Dark Around the Edges: Put the Gun Down by Cari Z.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book 4 of Cari Z’s Cambion series is electric. Devon is back in action and Steven becomes an important minor player. Action ramps up with some interesting twists and the relationship between Rio and Devon starts to emerge on another level. You know an episode is good when you immediately want more. I read through this in record speed and was sorry to reach the end. It honestly just keeps getting better and better.
It took me a minute to remember where I’d left off last time – I wish there was a summary at the beginning to remind me of everything important – but Devon finally has his sense of touch back and after screwing Rio raw, the two are in Seattle to apprehend Porter Grey. They meet up with Steven, Lynlis’s loaned bodyguard, to make a plan to capture Grey. However things are never as they appear and the dynamic duo is in serious trouble now.
Once again Cari Z has written an excellent short story. On it’s own it doesn’t make much sense but in the progression of the series is a nice action packed episode after the slower, more emotional one before. We learned more about Devon and Rio in the last edition and now the two are adding Steven to the group. I honestly hope he becomes a more permanent and prominent character in some way. He’s very interesting to me and I think could be worth his own story. Though I said that about Devon’s parents and apparently they already have their own book. However, it’s to a story’s credit that it manages to create such scene stealing characters without taking anything away from the main characters and plot.
The action is interesting, even if brief, as it exposes more of Devon’s past and Rio’s growing connection. The two seem like barely fuck buddies at the start of the series but are slowly evolving into something more, something potentially lasting. But the course to true love for these two can’t be anything easy so I’m excited at the turmoil to come. Not that I wish them ill but they can take a beating and keep on so I’m curious where the story will go next.
The only downside, and it’s minor, is that I’ve forgotten why Rio and Devon are after Grey. I get caught up in the actual action and character development, combined with the time between readings, and forget the real purpose behind the story. It’d be nice if the original reason was reiterated on occasion, but I’m not too bothered by it so far.
If you haven’t been reading this series…why not? Get the season pass for the extras as it’s worth it.
three am 