by Richelle Mead
I have enjoyed all of the books in Richelle Mead's Succubus series, and now, finally, she has closed out the series with this, the sixth book. Now, as series go, this one is a bit odd, because it both is and isn't a single story. Each novel stands alone, and you won't need to hurry out to buy the next book just to learn what happens. Each book comes to an individual end, but yet there is a story told across all six.
In the books, we are following the exploits of Georgina Kincaid, who happens to be a succubus. Mead's succubus is rather like the succubi (plural of succubus) of legend. A succubus is very seductive and during sexual relations she consumes some of the life force of her victim/partner. However, most of the legends do not include the concept of the creation of succubi by making a deal with the devil and selling your soul.
So, Georgina was born on Cyprus somewhere around 500 AD, and became a succubus. She has lived since then, seducing men and helping gather souls for Hell, her true employer, which brings us to another of the differences between Richelle Mead's succubus books and a traditional view. In the stories Hell is more like an employer, and Georgina's relations with Hell are very much like she is being employed by Hell. She has a boss, a demon, and co-workers, an imp and two vampires, who are her friends and occasionally accomplices.
But, Georgina also works at a bookstore, it seems that Hell does not pay much by way of spendable coin. It is at the bookstore that she meets Seth Mortensen, the author of her favor series of detective novels. The series of novels tells the story of Georgina and Seth, as they fall in love, break up and get back together again. That is, the series of Richelle Mead's novels, not Seth Mortensen's series of novels.
You don't really have to read this series in order, except that I would suggest reading the first, first and the last, last. You won't understand some of what is going on in the others if you haven't read the first, and you won't understand most of what is going on in the last if you haven't read all the others first.
Okay, that's really confusing. Don't read the sixth book until you have read all the others. Many things in the final book refer back to earlier events. #5 is directly related to #3, so you won't understand motivations in #5 unless you have read #3. For the rest of the books, the only thing that will be confusing is Georgina's relationship with Seth, which changes through the course of the books, and if you get that out of order...well... But, other than that, each one stands on its own.
Of course, it really is best to read them in order, because each follows right on the heels of the last. All six novels cover a period of only a couple of years...maybe 3.
So, if I haven't totally confused you, then you should see what while each is a stand alone story on one level, all work together to tell a single story on another.
I guess I should have said that first.
Now, the problem for Succubus Revealed is how do you get a life-sucking succubus together with the mortal man she loves, and who loves her. The fifth novel, Succubus Shadows does an excellent job of setting up the problem of the last novel without giving anything away. If you pay attention through the first five, you may figure out some of the last book, but don't worry, Richelle Mead makes it worth the trip.
I really don't want to give much away, but I can say that it involves lots of work from her friends...at least her demonic ones, and it involves a trial in Hell. Now, if the idea of a trial in Hell isn't enough to convince you to read these books, well, then I probably can't find a lot more to get you interested.
Now, I do have to give a little warning. The book is about a succubus. A succubus seduces men and has sex with them. Yes, there are fairly graphic descriptions of sex in these books, so if you are offended by same, then don't read them. But, the books are not filled with sex scenes. There is at least one in every book, and there might be two in some of them. The sexual content does not dominate the books, but the main character is very sensual, and sexy, and there is sex. You've been warned, so don't complain to me about the sex in the books, either get over it, or don't read them.
So, this ended up being a review of the whole series more than the final book, but I am doing it to celebrate the end of good series of books. Finishing a series I enjoy is always a bit of a let down, but this one did a good job of getting to a satisfactory ending, and of doing more than getting to the end and saying goodbye.
The book ends at Georgina and Seth's wedding, which is held at dusk, so that they can be married outside with some light, but so that her vampire friends can attend the reception after the sun has gone down. It also includes last words from the one Angel who makes it all the way through the stories (yes, there are angels as well as demons). Through much of the series the Hellish side comes off as being more sympathetic than the Angelic side, but at the end, you find that the Angels really are in the business of saving souls. The resolution of the problem might be very slightly sappy, but the angel's final words put a nice cap onto the series.
