The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid

The Guild Codex: Unveiled #4

by Annette Marie

My greatest enemy has always been myself. Over the past few weeks, I’ve painstakingly put my broken pieces back together, from the dark mysteries of my past to the heart-rending conflict of my present.

But just when I finally start to feel whole again, everything around me falls apart.

Lallakai, the newly ascended Queen of Shadow and Death, betrays us and takes Zak prisoner. Echo, the powerful fae I thought would help save Zak, threatens to kill me. And Ríkr’s nemesis, the ruthless Summer Queen, is hunting him again.

With the four ancient fae poised to battle for supremacy, I’m the only one who can prevent a catastrophic clash of their power. But stopping them will require more than druidic magic. It’ll take an act of destruction as devastating as they are.

I’m about to test the strength of my scarred heart, and if I fail, I’ll end up destroying everything—and everyone—I’m most desperate to protect.

--
The Guild Codex: Unveiled
The One and Only Crystal Druid (#1)
The Long-Forgotten Winter King (#2)
The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow (#3)

More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized
The Guild Codex: Warped

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Paranormal, Fae, Audiobook

284 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2022

About the author

Annette Marie is the best-selling author of over thirty books, including the expansive urban fantasy series The Guild Codex, epic urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter.

A 2015 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist in Fantasy and an Amazon Charts Bestseller, Annette has sold over 2 million books. Her books have been translated into French, German, Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian, with readers coming back again and again for her addictive blend of fast-paced adventure, tantalizing forbidden romance, and unforgettable characters.

Annette lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minions of darkness. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in her garden or an art project while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

To find out more about Annette and her books, visit www.annettemarie.ca

Reviews

[Helen 2.0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we are, at the end of another Guild Codex series. Another winner.

I loved the focus on the fae realm and on Rikr, the Winter King. Honestly, I thought Saber’s evolving platonic relationship with Rikr was more interesting than her romantic relationship with Zak. There’s something about the whole “immortal battling fatal apathy meets short-lived energetic human” dynamic that gets me every time. Every. Damn. Time.

The ending was a little weird…I guess the moral of the story is: Wrap it before you tap it, my friends.

[Mikky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books written by Annette Marie! They always have these little twists that take me completely off guard in the best way! This one was no different. I was not expecting the Ríkr plot twist. If I'm being honest, I would have preferred it not to have happened at all. I really like him and now I know that he's even more morally grey than I thought. I don't know how to justify still lowkey being on his side 😅

Saber was just as kick *ss as ever but I disliked how she found it in herself to justify her actions to sabotage Ríkr's plan. Yes I understand her reasoning, and yes I understand that it would have been much worse now and later on to let Ríkr do his thing but... but... there had to be another way to both cripple his power and not have what happened to the forest actually happen. You know?

Zak is still in my top five favorite characters for the Guild Codex universe. Number one being Zyles from Guild Codex: Demonized. He was just there to support Saber and guide her to things in this novel. He did help in the finale fight and was very useful but I guess I just wanted more Zak and Saber time. I like it when they banter and out wit each other. Considering how heavy the story was those light moments were so sweet to see in past novels.

I'm conflicted is the only thing that I'm sure of after I finished this novel. The Guild Codex universe comes to an end for me with this book. I've tried reading Warped and I just dislike the main character too much. It's just not a fun time. So now I'll be anxiously awaiting the release of the Steel And Stone spin-off/continuation!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars
🌟⭐️🌟⭐️🌟
[ Lets be honest here, I could NEVER just give this book 5 stars—so it gets all of the freaking stars in existence, but goodreads ratings don’t go that high so… 😉 ]

09/23/2022: HAPPY BOOK RELEASE DAY to this MASTERPIECE! Thank you Annette Marie for always exceeding any possible expectations I could ever have in a novel, & CONGRATS!!!

Good Lord— I have tears STREAMING DOWN MY FACE!

What a perfect ending to an incredible, exhilarating journey! My heart hurts in the best way possible!

This truly was/had every single thing I could have wanted from this series— & more.

