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stuckinafictionaluniverse's review
2.0
2.5 stars. That tiny, half of a star might have something to do with my love for the rest of the series. Yes, I’m in denial at the moment.
This review contains spoilers for the first two books, but I’ll try my best to avoid discussing big reveals that happened in this one. There are some minor ones, though.
___________________________
I am sad to say that yet another amazing series has an extremely disappointing end.
I was excited for The forever song. I had faith in Julie Kagawa. But really, it ended up being like most conclusions: too long, boring and a huge disappointment.
Plot:
50% of the book consists of walking, Allison drowning in self loath, Jackal making sarcastic comments every two seconds and cheesy romance.
Once the story actually gets somewhere, it’s very anticlimactic. There are very few twists and turns, and the pacing remains reminiscent to a snail.
The next thing I’m going to bring up isn’t a major spoiler, it’s pretty obvious if you ask me, but I’m tagging it as one.
He is portrayed as the real antagonist’s lackey, but his characterization wasn’t believable and just came off as silly.
''Hey, vampire girl, I’m a ruthless killer now. Fear me!!’'
Okay, maybe those weren’t his exact words, but close enough.
The rest of the book is pretty much the same, with the exception of a few nice action scenes.
Characters:
Everyone’s worst side was highlighted.
Allison became whiny and annoying, Jackal ended up as a comedian who tries too hard and Zeke was a flat, wanna-be villain.
The one who got on my nerves the most was, surprisingly, Allison.
Her behavior in this book was childish and aggravating.
The fierce fighter was replaced by the silly, self-loathing teenager. And sure, she has a reason for it. The loss of Zeke hit her hard, and I was actually looking forward to see how she’d deal with it. Once again I was disappointed.
It’s okay for a character to have their low moments, as long as something comes out of it.
In this case, it didn’t.
She thinks she’s a monster. Guess what, Ali, that’s pretty true! But you can choose to be a heartless monster and live with it, or you can try to do something about.
Her entire inner monologue sounded something like this:
Oh, woe is me, I’m a vampire. I’m a horrible monster who eats babies and murders bunnies, boo hoo hoo.’’
That’s an actual line said by Jackal, too.
As I said, our main character kept drowning in self-pity and sadness. This is where I’d have liked to see her overcome that and develop as a character.
Although Allison did have a moment of sudden realization and decisiveness, I still remained unimpressed by that particular scene. It seemed unrealistic and out of play.
Did Allison become my beloved, intelligent, buttkicking heroine again? Sadly not. Bits of her old self still shone through sometimes, but in the end she wasn't a character I'd root for.
Kanin remained sane and wise as always. Sadly he wasn’t a big part of the book. He had more of a father-like role rather than a leader, and had to break up Allison and Jackal’s fights.
It was like an extremely dysfunctional road trip.
The dialogue felt forced and failed to convince me.
It was as if the characters were desperately trying to uphold the personality the author had given them throughout the series, but failed and exaggerated instead. Especially Jackal. Though i love his snide remarks and thought his humor made the previous books more entertaining, it got old after a while.
The romance that I previously really liked because of its perfect amount and realistic complications was unbearably cheesy and dramatic. The so-called romantic dialogue made me cringe:
’’Say you love me, vampire girl. Tell me… that this is forever.’’
That’s a big no for me. It wasn’t sweet or charming. It was corny and sometimes sounded like a line from a reality show.
The promise of forever comes out more desperate and obsessive to me.
Even if you are a vampire and literally have the possibility of loving someone for all eternity, forever is still a word used way too often in YA fiction. Zeke and Allison fell victim for it, and the result was not pretty.
Final verdict:
Lastly, I have to compare this to the previous books in the series, because The forever song was a huge disappointment.
The previous books were exciting, action-packed and well plotted.
The plot twists were well placed and what happened in the second book made me very eager to get to this one.
In comparison to the very enjoyable [b:The Immortal Rules|10215349|The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)|Julie Kagawa|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323357921s/10215349.jpg|15114912] and the amazing [b:The Eternity Cure|13581990|The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2)|Julie Kagawa|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362772965s/13581990.jpg|19167673], the final installment in the series falls flat and is one I'd prefer to forget ever existed.
This review contains spoilers for the first two books, but I’ll try my best to avoid discussing big reveals that happened in this one. There are some minor ones, though.
___________________________
I am sad to say that yet another amazing series has an extremely disappointing end.
I was excited for The forever song. I had faith in Julie Kagawa. But really, it ended up being like most conclusions: too long, boring and a huge disappointment.
Plot:
50% of the book consists of walking, Allison drowning in self loath, Jackal making sarcastic comments every two seconds and cheesy romance.
Once the story actually gets somewhere, it’s very anticlimactic. There are very few twists and turns, and the pacing remains reminiscent to a snail.
The next thing I’m going to bring up isn’t a major spoiler, it’s pretty obvious if you ask me, but I’m tagging it as one.
Spoiler
We meet Zeke, who was turned into a vampire by Sarren in the last book.He is portrayed as the real antagonist’s lackey, but his characterization wasn’t believable and just came off as silly.
