Going Under by Lauren Dane

LDane-Going Under

LDane-Going UnderI find myself having lots of trouble writing this review.  “Why?”, you ask. Well, it’s because I adore Lauren Dane’s books.  I have yet to read one I didn’t absolutely fall in love with and Going Under, the third installment of her Bound by Magick series is no exception.  You see, all I really want to do is gush and gush over how totally awesome Going Under is, but I actually need to tell you why–so if I seem to gush a bit much, please give me a pass; sometimes it’s just hard to not shoo all you awesome readers out the door with the reasoning of “because it FRIGGIN rocks and you just need to BUY it already” ;).

In the wake of the Magister’s rampage, chaos rules. Left reeling, the Others and the humans scramble to create some sort of unity in the face of growing unrest and violence from anti-Other hate groups—and PR guru Molly Ryan is the witch who can do it. She grew up in the human world but there’s nothing left for her there. She’s lost her PR firm and her friends, and now she’s decided to put all her fight toward aiding the Others in this dark new reality. Gage Garrity, one of the few Others who survived the massacre, fears that the crusade will expose Molly to greater dangers than ever before.

Now, together, with magick on their side, Molly and Gage are on the road in a desperate struggle to unite a torn world. From state houses to television news to legislative conference rooms across the country, they’re fighting the good fight. And it’s bringing out a passion in both of them they never expected—one as volatile, intense and all-consuming as their relentless battle for world unity. A battle that could be their undoing…

Oh man, where to begin.  Molly is downright gutsy.  I loved this about her.  Time and time again Molly refuses to give in to the hate filled propaganda and agenda that the human world is throwing at the Others after humans learn that not only are there shifters, but witches and vampires as well.  I am all about strong heroines.  Molly proves you don’t have to be physical to be tough and gutsy.  Sometimes standing up for what you believe in and refusing to back down and give in is just as good. Also, it takes some serious cajones to call up and demand (and refuse to take no as an answer) to speak with the head of one of the largest covens in the US.  Molly does this…all with grace and charm.  That is the other thing that really endeared me to Molly–through it all, she never condescends, never stoops to a low level.  She keeps her head held high and if she can, she uses wit and charm to win you over–all without using her magick.  But, if push comes to shove, she won’t let anyone bully her.  Molly reminds me of who I think we should all aspire to be like–witty, charming, intelligent and not a pushover, but she isn’t stuck up or does anything in an underhanded manner.  She’s straightforward and while she won’t hesitate to put you in your place if you’re out of line, she isn’t hateful about it.    For me, Molly is an epitome of what I have come to expect from a Lauren Dane character–someone you can relate to; someone you could imagine as being real, not just a fictional character.

And then we have Gage.  He’s head of Clan Owen’s security–well, the head of the muscle.  But don’t let that fool you. Gage is smart and oh so Alpha.  He cannot stand to fail–and any injury his “protectees” incur he views as a personal failure.  He did kinda drive me a bit nuts towards about the 2/3 mark of Going Under, though.  Mainly because he kept denying his feelings for Molly and then he has a major bonehead moment.  *sigh* boys ;).

As with what I have come to expect with the Bound by Magick series, Going Under is superbly paced.  There is just the right amount of action combined with scenes between Molly and Gage or other characters that is needed to move not just the main line of Going Under  along, but the series story arc.  I’ll also say if you haven’t read the first 2 novels, Heart of Darkness and Chaos Burning, you might want to do so before reading Going Under.  The series is PNR, so each features a different couple, but as with what you’d see in a UF, there is an overarching story arc underlying each book–and especially with Going Under, you may be a bit lost with what is going on if you haven’t read the previous novels.

Do I recommend Going Under? Without a doubt. Dane can weave a tale and completely suck you in.  I never want her books to end and I hated for Going Under to end.  We won’t even talk about the fact that the whole series is ending later this year. Major sad!   The Bound by Magick series is easily one of my top 3 Lauren Dane serieses and I simply loved Going Under and am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Read Order for the Bound by Magick series:
Heart of Darkness
Chaos Burning
Going Under

About Nicole 146 Articles
Attorney by day, Publicist for Barclay Publicity and reviewer/LE (assistant) editor by night. I'm a huge book nerd and love to read. I have 2 dogs, both Labrador retriever mixed breeds, who are very rotten and think they run the house. Let's not lie, they totally do, I just can't them know it ha ha! My usual genre is romance or urban fantasy. I love all things having to do with paranormal, with the occasional good contemp/BDSM/erotica thrown in to spice it all up.