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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Third and last in the Age of Legend fantasy series for Young Adults and revolving around the twins, Moria the Keeper and Ashyn the Seeker of Edgewood.
My Take
On reading the start of the summary as "the empire rests on the edge of a knife", one would expect there to be a lot of tension, but it's really very lightweight. Dramatic, yes, but not enough to keep you awake at night.
Part of that drama is the emperor's command for Moria to return to her jailer. A sweeter drama is Tyrus' sense of honor. He's in love with Moria, but if she wants Gavril… Yet more is what is revealed when Moria dispels a shadow stalker.
Gavril's constant insistence on being Moria's friend and saying he's responsible for the massacre really annoys me. It also really annoys me that he thinks Moria should accept anything he says now that he claims he's reformed. Yeah, right…
We get the back history on Tatsu and Kitsune's past, as well as Gavril's reminiscing about his childhood. Poor kid. We get some of Ronan's back history as well when he reveals why he is so afraid to commit to Ashyn. Why he dare not shirk his duty.
One thing I absolutely adore about this series is the equality between boy and girl. Prince Tyrus loves that Moria is a strong person, just as he is a strong person in himself, willing to listen to others, to be considerate, to protect.
That done-to-death trope of not realizing that each loves the other has, yes, been done to death in this story. I wanted to bash Ronan and Ash over their heads for how incredibly obtuse Armstrong wrote them. I did, on the other hand, appreciate Ash's estimation of the situation, of all that Ronan would be giving up if he didn't pursue his original dream.
I must say, I won't miss the court Seeker and Keeper. Talk about hidebound idiots!?
It's an oddly dissatisfying ending with resolution for some and others are left hanging, and I suspect a second trilogy will be forthcoming.
The Story
Prince Tyrus has been branded a traitor to the empire, seduced by the evil Moria. It'll take a miracle to rehabilitate the prince and that "evil seductress" in the eyes of the people.
And it's a brutal demand that the emperor will enforce through betrayal.
The Characters
Moria is the Keeper with the power to banish evil spirits; Daigo is her wildcat and bond-beast, a Wildcat of the Immortals, possessed of the spirit of a great warrior. Prince Tyrus is the emperor's son by a beloved concubine, Maiko. Gavril Kitsune has been by turn, friend, traitor, jailer, and betrothed to Moria. With Tyrus, he had been his best friend. Kiri is Gavril's helpless mother.
Ashyn is the Seeker and a battle healer who soothes spirits…and Moria's twin. Tova is her bond-beast, a Hound of the Immortals. The casteless Ronan had been an exiled convict in the Forest of the Dead and determined to protect Ashyn. Jorn and Aidra are Ronan's siblings in the dubious care of an aunt.
Edwyn explains that he is the twins' grandfather from Silvershore. Tarquin is a guard. There are four types of dragon: snow, sand, timber, and rock. In one of Edwyn's stories, Isobo was a snow dragon with two children, Zuri and Ponto.
Emperor Jiro Tatsu is compassionate but hard and traitorous himself toward those he will use. Lysias is his captain of the guard. Thea and Ellyn are the insular court Keeper and Seeker.
Dalain is the son of the Warlord Okami, the Gray Wolf. Sabre is the tomboy daughter of a tribal chieftain within Okami's domain.
Alvar Kitsune is Gavril's traitorous, cowardly father who was exiled. Rametta is Alvar's ancient nursemaid. Halmond is the guard.
Toman is the leader of the bandits. Lord Jorojumo is a warlord.
The people of Edgewood were…
…turned into shadow stalkers by Alvar. Jonas, Niles, and Chera are from Edgewood; Hogan is from Fairview.
Simeon is the traitorous scholar.
The Keeper and the Seeker are highly respected, sacred positions and always held by twin girls. Neither can marry nor have a child without special permission.
Fiend dogs are shadow dogs, the spirits of warriors damned for cowardice. A shadow stalker is a bundle of souls caught in one body.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a'sparkle with a silver dragon rearing up, its wings flared open and raised above its head against a deep night background, trees silhouetted against it with a hint of dusk with the purple at the horizon. The title is in an embossed silver that does not stand out very well while the white for the rest of the text, including the author's name, stands out much better.
