Review--Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead

#1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead returns to the Otherworld, a mystic land inextricably linked to our own--and balanced precariously on one woman's desperate courage...

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld...

The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't--or won't--reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon--and risk the ultimate sacrifice...

Finally finished Richelle Mead's finale to the Dark Swan series, Shadow Heir. Which has a nice title to it when you think of it! Anyway the book doesn't hesitate to dive right into the thick of things. Eugenie is already 5 months along with her pregnancy with the twins. And it is a dangerous time for her since nearly every other kingdom in the Otherworld wants to kill her children. 

But her pregnancy is only the beginning of the issues. When she escapes back to the mortal world to protect her unborn children, she leaves her kingdoms and everything else behind. Soon terror strikes nearly all the kingdoms. Winter has attacked and it is vengeful. Eugenie will have to return to the Otherworld once again to try to save her kingdom along with several others.

The action and intrigue never really seem to stop. Just when things look like they're heading for a quiet moment while there's still several pages left, more action popups totally changing everything once again! There are definitely some jaw dropping surprises along the way! I mean wow!

Once more is the ending that everyone has been talking about. I truly was fearing the worse, especially at moments before the actual ending. I didn't know what to expect! I had conjured up terrible terrible thoughts. And then it was within the last 100 pages or so, that I suddenly thought of something and sure enough that was what the ending had been all about! I now know why people were outraged at the tail end. While it was still shocking, I don't feel as outraged as some of the reviewers. Sure I'm a little peeved, and I tell myself this is THE END. That's it. Finito. Unless Richelle decides to dive back into the series, which I doubt at the moment. Years later, maybe. I just don't know. The ending was definitely something I wasn't truly expecting and I am still a little miffed, but that's how it goes with series finales.

That being said, I did truly enjoy this series! Richelle Mead is really a landmark for me in a lot of ways! I was hesitant to read YA books, but some online friends convinced me to read Vampire Academy, then I picked up the Dark Swan series on my own, and was hesitant still with the Georgina series thinking it would be too romantic since that was where it was shelved in my bookstores and I'm not a fan of reading endless sex scenes, not to offend anyone who does! But yet again more blogging friends told me to read it! That there was hardly any sex scenes to begin with. And once again I was blown away! So pretty much all Mead's series have blown me away because they weren't what I was expecting and I love that!

While I will miss this series and it was the one I read on my own decision, I will happily read anything else Mead concocts! Eugenie definitely meets up to my standards as kick-ass heroine! She had a lot of tough decisions to make and I think she did a fair job of making them! We can't always agree with the heroine as many other reviewers are pointing out, but Eugenie's journey has been a tough one and despite all she's been through I'm glad she stuck by her own decisions in the end.

So I will cut myself off before I get too wordy-lengthy-or other sentimental whatnot, or just writing too much once again! The finale was epic and there were several heart-pounding moments! A thrill ride from beginning to end! I highly recommend this series to any and every paranormal fan! It's one you do not want to miss!

Overall rating 4.5/5 stars