In this stunning ninth book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie and her friends discover the true meaning of power—and evil.
Sophie Foster changed the game.
Now she’s facing impossible choices: When to act. When to trust. When to let go.
Her friends are divided and scattered, and the Black Swan wants Sophie to focus on their projects. But her instincts are leading her somewhere else.
Stellarlune—and the mysterious Elysian—might be the key to everything. But finding truth in the Lost Cities always requires sacrifice. And as the Neverseen’s plans sharpen into terrifying focus, it appears that everyone has miscalculated. The Lost Cities’ greatest lie could destroy everything. And in the battle that follows, only one thing is certain: nothing will ever be the same.
Hi! I'm the NYT and USA today bestselling author of the KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES series and the SKY FALL series! And yes, I DO accept friend requests here--BUT! Please note: I *never* check my private messages here, so if you send me one, you won't get a reply. My real contact information is on my website: shannonmessenger.com
So… this book had me screaming, crying, giggling, squealing, jumping around, and running around the house to let out the energy it gave me.
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE BEST KEEPER BOOK YET AND IT’S TOTALLY WORTH WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO PAY TO GET IT.
IT WAS EVEN WORTH THE TWO YEARS I HAD TO WAIT FOR IT.
WHICH IS SAYING A HECKIN LOT.
Because chapter 42…. 🤌🏻🥹❤️🔥🦋🤭💞🤧😩💖
IT WAS SOOOOO AAAMAMAAZZZINGGGGG.
SO PLEASE READ THIS BOOK.
I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT ITTTTTTT
PLEEEAAAAASSSEEEEE.
*throws myself across my bed and sobs*
THE ONLY. THANG. IS.
I FEEL LIKE THE ENDING WAS KINDA…. ANTI-CLIMATIC… BUT BOOK #10 WILL SURELY MAKE UP FOR THAT. THERE’S PROBABLY GONNA BE LIKE THIS HUGE BATTLE AT THE ENDDDD…
AND I CAN’T WAITTTTTTTT ⚔️❤️🔥🤭
And the funny thing is, yeah, I’ll have to wait a year for the next book, and yeah, that’ll make me slowly die inside, but honestly… I’ve waited two years after the WORST CLIFFHANGER EVER in UNLOCKED….
SO I FEEL LIKE I CAN SURVIVE AAANNNYYYTTTHHHINGGGGG.
💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
ON A SLIGHTLY MORE SANE NOTE….
This book was fun, action packed, and full of twists and turns. It was EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE.
AND NOW BACK TO RANTING
TEAM FOSTER-KEEFE!!!!!
CAN I GET AN “OH, YEAH?”
THEY ARE SO ADORABLY ADORABLE WITH A PERFECT DYNAMIC. JUST LOOK AT THIS QUOTE.
”You balance each other. He helps you lighten up, and you help him focus. He boosts your confidence, and you keep his ego in check. You both dive headfirst into danger, but somehow you’re able to help each other play it a little smarter. And you both act more like yourselves when you’re together.” ~Auntie Ro
PRICELESS GOLD.
I LOVED RO EVEN MORE THAN USUAL IN THIS ONEEEE 💛💛
AND SHE’S SO. RIGHT.
I have LiTeRaLlY been FEROCIOUSLY shipping Sokeefe for what. FOUR STINKIN’ YEARS NOW?? And I mean hOuR lOnG rAnTs of why THEY HAVE REAL LOVE and why THEY NEED EACH OTHER and why THEY’RE SOULMATES to A N Y O N E who will listen, INCLUDING my poor mother…. Who I think was quite confused 🥲 AND ALSO MY FELLOW SOKEEFE SHIPPERS HERE ON GR AND IN REAL LIFE.
And NOW????? After CHAPTER GOSHDARN FOURTY-TWO???????????
I died and went to fangirl heaven sO mAnY tiMeS 🥹💖
ALSO FITZ TOTALLY GOT EMOTIONALLY PUNCHED IN THE FACE AND IT GAVE ME L I F E 🤭❤️
ONE MORE THING.
A LOT of Sophie’s friends were jerks in this one, including Linh (which stinks). BUT Sophie’s finally stretching her moonlark-y wings and BECOMING THE LEADER SHE WAS MEANT TO BE.
AND. I. LOVED HER.
HER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WAS ON POINT.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
💞💞💞💞
JAJAJAJAJAJAJA
😇😇😇
AAAAND FITZ STUNK AS ALWAYS, BUT WHO’S SURPRISED?????
ALSOOOOO (HEHE), y’KnOw when Sophie is in the Fitzter’s mind and she sees ✨herself✨, but a beautified, perfected version of herself??? And then she sees Keefe’s drawing of her…and it looks like her? Really her?
DO I NEED TO ELABORATE. LIKE REAL LOVE EQUALS WHAT KEEFE SENCEN HAS FOR SOPHIE FOSTER ❤️🔥
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭
SO.
IF YOU READ TO THE END OF THIS SENSELESS AND RANTY REVIEW….
I did not have the privilege of growing up with Harry Potter, but I did have the privilege of growing up with Sophie Elizabeth Foster. I have no one to thank but Shannon Messenger for this opportunity. This series is no way near perfect, but the cast of brilliant, loveable characters and the rollercoaster ride of a plot will be something I won't be forgetting in a long, long time.
I started this series from the publication of book 1 when I was an ignorant, pre-pubescent middle-schooler. 7 years. I've been following this series for 7 years, I've analysed every book religiously and waited painstakingly for the next book. There was a year when I considered giving up on the series since it is no longer exactly age appropriate for me. I am now almost graduating high school. I'm now almost an adult.
This series carries so many memories and so many emotions. I am strangely attached to the characters. Thank you for giving me this experience, Shannon Messenger. But I also beg of you to make this the book that ends the series. It has been dragging on for too long and it is an appropriate and necessary time for the fans to say goodbye to this series.