The title is something of a misnomer, unless the Forest of Ruin refers to Alvar.
My Take
On reading the start of the summary as "the empire rests on the edge of a knife", one would expect there to be a lot of tension, but it's really very lightweight. Dramatic, yes, but not enough to keep you awake at night.
Part of that drama is the emperor's command for Moria to return to her jailer. A sweeter drama is Tyrus' sense of honor. He's in love with Moria, but if she wants Gavril… Yet more is what is revealed when Moria dispels a shadow stalker.
Gavril's constant insistence on being Moria's friend and saying he's responsible for the massacre really annoys me. It also really annoys me that he thinks Moria should accept anything he says now that he claims he's reformed. Yeah, right…
We get the back history on Tatsu and Kitsune's past, as well as Gavril's reminiscing about his childhood. Poor kid. We get some of Ronan's back history as well when he reveals why he is so afraid to commit to Ashyn. Why he dare not shirk his duty.
One thing I absolutely adore about this series is the equality between boy and girl. Prince Tyrus loves that Moria is a strong person, just as he is a strong person in himself, willing to listen to others, to be considerate, to protect.
That done-to-death trope of not realizing that each loves the other has, yes, been done to death in this story. I wanted to bash Ronan and Ash over their heads for how incredibly obtuse Armstrong wrote them. I did, on the other hand, appreciate Ash's estimation of the situation, of all that Ronan would be giving up if he didn't pursue his original dream.
I must say, I won't miss the court Seeker and Keeper. Talk about hidebound idiots!?
It's an oddly dissatisfying ending with resolution for some and others are left hanging, and I suspect a second trilogy will be forthcoming.
The Story
Prince Tyrus has been branded a traitor to the empire, seduced by the evil Moria. It'll take a miracle to rehabilitate the prince and that "evil seductress" in the eyes of the people.
And it's a brutal demand that the emperor will enforce through betrayal.
The Characters
Moria is the Keeper with the power to banish evil spirits; Daigo is her wildcat and bond-beast, a Wildcat of the Immortals, possessed of the spirit of a great warrior. Prince Tyrus is the emperor's son by a beloved concubine, Maiko. Gavril Kitsune has been by turn, friend, traitor, jailer, and betrothed to Moria. With Tyrus, he had been his best friend. Kiri is Gavril's helpless mother.
Ashyn is the Seeker and a battle healer who soothes spirits…and Moria's twin. Tova is her bond-beast, a Hound of the Immortals. The casteless Ronan had been an exiled convict in the Forest of the Dead and determined to protect Ashyn. Jorn and Aidra are Ronan's siblings in the dubious care of an aunt.
Edwyn explains that he is the twins' grandfather from Silvershore. Tarquin is a guard. There are four types of dragon: snow, sand, timber, and rock. In one of Edwyn's stories, Isobo was a snow dragon with two children, Zuri and Ponto.
Emperor Jiro Tatsu is compassionate but hard and traitorous himself toward those he will use. Lysias is his captain of the guard. Thea and Ellyn are the insular court Keeper and Seeker.
Dalain is the son of the Warlord Okami, the Gray Wolf. Sabre is the tomboy daughter of a tribal chieftain within Okami's domain.
Alvar Kitsune is Gavril's traitorous, cowardly father who was exiled. Rametta is Alvar's ancient nursemaid. Halmond is the guard.
Toman is the leader of the bandits. Lord Jorojumo is a warlord.
The people of Edgewood were…
…turned into shadow stalkers by Alvar. Jonas, Niles, and Chera are from Edgewood; Hogan is from Fairview.
Simeon is the traitorous scholar.
The Keeper and the Seeker are highly respected, sacred positions and always held by twin girls. Neither can marry nor have a child without special permission.
Fiend dogs are shadow dogs, the spirits of warriors damned for cowardice. A shadow stalker is a bundle of souls caught in one body.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a'sparkle with a silver dragon rearing up, its wings flared open and raised above its head against a deep night background, trees silhouetted against it with a hint of dusk with the purple at the horizon. The title is in an embossed silver that does not stand out very well while the white for the rest of the text, including the author's name, stands out much better.
