Fans of The All Souls Trilogy and The Originals will sink their teeth into this swoon-worthy paranormal romance.
If me having this book in all three formats (audio, print, and ebook) is any indication, this high stakes, angsty vampire/witch romance is a decadent treat you won’t want to put down.
What I enjoyed:
1. Top-tier Audiobook Production
This is one of my favorite audiobooks. The story has a multiple POV portrayed by multiple narrators on the audiobook (versus one narrator reading for several characters) which enhances the reading experience and fully immerses you into the story.
If you’re like me, I tend to be more invested in one POV more than others, but that wasn’t the case with the Eos Key. Each narrator and POV had a distinct sound and perspective that I enjoyed. The narrations for Eric and Lucien were extra amazing though.
2. Classic Premise with Excellent Execution
If you love the slow burn and swooning forbidden romance and fated mates trope, sexy , angst-ridden vampires, and stories with powerful witches who haven’t tapped into their hidden legacy and potential, then you’re going to love this.
There are many stories with similar premises, but Lewry delivers the familiar tropes with unique and excellent execution. Her writing is sophisticated, intentional, and enticing , further enhanced by the expert narration in the audiobook.
Blend the chemistry and high stakes of Matthew and Diana’s romance from A Discovery of Witches with the themes of family and redemption from The Originals and you get this sexy, moody and satisfying story with a relevant spin that will resonate with our times.
3. Compelling Characters and relationships
I loved that no one was portrayed as all bad or perfectly good. They have complex pasts, they made mistakes, and their relationships (family, friendships and romance) have room for improvement.
Lewry explores all the ships: family dynamics, friendships, toxic relationships, even aspects of self worth and self love.
I loved seeing the character Alia start to come into her own.
There was one point where Eric, one of the main characters was getting a little out of hand (selfish and a little too demanding in my opinion). I appreciated how other characters stepped in to give him a reality check while Alia (the main heroine and love interest) stood her ground.
I loved how Alia communicated her needs when things got too much. After being lied to, manipulated and more, I feel like her decisions towards the end of the book were on point. There may be a hint of a love triangle in upcoming books, and if there is, I think Eric has a strong contender for Alia’s affections. I’m not usually one to enjoy love triangles (because it’s usually obvious who the main character should choose) but the stakes and the tension would be high, and the conflict would be realistic and very interesting if the author decides go that route.
However the story goes, I’m invested. The Eos Key is a richly developed new world I can’t wait to continue exploring. I’m really looking forward to learning more about Lewry’s take on the different supernatural groups she features in her book and how the relationships established in this book will progress.
I also loved how the representation included was normalized. Lewry makes the diverse rep seem authentic and genuine.
4. The gritty realism
No character leaves a fight unscathed. Characters experience physical, emotional, and mental battles in a way that creates real tension and palpable concern that your favorite characters just might not survive to see book 2.
Along with the action and horror sequences, Lewry touches on aspects of mental health in a respectful and considerate manner.
Do note:
1. This is the first book in a series. While the main story is resolved, there’s so much more to learn and understand.
2. Again, the author does touch on darker themes such as depression, suicide attempts, toxic relationships, grief and loss.
3. There is a realistic amount of descriptive gore and violence but if you’re a little squeamish, prepare yourself (I think it’s well done and appropriate for the genre without being gratuitous or ridiculous, but Lewry describes the action scenes well enough for you to bite your nails and cringe in some parts).
I highly recommend this book. Do yourself a favor and get the audiobook to optimize what’s sure to be an already amazing reading experience. I could listen to those narrators reciting the alphabet—they were that good 😍