Kari's journey in Allwyn so far has been a tough journey, with no real breaks for her and her guys as they are constantly on watch for Ariana's next move. And let's be honest, she's pretty relentless and desperate at this point. There have already been so many attacks and warnings, both by herself and by those she has under her control, including Kari's mate, Kiaran to let Kari know that she will never give up and that Kari has what she is so desperate for.
In the previous books in this series, the true reasoning behind Ariana's desire for power was never mentioned completely. Some of her plans, yes, but never the "why" to it all. In this book we finally get some answers! Ariana's past wasn't an easy or safe one and we got to see the catalyst behind her evil plan, the event that started it all. I think what was so great about this was that we got to see Kari make a comparison between herself and Ariana. Are they that much different? Both have had something completely out of their control taken away from them, something they loved, and it destroyed them. However, with this, you also get to see the different approaches people can take when traumatic events like that happen to them changing the course of their lives. Do they push through, adjust their plans and attitudes, and continue on living their life, trying to find their own happiness in a new way, or do they take the more self destructive approach and look for vengeance in any way possible, hardening their hearts and looking for an outlet that will cause the most damage in hopes of gaining back what they once lost? Surely what happened to Ariana was a bit more devastating than Kari losing her dancing career, as she was viewed as completely less than in all ways and treated as such, but maybe there could have been a way to avoid some of it so she could have had a better future. She sure does make a great villain though.
Kiaran's part in these books also stepped up a notch in this current book. His POVs were very enlightening and it was fascinating to see how Ariana's power affected him. You get to see a lot of back and forth and confusion from what he knows to be true and what Ariana is forcing him to think and feel. Moments of clarity mixed with glazed over blankness made him a very interesting character. I liked to see him combat Ariana's grasp on him any way he possibly could until it finally got too difficult for him. He's such a strong character and I know he will be a powerful addition to Kari and her fae mates in their battle against Ariana. I can't wait to see what happens next with Kari and Ariana. Will she finally be stopped?