From a fan that has been with you since the beginning. Much love.
this book was really really good. it honestly reached all my expectations :)
plot: this is for sure one of the best books plot wise. yes it did drag during the whole cache's scene, but overall it was really great. a lot of the issues with the elven world were addressed (match making, talentless, you name it) and i loved seeing it. while there weren't any battle scenes, i personally feel like there were other things that made up for it! there were some good revelations and i definitely feel that this was setup for the end of the series and i feel it winding down. we do need to talk about gisela casually murdering vespera....wtf? shannon messenger stop killing off all ur villains who have the potential to be bad please 😭
characters: -sophie this girl SLAYED. she grew and matured so much as a character and i loved it for her. while she did snap a lot, i personally feel like it was all justified. she was finally stepping up and i loved it for her!! i personally relate to her a lot with some of the things going on in my life, so she was amazing to read about. please do not diss her she's honestly become a new comfort character of mine. she's become such an amazing mc!! i'm so excited to see how she is in book 10! -keefe i'm so so so so glad he came back, i missed him so much. he's an amazing character and i rlly am glad he ran off bc he needed some self healing. that being said he is still such a fabulous addition to the story and i love how he brightens up everything in the series. i wish he was in this book a little more though, sophie covered the sarcasm but i needed him omg -fitz this dude gave me the major ick in this book, he had a little bit of growth but he drives me up the wall with some of the stuff he said i was visibly livid. i'm glad his behaviors were addressed too bc they needed to be. he's so toxic and it was finally brought to light. -dex he amazing in the first half of the book!! i loved the page time he got!! i wish he had a little more in the second half. -linh she made me angry tbh, the way she treated rayni drove me up the wall. it was completely invalid and i was very frustrated. it was so unlike her, talk about reverse character development. -tam he was AMAZING in this book, he's a complex character and rlly interesting to read about when he's in the scenes. glad to see him take a front roller. -stina girly PISSED ME OFF! idk wtf happened she was so nice in legacy what changed but she was so b!tchy for no reason she was nitpicking everything sophie did ughhh i wanted to punch her so bad. -marella, maruca, biana, and wylie they were barely made it in the book so i don't have much to say on them. i was expecting more marella and maruca bc they're on the cover but ig not -jensi i loved seeing his return that was amazing!! i was hoping he would come back into the story. he's great haha. -grady and edaline they both slayed, but especially edaline. she's an amazing mother figure and is so underrated. -ro i really liked her in the second half!! i loved how she basically became one of sophie's bodyguards haha. the way she encouraged sophie throughout the first half and was like her therapist i really adored that. that's it i think for characters i think, there's so many of them 💀
romance: GUYS IT FINALLY HAPPENED OMG THE TEAM FOSTER KEEFE KISS??? I MELTED I WAS SO HAPPY THAT WAS PROBABLY THE HAPPIEST I'VE EVER BEEN READING A BOOK and i do love how sophie was dragging fitz's ass and humbling him he needed it he's a douchebag i'm so happy fitzphie is over🥰 BUT BACK TO SOKEEFE the amount of parallels comparing the two boys and SHOWING KEEFE WAS BETTER I LOVED IT AHHHHHHHHHHHH I KEEP REREADING THE TEAM FOSTER-KEEFE SCENES OVER AND OVER HELP I NEED TO GET A LIFE and while we're under relationships, kenric and oralie made me cry. the fact they were enemies to lovers, and #1 on each others' lists and now he's dead omg i cried
quote dump: "you elves like to talk about ogres as if we’re these cold, brutal creatures. but I’ve never seen anything as cold and brutal as the way you treat your son.”
“is that what you want? to be the official keeper of all the lost cities’ secrets?”
“he meant what he said in his letter—and he meant it exactly the way you thought he did before you tried to talk yourself out of it.”
"she was really starting to like the thought of team-foster keefe"
"no, I mean it. you balance each other. he helps you lighten up, and you help him focus. he boosts your confidence, and you keep his ego in check. you both dive headfirst into danger, but somehow you’re able to help each other play it a little smarter. and you both act more like yourselves when you’re together."
this review is painfully long and incoherent but yep that's all!
5/5 ⭐️
update: i simply cannot get over this book, i've been rereading all the chapters with sokeefe in them over and over and over seriously send help 😩 it's when sophie finally realizes she likes him, when he comes back, the chapters in between, and then when they kiss. over and over and over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2021??????!!!!! WTH is taking so loooong??? This better be a masterpiece and not the last one in this series at that!!!
PS Jan 22. Looks like the fandom needs to ramp up congratulations to Shannon! PS Aug 22. We GOT the COVER!!!!! YES! Now that I see the light at the end of the waiting tunnel I'm gonna plan me the reads of prior books. Like, 2-3 last volumes?!
We figure out Lady Giselas secret ability, I think it’s something like a Mesmer or beguiler, but I honestly don’t know
Sophie figures out that she likes keefe, maybe? I know there will definitely be some sokeefe bc I mean, sodex is over and sofitz is done as well so... sokeefe? Maybe 🤔 I’m not 💯 percent sure tho.
I HOPE alvar comes back and maybe? Dies saving fitz!
Keefe comes back, obvi. AND I REALLY REALLY REALLY want Elwin to adopt him! That would be just so cute and AH!
We find out who blur or wraith is, I think blur is jensi’s older brother, I forget his name 😅but idk who wraith is but since we aren’t given any other vanishers in the series other than biana della and alvar, maybe councillor Ramira, but I think it would be weird to have a councillor in something like the Black Swan, especially since we barely hear about them in the series
The cliffhanger will be BRUTAL bc the tenth book is supposed to be the series finale soooo... AHHHHH!
GLIMMER!!! I love her! And I hope that she will be coming back into this book bc she is just so quIrKy and funny! AND I saw a Theory that she is a secret triplet of tam and linh. Bc it was said that she had black hair, and can’t u see the song parents not wanting to face the scorn of twins let alone TRIPLETS, so just hid her. I think it’s possible!
I think, I HOPE someone dies, I’m not an evil psychopath! I just think that these books aren’t really realistic bc Sophie’s been through a lot and NO ONE notable has died. Even the ppl who DID die came back soooo.
Ships I want to happen: Tiana SOKEEFE Dexella Lylie And I think fitz will become a councillor bc his name LITERALLY MEANS COUNCILLOR
That’s all I’ve got for now, tell me some of your theories!!!!
