This book has some rough edges and the pacing & the ending weren't perfect. But most of the book was freaking adorable and I loved the characters and the world.

This is the fourth book in a multi-author series, but it still worked well as a standalone. ( )

Quickie Review-May contain spoilers, fair warning upon reading this review.

Lord of the Abyss was recommended to me by a fellow book friend, who really loved this one and when she mentioned that it had beauty and beast vibes and very similar gothic undertones to that of Lair of the Lion by Feehan, I just knew that this book was one that I needed to read. And I also wanted to try to pick this one up for Halloween vibes and it was so perfect. This is out of order of a series, but it can still be read as a standalone if needed. I really enjoyed what the Lord of the Abyss offered here. It has all the vibes I love to see in a fantasy or paranromal romance. Nalini Singh always knows how to write such great stuff, but this is most definitely one of my favorites from her. I wouldn't have minded it being a bit longer though, but even with its length, it was a true gem. There is so much magic and intrigue and smexy vibes contained within this story. And the retelling aspect was so well done. I loved the connections to the "Beauty and the Beast" tale. So if you are looking for the perfect smexy spooky gothic romance to read, I highly recommend you grab this one up here. Its a pure delight and will definitely be buying to to place on my shelf. ( )

I cannot BELIEVE it took me so long to read this! It could not possibly be more up my alley. Traumatized, scarred, plain, insecure heroine falls for a wonderful interpretation of the Beast - it's a brilliant reimagining of the fairy tale. So much great angst!!! And HOT, dang, so hot. Only one complaint at the end: I wasn't really into Liliana becoming beautiful. I think I would have preferred her to just heal and become comfortable with herself, rather than magically turning into a babe. I did like how Micah couldn't have cared less, though. But honestly, I loved this!!! ( )

"Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…"

We've heard the stories of the three older siblings, and now we finally learn about Micah, and what happened to him after that fateful night,.

We start off with the story of someone else, though - Liliana, daughter of the evil Blood Sorcerer. Somehow, Liliana has managed to not turn into her father, to retain the goodness and yes, even light, that is her essence. But she had to endure so much torture, fear and hate at the hands of her father. She learns the truth about the heirs to the kingdom of Elden, and knows what she has to do - search out Micah and tell him who he truly is so the kingdom can be saved. Unfortunately, Micah is now the Lord of the Abyss, and has no idea who he is. Liliana makes it her mission to get through the armor he has built around himself to save the kingdom her father is trying to ruin, forever.

Wow! That's how I felt reading this story! I was sad that this was going to be the last book, the one that brings it all home, but I was excited to find out how it would end. And I have to say, this was definitely my favorite book of the series. I've never read anything by Nalini Singh before, but I will definitely be searching her out from now on. She wrote characters that you just can't help but care about, who you are pulling for throughout the book. Liliana and Micah are both so damaged and broken, but together they are magic. The world building was phenomenal, and the pacing was spot on. This was such a quick read for me because it was so well written - the pages just seemed to fly by. The ending came too quick but was a good end to a great series.

In summary, I adored this book, the conclusion to a four book series. I would recommend that you read the books in order, but imagine that this book would work as a standalone as well.

Highly recommend - 5/5 stars. This is my idea of what a paranormal romance should be.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for this opportunity. ( )

The conclusion to the tale of four royal children returning to reclaim their kingdom, this is Micah's story. Interesting read
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