Just when I thought I could be happy in the walls of the Cage with my four dark protectors, everything crumbled beneath my feet. Three of them have marked me. Two are bound to my soul. And one has been lying from the day we met.
With Locke’s grip on sanity slowly unraveling, the Frosts taken over by their fiercely territorial natures, and Dominic’s unrelenting thirst for revenge, it’s all I can do to hold us together.
Because it’s time to take the fight to the darkness and burn out the corruption with wildfire. And if we make it out alive… Cimmerian will be ours.
Kissed by Midnight is the third and final novel in a steamy, medium-burn academy reverse harem romance trilogy. No choosing, no cheating- only unbridled passion and emotional angst in a haunted gothic mansion! Mature readers only.
Cate is a USA Today Bestselling Author who loves all things passionate and paranormal with a side of horror. She lives in the South with her family and pets, and loves every kind of coffee, horror and fantasy movies, and cats. Reading is her favorite hobby when she’s not writing.
Overall an excellent trilogy and the first RH to keep my attention to the end in a long time.
Perfect as a trilogy, it had a great introduction of characters in book 1, plot expansion in book 2 and an exciting and satisfying ending. I liked all her harem and they all had great character development, helped by the multiple POVs. I really felt the creepiness of the asylum turned school for reform. It was exciting right to the end. Hot right to the end. Kept me guessing right to the end.
I would highly recommend this series for those looking for a medium burn with a little forbidden teacher/student romance, mate bonds and a slightly darker setting than the average academy.
Sadly this trilogy as a whole just did not work for me. It seems like I'm in the minority so take this review with a grain of salt. Much of that had to do with the disconnect I felt between myself and the heroine. I just never found her enjoyable, relatable or like a character I gave a sh*t about. Had she been a bit more independent and not seem like she always needed a rescue I could have loved her more. It did not help she became a simpering ninny whenever one of her men were around, completely losing all sense. It's weird because I felt like so much happens in the end of this book it made the previous two seem rather dull in comparison. Sadly because of my disconnect by the time I made it to the end I feel a little cloudy and like I slept through the most important parts of the book. It took a few weird and kind of disturbing turns I was not expecting. It wasn't a bad series to me, it just was not at all what I was expecting or something that worked for me at this moment in time.
4.7 stars. This was such a good series. I’m really enjoying this author’s tendency towards mystery. The few books I’ve read from her all have that thing in common. She keeps secrets close, and reveals them at just the perfect time, while sprinkling in small foreshadowing details so you’re constantly thinking about how everything is gonna come together and whether that thing you just learned is as important as you think it is. It’s very entertaining, I’m a big fan of it.
Also. The sex. She is very good at writing sex scenes that are both smutty and dirty, while also seeming to contribute to the storyline. It’s some kind of ‘pussy magic’ as Roman so eloquently put it in this book😂.
I loved the characters. All of them had such interesting backgrounds and roles and personalities, and they all interacted beautifully. The plot was deep and full of danger and magic and mysterious secrets around every corner. It kept me engrossed throughout and kept pulling me in further an further, wanting to unravel every secret that was presented. The sex was hot and dirty and varied and happened often without feeling like too much(which, to be fair, ‘too much’ is a hard feat to achieve in my mind). It had hints of kink, with light bondage and power exchange between her and Dominic. It was rough and passionate and full of growls and snarls with the twins. And Locke was ravenous for not only her body but her blood.
Honestly. I just had a really good time learning about these characters. The only thing I wish we got to see more of was their future. I wanted to see what Lu becomes, and how many kids they have, and if they figure something with Locke. I just wanted more of everything so that it wouldn’t end so soon.
Still. The ending was super satisfying, and we did get to see tiny sneak peaks into their future through Shane’s Sight.
I’m excited to read more from this author. She’s got me hooked now, and I think I’ll be in for the long haul.
Good, well rounded series. This book is fast paced and all the mysteries are solved. My only disappointment is that I felt like Locke barely appeared in the book...but overall it was good.
Its over,I'm a little sad but what a trilogy. Strong throughout, well written and so easy to get lost in. I was a little worried about reading this one because of Ivy and the grandfather (yuck yuck and yuck) but glad I did. The characters have come a long way making mistakes and paying for them. Very smooth ending, not rushed or cut off abruptly. The action is engaging, the various sex scenes steamy and the fluff is like diving into a pit of really soft plushies. I have no complaints, loved it. I'll be looking out for more from this author.
