There is such a depth of thought and consideration in this ending. A sister, not a wife, is a really great touch, and the way you mirror the first half in the second, is just brilliant.

You manage to change the first half, in a way that reflects personal perspective, and how twisted and two sided family grudges can be.

and the ending, oh my word, it is just so well paced, and hits at just the right moment. The implication that Benjamin was chosen to inherit something that actually Melinda embodied. The idea of this family, the skills of the dark arts, and those who marry into it, i really appreciate the way you use the mothers suicide and give it a bigger role in the story, and the pay back of Melinda, suggesting hints of what had happened to her mother being paid back to the man who continued his fathers legacy. And it works so well, even the idea of Benjamin as a cuckold, suggesting part of the affront to her mother that she engineered to be paid back (also appreciate the possible lesbian hint here, did she make him cuckold herself)

The ending takes a new tone, instead of murder, and personal gain/grudges, it becomes something bigger, the spark of the family's power clearly having passed to Melinda, claiming it, the fire burning on in her. Just, wow, as always a pleasure, but also a fantastic job of tying up so many of the points in the first half, in a brilliantly unexpected way.

~ Calluna