The title is something of a misnomer, unless the Forest of Ruin refers to Alvar.
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating 4.5 stars
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Check out my series review here: https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/2017/02/20/series-review-age-of-legends-by-kelley-armstrong/
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
This book is set at a steady, medium pace but the action keeps going. There’s also some mystery in this one, revolving around dragons which is pretty cool. There’s a lot more focus on romance in this one as well and it’s so much easier to understand than the rest of the books have been. There’s twists and turns and lots of violence (it can get graphic) but I feel like the ending was very solid and conclusive.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style as always is descriptive and detailed. There’s a steady pace that flows with the plot and I really enjoy that the POV’s are very distinct. The characters speak with big words and it’s all very old fashioned in style. It’s easy to read and I ended up enjoying it much more as the series continued.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
Finally, one of these books where I don’t have some huge complain about the characters. They will never become favorites of mine but I have to say that they definitely improved as the series went on.
Moria is a freaking badass lady. She’s so logical, smart and crafty. She’s gotten better at working through her emotions but it doesn’t stop her from continuing to be brave and fiercely protective and strong. She’s super blunt and is always looking at things in a different perspective than other people. Though she had a lot of development, I think it was more of building on who she already was and making her even better.
Ashyn on the other hand had the most extensive development out of everyone in the series. She started out really shy and timid and pretty much scared of a bunch of things. But as things progressed and she started to become more confident, she blossomed. She’s passionate, determined and smart. She’s kind as always but much more blunt and honest with herself and others. I love how self-confidence helped her become a much more well rounded person and someone that can kick ass in her own way.
All the side characters now feel much more three dimensional and fleshed out. They’ve always been complex but since there were so many, I never felt like I got to know them as much as I wanted to but that was definitely fixed in this book.
Emotionally
This third book is definitely the best one of the trilogy and I think it was the perfect ending for it as well.
The plot is intricate. We follow Moria and Ashyn, twins separated while their kingdom is in the brink of war. One is implored to ally with the enemy while the other is confronted with mythical creatures and her potential power to wake them. I really had no idea how the author was going to pull off a complete ending to a trilogy with all the new plot lines that she introduced in the second book. This idea with the dragons came kind of out of nowhere (but I should’ve known considering the cover of the third book) so I didn’t really know how things were going to wrap themselves up. It just felt like there was a lot of stuff left undone and with the potential to blow up and it worried me a little bit. I didn’t want this book to have an incomplete ending or a lackluster one because I felt that the series was improving with each book and I would’ve been really disappointed with either of the two things I just mentioned happening. However, I am very happy to say that neither of those things happened! There was a lot of action and a lot of back and forth with the way things were playing out which kept me engaged with the story and continually wanting to get back to it. There were a lot of things that surprised me and that I wasn’t expecting which is pretty cool for me. Unlike the other two books, this one focused much more on the character relationships while not taking away from the pace and action of the story. I really liked that a lot and it endeared me much more to the characters, specially after seeing all they’ve been through in their separate relationships. The last few chapters had me freaking out and on the edge of my seat. Everything that happened felt completely crazy and intense. I liked the epilogue the author shared but I think the last few lines were really weird.
Moria is much more level headed and emotionally open. She grew so much from the first book to the second book. I liked that the romance she was involved in was the easiest to develop I guess, because it showed how much she was really learning about life and about herself. Ashyn grew on me, specially with all she deals with in this book. She’s brave and passionate and determined. I like how she’s now not afraid to speak her mind and to make herself be heard.
I usually talk about the side characters now but I honestly just want to say that I like the way the two separate romances developed in this book. They were very unique and very different from each other and I liked their development for different reasons. I got nervous for a bit there in the second book because of some triangle kinds of hints but I’m glad it ended up not happening that way.
