Remember how amazing Jana Oliver’s The Demon Trapper’s Daughter was? And then we had Soul Thief, which sounded great but was really like just holding your breath for 300 pages waiting for something to happen (while wanting to smack Riley in the face a la Bella Swan)? I mean, there’s tension, and then there’s just, “You’re losing me, Jana!” Know what I mean? (Spoilers ahead.)
Well, Forgiven, the third trappers book, almost takes us back to badass Riley and her ultimate awesomeness, and I am starting to see where Oliver is going with this shadow of Riley. After her father’s death, her near-death experiences (and nearly bagging a Three by herself only to have it stolen and she, herself, threatened), and Simon almost dying—not to mention the burden on her shoulders—she’s in an obviously vulnerable state.
No more of this “Trapper scores!” hot chocolate drinker; now she is just lonely and in need of some unconditional love. I only wish that had been made a little more evident in the previous book, as it just felt like her coasting along.
