Pierce is back, in the Underworld with John, but now her cousin Alex is there, as well as her friend Kayla. Alex has to be there because John brought him back from the dead in the last book when he was killed by Seth Rector and his friends when he tried to confront them about his dad getting framed. Only he doesn't understand that he was really dead, and when he wakes up in the Underworld, doesn't quite understand where he is, and rushes to find Pierce and try to rescue her and get them out. But Pierce is busy helping sort the newly dead so that they can get on the boats that will take them to their final destination. Only the number of the dead has really kind of piled up. The belief is that it is because John was up with Pierce for so long helping her cousin. While they are waiting, Pierce is passing out drinks to the people waiting and trying to keep them calm. John's friends, Frank, and the other pirates are taking care of the more rowdy crowd, the one that is not going to such a nice place when they get on their boat. It seems like forever, but finally they can see the two boats coming in the distance. However there is something funny about how they are coming in. In fact they are coming too fast, and are going to crash into the docks. So John must go out and stop them, but there is a possibility he could get hurt, even die. And the worst happens. Pierce and the rest carry him back to the castle, as well as bringing all the dead until they can figure out what to do. While Pierce is trying to imagine what in the world will happen now that John, the "king" of the Underworld, her love, is dead, she is told a story about another death deity, Thanatos. And she hears that he may have John trapped. So she figures she must go back and find him, and get John back. And so she takes Alex and Kayla and Frank and they go to solve the problem. And it is not just that John is dead. The Fates seem to have disappeared as well, the food, all of the things that just appeared when needed in the Underworld are gone. Back on the surface they must deal with the hurricane, as well as the Furies that are still searching for Pierce. And wow, does it get intense when they get back to Isla Huesos.
I loved how it ended, all the subtle characters that you didn't know would have such a part in the whole scheme of things. I also love the way the author answered a question that I know I always have with endings like that in the afterwards. She said that yes, the characters will go on and have more adventures, and maybe some day she'll go back and visit them, but for now, the book has closed for them. Such a great way to end a series, and for her to add that to the end, because you know how readers, (like me), always want to know what happens next, why don't you keep writing, it is like she knows her readers, (which she obviously does), and keeps them in mind as she writes. This is the only YA series of Meg Cabot's that I've read, and I'm glad it was the first one I read, as I really enjoyed it, and it will make me more likely to read future YA series by her. Although I'd really love to have some more of what I called her "chick lit". I won't bore you with my picture from when I met the author since I put it with my review last month of the 2nd book in the series.
