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The Twenty-Sided Sorceress #10
Balancing the Scales
Never fear an ending. For every end is a beginning, too. Even the darkest night is broken by the dawn… Jade Crow faces her biggest challenges yet, and the consequences just might be world-ending... This is the epic conclusion to The Twenty-Sided Sorceress urban fantasy series!
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2020
253 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Annie Bellet
83 books838 followersAnnie Bellet is a full-time speculative fiction writer. She holds a BA in English and a BA in Medieval Studies and thus can speak a smattering of useful languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Welsh.
Her books include Avarice (Pyrrh Considerable Crimes Division: Book 1), The Gryphonpike Chronicles series, and the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series.
Her interests besides writing include rock climbing, reading, horse-back riding, video games, comic books, table-top RPGs, and many other nerdy pursuits.
Want to be notified when her next book is released, receive free stories and books, and be notified about sales and other goodies? Sign up for Annie Bellet's mailing list
Or if you want sneak peaks, regular updates, and exclusive stories, consider supporting her Patreon. Patreon is here!
Her books include Avarice (Pyrrh Considerable Crimes Division: Book 1), The Gryphonpike Chronicles series, and the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series.
Her interests besides writing include rock climbing, reading, horse-back riding, video games, comic books, table-top RPGs, and many other nerdy pursuits.
Want to be notified when her next book is released, receive free stories and books, and be notified about sales and other goodies? Sign up for Annie Bellet's mailing list
Or if you want sneak peaks, regular updates, and exclusive stories, consider supporting her Patreon. Patreon is here!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
February 9, 2025
Actual rating: 4.5 stars.
Why you need to read this series right meow, you ask? Because it's fun as fish and entertaining as shrimp. And also because it's fresh and original and stuff. And also also because the kick-ass heroine is Native American and a gamer and a nerd and a, um, sorceress and stuff. And also also also because yes, it's a 10-book series, but the instalments are both super extra short and super extra cheap. And also also also also because it's just what the doctor ordered to make our newly-turned-Dystopian world go away for a few blissful hours.
[Pre-review nonsense]
Technically and (very) scientifically speaking, I'm not sure this book deserves such a high rating. BUT. The world is going all doom and oblivion on us, so who the bloody shrimping hell of the stinking squid cares about puny, meaningless ratings?! I read the book and enjoyed the fish out of it, so there. Also, THERE. Also also, Jade Crow for president. And now for our celebratory dance session.
Review to come and stuff.
· Book 1: Justice Calling ★★★★
· Book 2: Murder of Crows ★★★★
· Book 3: Pack Of Lies ★★★★
· Book 4: Hunting Season ★★★★★
· Book 5: Heartache ★★★★★
· Book 6: Thicker than Blood ★★★★
· Book 7: Magic to the Bone ★★★★
· Book 7.5: Harper's Tale ★★★★
· Book 8: Dungeon Crawl ★★★
· Book 9: River of No Return ★★★★
Why you need to read this series right meow, you ask? Because it's fun as fish and entertaining as shrimp. And also because it's fresh and original and stuff. And also also because the kick-ass heroine is Native American and a gamer and a nerd and a, um, sorceress and stuff. And also also also because yes, it's a 10-book series, but the instalments are both super extra short and super extra cheap. And also also also also because it's just what the doctor ordered to make our newly-turned-Dystopian world go away for a few blissful hours.
[Pre-review nonsense]
Technically and (very) scientifically speaking, I'm not sure this book deserves such a high rating. BUT. The world is going all doom and oblivion on us, so who the bloody shrimping hell of the stinking squid cares about puny, meaningless ratings?! I read the book and enjoyed the fish out of it, so there. Also, THERE. Also also, Jade Crow for president. And now for our celebratory dance session.
Review to come and stuff.
· Book 1: Justice Calling ★★★★
· Book 2: Murder of Crows ★★★★
· Book 3: Pack Of Lies ★★★★
· Book 4: Hunting Season ★★★★★
· Book 5: Heartache ★★★★★
· Book 6: Thicker than Blood ★★★★
· Book 7: Magic to the Bone ★★★★
· Book 7.5: Harper's Tale ★★★★
· Book 8: Dungeon Crawl ★★★
· Book 9: River of No Return ★★★★
December 10, 2024
Stars: 3.5 out of 5
This was a decent final book in a series that I truly appreciated, though it feels like the series as a whole lost its focus once they defeated Samir. The confrontation with Samir was built up to and anticipated in so many previous books that it felt cathartic once it was done. I would honestly been happy if the series had just ended there. The other books before this one felt like filler or side-quests for Jade and the crew now that they had defeated the final boss.
