The One and Only Crystal Druid
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- Create Date：2021-09-25 04:18:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Annette Marie
- ISBN：B08K2YBGVL
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Summary
I'm not your average girl。
My best friend is my switchblade。 My favorite hobby is using it on the cruel， the abusive， and anyone who gets on my bad side。 I'm a convicted murderer with a chip on my shoulder and a dangerous lack of restraint。
And then there's Zak。
His rap sheet makes mine look tame。 The bounty on his head is worth more money than I'll ever make， and the deadly fae that shadow his every step wield more power than I'll ever know。
He's the Crystal Druid， and his first mistake was setting foot on my turf。
His second was saving my life。
And his final mistake will be failing to realize that however dark， however ruthless， however broken he is…
I'm worse。
--
From the author of the best-selling Guild Codex books comes a new series that delves into the dark， dangerous world of druids and fae alongside two ravaged souls who may be exactly what the other needs…if they don't destroy each other first。
Unveiled can be read as a standalone series or in conjunction with other Guild Codex series。 For the full reading order， visit Annette Marie's website。
--
More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized
The Guild Codex: Warped
My best friend is my switchblade。 My favorite hobby is using it on the cruel， the abusive， and anyone who gets on my bad side。 I'm a convicted murderer with a chip on my shoulder and a dangerous lack of restraint。
And then there's Zak。
His rap sheet makes mine look tame。 The bounty on his head is worth more money than I'll ever make， and the deadly fae that shadow his every step wield more power than I'll ever know。
He's the Crystal Druid， and his first mistake was setting foot on my turf。
His second was saving my life。
And his final mistake will be failing to realize that however dark， however ruthless， however broken he is…
I'm worse。
--
From the author of the best-selling Guild Codex books comes a new series that delves into the dark， dangerous world of druids and fae alongside two ravaged souls who may be exactly what the other needs…if they don't destroy each other first。
Unveiled can be read as a standalone series or in conjunction with other Guild Codex series。 For the full reading order， visit Annette Marie's website。
--
More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized
The Guild Codex: Warped
Reviews
Tara
，
Annette Marie's fans have been highly anticipating this entry into the Guild Codex since Zak was first introduced as a character in Tory's 2nd？ book。 It does NOT disappoint！The POV is told through our newest protagonist， Saber Rose， and I appreciate how the mystery unfolds around her。 Zak has already earned his place of admiration amongst us， and this new character must do the same。 She has a unique personality in the GCverse--I love when authors don't just copy and paste character traits from b Annette Marie's fans have been highly anticipating this entry into the Guild Codex since Zak was first introduced as a character in Tory's 2nd？ book。 It does NOT disappoint！The POV is told through our newest protagonist， Saber Rose， and I appreciate how the mystery unfolds around her。 Zak has already earned his place of admiration amongst us， and this new character must do the same。 She has a unique personality in the GCverse--I love when authors don't just copy and paste character traits from book to book。I have personally been in a book slump lately， and this book has been a pleasure。 I haven't felt this way about one of Annette's pairings since I met Piper and Ash so very long ago。 So do it， read this book--Saber and Zak have stories that I am anxious to see unfold， and I need some people to geek out over this with me :） 。。。more
Lorraine Caruana
，
I knew this book was going to be firecracker。 What would you expect with Zak as the main character。 And what a start to another spin-off from The Guild Codex。 The author's imagination knows no bounds and her world building Is unparalleled。 Some might say， well it's the same world as the Warped， Spellbound and Demonized series， but a crossover of this magnitude requires some exceptional skills and Annette Marie has an unlimited source。 We have been slapped with a new kick-ass heroine， I can't say I knew this book was going to be firecracker。 What would you expect with Zak as the main character。 And what a start to another spin-off from The Guild Codex。 The author's imagination knows no bounds and her world building Is unparalleled。 Some might say， well it's the same world as the Warped， Spellbound and Demonized series， but a crossover of this magnitude requires some exceptional skills and Annette Marie has an unlimited source。 We have been slapped with a new kick-ass heroine， I can't say introduced， it's too tame a word for Saber and at last， I hope， we will have more insight on Lallakai。 But that ending， that darn cliffhanger， it makes you want to tear your hair out and sob。 Now all we have to do is wait。。。。yeah， easier said than done。 。。。more
Anna
，
5 *****D*mn。 I thought I knew what to expect from Annette Marie’s Guild Codex books， but nothing prepared me for The One and Only Crystal Druid。 Zak has been my favorite character since he was introduced in Guild Codex: Spellbound series and I was super excited to get more of him in his own series。 Marie did not disappoint。 I love Saber， I love her interactions with Zak。 I never wanted to stop reading and I don’t know how I’ll wait until January for the next installment。 Seriously， if you’ve rea 5 *****D*mn。 I thought I knew what to expect from Annette Marie’s Guild Codex books， but nothing prepared me for The One and Only Crystal Druid。 Zak has been my favorite character since he was introduced in Guild Codex: Spellbound series and I was super excited to get more of him in his own series。 Marie did not disappoint。 I love Saber， I love her interactions with Zak。 I never wanted to stop reading and I don’t know how I’ll wait until January for the next installment。 Seriously， if you’ve read the other books in the Guild Codex world get your hands on this book。 Like now， go， download it。 Seriously， what are you waiting for？！ Gah！It's so good！！！（Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of The One and Only Crystal Druid by Annette Marie in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。） 。。。more
Robin Jacobson
，
