Crown of Destiny

Small's sixth and final World of Hetar erotic fantasy (after 2009's The Shadow Queen ) wraps up the series with agonizing slowness. Lara, the half-faerie woman who has repeatedly saved the land of Terah in the past, is ready to do it again when her evil son, Kolgrim, becomes engaged to a woman whose magical powers will amplify his own. Small includes the plotting and intrigue, magic, and boatloads of sex that her readers have come to expect, but the story lacks the rich detail and captivating scenes of her older books. Lara's unfulfilled destiny and all the major plot points from the previous books are explained ad nauseam, and sex scenes take the place of conversations that might advance the plot. Only the most loyal fans will endure to the end. (May)