And pulling the First and the big bad for this last installment felt... rather anticlimactic, I guess? I mean Samir had been built up as this big bad during the course of all the books in the series, and he had done some horrible things both to Jade and to her friends. He was bad, we hated him, so we rooted for Jade to finally triumph while also keeping her freedom and saving the lives of her found family.
The First though? We didn't even know he existed until 3 books ago. His motivations are vague to non-existent. His powers are... rather underwhelming. So he can control shapeshifters... But only a certain number of them at once, and he must be close enough to exert that control. So he used to be able to see the future, but he is so arrogant about it that he doesn't even doubt the visions he had almost half a century ago. This makes him a rather laughable opponent instead of a real villain to be feared.
I also didn't particularly appreciate the fact that they turned Alec into a damsel in distress for this book. I mean, you have a badass shapeshifter character that can compel other shapeshifters into shifting with his roar alone. Who is a strong and capable fighter... and the only use you find for him is to make him a hostage to keep Jade properly motivated? That's wasted potential right there.
Same with Harper and her other friends. It almost seemed like the author didn't know what to do with them anymore, and she really wanted to have Jade be the lone hero for this final confrontation with the First, so everyone else is relegated to inconsequential tasks. Again, lost potential for collaboration, comradery, and all in all-in-all badassery during the final battle and even before.
All in all, though, I am happy that Samir's heart has been properly eaten and digested so that Jade's amulet doesn't have to be this McGaffin that everyone wants anymore. It was also fun to see the Mother of Vampires, though her character was greatly underused. I don't know if the author was planning a spin-off series or more books about Jade, but it feels like she just appeared to solve a problem, and hasn't been heard since.
I also liked that even though the seal is broken, the world hasn't ended. In fact, a new life started for some of the characters involved.
I am happy I happened across these books and decided to stick with them til the end.
This was a decent final book in a series that I truly appreciated, though it feels like the series as a whole lost its focus once they defeated Samir. The confrontation with Samir was built up to and anticipated in so many previous books that it felt cathartic once it was done. I would honestly been happy if the series had just ended there. The other books before this one felt like filler or side-quests for Jade and the crew now that they had defeated the final boss.
And pulling the First and the big bad for this last installment felt... rather anticlimactic, I guess? I mean Samir had been built up as this big bad during the course of all the books in the series, and he had done some horrible things both to Jade and to her friends. He was bad, we hated him, so we rooted for Jade to finally triumph while also keeping her freedom and saving the lives of her found family.
The First though? We didn't even know he existed until 3 books ago. His motivations are vague to non-existent. His powers are... rather underwhelming. So he can control shapeshifters... But only a certain number of them at once, and he must be close enough to exert that control. So he used to be able to see the future, but he is so arrogant about it that he doesn't even doubt the visions he had almost half a century ago. This makes him a rather laughable opponent instead of a real villain to be feared.
I also didn't particularly appreciate the fact that they turned Alec into a damsel in distress for this book. I mean, you have a badass shapeshifter character that can compel other shapeshifters into shifting with his roar alone. Who is a strong and capable fighter... and the only use you find for him is to make him a hostage to keep Jade properly motivated? That's wasted potential right there.
Same with Harper and her other friends. It almost seemed like the author didn't know what to do with them anymore, and she really wanted to have Jade be the lone hero for this final confrontation with the First, so everyone else is relegated to inconsequential tasks. Again, lost potential for collaboration, comradery, and all in all-in-all badassery during the final battle and even before.
All in all, though, I am happy that Samir's heart has been properly eaten and digested so that Jade's amulet doesn't have to be this McGaffin that everyone wants anymore. It was also fun to see the Mother of Vampires, though her character was greatly underused. I don't know if the author was planning a spin-off series or more books about Jade, but it feels like she just appeared to solve a problem, and hasn't been heard since.
I also liked that even though the seal is broken, the world hasn't ended. In fact, a new life started for some of the characters involved.
I am happy I happened across these books and decided to stick with them til the end.
September 16, 2020
So. It was not exactly perfect and I especially wished some more time would have been spent with . It still concludes well a series I loved.
Also yay me for actually finishing a series for once.
Also yay me for actually finishing a series for once.
May 7, 2021
Took me a while to get into this because I lost a lot of the context between the last book and the one before. It eventually came back to me but it still felt a bit vague. Even so, I enjoyed the way this ended a good bit.
I will probably re-read this series back to back now that it's over.
I will probably re-read this series back to back now that it's over.
March 11, 2024
A very good wrap-up to the series!
May 1, 2020
This was every single one of my least favourite tropes in one tiny, infuriating package. What a chore to read.
April 30, 2021
End of a fun series
I have really enjoyed this series over the last couple of years, the characters are fun and interesting and the stories are always a nice escape from mundane reality.
I have really enjoyed this series over the last couple of years, the characters are fun and interesting and the stories are always a nice escape from mundane reality.