This one wraps up almost all of the questions and transforms the academy into an actual HEA.... save a few minor details that couldn’t be resolved herein. Resolution with Her mother? Her father? Questions for another day?
Pros: - Tied loose ends. - Character development. - not every end is happy, and that is as it should be.
Cons: - Still a few questions. But they really couldn’t be answered now.
These books just got better as they went along, and after the way Moonlight ended, I was holding my breath from the beginning. The evil in power has gotten even darker as their motives are revealed to Lu, who's cursed with silence on the subject. But her guys continue to be pillars of support, and I love how they believe her unquestioningly and work to help her unravel Gilt's machinations. This installment seemed to be based more on the suspense factor than hot scenes, but it was so riveting I honestly didn't mind (plus that last harem scene totally satisfied me ;) ). I usually don't get too wrapped up in the emotional story, but I was cringing in the Hole scene and had actual tears threatening in the parts where Dom & Locke literally come face to face with their pasts. This couldn't have ended any better, though I feel like there's room to branch off on the main story, with the question of Lu's parentage still hanging over her head. Plus I kinda wanted some comeuppance for her horrible mother.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Well. That was surprising. After I outright hated the second book, I am surprised that I liked this one best in the series. It still had a lot of flaws and enjoyed other books by this author way more, but after I got over my Steele snitch, it was readable. Especially since the overly erotic submissive writing from the very first book, that smacked too much of a Fifty shades clone, changed into normal smut.
To be honest I only picked it up, because I am currently binging the author and got a pleasant surprise. I just like the author and her writing, even if she is pushing her story in direction that aren‘t my thing^^
While I can’t say that this was my favorite book within the series, this novel was action-packed and there seemed to be so many things constantly going on. It had you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what twists were going to be thrown at you next (some I guessed, but others I never saw coming).
However, there were still a few things I didn’t like or was confused by.
I’m disappointed with Lu accepting Dom back so easily. I think he needed to apologize a bit more – maybe grovel a bit – before getting back into her good graces. She kind of turns the tables on him, but even before that, her feelings were softening toward him and her anger, hurt, and betrayal had diminished in a really short period of time while she was actively avoiding him (so they weren’t even talking things through anymore). I definitely wanted him within the group by the end, but I think he needed to go on more of a journey to get there.
Lu felt very much like a damsel in distress through a large portion of this novel. In a way, I guess this was refreshing from the all-powerful boss babe’s that seem to be the trend of late. Instead, Lu needed the guys to save her. If she hadn’t had others to depend on (namely her boys but also Daphne, Simon, and Josephine), then she wouldn’t have made it out alive. I loved seeing Lu have to depend on others to help her instead of taking on the world herself. With that being said, Lu and her wildfire were built up so much, that it just seemed like a major plot convenience that for such a large part of the story, Lu’s magic had been rendered unusable. It felt both more realistic and improbable at the same time.
The 2nd and 3rd novels of this series have been leading up to a showdown with Albrecht and/or convenmistress Gilt. And yet, both of their deaths were so incredibly anticlimactic. For all of the build to these 2 separate moments, what actually played out was surprisingly brief and such a disappointment. I genuinely couldn’t believe either scene.
But then, when Albrecht dies, there’s a catch to it. I was surprised that he not only quickly popped up once more (which didn’t make a lot of sense to me), but the monster he became and his fight on the other side (resulting in Dom losing his arm and almost dying) was not explained very well. I’ll admit that this zombie-esque moment was a twist I hadn’t really anticipated, but it wasn’t a good or enjoyable twist so… I think it made me roll my eyes in disbelief and mild amusement (which was assuredly not the goal) instead of being swept away by the plot and how the story was getting wrapped up.
Adding to all of this, was the “Cage.” I wish that this concept (what it was and how it worked) had been explained more. It was hard for me to visualize this machine in my head and how big it was – or why such a large space (where the Cage fit) even existed underground to begin with (because this home was built by the Lockewood’s and not the Guilt’s so the construction of the Cage wasn’t the original purpose of the cavernous pocket so far beneath the home.
Circling back to Dom losing his arm though, this felt like a really weird scene. With all of their powers and magic, it was hard to believe that there was no chance for Dom to have his arm re-attached and healed. Instead, they immediately set the torn off piece of his arm on fire and his arm is officially gone from the elbow down. This was another aspect that I both loved (because the team comes back bruised, bleeding, and scarred as one might expect when they basically have to fight a war to come out on top) and hated. It too, seemed believable and unbelievable in one stroke.
