We're done here. ( )

This book absolutely stresses how the core three of this universe are Cal, Niko, and Robin Goodfellow. It's sometimes sensitive about it, or at least understandable, because we know Cal would pretty much kill anyone else without a thought. But in many places it wasn't sensitive at all, and added scenes and possible retcons that are very harsh toward a few characters. I console myself partially by remembering that if anyone is an unreliable narrator it's Goodfellow.

I liked the action in this book, and I've always liked the characters. I enjoyed reading from Goodfellow's POV and seeing all his scheming first hand--and how that turned this book into a bit of a caper. But I hated the character assassination and the emphasis that there is no one else worthy in the world but Cal, Niko, and Goodfellow.

I'm still interested enough in Cal and what he is to continue. ( )

From Amazon:

Brothers Cal and Niko Leandros know trouble when they see it—and then proceed to wipe the floor with it. But now it seems their whole world is falling to pieces. Cal’s nightmarish monster side is growing ever stronger, changing Cal physically as well as mentally. Which is exactly what Grimm—Cal’s savage doppelganger—wants. And when a covert supernatural organization decides that it’s time to put Cal down before he threatens pretty much everything else in existence, the brothers find themselves in a fight they actually might lose. But the dark temptations Cal has denied all his life may prove to be exactly what can save them. Even if he must fall forever.

My Thoughts:

I was somewhat disappointed in this book. It seemed as if two-thirds of it was composed of excessive inner angst and ruminating. Some of this is to be expected, particularly from Cal, but Robin's sections started out as interesting but soon became tedious. It also seemed as if back story was dropped in almost as a filler. The main plot without it probably could have been told as a short story rather than a novel. Something was truly off as compared to the other books in the series....and I really, really like this series. I will just wait to see what the next installment brings. ( )

After finishing this book, I understood why there were so many less than positive reviews. Downfall wasn’t even close to the quality of the books that came before and I initially considered giving it two stars. I didn’t because I think it corrected course in a major way.

Thurman wrote herself into a corner with that “Auphe genes dominate” thing. Where can you go when your hero is locked into becoming a villain? You either finish a very popular series on a down note, or you find a way out of it. Unsurprisingly, the author decided on the second course. The result is a story with no real plot, mostly told from Goodfellow’s POV, and with contrived, deux ex machina conclusion. Normally, this would signal lazy writing; here, I think it was really the only way to un-do the problem of Cal becoming a full Auphe. And, since most of Cal’s thoughts as this point are “how do I hold back my homicidal impulses,” I understand why the author has Goodfellow narrating. Unfortunately, he’s better in small doses. Though this book was weak, I was actually thrilled by the ending because it cleared the slate.

Overall, this was disappointing, but fans will want to know how things are resolved and what the status quo now is. The series can now move forward from a strong position, and that has left me excited for the next installment. Recommended. ( )

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
allthingsuf.com

There has been a particular fate clicking away in Cal’s genes from the moment of his birth, and a particular doom dogging the Leandros brothers since the dawn of time. DOWNFALL is when Robin Goodfellow gets fed up with watching incarnation after incarnation of the brothers die a horrible death. DOWNFALL is when he decides it’s time to play this game the Trickster way.

From the opening scene of doom, to the flashback that traces Cal and Niko’s path to that final confrontation, Thurman gives us both Cal and Robin Goodfellow in alternating perspectives. With the deck stacked so high against Cal, it is a welcome joy to see Robin, unfettered in all his ancient, powerful, sex positive and egomaniacal glory, striving so valiantly to keep his friends alive. Rather than a magical deus ex machina swooping in at the end, we see Robin tirelessly (and deviously) to save the brothers throughout the entire book. And yet even with these glimpses of his plans, there’s no guarantees.

Despite the danger all around, I found that Robin Goodfellow outshines even the action side of the plot. Unabashedly pansexual and lecherous, he smashes the modern stereotypes of “manhood” without turning a hair, all the while flexing his power and experience in a desperate effort to save his friends. Though I’m late to this series, both SLASHBACK and DOWNFALL have been entirely enjoyable for a new reader, though both remind me of all the great backstory I should catch up on. A game changer with fascinating implications for the future, DOWNFALL is a book no Leandros fan should miss.

Sexual Content: References to sex. ( )