Honestly, for once, that’s all I have to say. My lips are ZIPPED, just be prepared to BUCKLE UP for this fantastic, perfect, incredible adventure!

1000% recommend this series 🥹 so freaking incredible!

________________
ARC TIMEEEEEE! SO EXCITED OMFG!

[Cat the bookworm (still at the cottage in AO3 land) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. This book, you guys.

I mean - it’s no surprise that Annette Marie is a gifted writer, but I guess it’s becoming increasingly difficult, even for a writer of her standing, to keep track of all her different characters and plot lines, as well as the increasingly complex world she’s building.

Yet here she is, delivering another masterpiece, so full of action, love, friendship, betrayal, death, and life that you can’t put the book down once you started reading it, because you really can’t anticipate all the plot twists that eventually, FINALLY, lead to Saber and Zak’s HEA.

Because yes, of course - it’s the last book in this spin off, so they end up together (and what an explosive, badass couple they make!). But they fought hard for it, and I’m really happy to see them complete each other, finally at peace with what happened in the past.

I won’t go into details about the plot, because trust me, you want to go into it blindfolded to fully enjoy it. Yes, there are characters who die. And others who have a competently different agenda than what you thought before. And some loose ends that just didn’t sit right from the previous books get tied up.

We get quite a bit of Tori, Ezra. Aaron and Kai, as well as Kit and Darius (when there’s two teams up… 🔥🔥🔥), so the story is perfectly embedded in the Guild Codex Universe.

To sum it up: if you’re already immersed in the GCU, you’ll read it no matter what I say - rest assured, it’s a worthy ending.

If you’re new to it: don’t start here. Start at least with the first Crystal Druid book, but to fully appreciate and enjoy it, start with Three Mages and a Margarita. Yes I know, they’re a lot of books, but they’re not very long and they’re easy to read. And they get better with every book, so what starts off YA ish quickly becomes one of the best urban fantasy series out there.

Five well deserved stars from me 🥰

[Bea27x · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only need for Saber and Zak to get together and for Saber and Ríkr (my absolute favorite character) to kick Lallakai's ass.
Also, I need this book, as soon as possible!

----
What’s there to say? This book, this series, was amazing and the end had everything I hoped, Saber and Zak happy and healing, facing together the future and creating a family of their own, they who never had it or had lost it, and living in Saber childhood home with Keelar, Grenior, Talliag, Artear and of curse Rìkr.

Zak was my favourite character from the Spellbound series and it was really fascinating getting to know more of him, his past and watching him find his place. Saber was a real hit for me, like it happened with Robin and few other protagonists I loved her since the beginning of the first book, I always felt her emotions throughout the books and it was great seeing her face what she kept buried, discover herself and grow confident in who she is. Of course I also have to mention how much I loved the relationship between Saber and Zak and I’m not ashemed to say that I shipped them like crazy; complicated couples reuniting after a tragic past who never stopped loving each other are my weakness.

My heart however goes to the one and only Winter King. Was I the only one who coundn’t help rooting for Rìkr? He is amazing, absolutely brilliant, everything he does is actually a planned move, a small part of his strategy, plan after plan after plan that he rearranges with the circumstances. He is always a step ahead and even when it looks like you have him defeated it was actually part of his calculations and that’s just the type of character that I completely love. If you manage to move all the pieces to your advantage and play your opponents that well you deserve to win period. The relationship between Rìkr and Saber has been as beautiful as the one between Saber and Zak, and in the end it was their reunion in the epilogue that almost had me tear up. They have been best friend through what was a very difficult period for both of them, they have changed each other and risked everything to save the other and Saber refusal to give up on Rìkr and him sacrificing the Undying power for Saber after wanting power for so long was moving and a testament to their friendship.

I’m really going to miss this characters.

Applause like always for Annette Marie

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction · Rating 5 out of 5]

05/13/2024: Reread. (Audiobook!)
12/27/2022: Reread. (Audiobook!)

Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

Can you hear that? That's the sound of my heart deconstructing in my chest. My heart has literally exploded and I am not long for this world. I am off to bookish limbo because this book has destroyed me. But in all the best ways. =D I've been looking forward to this book for so long that my heart feels like it's been put through the wringer after finishing this book. But it also feels light and warm and content. Pretty much all the feels.