''Hey, vampire girl, I’m a ruthless killer now. Fear me!!’'
Okay, maybe those weren’t his exact words, but close enough.
The rest of the book is pretty much the same, with the exception of a few nice action scenes.
Characters:
Everyone’s worst side was highlighted.
Allison became whiny and annoying, Jackal ended up as a comedian who tries too hard and Zeke was a flat, wanna-be villain.
The one who got on my nerves the most was, surprisingly, Allison.
Her behavior in this book was childish and aggravating.
The fierce fighter was replaced by the silly, self-loathing teenager. And sure, she has a reason for it. The loss of Zeke hit her hard, and I was actually looking forward to see how she’d deal with it. Once again I was disappointed.
It’s okay for a character to have their low moments, as long as something comes out of it.
In this case, it didn’t.
She thinks she’s a monster. Guess what, Ali, that’s pretty true! But you can choose to be a heartless monster and live with it, or you can try to do something about.
Her entire inner monologue sounded something like this:
Oh, woe is me, I’m a vampire. I’m a horrible monster who eats babies and murders bunnies, boo hoo hoo.’’
That’s an actual line said by Jackal, too.
As I said, our main character kept drowning in self-pity and sadness. This is where I’d have liked to see her overcome that and develop as a character.
Although Allison did have a moment of sudden realization and decisiveness, I still remained unimpressed by that particular scene. It seemed unrealistic and out of play.
Did Allison become my beloved, intelligent, buttkicking heroine again? Sadly not. Bits of her old self still shone through sometimes, but in the end she wasn't a character I'd root for.
Kanin remained sane and wise as always. Sadly he wasn’t a big part of the book. He had more of a father-like role rather than a leader, and had to break up Allison and Jackal’s fights.
It was like an extremely dysfunctional road trip.
The dialogue felt forced and failed to convince me.
It was as if the characters were desperately trying to uphold the personality the author had given them throughout the series, but failed and exaggerated instead. Especially Jackal. Though i love his snide remarks and thought his humor made the previous books more entertaining, it got old after a while.
The romance that I previously really liked because of its perfect amount and realistic complications was unbearably cheesy and dramatic. The so-called romantic dialogue made me cringe:
’’Say you love me, vampire girl. Tell me… that this is forever.’’
That’s a big no for me. It wasn’t sweet or charming. It was corny and sometimes sounded like a line from a reality show.
The promise of forever comes out more desperate and obsessive to me.
Even if you are a vampire and literally have the possibility of loving someone for all eternity, forever is still a word used way too often in YA fiction. Zeke and Allison fell victim for it, and the result was not pretty.
Final verdict:
Lastly, I have to compare this to the previous books in the series, because The forever song was a huge disappointment.
The previous books were exciting, action-packed and well plotted.
The plot twists were well placed and what happened in the second book made me very eager to get to this one.
In comparison to the very enjoyable [b:The Immortal Rules|10215349|The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)|Julie Kagawa|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323357921s/10215349.jpg|15114912] and the amazing [b:The Eternity Cure|13581990|The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2)|Julie Kagawa|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362772965s/13581990.jpg|19167673], the final installment in the series falls flat and is one I'd prefer to forget ever existed.
bluejaybooks's review
4.0
Third read through
I think I like this book now more than when I first read it. Of course, I haven't reread the first book recently, so that may be part of it. The Immortal Rules is almost certainly next on my to-reread list ;)
___
Wow, I finished my reread exactly four years after my initial reading... And I didn't plan this? What an odd coincidence!
I think I like this book now more than when I first read it. Of course, I haven't reread the first book recently, so that may be part of it. The Immortal Rules is almost certainly next on my to-reread list ;)
___
Wow, I finished my reread exactly four years after my initial reading... And I didn't plan this? What an odd coincidence!
chelsea2020's review
5.0
Beware of serious Fan-Girling.
Oh My GOSH!! That ending!! (Swoons)
This was such a perfect book to end this thrilling series!!
This book had the most perfect blend of emotions: from horror to hope, battle and bravery, trials and turmoil, and finally to love and loss. Oh My Gosh the losses!! (Sobs)
Won't give any details, but I warn you to guard your hearts and prepare for the worst, yet still reveling in the best and keeping the faith that all will end as it should.
The one thing that Kanin stresses most, this very thing that he claims Allison to represent, 'Hope,' will help to carry the gang through the worst experiences they've ever or will ever face. Faith and hope and love; this is what Allie and her family strive to preserve and hold on to for dear life as they face their trials. Keep the Hope, for Allison never lost hers. And she never will.
Oh My GOSH!! That ending!! (Swoons)
This was such a perfect book to end this thrilling series!!
This book had the most perfect blend of emotions: from horror to hope, battle and bravery, trials and turmoil, and finally to love and loss. Oh My Gosh the losses!! (Sobs)
Won't give any details, but I warn you to guard your hearts and prepare for the worst, yet still reveling in the best and keeping the faith that all will end as it should.