Ps. Am I the only person who never shipped sofitz? Even in the first book and flashback? Tell me if u never either cause I feel like I’m the only one lol -edit Guess who just found out the book was postponed until 2022?!?! I legit am about to cry...
-yet another edit YAYYYY NOVEMBER 8th 2022 WE WILL FIND OUT IF SOKEEFE BECOMES CANON! I AM SO PREORDERING THE BOOK!!!!!!!!
-ANOTHER EDIT THISSSSS
THIS COVER
IS HEAVENLY
also does anyone know who the redhead is? Bc idk
-anddd another edit
i read the little snippet SM gave us and… the sokeefe in this book is going to be ✨heavenly✨
Overall, honestly pretty disappointing. I've been a fan of KOTLC but I feel that every book since book six (nightfall) has been dragged out and disappointing. Writing is really difficult and the world of the Lost Cities is truly thoughtprovoking and interesting, however, recently it really really feels like the story is being dragged out and milked.
This entire book follows Sophie finding out what 'Elysian' and 'stellarlune' is, the book is advertised as a revealer of 'game-changing secrets' but in the end all we get are half-baked truths and even more questions.
It seems like the author herself is getting tired of Sophie's behaviour in the past few books because she just threw Sophie's personality around and shook it upside down. Same with Linh and Tam.
Glimmer's 'big reveal' was not as impactful as it was supposed to be, largely because she turned out to be a character that nobody knew of before and nobody spoke of before. Sure, some characters recognised her after seeing her face, but ... it was never mentioned before, even though it was supposed to be a 'big thing' around the time where Sophie first came to the lost cities. This just makes a majority of Glimmer's storyline seem unplanned. And in the end, her character was just used to point out the flaws in the matchmaking system, one already pointed out by other couples like Juline / Kesler, Livvy / Quinlin and even the MC Sophie and Fitz.
With Shannon Messenger, its curveball after curveball of unpredictable twists, making the 'mystery' and 'intrigue' of the story genuinely tiring. You'll never know what comes next, and when you do eventually find out, you're left with a big WTF. The twists don't reward the reader for paying close attention, it just smacks the reader in the face for even trying to guess what comes next.
In the end, this whole book seemed like it could've been condensed into 5 chapters as it is almost entirely filler. All we find out is that Elysian is a place (until the end! oh no! sudden unpredictable twist, elysian is a PERSON!!!), stellarlune has 3 steps..? and something weird about flowers, fire and a new element. Is it necessarily unimportant to the story; No. But is it not enough content / action for a standalone book in a series; Also no. (Sure, you could argue that there was action with Trix and in the last 3 chapters, but in a book with fifty chapters, that is a paltry sum.)
The opening of Kenric's cache and the one secret in Fintan's cache was also a huge let down. Even WITH context, it doesn't seem huge enough to 'shatter' somebody's mind.
Don't even get me started on all the pointless arguments and relationship drama, sure, she's a teen, but if the narrative that she's a teen is going to stick, it has to stick to her throughout the series. Not just appear when the story has been lacking drama.
Which leads me to . All the boy drama. Yeahhh, feels forced and rushed. While i dont deny the thing with keefe has been ongoning for a while, it feels so sudden that sophie loses ALL feelings for fitz (especially after SW Messenger talks about how her “heart does a flip upon hearing his accent” or whatever) And the love triangle took up SO MUCH of the story. They’re supposedly under a serious time crunch of 10 days, but Sophie spends 5 of those 10 days pondering how to confess to Keefe and how Keefe would take it etc. Severely hyping up “impending doom for Keefe” just to reduce it to… a timer (which inevitably ended up doing jack all since this ends on a cliffhanger (again)) Sure, the kissing scene is cute, its hyped, cool. But remind me again, I thought Gisela was going to harness a LITERAL bomb-rock to kill her Keefe in TEN DAYS. AND FIVE DAYS ARE SPENT KISSING AND MOPING.
I feel that Messenger could afford to raise the stakes of the KOTLC series as a whole as it is mentioned once ever book or so that the 'stakes have never been higher' or that the elven world was 'in grave danger' but we never really get to SEE these stakes or this danger. The amount of deaths that has occurred over the span of 10 books (counting Unlocked and including villains AND characters which were revived through Deux ex Machina twins AND characters that died off screen) the total is a whopping SEVEN (correct me if I'm wrong, but I know the number can be counted on ones hands)
NONE of the main characters have died (out of the zillion MC's now, with the inclusion of Marella, Maruca, Wylie and Stina) and neither has anyone close to Sophie. Realistically I cannot buy the fact that the Neverseen are these big evil villains (secret plan/goal never mentioned notwithstanding) that torture and kill and whatever or the fact that they're losing dramatically and need to make difficult choices because NOTHING has happened. This isn't the war that was advertised, this isn't even action packed in the slightest. I wish authors weren't afraid to kill off MC's or fan favorites because killing off characters that barely - or never - show up (I counted Cyrah Endal in the seven above) does not have any impact in the slightest.
All in all, a dragged out story with little content and even littler stakes. Props to Shannon Messenger for being able to stretch this for seven hundred pages (and ten books - these behemoths are NOT small in the slightest), it truly is a feat, with such little content.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
ALTHOUGH~ Once you get to chapter 40 the rating gets pushed up to a 3.5
Am I amazed I had the patience to read that far considering how I felt about the other 39 chapters before it got good?
Yes. Very yes.
°•LET THE SPOILERS COMMENCE, SINCE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN WHY I DIDN'T LIKE THIS SO MUCH WITHOUT DETAIL•°
[note: I read this months ago so my memory is a tad rusty]
Ahem... *shuffles note cards*
Let's start off with the-
CHARACTERS _________________
I have never liked Sophie Foster as a main character and according to this recent addition to the series...
I never will.
The girl just....
Grrr....
First off, ZERO character development. Unless you want to call 'becoming tougher, more demanding, and awoken to her feelings about Keefe', character development.
I don't, by the way.
