Review: Dark Harmony by Laura Thalassa
“It’s up to you to decide what being you actually means. No one else can do that for you. . . . But whatever you choose to be, cherub, make it count.”
The Basics
Title: Dark Harmony (The Bargainer #3)
Author: Laura Thalassa
Published: 2018
Publisher: Lavabrook Publishing
Pages: 414
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Fantasy, Urban fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy romance, Paranormal romance
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase.
Book Synopsis
Having been given lilac wine by Des in order to save her life, Callie is now a quasi-immortal with fae magic running through her veins. That fae magic has cemented her mating bond with Des, but it has also left her susceptible to the Thief of Souls’ magic, which as a human, she had been immune to. The Thief is all too aware of her new vulnerability and is circling Callie, waiting for the opportune moment to take her. In order to save both herself and the faerie realm, Callie must work with Des to track down the Thief and stop him before he has a chance to put his final plan into action.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: The Bargainer series has saved the best for last with this action-and-romanced-filled finale.
Each successive book in this series has been better than the last, and Dark Harmony is no exception. It grabs your attention from the very first page and does not let go until the closing line. It finishes the series with a bang and is undoubtedly the most entertaining installment in the series.
What makes Dark Harmony such an engaging read is its action-and-mystery-packed plot. Des and Callie are nearly always on the go, working to uncover the identity of the Thief of Souls. They travel across the Otherworld, as well as the human realm, gathering and attempting to piece together clues. All the while, the Thief is surreptitiously making moves of his own. It’s a race against the clock, as well as a battle of wits and cunning, and the victor does not become evident until the end.
The first-person and present tense narrative helps to drive home this sense of suspense. We are seeing everything unfold in real time through Callie’s eyes and are consequently just as in the dark as she is with regard to what will happen next. There is no omniscient narrator to assure us that everything will be okay.
The story also features decent world expansion. Granted, this book is no high fantasy with impressively intricate worlds, but for a fantasy romance, it has a more-than-adequately detailed world. In this book, we travel to places not explored in the previous books, including the Kingdom of Day and the Banished Lands. We even journey back to the human realm and bounce around Europe and America.
Of course, I cannot discuss this book without touching upon Callie and Des’ relationship. In this book, we see the solidification of their relationship as the two of them become mates in the truest sense. Their relationship deepens, and they somehow manage to become an even cuter couple. Callie also truly comes into her own over the course of this book, proving that she is just as much of a force to be reckoned with as Des. I should also note that this book features a number of fairly graphic sex scenes, so if that is not your cup of tea, consider yourself warned.
The not so good
The resolution of the Thief of Souls storyline is a bit anticlimactic; it has a rushed feel to it. The final showdown with the Thief is over before you know it, and I couldn’t help but feel as though I had been cheated of a proper ending to that story arc.
Another criticism of mine relates to Malaki. He is one of the most interesting characters in the entire series, yet he is so underutilized, especially in this book. His ability to craft and manipulate other people’s dreams is mentioned but never truly explored. I would have liked to have learned more about his power, as well as delved a bit deeper into his character.
Lastly, as was the case with the previous books in this series, the writing is not the most sophisticated. It has an informal, slightly rough-around-the-edges feel to it. That said, the writing does not detract too much from the book’s enjoyability.
Overall
All in all, Dark Harmony is a fitting end to The Bargainer series. Are there things about the book that I do not like? Sure, but the things I like outweigh the things I dislike. So, I’ll call that a win.
Have you read Dark Harmony? If so, let me know what you thought of it in the comments section below!
