Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  City of Blood

SERIES:  Godstone Saga #6

AUTHOR:  Jocelynn Drake

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  386 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 01, 2022

BLURB:

The Final Confrontation

Caelan is done being a pawn of the gods.

He’s been herded and molded by the liars and manipulators.

He’s put the lives of his family in danger again and again.

And he is done.

It’s time to face the mad Goddess of the Hunt in the last place any of them want to go—the Ordas.

If they’re lucky, the special assistance he’s called in will arrive in time.

But no matter what, Caelan will protect his family…at any cost.

REVIEW:

This is Book Six of the Godstone Saga from Ms. Jocelynn Drake. In this final book (big, sad tears) we will finally see the confrontation between the Goddess of the Hunt and King Caelan Talos of Erya. He and his friends will bring the fight to her, in her domain, the Ordas. A really scary thought, I am really afraid for our King and his family!

For those who have been following the series, we learned that Caelan is now more than a King and ruler of Erya. It happened in the last part of book 5. Although they don’t know yet how this new development will play out in the end, they are still hoping for Thia to be saved and that all of them can go back home to live a life full of love and peace. But we also know that Caelan is willing to sacrifice himself in order for his family and all of Thia to live on.

In order for them to have the backup that they need, Caelan bonded with Adrian and sent him back to Stormbreak to gather their army and to seek the assistance of Prince Shey of Caspagir. While reluctant to leave his King, Adrian knows that what he will be doing could mean the difference in the final battle. He just had to make sure that he and the army he will be bringing can reach his friends in time. The bond that he has with Caelan will guide him as to where his friends are. It will also enable him to feel whether his friends are alive and well.

As they march into the Ordas, Caelan together with Drayce, Eno and Rayne had to fight for their lives constantly (well, at every turn actually). Everything wants them dead in the Ordas. Eno and Caelan know that they are being followed. Ever since they entered the Ordas actually. When they captured said person, they found out she was a young girl with eyes of a cat (sort of) and she can kill their predators as well. She can kill as well as them. When she got injured, Rayne healed her, although his ministrations were met with resistance at first. When they reached a place called Hidden Falls, they were accepted because of what this girl told the townspeople. They stayed there for a few days trying to gather information about Green Spring where Zyros is supposed to be waiting for them with they don’t know what actually, an army, people who are not people anymore but something evil and predatorial? But they know they have to do it.

After an almost-having-a-nervous-breakdown time waiting for everything to be ready, Adrian together with Erya’s army and Caspagir’s Prince Shey leading his own army, they are finally on the move. But not after receiving Omari Haru into Stormbreak. Caelan’s grandfather decided to send Haru in advance while he drills sense into the other clans to send their dragons to help save Thia, and to help his grandson, the King of Erya. The day they were supposed to leave, Haru beg Adrian to wait for one more day. Although afraid for his friends’ lives, it seemed really important to Haru that they wait. And the wait was worth everything because now they have six more dragons with them, including two from Clan Takahashi, Drayce’s former clan.

The fight between Zyros’ minions and Caelan’s friends were horrendous, they know that they were not fighting humans anymore. They have become so much less than human. Even the New Rosanthe army are oblivious of many things. Upon reaching Green Spring, Caelan was summoned to Zyros’ presence and presented with a proposal. Caelan was buying time (for Adrian and Erya’s army to arrive) to make a decision so Zyros gave him a day. Meanwhile, Rayne was summoned by the Emperor of New Rosanthe who was also camped out in Green Springs. Well, Rayne certainly took care of that.

But whatever fight happened before and in all the other books, it was nothing compared to the fight between the Gods, specifically, between the God of Hope, King Caelan Talos of Erya and the Goddess of the Hunt, Zyros. It was nerve-wracking for me, I was both excited and reluctant to read the next line, that was how nervous I felt. I wanted justice to be served for everything the Gods put Caelan and his friends through, all the hurt and all the heartbreak they suffered because of the jealousy and envy of a god. And I can honestly say that everyone got what they deserved, some maybe needed a second helping of justice from Caelan because of what they did, to Caelan and his family, to the hundreds of people who died because of “some petty squabbles created by bored and jealous gods.” Well, King Caelan really took care of that too!

Ms. Jocelynn Drake, you are an awesome writer, I am in awe of the stories you create and the amazing characters you have molded. I will miss Caelan, Drayce, Rayne, Eno, Adrian and Haru and all the others but I know that there are more amazing stories coming. Congratulations and thank you very much!

RATING:

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