Series: Darkest London # 7
Format: E-Galley, 336 pages
Release Date: June 28, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher
Genre: Historical, Paranormal Romance
Isolated and alone, Sin Evernight is one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in heaven and on earth. As an angel of vengeance, he hunts down the darkest evil, but when his long-lost friend, Layla Starling, needs him, he vows to become her protector. Even though she will be horrified by the man he has become.
Now a famous singer and the toast of London, Layla believes that Sin is only here to guard her from rabid fans and ardent suitors. However, the truth is far more sinister. Desperate to avoid losing Layla a second time, Sin will face a test of all his powers to defeat an unstoppable foe - and win an eternity with the woman he loves
Forevermore is the seventh and final installment in Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series. Forevermore features St. John (Sin) Evernight, and Layla Starling as the main protagonists. I dare you to read this book without relying on the synopsis to guide you into choosing to read, or not to read the book. While the synopsis is interesting, it has nothing to do with the actual events that happen in the story. Forevermore starts out in 1868 Boston (US) with two characters (Lena & Augustus) who have played large roles in the fate of our characters. It ends in 1890 London (UK) where all of Callihan's previous characters from book ONE onward take a final bow, learn some important truths, and deal with a major villain who has set his eyes set on Layla. It is a chance for series regulars to finally understand a whole lot of what was happening behind the scenes while they were fighting danger, and finding love.
Sin and Layla are not strangers to each other. In fact, one could say they were once best of friends who lost each other due to circumstances neither one of them could control. They later found a way back to each other in London thanks to the machinations of Augustus who has had his fingers in a whole lot of pies. Sin has been the sad sack of this series not quite fitting in because of his past with a certain Fae Queen. Layla is a much celebrated singer who travels the world, and is not only beautiful, but talented as well. Until she looses her voice, and has to return to England where Augustus awaits her arrival. Until she blacks out and starts aching for the taste of blood. Until she finds out that there is a whole lot more to her friend, Sin, than meets the eyes.
Sin has had a major change to his persona, IE he is now a Judgement Angel mentored by Augustus. But, he can't get over the loss of his three sisters Miranda, Daisy, and Poppy who continue believe that he betrayed them. They have no clue what he went through, and seemingly could care less. Until one bloody, brilliant, angry Layla sets them straight and makes them feel rotten to the core. Meanwhile, Layla has no clue who her real parents are, or what abilities she has access to that are rapidly coming out in all their glory. With Augustus asking Sin to watch over Layla to ensure her safety while she figures things out with her new being, Layla must walk the walk into London's society and try to pick out a husband who can protect her while also challenging Sin to prove he has no feelings for her.
If you have NOT read this series yet, you are in for a treat. This is the perfect opportunity to do so since this is the final novel in the series. Now, you don't have to wait for any of the books to come out! Callihan has created a world that is dark, vivid, dangerous, and filled with Demons, Werewolves, Shape-Shifters, Raptor Demons, and a cast that has had to deal with a slew of dangerous villains while also finding a love. It is a world that crosses steampunk with paranormal with historical with steamy romance.
By romance, I am of course referring to Callihan's sex scenes which are hot and heavy and dangerous to one's health. I hope that readers will enjoy the back story between Lena and Augustus as well. You may have not liked Lena in the past, but you'll love how the couple's road ends. This is a couple that has been around the entire time watching over Miranda & Archer, Daisy & Ian, Winston & Poppy, Jack & Mary, and ensuring that Sin and Layla would find each other.
One might
think being an immortal was a blessing, never grow old, never grow sick, never
die. At one time in St. John Evernight’s life, he considered it a blessing too.
He would be around long after the simple humans who surrounded him were nothing
but dust. They could stare all they liked at his “strange” hair and frosty
green eyes. They could gossip and speculate about him until they lost their
voices. It didn’t matter. He was untouchable, and they were but fragile sacks
of blood and bone.
