I have been a fan of this book series since I read the prequel and book 1, and after following the adventures of paramedic Dean as he cares for supernatural patients in Elk City throughout 6 books, it was only a matter of time before I completed the series.

The verdict? Read the final book if you are a real diehard fan of the series and just want one last adventure featuring Dean, Gibbie, Jaz, Brynne, James, and the others. Otherwise, since we know from a prior book Dean's teenage daughter Joanna visits him from the future, the End of the World foretold centerpiece story of the final book doesn't seem so urgent after all.

I mean, if the world really did end, then the book where Joanna shows up to help Dean save the day would have never taken place. Ergo, it was expected that this book's story has no real feeling of urgency because you already know the ending. Given the lack of complexity of the plot, it is rather strange this book despite being the finale would be so short. If you were a fast reader, you could finish it in 90 minutes. And I thought Mockingjay was a quick read!

I do like some parts of the book, and the humorous scenes starring Gibbie are great as always. Unfortunately, with such a simple plot that doesn't have much conflict, the book rehashes conflicts from a prior book where the bad guys share videos on the internet of werewolves shifting and angry mobs burning down the fairy trailer park that was supposed to be rebuilt and refurbished by James. How could it burn down so easily after he spent money to fix it?

Brynne's super vampire powers are sadly underused. I would have enjoyed it during the scene where she arrives to attend to the wounded in Asha's house, that she didn't even need Dean to tell her the number and location of the wounded because she is supposed to be able to sense everyone's heartbeats. Furthermore, she wouldn't need to worry about falling debris because she now has superstrength and could lift wooden beams with ridiculous ease. A real lost opportunity!

I did enjoy discovering a little bit about Celeste's personal love life which gives us hints as to the reason why she and James stopped being a couple. In a book so otherwise devoid of tension, maybe giving us the chance to learn more about these previously ignored side characters would have been nice. At least we finally learn how Gibbie gets his packets of donated hospital blood. And no, despite being a hero during so many books, James doesn't give him a blood dowry. No, he doesn't steal blood.

All in all, the book definitely has some fun moments and if you really loved the series and just wanted one final adventure, this book is worth it. As for casual readers, the prior books hint at most of the secrets answered in this book, so if time is a constraint, reading the finale isn't obligatory. ( )