She was NOT meant to be a leader. I don't care if she's the Moonlark with special powers and a grudge against every villain in the book. That doesn't change the fact that her over-thinking-ness and not-thinking-before-she-does-something-stupid-ness, hinder her leadership abilities. Sure, she may have a charisma about her that brings people to her I guess, but she... SHE CAN'T LEAD. SHE JUST PLAYS FAVORITES AND DOES STUPID THINGS THAT ALMOST GET HER AND HER FRIENDS KILLED.
Not to mention the whining about being left out of the loop on info with the adults, and then whirling around and keeping things from her friends because they just CAN'T know about XYZ! I must keep them away to protect them!
....do you really not see it, Sophie? Do you not get it? Do you not see what you and the adults are doing?
Oh my goshhhhhh, don't even get me started on her having a crush on Fitz for ages even though he WAS A VERBALLY AND EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE FRIEND/BOYFRIEND WHO WANTED TO MURDER HIS BROTHER AND CANNOT DEAL WITH ANYTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION.
The whole 'match scandal' thing?
CAN YOU GET MORE SELFISH AND UNABLE TO CARE ABOUT YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S FEELINGS?
Which brings me to everybody else~
Fitz: I hate him, always will. I'm not even kidding when I say that if Shannon kills of a character, I desperately hope it's him.
Plus.
I hated him even more in this book. Like... I didn't think it was even possible, but my hatred towards him has ACTUALLY MULTIPLIED WHAT IS THIS? DOES THE AUTHOR REALIZE HOW AWFUL AND HATE WORTHY A CHARACTER SHE'S CREATED? I ACTUALLY HAVE HIM JUST UNDER DOLORES JANE UMBRIDGE ON THE LIST OF FICTION CHARACTERS I HATE, AND SHE'S NUMBER ONE ON THAT LIST.
Biana: The ONE character in this whole book series who had decent development. ..but only for the first book then *poof* none in sight. I actually didn't like her in this book.
Truthfully I didn't like anybody in this book, except Keefe.
Oh! And my girl Lihn! She's fine.
But everyone else?
Tam? Furious at him. Author-nim is letting some serious development slip through her fingers, man.
Heck....she's letting good development for ALL OF HER MAIN CAST SLIP THROUGH HER FINGERS!
I have ROLE PLAY CHARACTERS THAT I WAS ABLE TO DEVELOPMENT MORE THAN THIS CREW.
So yeah,
Dex? ...did he even exist in this book? I CAN'T REMEMBER BECAUSE HE IS USED SO FRICKEN LITTLE. He is literally just there for tech support!!!! I LOVE HIM, SHANNON!! HE'S A GREAT CHARACTER!! WHY AREN'T YOU USING HIM MORE!!
..is the whole triplet and family issues a ploy to keep him busy and away from the others?
I smell a theory forming.
Stina? Never liked her, never really will. I'll admit she's gotten better but her attitude needs adjusting.
Maruca? Bland incarnate.
Marella? Started off great in this series and actually got worse. I don't like her at all anymore. The girl is the epitome of 'rebellious teenager and parent issues who wears black and is emo, plus is also an outcast because of something that's different with her.' ((her pyrokinesis)) She also needs an attitude adjustment.
Wylie? Not as bland as Maruca, but close.
though I still ship him with Lihn~
New girl? What's her name?...I've forgotten it already.... ...we'll just call her Glimmer here.
Hate her too :D
I have since she first show up and ALWAYS will, for two good reasons!
1. Am I not ashamed to say I have a crush on Tam and him defending her all the time is just grating on my every last nerve.
2. I just do, because she's annoying and sO mYsTeRiOuS and seriously didn't get super red flags from Lady Gisela???? THE WOMAN SCREAMS 'I AM EVIL AND ABUSE MY SON FOR HIS "OWN GOOD".
HOW DID GLIMMER THINK IT WAS OKAY TO CUFF TAM IN THOSE STUPID LIGHT CUFFS??? LIKE, THAT DIDN'T SEEM WRONG TO YOU AT ALL????
And lastly.... Keefe.
((because I couldn't care less about the adults in this book. I really couldn't.
...
EXCEPT FOR ELWIN, JULINE, AND KESLER! I LOVE THEM!))
Keefe is... ....literally the only reason why I'm still reading these.
HE is the ONLY character who has had REAL development and IS ACTUALLY LIKEABLE!
GOOD JOB ON HIM SHANNON! THANK YOU FOR GRACING ME AND THE OTHER READERS WITH HIS WONDERFULNESS.
Really,
THANK YOU.
Because without Keefe I would have burned all my copies of this series and DNFed it ages ago.
Seriously.
Hmm...anything else?
This was the most boring book in the whole series.
How....
I can't even....
SHE HAS A HUGE CAST OF CHARACTERS, OVER TWENTY PLOT THREADS TO WRAP UP, AN ENTIRE ELFY WORLD, AND VILLAINS I WOULD LIKE TO BURN AT THE STAKE-
and this book was, fudging boring.
I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW DEPENDENT I AM ON KEEFE'S CHARACTER, BECAUSE WITHOUT HIM THIS STORY S U C K S.
I had to FORCE myself to get through it.
And I'm sorry fellow Sokeefe shippers.
....but chapter 42 was just okay to me.
I know, I'm sad at myself too.
WHY WAS I NOT EXCITED?
Possibly because....I didn't really like the way it was executed. It was...underwhelming almost. Probably because I've daydreamed about it too much and my expectations were too high XD
Plus... Sophie almost....annoyed me when she finally realized about how Keefe felt and she felt... It was weird and....forced? I think that's the word I'm looking for.
Yeah. Sad, man.
SOOOOO, WHAT ELSE?
RO IS STILL AWESOME.
...
That's about all I've got.
....
OH OH, THE ENDING XD
RIIIIIIIIGHT.
WHAT THE FUDGE MAN!? WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO US? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHY WHY WHY? I'M CONFUSED AND PREPARING TO ME EXTREMELY ANGERED AND FRUSTRATED WITH THE NEXT BOOK.
OH ANDDDDDDD-
Kenric's cache opening?
...just added to all the loose ends and was...