Overall, I ended up liking this series. It’s definitely not my favorite that the author has done and I had a lot of issues with the way she did her world building and the kind of world that it was. However, I really liked the character development throughout the whole series and I feel like enjoyed it that much more because of how well I think it was done. I like the way everything concluded and I’m looking forward to seeing what else I pick up from this author.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Check out my series review here: https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/2017/02/20/series-review-age-of-legends-by-kelley-armstrong/
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
This book is set at a steady, medium pace but the action keeps going. There’s also some mystery in this one, revolving around dragons which is pretty cool. There’s a lot more focus on romance in this one as well and it’s so much easier to understand than the rest of the books have been. There’s twists and turns and lots of violence (it can get graphic) but I feel like the ending was very solid and conclusive.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style as always is descriptive and detailed. There’s a steady pace that flows with the plot and I really enjoy that the POV’s are very distinct. The characters speak with big words and it’s all very old fashioned in style. It’s easy to read and I ended up enjoying it much more as the series continued.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
Finally, one of these books where I don’t have some huge complain about the characters. They will never become favorites of mine but I have to say that they definitely improved as the series went on.
Moria is a freaking badass lady. She’s so logical, smart and crafty. She’s gotten better at working through her emotions but it doesn’t stop her from continuing to be brave and fiercely protective and strong. She’s super blunt and is always looking at things in a different perspective than other people. Though she had a lot of development, I think it was more of building on who she already was and making her even better.
Ashyn on the other hand had the most extensive development out of everyone in the series. She started out really shy and timid and pretty much scared of a bunch of things. But as things progressed and she started to become more confident, she blossomed. She’s passionate, determined and smart. She’s kind as always but much more blunt and honest with herself and others. I love how self-confidence helped her become a much more well rounded person and someone that can kick ass in her own way.
All the side characters now feel much more three dimensional and fleshed out. They’ve always been complex but since there were so many, I never felt like I got to know them as much as I wanted to but that was definitely fixed in this book.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I’m a fan of Kelley Armstrong and I’ve really loved some of her other series but this one definitely isn’t the best and it definitely doesn’t come close to being a favorite.This third book is definitely the best one of the trilogy and I think it was the perfect ending for it as well.
The plot is intricate. We follow Moria and Ashyn, twins separated while their kingdom is in the brink of war. One is implored to ally with the enemy while the other is confronted with mythical creatures and her potential power to wake them. I really had no idea how the author was going to pull off a complete ending to a trilogy with all the new plot lines that she introduced in the second book. This idea with the dragons came kind of out of nowhere (but I should’ve known considering the cover of the third book) so I didn’t really know how things were going to wrap themselves up. It just felt like there was a lot of stuff left undone and with the potential to blow up and it worried me a little bit. I didn’t want this book to have an incomplete ending or a lackluster one because I felt that the series was improving with each book and I would’ve been really disappointed with either of the two things I just mentioned happening. However, I am very happy to say that neither of those things happened! There was a lot of action and a lot of back and forth with the way things were playing out which kept me engaged with the story and continually wanting to get back to it. There were a lot of things that surprised me and that I wasn’t expecting which is pretty cool for me. Unlike the other two books, this one focused much more on the character relationships while not taking away from the pace and action of the story. I really liked that a lot and it endeared me much more to the characters, specially after seeing all they’ve been through in their separate relationships. The last few chapters had me freaking out and on the edge of my seat. Everything that happened felt completely crazy and intense. I liked the epilogue the author shared but I think the last few lines were really weird.
Moria is much more level headed and emotionally open. She grew so much from the first book to the second book. I liked that the romance she was involved in was the easiest to develop I guess, because it showed how much she was really learning about life and about herself. Ashyn grew on me, specially with all she deals with in this book. She’s brave and passionate and determined. I like how she’s now not afraid to speak her mind and to make herself be heard.
I usually talk about the side characters now but I honestly just want to say that I like the way the two separate romances developed in this book. They were very unique and very different from each other and I liked their development for different reasons. I got nervous for a bit there in the second book because of some triangle kinds of hints but I’m glad it ended up not happening that way.
