REVIEW - DARK PHOENIX - FROM THE ASHES BY KARINA ESPINOSA

 

Title: Dark Phoenix

Series: From The Ashes

Author: Karina Espinosa

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

Release Date: 13th November 2020

BLURB from Goodreads

How far would I go for freedom?

Lucifer’s mark has a control on my life and the only way out is sacrificing a friend. When Michael gives himself up for my freedom, it comes with consequences.

The angels find out what Michael has done to save my life, and it is now my turn to save his. With a bargain struck, it’s a race against the clock to put an end to this once and for all.

It’s me against Lucifer. Will any of us make it out alive?

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REVIEW

To say I was eagerly awaiting reading this book is an understatement! After the first two books, knowing this was the last book of the trilogy I couldn’t wait to find out how it all ended. Once again, I love the cover it will make a fantastic looking series on a book shelf!

In this book Octavia has difficult decisions to make and needs to come to terms with how far she is prepared to go to end Lucifer’s horrific plan to build a weapon he can and will kill angels with. Octavia does have to become tougher and as the title of the book suggests darker. Lucifer wants her to be like him and torture and kill, but with the help of her friends Octavia needs to fight Lucifer yet at the same time not be taken over by the darkness.

The book starts with Octavia, and Tristan sat waiting for Michael to return with the mysterious fire that will permanently remove Lucifer’s mark from her hand. Octavia is naturally impatient and worried that she is out in the open in the cemetery where her family are buried. She literally feels like Lucifer could turn up any time. Tristan reassures her that Maverick and Echo are nearby watching and guarding the area.

Octavia also has a doubt as to whether Michael will defy the other angels by bringing the angelic fire to her. It will mean Michael will be cast out and become a fallen angel.

The mark on Octavia’s hand is removed through an extremely brutal, painful process that involves three…..yes three vampires holding her still and steady! That’s not the only downside of the process as other Angels arrive and despite her friends asking, begging, attempting to order her not to, she enters into a deal with them. Octavia needs to send Lucifer back to hell and doing so will mean Michael will not become a fallen Angel.

I can’t really say much more, though I would seriously go on forever about this series. This last book involves Octavia travelling to France, meeting another head Vampire, and I have to say I got the same hairs up at the back of my neck that Octavia had about him! Octavia is also attacked by Priests and Nuns, all whilst searching for a special dagger, she needs for her quest to send Lucifer back to hell.

All whilst this is going on Octavia has to deal with shifter pack issues. It seems Jude really does have hatred both for Octavia her race of shifters too. In fact Jude attempts to do a deal which would mean Octavia cutting off the pack totally, which Octavia is more than willing to do for the good of Killian and his pack. . . . but you’ll have to read the book to learn what happens!

As I have come to expect from Karina Espinosa this book is brilliantly written and has lots of action, amazing characters you fall in love with and some romance thrown in too. I adore Karina’s sense of humour and irony that she put in the book. I have to share a couple of instances with you to explain. The first one is a scene between Octavia and the French Priest/Nun’s . .” Is … is he back?” the priest asked hesitantly. I gathered the he to whom he referred was Lucifer. I nodded. “Heaven save us,” the priest breathed and clutched his chest. I couldn’t help the snort that made it past my lips. I was going to do all the dirty work while the angels got all the credit. Great. Bastards. They obviously had a good PR department.”

Another amusing scene was when Octavia is invited to a meal by the Head Vampire of Paris. “A bottle of actual wine was placed between me and Michael. Michael opened it and poured us each a drink. “Finally,” he mumbled. “Cheers.” I clinked glasses with him and we both took a sip. I chuckled at the fact that we were the only non-vampires in attendance. It was as if we were the only gluten-free eaters in a room full of breadsticks.” The references and puns are so modern, relevant, snarky and so believable.

Such a lot happens in this book both to Octavia and to some of the other characters. I guess the only way I can explain is to say the book has so many layers there’s the large problem of Lucifer, then there’s the hint of a relationship and possible future for Octavia with either Tristan, Killian, Michael or maybe even Maverick or the other shifters.

There’s an abundance of book boyfriend material, from the vampires Tristan, and Maverick to the shifters, Killian, Gideon, and Kai. With such a lot going on you almost forget about the issue of Camila “dying” or being finally “laid to rest”. Octavia finally makes a decision about the headstone Tristan put with her family’s headstones in the cemetery.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that it was action packed with lots of twists and turns to the very end.

To sum up this is a brilliant ending to another amazing series! The ending was great and everything was tied up. I had seen that From The Ashes was a trilogy so I knew that Dark Phoenix was the last book so I was eager to learn how everything ended yet at the same time didn’t want it to end.