I normally love all things Guild Codex， and I was so excited for this book after Zak’s appearance in the last Guild Codex Warped book， but this one is not for me…（1） This book was pretty slow pacing to start， （2） the story/characters were unusually angsty and dark for Guild Codex， and （3） I just straight up did not like any of the human characters in this book。 All the human characters， including the MC （Saber）， were just generally pretty terrible human beings， which was just such a bummer to re I normally love all things Guild Codex， and I was so excited for this book after Zak’s appearance in the last Guild Codex Warped book， but this one is not for me…（1） This book was pretty slow pacing to start， （2） the story/characters were unusually angsty and dark for Guild Codex， and （3） I just straight up did not like any of the human characters in this book。 All the human characters， including the MC （Saber）， were just generally pretty terrible human beings， which was just such a bummer to read/made it hard to root for the MC。 I also just did not care for the hot and cold / violent stabbing then insta-lust relationship “building” between the MCs。 I did enjoy some of the banter with the fae familiar， but honestly， my favorite part of the whole book was Kit’s short cameo… which didn’t come until the very very end。 So sadly， I think this series is just not for me。 。。。more
Linda Deno
，
GreatGreat story， couldn't put it down until done。 Would highly recommend to fans of guild codex world as well as newcomers。 GreatGreat story， couldn't put it down until done。 Would highly recommend to fans of guild codex world as well as newcomers。 。。。more
Forevertyedye89
，
She’s a *very* bad witchSaber Rose- rough around the edges and full of rage and violent tendencies。 No mythic extraordinaire here- but look at her switchblade skills。Did I mention she’s a bad witch？ This is a reoccurring rhetoric and general attitude throughout the entire book and no spoilers here but the reveal is *italian finger kiss*This book jumps back and forth in time and it really propels the overall story forward and is integral in understanding our characters。 The chemistry between Zak She’s a *very* bad witchSaber Rose- rough around the edges and full of rage and violent tendencies。 No mythic extraordinaire here- but look at her switchblade skills。Did I mention she’s a bad witch？ This is a reoccurring rhetoric and general attitude throughout the entire book and no spoilers here but the reveal is *italian finger kiss*This book jumps back and forth in time and it really propels the overall story forward and is integral in understanding our characters。 The chemistry between Zak and Saber sizzles and as Annette is the Queen of slow burn there were some surprising developments for our two frenemies。This installment was slow to build as there is new character development but the action was spectacular and the reveals and ending left me salivating for The Long-Forgotten Winter King。 。。。more
Danielle
，
I didn’t mean to finish this book in one sitting。 I didn’t mean to fall in complete love with Saber and Ríkr。 I didn’t mean to be devoured by the book in much the same way I devoured it。 But I did and let me tell you， no regrets。 Saber and Zak’s beginning truly left me breathless and knocked even my highest expectations out of the park。 The attention to detail in animal care and magical complexity is astounding。 With all the things I love about Annette’s world building and an emotional intensity I didn’t mean to finish this book in one sitting。 I didn’t mean to fall in complete love with Saber and Ríkr。 I didn’t mean to be devoured by the book in much the same way I devoured it。 But I did and let me tell you， no regrets。 Saber and Zak’s beginning truly left me breathless and knocked even my highest expectations out of the park。 The attention to detail in animal care and magical complexity is astounding。 With all the things I love about Annette’s world building and an emotional intensity that blindsided me in all the right ways， this is truly a masterpiece。 My favourite Guild Codex yet。 。。。more
Lindsey （Lindsey Reads）
，
“Have you ever lost everything？” A soft question， his voice low and raspy。 “Ever had a moment when you realized everything that matters to you is gone， you fucked up， you lost it。 And all that’s left are the worst parts of your life and the worst parts of yourself。” Oh wow。 I was NOT expecting that。 This did not only live up to my expectations， it twisted all my expectations and then exceeded them all。Now， I know you may be thinking “But Lindsey， you rated practically every Annette Marie book “Have you ever lost everything？” A soft question， his voice low and raspy。 “Ever had a moment when you realized everything that matters to you is gone， you fucked up， you lost it。 And all that’s left are the worst parts of your life and the worst parts of yourself。” Oh wow。 I was NOT expecting that。 This did not only live up to my expectations， it twisted all my expectations and then exceeded them all。Now， I know you may be thinking “But Lindsey， you rated practically every Annette Marie book 5 stars and now you’re saying you didn’t expect to love the latest one？” True， very true。 But I’ll also be very honest – I had a little trouble getting through the first few chapters of The One and Only Crystal Druid。 You see， our new main heroine， Saber， is very different than any other Guild Codex main character so far。 She’s no sassy Tori， bookish Robin or wise-cracking Kit， that’s for sure。 She’s very violent and troubled and dark and twisted。 I mean， she’s a convicted murderer who pretends to be normal and nice by day and then hunts down and punishes animal abusers at night。 So I just had some issues getting into her head for the first few chapters。 BUT THEN。 Oh then， somewhere around the time she ran into Zak， it started clicking into place for me， and now I WOULD JUMP IN FRONT OF A KNIFE FOR SABER。 （Granted， it would probably be her wielding the knife， but oh well）。 I mean， I love Saber。 Sure， she’s still violent and troubled and dark and twisted， but there’s also a vulnerability to her that got to me。 Throughout the story， we slowly get to know her and her backstory through flashbacks。 We’ve only just gotten to the start of her story and I already want more。 I couldn’t have imagined a better new Guild Codex heroine and a better match for our beloved dark and moody Druid。Talking about our favorite Druid， I loved getting to know him a bit better in this story （though we still have SOOO MUCH still to learn）。 I liked how we can see how he’s softened up a bit due to his interactions with Tori and Kit in previous installments， but also how he’s still such an intimidating force to be reckoned with。 And also how he’s just a human person with flaws and mistakes and regrets like all of us and that despite all of us readers adoring him， he’s not perfect。 But I’m glad for every bit of him we get to unravel， whether it’s a bit of flawed Zak， caring Zak， domestic Zak making coffee or asshole Zak。 I love it all and all I can say is I have questions and I can’t wait to get more answers in the next few books。Also， as much as I loved both Saber and Zak， I want to give a shoutout to one more character and that is Ríkr， Saber’s mischievous fae familiar。 Ríkr is a shapeshifter but often takes the shape of a white cat。 He’s super clever and speaks in a way that’s both fancy and sassy and I loved his banter with Saber。 So yes， get ready for more intriguing characters to fall in love with！But other than the superb character development that we’re used to in any Annette Marie novel， of course the other big important elements are also super on point， and I’m talking about the worldbuilding， the romance and the action。