The one thing that Kanin stresses most, this very thing that he claims Allison to represent, 'Hope,' will help to carry the gang through the worst experiences they've ever or will ever face. Faith and hope and love; this is what Allie and her family strive to preserve and hold on to for dear life as they face their trials. Keep the Hope, for Allison never lost hers. And she never will.
alicebme's review
4.0
I didn't love this series, but it had a satisfying ending. As usual, the most interesting characters are not the sappy leads.
magikspells's review
5.0
I don't think I can rate anymore books 5 stars ever again. JK has ruined reading for me with this entire series. I love everything about it, I think it's just perfect. And unlike a lot of other writers (I'm looking at you Cassandra Clare) she knows how to end a series by giving the read what you want while also giving you something that you don't quite expect. She's great at this, she did it was the Iron Knight, and again here.
This book is a roller coaster ride from one part to the next. I was sad, I was happy, I was amused, I was everything all at once. I was glad that
I also couldn't help but to wonder if this series is considered YA, because there's a lot of use of the word fuck which I didn't remember in the first two books. I suppose because Jackal was finally letting his inner asshole show, it just seemed all around more graphic. Not that I'm complaining.
This book is a roller coaster ride from one part to the next. I was sad, I was happy, I was amused, I was everything all at once. I was glad that
Spoiler
Zeke was back, even though I knew he would be. His character breaks my heart and I love him to death, even as a vampire. He's perfect. Plus I was glad he and Allison finally get together.I also couldn't help but to wonder if this series is considered YA, because there's a lot of use of the word fuck which I didn't remember in the first two books. I suppose because Jackal was finally letting his inner asshole show, it just seemed all around more graphic. Not that I'm complaining.
booksmelreads's review
5.0
incredible, amazing, spectacular, show-stopping, need i go on? this series was just as good, actually even better than i remember it being TEN WHOLE YEARS ago. i DID however completely forget the ending involving kanin’s self-sacrifice which absolutely tore my heart into pieces for a second time.
this series was so enjoyable and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. i felt so many emotions while reading and i’m not over exaggerating when i say this is quite possibly my favourite book series ever written. i love zeke and allie’s romance and jackal is one of the funniest characters ever (despite being a murderous vampire king). so many of my highlights are just “lol” or “he is so funny”
i am 100% sure i will reread this series again and again and i can only hope that i continue to love them as much as i do right now (and have for the last ten years!!!!) i’m truly so impressed and amazed that this series not only held up to but exceeded my very, very high expectations from my first read.
one million ⭐️/5
this series was so enjoyable and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. i felt so many emotions while reading and i’m not over exaggerating when i say this is quite possibly my favourite book series ever written. i love zeke and allie’s romance and jackal is one of the funniest characters ever (despite being a murderous vampire king). so many of my highlights are just “lol” or “he is so funny”
i am 100% sure i will reread this series again and again and i can only hope that i continue to love them as much as i do right now (and have for the last ten years!!!!) i’m truly so impressed and amazed that this series not only held up to but exceeded my very, very high expectations from my first read.
one million ⭐️/5
loulou16's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
eireen's review
4.0
Kalau sebelumnya aku bilang buku kedua lebih baik daripada buku pertama, well, buku ketiga ini nampaknya lebih baik lagi daripada buku-buku terdahulunya.
Action packed. Dari awal cerita kita sudah disuguhkan adegan-adegan action. Langsung terjun bebas ke dunia penuh vampire and rabids. Kali ini masih dengan crew (hampir) sama seperti sebelumnya, Allie dkk fokus mencari obat untuk penyakit Red Lungs yang sebelumnya hampir memusnahkan manusia. Kenyataannya, mencari obat untuk penyakit ganas yang mudah menular tidaklah gampang. Banyak hambatannya, termasuk Sarren si vampire psikopat yang masih berkeliaran di luar sana.
Kerjasama antara Allie, Kanin dan Jackal benar-benar diuji di buku ini. Plus ditambah dengan crew (surprise) tambahan di tengah cerita yang sukses bikin pembaca galau antara mau nangis atau marah. Kenapa begitu? Tenang, ngga akan saya spoiler di sini.
But seriously, buku ini seru. Endingnya oke dan worth penantian 3 buku.
Lastly, I need more Jackal!!
Action packed. Dari awal cerita kita sudah disuguhkan adegan-adegan action. Langsung terjun bebas ke dunia penuh vampire and rabids. Kali ini masih dengan crew (hampir) sama seperti sebelumnya, Allie dkk fokus mencari obat untuk penyakit Red Lungs yang sebelumnya hampir memusnahkan manusia. Kenyataannya, mencari obat untuk penyakit ganas yang mudah menular tidaklah gampang. Banyak hambatannya, termasuk Sarren si vampire psikopat yang masih berkeliaran di luar sana.
Kerjasama antara Allie, Kanin dan Jackal benar-benar diuji di buku ini. Plus ditambah dengan crew (surprise) tambahan di tengah cerita yang sukses bikin pembaca galau antara mau nangis atau marah. Kenapa begitu? Tenang, ngga akan saya spoiler di sini.
But seriously, buku ini seru. Endingnya oke dan worth penantian 3 buku.
Lastly, I need more Jackal!!