This author pulls me into a fascinating gothic fantasy world in her book, Nightshade, where she delves into the story of angels and demons. It ends on a cliffhanger and the characters are living in my head rent free. After a few days break to clear my head, I picked up the second book in the duology, Infernium and once again, she blew my mind.
This book is not a standalone but the second and concluding part of the Nightshade duology. It's a paranormal dark gothic fantasy written in multiple POVs across two timelines, just like the first book. It concludes the story and adventures of Jericho Van Croix and Farryn Ravenshaw.
Nightshade ends on a cliffhanger with Jericho losing a most precious part of himself as a half angel-half demon while trying to save Farryn. Infernium begins from that point—Farryn doing all she can to save her mate while facing her own dark challenges as well. They have enemies who have been after them from the first book simply for being who they are. The battle gets more intense as these enemies come at this couple from all sides.
Jericho while not as strong as he should be goes on a quest to find a solution to restoring a vital part of himself that he had lost in a bid to save Farryn. He must confront his past to unlock the key to his recovery while protecting Farryn from her dark past as well.
He descends into a dark realm positioned between hell and earth, Infernium, to access age-old secrets that almost cost him his life and his mate. Will this couple survive the fire and intensity of Infernium?
Genres: Dark Gothic, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Publication: June 2022
Pages: 686
My Review And Rating
This book is the best that I've read so far this year. It feels like the author ripped me apart with the terrifying and unsettling things Jericho and Farryn go through and yet I stay glued till the end where she pieced me back together like nothing ever happen. Very rarely do books pull me into the story and world like this duology did.
From the first page, Keri Lake had me on the edge of my seat. The plot is brilliant and gets even more fantastic. The storytelling is smooth, fast-paced and gripping. The worldbuilding and mythology gets more complex with the introduction of new characters and unexpected twists. There are battle scenes that hiked my adrenaline and set my pulses racing. They are gritty, gory and finely written. The actions are vivid and well depicted like I'm watching a movie.
Though I should warn that this duology is not for the faint of heart. There are trigger warnings so be sure to look them up them before reading. Nightshade is dark, gothic with some gory scenes but Infernium is much darker with some horror in it. I mean, this story is about angels, demons and hell, so of course, there would be some horror in it.
One major part that softens the story's darker parts is the powerful love between the lead characters. Jericho and Farryn are compelling characters that I can't get enough of as I turn the pages. The author further develops them in this book. Farryn is more matured and no longer in denial like she was in Nightshade while Jericho is tougher and more determined to beat his enemies.
As a couple, their chemistry is undeniable. Their love is terrifyingly painful at times and romantically beautiful at other times. Across different lifetimes, they keep finding their way back to each other, defying every odds against them, even threats from heaven and hell. That's what makes it epic.
...Let them send their legions of angels and demons. Any god or devil foolish enough to lay claim to you will suffer my unforgiving wrath. You are mine, Farryn. Mine.
I enjoyed the multi POVs. It felt good to read the story from another's perspective as they fill in some missing parts. This book does not feature Lustina though I wish it did. We don't get much action from Farryn until much later in this book. I also loved the introduction of a new character, Vashzago, because of his smartness and humor. He stands out as a well developed character and his involvement in the final battle scenes deserves some applause.
Rating this book, I'll give it a full 5 stars! Keri Lake created a most fantastic story and unique worldbuiding. Her characters are lovable and I wished the story didn't end so soon.
All images above are from my E-library
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