November 28, 2021
Very good start, bad boring middle, good end, nice developments, fantastic perspectives for that universe.
March 17, 2020
Wow
Awesome ending to a wonderful series. Jade Crowe has been a great character to follow through her journey. I highly recommend this amazing author.
Awesome ending to a wonderful series. Jade Crowe has been a great character to follow through her journey. I highly recommend this amazing author.
October 28, 2020
Amazing
The series could not have had a better ending and I am so happy for the main crew! I can’t wait to see what happens next!!
The series could not have had a better ending and I am so happy for the main crew! I can’t wait to see what happens next!!
April 14, 2020
Balancing the Scales by Annie Bellet a bitter-sweet five-star read. This is number ten in the Twenty-sided sorceress series and an epic conclusion to the world as Jade Crow knows it but leading the way for a new hero to rise. This picks up after book nine and continues the thrilling action packed story, its difficult to put into words how epic this story is as there is such a scant description, so I will just leave it at this there may be twenty sides to this sorceress but there are only ten books, that means each book is packed full of everything you need to take you on a twenty sided journey.
March 12, 2020
Awesome!
This is an excellent conclusion to the saga of Jade Crow and her friends. I devoured it in a day and I look forward to new adventures with Aleks sister Kira.
This is an excellent conclusion to the saga of Jade Crow and her friends. I devoured it in a day and I look forward to new adventures with Aleks sister Kira.
January 27, 2023
So obsessed with a couple of words that i was ready to break my ereader over my face. Should have warned myself but nooooo
February 19, 2021
Good conclusion to the series.
July 8, 2022
‘Balancing the Scales’ is Book 10 of The Twenty-Sided Sorceress series by Annie Bellet and according to the authors website the last book in the Jade Crow arc. But! It doesn’t read like a series conclusion in my opinion. As per my review of Book 9, ‘River of No Return’, there are some large plot lines that flow through from that book and several more introduced through this book that are disappointingly left unresolved. That’s not to say, ‘Balancing the Scales’ was not an enjoyable read, it was, I just wish there had been some more work put into finishing up Jade’s story so she could have her ‘Happily Ever After’. Instead, we are left wondering what the ongoing ramifications will be for Jade and her friends. I found it frustrating as I really enjoy Ms Bellet writings, but it never seems to develop to its full potential.
The book picks up immediately after the conclusion of Book 9, with Harper narrating the events of the morning after the final battle with Ethan. Unbeknownst to Harper, Jade and Alec never made it back to town and no one knows where they have gone. Harper, Levi and Eeze (who is back early from his honeymoon) go looking for them and come across an accident scene but no Jade or Alec. They are unsure of what has happened but given The First is still around and hasn’t been dealt with they hypothesize it could be his interference.
‘“What if Bob got her?” Levi said, jumping straight to what everyone was thinking.
“Bob?” Harper said, even though she had a feeling who he meant.
“Yeah, we decided the First needed a name. Bob. Big Old Bad.”
“You decided,” Ezee muttered. “Besides, his name is probably the old timey European equivalent of ‘John’.”
“I think John is the old timey European equivalent of John,” Lara said.
“Johnbob?” Levi’s smile was almost convincing this time.
“No.” Ezee glared at his twin.
We find Jade dreaming / hallucinating about Samir and waking up to discover herself cuffed to a bed and held in a prison with no memory of what has happened to Alec. The storyline follows Jade as she attempts to free herself and get back to those she loves. The first half of the book is interspersed with chapters from Harper’s point of view and what is happening in Wylde. Whilst the latter half has a couple of chapters from Alek’s point of view. Again, I really enjoyed Harper’s voice when she narrates her sections, and she has some great character development through the book as she is forced to take on more responsibility with Jade and Alek missing and unable to ride to the rescue.
The book felt slightly jumbled in who the main antagonist was supposed to be. Considering we were introduced The Archivist, Noah Grey, way back in Book 4, ‘Hunting Season’, his threat was too easily nullified, and his comeuppance underwhelming. Whilst I was delighted with the introduction of Lilith, the original vampire and supposedly the Mother of All Vampires, I found her underutilised. Then we have the second ‘Big Old Bad’ – The First. I just never felt the threat he posed to Jade and her friends. He was supposed to be the equivalent of a shifter god, but he came off as a psychotic mess. I think the book would have improved if The First hadn’t been introduced and instead The Archivist was the end boss.
The ending was a little too easy for me considering this was supposed to be the conclusion to the series. Leading up to the final showdown there were some exciting moments as the group work together to stop The Archivist and then The First, but so many storylines went unresolved that I felt unsatisfied. Then we get to the end battle and it’s just over, almost before it started. There is a full two chapters of ‘What Happened After’ nothingness that could have been better spent adding to the build-up of the final battle and the final battle itself.
