The Conquering Dark by Clay and Susan Griffith

The conclusion to the Crown & Key trilogy was jam packed with action and heroics. There was no lack of adventure and mystery. The pages turn quickly. Unfortunately, to me, it was a continued downward spiral in quality from the first novel. The magic is lost. The alchemy is rehashed. In short, the two elements that I felt made this series fresh and unique faded into the oblivion of a cheesy paperback love story.

When you can live hundreds of years, are you really going to be focused on mortal problems? Wouldn't you come to see a bigger picture than us mere goldfish? Many more questions can be presented to luminate my disappointment in the concluding novel. Like, why didn't we explore the degradation of sanity in someone who is just shy of immortal and has been imprisoned in an underground confined space for decades. That would have really made the book soar. Gaios is clearly damaged goods, and a look into his mentality would have been far more fascinating than his scorned lover portrayal.

The pros: I'm honestly struggling to remember any, but I'm sure they're there. Oh, how about, the characters remain as charming as previously written. There was some serious emotion going down with Imogen. They even manage to make a little bit of development in their search for ways to defeat Gaios when all hope seems lost. Except for Jane. She seems to be an afterthought of a character despite her pivotal involvement. I would also like to express my disappoint in Jane and Imogen not being mentioned in the synopsis or in any reviews I read. Some of the only characters I felt brought this series any heft, and they are left on the cutting room floor. 

I promise I'm trying to find the silver-lining. I'm just having to comb really hard.