Smexy Books

Romance and Urban Fantasy Reviews

  • Review Request
  • Contact
    • Smexy Reviewers Profiles
    • New Reviewer Application
    • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • By Genre
      • BDSM
      • Contemporary
      • Erotic
      • Fantasy
      • F/F
      • Historical Romance
      • Historical PNR
      • LGBTQ+
      • M/M Romance
      • New Adult
      • Urban Fantasy
      • Paranormal Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Romantic Suspense
      • Young Adult
    • By Letter Grade Rating
      • A Reviews
      • B Reviews
      • C Reviews
      • D Reviews
      • DNF Reviews
  • Features
    • New Releases
    • Smexy Deals!
    • Retro Review
    • Weekly Wrap-Up
    • Blog Tour
    • Scenic Sunday
    • To Be Read
    • Guest Post
    • Top Ten/Happy Friday
    • Smex Scene Sunday
  • The Psy/Changeling Channel
You are here: Home / B Review / Review: The Final Asylum Tales by Jocelynn Drake

Review: The Final Asylum Tales by Jocelynn Drake

November 13, 2014 by Tori 3 Comments

20650475The Final Asylum Tales (Parts 3.1, 3.2, 3.3) by Jocelynn Drake
Urban Fantasy
E book(s)
October 2014
Harper Voyager Impulse

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I’d make this world safe for my love. Or I’d make it burn.”

Fans of Drake’s Asylum Tales will rejoice in the fact Drake revisits Low Town and our favorite warlock slash tattoo artist-Gage Powell. Book two, Dead Man’s Deal, left readers with a few questions as to our hero’s future. Lucky for us, this three-part collection of novellas tells us what happened after book two and what’s in store for Gage now.

I have decided to review all three parts at one time in order to facilitate a clearer understanding of the storyline and it’s ultimate goal.

Reluctant heroes are my kryptonite and Drake more than delivers with Gage Powell. The sole proprietor of the Asylum Tattoo Parlor and magical tattoo artist, Gage is forced to live under very strict conditions. A former apprentice warlock who didn’t agree with the cruelty of the warlock/witch community, he escaped that world only to find himself under a death sentence. His life is contingent upon his promise to never use his magic in any shape or form except for self defense. As Gage struggles to remain under their radar, his altruistic nature often places him on the path of no return. He has a strong moral compass. He will fight to his last breath to keep his friends and the world safe from injustice though his attempts to help often land him in more trouble than he can handle.

At the end of Dead Man’s Deal Gage is blackmailed back into the very situation he spent years hiding from-as a guardian for the Tower-in order to save Low Town, his friends, and his brother’s life. Demon’s Fury (part one) picks up where Dead Man’s Deal left off. Gage and his former nemesis, Gideon, now work together and are charged with investigating a brutal murder steeped in magic. Gage is also contacted by a TAPPS agent to help investigate a separate series of murders that are sweeping the city.

Gage is at his lowest point. He struggles to reconcile himself to being a pawn for the Tower again and decides to use his position to forewarn and forearm the residents of Low Town. He has resigned himself to being their shield should the Tower ever choose to come for them. He is also unsure of how his girlfriend, Trixie, will react when she discovers he is back with the Tower. Warlocks are forbidden to be in relationships and being with him is now even more dangerous than ever.

Dark and gritty, Drake continues to build and expand her world of supernaturals who all live together; though not necessarily in harmony. Fast pacing keeps the story(s) moving at a brisk pace. Impacting action and mystery will keep you guessing as Drake introduces us to a new plot that is extremely darker than what we have seen before. Violent and unforgiving, our hero is poised to travel a path of pain, sorrow, and possible death. Dry humor continues to offset the foreshadowed bleakness. Old and new characters are brought into play, continuing to reiterate that Gage will always do what he feels is the right, regardless of the sometimes horrific consequences.

Demon’s Vow (part two) eases the reader back into the story with nary a blip. Drake continues to ramp up the action and suspense as the bodies 20957430continue to pile up. The supernatural community is on edge and conducting their own investigations though no one is forthcoming with Gage. Gage is horrified to discover that the two murder investigations may be linked. He and Gideon race to stop the killer(s) before anyone else gets hurt-including his Trixie.

