Last Rite...A Fitting Ending

Last Rite is the final book in the Personal Demons trilogy, picking up with Frannie and Luc leaving Haden to escape the forces of Hell which are after Frannie for her Sway (her ability to get others to do what she wants). The three hop a plane after a wild chase and end up in Florida where Gabe hopes to help Frannie refine her skills and Luc attempts to push her away so he can regain his former demon powers (in order to help save her). Of course things do not go as planned: Luc cannot stay away from Frannie, Gabe finds himself in danger of losing his wings because of his love for Frannie, and Lucifer sends fallen angel Matt (Frannie's twin) to track her down. When Frannie discovers that the family she left behind in Haden is in danger, she decides it is up to her to save them however she can.

For all that's going on, the first third of this book moves a bit slowly, with Gabe and Luc both spending too much time lusting after Frannie rather than coming up with a viable solution to keep her from Lucifer's clutches. In fact, though there is some necessary set up during the time Frannie is in Florida, it's not until she arrives back in Haden that things begin to move with a capital M. Frannie's entire family becomes involved in the ultimate battle of good vs. evil, and no one is quite sure what Frannie should do or how she should do it. There are some family secrets revealed, all of which are surprising and welcome, and some intense moments as souls are bargained for and decisions are made. I literally could not put the book down for the final 100 pages...I had to know what happened next!

Still, there are some issues I have with all the final threads, and this is a spoiler warning...

I had to wonder Why Frannie? If all her sisters and brother had special powers, thanks to her dad and grandfather, then why should the third daughter of the family be the One? I also had to wonder why Frannie found it so hard to trust the two men who had only been trying to help her for so long. I also felt the entire sub story with Faith was sorta odd...she just didn't seem necessary to the story. And only under the guise of Free Will do I understand what happened with Luc and Frannie and the hospital scenes...really, was there a decision that had to be made?

Last Rite is a fitting ending to a great trilogy, despite its minor flaws. The characters are compelling and the ties of family permeate the entire story. I loved this series and look forward to reading anything and everything Ms. Desrochers writes in the future.


~taminator40