Annette Marie's writing style draws me in effortlessly each and every time I open one of her books. Her writing style is one all her own. It is relatable and refreshing. One of the things I like best about her stories is how unique and fresh her ideas are and how well she brings those ideas to life. The plots of her books are always intricate, detailed, and exciting. She is so clever with the way she weaves the plot of each book and series around other books in the same world to really blow the mind of her readers. The world-building in her books is always vivid and atmospheric. I am always sucked into the story and I more or less live in it while reading the book and, more often than not, even after I have finished the book.

These characters have gone through so much and experienced so many hardships in this series. I really love the extraordinary character growth that Zak and Saber undergo throughout this series. Their growth is so evident in this final book. Ríkr also does a lot of growing by the end of the book. I loved seeing all of my favorite characters from the other Guild Codex series. The characters in the Guild Codex world are serious squad goals and I love how Zak and Saber fit seamlessly into their friend group. I love the camaraderie and love that they all share.

There are a lot of spoilery things happening with the romance in this book so I won't elaborate on much. I do think that Zak and Saber's relationship is more at ease now that they know the truth and have worked through their pasts on their own terms. Zak and Saber really bring out the best in one another and their ending really brought so much emotion out in me while reading it. The bonus epilogue pretty much ruined me.

Overall, prepare for a journey into the unknown with this one. Marie has really pulled out all the stops in this book and has created something so very special. This book almost feels like the end of an era for me as a reader. I know that we still have more books coming in the Warped series and I am so excited for those but the rest of the series are finished and I guess I am kind of mourning them right now. These books and these characters have been such a big part of my life for a while now and I suppose I am not entirely ready to let go. I can't tell you the number of times I have reread each of the books in the Guild Codex world. Like, an exorbitant amount of times. So many that a normal person would think that this fangirl had a problem. But these books are that good. I'm telling you, if you haven't picked up any of the books in the Guild Codex world then I urge you to read Three Mages and a Margarita ASAP. In the meantime, I will catch Zak and Saber on my next reread and I will be looking forward to Kit's next book and the long-awaited Blackfire series!


BLOG FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM GOODREADS TIKTOK TWITTER BOOKBUB AMAZON PINTEREST

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of Saber and Zak's story.

Zak's fae consort (Lallakai) has gone rogue and Saber's fae consort (Rikr) is keeping secrets. As the fae line up to do battle with little thought of the battleground and the humans who will die it's up to Saber to find a way to prevent a disaster.

An entertaining conclusion to the Guild Codex: Unveiled series. And I'm not a fan of epilogues but in this case I'll make an exception. In fact there is a bonus second epilogue available on Annette Marie's website and that too is worth the effort.

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good finale, but the epilogue was overlong... several actual chapters' worth at least. Weird.

What's the lesson, boys and girls? It only takes ONE TIME to ruin alter the rest of your life. I wasn't expecting a PSA from Annette Marie, but okay! At least it was a practical message.

[mith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

As this is the fourth & final book in the unveiled series, there are probably going to be spoilers in my review, though I'll try my best to avoid them. Consider this the warning!

Unveiled was always my favorite series in the GCU. It started with Zak because duh lol, but it quickly changed because I loved the inclusion of the fae. Unveiled's overall plot is heavily influenced by fae creatures and I am incredibly curious how creatures like them tie themselves to humans. I find that relationship so interesting, which is why I loved Saber as our narrator through these past four books. Ríkr and Saber have such an... intense bond, one that's incredibly important to Saber, and it played such a huge role in this book.

I really loved it. I'm actually in awe of how this series ended. I've loved the finales of the other sister series, but it was dampened because of how much the two overlapped. This felt wholly fresh, only their ending, and it fit really well. It was full of so much action that I was actually shook, and emotional as hell that I actually cried.

Also, when Miss Marie said she likes dragons, she wasn't kidding. She really does put them in every book which is so hilarious to me.

