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A review by jacqueleenthereadingqueen
When Death Frees the Devil by L.J. Hayward
5.0
This series has been amazing from start to finish. Its rare for me to find a series where every book just blew me away, but L.J Hayward has done what many have tried and failed to do. The suspense is killer and always kept me guessing. Little tidbits dropped here and there always leading to me spending hours at night trying to figure them out instead of much needed sleeping. Case in point: when a set of cold blue eyes stared at Ethan, recognition enough to make him stop struggling. That's all we get folks. That little crumb of a description is all we get to rack around in our brains until almost the END of the book where we find out who this person is.
We also get much more information of the horrific things the Cabal did to those 13 children in their care. It's a wonder any of them made it out alive, let alone six. It was sick and twisted and oh so heartbreaking to hear more of Ethan's time with them as a child. Our Ethan, such a strong force we have read about, fought hard as a child in their care. He truly did fight, but in the end like all the others, they still broke him.
Paul St. Clair took his last, sobbing breath and One-three let it out.
Experimental Boy 1-3. Ethan Blade 13. EB13. These are the names Ethan grew up with. It took Jack to show him that is not all he is. As Ethan spends the first half of this book chasing the Cabal on his own, Jack spends it chasing after him. Where Ethan goes, Jack follows. Being used to carrying out "missions" on his own, Ethan is evasive. " old habits die hard" and all that. Jack catches up to him just in time and teaches Ethan a lesson he keeps seeming to forget. He is not alone anymore
He just wanted Ethan safe. He wanted him happy and content. He wanted Ethan with him. He also knew he would get none of that until Ethan had satisfied himself with his vengeance. So he would keep Ethan as safe as he could while he did it. He would do it to make him happy. He would follow him anywhere, just to be with him.
The romance between Jack and Ethan is a big reason I keep coming back. It was hard won. It was never perfect. There was always something, even large gaps of separation working against them. I never doubted them. They may not be great with words, but they always figured out a way to show the other how they felt even with a simple brush across ones back as they moved around the room.
We did however get hit in the feels with some spoken words in this book and man it hit me straight in the heart. I devoured every single morsel when they were speaking from the heart, and then went back and read the words again because I loved it so much.
“You deserve me. You deserve this. You deserve everything and anything you ever want.”
The ending, oh that ending, was a gift. Jack finally getting bits of his family back, while Ethan finally gets a glimpse of actually having a real one for the first time in his life. It was a completely satisfying ending which even included an old friend with a penchant for biting. The book ends on somewhat snarky parting shot from Ethan which is just so him.
On a side note: It has been stated this is the last book for now by the author. I'm happy where it ended, but of course L.J did leave us with a single loose thread. I can't imagine it never being unraveled at some later date. So fear not Ethan and Jack lovers, I'm betting there will be more to come.
We also get much more information of the horrific things the Cabal did to those 13 children in their care. It's a wonder any of them made it out alive, let alone six. It was sick and twisted and oh so heartbreaking to hear more of Ethan's time with them as a child. Our Ethan, such a strong force we have read about, fought hard as a child in their care. He truly did fight, but in the end like all the others, they still broke him.
Paul St. Clair took his last, sobbing breath and One-three let it out.
Experimental Boy 1-3. Ethan Blade 13. EB13. These are the names Ethan grew up with. It took Jack to show him that is not all he is. As Ethan spends the first half of this book chasing the Cabal on his own, Jack spends it chasing after him. Where Ethan goes, Jack follows. Being used to carrying out "missions" on his own, Ethan is evasive. " old habits die hard" and all that. Jack catches up to him just in time and teaches Ethan a lesson he keeps seeming to forget. He is not alone anymore
He just wanted Ethan safe. He wanted him happy and content. He wanted Ethan with him. He also knew he would get none of that until Ethan had satisfied himself with his vengeance. So he would keep Ethan as safe as he could while he did it. He would do it to make him happy. He would follow him anywhere, just to be with him.
The romance between Jack and Ethan is a big reason I keep coming back. It was hard won. It was never perfect. There was always something, even large gaps of separation working against them. I never doubted them. They may not be great with words, but they always figured out a way to show the other how they felt even with a simple brush across ones back as they moved around the room.
We did however get hit in the feels with some spoken words in this book and man it hit me straight in the heart. I devoured every single morsel when they were speaking from the heart, and then went back and read the words again because I loved it so much.
“You deserve me. You deserve this. You deserve everything and anything you ever want.”
The ending, oh that ending, was a gift. Jack finally getting bits of his family back, while Ethan finally gets a glimpse of actually having a real one for the first time in his life. It was a completely satisfying ending which even included an old friend with a penchant for biting. The book ends on somewhat snarky parting shot from Ethan which is just so him.
On a side note: It has been stated this is the last book for now by the author. I'm happy where it ended, but of course L.J did leave us with a single loose thread. I can't imagine it never being unraveled at some later date. So fear not Ethan and Jack lovers, I'm betting there will be more to come.