The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker (Strangely Beautiful, #2) by Leanna Renee Hieber

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After the terrible battle in which the Guard was nearly defeated by the minions of the Darkness, Elijah, Josephine, Jane, Michael and Rebecca just want the chance to recover in peace and return to their everyday lives. And after nearly losing Percy, Alexi is desperate to marry her immediately and keep her safely by his side. But instead of the restful respite they all long for, the Guard receives word that the final battle against the underworld is about to commence, and it will be taking place at Athens Academy.

Strange doors are suddenly appearing in the school and the ghostly remains of Guard members from the past are showing up to provide their assistance. But each of the Guard members have more on their minds than just the upcoming war; unreciprocated love, jealousy, treachery and fear are some of the obstacles that they face as they prepare for a battle which may just be their last.

The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker picks up almost immediately after the events of the last book, though we are brought up to speed by Beatrice, a member of a past Guard, who is now a ghost. Terrified at the thought of losing Percy, Alexi is frantic to marry her as soon as possible and the rest of the Guard are happy to help however they can, especially since they owe their lives to Percy’s timely intervention. But Beatrice’s warnings that Percy will be required to enter the underworld have Alexi’s protective shackles raised and he begins to live in fear that his wife will be repossessed by the the Darkness that had once claimed her. And while Percy is delighted to finally be married to the man she loves she feels uncertain about her new status within the Guard and the schoolboard, and still remains self-conscious about her unusual looks.

Meanwhile, Rebecca is torn by her feelings for Alexi, Jane is in love with a man she can’t possibly be with, Josephine and Elijah are frustrated by the societal restraints keeping them apart and Michael quietly pines for Rebecca in the background.

Readers who eagerly followed Alex and Percy’s tension-filled romance in Strangely Beautiful will be happy to see that two finally brought together, though I did feel that a little too much of the book was spent detailing their love for each other. While I enjoy Heiber’s poetic prose, the flowery declarations of love between the two of them got to be a little too much for me after a while. But once the honeymoon was over and the preparations for the battle began, I easily lost myself in the story. There were some interesting twists and I enjoyed getting to know the other members of the Guard better, though admittedly Alexi and Percy still remain my favorites. We are also once again treated to the atmospheric setting of a Victorian London populated by ghosts and we get to visit the underworld, as well, which is described in deliciously vivid and creative detail.

The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker was a satisfying sequel, and conclusion, to Percy’s tale. Even with all of the ghost-busting and battles against Darkness this was overall a story of love and romance and one which I am sure will please the most discerning of romance readers.