When it comes to worldbuilding， I just love how every Guild Codex series focuses a bit more on a different part of this big and intricate world。 We’ve learned about the Guilds， the demons， and the MPD aspects and this time around， we focus more on the fae aspect and I devoured it all。 It’s just mind-blowing how well written this whole world is and how well it all fits together and there’s still so much to discover， even after about 15 books。 I’m just in awe。When it comes to romance， uhhhh I can only sigh， blush and fan myself。 The chemistry is already off the roof， but then also both characters are constantly threatening to kill each other （okay， that’s mostly Saber though）， so I’m actually not sure what that says about me。 All I know is that I put my full faith in Annette and I’m sure this will be another amazing slow-burn， emotional and sizzling journey and I。 AM。 READY！And then there’s the action。 I don’t want to give any of the plot away， but I’ll just say this was a fantastic， atmospheric mystery that felt perfect for autumn reading and spooky season。 I was super invested in the mystery and rooting for our main characters to find the next clue that would get them closer to solving it。 The pacing will keep you on the edge of your seat and unwilling to put down the book until you’ve finished。 Also， that ending？ I NEED MORE！ Already super excited for The Long-Forgotten Winter King。Alright， did that make any sense？ I’m writing this just after finishing the book， so I’m still very pumped and having difficulty reviewing this in a way that’s not just me speaking gibberish with the occasional exclamation of OH MY GOSH I LOVE ZAK SO MUCH in there。 Thanks for reading through the whole thing if you did， and honestly， if you haven’t yet， please pick up The Guild Codex series。 It’s amazing and you won’t regret it。 。。。more
Kim
，
UM， HOLY HELL IN A HANDBASKET。Me: Be chill， keep your cool。THAT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD！！！！！！！Okay， I'm calm。I received an ARC for an honest review。 THE ONE AND ONLY CRYSTAL DRUID is Annette Marie's lastest book in The Guild Codex series， centering on a new female main character and - you guessed it - everyone's favorite druid from GC: Spellbound。The plot: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟The book starts off with our new favorite narrator， Saber Rose。 She's reliving a memory in a dream - a memory we can assume involves Zak。 I UM， HOLY HELL IN A HANDBASKET。Me: Be chill， keep your cool。THAT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD！！！！！！！Okay， I'm calm。I received an ARC for an honest review。 THE ONE AND ONLY CRYSTAL DRUID is Annette Marie's lastest book in The Guild Codex series， centering on a new female main character and - you guessed it - everyone's favorite druid from GC: Spellbound。The plot: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟The book starts off with our new favorite narrator， Saber Rose。 She's reliving a memory in a dream - a memory we can assume involves Zak。 It shows a shared， horrible history， and it quickly becomes obvious throughout the novel that Saber's "awake" chapters are spliced with backstory。 Just enough to answer some questions - and to keep us guessing。 Soon， Saber goes about her routine day。 She works as a veterinary technician （as a tech myself I'm convinced Annette was a former tech， as this all is SUPER ACCURATE） and volunteers on a rescue farm。 She also spends time with her Coven - mandatory time， because our girl is on parole。I won't spoil the crime✌Saber also has a few night activities - including seeking vengeance on animal abusers。 This is where the plot starts。 On a trip to dish out some revenge， Saber comes in contact with an enraged bear fae。 And， of course， who rescues her but our favorite druid？ The two have some pretty intense alterations throughout the book， but ultimately they decide to work together: something is killing Fae and other animals。 Something dark。 Something not even the Crystal Druid can face alone。The characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟The FMC: Saber Rose is one tough cookie。 From her shit-talking abilities to her 🔪 wielding skills， she's got it all - including a hell of a lot of repressed trauma and anger。 What I liked about Saber was that she was unapologetically ruthless， and she *admitted* her faults。 She knows her fury isn't healthy。 I just want to bundle her up and blankets and ship her off to the Crow & Hammer for some mental health help and recuperation time。The MMC: Zak， aka The Crystal Druid。Oh， Zak。 Where do I start with you？ Mysterious， handsome， and downright interesting in this book。 I can tell his time with Tori has had a positive affect - he seemed more forthcoming in this novel， more willing to open up （even though he's still super cagey）。 Also， we got coffee-making Zak so I'm continuing my campaign for domestic Zak wholesomeness。Lallakai: Ah。 The Consort we love to hate。 It's becoming increasingly obvious juuuuuuuuuuuust how powerful she is - and that her relationship with Zak is balanced on a knife's edge。Rikr: YES！！！ He might just be my favorite character in the entire novel。 He's fun， he's bloodthirsty， he speaks like he walked out of The Merchant of Venice - there is literally nothing that I don't like about him。Overall: this was an awesome introduction to Unveiled， and I'm so excited to see where it goes。 I need the next book like RIGHT NOW。 I have absolutely no complaints， and the spice levels were a ratched up a bit in comparison to Annette's other books。 Don't worry， though: she's the queen of slowburn and storytelling， and I have no doubt this series will shock us all。 。。。more
Kaitlynne
，
Holy plot twists Batman！I'll admit， I was slightly skeptical of this when I started it （please forgive me for doubting you Annette） BUT！ IT。 WAS。 AMAZINGZak is my favorite， and I was worried that his book couldn't hold up to his awesomeness （And I was kind of set on Zak and Tori together even though， you know （view spoiler）[Ezra and Tori *heart eyes* （hide spoiler）]This series is slightly grittier （in my opinion） than the other books set in this world， but it's nothing too overwhelming。 I am SO Holy plot twists Batman！I'll admit， I was slightly skeptical of this when I started it （please forgive me for doubting you Annette） BUT！ IT。 WAS。 AMAZINGZak is my favorite， and I was worried that his book couldn't hold up to his awesomeness （And I was kind of set on Zak and Tori together even though， you know （view spoiler）[Ezra and Tori *heart eyes* （hide spoiler）]This series is slightly grittier （in my opinion） than the other books set in this world， but it's nothing too overwhelming。 I am SO excited to learn more about all the new characters （ESPECIALLY the one that is introduced at the very end and is the cover star of book 2）， and my beloved Cinnamon Bun Druid。 There were several plot twists that took me completely by surprise， and left me begging for more。 I can't wait to see how things progress， especially with the kind of cliffhangery ending。This is one you definitely don't want to miss！I'llThank you to Annette Marie and Dark Owl Fantasy for giving me a chance to read this book！ 。。。more
Penny
，
