When I reserved this book from the library I didn’t realize that it isn’t part of the main plot line. Instead it’s the story of Des’ childhood, growing up with his mother and hiding from his father the King until he gets a chance to kill the man who sired him and take over the Court of Night.
Most of the events up to that point are story we already know from the previous books. Then we get to the prophecy about his future that talks about his future mate.
It turns out that The Bargainers entire career on earth was about finding his prophesied human mate. He was obsessed with it. He spent over 150 years building up a business and a reputation just because he wanted to hang around on earth long enough to run into her.
How did he ever find time to do King stuff?
So of course eventually he does run into Callie, as we know from Rhapsodic. The story of her teenager years gets retold from his point of view.
So here’s the thing. I think I’ve said this about other romantasy series – I hate the concept of soulmates. I hate the idea that people don’t get to choose who they love. Not choose the emotions necessarily, but the relationship, what they do about those emotions. For me it really devalues commitment, to just make it a biological compulsion. And in this series it also excuses some very sketchy grooming of a teenager. And yeah, it’s fiction, I get that. But I also see a lot of people apparently baffled and asking “how is this grooming” and that worries me.
And I hate having to think about that kind of unethical shit when I’m reading. I read fantasy for the escapism. I don’t really want to be thinking, oh look it’s Drake with bat wings.