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bamfling's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: War and Violence
Minor: Torture
nicolemhewitt's review
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
***NOTE: This review is for the third book in a series and it WILL contain spoilers for the first two books (but no spoilers for this actual book).***
I finally finished this series!!! I adored the first two books (I considered it one of my favorite series of ever), but then … never read the final book in the trilogy. Sigh. So, I decided to do a reread via audiobook (they’re only available via Audible). First off, let me say that Thérèse Plummer is a fabulous narrator—she especially nails the emotional parts of the story and she kept me emotionally engaged with these characters the whole way through (and she does a great job with the voices—I always knew who was speaking because she made them all so distinct). So, I enjoyed listening to all three of these books.
Now, I will say that the final book of the trilogy is my least favorite—which is always a fear of mine with series and one of the reasons that I think I avoid finales. I felt like too much time was spent traveling at the beginning of the book, and it felt a little bit like filler to me. I did like that Allie truly struggled with her darker nature at first. The whole book actually had a darker feel than the rest of the series. (There’s also suddenly a whole lot of swearing in this one, which is fine—and it really fits with Jackal’s character, who does most of the swearing—but it threw me a little bit because I didn’t notice him swearing at all in the first two books and suddenly he was spouting the f-bomb left and right. It felt a little bit like someone told Kagawa her books weren’t “gritty” enough so she suddenly added in a bunch of swears to make up for it—but maybe she just wanted to give readers a warning, since the characters also have sex in this one, and it includes bloodsucking—definitely a bit darker than earlier books.)
Anyway, when Allie met up with Zeke, things went in a pretty predictable direction for a while. The story really picked up when they got to Eden. From then on out it was fabulous, with lots of action and sacrifice and Jackal (because, let’s face it, Jackal’s snarky I’m-an-evil-vampire-but-somehow-you-still-totally-love-me attitude is the absolute best!). The ending was incredibly satisfying, so overall I was very glad I finally picked up this final book, even if it did take a little bit of time to ramp up.
***NOTE: This review is for the third book in a series and it WILL contain spoilers for the first two books (but no spoilers for this actual book).***
I finally finished this series!!! I adored the first two books (I considered it one of my favorite series of ever), but then … never read the final book in the trilogy. Sigh. So, I decided to do a reread via audiobook (they’re only available via Audible). First off, let me say that Thérèse Plummer is a fabulous narrator—she especially nails the emotional parts of the story and she kept me emotionally engaged with these characters the whole way through (and she does a great job with the voices—I always knew who was speaking because she made them all so distinct). So, I enjoyed listening to all three of these books.
Now, I will say that the final book of the trilogy is my least favorite—which is always a fear of mine with series and one of the reasons that I think I avoid finales. I felt like too much time was spent traveling at the beginning of the book, and it felt a little bit like filler to me. I did like that Allie truly struggled with her darker nature at first. The whole book actually had a darker feel than the rest of the series. (There’s also suddenly a whole lot of swearing in this one, which is fine—and it really fits with Jackal’s character, who does most of the swearing—but it threw me a little bit because I didn’t notice him swearing at all in the first two books and suddenly he was spouting the f-bomb left and right. It felt a little bit like someone told Kagawa her books weren’t “gritty” enough so she suddenly added in a bunch of swears to make up for it—but maybe she just wanted to give readers a warning, since the characters also have sex in this one, and it includes bloodsucking—definitely a bit darker than earlier books.)
Anyway, when Allie met up with Zeke, things went in a pretty predictable direction for a while. The story really picked up when they got to Eden. From then on out it was fabulous, with lots of action and sacrifice and Jackal (because, let’s face it, Jackal’s snarky I’m-an-evil-vampire-but-somehow-you-still-totally-love-me attitude is the absolute best!). The ending was incredibly satisfying, so overall I was very glad I finally picked up this final book, even if it did take a little bit of time to ramp up.
michalice's review
3.0
The Forever Song is the final book in the Blood of Eden series, so my review will be short, mainly as I really don't want to accidentally spoil any parts of the books to those of you who have yet to pick this one up.
The Forever Song picks up with Kanin, Jackal, and Allison on the hunt for Sarren. He knows they are hunting him, and they are also aware he knows, so little surprises left behind along the way are no real shock for them. Allison is having trouble trying to contain the monster fighting inside her, wanting to try to remain as human as she possibly can but struggling with the vampire wanting to be set free. Seeing how much it takes for Allison to remain human, and fight for it every minute of theday night. When the vampire is finally set free the havoc and chaos that it causes was unbelievable, and I cold not believe that Allison, the girl we have seen fight so hard to remain true to herself, could cause this type of destruction.
When this travelling group reaches a certain point there was a twist thrown in that I did not expect at all, I so did not see that coming, I was left speechless, and my whole idea of how this world works was turned on its axis. However, while this was a shocking twist, it fits in perfectly with the story and I think it helps Allison reign her vampire in and have a real focus on things.