I have been waiting so long for the Ghost to get his own series， and I was glad to see this first book！ Of course， he needed his own perfect female foil， and we definitely got her。 Saber is a very interesting character with a forgotten past and a not-so-nice reputation which she is trying to hide。 She also has a fun familiar Rikr who is full of snark。 It isn’t long before there’s a run-in with Zak who’s hunting a killer， and they decide to form a team， sort of。 While this is a teeny， tiny bit da I have been waiting so long for the Ghost to get his own series， and I was glad to see this first book！ Of course， he needed his own perfect female foil， and we definitely got her。 Saber is a very interesting character with a forgotten past and a not-so-nice reputation which she is trying to hide。 She also has a fun familiar Rikr who is full of snark。 It isn’t long before there’s a run-in with Zak who’s hunting a killer， and they decide to form a team， sort of。 While this is a teeny， tiny bit darker than the other Codex books， it was still just as fun and well-written。 I just loved this wonderful start to a series， and the ending left me saying a few bad words and so very anxious to get my hands on the next book。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Miki
，
FABULOUS！！！！！！ Really i don't see how this one could have been better！ it's a rolecaster of action ， emotions， secrets and reveals that will make you dizzy， but happily dizzy！I love the universe but it still has so many secrets and mysteries so it's always a pleasure to jump back into it but i never expected so much ， it's a book that leave you speechless wanting for more and at the same time you want to sit down and read it agan in case you missed something。 you get completely hooked！If you hav FABULOUS！！！！！！ Really i don't see how this one could have been better！ it's a rolecaster of action ， emotions， secrets and reveals that will make you dizzy， but happily dizzy！I love the universe but it still has so many secrets and mysteries so it's always a pleasure to jump back into it but i never expected so much ， it's a book that leave you speechless wanting for more and at the same time you want to sit down and read it agan in case you missed something。 you get completely hooked！If you have read the others series in the universes you will love to see some familiar faces like a certain funny MPD agent but if you haven't discovered the universe yet this could be a great way to start as it perfectly works even if you have no prealable knowledge 。This story works as standalone for the main investigation though i doubt you will resist wanting more about this series and the universen general。really a master piece！！！ 。。。more
Amanda White
，
Holy smokes！！！ This book！！！ I couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to Zak and Saber’s journey。 This was epic！ New characters and old coming together perfectly， sass and wit， action and evil villains， twists and turns， and a slow burning something that I hope will be become a romance。 Honestly， a fabulous read！！！ Super excited for the rest of this series and look forward to the next book。
Megan
，
Wow wow wow。 I just finished this book and I am SHOOK。 This story is a bit darker than the previous Guild Codex books， and I loved it。 We get to learn more about our beloved Druid， and are also introduced to little witch Saber， who is a complete bad ass in her own right。 The aggressive banter between these two was so intense and hot。 So many great moments in this story， but I can’t say much without giving anything away。 The ending though - we have to wait until January for the next book？！ WOW。 U Wow wow wow。 I just finished this book and I am SHOOK。 This story is a bit darker than the previous Guild Codex books， and I loved it。 We get to learn more about our beloved Druid， and are also introduced to little witch Saber， who is a complete bad ass in her own right。 The aggressive banter between these two was so intense and hot。 So many great moments in this story， but I can’t say much without giving anything away。 The ending though - we have to wait until January for the next book？！ WOW。 Unveiled is about to get even crazier， and I am here for it！ 。。。more
Bethany Hoeflich
，
Let’s make one thing clear。 With this book， Annette Marie has eclipsed all others to win the top spot as my favorite author ever。 EVER！I swear she’s a freaking sorceress， and I’ll tell you why。 So， ever since I discovered Zak， my baby， my evil （but not really evil）， stabby blueberry muffin， was getting his own series， I was over the moon。 September could not come fast enough。 This is a morally gray character who has been let down by the system that was supposed to protect him， so he became Batma Let’s make one thing clear。 With this book， Annette Marie has eclipsed all others to win the top spot as my favorite author ever。 EVER！I swear she’s a freaking sorceress， and I’ll tell you why。 So， ever since I discovered Zak， my baby， my evil （but not really evil）， stabby blueberry muffin， was getting his own series， I was over the moon。 September could not come fast enough。 This is a morally gray character who has been let down by the system that was supposed to protect him， so he became Batman。 He saved runaway mythic kids。 And saved a baby dragon。 And killed the horrible hunters that hurt said baby dragon。 You get the picture。 I was counting down the seconds until September。 And I was mildly disappointed that it wasn’t told from Zak’s POV。 I’m dying to get into that head of his。 But the disappointment was short-lived。 Saber Rose is the MC in the Guild Codex: Unveiled series。 I was skeptical at first。 She’s unlike any main character Annette has written before， and I wasn’t sure if I could come to care about her the same way I care about Robin and Tori。 Saber is。。。 well。。。 to put it bluntly， she’s a raging， violence-loving psychopath。 Picture a magical Dexter， and you’re pretty close。 Saber is a vet tech who spends most of her energy pretending to be a cheerful， helpful normal member of society， but in her spare time， she hunts down animal abusers and makes them pay。 She’s a witch， albeit a terrible one， with a shapeshifting familiar （this is important， but SPOILERS）。 She teams up with Zak to figure out who’s been killing animals and Fae alike， and the sparks are flying here！ （Seriously， Annette is queen of the slow-burns， but this one is extra spicy。 Will she kiss him？ Will she stab him in the neck？ Stay tuned to find out！）Look， a certain red-headed bartender is Zak’s soulmate。 I will not budge on this。 But he blew it。 And he has regrets。 And those regrets are downright painful to read。 With a few， simple lines， Annette ripped my heart from my chest and has it sitting on her desk in a formaldehyde-filled jar。 The ending is spectacular。 It made me want to throw my kindle across the room in the best possible way， and I can’t wait until the next book。 Is it January yet？ If you’re a fan of the Guild Codex universe， you do NOT want to miss this one。 If you’re not a fan of the Guild Codex universe。。。 What’s wrong with you？ It’s not too late to become completely and unequivocally obsessed。 。。。more
