Well I thought that I would be giving this four stars instead of three because there was some character growth in Mack. She's finally figuring out how to be who she is, but everything I felt was improved was canceled out by things that irritated me.
She finally figures out her feelings towards Corrigan but when they finally do hook up it was kind of unfulfilling. It felt like it was written from the perspective of an outsider, like someone standing there watching. We get nothing of how they feel. Not before, during or after. Emotionally that is, well not really physically either come to think of it.
At the end of book three more of what she is was revealed. We already knew part of it, but we finally see what she can do and find out she has the ability to shift, and just what it is that she changes into. In this world it's a big deal. There are those who would kill her for it, for her blood and those who would try to control her for use of her power. So wisely it's kept secret. Only a few know about it and yet when it's revealed to more of them it just doesn't have any impact at all. It kind of fell flat and it was disappointing.
Also all throughout this series we are learning that Corrigan is not the same douche as his predecessor. He doesn't adhere to the old archaic ways of thinking, and never would have harmed any member of the Cornwall pack for harboring a human, much less harming the human herself. He has made significant progress in bringing all the different major otherworlder groups to a point that they could coexist and work together. Now at the eleventh hour, they are all suddenly faced with an uber baddie, hell-bent on power and world domination and suddenly they are all snapping at each other's throats and unable to make a plan. It's decided that they need a council leader, and really it's Corrigan who fits the bill, but he won't do at all. Instead why not appoint Mack, the hot head who has been spending all her time on a journey of self-discovery while simultaneously getting guilted into helping mages and nymphs and whatnot with their various problems? And she never asked for help when she really, really should have. I don't think this is indicative of a good leader. Leaders should have to earn their status. Mack hasn't.
What's more, is that they really don't think it's fair for her to be in charge if she's going to carry on with Corrigan, as she might be biased towards the shifters (Never mind that she kind of is one.) Somehow everyone knows they've slept together. She essentially allows them to force her to publicly break up with him, because circumstances don't allow for them to speak privately, etc..It's at this point that suddenly the narration, despite that it's not first person, takes on a kind of whiny little girl quality. It felt like reading excuses for the idiotic turn that the plot was taking.
This really didn't feel believable either. Throughout the series, Mack has been very headstrong, not letting herself get pushed around by others.
She should have grown a pair at that point and acted like a leader. She should have told them to fuck off and I'll see whomever I want to thank you very much and if you don't like it then pick a different leader. But she doesn't, she just throws up her hands in supplication and proceeds to end things in front of everyone, after which he basically tells her to go and fuck off then, he never wants to see her again and who's the power-hungry bitch now?
This should have been an emotional scene but it too fell flat. I didn't really feel that sad about it because I just wasn't invested enough in their relationship as nothing real had actually happened between them up until the previous day. To me it just felt like a minor set-back in an ongoing pursuit.
Then, in the mother of all cliches, after going home and sobbing in a useless heap on the floor, she finally decides to read the ancient fae text which helpfully explains what she is and what it all means. And lo and behold, she just publicly and humiliatingly broke up with her SOUL MATE! Her soul mate I tell you!
Uggghh, first off I have grown to hate the soul mate thing, and second, this book is just not romantic enough to support the idea of soul mates.