This is the second and final part of Sorin and Bertram's story, and it seems to conclude the Drake's series of stories, Forbidden Desires, as now all brothers (plus their father) are partnered up.
It retells the events from the previous books that involve Raven but this time from Sorin's point of view, as well as beyond them. I enjoyed reading the contex of why he was doing what he as doing, but... not all of it made sense. I do wonder how much of it was planned in advanced. Some things fit so perfectly it seems planned out meticiously, other parts... feel awkward and almost silly, which makes me think that none of it was planned and they (tried to) make it work in retrospect.
Bertram Drake, international man of mystery, leads a double life. By day he is the council's most valuable pawn, but by night he is a traitor, aiding and abetting the dangerous leader of the organization looking to undermine dragon society—a man who goes by the name of Raven, and who is none other than the father of Bertram's children and his beloved mate.
Kept from his family by his dangerous wild magic, Sorin is a man on a mission. As Raven—the leader of the Vanguard—his life's purpose is to save and rehabilitate the omegas being mistreated by their cloisters, but when an unexpected discovery puts all Pedigree omegas in mortal peril, his goals shift. He must do whatever it takes to ensure no omega ends up suffering like him.
Even if it means playing the part of the villain and severing ties with his mate.
Raven: Part Two is the 92,000 word conclusion to the Forbidden Desires series. It contains eye-opening revelations, new outfits for little lizards, extremely scientific field studies, and a love that manages to conquer all. For maximum enjoyment, Raven: Part Two is best read following the events of Clutch, Bond, Mate, Swallow, Magpie, Finch, Peregrine, and Raven: Part One.
It also continues the super long passages spent in Sorin's broken mind, which were not fun to read for me. To be honest I started skipping them, as they were repetetive and miserable (which I guess is the point). Thankfully, Sorin's mental state does get addressed at some point.
Bertram and Sorin together, once they reunited, were lovely, and I do enjoy their dynamic. To be fair their dynamic doesn't really show anything new, other than them being enemies aat the start, but that of course doesn't matter at this point anymore.
The tension of the book still comes from them fighting for the abolishment of the Pedigree, and social injustice etc, as well as mild miscommunication.
Speaking of (mis-)communication: I always love the cameos of the other Drakes and their mates in this series. In this one it however felt very frustrating, because there is so little communication among them and between the protagonists. To a point that makes sense, but it also made me want to shake the characters.
The ending, as promised, was sweet and happy. It took a long way to get there, but it was worth it. I almost wish the epilogue would have been longer, as it wrapped up the whole series. I also wanted Sorin to get reunited with all his kids on page, but alas.
The book closes out the Forbidden Desires series, but I know the author is already working on at least one book for the next generation series on her patreon.
~Iam
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