This book is….I am not sure what the right word is. Each book somehow makes me more emotional, and I become more invested in the story. If you asked me if I was going to continue reading this series while I was reading Crave, I probably would have told you no. Up until the last ~10% or so of Crave I was just going through the motions of reading it, trying to force myself to read it because I knew, I knew, there was going to be something about it that would make me fall in love with this series, but I was struggling. I have told everyone who I have tried to get to read this series the same thing – give it a fair shot, and if you are indifferent about Crave, trust me, I get it, but get to the end and if you still don’t like it fine, but trust me. Just read the end. And then they are hooked. These books progressively have gotten better, the characters have gotten more involved and deeper, and I just…I really am struggling for words.
A refresher on the background of this series. This was series had been slated to be a trilogy. Then, due to the massive amount of worldbuilding and character creation Tracy put into this (and Tracy poured *so much* into this), it became a 4 book series. THEN a 5th book was added, a companion to go after the fourth book finished, but takes place between 1 & 2. Now, we are here with Court being released, Charm on the horizon, and the announcement that Cherish, the 6th(!!!) book in this timeline will be coming out at the end of this year. This is excluding the spinoff that will be coming out next year. A series following characters from this series that I have already grown to love, and I am waiting with bated breath to see what their story will unfold into.
But back to this book. To Court. The end that is not the end, but breaks you apart & puts you back together in the way that a fantastic series ending does. I laughed. I teared up. I messaged my friends saying what was happening was unacceptable because my heart was shattering. I watched Grace grow during this series, and as such, I grew along with her. The trials and tribulations she went through lead up to a satisfying ending that I would have been happy with – even without the next two books on the horizon. The fact I feel content with what I read, in relation to both the relationships between friends, mates, and the Big Bad, is astounding to me. Am I still heartbroken over some of the events? Absolutely. But that is because they were written so well.
The theories that grew out of Easter Eggs laid out from page 1 of book 1 felt satisfying to unravel during this book. I felt validated that I picked up on clues that had been laid out and buried in metaphor. Watching the strings of the story twist and turn, combining to weave a web of a story that is unlike most other YA that is available today was wonderful. This book is realistic fantasy; everything I want in a book about mythical creatures but in my reality. This book didn’t feel forced, and felt the most mature of the bunch. Each book had the characters grow, which made me love them even more.
I am nervously excited about what the next two books will contain. Will my heart break along the same lines? I am sure. Will I feel the love Tracy poured into these books resonate through the pages and back into me? Absolutely. For now, I will sit in my cocoon of contentment with the ending & epilogue that Court has given me. Thank you Tracy for giving us this magic. ∞/5