Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins
Genre: Supernatural, Romance
Published by: HarperTeen
Pages: 379
Format: E-Book
Rating: ★★★★
Series: Sweet Evil (#1), Sweet Peril (#2)
Where to Find: Goodreads | Author | Amazon

P L O T
As Anna and Kai’s story draws to a close, the two have to deal with a civil war between their race. What if you don’t want to do the Devil’s work, anymore? Is a happily ever after still possible? In Sweet Reckoning, the world begins to unravel as Anna realises love is stronger than any other emotion. This finale was the stand out book of the series. You can probably tell by my rating, I enjoyed it infinitely more than the first two books. Suddenly, all of the emotion struggle Anna and Kai went through paid off. Everything seemed to be pointing to forever. But, of course, you can’t be the children of demons and expect life to be all sunshine and daisies. I really enjoyed the emotional intensity behind the book, and how even the happy moments were laced with fear of what was to come.

The epilogue was probably the sweetest part of the series. Set six years after the events of Sweet Reckoning, I saw more character development for Kai in ten pages than in the whole books. Just excellent.

R O M A N C E
So, the romance has often plagued me. Being the son of lust, Kai obviously represents a rushed, perhaps impure love that doesn’t run any deeper than sexual desire. All that said, Kai and Anna were finally together. And I didn’t need to be told what colour their emotional auras were to realise they were involve. Supportive and caring, but still filled with desire, their relationship was finally something I was comfortable with. Wendy Higgins sure knows how to write a love scene without it being cringe-y or too abstract, which was a major plus.

I really enjoyed the relationships between the secondary characters, and how almost everyone was in a happy relationship by the end. It felt like I was reading marvellous fan fiction, where nothing bad can happen as long as you love someone. (Isn’t that the premise of Harry Potter?)

(*Spoiler Alert*)
The one thing I will critique is the impromptu marriage. I’ve read this before, in a very similar book. (In fact, Anna and Kai are mentioned in the book I’m referring to!) Although I understood it’s relevance to the plot, and to the safety of the characters, I just find it amusing that I’ve read a not-so-legal marriage device twice in one month. At least it shows how love, no matter how young you are, needs to be taken seriously.

F A I T H
The one thing that’s really set this whole series apart from anything else I’ve read is the addition of faith. I think that’s what makes Anna such a three-dimensional character, because although she’s the daughter of a demon, she’s responsible and doesn’t let her faith waver. Her prayers and actions reflect her beliefs, and I think it’s a theme we don’t see enough in young adult fiction.

V E R D I C T
Overall, I’m giving this book 4 stars. It was almost perfect. I think, because my expectations for the finale weren’t too high, I got to really enjoy the book for what it was: a supernatural romance, and I could look past any flaws because I was so invested in finding out what happened next. If you’re struggling with the series, or don’t know whether to pick it up, I 100% recommend doing so. Sweet Reckoning is definitely worth it.