I feel like I have may have turned you off these books but please don’t take it that way. I truly enjoyed them they just don’t have the depth of a full-length book may have. The plot moves at a brisk pace, maybe it was too quick in places where it could have used further development, but it will still grab you and bring you along as the story unfolds. As per the other 9 book in the series, this is only novella length running at just over 250 pages so there isn’t time to flesh things out fully, especially considering all the divergent plot lines trying to be wrapped up.
Overall, I really enjoyed the series and think they are worth the read. If you like supernatural urban fantasy with a healthy dose of nerd culture, then these books are for you. Like most series, especially ones that are 10 books long, there are strong and weak entries, but overall Ms Bellet does deliver something special. As they are all novella length books, you can get through them all quickly. I am not too sure if Ms Bellet was trying to setup for future books within the world she has created, but there were elements introduced that ended up going nowhere so whilst this is a ‘finale’ of Jade’s journey, it didn’t really feel like we got closure. Does everything get wrapped up with a nice little bow, no, but was it fun, yes.
On a final note, I wanted to add that I did try and listen to the audiobook versions of the series to incorporate a review of them as well but really disliked the narrator and how she voiced Jade. Whilst Jade isn’t the strongest female lead I have read, she does stick up for herself and those she loves and the narrator made her sound weak and hesitant. I recommend sticking to just reading the books and skipping the audiobooks.
3.5 out of 5 stars! Rounded up to 4 stars.
The book picks up immediately after the conclusion of Book 9, with Harper narrating the events of the morning after the final battle with Ethan. Unbeknownst to Harper, Jade and Alec never made it back to town and no one knows where they have gone. Harper, Levi and Eeze (who is back early from his honeymoon) go looking for them and come across an accident scene but no Jade or Alec. They are unsure of what has happened but given The First is still around and hasn’t been dealt with they hypothesize it could be his interference.
‘“What if Bob got her?” Levi said, jumping straight to what everyone was thinking.
“Bob?” Harper said, even though she had a feeling who he meant.
“Yeah, we decided the First needed a name. Bob. Big Old Bad.”
“You decided,” Ezee muttered. “Besides, his name is probably the old timey European equivalent of ‘John’.”
“I think John is the old timey European equivalent of John,” Lara said.
“Johnbob?” Levi’s smile was almost convincing this time.
“No.” Ezee glared at his twin.
We find Jade dreaming / hallucinating about Samir and waking up to discover herself cuffed to a bed and held in a prison with no memory of what has happened to Alec. The storyline follows Jade as she attempts to free herself and get back to those she loves. The first half of the book is interspersed with chapters from Harper’s point of view and what is happening in Wylde. Whilst the latter half has a couple of chapters from Alek’s point of view. Again, I really enjoyed Harper’s voice when she narrates her sections, and she has some great character development through the book as she is forced to take on more responsibility with Jade and Alek missing and unable to ride to the rescue.
The book felt slightly jumbled in who the main antagonist was supposed to be. Considering we were introduced The Archivist, Noah Grey, way back in Book 4, ‘Hunting Season’, his threat was too easily nullified, and his comeuppance underwhelming. Whilst I was delighted with the introduction of Lilith, the original vampire and supposedly the Mother of All Vampires, I found her underutilised. Then we have the second ‘Big Old Bad’ – The First. I just never felt the threat he posed to Jade and her friends. He was supposed to be the equivalent of a shifter god, but he came off as a psychotic mess. I think the book would have improved if The First hadn’t been introduced and instead The Archivist was the end boss.
The ending was a little too easy for me considering this was supposed to be the conclusion to the series. Leading up to the final showdown there were some exciting moments as the group work together to stop The Archivist and then The First, but so many storylines went unresolved that I felt unsatisfied. Then we get to the end battle and it’s just over, almost before it started. There is a full two chapters of ‘What Happened After’ nothingness that could have been better spent adding to the build-up of the final battle and the final battle itself.
I feel like I have may have turned you off these books but please don’t take it that way. I truly enjoyed them they just don’t have the depth of a full-length book may have. The plot moves at a brisk pace, maybe it was too quick in places where it could have used further development, but it will still grab you and bring you along as the story unfolds. As per the other 9 book in the series, this is only novella length running at just over 250 pages so there isn’t time to flesh things out fully, especially considering all the divergent plot lines trying to be wrapped up.
Overall, I really enjoyed the series and think they are worth the read. If you like supernatural urban fantasy with a healthy dose of nerd culture, then these books are for you. Like most series, especially ones that are 10 books long, there are strong and weak entries, but overall Ms Bellet does deliver something special. As they are all novella length books, you can get through them all quickly. I am not too sure if Ms Bellet was trying to setup for future books within the world she has created, but there were elements introduced that ended up going nowhere so whilst this is a ‘finale’ of Jade’s journey, it didn’t really feel like we got closure. Does everything get wrapped up with a nice little bow, no, but was it fun, yes.
