We are finally at the end of The Bargainer series by Laura Thalassa. Dark Harmony is the third and final book. I do have some issues but is it honestly a book review by me if I don’t have an issue with something? I do recommend you read at least my review for Rhapsodic before reading this one. There will be slight spoilers. Let’s get into the synopsis and my thoughts!

Synopsis

There are worse things than death. Things that lurk in the shadows and slip into your dreams. Things that have no business existing. Things that once slept … but have now awoken.

For Callypso Lillis, the fae magic that now runs through her veins is equal parts curse and good fortune. For the very thing that bonds her to Desmond Flynn, the King of the Night, also makes her vulnerable to the Thief of Souls, a man who wants to break the world … and Callie along with it.

But it’s not just the Thief whose shadow looms over the Otherworld. Des’s father is back from the dead, and he wants revenge on the son who sent him to the grave in the first place.

Des and Callie must figure out how to stop both men, and time is running out. Because there are forces at play working to tear the lovers apart once and for all … and unfortunately for them, death is no longer the worst thing to fear.

My Thoughts

Well… an attempt was made. Before I get into the review, here’s the warnings: Dark Harmony contains rape, adult language and sexual content. There is nothing truly explicit, in my opinion, in this book but everyone has different comfort levels. The rape aspect is a part of Callie’s backstory and figures into a plot line in the fae world. I would not consider this book to be appropriate for younger readers.

This series has had its ups and downs for me. Rhapsodic had the most issues but overall, I enjoyed it. I really loved A Strange Hymn and The Emperor of Evening Stars. Unfortunately, Dark Harmony is on par with Rhapsodic, if not a little worse.

I loved the same things about this book that I loved about the first three so I’m not going to reiterate all of that again. I did *mostly* like the ooey-gooey happy ending because I’m a romantic at heart. Of course, Des and Callie live happily ever after but that’s literally all that is wrapped up in the ending. We don’t find out what happened to any of the other fae kingdoms or the other characters in general. This whole series was primarily focused on Des and Callie’s relationship and that was made even more clear with the fairy tale ending. Speaking of the other characters, however…

I was hoping that Temper would just disappear but unfortunately she’s in the majority of the book, blessing us with lines like this:

Temper is literally one of the WORST characters I’ve ever read. She’s stereotypical, badly written and completely useless. She adds nothing to the story, not even comedic relief.

One of my main complaints with Rhapsodic was that there wasn’t enough world building or focus on the plot. The story line got overshadowed by Des and Callie’s relationship/romance. This book has the same exact issue. There is a war going on in the fae world but Des and Callie decide to go on a vacation and are just like lol, whatevs. From there, it’s nonstop romance and the plot line REALLY suffers. Callie is supposed to be a detective but yet she doesn’t figure this out until unbearably far into the book…

This was obvious in book two, A Strange Hymn, and it wasn’t something that would have only been realized by the reader; Callie and Des SHOULD have picked up on it. The story line doesn’t get any better from there. Of course, there is eventually a showdown with the villain and he’s defeated in a way that doesn’t make much sense to me. It’s possible that I didn’t read close enough to understand but it sure felt like a perfect example of deus ex machina and just fell flat.

I’m annoyed with this book because I DO like Thalassa’s writing, when she’s not writing unbelievably cringy characters, that is. This series had so much potential. It’s not the worst that I’ve read and it’s overall an entertaining read BUT the bad elements of it are just so bad. I watched a Q & A that Thalassa did on her Facebook page and found out that she’s an editor and she only takes criticism seriously if it’s from other writers… that might be her problem. This story, and the series overall, could have used a different editor and more eyes on it but hey, what do I know? I’m not a writer.

So, do I recommend The Bargainer series? Yes BUT only if you don’t mind a ridiculous amount of romance, are into fantasy and just want an easy, fun read. I would also recommend buying the books electronically because they’re much cheaper and sometimes free. I do plan to give Thalassa another chance because her ideas are interesting. I’d love to know what you think about my review, this book or the series! Thanks for reading and have a great day!