Review: Agave Kiss (Corine Solomon, #5)

Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Corine Solomon, #5
Release date: March 5th 2013
Publisher: Roc
Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
Buy: The Book Depository



It is difficult to review the fifth book in a series without revealing too much, but when it’s also the final book, it’s close to impossible. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything for those of you who have yet to read it, but there are things I need to say, and this is my final opportunity. I promise to be careful about spoilers, but please be patient with me while I wallow in nostalgia just for a little while.

Although it’s marketed as urban fantasy, the Corine Solomon series defies classification. It’s part urban fantasy, part horror, part high fantasy and at least seven parts pure awesomeness. I have a special place in my heart for authors who constantly cross genre lines and Ann Aguirre is the very best among them.

After the events of Devil’s Punch (God, I love that book SO much), Corine is in a very rough place. Just when she finally figured out who she wants to be with, she lost everything once again. Her powers took an interesting turn as well: there’s no more psychometry, but she has her mother’s magick and she intends to use everything and everyone at her disposal to bring the person she loves back to life.

Of course there’s no way for her to do it on her own, but luckily, she has a few friends she can count on. Eva and Chuch are always there for her, unflinchingly loyal and steady as rocks. Their relationship is possibly my favorite in this series and they are the main source of humor. Shannon is also there for Corine and she too has changed so much. I finally stopped seeing her as a stray puppy because she stopped acting as one. Self-confidence is such a wonderful thing, and by the end, Shan had it in spades.

Booke is also willing to help, but his own secrets need to be dealt with first. I had no idea what to expect despite spending a lot of time trying to come up with an explanation for his strange behavior and his limitations. In the end, I shouldn’t have bothered at all – his secret was something I never could have imagined and his storyline a wonderful and captivating addition to the final installment.

Kel Ferguson (Ferguson, get it? Like my Kindle.), a powerful warrior and Corine's one time lover, also has a huge role in this book and he remains my favorite character in the series. It was time for his truths to be revealed and I promise you, your jaw will end up on the floor. And your heart will break for him.

We’ve been through so much together, Corine and I. I have many memories, some good, some extremely painful, some laugh-out-loud funny. We didn’t really get along at first, she was indecisive and prone to self-pity, but in time, she became someone I truly admire. In the end, I love who she’s become because she finally knows who she is and she refuses to apologize for it.

This book made me cry so much! Part of it was bittersweet, the soft pain that accompanies goodbyes. Another part were those ugly, unstoppable tears that come with gut-wrenching pain and heartbreak. But in the end, there were some happy tears as well, and I closed this book and said my goodbyes with a smile on my face.