I'm so glad Elle Lincoln has decided to try her hand at omegaverse. These are some of my favorite types of books and I absolutely loved what Lincoln did with this book. Not only did she do the more common alpha, beta, omega designations, but also delta and gamma as well. It added such variety and depth to the characters, especially as you got to understand the hierarchy that their world is controlled by. This hierarchy is important because it shows just how different and unique our main group of characters is, treating each other as equals, supporting and loving one another, and trying to right the wrongs that the current leaders have done behind closed doors. Sebastian, Hawk, Atlas, and Riot prove that people can be more than their destination.
The fmc, Audrey, was such an amazing character as well. I loved how rebellious she was when living in Castle Omega, testing boundaries here and there, and even more as she got her taste of freedom after escaping. Hiding her omega designation was probably the best thing that ever happened to her. It allowed her to live, even if only for a year. Even if she had to be careful about certain things, she still got to experience life as any person should, regardless of whether they are an alpha, delta, beta, omega, or gamma. It was great to see how much her character really flourished and developed as she came into her own, growing a backbone and some confidence as well. Her year of freedom brought her reliable, ride-or-die friends as well as gave her the right mental and emotional foundation she needed for the rest of her journey. The Audrey of one year ago probably wouldn't have been able to cope with everything that the present Audrey had to do in this book and what she will have to continue to endure in the next book.
This book, unlike a lot of other omegaverse books, is more of a slower burn, but I liked that Lincoln chose to go that route with her characters. It allowed actual bonds to form and for the characters to get to know one another beyond how they reacted to each other's pheromones or presence. Audrey was able to make her own choices regarding what she was ready to experience with them and they never actually pushed her into something she wasn't willing to do. If it were any other pack, things would have gone completely different for her. After all, she was taught to be the perfect omega, expected to comply and avert her eyes, to not speak out, and to listen to her alphas. Sebastian, Hawk, Atlas, and Riot, although they did dote on her and were overly protective, they allowed her to have a voice and treated her how they would any other pack member. It may have taken them a lot longer than planned to find her, but Audrey was lucky that this pack was the one that did. If things went any other way, she could have ended up like so many omegas before her for acting out and resisting.
This book, even though it touched on more sensitive topics and had ongoing action packed and terrifying moments, was still full of hilarious inner dialogue and witty banter. It was such a fun story to read and I'm dying to see what happens next with Audrey and her pack after where we were left with the cliffhanger with Sin. Like always, Lincoln's side characters also end up shining just as much as the main characters, so I am very much hoping to see Mila, Nat, and Sera get their own stories as well after Audrey's is completed.