Claiming the Reaper (Reaped, #2)

by C a Rene and R E Bond

[glowstars]

I’ll be honest, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about the end of the Reaped series. Okay, maybe it’s not the ending that that’s caught me, but the book that brings about the ending.

Claiming the Reaper is full of fun and had me chuckling away at some of the things the characters got up to, but I wonder if it was too manic? Overall I think the banter overshadowed the action and storyline and could’ve been dialled back a bit. The exception to this was the final shoot out in the desert. René and Bond really ramped up the emotional tension for that one and I spent most of the chapter with a lump in my throat and my fingers crossed. That chapter was like a mini cliffhanger in and of itself.

I felt like so much more could have been made of the family storyline, with so many powerfully charged relationships to develop. Generally, the main characters went from obliviousness or hate to acceptance far too quickly, and without pain or difficulty from either party. I also felt that the impact of differing personalities upon certain characters could have been explored with much greater depth.

That said, there are some brilliant scenes in the book, such as Selene staging a prison break and the epilogue (of which I won’t say anything because, spoilers). Despite (what I consider to be) its failings, Claiming the Reaper is a good read. There’s plenty of bloody and steamy debauchery and more action-packed into the pages than I’ve read in a long time. I just don’t think the final book lived up to the promise of the first two.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ CLAIMING THE REAPER
* Hilarious moments with Santos and Selene’s antics
* Masses of blood-covered action
* Catch the reference to the Sacrificial Lambs series (love a little tie-in)