentially the exact same, just different character names and specific situations. For both of the series, a feisty main character who is unique and powerful (and also extremely self-righteous in my opinion) has men around her that always "betray" her. People want to hurt her for her power. She bitches about how busy she is constantly. Literally so constantly that I have to skim over half of the book because it's the same complaints every time. These complaints are followed by how they (the main characters in both series) get to complain this ONE time because of how unlucky they are. I also really did not like how often words were italicized in the Seraphine series (not as much in the Artemis series). That aspect is personal preference, so I just wanted to let new readers know, in case that's also their preference.
However, the main reason I stopped reading this author was actually one main passage in the 3rd Seraphine book. Sera goes to help a shifter woman that's being harrassed by a black man. In this passage, the topic of race comes up because the black man being interviewed says he can't be a bigot because he's a minority. Sera responds with a long passage that includes how white men oppressed the black community. A black cop who's interviewing with her basically says, "Only white men?" and Sera proceeds to say that yes, because white women were also oppressed, they didn't really have a part in it. This made me furious. The plight of women cannot be compared to the oppression of the black community (in my opinion, and I'm a white woman). And I could have gotten over the fact that that is Sera's/the author's opinion, except for the how hypocritical the idea was. Sera literally just gave the black guy a rant about how, just because you're a minority that's oppressed, it doesn't mean you can't also be racist/misogynistic/etc. Guess what, Sera? White women were oppressed...but they were also absolutely oppressing the black community. The hypocrisy of this caused me to discontinue these books, and probably any other series by this author.
Finally, I'm pretty sure this author is a misandrist. Literally no character who's male can ever do anything right.
Siren's Battle is the third book in the Seraphine Thomas series by Erin R. Flynn.
There was such heavy emotion in this book, I was drawn into Sera's experiences and sacrifices. Even with that said, I can't give a five star review with such heavy trauma to the main character. It hurt to read what the author put our MC through. But I think above all else this highlighted how much she probably will, and is willing to suffer to protect all of those she protects.
I'm surprised there wasn't more out of town werewolves that came out of the woodwork to try and take her pack from her. I won't be surprised if the next book features heavily with that facet of all of her responsibilities. But I'm also scared for any of those children to go to a real school with people actually hunting for them. I think she will have to deal with not only their safety, but bullying children, and the parents of the kids at that school worrying for their safety.
Most surprising was Tristan's complete 180° to how he viewed his and Sera's relationship. The last book ending almost ensuring they could survive anything, and then he went and sabotaged everything they had managed to survive up to that point. Or really most surprising was Vlad. He seemed like a true ally, and while I can understand him looking out, and scared for his peoples safety, I didn't think he would be willing to wholly sacrifice Sera for such things. I don't know if they will ever recover from this...
Alena and Zeno are such adoring parents, and added an entire wholesome factor to this book. That with the boys cuteness and protectiveness for their new Guardian was entirely too precious! I simply adore the family they are building around Sera, since she has never known true family.
Hagan and Reagan better not be sacrificed on the alter of the authors whims. Or Noah. I have such high hopes for what the future holds for these three in her life. Then there's Brian, who completely overwhelmed me with how much Sera could lean on, and trust him. I wonder if there is a future with him, where he will allow her to make him immortal with her?
First let me say I enjoyed the book except for one area that stuck with me so profoundly I had to knock off a star for it. This is the third book in this series and despite the author introducing characters from other countries, it is not until she introduces a black character that she changes their grasp of the English language. It was one of the most blatantly ignorant things I have read, especially from someone trying to make a point about racism. Then she went on to make him a bigot. Fine. It is true you can be a minority and a racist. Then in a clearly personal political rant she had the nerve to say white women were just as oppressed as black people were during slavery times. Come again?! The caucasity (Caucasian audacity) is amazing. THE ONLY just as oppressed women during that time were slaves. I am so sick of people trying to minimize slavery. The two do not compare. Stop trying. Does that mean I think white women didn't have a hard time. No. It means they are not the same and every attempt you all make compare them just shows your ignorance and poor white-washed grasp of what it was like.
Trigger warning: abuse, rape, and crimes against children
Trigger warning: abuse, rape, and crimes against children
The crimes against children aren't exactly spelled out. Starvation, beatings, sexual abuse are all mentioned, but details aren't exactly given. The abuse and rape by coercion of the FMC are in detail though. You could 100% skip those parts without fully taking away from the story line. That the abuse happened is essential to the story. That she saved some people during is so essential, but you can still skip those parts without taking away from it.
