While I appreciated that the premise was different from the previous four books in the series, this book overall was boring and dull. There is a lot of plotting, with characters talking about everything and nothing at the same time, which made it hard for me to stay interested. The pacing was slow, and my attention drifted frequently (I swapped to the audiobook for the last 35% to get through the book). The only pleasant surprise is the revelation of Evander's true identity (also known as Liam) towards the end of the book, which adds an interesting twist to the conclusion.

The Characters
Corin, the wolf king, is a poorly written villain. He didn’t deliver enough villainy to make him an interesting antagonist. Instead, he came off as a tired cliché, with no real depth or threat that kept me invested in the story. Aurora, the spirit of the moon, is supposed to be a powerful, almighty figure. However, she is constantly being captured, and characters can easily get the upper hand on her. This undermined her supposed strength and made her role in the story feel weak and underwhelming. Faelyn, the weaver witch, had so much potential as a character. However, she turned out to be a "horny human" despite being inexperienced and having her heart broken in the past. Her character's depth was sacrificed for shallow, lust-driven interactions, leaving her arc feeling disappointing. Evander, the good wolf, is a likable character, but his personality felt recycled in every chapter. He constantly warned Faelyn about the wolf king, only to then engage in romantic or lustful encounters with her. His primary motivation seemed to be keeping her forever, but his character didn’t evolve or show much complexity.

The Lack of Romance
Let’s be honest, there was no real romance in this book. The connection between the characters felt like insta-lust, with a deep bond that formed out of thin air, unjustified and not given enough development to feel genuine. There was no significant relationship development, which left the supposed romance feeling flat and unconvincing, only an excuse for the characters to engage in physical activity and say pretty words. 

The claim that the characters "care for each other" feels forced. They had barely interacted for a total of three minutes and slept together twice. Their bond is described as deep, but it seems as flimsy as a piece of paper. Suddenly, they promise to be there for each other, and by the time we reach 45% of the book, their "relationship" escalates from 0 to 100 without any real reason. The relationship feels underdeveloped and lacks depth, blooming out of nowhere.

A Deal with the Elf King ⭐⭐⭐.5
A Dance with the Fae Prince ⭐⭐⭐
A Duel with the Vampire Lord ⭐⭐⭐.5
A Duet with the Siren Duke ⭐⭐⭐
A Dawn with the Wolf Knight ⭐⭐⭐