Rituals by Kelley Armstrong

I have reached the "official" end of the series... still got two more novellas to go, but Rituals marks the end of the main series. It was quite the ending... threading in some little loose ends rather deftly, all things considered, while at the same time throwing in an ultimate Big Bad for the series that was apparently there all along, just not as overt as the Tylwyth Teg and Cŵn Annwn. The sluagh, a semi-interesting addition that really drove the plot more than anything else.

I'm not sure I really agree with Olivia's decision of "mates" in the end. Of course, I also didn't really think Kelley Armstrong was going to go the polycule route, either. Still... I think I'm just gonna make that my head-cannon. Olivia chooses who she chooses for the sake of the plot but they end up in a polycule down the line because that just makes more sense to me. "Stick together" is much easier in a modern relationship than it would have been between the kingdoms of Gywnn and Arawn.

I really, really enjoyed the addition of Helia and Alexios. They were a lot of fun and added a much-needed breath of levity. I was half-expecting them to be the solution to the sluagh's, uh... spoilery thing it turned out the sluagh were responsible for... but... yeah. They were fun.

I'm glad we finally got an answer as to what exactly's going on with Grace's apartment building. I liked that addition to the lore. Liked most of the additions to the lore. They were very well done and satisfying overall. Oh! I almost forgot about Lloergan! I'd hoped we'd get more of her, and we did. Even a pronunciation guide to her name... though you won't catch me trying to say it anytime soon. Didn't even stick after reading it a few times. But anyway, Lloergan was very sweet and her presence very welcome.

Seanna's reemergence I could honestly take or leave. She was a puzzle piece, ultimately. One that felt a little shoe-horned in, if I'm being completely honest, but... yeah. I suppose I was just as curious as anyone as to why she seduced (or whatever) Patrick all those years ago and we did get that answer... but she was very "meh" as a character, all told.

Rituals was a satisfying ending to the Cainsville series. I like that it's ultimately open to additions, as with the pair of novellas I'm about to read... and, ultimately, I'm just glad to not have to read more of the love triangle thing. Persephone would be proud, I think.

Favorite Lines

"Right or wrong, one cannot argue with the excitement value of a good murder, because it leads to a good mystery." - Helia

"Adventure comes with risk or it would hardly feel adventurous." - Helia

"We love traps. They're like puzzles, only with higher stakes." - Olivia Taylor-Jones