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nicolemhewitt's review
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
It’s been a long wait for the final installment in the Styclar Saga, so Kelly made sure that we had an epic ending to the series. We got answers to all of the questions that remained about the three dimensions and then some.
What Fed My Addiction:
Boy troubles resolved.
In this book, Lailah didn’t do any waffling between Jonah and Gabriel. She knew exactly who she wanted and why. That didn’t mean that the road to romance between her and Jonah was smooth, though—Lailah had determined that she wasn’t going to survive the fight with the Purebloods, so she didn’t feel that she could give herself to Jonah completely. And then there was the fact that Gabriel didn’t remember that Lailah had already let him down gently (since she had turned back time in the last book). The romance between Jonah and Lailah was probably my favorite part of this final book.
The worldbuilding.
This series has such elaborate worldbuilding. Lailah visits both the first and third dimensions in this book, so we get amazing descriptions of both of them. I loved all the parallels between the dimensions and religion—Is there a God? (We get the answer.) Are the Angels and the Purebloods who the humans think they are? Are they all wrong, or are there elements of what they believe that makes sense? Is Lailah a Savior? The world that Kelly created is complex, and I could spend days just analyzing it.
Epic battles.
Of course, the showdowns between Laila and the Purebloods in the end was intense, but there were also other conflicts leading up to that one that made my heart race. When Lailah returns to the second dimension (the “regular” one), she discovers that much has changed. It’s a much more dangerous place and the stakes have risen ever higher!
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Took me time to connect.
Unfortunately, since it’s been so long since the first two books, it took me a little time to remember what was happening and to connect to these characters again. I kind of wish I’d had time to do a reread of the first two books before I’d read this one.
The scientific details went over my head.
Though I loved the worldbuilding, the sheer amount of it in this book added to issue #1. I found myself puzzling over some of the scientific details we learn about the three dimensions and how they work. Sometimes I found myself tuning out a bit during these sections of the book (especially in the middle).
I didn’t put the ending into the Love It or Hate It categories because I kind of felt both. My gut reaction was something along the lines of, “What?!” I sort of hated it. But, then again, I sort of loved it too—and, more importantly, I think it was fitting for the story. Maybe. Probably. (As you can see, I’m still a bit conflicted.)
In the end, I felt that this was a strong conclusion to the series, but I didn’t connect quite as well as I wanted to, so I ended up giving it 3.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and The Irish Banana Review in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
It’s been a long wait for the final installment in the Styclar Saga, so Kelly made sure that we had an epic ending to the series. We got answers to all of the questions that remained about the three dimensions and then some.
What Fed My Addiction:
Boy troubles resolved.
In this book, Lailah didn’t do any waffling between Jonah and Gabriel. She knew exactly who she wanted and why. That didn’t mean that the road to romance between her and Jonah was smooth, though—Lailah had determined that she wasn’t going to survive the fight with the Purebloods, so she didn’t feel that she could give herself to Jonah completely. And then there was the fact that Gabriel didn’t remember that Lailah had already let him down gently (since she had turned back time in the last book). The romance between Jonah and Lailah was probably my favorite part of this final book.
The worldbuilding.
This series has such elaborate worldbuilding. Lailah visits both the first and third dimensions in this book, so we get amazing descriptions of both of them. I loved all the parallels between the dimensions and religion—Is there a God? (We get the answer.) Are the Angels and the Purebloods who the humans think they are? Are they all wrong, or are there elements of what they believe that makes sense? Is Lailah a Savior? The world that Kelly created is complex, and I could spend days just analyzing it.
Epic battles.
Of course, the showdowns between Laila and the Purebloods in the end was intense, but there were also other conflicts leading up to that one that made my heart race. When Lailah returns to the second dimension (the “regular” one), she discovers that much has changed. It’s a much more dangerous place and the stakes have risen ever higher!
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Took me time to connect.
Unfortunately, since it’s been so long since the first two books, it took me a little time to remember what was happening and to connect to these characters again. I kind of wish I’d had time to do a reread of the first two books before I’d read this one.
The scientific details went over my head.
Though I loved the worldbuilding, the sheer amount of it in this book added to issue #1. I found myself puzzling over some of the scientific details we learn about the three dimensions and how they work. Sometimes I found myself tuning out a bit during these sections of the book (especially in the middle).
I didn’t put the ending into the Love It or Hate It categories because I kind of felt both. My gut reaction was something along the lines of, “What?!” I sort of hated it. But, then again, I sort of loved it too—and, more importantly, I think it was fitting for the story. Maybe. Probably. (As you can see, I’m still a bit conflicted.)
In the end, I felt that this was a strong conclusion to the series, but I didn’t connect quite as well as I wanted to, so I ended up giving it 3.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and The Irish Banana Review in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
bookwife's review
2.0
I mean.... really? I feel like I have been waiting for this book forever and I am so disappointed by it. OK I'm disappointed by the ending. I had to read the last 2 pages 5 times.. I couldn't get over the ending. I also got pretty bored during the book. And good lord Lailah was terrible!! I don't remember if she was always bitchy or what but I could not stand her in this book.
So yeah just an over all flop for me.
So yeah just an over all flop for me.
bibliophile_and_the_beast's review
4.0
It’s only fitting that I give this book five stars, as I have Gabriel four, and it was miles better. Granted, much like Lailah it feels like everything snowballs in the end, but boy are those last 100 pages good! I couldn’t put it down and needed to finish it. The ending is very, very bittersweet. First of all: one character who I adored throughout this whole series was Ruadhan, and when he died, I bawled like a baby. But getting to the ending (which... I’m not totally for the Darwin story line but I appreciate the continuity) of Lailah dying, I was happy she’d have someone to go to. And then Jonah went with her and I was like “okay, so a Romeo-and-Juliet-esc family reunion in not-Heaven.. I’m down.” I cried here too. I’m happy I stuck through the series, it was well worth it in the end, even if the ending is as grey as Lailah’s soul.
That being said: Kelly has a habit of repeating information. This was in Gabriel too, but it happened a lot here. Every time a character came back, she would give their whole spiel of who they were and how they related to Lailah and all that. I didn’t need that and it was kind of annoying rereading a bunch of stuff I already knew. Also didn’t totally jive with Lailah’s treatment of Jonah. She could have (and should have) treated him a lot better.
That being said: Kelly has a habit of repeating information. This was in Gabriel too, but it happened a lot here. Every time a character came back, she would give their whole spiel of who they were and how they related to Lailah and all that. I didn’t need that and it was kind of annoying rereading a bunch of stuff I already knew. Also didn’t totally jive with Lailah’s treatment of Jonah. She could have (and should have) treated him a lot better.
bookwifereviews's review
2.0
I mean.... really? I feel like I have been waiting for this book forever and I am so disappointed by it. OK I'm disappointed by the ending. I had to read the last 2 pages 5 times.. I couldn't get over the ending. I also got pretty bored during the book. And good lord Lailah was terrible!! I don't remember if she was always bitchy or what but I could not stand her in this book.
So yeah just an over all flop for me.
So yeah just an over all flop for me.
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