Ok. As much as I wanted to give this 5 stars, I really can't say it was amazing - mainly because for the first 3/4 of the book I really wasn't a fan of Cara. Other than that, I think it was worthy of the 5 star rating - so let's go with 4.5 stars. Here's the why's (without spoilers):I really liked Sven. He is real in a way that so many other keadingn guys aren't. He isn't all stuck on himself and his abilities, ut he isn't down on himself either. He knows that he hasn't been good aboout staying in one place and being reliable - especially for Cara - and that has him convinced that he isn't worthy of Cara because he doesn't have the "staying power" she deserves. He sees her for what she is and knows she has so much more in her than she herself recognizes - and he not only supports it, he encourages it. He isn't an overthe top alpha, but he is still alpha material. His actions are tempered by his nature and his need to roam. He fianlly realizes what the urges he fells through out the book are (and if I say ANYTHING else it would be a spoiler) and - natch - everything works out...with at least 2 unexpected turns (ok, one could be guessed at if you are paying very close attention, but the other is a stunner)... at the end of the book. What Sven does at the end is above and beyond and makes him a hero like few others have been (at least for me).Cara wasn't so much a whinner or an obsinate overthe top heroine as she was annoying and unable to see any other opinion or thought pattern other than the one she had predetermined as right before this story began. She refuses to see the good (or bad in a few cases - again, spoiler if I say more) in anyone or any situation until it has been shoved down her throat - usually repeatedly - and there is just no way to not see it any more. Example (and this is nt really a spoiler, but is a small tip off): Cara goes along with a plan made by Dez, Sven, and a few other Night Keepers after something happens to her - and it goes all wrong. She decides after fact that she should have know better, should have insisted it be done differently, and has convinced herself it was really a power play by Dez to remind the winikin that they could make their own decisions as long as they remembered that he was allowing it. She isn't right in that assessment, but she can't get over her "I must be loyal to the winikin mo matter what or they won't like & accept me" thought pattern...and it gets almost as annoying as her conviction that no matter what Sven does or says, he is unreliable in the long term and it will never work out between them.For the story - awesome! Doc Jess managed to get several surprises into the book. In several cases (as is her way) they are perfectly clear in retrospect (isn't hindsight always 20/20?). But they were not what I expected and, just for a change, the ending and resolution of the romance was not what you are expecting. It was an HEA, but the fina comments point out that they are still working through Sven's need to roam, Cara's need to be her own person, and the fact that neither of them has ever been in a relationship so they are taking it one day at a time - but they are doing it together and are happy with it. I really like the twists and turns and the unexpected happenings in the story and I am excited for the next book. Overall, I highly recommend the book. Warning: Slight Plot Spoilage BelowI always love Andersen's Mayan Doomsday series, but this one seemed like a quick patch-work of sketchy writing. I was looking forward to the emotional whirlwind of romance and heartache that usually follows her characters around. From hints from previous novels I thought Sven and Cara's fight would be more epic. I always had a soft spot for Cara and Sven's doomed-from-the-beginning romance, but it was definitely lackluster in this one. I expected them to overcome huge obstacles like the other characters, but it just didn't happen. The novel started easily enough with Cara attending a funeral (warrior style) with the other wininkin and Mayan Magi. They're attacked and the group quickly realizes there's a traitor among them. Cara and Sven end up hooking up due to a belief in the gods' okaying the romantic entanglement. The affair is heavy when Sven decides to pull away because commitment issues- "I'm a coyote....I like to wander..." Stuff like that. What he soon realizes he needs is Cara- his other half. The relationship was predictable and not at all what I expected from the author.I still thoroughly enjoyed the world Andersen continues to build and will be getting the next and last in the series- I believe it's about Rabbit; the half-breed magi. I don't care for him much as a character, but I hope the series ends with a bang.
What do You think about Magic Unchained (2012)?
WOW!!!! I can't wait for the final book, I need more!!
—nooreza
