30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Moon Sworn, May 25, 2010
This review is from: Moon Sworn (Riley Jenson, Guardian, Book 9) (Mass Market Paperback)
**Possible spoilers if you have not read the rest of the series**
After what I would call a very emotional and unexpected ending in Bound to Shadows, Moon Sworn picks up with Riley mourning her soul-mate Kye's death at her own hands, and the death of her long time friend Kade. While she has much to live for she is questioning her future as a Guardian and where her life is heading. She longs to realize her dream of having a family and leaving the violent life of a Guardian behind. However, because of the changes that are occurring in her body due to an experimental drug given to her, she is bound to the Directorate indefinitely.
When it becomes apparent that a killer is at work leaving brutally slain bodies of recently released ex-cons around, Riley is back on the job and deep in a mystery. She is once again the bold, vivacious Guardian we've come to know, determined to get the job done. But an enemy from her past is hell bent on revenge and has hatched an elaborate plan to get to her. Riley's life will never be the same and she may lose everything and everyone she loves if she cannot identify and conquer the enemy that seeks to take everything from her.
As this series has progressed the stories have become more and more exciting, always entertaining, and I've become somewhat emotionally invested in the characters and their lives. Knowing this was the last book in the series I was both excited and a little sad to read it. Without spoiling I will say that Moon Sworn gave me everything I was hoping for, for Riley Jenson. Having seen her struggle and grow throughout the series, I've always hoped that someday she would get her happily ever after, but sometimes that comes in ways one would not expect. Moon Sworn offers a thrilling murder mystery as well as a few unexpected surprises for Riley.
There was an aspect to the story that threw me off just a bit. It was the temporary absence of the characters key to Riley's life throughout the course of the series. I realize this is Riley's story and so the book should focus mostly on her, however, being the last book in the series I had hoped for more page time for Quinn, Rhoan, Leander and Jack. They do of course get some page time, but for a period of time it just felt like a there was a flat spot in story without them and I really missed Riley's interaction with these characters.
Quinn and Riley have had a tumultuous relationship and I have not always liked Quinn or his treatment of Riley. But he too has grown with in the series becoming the man and vampire that fully owns Riley's heart. Although I didn't think it was possible for me to like him more than in Bound To Shadows, I fell well and truly hard for him in Moon Sworn.
Now that we have to say good-bye to Riley, I look forward to Keri Arthur's spin-off series featuring Risa, daughter of Dia, another well loved character from the Guardian series.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than the last book, good ending to the series..., May 27, 2010
This review is from: Moon Sworn (Riley Jenson, Guardian, Book 9) (Mass Market Paperback)
***I've tried not to rehash the plot, but there are some minor spoilers, so proceed with caution. :)***
This was better than the last book in the series. Although Riley had issues to work through (death of her soulmate - Kye - and a good friend - Kade - in the previous book), she remained strong while she overcame her difficulties. The beginning was a little slow (and the flashbacks to events in the previous book became a little repetitive), but the pace picked up about 1/3 of the way in. The plot was great (after it got going), with a return of the strong, determined Riley from previous books (even in the midst of some serious obstacles thrown in her way). All the issues (pain of losing her soulmate, finally accepting her love for Quinn and committing to their relationship, working out her ambivalence of being a guardian) were resolved here. The series ended in a realistic way, with a happy (and well-deserved) ending for Riley and Quinn. Not a 5-star read due to the slow and somewhat repetitive start, but well worth the read, and a satisfying 4-star ending to the series.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Moon Sworn, August 30, 2010
This review is from: Moon Sworn (Riley Jenson, Guardian, Book 9) (Mass Market Paperback)
I've been a huge fan of this series since the beginning. I love Riley's no nonsense attitude, she is who she is and isn't going to change no matter what is thrown in her face. I love the mysteries presented in each book and feel that Keri Arthur is one of the best out there at keeping readers interested in what is going on. These books balance plot and character development perfectly, and that is why I am still around at book nine. Unfortunately, Moon Sworn was a total miss for me. There wasn't very much character progression, the mystery was unimportant, and the confrontation was anticlimactic. The book starts out a bit slow because it picks up after the end of the last one, on one hand I wanted Riley to be strong, but on the other hand I appreciate that an author is taking the time to have a character mourn a loss. How often do you really see that in other books? With the breakneck pace at which most UFs progress, it is nice to have a serious moment here or there. The ritual murders are interesting and the mystery is presented well, but everything falls apart after that. All of the sudden Riley is in another body and has to spend hundreds of pages remembering who she is. Then, there is a confrontation with the big bad guy and it's over with a lovely ending. It's just too easy. Where is the compelling page turning edge of your seat plot? Maybe it's just a personal preference issue, and everyone else will like this book, but I felt like it was largely a cop out. Simple mystery, large section of nothing happening, happy ending. I just don't like sitting through a large chunk of a book where the main character has to rehash everything we already know. It's not good enough, and not up to par with the rest of the series. I'm extremely disappointed, and now it's over. The exciting ideas presented in book one were never fully explored, now this book makes me wonder what could have been.
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