The Forever Song was a big book and it took me a while to read. I thought there were a few moments were it dragged out just a tad too long for my liking, but overall I did enjoy the book. I loved the dynamic and often strange relationship Allison has with Jackal, and the bickering between them both had me laughing at times....and occasionally wishing Allison would kick his butt just to shut his mouth up. The journey this group take is perilous in all kinds of ways, there is more fighting, more secrets, and even more people out to get them. The ending of The Forever Song wasn't what I expected, but I do like how it ended. The lead up to the end had me on tenter hooks, I never knew what would happen next, and I will admit to shedding a few tears, over sacrifices and choices that are made, and even having some 'yes' moments when someone got what they deserved. I was even more surprised to find I had actually become attached to Jackal in some weird kind o way, I never particularly liked him, yet having his constant presences in this book made me actually begin to like him.
The Forever Song was an overall enjoyable read, and it is a great end to this series.
The Forever Song picks up with Kanin, Jackal, and Allison on the hunt for Sarren. He knows they are hunting him, and they are also aware he knows, so little surprises left behind along the way are no real shock for them. Allison is having trouble trying to contain the monster fighting inside her, wanting to try to remain as human as she possibly can but struggling with the vampire wanting to be set free. Seeing how much it takes for Allison to remain human, and fight for it every minute of the
When this travelling group reaches a certain point there was a twist thrown in that I did not expect at all, I so did not see that coming, I was left speechless, and my whole idea of how this world works was turned on its axis. However, while this was a shocking twist, it fits in perfectly with the story and I think it helps Allison reign her vampire in and have a real focus on things.
The Forever Song was a big book and it took me a while to read. I thought there were a few moments were it dragged out just a tad too long for my liking, but overall I did enjoy the book. I loved the dynamic and often strange relationship Allison has with Jackal, and the bickering between them both had me laughing at times....and occasionally wishing Allison would kick his butt just to shut his mouth up. The journey this group take is perilous in all kinds of ways, there is more fighting, more secrets, and even more people out to get them. The ending of The Forever Song wasn't what I expected, but I do like how it ended. The lead up to the end had me on tenter hooks, I never knew what would happen next, and I will admit to shedding a few tears, over sacrifices and choices that are made, and even having some 'yes' moments when someone got what they deserved. I was even more surprised to find I had actually become attached to Jackal in some weird kind o way, I never particularly liked him, yet having his constant presences in this book made me actually begin to like him.
The Forever Song was an overall enjoyable read, and it is a great end to this series.
kaylawhite17's review
4.0
Overall I'm glad I read this series. My one and only complaint through it all is I felt the plot moved a little slow! This book was probably the best in the series!
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
3.0
I’ll admit, I was a bit disappointed in The Forever Song, especially considering how much I enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy. It takes so long for anything to happen other than slashing and hacking away at rabids and other assorted foes. Then the first major plot point, character-wise, had me rolling my eyes. It was well past half way when I started to get into the story and I only continued because I wanted to see this story come to a conclusion.
If you’re a big fan of action, you might not mind the first 200 odd pages. It just got a bit repetitive for me. Jackal seemed to take a while to get into his usual wise-cracking self too. I won’t reveal The Thing that annoyed me but I felt it was lazy writing and also led to a lot of unnecessary melodrama. Even Jackal and Kanin started to get a bit tired of the other characters’ behaviour.
Allie, is however coming to terms with being a vampire. She’s no longer reluctant to drink from humans… Is she getting to close to losing her humanity? Was losing Zeke the last straw? I think she’s grown a lot as a character over the books, but it was probably the right time to say goodbye.
You’re probably thinking I hated this book but I really enjoyed the last 150ish pages and the big finale. A shorter book would have been more entertaining and I wonder if Julie Kagawa just ran out of material for it. The trilogy needed an ending but not necessarily a full length novel (that she was most likely contractually obliged to produce).
Review copy provided by publisher.
If you’re a big fan of action, you might not mind the first 200 odd pages. It just got a bit repetitive for me. Jackal seemed to take a while to get into his usual wise-cracking self too. I won’t reveal The Thing that annoyed me but I felt it was lazy writing and also led to a lot of unnecessary melodrama. Even Jackal and Kanin started to get a bit tired of the other characters’ behaviour.
Allie, is however coming to terms with being a vampire. She’s no longer reluctant to drink from humans… Is she getting to close to losing her humanity? Was losing Zeke the last straw? I think she’s grown a lot as a character over the books, but it was probably the right time to say goodbye.
You’re probably thinking I hated this book but I really enjoyed the last 150ish pages and the big finale. A shorter book would have been more entertaining and I wonder if Julie Kagawa just ran out of material for it. The trilogy needed an ending but not necessarily a full length novel (that she was most likely contractually obliged to produce).
Review copy provided by publisher.
reddyrat's review
4.0
It's always sad when a beloved series ends. Too often the final book in a series is a pale shade of its predecessors. Thankfully, Julie Kagawa's series enders do no suffer that fate. The Forever Song is just as good as Immortal Rules and Eternity Cure.