It wasn't even that cool to me.
Like....wow man...mm hm....important to the plot I guess...
A secret library though..... I SO WANT THAT XD
At least now the cover of the book makes sense ((even though they got Marella's hair color wrong~)).
All in all. I'm glad I punched that wall after finishing this book.
Okay the 5stars are coming from Sokeefe fans, so I think the author can drop this series and start a Sokeefe lovestory, coz most of them don't care about the plot. The plot? It's always the same. Something new happens near the end of the book and BOOM! Hello cliffhanger! The only reason I'm forcing myself to read this series because I started it. The world building was interesting, but now (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ This series is only alive coz ppl ship Sokeefe. They hate Fitz who had been done dirty which I hate. He's a flawed elf, everyone is. But Keefe is cool ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and people love cool stuff! ( Dear author, give me Fitz and I will do justice to his character and make him everyone's favourite 😃) As for Sophie, I've never liked her, didn't have a reason to. This series could have ended like years ago but no, the author's got a fandom of Sokeefe who will read anything even if it doesn't make ANY sense. Disappointed. Again.
11/07/2022 TOMORROW PEOPLE IT'S COMING OUT TOMORROW AFTER 2 YEARS AND A STUPID FUCKING NOVELLA EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IM SO EXCITED
11/05/2022 ONLY 3 MORE DAYS PEOPLE AND WE GET TO SEE OUR PRECIOUS BABIES ONCE AGAIN (don't kill anyone shannon im begging u)
06/13/2022 I had a dream last night that the book already came out and I forgot everything. this is my sign from the universe to re-read.
03/29/2022 ngl I pre-ordered this 2 years ago, WHERE IS IT!? WHERE IS THE BOOK!!?!?
03/15/2022 IF ANYONE SO MUCH AS LAYS A HAND ON MY PRECIOUS KEEFE I WILL CUT THEM INTO TINY PIECES!!! NO ONE TOUCHES HIM. NO ONE.
02/16/2022 OH MY GOD A COVER I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG!!! WOW THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! MARUCA AND MARELLA FINALLY GET A COVER!!! Also, is this a new cover artist? It seems different from the other books 🧐
I slaved through 728 pages of this (+ acknowledgments) so I could give it a 1 star review. Let me just explain why I am so vehemently against this book and series. If you had asked me 4 books ago if I was a fan of KOTLC I would say yes, and give you a thorough explanation on the world building and the characters. And I don't even have an explanation of why I hate this series so much now other than it's bad. And I feel so betrayed by all of it that I feel the need to ruin the series for everyone else. And Shannon gives you no other choice than being strung along for the whole series with her endless cliffhangers. This isn't representative of a good author anymore! It's cheap tricks to make her money. A great author doesn't need a cliffhanger to keep you reading the series. And that was what I would have described her like after the first book. I didn't feel like she was bartering for my money and my attention. But now I do, because these books are so wildly unentertaining and stagnant. NOTHING HAPPENS. Nothing happened in this book. And that is why this is nothing but a money grab. Everything in this book was filler and Shannon has the audacity to say she can't finish the series in 10 books. I'm sure her publishers really like that. But do we as the readers? No, not if we have any sense. I just am so frustrated that she continues to string us along as each book gets worse and worse. And yet somehow people keep groveling at the feet of this series. But I can't be the only one who thinks this way, and it's frustrating to see that underrepresented in the reviews. Probably because people who hate the series refuse to continue on, and I'd be a lot saner if I followed their example. But without further rambling let's get into the heart of this book specifically.
Stellarlune. Not at a single point in this book did I actually understand what that phrase meant. Nor did I want to. Shannon managed to write nearly 750 pages with so many words and conversations and yet we have answers for nothing. Other than what Shannon assumes is our most fervent desire to see Foster-Keefe thing happen. (I will forever despise books that put the ship name in their actual books, like that makes me want to vomit. That shows childish and narcissistic writing.) Don't get me wrong I do ship Foster-Keefe because as I've said before the most annoying, self-important, and idiotic characters deserve each other. Not that Shannon has let us entertain the idea of Sophie with anyone else, like we should be rooting with Sophie's feelings and that shouldn't be constrained by everyone else suddenly becoming a jerk or quite literally a cousin. You left us with one option, Shannon, that's not fun. Why is Keefe a plot point? Like was there no other way for you to make us understand that he's important. He's the problem with everything and he has no character building at all. He's whiny and runs away from his problems and is just an idiot. Like how in our right mind do we have to continue to root for this character? I can't be expected to do that, I just can't. And Fitz is a jerk now, and then suddenly we're supposed to acknowledge that that was in his character this entire time (wrong, or at least I never picked up on that until book 6 or 7 (they're blurring together) when it was shoved down my throat). And we're also supposed to go along with the fact he's acting like this while still liking Sophie and wanting to date her. That's not consistent with how any sane person acts with their crush. Even with insinuating circumstances. It's obnoxious. But I suppose it is consistent with every character in this book. I didn't like a single one of them. They're not fun to follow along with anymore. Everyone is fighting. Where was the fun in Foxfire like in the first book, the adventures that were exciting that they would go on? Maybe I'm so frustrated with these books because they've taken a turn and it feels like an honest to goodness chore to read and finish these books now. They're stagnant, predictable, and monotonous. I knew what to expect from this book and I was right. I knew to expect Sophie being a brat and in at least every other chapter I knew I would hear her whine about how she doesn't want to be the leader. Like no dip Sophie no one wants you to be it either so step the heck down. I knew to expect more "subtle" references to feelings with Keefe because there are no other options other than her being in love with Sandor. Everything in this book is force fed down the readers throat and it's just not effective and I've been choking from it since book 7. Just stop. Just stop for the love of everything holy and for the books that are inevitably coming. Please make the books fun to read again, make something, ANYTHING, happen in these books again. Because I just read 728 pages and cannot tell you the plot other than a kiss that meant nothing to me, and arguing, talking, and nothing else. Cut it out and make decisions. Make something happen because we're sitting in the same spot they were in in book one with more abilities and dead people. Stellarlune is a sad, meaningless addition to a series full of whiny characters and where all the fun has been stricken from the record. Bring it back, it's a middle grade series not twilight, we want the fun back. This sucks. It just sucks.