On a final note, I wanted to add that I did try and listen to the audiobook versions of the series to incorporate a review of them as well but really disliked the narrator and how she voiced Jade. Whilst Jade isn’t the strongest female lead I have read, she does stick up for herself and those she loves and the narrator made her sound weak and hesitant. I recommend sticking to just reading the books and skipping the audiobooks.
3.5 out of 5 stars! Rounded up to 4 stars.
April 13, 2022
I did it, I actually finished a series! First time like 4 years? Ish? Yikes. Anyway, confetti commences now.
This was a solid finish. Jade's shifting was utterly badass. Her dragon form is so damn cool, I love that it's not the typical dragon form and it's so true to her. Even more happy none of my favourites bit the dust here, but a masochistic part of me can't help but think they got away way, way too easy with the body count here. It's not like I wanted her friends/family to perish, but this was the final battle and they got away scot free in the bodies department. Like, they were basically fighting a near-God, and the emotional warfare was brutal don't get me wrong, but no one important suffered anything they couldn't heal from from. Maybe I'm just a dick.
I love how real these characters are - even the side characters like Vivian and Rachel and the Alpha of Alphas. It really feels like a community. Harper was especially badass this book, and I'm glad she was loyal but clearly still pissed at Jade; she had a right to be. Alec's trust in his mate is massive and it's great to read. The twins are always fantastic, though I wished we'd seen more of Yosemite and Ezee. Yeah, it's not their book, sure, fine - I want a novella dammit!
Sidenote on characters, well, a specific character: I didn't like the Archivist as a big bad villain. I loved him in earlier books when he was just morally gray and intriguing. But that's just me, not an issue with the writing.
One other thing that made a bit crazy - like 2 of the books were about how killing Samir would bring about the end of the world and now Jade did it and... basically nothing apocalyptic happened. Jade apologized for "destroying the world" at the end and I'm like- why? Did I just miss a massive thing because after this battle the Justices are gone (which seemed like it was already happening), Jade is now mad powerful, and the Irish Fae are pissed but apparently are already over it... this 'Seal' threat was an overall dud. And that makes the plot/conflict in the other books kinda... pointless? In some way? Not entirely, a lot of character development happened, but the whole drama with Harper and lying and keeping him in the D20 didn't need to happen. Jade could've been prepared for weeks for the big Boss. The end of the world looks suspiciously normal (for them). I feel like I missed something huge somehow that makes this make sense. Which is possible. It's a testament to this series that I can have this reaction and still have loved the book.
I know we're hopefully getting a novel (novella) of Harper when she went off to process after Max, but I hope we get more because I love this world and I want to see Jade whipping through threats in God mode with her shifter friend wreaking house. This series does fun fantasy nerds well, so forgive me for selfishly wanting more.
I did not expect to marathon 10 books when I picked up the first omnibus on a whim at the library, but I'm really glad I did. This world feels so real to me, with it's characters and their imperfections and interactions. My massive thanks to Annie Bellet (and from what I understand a get well soon as well) and I've got my eye on, well, pretty much everything else she's ever written.
If for some reason you've read this before starting the series - why?! Also, find something to selectively wipe your memory and get on this.
What an awesome ride.
This was a solid finish. Jade's shifting was utterly badass. Her dragon form is so damn cool, I love that it's not the typical dragon form and it's so true to her. Even more happy none of my favourites bit the dust here, but a masochistic part of me can't help but think they got away way, way too easy with the body count here. It's not like I wanted her friends/family to perish, but this was the final battle and they got away scot free in the bodies department. Like, they were basically fighting a near-God, and the emotional warfare was brutal don't get me wrong, but no one important suffered anything they couldn't heal from from. Maybe I'm just a dick.
I love how real these characters are - even the side characters like Vivian and Rachel and the Alpha of Alphas. It really feels like a community. Harper was especially badass this book, and I'm glad she was loyal but clearly still pissed at Jade; she had a right to be. Alec's trust in his mate is massive and it's great to read. The twins are always fantastic, though I wished we'd seen more of Yosemite and Ezee. Yeah, it's not their book, sure, fine - I want a novella dammit!
Sidenote on characters, well, a specific character: I didn't like the Archivist as a big bad villain. I loved him in earlier books when he was just morally gray and intriguing. But that's just me, not an issue with the writing.