The tension is incredible in this installment. Drake gives clues sparingly, choosing to focus on Gage and the consequences of his previous actions. His going back to work for the Towers was unavoidable but Trixie doesn’t see it that way and her actions leave me wishing that for once she would be there for Gage as he always is for her. A new character, TAPPS agent Serah Moynahan, has become a major player in a short span of time. Her fear but tenacity is More light is shed on Gideon and the reasons for his actions in the past concerning Gage. He is both jailor and mentor to Gage which is a difficult position for both of them. Gideon knows what Gage is capable of should he choose to continue his studies and this scares him; which it should. By the end of Demon’s Vow, readers are even less sure if Gage is capable of getting what he so richly deserves-his own happily ever after.

In Inner Demon (part three) Gage pushes himself to the very edge and makes some choices that will change him though everyone is unsure exactly how fortuitous these changes will be. While searching for a way to stop the killer(s) who are cutting a bloody path through Low Town, Gage finds himself influenced by a demon whose own goals could give Gage what he’s always wanted-the destruction of the Towers. Hell is about to rain on earth and Gage is right in the middle of it.

20957432This installment left me at odds. On one hand, Drake wraps up the mystery in an action packed nail biting finale that explains everything perfectly. I found the killer(s) motivations plausible. On the other hand, while the ending resolves the main conflict, we are left with no answers towards Gage. In fact, Drake opens up a whole new storyline, gives some tantalizing clues, then walks away. Character wise, Drake continued to develop and humanize  them all to an extent, often with some bittersweet results. Trixie and Gideon left me disappointed. For all the sacrifices Gage has made for them, I was dismayed to find they were not as willing for him. Especially Trixie. He was willing to give his life for hers and that if nothing else that should have proven his love and loyalty to her. Bronx is Bronx and his loyalty to Gage was as always commendable. Serah proved the biggest surprise and there is a small part of me that hopes to see her again and that she and Gage can find some common ground both professionally and romantically. I do hope Drake continues this series or at least writes an epilogue as too much is left up unanswered.

Regardless of my misgivings, The Asylum Tales series as a whole is an engaging noir urban fantasy that brings to life a reluctant and imperfect hero whose need to do the right thing often leads to heartbreaking results.

 

 

 

 

RATING: B-

Prior Asylum Tales reviews
Goodreads I Author’s Website I Amazon I Barnes & Noble

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • More
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: B Review, Harper Voyager, Jocelynn Drake, Urban Fantasy

Comments

  1. Melanie Simmons (@mlsimmons) says

    November 13, 2014 at 7:43 pm

    I’ve yet to start this series. It looks pretty good. I’ve read a little of Jocelynn Drake, but it has been years.

    Loading...
    Reply
    • Tori says

      November 13, 2014 at 9:24 pm

      Her Nightwalker series is fantastic.

      Loading...
      Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome to Smexy! If you are reader feel free to use our search feature to find a specific book or browse through our features to find Smexy Deals, New Releases, and book news!

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords,  Booksamillion, and Bookshop,org.

 

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

Angela

Melanie

Jen

Kate

Iby

Kate H.

Sign Up for Daily Emails


Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Follow Us!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • Review: Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
    Review: Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
  • New Releases- Week of June 2-6, 2025
    New Releases- Week of June 2-6, 2025
  • Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
    Smexy’s Top Ten Favorite Sex Scenes of 2012
  • Review: Manacled by SenLinYu
    Review: Manacled by SenLinYu
  • Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Lyla Sage, Maisey Yates, Sherry Thomas, and more!
    Smexy Deals- Deals for books by Lyla Sage, Maisey Yates, Sherry Thomas, and more!
  • Release Blitz- Falling for the CEO: A Billionaire Romance Collection
    Release Blitz- Falling for the CEO: A Billionaire Romance Collection
  • Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
    Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros
  • Review: The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
    Review: The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
  • Review: All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens
    Review: All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens
  • Steamy Excerpt from Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden
    Steamy Excerpt from Everything's Better With Lisa by Lucy Eden

Disclosure

The majority of the books reviewed at this site have been provided for free by publishers, authors, or other third parties like NetGalley or Edelweiss. Acceptance of a free copy does not guarantee a review or a positive review.

As an Amazon Associate, we do earn from qualifying purchases. We also earn a small commission on affiliate links to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Booksamillion.

Shop our Affiliates!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Smashwords

Booksamillion

 

Find Our Reviewers

Angela @fv-angela.bsky.social l Goodreads

Melanie @melonreads.bsky.social l  Goodreads

Jen .@thebooknista l Goodreads

Kate  @kateminasian l Goodreads

Iby Instagram l Goodreads

Kate H. @Naranjadia l Goodreads

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d