How naive he’d been. Because living
forever merely meant a lack of escape from the desolation of regret and
loneliness. He knew now that he could walk down Jermyn Street endlessly, see
the sands of time shift and rearrange before him, and never be a part of life.
“Brooding, Mr. Evernight?”
Sin almost jumped at the sudden sound
of Augustus’s voice by his side. Damn, the blasted man loved to startle him. He
gave Augustus a passing glance. Dressed in conservative brown tweed and a
bowler hat, the angel appeared every inch the English gentlemen, save for his
dark coloring that marked him to be from Southern climes.
“It’s really quite the trick, popping
up like a soap bubble whenever you choose, Augustus. You must teach me how one
day.”
The man’s mouth twitched. “With your
luck, you’d pop up in the middle of a parliamentary session.”
Yes, Sin had abominable luck. Or
perhaps it was more a matter of making abominable choices.
“You’re brooding again,” Augustus
remarked.
“I’m not brooding. This is simply my
face.”
Augustus snorted but remained silent
as they walked along, past Trafalgar Square and down Whitehall.
“Care to tell me why you called me here?”
Sin asked, when they came upon the grounds of Westminster. For the past year,
Sin had been in Rome, soaking in the warmer temperatures, drinking espresso in
cafes along the Piazza della Rotunda, under the shade of the ancient Pantheon.
He’d eaten simple but delicious food, and listened to the rapid fire of
Italian, and felt…well, not peace, but a measure of contentment.
Until Augustus had sent for him.
Returning to England sat like a stone in his gut. But he would obey. Augustus
was his mentor, and the man who’d given him salvation. The price was a lifetime
of servitude. To be fair, his role was for justice, not evil, which was a nice
change of pace.
A massive dray rattled past, kicking
up dust and sending a fug of stale manure into the air. They hurried past the
cloud and headed for Westminster Abbey. Sin hadn’t planned on visiting today,
but here they were all the same. He wondered if Augustus somehow had led him to
their usual meeting place or if Sin had merely headed that way because of the
man’s sudden arrival.
He’d like to think the latter. It did
not sit well with him having another control his actions. Not since a certain
evil fae had kept Sin as a blood slave for years. Even now, the memory made his
stomach turn.
Not a soul acknowledged them as they
walked through the abbey and into the cloisters. Here, a rare bit of sunlight
peeked through the constant cloud cover and cast lacy shadows along the
walkway. The sound of their boot heels clacked out a steady rhythm as they
strolled along.
“Layla returns to London tonight.”
At the mention of her name, Sin’s
heart stilled within his breast. He’d tried his best to ward off all finer
feelings, to remain numb, detached from life. And yet he could not, for the
life of him, remain immune to Layla Starling. His childhood friend. The one
woman who could take his breath, his reason, simply by laying eyes upon her.
Stuffing his shaking hands into his
trouser pockets, Sin forced himself to keep an even tone. “So then I am to
begin watching over her?”
God, but he did not want to. It would
be agony, staying so close to her and never being allowed to show his true
feelings. And yet a thrum of anticipation went through him at the mere prospect
of seeing Layla once more.
“Are you ready?” Augustus asked, though his
expression told Sin he fully expected an affirmative answer.
So Sin told him the only truth left
to him. “I will not fail her.”
AUTHOR INFORMATION
USA
Today bestselling author Kristen Callihan is a writer because there is nothing
else she'd rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT
Reviewers' Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from
Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by
many reviewers. Her debut book, Firelight, received RT Book Reviews' Seal of
Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of
Spring 2012 by Publisher's Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012
by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.
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Books in Order they were released:
Series Page on Goodreads
Ember, (Miranda) prequel to Firelight
Firelight (Miranda and Archer
Moonglow (Daisy and Ian)
Winterblaze (Poppy and Winston)
Shadowdance (Mary Chase and Jack Talent)
Evernight (Will Thorne and Holly Evernight)
Soulbound (Adam and Eliza May)
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