One other thing that made a bit crazy - like 2 of the books were about how killing Samir would bring about the end of the world and now Jade did it and... basically nothing apocalyptic happened. Jade apologized for "destroying the world" at the end and I'm like- why? Did I just miss a massive thing because after this battle the Justices are gone (which seemed like it was already happening), Jade is now mad powerful, and the Irish Fae are pissed but apparently are already over it... this 'Seal' threat was an overall dud. And that makes the plot/conflict in the other books kinda... pointless? In some way? Not entirely, a lot of character development happened, but the whole drama with Harper and lying and keeping him in the D20 didn't need to happen. Jade could've been prepared for weeks for the big Boss. The end of the world looks suspiciously normal (for them). I feel like I missed something huge somehow that makes this make sense. Which is possible. It's a testament to this series that I can have this reaction and still have loved the book.
I know we're hopefully getting a novel (novella) of Harper when she went off to process after Max, but I hope we get more because I love this world and I want to see Jade whipping through threats in God mode with her shifter friend wreaking house. This series does fun fantasy nerds well, so forgive me for selfishly wanting more.
I did not expect to marathon 10 books when I picked up the first omnibus on a whim at the library, but I'm really glad I did. This world feels so real to me, with it's characters and their imperfections and interactions. My massive thanks to Annie Bellet (and from what I understand a get well soon as well) and I've got my eye on, well, pretty much everything else she's ever written.
If for some reason you've read this before starting the series - why?! Also, find something to selectively wipe your memory and get on this.
What an awesome ride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2025
“Balancing the Scales” is book #10 and the exciting conclusion to The Twenty-Sided Sorceress urban fantasy series! Several years ago, I went out of my comfort zone with thus urban fantasy series; it was a Kindle freebie, and it sounded interesting. I am glad I did, and I have really enjoyed this series over the last couple of years ~ the characters are fun and interesting and the stories are certainly a nice escape from mundane reality.
“Never fear an ending. For every end is a beginning, too. Even the darkest night is broken by the dawn…,” and so says Goodreads. Even after Jade’s classic battle with her antagonist Samir, Jade Crow now faces her biggest challenges yet, and the consequences just might be world-ending. The story is set in the small town of Wylde, Idaho. Now, a new antagonist appears bringing death and destruction to Jade’s friends.
Honestly, this Urban fantasy series was much better than I expected. and it had interesting character development of Jade and so many of the other shifters. I was especially drawn to Jade, a Sorceress who is learning her powers, as well as some of her geeky friends. As much as I truly appreciated this series, my only real concern was in the last two books. Irt seems as if the series lost its focus once they defeated Samir. The confrontation with Samir was built up to and anticipated in so many previous books that it felt cathartic once it was done. Regardless, if you like supernatural urban fantasy with a healthy dose of nerd culture, and intriguing characters, then these books are for you. However, they are best read in order.
“Never fear an ending. For every end is a beginning, too. Even the darkest night is broken by the dawn…,” and so says Goodreads. Even after Jade’s classic battle with her antagonist Samir, Jade Crow now faces her biggest challenges yet, and the consequences just might be world-ending. The story is set in the small town of Wylde, Idaho. Now, a new antagonist appears bringing death and destruction to Jade’s friends.
Honestly, this Urban fantasy series was much better than I expected. and it had interesting character development of Jade and so many of the other shifters. I was especially drawn to Jade, a Sorceress who is learning her powers, as well as some of her geeky friends. As much as I truly appreciated this series, my only real concern was in the last two books. Irt seems as if the series lost its focus once they defeated Samir. The confrontation with Samir was built up to and anticipated in so many previous books that it felt cathartic once it was done. Regardless, if you like supernatural urban fantasy with a healthy dose of nerd culture, and intriguing characters, then these books are for you. However, they are best read in order.
February 6, 2023
A Great Way To Finish The Series!
I’m already a fan of Annie’s writing style. As I’ve said before, I love the way she weaves her plot threads, taking us into one breathtaking situation after another. The characters she creates are just as captivating, I never have any problems believing their motives and actions. The diversity in these books is fabulous!
The books in the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series need to be read in order to understand the characters’ motivations and previous plotlines. But they’re more novella size than full epic fantasy novel size so it’s easy to catch up! Balancing The Scales is the 10th and final audiobook in the series and picks up almost immediately after the events in the previous story.
Hollie Jackson is one of my favourite narrators.
Hollie has taken over the narration for the final few audiobooks in this series. I love the pace that she reads, the emotions she portrays during the various scenes and the voices she gives the characters. Hollie captured Jade’s personality to a tee and led us into each battle of this adventure.
The main series threat to our protagonist, Jade, was dealt with in book 6.
Therefore, the focus of the series has changed somewhat to a grim prophecy about an apocalypse. Oh, yipee.
I’m already a fan of Annie’s writing style. As I’ve said before, I love the way she weaves her plot threads, taking us into one breathtaking situation after another. The characters she creates are just as captivating, I never have any problems believing their motives and actions. The diversity in these books is fabulous!