The action—my GOD. I've watched most of the Marvel movies & shows, and the poor infrastructure affected by superhero battles makes me flinch. This left me speechless. Not only is it so much cooler and intricate when action is written the way Marie writes it, it also feels more intense. She's also just really good at it. That's always been one of the things that appealed to me about her writing. It's almost cinematic. The bigger fight scenes in this book were incredibly well written, and, more importantly, easy to follow lol. I tend to skim sometimes without realizing it but these scenes kept me hooked and soooo on edge.

I loved this book's plot so, so much. It picks up pretty much right after book 3's ending and it hardly pauses. I felt a lot for Saber—she's already been through so much in her childhood, and her adult life was hit after hit, much of them without having the time to fully process things. The climax here... it felt so heartbreaking. I was so sad reading it. Like, I hate to use such simple words to describe it. It was beyond gut wrenching. I hated that it was Saber who had to go through all this. This was also why I mentioned her relationship with Ríkr earlier. I love his character and his dialogue is purely chef's kiss. (Side note, every time he dismisses Lallakai was so fucking funny, I was THRIVING.) Saber discovering this different side to him, finally realizing how truly powerful and terrifying he is, well. It was a trip. I can't put into words how much I loved it, even though it hurt a lot to read.

I really enjoyed the ending. At first, I was iffy. Actually, it almost felt disappointing. I won't say more, but after reading the epilogues, I was swayed.

I think my only real complaint would be cameos. I lowkey feel like I'm about to be shunned for this, but my GOD, I am so tired of Tori in all these books. I know her series kicked all of this, BUT SHE AHD EIGHT PLUS BOOKS. I'm so tired. I did love seeing the mages interact and Kit! But seriously, I'm tired (and incredibly bitter, I'm well aware).

Thank you to Annette Marie for once again letting me be on your ARC team, and for the chance to read & review this! Every release just fortifies my love of her storytelling and I'm incredibly proud to call her my favorite author. I can't wait for whatever she releases next!
•
I legit check the authors fb page despite hating fb just for this cover reveal skdjdksk PLS I need it

ABSOLUTELY LOSING MY GODDAMN MIND BC THIS IS GONNA HAVE SABER ON THE COVER MY GIIIIIRRRRLLLLLL I COULD CRY

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid is the very satisfying conclusion to The Guild Codex: Unveiled series of four books. This series featured the back story of Zack, aka The Crystal Druid who made a number of appearances in the Guild Codex: Spellbound series of books. This series is about him, and about Saber, the girl he met when they were both teenagers. . Ten years later they reconnect and Saber narrates the books in this series.

This was a conclusion book so wrapping up the different plot threads was paramount and the author did a excellent job of doing this, even at the expense of some of the tension and banter of the previous books. This was also a “everyone in the pool” book, so the characters from the Spellbound series of books, Tori, and her friends at the Crow & Hammer and Kip from the Warped Series, but sadly no Robin & Zylas from the Demonized series (though they are briefly mentioned), all play a role in this story. While The Guild Codex series of books each have their own main characters, there is a common thread running through all the books and often times characters cross book/story lines.

Let’s be honest here, if you are reading this without at least having read a couple of the books from The Guild Codex: series of books like Spellbound or the Demonized series, the names mean nothing to you, and you are just being polite (thank you) but if you have started on this series or one of the other Guild Codex books and are curious does it end as well as it starts, the answer is yes.

I would not start with this series however, I would read at least the first book of the Spellbound series ( Three Mages and a Margarita) and probably it’s sequel ( Dark Arts and a Daiquiri) first. They will give you a good introduction to the world building and types of characters that inhabit these books.

The One and Only Crystal Druid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Long Forgotten Winter King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kaity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio:
5 stars for Cris Dukehart she is killing these narrations!


Book: 3.5 stars

I have noticed I don’t love Annette Marie’s series endings haha, the way the big battle ended was anticlimactic especially when there were so many powerful fae in the battle…

In the end I really enjoyed the series, I loved Zaks story, and I warmed up to Saber (finally lol).

