Did you see this ending coming or were you expecting something else?
I knew that SM would have some way to make the ending satisfying. I figured that Wanda would just need another body and everything would be fine. But then as the end of the story progressed and Wanda was more and more convinced that it could never work, I got worried. I couldn't believe that Wanda would just cease to exist.
And I felt so badly for Ian! It almost looked like they were going to hook him up with Lily eventually there before Wanda snuck off to Doc. I wanted a happy ending for him soooo badly. I really "fell" for that character. So differently than Edward. Ian is everything that a man should be. Edward is everything that a single man could never be. Ian COULDN'T be left alone and sad.
I didn't get at first what Pet's perspective was. It confused me. I was so happy that Melanie fixed a happy ending for everyone.
And how do you feel about Wanda in a new body?
I loved it. I was trying to figure out whose body she would get. Each "alienated" character brought into the group I wondered at. But none seemed like they would have worked for her.
I was worried about the new body not responding/loving Ian like he deserved.
I love that Melanie, Jamie, and Jerad took such pains in finding a new body for Wanda. That she was young enough to not be likely to have the human consciousness still there, that she was young enough that she was unlikely to have formed a love attachment with someone male, that Jamie made sure that she was pretty. And Jerad made sure that she was incomspicuous since he knew that Wanda would be likely to want to help by going on raids again. It was wonderful that they were careful to make sure that there wasn't someone who would wake up to claim the body.
Despite Wanda's frustrations at her new body's weaknesses, I think it fit her personality.
How does it change the way you think Ian and Wanda will work as a couple?
Ian already was protective and considerate of her. It may be more so than before, but that won't change much.
But of course it will. Wanda can now love Ian with her mind and her body. No real division anymore that would hurt them both.
How about Jared and Mel?
Well, Jared and Mel both changed while she was gone. They will have a little adusting to get used to each other, but not much. Their relationship and passion for each other is just too strong for that.
I think that amongst that love quadrangle there will always be a little residual of feeling from all that they went through together but it will just mellow over time into strong friendship attachment.
Or the rest of the people, for that matter, working with an alien?
Throughout the book, you see the change that Wanda made on her human family. How this alien character returned their humanity to them. Its such a nice story.