Otherwise, I loved this book. I've really been loving this series. I'm hoping this isn't like other series by other authors I've read that take rape and abuse of the FMC into every story. Lately, any series I read with this in it has new abusers showing up in each following book. I just can't read that much abuse and rape.
I stopped reading at about 70% this author is not a strong enough writer to have so much going on at once and even more so this early in the series. There is enough of a storyline for potential. I will say though, it strongly resembles laurel L Hamilton's Anita Blake series which may also be why I'm a little harsh. I did read the first two and while they needed work they were readable. I won't be finishing the series.
Umm what just happened? Where was her support? I am very confused on how these men want her and go after her but she ends up hurt. She is so naive that it hurts me when she does stupid stuff. She doesn't know these people and she relies heavily on her badge to keep her safe. These people have different rules. I mean she has these people and doesn't ask for help. This was a hard story
Wow... Sera has to deal with a lot of crap in this book. The trauma and heart break she endures.... I love the bunnies. The kids are a nice addition and I'm liking the new wolves. Riley isn't in the book so things are not better there and things with Tristan do not improve either... Sera is used by someone she trusted and by a vile corrupt man. She is fighting to get what she wants and do the right thing.
The main reason for a lower score from the first books, was it felt over the top. I wished the author would have gave a couple happy scenes, I realize that point was Sera feeling overwhelmed, but M.C. personality started to come off being overbearing and just plain bitchy. When I read a book I liked to see growth in the M.C. character and a better version of what a person would strive for in real life.
I just can’t get enough of this series! It’s gets better and better. The heart breaking parts in the book though , had me in tears! She is one tough cookie and to have barely any support for what she went through sucks. But in the end, all the love people have for her is crazy
This series is like the Nora Jacobs series but on crack!! I absolutely love it!! This is the much more fast paced, heroine with a huge backbone and a bit of a temper version of the Nora Jacobs series. Cant help but compare when there are so many similarities- heroine is a siren, reverse harem, regular heroine turned supernatural detective/saviour of all peoples supernatural, devastating powers, mystery storylines with magic and mayhem. Love it.
I was disappointed with Vlad in this book. I truly thought he was a friend or at least an ally and he just flips the script. This book was very emotional on many levels and at times hard to read. I think the author wrote out the trauma well. There wasn't a lot of graphic detail, but enough to make the pain palpable. Investigations are still being sped through.
Erin has a knack for bringing out along with the main character and making you feel for them! My heart hurts for Sera and all I want is for her life to get easier (but with the next book title it's not too likely yet 😂) defintely recommend this wonderful story that resonates so well with me!
Fastburn. Paranormal. Rh. ?/? Idk anymore guys. Unique wolf shifter. Paranormal FBI agents. This one had dark content and was very sad. Still not too sure what the through plot line is. Maybe to survive? We'll see at the end.
Still 3 books in and I am loving it. I always seem to lose interest the longer I read a series, but I'm having the opposite issue with this series. Just as good as the first.
There’s a lot in this book. It was more raw and deeper than I expected, a fair bit of trauma and pain; but there’s a lot of work done in building relationships and friendships and families that made this such a good read.
This series is absolutely addicting from the first book and continues to hold your attention through all of the following books. I love the strong female lead working to make the world a better place
Absolutely love this series, its light hearted one minute then heartbreaking the next. I cried for the kickass heroine. She has so much on her shoulders but still gets up and fights.
Seraphine is learning how to use her Alpha wolf and siren but still ended up abused by a vampire 😯. It's amazing how much keeps going on in her life 😉. Thanks again Erin, my addiction to this series makes me read constantly, and I LOVE it 🤓.
The other books in this series were amazing and flowed. This book felt forced and choppy. Still a good read but not excellent like the other books in the series.
I loved the book, I loved that the story progressed more with Sera's personal life than some stupid FBI case or something. I have no idea how you can NOT like this series, it's so great :D
The series books just keep getting better. The characters are richly written and I gotta go start the next book. Do yourself a favor and start the series!
Third in this series and continues from where we left off. My emotions are all over the place. Can’t wait to start reading the next book to see what happens next