Now to figure out if I want to read Kits books, or move on to another author for a while, I guess we will see where my mood takes me haha

[Cheesecake · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic ending to the series. I hope we catch cameos of Saber and Zack in future books. What an awesome power couple!
This book shakes up the status quo and was unpredictable at every turn.
Loyalties are stressed... to the breaking point?!
I'm going to put spoiler tags on this because I have to give away the last book to talk about this one...

At the end of the last book Zack is taken over by Lallakai in a bid to become the new Queen of the dark court. She tricked him and shows that Fae don't always have the best of intentions towards their consorts. She uses Zack to carve a bloody path through the Vancouver area, in search of a dangerous Fae weapon.
I was worried Zack would be trapped for most of the book, but not so.

I liked the pacing of this one. There's tight action scenes that never end as you expect them to. We still have shenanigans from the Fae Summer Queen, Rhiannon and Echo, the dragon who claims all of BC as his territory. Do the Fae ever play nicely together???
Zack needs to worry about the increased bounty on his head.
There's more help from all the other characters so it's a crowded cast in this one.

Safety is good There's more sexy times in this one and more explicit. No OP as usual. The epilogue was so sweet, complete with a surprise pregnancy. And i could just daydream about their future together... LOVED it!
For violence it was much like the other books, where it doesn't get too gory in descriptions, but there's bloodshed and injuries.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consider this as my petition to the author to make a book about Rikr. This book, without Lord of Winter, probably a 2.5 star read. It was fun and interesting but he made it better. I think I've droned on and on about the majestic being that is Rikr and I refused to let his story end here. As a failed villain but still oh so spectacular. Also, love the plot in this one. I've rarely read books where I ended feel so conflicted about the villain of the story (and also kinda want him to win). It broke my heart a lil bit there.

Anyway, now let's move on to Saber. She's a great heroine and I love her persistence and loyalty. Sure, she's a little subdued in this one, as it happened due to other increasingly more important stuffs that happened in her life. But the reactions she gave was totally in sync to what she was and I think she handled it well. Was she a little too forgiving sometimes? Yes but that's the thing with her. Once she considered you her 'family', she would never give up on you nor hate you for it. I'm just glad that in the end, she found her people. Which reminds me, you should definitely read the bonus epilogue. They met Robin and Zylas (from the Demonized series) there and it was awesome.

All in all, I think this series was great. Did I like it as much as the Demonized one? No. But I found my favourite character ever in this universe and happy to say I did not regret anything at all.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a fitting ending to the Unveiled series, and I enjoyed it, but Unveiled is still my least favorite series in the Guild Codex world. That doesn't mean I dislike it, but I like the others so much more. While Saber could be frustrating in the first two books, that had pretty much stopped in the second half of the series. But the whole druids and super-powerful fae dynamic really isn't my favorite corner of the Guild Codex world. And I'm not too in love with the Saber being pregnant ending. I feel like she's the Guild Codex protagonist who is least ready for a child... I just can't really see it. (Glad to hear she's in therapy now, though. She really needs it after all she's been through.) I loved the cameos of Tori and the mages, who are still totally bad-ass. Sadly, no Robin or Zylas appearances, just a mention that they're still on the world's longest vacation (I'm glad they're having fun travelling, but I miss them). The end of the book promises a bonus epilogue, but the link told me I was too fast reading the book and it's not available yet. So I'm not so patiently waiting for that to drop LOL.