Sad to give 2 stars because this series has been my all-time favorite since middle school and it’s been about SEVEN YEARS since I first started reading them and anxiously waiting for the books to come out each year.
That being said, this series should have ended 4 years ago. I don’t know how the author continually manages to stretch such a little amount of information into so many 700 page books. There are too many characters and I don’t know why she insists on trying to cram every single one of them into these books anymore — it’s like she lists out all ten million of them every scene she can so that the fans who like each individual character will be satisfied.
She also repeats a lot of the same themes over and over again that have literally been around since the 2nd book. Yes, we know Sophie doesn’t want to bring her bodyguard with her everywhere and that he always threatens repercussions if she does, yet she always does, and he always lectures her. This happens literally every single book. Along with the whole, “We have some mission to go to, I’m not bringing any of my friends because I don’t want to put them in danger!” But then they all want to go. And then they argue about it. And argue more. And then some convenient group of 4 or 5 goes and it’s basically always Fitz and Keefe and whatever characters haven’t had as much screen time in the past books. I don’t know why but this is always so annoyingly insufferable to read as it definitely takes up a whole chapter every single time. Just figure out another way to set up your plot instead of recycling the same old cliches.
The entire first 3/4 of the book was so boring and it never ended. Definitely could’ve hit all those points in half that. I consistently find myself not the slightest bit interested in the repetitive dialogue. Maybe it’s because I’ve definitely aged out of the demographic, but the childish humor is so so bad. I mean it’s always been bad, but I was so annoyed at every mention of farts and poop and burps and all that. Maybe a 6 or 7 year old might be entertained by that, but like this books are marketed for 12/13/14 year olds? I can’t be the only one who thinks this.
I will absolutely be in the minority for this, but I hate the way Shannon has treated Sophie, Fitz, and Keefe. It makes no sense based off the prior books. I will admit I’ve always liked Sophie and Fitz though I could probably see why some people liked Keefe too. But Sophie’s feelings in this book made NO SENSE. Sophie has basically been in love with Fitz since the first book, and we’ve seen her feelings along the way. She admitted to herself very early on that she liked Fitz and honestly their relationship was so good up until Legacy. Was he a jerk in Legacy? Absolutely. It’s annoying he’s so hung up on the unmatchable thing for sure, but all characters have flaws and it’s obvious being a bad match is very uncommon in their world. People say Fitz was worse in this book, but I disagree? He had a lot of progress in telling Sophie about his insecurities and being honest with her. He told her he still cares about her a lot. And no one wants to talk about how in his subconscious she is literally the center of his life. I didn’t think it was that bad that he told Sophie she was being reckless at the beginning. Him and all her friends had a point about her going and BURNING DOWN AN ENEMY HIDEOUT without at least talking about it to anyone first, especially like Fitz said there could’ve been information hidden there. Sophie was lowkey a prick to all of her friends about that.
But no one will talk about how Sophie’s feelings about Keefe literally FLIPPED A SWITCH just because Ro told her he liked her. There has never been any indication that her worries and feelings about him have been anything other than friendship until this book. Until she’s all of the sudden like, “Hmmm, I should give it a try.” Nothing near the level of love she had for Fitz. And the whole, “Fitz sees me as perfect, but Keefe sees me as flawed and I like that better” is BS.
I have a couple theories on this. One, Shannon based Fitz off of her ex husband. I remember reading somewhere that she got divorced around the time she was writing Legacy, so she projected her feelings about her ex onto Fitz and changed his character completely from the way it had been the last 5 books and made him unlikeable so Sophie would have a reason to not like him. Sounds a little far fetched but how can you explain Fitz’s complete change in character. Second, she once had a poll on her Instagram of like ice blue or teal or something. Obviously every knows what this means. It’s obvious she hasn’t had a complete plan for her books anymore since she originally meant it to only be 3 books, so she relied on the fans to choose for her just so she could satisfy them. F this because its obvious Shannon originally liked Fitz.
The only thing I liked about this book was that ending supposedly seemed to be getting somewhere. And I only knew that because she put in her acknowledgement that the cliff hanger was something she’s been building to forever. I wouldn’t have known otherwise! I didn’t even know who Elysian was until this book so how should I know that this was apparently a huge series point.
I really hope the next book is finally the last. But I wouldn’t be surprised if she announces in the next couple months that there’s going to be an 11, even 12.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
BE BRAVE, SHANNON MESSENGER. TAKE RISKS-- WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE MAD AT YOU IF YOU KILL PEOPLE. (Well, only maybe a little mad. But it's killing me to see everyone in "mortal danger" 24/7 in the books but we all really know in the back of our heads nobody is going to die.) DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN YOU HAVE WITH THE PAST THREE BOOKS, PLEASE! If this is the last book, it needs to go out with a BANG! And I hope it is the last book, personally, because if Sophie doesn't resolve everything soon, I genuinely can't see how she ever will. The conflict will grow too large for her to handle. IMO, it already has gotten out of hand and I can't see how she can realistically save the day at this point. But she's The Mysterious Lady Foss-Boss. She'll find a way to handle it. This series may be a little cliche. And a little predictable. And a little unrealistic. But I still love it with all my heart and I'm so excited for book nine! We all believe in you, Shannon Messenger! All your fans are behind you! You can do this!
People tell Shannon to slow down, take her time, and I agree. But the people that say the books after nightfall keep getting worse? I completely disagree. I loved this series from the start and I cant wait for #9. Take as long as you want and write as many books as you want.
My friend just emailed me that the cover of this out. I'M SO HAPPY SHE DID. THE COVER IS BOOTIFUL. SO BOOTIFUL. I LUV ITTTTT. i should totally buy the book when is comes out just so i can see the cover everyday :0
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ⋆ ✦ . •| February/02/2022
omg there is finally a title for this after me waiting since 2020
Stellarlune. . . . . . interesting 👀
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ Hopefully this is the last book in the series! I mean I love the series but I think it’s too long! I also hope this book is better then 8.5 that one was ehhh!, especially considering how long it was! THIS BETTER BE GOOD!, IF ITS GOING TI BE AS LONG THE OTHER BOOKS!
