Confessions of a Bibliophile

This was actually the second book in the Mediator series that I picked up (don’t ask how I managed that one), so a lot of the plot from the previous three books were lost on me. In the Darkest Hour review, I mentioned that Paul is an undeveloped character, and it really shows in this book. Most of his motivation runs on “If I hit on Suze and harass her enough, she’ll fall for me!” Which is honestly, not a good addition to a love triangle—the whole point is that both men are desirable. All Paul has going for him is that he’s hot. And he has more information on mediators and what they do.Speaking on that, one of the weakest points in this entry is the use of shifters and what they do. Paul dances around the subject while Suze jumps to her own conclusions about her powers. (I have my own thoughts, but will save them for fan theorizing.) There’s no real use of shifting until the climax, and more questions are brought up than answered. If this book had been combined with the final one, I think it would have been more effective—your mileage may vary with the omnibus edition on that. Plot wise, I did enjoy the book a lot, even if the main plot with Craig and his brother was ripped off from Ordinary People. There was a lot more side character development, especially with CeeCee and her realization of Suze’s relationship with Jesse.