Wow. Just...wow. I was scared to read The Ripple Effect after the events that took place in The Renfield Syndrome. When J.A. Saare sent me the e-galley and told me that I might not like it because TRE is "pretty dark stuff", I was nervous yet anxious to read it. Nervous because I had a feeling I wouldn't like what happens and anxious because I couldn't wait to read what happens.The Ripple Effect takes place a couple of weeks after Disco betrays Rhiannon and she pretty much writes him off. She still loves him but she can not and will not forgive him. Rhiannon is still searching for the burial spot of Marigold, so that she can resurrect her. Meanwhile, strippers are being murdered and rape and Disco's maker, Marius, decides to pay them a visit. There's never a dull moment in Rhiannon's world.I love that J.A. Saare is not afraid to have her characters do things that we are not going to like. Rhiannon pissed me off for most of the book. It was all about her ego. She'd gone rogue in a sense, becoming dependent on the amulet and Sucker (the knife that she used to kill a demon in the previous book) and her hold onto Sucker is going to have consequences and is one of the reasons Marius is visiting. Rhiannon being in possession of that night is making the half-demons nervous. They don't want a necromancer to have that much power. Unfortunately, Rhiannon isn't listening to the people around her. Disco has sheltered her from the real vampire world and she has no idea how ugly and dirty it's gonna get."God help you, Rhiannon. You should have brought him the knife. Your reckless decisions are about to catch up to you."The Ripple Effect is all about Rhiannon's actions and how her stubbornness and her ego comes back and bites her in the ass. Not only does she suffer, but those she around her suffer as well. Like I said, Ms. Saare does not pull any punches. I was so pissed at Rhiannon throughout the book. Her decisions and actions were so selfish and all about what worked best for her. But the one thing I did trust is that Ms. Saare put us and Rhiannon through the ringer for a reason.Rhiannon needed her life to fall apart in order to grow. She had to hit rock bottom. Up until now, Rhiannon did Rhiannon. She was status quo, not changing and not evolving. The events in The Ripple Effect finally forces her to grow the f*ck up and realize that there are consequences, serious big time consequences.The Ripple Effect was beyond my expectation. It was dark, gritty, and intense. I truly didn't know what would happen from one moment to the next. My heart broke (can't tell why) but I managed to pull it together and continue reading. Disco finally mans up and takes a stand (even though I still don't like him). We're introduced to a new and mysterious character, Bane. Will his association with Rhiannon be a help or a hindrance?The Ripple Effect is one of my favorite books of the year. I love this series and it continues to get better with each book.I highly recommend this series. Highly. Recommend.
