Review: The Last Beginning by Rachel Firasek

Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: February 7, 2012
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9781937044565


I'll be the first to admit that while I haven't read the first two books, I jumped at the chance to read this when I saw it on NetGalley, Egyptian Mythology has always been something I've been interested in and this story sounded right up my alley. I was, however, disappointed. I'm not sure exactly if it's any one thing over the other, more so than a combination of things, but I really just could not connect with this story. I found the characters to be superficial, shallow, wishy-washy, arrogant and the execution of the plot was weak at best. I haven't read the first two books in the series, and I didn't feel as though I was missing any information when reading it, it did indeed stand alone, but I just couldn't connect.

The Blurb:


Though she's always hated being a phoenix, Sadie has to admit immortality has its advantages. She's seen and done more in the last 150 years than she'd ever dreamed of, but she can't get past the fact that Osiris has done nothing but manipulate her and her fellow phoenixes.

Or that, when her last incarnation as a phoenix comes to a fiery end, the fire slowly begins to consume her body.

Sun god Osiris is ashamed of his role as ruler of the Underworld, but unless he can figure out how to save Sadie, that's exactly where she's going to end up. Permanently. Terrified he's going to lose her, he takes her on a hunt for The Book of the Dead, which is the only way he knows he can save her-even if it means she'll hate him forever.


My Take:


I found Osiris to be selfish and arrogant, which in the beginning of a story is fine, the problem was right up to the very end he continued to be selfish and arrogant, even as he 's trying to save Sadie's life, I don't get the feeling he's doing it for her, but for him which takes away all the romance in the gesture of trying to save Sadie.

I found Sadie herself to be shallow and wishy-washy, I want him, I don't want him, flirting and then don't even think about it. It was like she was two different people and it was became annoying.

Frankly, for Osiris to be an Egyptian God, he didn't come across as godly, in addition to his selfishness (which, okay that's a bit typical of gods,) and arrogance, his obsession with Sadie was a bit too much to handle as though he was a puppy. He didn't come across as manly or alpha to me, as a God should in my opinion, especially one such as Osiris. Obsession isn't sexy, it's creepy.

The sexual chemistry for the two was non-existent though the author did try, and I think for the most part it was due to the characterization of the hero and heroine. I felt like it was just thrown in there for the sake of it. Most of the time I felt like Sadie really truly did not like Osiris which is why I felt like the sex and sexual tension was just thrown in.

I felt like I was floating above the story rather than being a part of it. As I said earlier, I just didn't connect. I really really wanted to like this story, which is why I finished it. I was hoping by the end that everything would fix itself, but sadly it didn't.

The story is on the shorter side, around 100 pages or so and perhaps this is one of the reasons I didn't connect, there was just too much plot and history between the characters to fit into just 100 pages. I felt that I was being told most of the history of Osiris and Sadie's relationship rather than getting to see it develop. This story, had it been executed better, could have been great. Sadly, it wasn't.

My Rating: 2/5 lattes



All My Best,

Kayla