At the end, I also hated how unresolved Lu and the boys still felt. For example, despite Locke being able to study another “sane” vampire, it doesn’t seem that he ever finds out the answer to eternal life outside of vampirism (based on Shane’s vison). That means that he’ll still eventually lose Lu and his brother-husbands while he lives on forever. Since this was something Locke really feared and wanted really badly to find a solution to, he just kind of gets left hanging for eternity and, while everyone else ages, he'll stay looking his same twenty-something self. It was a loose end that never got tied up and that him and Lu (and the guys) didn’t really have a lot more conversation about. I just hated how it was left (not necessarily the fact that Lu will remain mortal, but the feeling of it being swept under the rug as a non-issue).
I also disliked the fact that only Roman and Dominic are going to have kids with Lu (Lu will have 2 kids total). Locke may have been out of the running, but I hated the fact that Shane wouldn’t have a baby with Lu in the future and we never even got his view/feelings about eventually having (or not having) kids with Lu to begin with (we never even know if this was something he wanted). It was like he was forgotten – except for the fact that HE was the one having all of these grand visions of the future. To me, his character felt “used” by the author in that sense.
There were certainly things that drove me crazy during this novel, but overall (and based on the other works from the author I’ve read), this wasn’t a bad novel to conclude her trilogy. I still have some of the same complaints about this book as I did the others, and I disliked how many unanswered questions there still seemed to be, but it was a happily-ever-after ending as a whole.
I have just reached the end of the trilogy. One thing just does not sit well with me. Why is Dom forever maimed? They are witches who can raise the dead, bend elements at will, and turn into animals, but there isn't a spell to replace a severed limb? Sorry, not buying it.
The final book in The Cimmerian Cage trilogy and these books definitely need to be read in order. It wasn't my favourite series by Cate Corvin and there were large parts of this book that I skimmed through. At points I was ready to give up but I wanted to know how things ended. So I persevered and made it to the nicely wrapped up, if predictable, end. There were a couple things that I wished had been resolved, namely a confrontation between Lu and her mother and also who her father could have been. It would have been interesting if that aspect had been woven into the story somehow. It would have made things a bit more exciting.
Shane certainly took a backseat in this book and it felt like he was more of a placeholder than an integral part of the story. This book was more about Lu's relationship with Dom and the other men in the group were bystanders for the most part.
This series is a quick and mostly exciting read but sadly, the third book was the least interesting of the three.
Lu has really gone into the deep end in this last book as she literally went to the very depths of Cimmerian and what an intriguing secrets those depths held. Loved Locke's perseverance here as the poor soul really struggled with his blood lust and I am so pleased that he came on top of things. Oh, having the chance to get a glimpse of Josephine even though it was just a fraction of a moment was spectacular moment as he was able to make some amends with his past. The Frosts and Domenic had their own ups and downs here, but they worked as a united front, which spoke volumes as to how far they have come. Overall, I enjoyed this supernatural mystery story and although I was slightly uncertain about the series after the first book, I am glad that my curiosity tipped the scales. The plotting, the experiments, hidden secrets and of course quite a few turbulent events were pure pleasure to follow.
This was an amazing series!!!! The complexity of the story, the attraction and love between the fmc and mmcs was tearjerkeringly beautiful. The whole mystery and background of Cimmerian Academy was mind blowing. I’m not sure I fully understood how the machine worked, but the horror of how it was powered was very clear. Add to that the Giltglass descendants’ origins was nauseating. Of course the 🍆🫦🥵👅 was amazing, verrrrry naughty. Good balance between angst and actual communication to resolve interpersonal issues was appreciated. I hate angsty stories where the fmc is petulant and self-righteous. Thankfully Lu was a level headed female lead and showed a lot of growth over the three books. The only part about her in the story I found incredulous was how quickly she learned skills that normally took years to master. She’s smart but come on. 110% recommend!!!
Each book of the series was action packed and full of mystery and steam...so such steam!! Cafe Coffins w
Each book in this series was jam packed with action, mystery, romance and steam...so much steam!! The MC was amazing. The growth she showed throughout the book was perfectly paced. The men were a perfect blend. All slightly flawed and growing along with Lu. The ending was everything I hoped it would be except for endless. I could read several more books about their day to day lives and would be happy.
Cate Corvins writing immediately sucked me in to the pages of the book and I watched the story unfold around me. Every time my family interrupted me I found myself getting angry with them for dragging me out of the world Cate had transported me to. I can not wait to read what ever she comes up with next.