ALSO HOPEFULLY SOKEEFE WILL HAPPEN IF NOT 🔪 I ALSO NEED A COVER RELEASE SOON!, LIKE VERY VERY SOON!
Okay, so the cliffhanger wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I mean, it's still harsh. But not totally harsh. I think Book #5 had the worst cliffhanger, in my opinion.
I’ve really enjoyed the friend group aspects of the prior books in this series and this book really highlighted the phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” with the friend group shifting and new members (who have strong opinions) being added. So while I wanted to go back to the everything’s-fine-and-we-all-get-along parts, it was realistic for opinions and tempers to flare. Especially as Sophie is getting to be done with Neverseen and their evil plans (same, girl, same) and taking a more...proactive approach to ending this war.
Speaking of Sophie, it annoyed me how quite a few of the group ganged up on her about a certain action/decision she made when it was a good move—though it should have been thought through a bit more, I’ll admit. But I can’t blame her because the villains need to be taken down already.
Main Content Basically the same content from the prior books: near death experiences, fighting the bad guys, terrible parents, etc. Someone dies (up to semi-detailed). Sophie is much sassier and more rebellious in this book (though it's due to her being completely done with the Neverseen). Sophie also has to prepare herself for taking down--killing--the bad guys (Ro talks to her about it being "me or them" and Sophie repeats it a few times. Which is true for self-defense, especially when there are crazy evil adults that are willing to kill teenagers for this goals.). Sophie uses one of her abilities to knock out enemies (described as a blast of red lightning coming from her palms and forehead); Recapping past events (kidnappings, fights, major injuries, being drugged, etc.) and deaths.
Continuing mentions of butts, poop, burps, etc. Someone is called the Gossip Master and it's looked upon as good because she can find things out about others.
A couple mentions of Sophie questioning her place in the universe & the universe being against her plans (because things kept interrupting).
A bit more of the romance element in this book that book #8 (because Sophie realizes her feelings for a certain boy); Touches, Hand holding, Embraces, & Noticing; A kiss (during the kiss, Sophie thinks that she's always wondered if kissing could really be as great as everyone always claimed, but kissing a certain boy was So. Much. Better.); An almost kiss; Mentions of kisses, kissing, & wanting to kiss; Sophie asks Edaline if she's allowed to date and Edaline says "If it's what you want to do--and you think you're ready for it--of course you are." and adds "You’re a teenager, Sophie. You’re trying to figure out who you are and what you want. And that means you’re absolutely allowed to spend time obsessing about crushes if that’s what’s on your mind. These feelings are new and complicated and huge and intense—and you’re supposed to ask questions, and try different things, and change your mind if something doesn’t seem right." Edaline then tells Sophie to listen to her heart (Sophie is 15/16 in this book); There's a few mentions of the bonds of a pair of Cognate being like a bond like a marriage and two guys almost being Cognates (not meant to be sexual or romance-based at all, but I thought I would note this).
This cover is GORGEOUS !!!! And finally, after 8 books I'll be able to differentiate Maruca and Marella. I still don't understand what was the point of giving them almost the same name, but if I decide to reread the whole series in the future, now at least I know they are two different person and I can picture them properly.
i cannot promise there won't be some sort of spoilers ahead, so here's a warning. i'm only not marking this as a spoiler review because anything i spoil, it's not intentional. click away while you can!
first things first... i am loving sophie's attitude shift. stellarlune is the first book where i have truly ENJOYED sophie foster as the protagonist. she feels so much less like the "not like other girls/special/helpless babie" she was kind of painted as in the first few books. sophie is done waiting, done playing nice, and finally standing up for herself, all things i have been waiting to see from her! she's really come into her own, and it's been so great to see her grow and mature through the series.
i've seen a lot of complaints in regards to the characterization of everyone, especially fitz, and to an extent i kind of understand the complaints, but at the same time, it makes sense to me. fitz has always been tempermental and grumpy, and it's just starting to show more, especially as he and the other characters age. i do wish we'd seen more of the side characters though, because this was kind of just the sophie show with sandor and ro (and i don't like ro.).
i also really wish shannon would have kept the dual pov between keefe and sophie that we saw in unlocked. it would have been super, super interesting to see what keefe was up to while he was away from the lost cities. hopefully shannon will give us a bonus short story or something. (also... )
i don't think i'm spoiling anything by saying this, since shannon posted it herself, but that cliffhanger was BRUTAL. i do not think i can wait another year (or two) (update it is two) to find out what happens next. i was hoping she would be nice to us since we waited so long, but no. i was also hoping it would be longer, because although shannon wrapped up plenty of questions, there are still a lot left that i doubt she'll be able to answer with one last book. still curious to see how she does it, though!
it was so nice to finally read one of these books for the first time again. this world, as dangerous and scary as it is now, is still so magical to me, and i could spend hours in it. shannon has poured so much love and effort into this world and characters, and i'm excited to see the payoff with (hopefully) the final book. yet another addicting, can't-put-down addition to this series, and i cannot wait to see whats next. it's been amazing to (read) sophie grow and mature, and really, truly fall into the role of a leader. i cannot wait to see how her journey ends <3
"be bold. be brave. be honest. and be you. you're sophie foster."
absolutely insane amount of dialogue (like probably 99% of this book).. sophie needs to stop yapping and make some actual progress because it's ridiculous that after 9 700-paged books, we're practically at the same point as the first book. like how is it even possible for each book to get so much worse lmao
My physical copy of the book won't arrive until next Monday, so I've made do with the Kindle version for now. I've been looking forward to this book since preorders were announced last year. In some ways the book lived up to the hype; in other ways, I was disappointed.
After spending so many books in this series as a doormat, Sophie has finally snapped. She spends a lot of the book yelling at people to do something, simmering with anger, and wanting to commit bodily harm on someone at least once. It is beautiful. She is so done with everything and everyone and I only wonder what took so long.