Lola
，
I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it。I've really enjoyed all the series so far set in The Guild Codex world and was excited to start this new series。 I wasn't quite sure what to think of this series focusing on Zak， the mysterious Druid and would have him finding his love interest， but I was all for seeing more of druids and fae as the other series don't touch as heavily on those topics。 Unfortunately this book turned to be a bit of a mixed experience for me。 I just I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it。I've really enjoyed all the series so far set in The Guild Codex world and was excited to start this new series。 I wasn't quite sure what to think of this series focusing on Zak， the mysterious Druid and would have him finding his love interest， but I was all for seeing more of druids and fae as the other series don't touch as heavily on those topics。 Unfortunately this book turned to be a bit of a mixed experience for me。 I just felt like this wasn't fully my type of book， even though I really like this world。I had some trouble getting into this series。 The start felt a bit slow and then there was getting to know a new main character， as well as flashbacks from earlier in her life， and a new setting with new side characters as well。 The further I got the more I got into the book， although I never got as hooked as with some of the other series in this world。 I felt the plot was a bit less intricate， but it was still interesting enough to keep me reading。 And I feel that this book is setting the stage for events in future books。 I liked when the pieces come together in the end and then the wrap up was great to。 There is a big reveal on like the last page which makes me curious what will happen next。The main reason I didn't fully enjoy this book is the main character。 I am in awe how the author can rite such different main characters， each of her main characters feels very different and unique and has a different voice， which I think is impressive。 Unfortunately I didn't like Saber Rose。 She's stabby， has anger issues， has a temper and is violent。 She takes revenge on people who hurt animals and exacts her own type of vigilante justice。 The scene at the start where she catches up to someone who abused his horse almost made me DNF the whole book。 The way she handled it made me feel uncomfortable even though I agreed with her that what he man did was totally wrong with the way he abused an animal's trust like that。 The urge to find out what happens and how this series ties in with the rest of the world kept me reading。Saber tries to hide her true self and present a nice Saber face to her work colleagues。 Her coven sees right through her facade and is wary of her。 And only the couple who she lives with and her familiar seems to be people she cares for。 She feels broken and cold。 I just didn't like her， had trouble caring what happened with her and didn't find her interesting either。 On the other hand I did feel like it made sense the way she is， especially when the full truth of her past comes to light。 She has been through a lot and I feel like that explains a lot of her personality。 And no one should have to gone through what she has been through。 I got how that shaped her character。What I did like about Saber is her love and caring for animals and nature。 We haven't seen as much about witches and druids before， so it was great seeing from the point of view of a witch。 I also thought it was interesting that she isn't a particular strong witch， in fact she's kinda bad at being a witch。 I also like her bond with her familiar。 I like how her familiar is always shifting shapes。 He also seemed a good fit for her。 He likes her for who she is and never wants her to change and he always has her back。Saber's relationship with Zak， if you can call it that， was interesting to see。 They're the type of characters who but heads and would just as likely stab the other as kiss them and both instances actually happen， multiple times。 I did think they're a good match for one another。 Although it's not really the type of romance I enjoy reading about。 I feel like Zak's capable and mysterious feel was a bit less in this book。 he feels a bit more vulnerable and human， which is kinda weird to see somehow。 My favorite part of this book was when Kit showed up， I really like his character， and it was so fun to see him from Saber's point of view。 She isn't quite sure what to make of the unusual MPD agent。 The scene and big reveal/ twist at the end of the book was awesome。 There also is an explanation we still don't get in this book and I am eager to know what happened back then and why。 Learning more about the fae and seeing a bit more of witches and druids was great too and I am curious to see what more we will learn in the rest of the series。 To summarize: Sadly I struggled a bit with this book。 I liked returning to this world and getting to see another piece of it， this series seems to focus more on the fae， witches and druids and I liked seeing more of those。 The story was interesting enough， although it didn't pull me in as much as some of the other books。 I liked finding out who was behind the murders and seeing how everything got wrapped up。 The plot seems a bit less intricate， but there are some great twists and reveals toward the end and I feel like it sets the stage for the rest of the series。 I struggled with the main character as I didn't really like or care about her and didn't find her as interesting to read about。 I didn't like the stabby， violent personality she had。 Once the truth about her past comes to light it did make sense to me why she was the way she is。 She felt broken and damaged and her violence almost a shield to those who might hurt her。 She seemed like a good match for Zak， although I don't really care for the stab you， kiss you dynamic they had going on。 I liked how Kit made an appearance toward the end and the ending has me curious about the next book。 。。。more
Carley Morton
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Ok。 So Saber might be my new favorite。 I love， LOVE， how blood thirsty and violent she is （or wants to be）。 She goes after people who abuse animals， my heart❤️。 She is just so perfect in her bada**ery。 And she stands right up to our favorite scary Druid。 She DOES NOT BACK DOWN。 We get to see a little bit of Zak’s backstory when we get flashes of Saber’s story。 I really like how these two want to hate each other but the tension and chemistry just won’t stop。 I can’t wait to see what happens next Ok。 So Saber might be my new favorite。 I love， LOVE， how blood thirsty and violent she is （or wants to be）。 She goes after people who abuse animals， my heart❤️。 She is just so perfect in her bada**ery。 And she stands right up to our favorite scary Druid。 She DOES NOT BACK DOWN。 We get to see a little bit of Zak’s backstory when we get flashes of Saber’s story。 I really like how these two want to hate each other but the tension and chemistry just won’t stop。 I can’t wait to see what happens next because the ending was banana pants bonkers。 。。。more
Marley