Overall, I ended up liking this series. It’s definitely not my favorite that the author has done and I had a lot of issues with the way she did her world building and the kind of world that it was. However, I really liked the character development throughout the whole series and I feel like enjoyed it that much more because of how well I think it was done. I like the way everything concluded and I’m looking forward to seeing what else I pick up from this author.
mteletubi_08's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
this book is so good i luv this series #gavril4life
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
I admit, I was worried about the ending of the series, especially after reading what seemed like a foreboding vision, but I can happily say that this trilogy ends with a satisfying note, as I'd hoped for. I loved the mythology behind the dragons and the action that came from their history. There were definitely some twists I didn't see coming, many of which had me biting my nails a couple times. I was happy to be reacquainted with favourite characters like Moira and Ronan, and to watch them find closure. If I have one complaint, it's that the ending wasn't as dramatic and gut-wrenching as I thought it might be. While an event halfway through the book had me chewing through my cuticles, the final showdown didn't. It just seemed too abrupt, given how built up Alvar was. I would have liked a bit more hopelessness before the heroes triumphed. Still, I get why the author wrote the finale that way, and I enjoyed the middle battle so much (seriously, it was awesome) that I can't complain about the book.
vampoma's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mycatismybookmark's review against another edition
2.0
I eagerly awaited the conclusion to this series, but was overall disappointed and let down. I like how another reviewer described it: Forest of Ruin suffered the Last Book in The Series Syndrome. Which has sadly been the case for the last few series I've completed reading and having another lackluster conclusion was incredibly disappointing. I was expecting character grow and new relationship dynamics and an epic conclusion to this tale and didn't get any of those things. Plus it just kind of ends . . . like there should be another book or chapter or epilogue at least.
sailorkchick's review against another edition
4.0
A worthy ending (although admittedly I was expecting something more drastic) but definitely a good series from start to finish.
bobbykarmakar's review against another edition
4.0
The final book in Kelley's Age of Legends trilogy, I think the cover can depict how much excitement this can cause, especially when you've read the previous two books before it! Age of Legends is the first series of Kelley's that was not only my first taste of her writing in YA, but also completed. I'm following Cainsville and City of the Lost, as well as catching up on the Otherworld. I have yet to read her previous YA trilogies but I feel as though her writing and storytelling is similar in her adult work too. I also read The Masked Truth and The Unquiet Past, both of which again same in writing but different in genre. This series came to my shelves since I was a past student of Kelley's at her UofT annual Summer workshop, and during her topic of world building, she used this world as the best example as it was being published the next year.
This story picks up literally after the last line from Empire of Night, which had me pulled in from the start. Since this is also now coming to a close, I didn't have the expectation that Kelley would give me a satisfying ending because I knew she would; given that she is one of my absolute favourite authors. And surely enough, she did. The biggest example without spoiling involves the ending, and then the very end (!!!); it just proves the power of magic can certainly be evident.
I would love it if Kelley did another book or series that is related to high fantasy (YA or Adult I'll read either!) as this series was super fun time for just about anyone (even if you're not a young adult).
This story picks up literally after the last line from Empire of Night, which had me pulled in from the start. Since this is also now coming to a close, I didn't have the expectation that Kelley would give me a satisfying ending because I knew she would; given that she is one of my absolute favourite authors. And surely enough, she did. The biggest example without spoiling involves the ending, and then the very end (!!!); it just proves the power of magic can certainly be evident.
I would love it if Kelley did another book or series that is related to high fantasy (YA or Adult I'll read either!) as this series was super fun time for just about anyone (even if you're not a young adult).
guylou's review against another edition
5.0
This is the third book in the Age of Legend series. This was the best of the three. I am a huge fan of Canadian author Kelley Armstrong. Her books are filled with wonderful complex characters and well-written stories. This series is about twin girls who have been selected from birth to serve their kingdom by banning evil spirits or helping other spirits to transition to the other world. Their village is destroyed and they embark on a long journey to save the children who were kidnapped during the attack. Along the journey, they will encounter good and bad people. They will meet mystical creatures and find love. The series is a continuous adventure filled with nail biting moments and grand victories. Although this is a YA series, it can appeal to anyone. The end was left opened and I would not be surprised to see more books in this series.
katpop's review against another edition
5.0
I wanted to give it 1-star, but couldn't because it wouldn't have been fair. This book caused me a whirlwind of emotion and I hated it, but that is what made it so good. Ugh, I don't even know what to write. I don't want to add spoilers. Okay, so if you have read the first two books, read this final one. You won't regret it. No...you will but in a good way. It took me way longer to read because I kept having to stop because I was worried about what was going to happen or it made me angry. 10/10 I would recommend this series.