Now that Unveiled is done, I'm hoping we'll get news of when the next Warped is coming soon. I'm looking forward to Kit's series catching up to the events of the Spellbound & Demonized finales.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so thankful Kit's series isn't finished, because I don't want Sabre and Zak's story to be done yet. Surely they'll make appearances again later. (Though there can be such thing as too many cameos. Give me the demons, I've kinda had enough Tori for a while)
This was such a bittersweet end for the couple. It starts where the last book ends: with Ríkr and Sabre fleeing Zak, who’s under Lallakai's control.
Betrayal is a bit of a running theme in this book. So many layers and storylines that have been building over the series come to fruition and it just builds and builds under there's so much tension that just breaks. It was beautiful and full of action and a very fitting end for these two.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've liked all the series set in this world, but I think this one was the weakest. I think my main issue is due to the nature of 'druidic' powers, the main characters are very reliant on others. This worked fine in the first couple of books but as the stakes got higher and the opposition more powerful it became more of a problem as they spent more time being reactive and having others resolve conflicts for them rather than them doing so themselves. It's a shame as I do like the characters otherwise.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid is the fourth and last book in this series. It wraps up the story of Saber and Zak. There are also plenty of cameo appearances of other characters from the Guild Codex world. I thought this was a great ending to the series. The pacing was well done, plenty of action and some great twists and turns. I liked seeing how much Saber has grown throughout the series and the ending was great. I was especially happy with a certain twist at the end.

This book starts shortly after the end of book 3 and quickly dives into the action with more issues popping up for the characters to solve. The pacing is well done and things keep happening and progressing. I liked how there are some major progression event throughout the book and not only toward the end. The build up to the ending was well done and there was an great action scene at the end and I was pleasantly surprised by the turn some events took.

I didn't really like Saber when I first started the series, but she turned into an interesting character to read about. I thought it was great to see her grow and change and develop throughout the series. She really grows into her own person and handled things better while still staying the same in some ways as well. I liked seeing her fight for what she believed in and the courage to open up toward Zak. It also was great to see her realize she doesn't have to do everything alone. I enjoyed following her journey and seeing her find peace and happiness.

There are a bunch of cameo appearances of characters from the other Guild Codex series like Kit, Tori, Ezra, Aaron and Kai. They all play an important role in the story. And ofcourse Darius makes an appearance as well. I liked seeing more of Rikr and the other fae creatures, like the horses and vargs. I really enjoyed learning more about the fae and druids in this series.

To summarize: This was a great ending to the series. There's plenty happening and the pacing is well done and then it all builds up to an action packed conclusion. There are some interesting twists and turns and I really liked seeing how everything got resolved. While Saber wasn't the most likable character for me at first, she has grown on me and I enjoyed following her journey and seeing her change and develop throughout the series. There are some great side character, both human and fae. As well as some fun cameo appearances of characters form other Guild Codex series. All in all a great ending to this series.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annette Marie is a rockstar. How can she write three series set in the same universe with overlapping storylines and make ALL OF THEM absolutely fantastic?
What am I gonna do now, though? The series in this universe have kept me company over weeks and now I’m done…and that’s it. No more druids, mages, demons…I’m so sad.

I’ve also gotta say that this series was by far the darkest out of all of them. At times, it took a lot out of me. My heart didn’t hurt as much for the characters in previous books. I guess I’m a little sad that this was the final series in the universe (I’m not counting Kit’s series) since it was very bittersweet. I would’ve preferred to leave these characters on a more lighthearted note. (a little update: I just got the bonus epilogue with the newsletter and that certainly helped. My heart feels lighter now)

This was probably also the longest consecutive buddy read I’ve ever done since Fran and I have read all of these books together. What a journey 🩵

[Mara YA Mood Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series sooooo much!!! I’m so sad it’s over. The ending was perfect!!

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Daisy Delfin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review about the whole Unveiled Series.

This series was fantastic. I already knew Zak from the other series of the Guild Codes Univers. He is one of this morally grey heroes. You have to take a closer look at him to see that he is morally grey because of his upbringing but he turned it to something else by choosing his right path.

A lot of thing we already knew about Zak suddenly make sense after reading this series. At first I thought it would be about the Lady of Shadows but it turned out it wasn't the main plot. The Lady of Shadows was involved in the plot, we see her a lot. I liked that we get to know to know more about the fae and their magic. I didn't know that they get more powerful because they can consume the magic of others after the other fae died.

We meet Saber. And I like her very much. She thinks she is a witch, has some amnesia and can't remember all facts of the final meeting with Zak when they were teens. But slowly they come back. Also it turns out that she is Zak's match, because her parents hid from her and the world that she is a Druid and both of her parent were too.

