*Gizmos Early Book Reviews* Banishing the Dark (Arcadia Bell #4) by Jenn Bennett

**I received this book for free via NetGalley/Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*My Thoughts*

Banishing the Dark picks up the pieces from the devastating cliffhanger left over from Binding the Shadows which pretty much left everyone crying out in anguish. Cady still has a whole lot on her plate, and no real time to cry over what happened to her. She's managed to defeat Dare, and somehow survived thanks to her awesome Moonchild powers.

Time is quickly ticking down to the point where Cady must finally face her mother Enola Duval in a battle to the death, and even then, Cady makes a brave choice that could derail everything she's worked hard to accomplish if she's not careful. She also knows that she has "something" to look forward to once her mother is permanently out of the picture, and then she can slow down, and finally breathe without feeling overwhelmed.

Bennett continues to astound me with her writing ability. I love that I can actually feel the tension, and the dynamics between the characters has become stronger. I love the fact that she gives Jupe a major role in the conclusion of the series and even his own POV. I love Jupes snark, and humor, and adore the fact that he and Cady have grown attached to each other without a second thought.

Lon has come a very long way for me as a reader. When he was first introduced in Kindling the Moon, I didn't much care for the pirate mustached older male character as Cady's love interest. I'll be honest, as always, and say that it was the age difference that gave me pause. He quickly unthawed my cold heart & wore me down. His romance, and determination to stand alongside Cady and not back away, just made me want more of him. 

I knew that Jenn was working on an entirely new series called the Roaring Twenties which is jammed pack with sex, exciting new characters, and is set in the 1920's. It is something entirely different from the Arcadia Bell series and I think that readers will still be able to enjoy how creative Jenn really is. I will recommend that series to anyone who loves paranormal romance with LOTS OF SEX!

It is more than a little sad to know that there won't be any more adventures featuring Cady, Lon, or Jupe. Even though word spread like wildfire on Twitter, and other places, I really didn't want to believe that Jenn would end a fantastic series that I totally loved this soon. Then I got to the ending, and found the Epilogue that Jenn had written, and knew for sure it was all over but the crying. The Epilogue is truly bittersweet, and wraps up everything nicely with a cute little bow on top that readers will surely love.

In the end, it takes a brave writer to stop writing a series when it is just getting good, and not continue to write until the series becomes stagnant, or the characters change so much that you hardly recognize them any longer. I won't be complaining about the ending, or the pacing of this book. It accomplished what other finales didn't do. It kept me entertained right to the bitter end.

Author - Jenn Bennett
Title - Banishing the Dark (Arcadia Bell # 4)
Published by Pocket Books
Releases: May 27, 2014
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: E-Book 384 pages