I absolutely loved this series. This book was just as great as the first 2. This book brought all the mysteries to light and the climax of the story was edge of my seat excitement for at least 20% of the book. The ending and finale wasn’t quickly wrapped up but lived up to the excitement that was built up to the moment during the entire series.
The author left it open for a potential spin off series but I wouldn’t be opposed to reading a novella where we get to revisit Lu and her new coven/academy.
I am pretty sure this was the first series I have read from this author but she has earned herself a fan from me now.
Honestly the best of the series. A lot more action and suspense than spice, and the few scenes of the latter were as skippable and unnecessary as they had been in the rest of the series.
Not a spice hater, but it detracted from the plot progression rather than being utilized to character and relationship build. They don’t even speak the whole time. It’s bizarre.
The story did run a bit longer than necessary but it was interesting enough to not be fluff despite a bit of repetition.
While admittedly anticlimactic, the story had already stressed us out enough by the climax, so it was almost nice for that portion to be over.
I don't know if I even have words for how incredible this book was. My heart was in my throat for most of it and I barely restrained myself from biting my nails all off from the anxiety. Cate Corvin has outdone herself in this incredibly fascinating and intricate series. There were so many little details that made the Cimmerian so interesting and unique and I couldn't help but fall in love with each of the characters. I'm sad that it's over. This is a series that I'd read again -which is saying something because I very, very rarely re-read books.
This book was definitely the best of the series. It tied up all the loose ends and all the secrets that were unravelling throughout the series. I enjoyed the showdown with Ivy and Lu but I was disappointed with what happened to Mallory Gilt. It felt wrong, I would have expected an epic battle like Ivy, almost like the author was rushing the ending and trying to fit so much in towards the end. Still I liked the outcome and that even Daphne gets redemption and a second chance.
I loved the end of this book! Unlike others, the story didn't end after they defeated the villain but continued a bit telling us (!!!spoiler!!!) how Lu transformed Cimmerian in a academy/haven for rejected supernaturals, how she dug out corpses, tried to identified them and contacted families to give them peace. I was a bit skeptical about how easily they killed Grandfather but in fact it makes sense. He was immortal but not so powerful in fact. It's a good serie with a lot of originalty (o˘◡˘o)
The Cimmerian Cage was a great dark academy story. I love how the author seems to always have the guy who falls hard and fast and then the rest fall into place along the way. The villains in the story were haunting. Her men were utterly devoted regardless of the dangers they faced to be with her. It was heartbreaking to hear what some of the victims in the story went through for the villains benefit but I loved how it all ended. The visions of Shane also added another depth to the book and gave the reader something to either fear or be excited for. This was a great story.
3 Fire Stars I enjoyed this series immensely! Bravo!! The reason I am rating the last book 3 Stars is due to the overwhelming plot. There was so much going on I ended up drifting off into space 53% into the book. It is very well written and there are so many twists and turns but due to how much was going on at once I just had a hard time focusing. Having said that I would 100% recommend this series to all my friends!
Definitely an interesting storyline...the author’s version of shifters, vampires and witches was different from most books. Again...the author does no world building, just drops you into it and through the series, gives you insight into the different aspects of her world. Told from multiple POV. By the end, her characters are rich and full of beautiful flaws. The ending is always good with lots of wrapping up and a look into the future.
This series blew my mind! I usually get bored with RH series and stop reading after the second book. But this series held my captive from beginning to end! I finished all three books in two days - Book hangover for sure! I love Lu! She is strong, but vulnerable. And every Alpha was unique and drool-worthy. #wildhavenforthewin
I've ripped through three series by this author now and I'm absolutely enamored. I read on kindle unlimited the first time, and will be purchasing my own kindle copies in short order. Excellent series and masterful story arc as I've come to expect.
The final book of this amazing series was just as good, if not better than the first two. I absolutely loved the world building and character development. The imagery and beautifully articulated writing were top notch. If you enjoy dark fantasy and a happy ending read this series.
Lu needs to think of a way to get into the inner sanctum. Miss Bloom has her claws in Dom and Lu is not happy. She knows he is just going along with her so she doesn't spill his warden secret. But she hates him being engaged to her. She decided to play along and become the dutiful coven-daughter. They won't know what has hit them! Hot read.
This whole series was captivating and well written. I absolutely Loved all 3 books, danger behind every turn. The author really knows how to end a book as well was very happy with ending and didn’t feel like I needed more. Perfect ending to a great series!