Going to review the entire series here, since I don't have the energy to go back and review five different books. Especially when the over-arching plotline is so entangled.
And that plot was very very good. When Slade's background was finally revealed, it was mind-blowing. I can't even put into words how impressed I was.
SPOILERS BELOW.
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As a visionary, Slade saw visions of his fated mate's life from the moment she turned eighteen until her death, when the vision loop would start all over again. Problem was, she wouldn't be born for a few more centuries and her life would be a very short one. But the future wasn't set in stone. Slade learned that small changes in his own life could ripple out to small changes in Ella's future. So Slade started making very big changes. She was too soft and kind to survive the last battle? He made himself hard and ruthless, knowing that she would absorb his darkness through their bond. He invented a prophesy around himself and his twin that would keep villains from killing one or both of them. He magically removed his own memories and placed them in a spelled journal so that his choices wouldn't be impacted by the past. He engineered everything over centuries to become somebody that Ella would hate, so that she wouldn't grieve when he died in her place.
I'm a little outraged that Ella and Slade wasn't a three-book series on its own. The plot was THAT brilliant.
I loved when the girls joined up to research the journal, the "thousand lifetimes" and the variables that made each one different. I love on-page problem solving in books, and I loved the final resolution that took Slade completely off guard.
The romances were a bit hit or miss for me. I didn't dislike any of the couples, but the romantic arcs in the earlier books were a bit underwhelming.
Gage/Kimber: This felt like a missed opportunity. Gage's choices in the prior series created so many legitimate obstacles for these two being together. But the only conflict in this book was Gage's own ennui. He pushed Kimber away because he was afraid of having his heart broken for a third time. Twice in the past he fell for a woman only to be pushed aside for her to be with her first choice. He wasn't ready for attempt #3. Okay, valid motivation. But imagine if Kimber's entire family learned about their attraction and tried to keep them apart. Imagine if being kept apart made him realize that Kimber and love were worth fighting for. That would be a romantic arc. Instead, the conflict was resolved by...checks notes...attending a succubus party and getting really horny.
Thad/Roslyn:: The romance plot was non-existent. Why woo a woman when you can just hug and kiss and cuddle her into submission? Thad has been a manwhore for centuries, but doesn't suffer a moment of confusion or uneasiness when he suddenly wants to wrap his whole life around some college girl he just met. He's eager to get one of his vampire or shifter friends to bite her so that he can keep her forever - regardless of how she might feel about the matter.
Roslyn doesn't even put up a token fight. The clingy guy you met three days ago wants you to come nap with him? Why not? He's hot. Sigh. Outside of the romance, I did find Roslyn and her backstory very interesting.
Zee/Leah: This is where it started getting good. As a former human who was turned without his consent and enslaved, Zee has vowed to never sire another vampire. It's part of his value system. He's drawn to Leah immediately, but ss an immortal, there's no point in getting involved with humans, with their puny lifespans. So...built-in conflict. Only, Leah isn't quite human, and Zee can sense when she's in danger. Like when Slade tries to murder her. So he needs to keep her safe, naturally. Despite the instant attraction, this relationship grew through forced proximity, and felt like a true romance arc.
Chaz/Kya Loved these two! Light magic user, Gage, isn't the Golden Boy that everybody believes him to be. He isn't even the same species he claims to be. Half-demon, and Slade's #2, Kya learns Gage's secret and agrees to keep it. There's plenty of sexual tension and plot-related action, but the heart of this romance is about building trust and feeling seen.
Slade/Ella Infinity stars for this pairing. Again, how was the romance a single book at the end of an interconnected series? It was so so good. How many romances can say that their MMC would turn himself into a monster and a legend, only so that his mate could become the monster she needed to be in order to survive? This was just amazing.