When I started to read the series, I wanted to read a book once a week. But instead of this I rushed through the first three book, because they were so good and I wanted to know what will happen in the next book. Then the real life needed more attention and I had to wait until I could start the last book of the series. There are so many twists and unexpected thing, it keeps readers on their toes and it's refreshing that it's not easy to make predictions what will happen. The only prediction I could make was that Zak and Saber will get their HEA.

We meet all the characters we met in Spellbound and Warped, I think only Robin and Zylas were missing. But they were on an extended vacation to do a whole lot of sight seeing.

Loved the series and I do recommend it!!

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.25 stars

"The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid" is definitely the most intense and the best installment of The Guild Codex: Unveiled.

First, Saber's character arc was awesome. If you have read my reviews of the first three books, you already know that I had conflicting feelings about our heroine. Well, I love Saber now; I was so proud of her while reading this finale. She deserves to be the titular character because she's the character who shined the brightest. Considering the fact that she was surrounded by other brilliant and lovable characters, that's a huge compliment. I was so impressed by her intelligence, cunning, fortitude; I was deeply touched by the way she protected and fought for the people she loved.

Second, the fae power struggle plot was exciting and nerve-racking as hell and I found myself at the edge of my seat several times! Add Ríkr to my list of favorite morally grey characters, right up there with Zak, Kit, Zylas, Saber...Okay, wow, I realized just now that The Guild Codex is an incredible source for fantasy readers who are drawn to morally grey MCs.

Third, of course I was happy to see my favorite characters from other Guild Codex series! I'll stop here because I'm worried that I might give you spoilers. Trust me, you'd enjoy those scenes more if you're surprised!

I'll end this review with an IMPORTANT reminder: Please don't forget to read the bonus epilogue because it's a gem! Do not confuse it with the epilogue, which was also entertaining. There are TWO epilogues, okay? The little bit of extra effort you'll have to make for the bonus epilogue will be worth it!

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe 2 1/2 stars. Very disappointed on how everyone behaved towards each other. All the death and betrayals are just over the top. Finding out that Rikr was the one who killed the head of Saber’s coven because she found out he was hiding a massive spell in the forest, because hey human lives do not matter, was hard to swallow. Also burning down the forest, and hey, burning down a few peoples homes as collateral damage, to take down said spell was abhorrent.

Having Rikr betray and try to kill Saber twice as she tries to stop him from his quest to be an all powerful king was disappointing. And why would the Summer Queen heal her the first go around with a magical flower? What was in it for her? Then Rikr gives Saber his undying rune to save her life the second time (which destroys the rune because it was not meant to be used on humans), so I guess that makes it all right? And he uses the Summer Queen’s life essence to help heal the land after he trashed it, instead of taking it for himself, it’s supposed to make up for all of the devastation he inflicted on Vancouver?

Very disappointed with Zak’s role in this story. He spends the first part of the book as Lallakai’s possessed minion, including trying to kill Saber a couple of times. Then once Lallakai is killed, he loses most of his power, and has a minimal role in the final Fae battle.

And in full spoiler alert, because after he got blamed for all of the Fae trashing Vancouver, and his bounty was upped to 5 million, we had him fake his own death at the end so he could ride off in the sunset with Saber. And thanks to all the money he accumulated doing his nefarious deeds over the last 10 years, he and Saber can play house at her parent’s old home without worrying about jobs and money. And she got her parole pardoned, so that took care of that problem as well.

And hey, let’s end the book with the life affirming event of Saber being pregnant, when she can barely take care of herself, but you know, that’s just like real life. Which I do not like to read about, when reading an urban fantasy romance novel, or whatever this was. But all the animals survived, including the two fae horses and the dragon, so that makes it all better.

