In writers workshops, they are often urged to kill their darlings. A writer should not be so in love with a character that they are unwilling to sacrifice them in the interest of a better book. Neill seems to have taken this directive very seriously. She knocked me galley-west in this installment.
The European vampires here reminded me a fair bit of Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series, which boasts malevolent Euro vamps who look down on their North American kin and expect to rule the roost. In both series, they seriously underestimate the independent spirit of Americans. People who stage a Boston Teaparty, who fight a War of Independence, and who settle their own differences with a Civil War are unlikely to acquiesce to unreasonable demands from foreign rulers.
I was glad to see Merit and Mallory regain their friendship mojo in this book and resume their supportive yet snarky banter. As Ethan observes, Mallory keeps Merit in touch with her lost humanity, which makes her a better Sentinel. For an English Lit student, Merit has become both a warrior and an investigator in short order. I've read studies about people who read being more empathetic, having spent more time seeing the world from the viewpoints of other people. Perhaps Merit's reading habits help her too.
This series is addictive! I have zero ideas about where Neill expects to take things from here, but I assume there is a master plan or there would have been no reason for the sacrifices mentioned earlier. Quite an exciting prospect!
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