Highlights include: - Internally wanting to, in her words, sucker-punch Fitz - Expressing a desire to destroy all the gifts Fitz gave her - Threatening Forkle while attempting to contact her - Leaves a message to Forkle threatening to fill his office with an undesirable substance if he doesn't answer her attempts at communication - Thinks of an undesirable substance the moment Fitz enters her mind
Seeing Sophie stand up to everyone and to Fitz--even acknowledging that she still resented what he said to her during Exile and throughout the rest of the series--was so cathartic. She spent so much of the series being led around by the nose, having things happen to her and not being able to do anything to stop them. I loved seeing her argue with the other characters, berate them for just letting Keefe run off into another dangerous situation, and in general point out everything they've been doing wrong and how little progress they've made.
In regards to Fitz, I appreciated that his behavior and its effects on Sophie were addressed. I never cared for him (in the first book he just seemed full of himself and that never got any better) but here it seems he's actually acknowledging some of what he did wrong. There was surprisingly little of Keefe in this book, but I didn't mind as that gave the other characters some breathing room. When he finally did show up again, and when he and Sophie confessed their feelings to each other, I was pleasantly surprised. It felt like less of a love triangle situation and more of a 'I need to come to terms with these new feelings while grappling with the sense of grief over my relationship with Fitz imploding' sort of vibe from Sophie.
Sadly, we don't get a Keefe and Ro reunion, which I would've liked seeing as they've clearly become close friends. Ro and Sophie's interactions were amazing and I loved seeing Ro egg Sophie on and tease her, but also give her some pretty solid advice and helping her cope with everything falling apart around her. Them having sleepovers and Ro teaching Sophie about bonding with a weapon was really sweet.
There's also a sense that the plot is finally progressing. We finally learn the motivation of several characters. Some plot points are finally explained. Most notably, towards the end of the book, they finally find Cyrah's missing starstone. They need this in order to go to Elysian, a hidden place with a secret power source that is either heavily implied or outright stated to unlock the hidden potential of elves (I'm not sure on this one, but I read all 732 pages in a single day so my brain is fried).
We learn that Elysian is the villains' attempt at a human sanctuary, and that the power source inside of it is powerful, dangerous, and has something to do with Gisela's plans for Keefe. My best guess is that Keefe's legacy is probably to brainwash humans into going to Elysian, but I'm not a hundred percent sure.
At this point in the series, with only one book left to go, I just a clear cut explanation for what Gisela is doing. There are still a ton of questions I have that haven't been answered: why haven't the elves' war crimes in Atlantis been addressed? What is the significance of the humans Gisela killed in London, and why did she send Keefe to deliver a letter to them? What other information is hidden in Sophie's mind? What else is hidden in the caches?
We get dozens of pages of conversations, where the characters are sitting and standing around arguing and waffling around what they should be doing, while much more interesting things are happening off screen. I would've liked to see what Ro did in Ravagog! Or how Marella interacted with Fintan and the discussions they could've had about pyrokinetics! Or Keefe's adventures in the human world! There's a throwaway line that he made friends while hiding out. Are we not going to address that? So much is happening in this book, and even its 732 pages (at least in the Kindle edition, we'll see about it when my hardcover gets here) didn't feel like enough. I was honestly so bummed out when I reached the end of it, I was in the zone. I couldn't tear my eyes away from my Kindle.
It kicks me how there was this big build-up to Keefe running away, but halfway through he just comes back to the Lost Cities no problem. At least this time it didn't feel like returning to the status quo--but he makes some comments about how gross human water is and like. Come on. We're still doing this? The characters still haven't changed their attitudes about humans, even after learning about the human experimentation and meeting Amy and I just. For Christ's sake.
The big thing with Sophie is how living with humans gave her a unique perspective on the world, but she's the only one whose perspective has changed. The bodyguards have a somewhat positive reaction to the idea of imprisoning all of humanity in one place, because, uh, holy shit? These are characters we're supposed to root for and sympathize with. And then you have them saying that a human prison is somewhat reasonable, or what human food/water is gross and that it's all polluted, etc., etc.
I don't understand. Sophie mentions at one point that they need to expose the truth about the Nightfall facility and is immediately shut down. Forkle makes a half-assed attempt at defending humans when, keep in mind, this is the same character who implanted an elven embryo into Emma Foster without her knowing it was an elf or that the resulting child would be taken away from her. The same character who cited Twinkies of all things as a reason that humans don't deserve elven medical technology when he and other members of the Black Swan have seen their suffering firsthand.
In the first book there was clearly some sort of attempt at making this an important plot point, that changing the elven attitude towards humans was a big step in bringing progress to the Lost Cities, but then the series got bloated with so many other plot points that it can't get the attention it deserves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
YOU CAN'T DO THIS SHANNON MESSENGER! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HANGING FOR YEARS!! JUST WHY? WHY? WHY????
Now that's taken care of, I LOVE KOTLC SO MUCH!! OMG!!! CHAPTER 42!!! TEAM FOSTER-KEEFE!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! 💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶
Ahem... Let's all calm down.
NOPE CAN'T DO!! GAHHHHHHH! SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD. YAY. BUBBLES. FAIRIES. LOVE HEARTS. CUPCAKES. RAINBOWS. FOSTER-KEEFE ON THE ROLL. YEAH!! 🫧🧋🧚🔮💕🫶🧁🎂🌈💖💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶🫧🧋🧚🔮💕🫶🧁🎂🌈💖💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶🫧🧋🧚🔮💕🫶🧁🎂🌈💖💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶🫧🧋🧚🔮💕🫶🧁🎂🌈💖💕😍❤🔥🥰😻🫶
Let's just pretend that never happened. Hehe... Stellarlune was a great continuer (If that's a word) to the series. Jam-packed with adventure, romance and mysteries. It kept me binge-reading it. Great book Shannon Messenger!
It made me go through some serious mood swings! Gotta say, Sophie is developing some serious attitude! Not sure if I should love it or hate it but... Let's just say she's a great leader. It's true though! She's finally growing up as the leader she was meant to be.
Argh. Now I sound like Ro.
Who cares! I get to fan-talk about KOTLC if I want to!