Island of Glass
4 Stars

Series note: This is the final book in the trilogy and completes the ongoing story arc.

The Guardians arrive in Country Clare, Ireland for the last stage of their quest. Doyle McLeary, the medieval warrior cursed with immortality, and Riley Quinn, the Lycan archeologist, must wade together through Irish history and lore to locate the Ice Star as well as the mysterious Island of Glass. A lifetime of loss has led to Doyle avoiding emotional entanglements yet he struggles with his attraction to the wildness of Riley's strength, determination and heart. Will these two unlikely lovers put aside their differences to overcome the threats posed by Nerezza and her minions?

Once again, much of the beginning is focused on establishing the guardians' headquarters in Ireland and the search for the final star. However, the action soon ratchets up both in terms of the romance and the battle against Nerezza.

Doyle and Riley are a strong couple whose relationship requires patience, trust and love. It takes time for their romance to get going, but it is fantastic once it does. There is an intensity to the slow-burn development of their emotional bond that goes beyond the sweet yet subdued connection between Sasha and Bran and the insta-lust of Sawyer and Annika.

The conclusion to the story arc is satisfying, especially the allusions to The Sword in the Stone and Nerazza's ultimate demise. That said, there are some overly saccharine moments - all the marriage proposals and rings and whatnot, and the resolution of the various obstacles Anneka's legs and Doyle's curse is far too Deus Ex Machina for my tastes.

Although this has been an entertaining series overall, Nora has several more intense and gripping paranormal trilogies, such as The Sign of Seven and The Circle Trilogy. ( )

Island of Glass is the final entry in the Guardian's Trilogy featuring Riley and Doyle. Riley who is the lycan and Doyle, the immortal. Both must face the demons of their past to proceed on to their future which is to finally face and kill Nerezza. To find love, each must realize their need for each other even though their time together is limited.
This is another great ending in one of Nora Roberts' trilogies. As always, the characters must come to terms with their own internal conflicts to defeat those external ones that threaten their lives and the lives of the ones they love. These trilogies are always emotional, fun, and filled with excitement and this one is no exception. ( )

I just finished this series, and I am torn. I am usually devouring these trilogies, not this time, for some reason the first two books felt forced, and I started reading this third and it felt the same way. Then I had work to do on the computer and I decided to listen to some of the book. I would advise anyone to LISTEN to these books, they are worth the price and you can even use your credits on audible and get them for free. The audio book makes the whole novel much more enjoyable.
This is the basic Roberts 3 guys 3 gals fight and evil demon to save the world their world, rid the world of evil, what have you. This time she throws in an immortal, a werewolf, a seer, a witch, a time traveler and a mermaid. Surprisingly all very believable except the way the mermaid speaks, she has spent by her own admission time listening to land people sing and on ships yet she talks like a 5 year old, even after 3 months 24/7 with the 5 others she still can't get out a simple I'm sorry, and has learned nothing about discretion. I know it's a mermaid and a fantasy novel but come on give the character some credit, she can learn to cook fight and fall in love but she continues to talk like a baby. That is really the only thing that irked me other than the whole feeling like Nora didn't care just needed a new pair of shoes or something. ( )

What's with the character shift on Riley? all of a sudden she's the pop culture queen? Strange development that took away from the story. 2.5 stars, definitely a disappointing end to a series that started out really strong. ( )

The last in the trilogy, taking place in the author's beloved Ireland rather than a Mediterranean paradise. Which is fine I guess. NR did an excellent job on character development in this one, taking us into the heart of Doyle, our immortal and taciturn hero, and did a good job shaking things up so it wasn't always the women saving the day, or the couples finding common ground. ( )