The books in the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series need to be read in order to understand the characters’ motivations and previous plotlines. But they’re more novella size than full epic fantasy novel size so it’s easy to catch up! Balancing The Scales is the 10th and final audiobook in the series and picks up almost immediately after the events in the previous story.
Hollie Jackson is one of my favourite narrators.
Hollie has taken over the narration for the final few audiobooks in this series. I love the pace that she reads, the emotions she portrays during the various scenes and the voices she gives the characters. Hollie captured Jade’s personality to a tee and led us into each battle of this adventure.
The main series threat to our protagonist, Jade, was dealt with in book 6.
Therefore, the focus of the series has changed somewhat to a grim prophecy about an apocalypse. Oh, yipee.
February 16, 2021
3 Stars... Rinse and Repeat... That is the best way for me to describe this book.... Same set-up as in previous books (Jade and Alek are separated and fighting to get back to one another) with a building tension (Jade faces off with Noah and then the First, and then there was a moment with Lilith which certainly warranted more time and attention than received.) and then an anti-climactic ending (I ate him)... It just fell flat for me; especially as a finale to the series; I simply wanted more depth, more action, more drama, and more romance... This author has always shown the ability to go further with her writing but seems to stagnate when she can achieve the next level... I have felt that way throughout the series and held out hope that she would go deeper with her writing, but it simply did not happen... I will say that she has created memorable and likable characters in a dynamic world that I enjoyed spending time... In the end, the storyline appears to have wrapped up all loose ends while still providing some strands for the spin-off series.
April 14, 2020
This is definitely one of my favourite series and while I am sad for it to end, I really enjoyed this last installment in this 10 book series. Jade has one last battle on her hands, but luckily for her she has people around her to help her when she needs it most. Unfortunately though, they have no idea where she is, neither does she for that matter and has no clue how to get out of the situation she finds herself in at the beginning of the book. As we all know though, Jade is pretty resourceful and uses her abilities to gain the upper hand, at least for a while!
Without giving anything away, Jade does what she does best in this book, with the help of her friends too!
Best line ever: Reader, I ate him! Loved it!
This is definitely one series I will miss and one I highly recommend too!
Without giving anything away, Jade does what she does best in this book, with the help of her friends too!
Best line ever: Reader, I ate him! Loved it!
This is definitely one series I will miss and one I highly recommend too!
August 7, 2024
Approximately one billion years ago (it like ten years ago, I don't know) I decided I was going to download every free book that BookBub emailed me. Very quickly I had amassed like, 300+ ebooks, which added over 1000 new books to my TBR when I added the rest of the books in their respective series to it. Soooooo I stopped doing that.
One of those books was Justice Calls. And I'm glad that I did! Over the last two months or so, I've read Justice Calls and the next nine books in the series, and have had a blast reading them. They're hardly fine literature, but they're a lot of fun and the series improves as it goes along. I'm likely going to add more Annie Bellet to my TBR given how much fun I had with this series (though given the fact that my TBR sits at over 9000 books, idk when I'll actually get to them).
Thanks for all the fun I've had these last two months!
One of those books was Justice Calls. And I'm glad that I did! Over the last two months or so, I've read Justice Calls and the next nine books in the series, and have had a blast reading them. They're hardly fine literature, but they're a lot of fun and the series improves as it goes along. I'm likely going to add more Annie Bellet to my TBR given how much fun I had with this series (though given the fact that my TBR sits at over 9000 books, idk when I'll actually get to them).
Thanks for all the fun I've had these last two months!
October 24, 2025
And so we come to the end of the road (cue earworm in 3... 2... 1) for Jade, Alek and the town of Wylde.
This felt like a solid wrap-up to the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series. All the outstanding series plot threads were tied up, and everything that needed to be taken care of was taken care of.
And yet... nothing about it stands out for me, and if you asked me about what had happened in the intervening pages between
This felt like a solid wrap-up to the Twenty-Sided Sorceress series. All the outstanding series plot threads were tied up, and everything that needed to be taken care of was taken care of.
And yet... nothing about it stands out for me, and if you asked me about what had happened in the intervening pages between
March 21, 2020
Oh wow, I am so glad I finally got to read this and hope it's not really the end of the series. I would be so sad to not read more. I just love all the gaming and movie references - it's definitely my favorite part of this series and what kept me going all this time! It was a short book with not a lot of meat or complexity - I could tell that it had been reworked some but I still feel satisfied with how it wrapped up. I probably should have gone back and reread the last book beforehand to refresh my memory but I just couldn't wait when it finally came out! I don't know what issues the author was working through that delayed the book so much but I wish her well and hope to read more from her. She has a great, fresh voice in the world of urban fantasy.