[Jeana Cheque · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole thing was Rikr, Lalikai and the summer queen, Reannen battling it out for supremacy. Sabre ends up at the Crow and Hammer after almost being gutted to death by zombie Zak. Tori and her 3 mages go to help Zak. He gets shot with sleeping potion and they're able to separate him from Lalikai. She has a weapon that will kill any foe, but whatever wound you inflict, is inflicted upon the wielder too. She isn't good deep down, and has Zak kill Sabre, and therefore himself too. With Rikr's help, Lalikai ends up getting stabbed through the heart and for real dying. Echo gets involved and it's a battle royal. Rikr goes all power hungry Winter King after consuming Lalikai and Sabre finds out that he killed the head witch of her former coven because she'd uncovered a secret setup that he had in the woods. Sabre risks her life to save Rikr from himself. He won't be swayed, and yet he won't kill her and has left her his ice gift, even though he dissolved their familiar bond after she declined to join him. After she pisses him off with her relentless do-gooder crap, he sends an ice spear for her heart. She is saved by one of Reannen's flowers. I think Echo whisks them away. In the end, Rikr gifts her with his undying magic to save her life. It's not meant for humans and disappears. Instead of consuming Reannon after killing her, he dispearses her magic over the scorched earth to help the land recoup. Sabre had been able to influence him in the end, but he left. Zak is able to successfully fake his own death with Kit and Darius's help. He also has a scar on his face that helped change his appearance. He has a fake id and Darius thinks it'll be safe for him to be seen in Vancouver in a few years. Zak and Sabre live at her parents old home and she's pregnant.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unbreakable Bladesong Druid is the last book in the Unveiled series, part of the Guild Codex urban fantasy world that Annette Marie has created. There is some crossover to the other worlds, but each series can work on its own. I recommend reading or listening to them in order because of the overall story arc and romance.

Strap in for Zak & Saber’s happily ever after. Before we get there, you’ll encounter betrayal, deceit, and danger as this audiobook picks up where the last one ended. The author gave our characters plenty of problems to solve and I enjoyed watching them face each obstacle.

Marie delivered with a well-paced story filled with twists & turns that kept me listening well past my bedtime. We get to see Tori, Ezra, Aaron and Kai, which had me smiling. Better yet, they all played a role in the story. Marie kept the story level, giving us intense action right from the beginning and hooking us until the end. Nothing was rushed, and we were even treated to an epilogue.

Cris Dukehart narrates and does a spectacular job of bringing these characters and their story to life. I started at 1.2x before adjusting to 1.45x.

I cannot get enough of the Guild Codex world. It is my hope you’ll listen to them all!

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Xia ✻. · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1 Crystal Druid 3.75 stars
#2 Winter King 4 stars
#3 Lady of Shadows 4 stars
#4 Bladesong Druid 3.75 stars

★★★★✩ / 3.75

a very nice ending for a very entertaining series. it lacked a little “boom” something i can’t point my finger on, but i still had a good time.

the thing i’ll remember the most is going to be saber. a very different, aggressive and usually unlikable character, but she was handled so well, that even if i wanted to shake her, i also came to appreciate and support her.

as for the ending, i know some people hate books that end with pregnancy, but in this case, i think it fit saber’s story well

[Suzannah Rowntree]

me, an Australian, reading this book: SO FIRST OF ALL, ARSON IS NEVER OKAY, PEOPLE, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S THE APOCALYPSE, YOU SIMPLY DO NOT.

*ahem*

Definitely the strongest entry in this series, full of betrayals and schemes, in a very satisfying way. I was also surprised and pleased by the ending. But this one just didn't grab me the same way previous series did, and I'm not sure why.

(Rating for occasional language and two sees scenes, easily skipped).

[Zen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Out of the four of them, this one is my favorite. Although she will never be my favorite heroine, Sabre has definitely evolved as a character. Out of all of them, she was the last I expected to get the ending she received.

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was about to give this 3-3.5 stars because the fae really let me down and annoyed the fuck out of me lol like really is it impossible for one fae to be decent? But then the epilogue had two nice surprises that saved it and that’s also when I realized this series is over 🥲 I’m gonna miss my crazy druids, but I’m loving their life in the epilogue. I feel like Annette Marie has finally learned the meaning of HEA…I’m looking at you Steel & Stone and you Guild Codex: Demonized 🧐 those “happy” endings suck, please more of this 🙏
*listened to this as an audiobook*

[Chloë Manaoui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't read it yet(obviously) but need to compensate the 3 stars review!