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No！ It can’t end like that！ I knew it was coming but dang。 So far this has been my favorite and I love Robin but Saber just slammed it out of the park。 Saber Rose… what is there to say but you are fitting for Zak in every way。 She might not be powerful but that doesn’t stop her。 Gave me Piper vibes。 I so wish I had Rikr in my life we’d make that altar。 The wait for the next is gonna be killer。
Di
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Well that was。。。 Completely。 Consuming。 I mean， I should know by now， right？ ANNETTE MARIE NEVER DISSAPOINTS ME！ And now this series is about a character I have loved since he first graced the page。 Silly me， I was a little nervous。 I picked up my ARC late one night after finishing a current read and I just browsed the first chapter。 I wanted to just get the feel for our new POV character， Saber Rose and I just wanted to quickly scan the intro。 Mission accomplished and I went off to sleep happil Well that was。。。 Completely。 Consuming。 I mean， I should know by now， right？ ANNETTE MARIE NEVER DISSAPOINTS ME！ And now this series is about a character I have loved since he first graced the page。 Silly me， I was a little nervous。 I picked up my ARC late one night after finishing a current read and I just browsed the first chapter。 I wanted to just get the feel for our new POV character， Saber Rose and I just wanted to quickly scan the intro。 Mission accomplished and I went off to sleep happily。 The next night I thought I would get into it a bit and hopefully finish the book after a couple of sittings。 Apparently Saber and Zak had completely different schedules for me and I absolutely devoured the entire story from start to finish。 I might have regretted that as my alarm went off at 5am but actually， now that I am caffeinated I HAVE NO REGRETS！ There are a lot of reveals in this book so it's VERY difficult to talk about any plot points without ruining the story。。。 But suffice to say - I WAS BLOWN AWAY。 While I managed to predict some of the reveals， the major "WHY！？！？" question that I'm still silently screaming is still unanswered。 So yes， there's a cliffhanger， but the book is so good I don't even care。 Plus there's the fact that Annette is busy writing the next book which should be out early next year。。。 So I'm okay。 I can survive。。。。 Right？ For anyone who has already read anything in The Guild Codex world， this series follows our infamous Crystal Druid。 It's set after the end of Spellbound and Demonized so if you're planning to read or are still reading these， I would recommend completing these series first to both get to know the back stories and understand more of the world。 In saying that though， this series can ALSO be read as a standalone so if this is the one that interests you， definitely dive straight in。 As far as spoilers for the other series go I wouldn't say that there is anything major in this first book。 I absolutely adored Saber Rose。 She's like no other heroine I've read from Annette so far。 Was there more swearing in this book？ Yes， absolutely。 Were there darker themes？ Probably。 We're talking about abuse and neglect and vengeance and plotting murder so it's pretty intense。。。 But nothing is out of place and I couldn't expect anything less in Zak's story。 "Do you get off on near-death experiences？""I get off on giving other people near-death experiences。" I don't think I can actually rave enough about how much I love this universe and the characters in it （and I was so happy to see a short cameo in this one！）。 Annette Marie has made a large and exceptionally detailed world and from each series we get to look at the world from a slightly different angle。 We've had from inside the misfits guild of The Crow and Hammer with Spellbound， a peek into the little seen Demonica class with Demonized， a look at the world from their magical police department with Warped and now a look at both the fae demesne and the underground rogues with Unveiled。 I cannot express how excited I am for more。 "there was much more to the Crystal Druid for me to unveil" 。。。more
♛Vanessa♛ ϟ Novel Nerd Faction
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Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。 I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own。 If you have been waiting for Zak's book like the rest of us then hold on to your panties！ You're going to want to clear out your schedule before you pick up this titillating piece of literature。 Zak is going to own you and I think that Saber is going to own you even more。 Yes， dear friends， the Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。 I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own。 If you have been waiting for Zak's book like the rest of us then hold on to your panties！ You're going to want to clear out your schedule before you pick up this titillating piece of literature。 Zak is going to own you and I think that Saber is going to own you even more。 Yes， dear friends， the time has come for us to jump into Zak's story！ When I received my copy of this book I have honestly never downloaded a book so fast in my life。 I was checking my email right before bedtime and lo and behold， the email with my download link was sitting in my inbox。 I think that my heart literally stopped in my chest。 After having a small freak-out attack （or so my 13-year-old son says）， I downloaded that bad boy and jumped into the story faster than a cranky druid can best his opponent。 So， pretty fast。 While this is technically Zak's series， this book is told from the point of view of a new character， Saber。 Saber is Zak's love interest in the story and OH MY GOD she is the character that I never knew I needed。 I absolutely loved Saber and I think that other readers are going to fall in love with her just as much as I have。 I don't think that I have felt this strongly about a character since I read Holly Black's The Folk of the Air series and Jude Duarte captured my heart。 Saber has done much the same。 I adore her。 She's got that prickly， stabby， 'I'm going to slit your throat' type of personality that ruffles my feathers in all the best ways。 On the outside， she is tough as nails but there is so much more lurking under her surface。 We get a glimpse into the real Saber that she hides from the rest of the world。 Saber has had some truly horrid things happen in her past that have driven her character development in this book。 Ríkr is Saber's familiar。 He is a shapeshifter fae that prefers to take the shape of a cat or a bird。 I loved him from the get-go。 He is witty， loyal， and a real breath of fresh air。 There is some mystery about him that I can't wait to uncover in the next book。 And then there is Zak。 Though it is very subtle， there is a change in Zak from when we saw him in the Spellbound series。 He is not the druid he once was。 Things have drastically changed in his life and we get the sense that maybe he wants to change too。 At one point， he even asks Saber if she wishes she could be someone else。 It really sets the tone for his mood and mindset in this book。 