April 8, 2020
To really enjoyed the first 9 books but this was a dud.
The first 9 books kept my interest and I did wish there would be more, however this one was a bit confusing . Maybe it was just the time line in which they were written. It seemed rushed at the beginning but the end was like hitting a brick wall.
Tiring to read and the end was like , let's get this over with bam the end. Wish I had stopped at book 9 and saved my money for another book.
I also dislike being tricked into reading a series I like , and then the writer adds one more book to the series that makes them a bit more money while you feel filled off.
Just me OCR
The first 9 books kept my interest and I did wish there would be more, however this one was a bit confusing . Maybe it was just the time line in which they were written. It seemed rushed at the beginning but the end was like hitting a brick wall.
Tiring to read and the end was like , let's get this over with bam the end. Wish I had stopped at book 9 and saved my money for another book.
I also dislike being tricked into reading a series I like , and then the writer adds one more book to the series that makes them a bit more money while you feel filled off.
Just me OCR
September 9, 2020
This is a difficult one, because this book is fun and amusing just like the other books. The problem is, it's the last book.
And it REALLY doesn't feel that way. I would probably have enjoyed this book a lot more if I didn't know it was the last one, because it feels like she ends the book with a spin off for a new series with new characters or something. I don't know. It just left me frustrated.
I hope we get more Jade one day, maybe just in short stories or something. Because this book just ended in such a way that I feel like her story had really just started.
And it REALLY doesn't feel that way. I would probably have enjoyed this book a lot more if I didn't know it was the last one, because it feels like she ends the book with a spin off for a new series with new characters or something. I don't know. It just left me frustrated.
I hope we get more Jade one day, maybe just in short stories or something. Because this book just ended in such a way that I feel like her story had really just started.
February 8, 2023
A fun and worthwhile series
As a lifetime nerd, a longtime AD&D player, a gamer, I quite enjoyed this series. Every single page! Had some reference to some show/myth/game/book that I've loved.
A lot of action, adventure, suspense, heartbreak, and a little romance- with characters you can empathize with, who grow & learn lessons with... just a delightful romp of a series.
My only disappointments were - all the books could have been longer!! I sincerely hope this isn't the last time we get to see the 20d Sorceress & her Merry Band of gamer nerds..
As a lifetime nerd, a longtime AD&D player, a gamer, I quite enjoyed this series. Every single page! Had some reference to some show/myth/game/book that I've loved.
A lot of action, adventure, suspense, heartbreak, and a little romance- with characters you can empathize with, who grow & learn lessons with... just a delightful romp of a series.
My only disappointments were - all the books could have been longer!! I sincerely hope this isn't the last time we get to see the 20d Sorceress & her Merry Band of gamer nerds..
March 25, 2020
This final installment of the series sees Jade finally coming into her own. As it is such a recent release, I won't give out any spoilers but I will say that it's well worth the investment - yes, I'm aware that's a dirty word these days but I mean it in the most complimentary way possible. Grab yourself a copy and if you're not familiar with the series maybe think about starting at the beginning. I think you'll have as much fun as I did reading it.
March 28, 2020
Okay, this has bugged me enough that I’m going to ask a few questions I hope someone will answer:
1. Why was the first able to be a sorcerer and a shifter?
2. Why would he know that Alek must live for him to live and then put him in the most dangerous job a shifter can have?
3. What change did Jade eating Samir’s heat actually bring about?
4. Why would Samir give Jade his library?
I feel really unsatisfied with this ending 😕
1. Why was the first able to be a sorcerer and a shifter?
2. Why would he know that Alek must live for him to live and then put him in the most dangerous job a shifter can have?
3. What change did Jade eating Samir’s heat actually bring about?
4. Why would Samir give Jade his library?
I feel really unsatisfied with this ending 😕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. I have really enjoyed this series so I am SOOO bummed it's ending. Having said that, the whole plot and pace of the book seemed rushed; kind of like the Bellet hadn't given Jade and crew the send-off that they earned and deserved, even the final fight scene seemed rushed and brief (as much as I LOVED how the fight ended).
Anyway, I still loved the series and I may checkout the upcoming series about Alek's sister. Who knows.....
Anyway, I still loved the series and I may checkout the upcoming series about Alek's sister. Who knows.....
September 10, 2020
It's finally here! I've waited for the audio-version of this book since before it was released as an ebook, and am so hyped I finally got to listen to it.
I do have to admit that I found it a little underwhelming, but I think part of that is just remembering what's happened up until this point. I'm looking forward to a full series-reread in 2021, and am curious what I will think of this book then!
I do have to admit that I found it a little underwhelming, but I think part of that is just remembering what's happened up until this point. I'm looking forward to a full series-reread in 2021, and am curious what I will think of this book then!
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