3.5 out of 5 stars
E-book. 43 pages. Published December 10th 2016 by JMS Books LLC
Blurb:
Just like he did for Halloween, Io has decided to go all out for Christmas, a holiday not typically celebrated by the family. With the decorations up, the only thing he needs make it perfect is a blanket of fresh white snow. What’s Christmas without snowmen? There’s also the messy task of trying to, yet again, find the right gift for Cinder.
Meanwhile, Cinder has his plate full. Not only is he dealing with the sudden explosion of holiday decorations in Blackstone Manor, but the time has come for him to pick a new beta. Who is right for the position? If he doesn’t pick Io, will his beloved be hurt?
Likes:
- Quick, easy read.
- Mostly fluff.
- Wraps up the series well.
- More information about the gargoyle pack.
- Cinder shows his love for Io in many little ways.
Dislikes:
- No substance.
- No tension.
- Cinder and Daisy are old friends.
- Cinder doesn’t know why old buildings protect the balance.
- No smut.
- Minor editing mistakes.
- Snowmen and snow angels at the same time.
All things considered, this was a good ending to the series. Despite what the blurb tries to push, no extra drama was introduced. Cinder never seriously considered Io for the position of beta, and once he brings it up, the whole conversation is over in a flash.
This story is more like a Christmas special, with Io desperate to make his first Christmas with Cinder perfect. In fact, he stresses out so much that he drags others into his orbit. Both Daisy and Cinder do things to make Io happy, things they know they shouldn’t do. But, because this is a short story and the consequences are never dire, everything turns out fine.
If I was going to put a good spin on this story, I would say that it’s a quick, easy read with lots of fluff. If I was harsher, I’d say it has no substance. There is one point that is serious and has the potential for character growth. It came out of the blue, and was over without much fanfare.
I did like that there was a little more shown about the gargoyle pack, as well as the mention of another supernatural species. A part of me wishes that all the stories had been written to be more focused on the characters and their actions like this story was. Actions speak louder than words, and the little ways Cinder shows his love for Io really made this story. It’s too bad there was no on-page smut.
The deep friendship between Daisy and Cinder felt like it came from left field. It made me feel like the author didn’t really have a good knowledge of the characters, and was just adding things in willy-nilly. Again, there were minor editing mistakes that really stood out. And I couldn’t help but notice something that went contrary to my personal experience. Io and Cinder enjoyed making both snow angels and snowmen in the same afternoon. But in my experience, you want light, fluffy snow to make snow angels, and wet, clumpy snow for snowmen. I’m sure it was just artistic license to make the afternoon fun, but it definitely caught my eye.
It also made me realize that Io doesn’t really do gargoyle work. He spends his nights baking, decorating, having fun with Cinder, or watching movies with Daisy. What about guarding the old buildings? And speaking of old buildings. The fact that even Cinder doesn’t know how the old buildings keep the balance between the worlds of the living and the dead was bullshit. I believe it if Io doesn’t know, but for Cinder not to know and not to care, struck me as lazy writing.
I definitely prefer this story to the last. It ends on good notes all around. Cinder and Io are happy, the pack has a new beta, all the drama is over. And in the end, my complaints about the story are overshadowed by the happy ending.
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