'Succubus Shadows' by Richelle MEAD

From the BLURB:

Georgina Kincaid has formidable powers. Immortality, seduction, shape-shifting into any human form she desires, walking in heels that would cripple mere mortals--all child's play to a succubus like her.

Helping to plan her ex-boyfriend's wedding is a different story. Georgina isn't sure which is worse--that Seth is marrying another woman, or that Georgina has to run all over Seattle trying on bridesmaid dresses. Still, there are distractions. Georgina's roommate, Roman, is cluttering her apartment with sexual tension. Then there's Simone, the new succubus in town, who's intent on corrupting Seth.

But the real danger lies in the mysterious force that's visiting her thoughts, trying to draw her into a dark, otherworldly realm. Sooner or later, Georgina knows she'll be too weak to resist. And when that happens, she'll discover who she can trust, who she can't--and that Hell is far from the worst place to spend eternity. . .

** SPOILERS **

The following review will make minor-ish references to the events in books 1-4 of the Georgina Kincaid series. If you haven’t yet read those books, you might want to turn away now…

Anyone whose read up to book #3 knows that Richelle Mead’s Urban Fantasy series is a test in patience and heartbreak. Since the gut-wrenching events of ‘Succubus Dreams’ I’ve found that I have to take a deep breath and plunge myself into the world of Georgina Kincaid. Because since that book Georgina has been put through the emotional ringer, and fans along with her.

Richelle Mead is a masterful storyteller, and her true talents lie in characterization. She builds these characters who are so vivid and wonderful, and as readers we wish they were real people we could call up for a chat and hang out with down at the pub. And her characters are so charismatic and endearing that readers do get emotionally invested in their lives – as readers we read vicariously. This is a good thing, most of the time. But for ‘Georgina Kincaid’ fans, we’ve been there through every step of Georgina’s heartbreak and heartache. I can only speak for myself… but Georgie’s emotional tumbles have often left me feeling a little bruised and battered. I finished both ‘Succubus Dreams’ and ‘Succubus Heat’ with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart. Silly it may be, but it’s just proof that Ms. Mead knows how to hook her readers and write beloved characters.

There’s good news and bad news about ‘Succubus Shadows’. Bad news; be prepared for more emotional battery. I bawled my eyes out again, but I’ve come to expect that from a series in which I have so much emotional investment. The good news; for all those heart-wrenching chapters there is a HUGE pay off. Seriously big, big changes that will make up for all the tears previously….

Fans of the series have long been speculating and chatting about the series conclusion. With only one book to go until the series is finished, that speculation has kicked up into a furor. There is one popular theory floating around about how all of Mead’s clues and tidbits will come to a head in the final book… and fans will be happy to know that in ‘Succubus Shadows’ all of fans supposing and guesswork is all but confirmed.

“Sometimes I just feel like the same things are happening to me over and over. Like, even this siren thing. Why me? In the last year, I’ve been targeted over and over. What are the odds? Why does this keep happening?”

I love, love, love Richelle Mead. Anything she writes, I will buy. Because I haven’t been disappointed by her yet. Her most popular series is ‘Vampire Academy’, but I personally think her *best* series is ‘Georgina Kincaid’. It has all the right elements of Urban Fantasy – mythology, romance, smut, action and fantastic characters. ‘Succubus Shadows’ is one of the best books in a quality series. Everything comes together beautifully – the storyline is intense but rewarding, the characters have high-stakes emotions and are fascinating to read. I devoured this book in one day, it was that good. Even when I was crying through those tough chapters, I loved every minute of this book. It was one of my most-anticipated books for 2010, and Ms. Mead did not disappoint.

If you haven’t yet, you must get into the ‘Georgina Kincaid’ series. It is a dark Urban Fantasy – there are heavy doses of romance and smut (of course, it is about a Succubus after all) but Ms. Mead does like to explore the darker side of human emotions in this series. Regardless of the emotional whirlwind, ‘Georgina Kincaid’ is a staple of the Urban Fantasy genre and absolutely addictively delicious.

5/5

P.S. - Fans of the ‘Dark Swan’ series will also be pleased to know that at the end of ‘Succubus Shadows’ there’s an excerpt of the 3rd book, ‘Iron Crowned’, set for a 2011 release.