Inferno: Review

Inferno (Fourth Talisman, #5)
By Kat Ross
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: March 15th 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Loved It

Other Titles By Kat Ross:

The Fourth Talisman Series:
Nocturne
Solis
Monstrum
Nemesis

The Fourth Element Series:
The Midnight Sea and The Blood of the Prophet
Queen of Chaos

Dominion Mysteries
The Daemoniac
The Thirteenth Gate

Synopsis:

Content Rating: Adult content including sex and violence. Contains LGBT content.

In the last volume of the Fourth Talisman series, the worlds of the living and the dead collide in a final confrontation that will leave Nocturne and Solis forever changed….

Three talismans adrift.
Two mad kings.
One poisonous crown.

As dark forces gather at the Rock of Ariamazes in Samarqand, Nazafareen discovers that there are worse places than the afterlife. The twisted creature pulling the Vatras’ strings is holed up in the deepest level of the Dominion—and only she has the power to follow him there, though at the potential cost of her own soul.

Prophecy claims the three daeva clans must unite to face their greatest enemy again, but two of the talismans have vanished and the third is a child more used to skulking in the shadows than leading an army. Meb the Mouse might be their last hope—if anyone bothers to take her seriously.

And within the confines of the Rock, a dying king makes a pact with the devil, setting in motion a chain of events that could spell doom for friends and foes alike.

WARNING: This book contains twists and turns, richly deserved comeuppances, shocking revelations, knock-down, drag-out fights, obsessive stalkers, some very nasty monsters…and, of course, true love.

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Review:

• I received this book free though Xpresso Book Tours.

Buckle up! Cause this is one crazy ride to the finish…

But wait! If this is your first time hearing about the Fourth Talisman Series, you are in the wrong place. This is the ending not the beginning. Go back and read my review of Nocturne, the first book in the series. (Or skip to the bottom of the post and enter the giveaway for a copy of Nocturne.)

Light Spoilers Ahead (after all this is the last book in the series.)

After 8, count them 8 books with Nazafareen and Darius and 5 books on the world of Nocture/Solis we finally come to an end, and WHAT AN END! I must say after the way Nemesis ended I was kinda of worried. More than worried, I was sweating bullets! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Inferno.

However, it was absolutely worth the wait. I know that Kat Ross poured her heart into this book and it shows. The book is at times almost lyrical. The world building that has been so excellent to this point really brought everything in the book together.

The relationships between characters gave us so many satisfying moments throughout Inferno. Darius and Nazafareen have always had a great relationship, that although complicated at times, never left us questioning that they were OTP (one-true-pairing for those who don’t know all the online ‘ship talk. 😉) Their relationship takes several fun and satisfying turns in the book, but the relationships that really shine are several of the others. I’ve always loved the adult (as in mature not x-rated) relationship between Mina and Culach. Things got pretty interesting when Victor (Mina’s ex) showed up, but even that relationship as complicated as it is and with all the literally crazy stuff Victor does it felt fulfilled in this story. Then there is the friendship between Meb and Culach. Both bringing out the best in each other. Culach helping Meb find the courage to become queen and Meb helping Culach find the courage to fight again despite his blindness and loss of elemental power.

It’s just great stuff people. And really makes reading ALL the books worthwhile! I could go on and on because the relationships and the webs between characters have so much power in Inferno.

I will go on to one more relationship because it’s also wonderfully adult and complicated and has a very interesting outcome in the book. Nico has at times been a villain and at times a hero, his relationship to Domitia is complicated because in the Kiln you don’t make many friends. Throughout the series we see this relationship splinter as Nico came to better understand the world outside the Kiln. His betrayal of her wasn’t a shock, as he knows her thirst for power would eventually lead to all of them in chains. But what is surprising is his reaction to seeing her again (and to how her father deals with her)… it’s one of the more real moments in the crazy series of events that bring the book to a close. Time kind of freezes on these two friends as she lays dying and says… “Let go of my f***ing hand.” Perfect.

There was not a relationship moment in the series that didn’t lead to a pay off in Inferno. I haven’t even scratched the surface… the Maenads, or Javid for instance, but before this review gets too long let me give you the…

Bottom Line:

Inferno is the pay off readers deserve. Go get this series and binge read it. It’s an absolutely must-read fantasy series. Especially for readers who want some depth in the relationships and a new fantasy world setting.

I’m going to blog more about Inferno, because I didn’t even get to touch on the ending, so stayed tuned…

“She saw two tall figures vault over the ship’s rail. Raven hair and silver. They stood together like avenging angels and wherever their gaze fell, monsters died.”

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