FORETOLD

Teenage demon trapper Riley Blackthorne just wants to capture demons, regain her soul and go to her high school prom in this overfilled finale.

Her father’s corpse is at rest, and the Vatican’s Demon Hunters have left Atlanta, but Riley now faces the social and spiritual fallout of her recent battles. She’s caught between Heaven and Hell, and she’s romantically entangled with fellow trappers Simon Adler and Denver Beck as well as fallen angel Ori. Riley’s role in the destruction of the trappers’ headquarters and the graveyard battle has also brought unwanted media attention, so Riley accompanies Beck to Sadlersville to help settle his dying mother’s affairs. The swampy small town offers little refuge—Beck and Riley encounter his toxic mother, hostile villagers and allegations of murder—and bogs down the story, delaying Riley’s showdown with her soul-stealing ex-lover. Oliver (Forgiven, 2012) offers a standard melodramatic teenage drama paired with immortal power struggles, but she creates a compelling world for her story. As in previous books, the constant narrative shifts among characters disrupt the action and rob Riley of depth and satisfactory character development. Riley is supposedly special—as evidenced by media attention, her purgatorial paparazzi and her many suitors—but her unique status feels obligatory, unresolved by the otherwise tidy conclusion.

This tale of Hell, hotties and high school should please already-confirmed fans.