The book starts off with Allie, Kanin, and Jackal headed to Old Chicago on the hunt for Sarren, who's threatening to unleash a disease that will destroy humans and vampires alike. Allie is in a dark place, mourning the loss of her love Zeke. Kanin, for the first time, is disappointed in her. Jackal remains Jackal. Fun and sarcastic.
Of course the reader knows what Allie does not. Zeke didn't die at the end of the last book. That's good news for Allie but bad news for me. I don't like Zeke. I think he's boring. I'd much prefer to see Allie with Kanin (despite their father/daughter relationship) or better yet, Jackal (who appears to be amoral but is really funny). I was so excited when it looked like Zeke died in the last book.
To my dismay, Zeke is still not dead. He goes through a lot of character development as the novel progresses. Objectively, I can see why he and Allie are a good match, but my dislike for him is too strong to change now.
Like many of Kagawa's novels, this book is based on the journey plot. The characters are traveling and hit various roadblocks and opportunities along the way. There are plenty of twists and turns. I sort of expected most of them and was quite happy with the result. The ending of the series was bittersweet, but also very fitting. All of the characters got an appropriate send-off.
Reading The Forever Song had the result that any author dreams of. I put the book down and then spent the next hour flipping through my favorite parts of the previous two books. There are so many scenes that I love. The only thing they have in common is that each scene features Kanin, by far my favorite character. Writing this review makes me want to go back and read the books another time. The characters sunk in my consciousness in a way that too few characters do nowadays.
If you haven't read the Blood of Eden series, you should put down whatever you're reading and pick it up. Julie Kagawa does with vampires what she did with fairies - turn the genre on its head and perfect it. The Forever Song is a good ending to a series I treasure.
Rating:4 / 5
The book starts off with Allie, Kanin, and Jackal headed to Old Chicago on the hunt for Sarren, who's threatening to unleash a disease that will destroy humans and vampires alike. Allie is in a dark place, mourning the loss of her love Zeke. Kanin, for the first time, is disappointed in her. Jackal remains Jackal. Fun and sarcastic.
Of course the reader knows what Allie does not. Zeke didn't die at the end of the last book. That's good news for Allie but bad news for me. I don't like Zeke. I think he's boring. I'd much prefer to see Allie with Kanin (despite their father/daughter relationship) or better yet, Jackal (who appears to be amoral but is really funny). I was so excited when it looked like Zeke died in the last book.
To my dismay, Zeke is still not dead. He goes through a lot of character development as the novel progresses. Objectively, I can see why he and Allie are a good match, but my dislike for him is too strong to change now.
Like many of Kagawa's novels, this book is based on the journey plot. The characters are traveling and hit various roadblocks and opportunities along the way. There are plenty of twists and turns. I sort of expected most of them and was quite happy with the result. The ending of the series was bittersweet, but also very fitting. All of the characters got an appropriate send-off.
Reading The Forever Song had the result that any author dreams of. I put the book down and then spent the next hour flipping through my favorite parts of the previous two books. There are so many scenes that I love. The only thing they have in common is that each scene features Kanin, by far my favorite character. Writing this review makes me want to go back and read the books another time. The characters sunk in my consciousness in a way that too few characters do nowadays.
If you haven't read the Blood of Eden series, you should put down whatever you're reading and pick it up. Julie Kagawa does with vampires what she did with fairies - turn the genre on its head and perfect it. The Forever Song is a good ending to a series I treasure.
Rating:4 / 5
flowersofquiethappiness's review
4.0
Everything explodes in this final book of the series. Not literally! But not one character comes out unharmed or unchanged. If book two was dark and twisty, this one just increases that darkness and throws in several plot twists I wasn't expecting, as well as others I was. Allie is such a great mix of strength and vulnerability. She is the biggest reason I love this series! Her fight to bring her two sides together finally comes to a head and the choices she makes frustrated me at times, yet intrigued me constantly. As did Kanin and Jackal! While I could never fully understand either of them, I was fascinated at the same time. And watching the three of them together, as a makeshift family of their own, is so much fun! I never thought I'd say that, but it's true. :) Another character really irritated me in this book, however. He'd been such a nice guy in the first two books (and a light for all the darkness!) that his change disappointed me. Luckily it doesn't last too long, yet while I understood his reasons, it bugged me nonetheless. Regardless, this is a series I really enjoyed! It kept me up half the night and that is always the sign of a fabulous story. :)
libraryofmel's review against another edition
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
mamap's review
3.0
Pg-18 for Sex in a YA novel - mild, but still.
Not sure it's an epic, but it's pretty good.
You can always choose what sort of monster you'll be. You don't always get to choose what happens to you, but you always get to choose how you will respond. Wouldn't it be nice if the whole world would pay attention...
Not sure it's an epic, but it's pretty good.
You can always choose what sort of monster you'll be. You don't always get to choose what happens to you, but you always get to choose how you will respond. Wouldn't it be nice if the whole world would pay attention...