Blood Magick (Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, #3)

by Nora Roberts

[EBookObsessed]

This final installment of the Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy features Branna O'Dwyer and Finbar Burke. So far the descendants of the Dark Witch have failed in their attempts to destroy Cabhan. But with each failure, they learn a little more what his weaknesses are. In their last attempt, they crossed dimensions and added the combined power of the original three, Sorcha's children. They need to find a way to once again cross time and draw the power of the original three to Branna, Connor and Iona's magic.

But there is more to be done this time and the answer to Cabhan's power is revealed. A dreamwalk with Branna and Fin take them to the time when Cabhan first received his dark powers and merged his body and power with a demon. It is the power of the demon that has allowed Cabhan to regenerate time and again. This time they will be prepared to destroy not only Cahban, but the demon inside giving him power.

In the past, Cabhan has attempted attacks on the women of the group. He has no respect for women who he considers to be weak. Only a year ago Iona was new to her powers and Meara has no magic so in Books 1 and 2, Cabhan attempts to destroy their circle through them. Since Branna and Fin are the two most powerful witches in the group, he does not attempt to attack Branna through magic, but through seduction. He uses Fin and Branna's denied love for each other against them. He offers to disguise himself as Fin to get Branna into bed. When seduction doesn't work, he tries the same approach on Fin. He offers him a gift of the witch he desires to join forces against the circle.

The epic battle should be the big draw to the third book, but to me it was more about Fin and Branna. We watched them battle their feelings through the first two books. Fin was Branna's first kiss, first lover and first love. As teens, they planned out their future together until the mark of Cabhan came upon Fin and tore them apart. The descendant of the Dark Witch couldn't be with the blood of Cabhan. As a girl, Branna felt betrayed by Fin, that he kept this knowledge from her, but Fin was as unaware as Branna until the mark appeared.

Fin has been wandering the world searching for a way to remove the mark and to get away from Branna. He couldn't stay so close to the only one he ever loved and have nothing but her scorn. Even the house Fin built was based upon the plans they discussed, and designs that he thought Branna would like.

At the beginning of Book #1, Branna was still holding onto some of that childhood pain and punishing Fin. She refused to trust in him but after fighting side by side, she knows that although they can never be together, deep down Fin is still the boy she loved and trusted. Because she has set aside her anger, she is now overwhelmed by those feelings of the loss of their connection and the life they can never have.

As they go into their final battle, both hold a secret hope in their hearts, that if they can succeed in destroying Cabhan and his demon, and Fin's mark is removed, there might just be a chance for a future for them.

THOUGHTS:
I loved Branna and Fin throughout the trilogy and was excited to finally get more of them. In the first two, you really felt Fin's pain and how much he longed to be with Branna. In this book we finally see how badly Branna pines for Fin as well once she realizes that blaming him for their loss was wrong.

For an epic battle, there really wasn't too much too it. It was mostly the spells and prep needed and a good portion of the book dedicated to Branna and Fin. Aside from the not very epic battle, it was an enjoyable paranormal trilogy.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.