If you have read the Spellbound series then you know what Zak has lost and you can imagine how those losses would affect him， his personality， and the way that he approaches things now。 While he is still very much the druid that we know， he is also evolving， I think。 I am eager to see how he evolves throughout this series。 We also get to see some cameos from other characters that we have come to know in the Guild Codex world。 I love when other characters make an appearance in this interconnected world。 If you are familiar with Annette Marie's books， then you know that she is bloody brilliant when it comes to storytelling。 Her crafting and plotting are detailed and creative。 Her narration is flawless and unmatched。 The flow of her stories is natural and smooth。 The way that she delivers plot twists is exciting and utterly gripping。 The One and Only Crystal Druid is all that and more。 The sexual tension in this book is like an atomic bomb waiting to go off and I AM HERE FOR IT！ Zak and Saber dance around each other with a savagery that is too tantalizing for words。 Their banter， their back and forth was the stuff of dreams。 I thought that my fangirl heart was going to hammer right out of my chest。 There is more to their uneasy relationship than meets the eye though。 We are just falling through the rabbit hole right now where Saber and Zak are concerned but I can't wait to reach Wonderland。 I predict the most satisfying romances from Annette Marie to date with this couple。 Just saying。 Overall， this is an exceptionally all-consuming story that will leave you in a daze。 These characters will dominate your mind， their romance will light your nether regions on fire， and the plot is going to have the gears turning in your head。 The cliffhanger at the end of this book is so epically good that I can't even be mad that I have to wait for the next book。 The utter brilliance of that ending left me staggering with stars in my eyes and my heart racing faster than the Millennium Falcon。 Before you start this book， prepare yourself for the biggest book hangover。 BLOG FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER BOOKBUB AMAZON PINTEREST 。。。more
Kitlina
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*I am one of the most fortunate people to be on the ARC team for Annette Marie， and I will be forever grateful！！！*And of course， even if I have this ARC I can't not support my favorite author so this book is on pre-order。OMGOMGOMG I can'tI really can't I can't anythingThis skewered meI am in piecesNow although I hate how fast time goes by I wish it went faster because I need book two and that will be available in January 2022。And I can't say anything because I don't want to give anything away。 B *I am one of the most fortunate people to be on the ARC team for Annette Marie， and I will be forever grateful！！！*And of course， even if I have this ARC I can't not support my favorite author so this book is on pre-order。OMGOMGOMG I can'tI really can't I can't anythingThis skewered meI am in piecesNow although I hate how fast time goes by I wish it went faster because I need book two and that will be available in January 2022。And I can't say anything because I don't want to give anything away。 But I'll say this， you start slow and almost slumbering and you will finish with another perspective on life。 AMAZING WRITING like always。You really need to read this。 So just go ahead and pre-order it， one click it。 。。。more
Ro El
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This is good。 *dark*。 Gritty。 Conflicted。 A familiar who suggests blood altars。 Saber Rose is incredibly broken。 Maybe a bit of a sociopath？ And working hard to create personas that let her live a life where she can do some of the things she wants to do。 And of course while she is in the middle of some vigilante justice， she crosses paths with the one and only crystal druid（Zak） and all of that is put in jeopardy。 Some of the book is flashbacks/dreams， so we have two story lines running at each This is good。 *dark*。 Gritty。 Conflicted。 A familiar who suggests blood altars。 Saber Rose is incredibly broken。 Maybe a bit of a sociopath？ And working hard to create personas that let her live a life where she can do some of the things she wants to do。 And of course while she is in the middle of some vigilante justice， she crosses paths with the one and only crystal druid（Zak） and all of that is put in jeopardy。 Some of the book is flashbacks/dreams， so we have two story lines running at each other。 I am really excited for the rest of this series， and falling further down the rabbit-hole of learning more of Zak's backstory and also figuring out what the story is with Saber。 Well-earned five stars。 Side-note: I really appreciate the German food （not a spoiler） and correct spellings。 Now I'm hungry。 :） 。。。more
Courtney
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Yet another phenomenal work by the One and Only Annette Marie！ This story follows a new character in the Guild Codex universe， Saber。 She holds her own as an entirely unique character。 Her story， as well as the story of our favorite druid， is unraveled slowly throughout the action and mystery of the present plot。 We also get to see a couple of character cameos from other series in the same world。 Without spoiling too much of the book， the only thing I can say was this was a masterfully crafted a Yet another phenomenal work by the One and Only Annette Marie！ This story follows a new character in the Guild Codex universe， Saber。 She holds her own as an entirely unique character。 Her story， as well as the story of our favorite druid， is unraveled slowly throughout the action and mystery of the present plot。 We also get to see a couple of character cameos from other series in the same world。 Without spoiling too much of the book， the only thing I can say was this was a masterfully crafted adventure， with delicious sexual tension and plenty of twists。 All in all， it was the beginning of what looks to be an amazing addition to the Guild Codex world， and by the end I was left desperate for the next book！ 。。。more
Tracy D。
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The Druid Has Met His Match*Disclaimer and Warning: I received an ARC from the author/publisher。 Opinions are my own。 I attempted to keep this review as spoiler and fan-girling free， and as objective as possible。 If you would rather go in completely blind， （it might be the smart thing to do） then skip this review。 Otherwise， hear me out！The Story: Saber Rose works as a vet tech， smiling politely at her co-workers and customers alike – a thin veneer of normalcy。 As a convicted murderer， the condi The Druid Has Met His Match*Disclaimer and Warning: I received an ARC from the author/publisher。 Opinions are my own。 I attempted to keep this review as spoiler and fan-girling free， and as objective as possible。 If you would rather go in completely blind， （it might be the smart thing to do） then skip this review。 Otherwise， hear me out！The Story: Saber Rose works as a vet tech， smiling politely at her co-workers and customers alike – a thin veneer of normalcy。 As a convicted murderer， the condition of her parole is she must participate in the magical community to the satisfaction of her assigned coven's leader。 