Iris.

 
 
~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~
Lord have mercy...but I have been DYING to get my hands on this book since I finished SYN earlier this year. And let me tell you it was well worth the wait. This book felt EPIC, both in length and plot. The writing was fantastic. The pace was fairly good. This book was LONG and because of that some parts did feel a little slow moving. That said, the plot was still very engaging. There were twists and turns. Most of the book is told from Iris and Syn's POV, but there were also a few chapters from a couple of the other mercenaries. I'll admit I haven't read any of the previous Den of Mercenaries books (well apart from SYN's) and I wasn't completely lost. However, I do think reading all those previous books would have probably given me a better understanding of the dynamic between the Kingmaker and Belladonna. So I really want to go back and read all of them when I have some extra time. Last, this one was all wrapped up in a very good ending for the Den characters as well as also setting up the next series which will be about the Kingmaker and Belladonna. I cannot wait.


~HERO~
SYN...I loved him in the previous book and I still loved him in this one. That accent is panty melting indeed. I honestly don't really have a lot to say about him as his character was pretty steady and didn't change much from the previous book. He was bada\(. He was sweet. He loved Iris. I loved him.


~HEROINE~
IRIS...I really enjoyed Iris's character as well. Again she was pretty much the same as the previous book. Bada\) as well. Wore her heart on her sleeve. She was feisty. She loved Syn and all his scars (hidden and visual). 


 

~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
This book had A LOT going on plot wise and because of that, there were a TON of secondary characters that had various levels of importance. We get glimpses of all the previous Den of Mercenaries characters. Along with pretty much all the previous characters from The Wild Bunch. Of course, both the Kingmaker and Belladonna play HUGE roles in this book as well. Like I said, this book was jampacked with secondary characters.


~HEAT LEVEL~
Low. There were a few suitably sexy scenes in this one, but it was definitely on the lighter side in that department. That said, the frequency felt right for the story so I wasn't too bothered by it.


~ANGST LEVEL~
Low. I didn't find this one particularly angsty. Especially in the relationship department. Syn and Iris were pretty solid through the entirety of the book. Sure there were a couple of bumps, but nothing very major. Most of the angst comes from the game Belladonna is playing and the effect that has on all the characters.


~IN THE END~
I loved it...obviously. I love this author's writing. I love the effortless way she creates these characters and these plots. They are well developed. They are intelligent. They are super engaging. You laugh. You cry. Your heart beats faster. Your stomach knots. You are left thinking “WTF just happened?” As a reader what more can you ask for? Therefore yours truly is going to give this one two HUGE thumbs up.