Nine Lives by Serena Akeroyd – A Book Review

Posted August 1, 2019 by Booksandblurbs in PNR, Reverse Harem, Reviews / 1 Comment

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Nine Lives

(The Caelum Academy – Book 3)

by Serena Akeroyd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Slow Burn Academy Bully PNR RH
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down and Dirty

Action packed conclusion to a unique and stand apart trilogy. Free on Kindle Unlimited!

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

The Ghoul population is on the increase.
FACT.
Creatures’ numbers are dwindling.
FACT.

Into this sorry state of affairs falls Eve. She’s abnormal in all the ways that count to humans, but at Caelum, where she should be among her peers?
Even here she’s weird.

No woman has more than one mate.
Eve?
She has seven.

And the creatures that dominate her mind?
There are eight of those battling for power in her soul.

With the war having come to Caelum’s front door, Eve and her mates have no option but to escape the perils she faces at an Academy where anyone extraordinary is to be exterminated.
On the path to safety, however, Eve and her mates must uncover exactly who she is, and what, if they can ever hope to lead normal lives.
But with the revelations come more peril than any of them could have imagined.

Will they survive the beginning of the end?

Or were they doomed to fail before they were even born?

Find out in the THIRD and final book in the complete Caelum Academy trilogy.

Thoughts on Nine Lives

Conclusion felt good

This is a unique series that slammed onto the scene completely formed and ready to download in its entirety, offering up a trilogy on day one instead of pacing out books like more traditional authors or publishers – though I have seen a spike in quick release format.

All that said, this series held strong from page one, building up Eve and her men while taking them on an epic adventure.

It packed a punch and produced ALL the feels, in all the perfect ways. Woven with mythology, both paranormal and Biblical, it stands apart by offering a different view in an oversaturated market. While this third installment didn’t hit me as pleasantly as the first two (read my review of Book 1 and Book 2) it still kept my own soul happy with a HEA that pushed to the very last page.

Highly recommend.

Favorite Lines

“That’s because God isn’t religious. Man made religion. (38%)

The person who could switch from Pollyanna to Bloody Mary if she felt sure she, or one of us, were being threatened. (42%)

And I’d learned that if words could burn, a photo could cut you to ribbons. (55%)

Pros:

Love the pack and Eve.
This book takes a hard look at common themes… and twists them.
We get a HEA, even if it doesn’t seem like it will ever get there.

Cons:

Not as strong as the first 2.
The full on biblical theme turned me off a bit at first, though the entire LACK of religion (not GOD.. religion, there is a difference) in combination intrigued me.
Some of the major climax scenes felt…. empty? There was struggle, but as one of the characters said, “This feels too easy.”

Perspective

First Person, Multiple POV

Ending Type

HEA

Rating

NC-17

Romantic Dynamic

MMMMMMMF

Character Age Range

17 – 20 (for the length of the series, FMC turn 18 prior to any hanky panky)

Verdict

4 out of 5 Stars

A great conclusion to a unique PNR RH trilogy! It is labeled as a ‘Bully Romance’ – but it’s not, at least not in my view. If anything, it’s a Bully Light… but more an Enemies-to-Lovers trilogy. I highly recommend it. Free on KU!

Published June 27th, 2019

326 Pages

Please note, Nine Lives is part of a Reverse Harem Trilogy which features alternative sexual themes and scenes more suited to an adult audience.