What everyone， especially her coven， can never see is the blistering-hot， seething rage inside her soul。 What they can never know are Saber’s felonious night-time activities。 With everything that’s going down， those conditions are becoming very difficult to meet。 When fae and animals in Saber’s territory start turning up dead， a mysterious druid rides in to vanquish the foe， much to her grudging respect， and inexplicable displeasure。 After Saber becomes the main suspect in a homicide， there is no better alibi， or person to pin the murder on， than a wanted druid with a million dollar bounty on his head。 What follows is a high tension， smoldering， and heart wrenching tale of Death， love， betrayal， and second chances。 The Characters:Saber Rose - I loved this FMC！ If ever there was a perfect match for Zak， this chick is it。 Not only does she share things in common with him like a tragic back story， but also a love of horses/animals， the same magic class – Spiritalis – and she’s a total badass！ The extremely sharp tongue and foul mouth is just the cherry on top！ 😁 Most importantly though， she has a heart of gold。 What was really striking to me was her rage。 Girl has some serious anger issues。 It takes a while to get the full story， but once you start getting the picture， you will completely understand。The Crystal Druid – Zak – "the druid” 🤭 is the morally grey， complex， and very much misunderstood rogue， with multiple aliases， and that huge bounty on his head。 If you are familiar with Zak from either The Guild Codex: Spellbound （where he made his first appearance） or Warped，you’re going to see some different sides of him。 All of them completely satisfying。 Zak is wholesome af， yet extremely unrepentant for his past。 Whether you love him， hate him， or are somewhere in between… I wouldn’t miss this if I were you。Lallakai – The powerful fae you will love to hate。 Just when you think you may start to like her， she becomes the most toxic， disgusting creature in creation。 Sometimes it seems like she does things to benefit “her druid，” but I swear she’s purposely sewing discord in the most subtle but twisted of ways。 Ríker – Saber’s fae familiar。 A clever and mischievous shape shifter that usually takes the form of a white cat in the presence of others。 He sometimes acts as Saber’s look-out， but defends her valiantly if needed， despite his small size。 His dialog is delightful， and the nickname he gives Saber makes me “hear” Tom Hiddleston。 Loved him。 Also worth mentioning， character crossovers！！！ The Writing: Told from the FMC first person POV， Annette Marie weaves an intricate story that will have you riveted to the pages。 The narrative switches back and forth， between present and past， as Saber Rose recalls her traumatic teen years in dreamscape。 Having met The Crystal Druid in previous books， I’m so glad it was done this way。 It allows his character to remain an enigma。 Each little tidbit of new info slowly builds him up， and we learn more about him right along with the protagonist。 Well done。 Now， this book （and series） will stand alone。 You do not need to read the other Guild Codex books to enjoy it， but I think that reading them in the author’s recommended order adds so much more depth to the story， and the revelations have more impact。 With that being said， having read the entire catalog， it makes the intended outcome of this book just a smidgen more predictable。 That didn’t take away from the story at all。 In fact I’m already thinking that there was foreshadowing for this series in other books！ Just amazing storytelling going on here。 Get ready for the feels。Spice: Annette Marie is the Queen of Slow-Burn。 Romance is always a subplot in her epic UF。 This series burns a little hotter from the get go than any other series that she’s written so far though。 The tension starts almost immediately and builds to a boiling point， which is only overshadowed by Saber’s need to stab Zak。 It’s amazing。 Because of the mature scenarios and language， The One and Only Crystal Druid falls into the NA （New Adult） category。 I give it 🌶🌶！The End: Deserves a standing ovation。 The story arc for this book is tied up nicely， but this ending leaves you with QUESTIONS！ Bravo！！！ An outstanding start to The Guild Codex: Unveiled！ I rate it 5 ⭐ because I loved the fiery exchanges between the h and H， the fae folklore， the expansion of knowledge regarding Spiritalis， will definitely be adding to my re-read pile， and cannot wait for the next book！ 。。。more
Caitlin D
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Words cannot describe how good this is， but I'm just going to keep it vague and short to avoid spoilers 😁。 Zak has definitely met his match and I LOVE her。 This may be my favorite so far in the Guild Codex universe。 Words cannot describe how good this is， but I'm just going to keep it vague and short to avoid spoilers 😁。 Zak has definitely met his match and I LOVE her。 This may be my favorite so far in the Guild Codex universe。 。。。more
spring ~♡
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Zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak Zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak SCREAMING FOR ETERNITY CAUSE IT'S ZAK'S BOOK Zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak Zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak zak SCREAMING FOR ETERNITY CAUSE IT'S ZAK'S BOOK 。。。more
Mena
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I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this since Zak is my favourite druid asshole on the same level as my favourite demon asshole Zylas。 I didn't want the new girl in the series to be like Tori， unpopular opinion but she was annoying to me。 There was a reason I only read the demonised series。（Robin my best girl <3） However after reading an excerpt and seeing the main character is a bitchy stabby girl who is already pissing Zak off and getting under his skin。 Annette Marie describing her as "differe I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this since Zak is my favourite druid asshole on the same level as my favourite demon asshole Zylas。 I didn't want the new girl in the series to be like Tori， unpopular opinion but she was annoying to me。 There was a reason I only read the demonised series。（Robin my best girl <3） However after reading an excerpt and seeing the main character is a bitchy stabby girl who is already pissing Zak off and getting under his skin。 Annette Marie describing her as "different" I WON！！ I'M ALL IN。 SIGN ME TF UP。 。。。more
Athy
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ZAK！！！ Zak's story， yass！！ ZAK！！！ Zak's story， yass！！ 。。。more
Troja Vigneaux
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My boy Zak is getting his own book。。。 I just really wanna know who the love interest is gonna be。 Could it be Kaveri？ she's been eying him for a while now。 My boy Zak is getting his own book。。。 I just really wanna know who the love interest is gonna be。 Could it be Kaveri？ she's been eying him for a while now。 。。。more
Hanna G。
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