The Stone Warriors: Nicodemus

GAH!!! What a way to end the series! LOVED every minute of this one. Loved the back story on Nico and Antonia. Loved all the warriors back together. Fun to watch Nico and Raphael putting aside their differences. If I had to fault anything, I would say that the writing at the beginning of the book--Parts I and II--was so detailed and the world building so fantastic, it truly sucked me in. The last part seemed rushed to me. Not as much detail but the grand finale of action was worth it!

And what was that little sneak peek at the end??? More goodness to come in this world it looks like.

Nicodemus has been long anticipated by avid fans of D.B. Reynolds and the conclusion to the Stone warrior saga has been equally craved. As expected, this book is long due to the required backstory which explains the timeline of Nico’s battle with Sotiris and the events that unfold which resulted in his warrior’s disappearance. And there lies my problem. I kept going over the timeline and it didn’t align with the previous books in this series. Nico’s story starts out in 1824, but previously it has been mentioned on more than one occasion that Nico had searched for his Warriors for a millennium, but this story only incorporates less than two centuries. So hence my confusion. I realise that Nico made mention of different worlds and not knowing what timeframe that would entail, but at one point he says they have been gone a millennium, but he hasn’t found them yet to know this information. That said, the story itself was very detailed and provided insight into the long waging conflict between Nico and Sotiris and Nico’s heartache over their loss and his willingness to risk all to find and rescue them all. Nico’s connection to Vampires and their constant battle with sorcerers was included, but again there was no mention of Raphael having met Nico prior to Cyn, yet it was implied that they had a history in previous books. Antonia started out as a typical woman of her times, but there was never any doubt to her intelligence and smarts. However, she evolved into a mature, confident and assertive woman when she eventually was found and often called Nico out on his arrogance and inflated ego. For me personally, Nico was the most unlikeable character that Ms Reynolds has written; he was ego driven and obnoxious to a fault and exhaustively condescending which I found disagreeable. Overall, NICODEMUS is a good book, but as someone who has read every story written by this author there were aspects of the story that were missing or didn’t align that I found disappointing. I’m sure this story will be positively received by many and this is only my opinion and my 4 Star rating is basically for Ms Reynolds talented writing style which is always impeccable.

I will start by saying this is almost a book of two halves as initially we get to discover what Nick did before we met him in the VOA series. This is essentially his story as he travels through time to try and save the four Warriors he considers more than just friends and the woman he loves. Most of the journey we follow with him is set in the early 1800's in France but there are also snippets of Antonia as she too begins her new life with the Sorcerer Sotiris.
Fast forward a couple of hundred years and Nick has made a good life for himself and he's finally found his missing friends. He has never stopped loving Antonia but has almost given up hope of ever finding her. The trouble is Sotiris is very much alive and well and that is something Nick is determined to change . Unfortunately that means asking the powerful Vampire Raphael for help and if you've read the previous books in this series then you know that might not end well !
This wasn't at all what I expected but that isn't a bad thing. Following Nick as he sought to unravel the mystery of just where Sotiris sent those he cares for enabled the reader to get a much clearer view of Nick and why he is the way he is. Yes he's conceited and if I'm blunt can be quite cold at times but he is also loyal and I felt his family background particularly had hardened him. This isn't a typical romance as the couple seemed to gel very quickly but it is the story readers needed after reading so much about the Stone Warriors and their curse. If I were to have a slight niggle it would simply be that for some reason Antonia didn't really impress me but as we get Raphael and Cyn as well I'm not going to complain.
I'm very happy that we finally got Nicks story as it ties off loose ends. I would personally advise starting with Raphaels book as its an amazing journey but the Stone Warriors has been a fabulous series chock full of action and romance so I'm left feeling very happy indeed.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Well let me start by saying this book has been anticipated for some time, the previous books in the series have been awesome and I have to say this book just some how did not feel as satisfying. Yes the characters are amazing and the storyline with so much being in the past was a little dry. Im all for a back story but it was just a bit to much. As long as I have been waiting for this completion I was not as enthralled as I hoped I would be. Will I read more from this fantastic writer, ABSOLUTELY!!

This has been a long awaited book to round out this arc of the Author's intertwined series .

Whilst I enjoyed the book overall I found myself asking at times is this the Nico we have come to love in the Vampires in America books ? He appeared much more arrogant , his ego much more to the fore - where was the teasing, manipulative hero we had come to love.
The story is told over several parts - his early years , meeting and losing his love, Antonia , followed with a smaller story set in the present . Even in the present events seemed a little rushed , his romance with Antonia almost bland - the most enjoyable parts were when Raphael and Cyn show up .

I will of course still read the Author's future books especially those that might feature the Vampire in America

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It was a good conclusion to a series. Time travel stuff was well written but the romance between the characters were little bit rushed but considering that the book has to incorporate many things so its understandable. Nico's character is well explored and we finally know the connections of previous stories in Vampires in America series. Thank you Netgalley for the Arc.
#Netgalley #arc.

NICODEMUS was a worthy end to Reynolds ’Stone Warriors’ series. A fun and enjoyable way to wrap up the series and get the gang back together. Basically, it was the culmination of the sorcerer Nico’s centuries long search for his four lost comrades (the first four books of the series), and his live Antonia, all victims of the spells of his evil enemy Sotiris.

The only real issue I had with the story, and the reason I dropped a star was the long draggy beginning. Once that was past, however, the storyline took off. Recommended read. You could probably read it without reading about the four Stone Warriors, but it’s really best to read them in order.

This was a very satisfying ending to The Stone Warriors series however I don't think we've seen the last of them. I love how the author intertwines Nicodemus and his brothers with her Vampire series. Reynolds' gives enough background info that a first time reader would enjoy this book but you really should check out the entire Stone Warriors saga. I can't wait to find out what the little hint at the end of the book leads us to, I'm sure it will be awesome!

This book is amazing. It started from the beginning. It truly explains the war between the two sorcerers and how Nic end up losing his brothers, the troubles he went through to find them and his love. Can't have the final battle without our favorite vampire lord. Thank you Miss Reynolds for another wonderful series.