4.5 stars

This series... I just don't even know where to begin to describe it. My emotions are all over the place. As usual, this author has bewitched me by creating a story that shouldn't be tantalizing but it is. IT SO IS. To the point, that I dream about Euphoria and elixirs because that is normal right?

The world-building is sublime in this series and continues in this story. It starts out a little slower than the previous books, even though it picks up right where it left off. The constant back and forth between these characters as they fought each other got to be a little tedious until Sully found himself in a similar predicament that Elanor had been in. Talk about coming full circle. The answers to who the traitor was, and it surprised me, were finally revealed, and some characters that I wasn't sure I trusted before completely surprised me.

This connection between Sully and Elanor is mesmerizing. At times it almost feels like the connection is otherworldly and that they belonged in the myths of Greek Deities. The steam was animalistic, brutal, and decadent. I loved watching Sully come to terms with his humanity. It has been a bumpy ride to fully redeemable but it has been so worth it.

I knew when I started that this book was going to be intense and brutal and that Pepper was going to stomp on my heart and make me want to bite my nails to the quick. I was correct in that assumption. She has managed to do that with every story that she has written. I knew that this book would set up the climax of the story and that it would set up a conclusion, for the final book, in which Sully would both rain hellfire and reign supreme and that Elanor would be by his side. My prediction somewhat came true but only in the way that Pepper HAD to throw a twist in there. One, that I did not see coming. I swear she is a wizard.

The ending of this one, like the others, ends on a SERIOUS cliffhanger. My heart plummeted out of my chest. It was utterly breathtaking. even knowing that something dire was about to happen and hearing the inner thoughts of Elanor made it even more breathtaking and, also, excruciating knowing that it is a moth away to finally get the answers that I want and need. If this author was not in my top ten before then she most definitely is now. ( )