The third book in the Outcast Season series has Cassiel trying to find a way to kill Pearl with killing all of humanity. She and Luis have reunited with his niece Ibby, but Ibby is not well. Pearl has forced her to develop her powers many years too soon, and the new power will kill her sooner or later and probably sooner.

Luis and Cassiel have a basic difference of opinion. Luis feels that he has to stay and try to help Ibby. Cassiel is sure that she has to take the fight to Pearl. This argument causes them to go their separate ways for a while which nearly breaks Cassiel's heart. Once given, love isn't a gift that a Djinn can take back.

The story is filled with all sorts of battles with the good guys nearly always on the ropes. Pearl, who doesn't care if her soldiers survive, seems to have the advantage in all the battles. But that doesn't mean that Cassiel will give up.

I like the world building in this series and really enjoy Cassiel's character as she develops more human-like characteristics. ( )

1114 ( )

33 points/100 (1.75 stars/5).

Izzy is finally back with Cassiel and Luis, they're recovering but happy. But this is a book, let us find out how everything goes wrong.

These books just keep getting worse to me over time. The story doesn't improve at all. In fact it stays basically in the same place the whole time, which is really impressive. The second half of book one through the third book has all been basically the same thing the whole time. I was bored, and now I'm glad I only have one left.

The plot of this book was infuriating. Cassiel kept going and going and going place only to literally go nowhere. She backtracked several times in this story. It is like the author needed to up the word count and decided that the best way to do that was have Cassiel have to go back a few times to where she just was. Then, not only does this book not just end up back where the book started, it ends up back where book two started. This series makes no progress!

Then, there is a "big confrontation" between Cassiel and her SisterEnemy. This is the poorest planning I have seen for some time. Cassiel does none of it. She just feels like it is her "duty" to do something, so she runs off and does it. No planning, no thinking. Only doing. This is the most ridiculous thing ever. No wonder Cassiel keeps getting her ass kicked, she refuses to do anything other than run into obvious traps, blunder her way into miscommunications, and fighter her way into making bad decisions.

The whole "OH MY GOD CASSIEL WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT WAY?!" shit is really now. It was terrible the previous book. It is even more terrible in this one. These aren't djinn ideas Cassiel is having. They're totally human ideas. They're logical. They're the right choices even if she doesn't have enough knowledge or experience or even fucking backup to be effective. I'm so goddamn annoyed with everyone looking at her sideways every time she does anything human.

The relationship went from bad to awful, too. It was bad enough when they were getting along. They fight this book. All book long. It is filled with cutting barbs, miscommunication, and hurled insults. Luis acts like a terrible person all book. I can't even fault Cassiel too much in these problems. Yes, Cassiel makes some not so wise choices, but this is her first romance after being human for basically no time at all. This is why I felt like the relationship was bad - Cassiel doesn't have enough experience as a person for any kind of romance. So we get this book, where they fight because Cassiel doesn't understand who she is or what she is supposed to do enough to be in a relationship and then Luis goes off. Most of the problems in this book could have been solved if Luis said absolutely anything to her that wasn't an insult or "holier than thou" comment. This is so fucking shit. I hope this relationship doesn't last through book four.

There is so little good in this book. I was really disappointed. ( )

Re-read: 7/15/15 - 3 stars

Originally read: 5/1/11 - 3 stars

I'm sad to write that I was disappointed with Unseen. It lacked the excitement and adventure of the first two books. The attraction between Luis and Cassiel was missing; they almost seemed to be going through the motions. I was extremely annoyed with Luis's reaction to the task that Cassiel had assigned herself. He didn't have to like it or agree with her, but he should have supported her decision. It's not like he didn't know the reason she was placed on earth as a human. The last fifty pages were interesting but it didn't make up for the rest of the story. ( )

Another mind-blowing installment of the Outcast Season! I absolutely loved how Ms Caine portrayed her characters in this book. I especially liked Cassiel's approach to Isabel's fears and their one on one time together. Esmeralda...the Snake Girl...was also a neat character. Scary, but part of me felt sorry for her. I really liked Isabel's reaction to Esmeralda. Instead of fear, or revulsion, Isabel identified with her pain and felt compassion for her losses. As angry as Isabel can get, that was an unexpected response. It made me feel hope that she will overcome the damage done to her spirit.

It's always interesting to see fictional characters wrestle with deeply emotional and realistic human issues. Not every author get's it right, but this book was great! You'll find some type of emotion riding alongside and between every incredible action scene in this book. I was elated when Luis and Cass finally got together. Talk about the feels! They're in a tough situation and I also understood how the differing opinions tore them apart, at least temporarily. Angst is tough to portray, but I liked it.

The overall arc of the series is moving along nicely. The plot of this book kept me guessing and I was floored by the reveal. Floored! I honestly didn't see it coming and I tend to be a fairly good guesser when it comes to picking the bad guy! Love it when the author stumps me! ( )