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Downfall Cal Leandros Rob Thurman Books

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Downfall Cal Leandros Rob Thurman Books

I've been in love with this series since line 1, and have yet to be disappointed by Thurman. This is the 9th book in this series, so if you're looking for a new series, try "Nightlife" first :)


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Downfall Cal Leandros Rob Thurman Books Reviews

After finishing this book, I was really undecided about how to rate it. I don't think Downfall was even close to the quality of the books that came before and I initially considered giving it two stars. I decided on three stars because I think it corrected course in a major way.

Thurman wrote herself into a corner with that “Auphe genes dominate” thing. Where can you go when your hero is locked into becoming a villain? You either finish a very popular series on a down note, or you find a way out of it. Unsurprisingly, the author decided on the latter. The result is a story with no real plot, and a deux ex machina conclusion. Normally, this would signal lazy writing. Here, I think it was really the only way to undo the problem of Cal becoming a full Auphe. And, since most of Cal’s thoughts as this point are “how do I hold back my homicidal impulses,” I understand why the author has Goodfellow narrating. I love Robin, but he’s much better in small doses. Through him readers get a lot of information dumps about reincarnation, and the Puck's history, with some action thrown in. Though some of it was fun and interesting, there is no mystery or underlying plotline so I found it easy to put the book down more than once. Though heavily contrived, I was actually thrilled by the ending because it cleared the slate.

Overall, this was disappointing, but fans will want to know how things are resolved and what the status quo now is. The series can move forward from a strong position, and that has left me excited for the next installment. Recommended.
The Leandros brothers, Cal and Niko, along with their friend Robin Goodfellow, are back to take on new baddies and for a major confrontation with an old foe, a confrontation which sees Cal's literal inner demon, the Auphe, begin to get more of a foothold within him. But not to worry, Robin, the trickster puck, has a plan. And like all of Robin's plans, this plan is chock full of the deceptions, double-crosses, duplicity, and deviousness that he excels at so brilliantly. Robin's not the only one who can run a con, and at times I was reminded of the classic movie, The Sting. It was all well-played.

Most of the earlier books in the series were told solely from Cal's POV, but two (Deathwish and Slashback) had alternating Cal/Niko POVs and one (Roadkill) had brief Catcher POVs But I was a bit uncertain when I saw that Downfall was partly told from Robin's POV. I need to learn to just relax and put myself in Thurman's hands without reservation because she handled Robin's voice to perfection. All of the Leandros books can tear your heart up a bit, but this one especially peels it wide open and leaves it bare. (OK, gross, but it's a good thing. Really.) This book answers the question of why a loner puck who is pretty much older than time is so invested in the lives and well-being of the two brothers. I mean, it's pretty obvious how Cal and Niko have benefitted from their friendship with the resourceful Robin, but why does Robin care about two people who have the lifespans of insignificant mayflies compared to his? The answer has been hinted at before, but the exploration of Robin's past and the true depth of his feelings for the brothers, and theirs for him, is the real tour de force of this book.

But, fear not. Downfall is not all seat-of-your-pants adventure and gut-wrenching emotion. Not at all. We are also treated to the usual humor we expect of the Leandros books, from Cal's irrepressible snark, to Robin's relentless smutty innuendos, to Niko's just-shoot-me-now acceptance of the other two. Even the end of the world is loads of fun with these three.

Although Thurman provides enough backstory for new readers to theoretically start with this book and not be totally lost, I don't recommend it. The series should be started at the beginning to appreciate the story arcs and the complexity of the characters and their relationships with one another. In addition, Downfall includes series regulars, as well as "cameos" of quite a number of characters from earlier books, including one that I was especially surprised and happy to see. (One character that is missing except by reference is Promise, Niko's vampire girlfriend, and I have to admit I was quite happy with her absence.) These secondary characters are better appreciated after reading the full series in order.

It would be hard to pick my absolute favorite Cal Leandros book, but Downfall's definitely right up at the top. It's an impressively strong entry for a book so far into a series of this length. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start reading it all over again, but first I've been going back and reading some of my other favorites from earlier in the series. It'll be a long year waiting for the boys' return.

My grade = A.
Wow! Did I love this book!

I've seen other reviewers complaining about the fact that much of this book is told from the perspective of the Leandros Bros. BFF, Robin Goodfellow. Unlike those reviewers, however, I had absolutely no complaints about it at all! Robin's take on Cal and Niko was exactly what this series needed. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed every single one of these books and sincerely hope there will be a LOT more published in the years to come, but given the rich and lengthy history Cal, Niko and Robin have shared throughout time, only the Puck could truly do it justice in the telling. Robin, with his infinite lifespan, has literally seen and done it all. I can't even begin to imagine how bored with life someone like Robin could become. Yet, when it comes to Cal and Niko, he can never get enough.

If you've read the previous book, then you already know about the Cal/Niko reincarnation thing, and how Robin, inevitably, keeps re-encountering the two throughout history. Unfortunately for him, the brother's lives always tend to be mired in danger and chaos, and their time spent together is always memorable, yet brief. No matter how hard he tries to protect them (often from themselves), they always end up dying on him, tragically and always prematurely. He never knows when he'll encounter them again, but he always recognizes them instantly when he does, and despite the pain and devestation he knows they will eventually bring into his life, he's utterly incapable of walking away. Like it or not, Cal and Niko are his brothers ... his family ... and he will never, ever, leave them. Their bond is unbreakable. That's how it's always been, throughout time, and that's how it will always be for Robin, even if it leads to his own ultimate demise. I won't give away too much more of the plot, but I will state that this book is all about Robin and his love, unconditional, for Cal and Niko.

While we do get Robin's viewpoint, here, we also, as always, get Cal's as well. His unstoppable Auphe genetics have evolved in such a way that he, like Robin, is also able to remember his past lives. He recalls first hand all of the pain and sacrifice that Robin has endured on his and his brother's behalf, and it goes a long way to solidifying his own love and sense of intense loyalty to his lives-long friend. Even Niko, who sometimes comes across as smug and arrogant, finds himself humbly moved and deeply affected by events, both past and present, that came/come into play over the course of he and Cal's eternal acquaintance with the Puck.

This series might be referred to as "The Cal Leandros Novels," but this book makes it clear that without Niko and Robin, there would be no Cal Leandros at all! Promise, Ishiah, and a few other "surprise" side characters get honorable mention here, but for me the "Holy Trinity" of Cal, Niko and Robin is all that truly matters. The others can come and go for all I care, but as long as these three remain front and center in these novels, I will continue to be one insanely happy reader.

Rob Thurman, you rock!
I've been in love with this series since line 1, and have yet to be disappointed by Thurman. This is the 9th book in this series, so if you're looking for a new series, try "Nightlife" first )