** spoiler alert ** 
 As I think back on this series, I can see a reoccurring theme. In Mind Games, Justine is a woman trapped by her own fear. Packard is a man trapped in a prison. Justine ends up being a "minion" of Packard and trapped by her need to zing her fear into acceptable targets. Targets that can only be chosen by Packard. Packard is struggling toward his freedom, using any means necessary, even people - bypassing his morals to get what he wants. Justine struggles under the yoke of being someone else's puppet, being controlled by her fear/her need to get rid of her fear - and she struggles with the morality of what Packard wants her to do. 
 Freedom ranks high on both Packard's and Justine's list of motivations and this freedom theme is present throughout the entire Disillustionists Trilogy. I really enjoyed the subtext present throughout each book. Crane definitely had something to say outside of just telling us a great story. The messiness of life is really present in this series. The reality that you think you know a person, but unless you know their true motivations - you really don't. Pesky things like morals were really only convenient for people when they coincided with their needs/wants/desires - and I think this is true to life for most people, no matter how much we might wish otherwise. For Packard and Justine - they found out that for them, freedom was first. Everything else came after. It made me question - what would come first for me? For my family? For my friends? Who are we really, when it comes to being put to the test? And does being put to the test really change who we are, and if so for how much? 
 The atmosphere in Head Rush is grim. The city is under martial law. Dream-controlled cannibals roam the streets at night, and crime is yet again at an all-time high. Otto has saddled Justine with body guards and electronic trackers - for her protection, of course. She is again trapped - just in a different way. Crane puts Justine to the test again - and Justine finds she is a different person than she thought she was. 
 In my review of Double Cross, I'd said that I was so happy that this series didn't follow the formulaic plots of normal UFs/PNRs. I should have bit my tongue. I felt a bit let down with Head Rush. Mostly because of the ending - a place where I felt Crane has previously excelled. I didn't expect that after two great endings for Mind Games and Double Cross, Crane would go for the formula. I expected one thing - and emotionally the book prepares you for that, and then I didn't get it. I do think that the majority of people will like this ending - and maybe that's why Crane chose to go with that. But for myself ... (Major SPOILER) I expected the "life is messy" ending. I expected a surprise. I expected Justine would die with Otto - or Packard and Otto would fight to the death. Or ... I expected tragedy. The book prepared you for it! All the tension was leading up to it! Otto always had to die. He had to die when he killed Avery in front of Justine. His death for me was sealed, Shelby swore it. So I knew, because this was Crane writing, that there would be something else - some other twist I should prepare for. 
 In no way did I expect the HEA. I did not expect the easy ending. 
 And the Epilogue...ugh. Really, like Cubby would go to her wedding!? Puhleaz. We never saw him past book one because he served his purpose! Having him appear now felt like one of those Clip Shows from Stargate SG:1 when they were trying to still churn out episodes but stay within their budget. 
 Also, I thought the pacing, flow, tension, etc. was great until about 2/3rds of the way through the book. Then the ending is sprung on you and there are NO CLUES as to what Otto plans to do at the wedding - just that it's clear he plans for something to go down. Readers only find out why the cannibals come from AFTER the fact, via dialogue/inner monologue/exposition. Wouldn't it have been so much better to have Justine know/witness evidence of Otto's plans before hand? Wouldn't the tension have been so much more at the wedding had she guessed/had intel on something horrid that he was going to do? Instead it just feels very much like he plans to show up and get married and any plans to play the hero again will come after - his plans are so vague that they don't even feel like a threat. We get that he's acting the dictator - but we don't fully understand the scope of what he plans/how diabolical he will be because we never find out. Thus they really don't have any impact. 
 Still, over all - this book is good. The ending just fell flat for me. I'm still giving it four stars and I'm looking forward to seeing what Crane comes up with outside the Disillustionist world. She's definitely an author to watch.