4.11 AVERAGE


3.5
El libro estuvo muy lindo y casi no pude soltarlo hasta terminar pero esperaba más ya que al principio fue todo muy wow y luego me resultó medio que no pasaba nada pero de igual manera me gusto y estoy ansiosa por como terminara la saga

The Struggle suffers greatly from second book syndrome. The pacing is incredibly slow, nothing exciting happens for a large portion of the novel, and there's no meaningful character development. Nevertheless, Armentrout excels at creating interesting and badass characters that keep the reader interested in their story and conclusion.

I went into The Struggle expecting it to be another epic installment in this series, but, unfortunately, the novel is almost solely dedicated to setting up events for the next, and presumably, final novel. I usually do enjoy novels that are paced more slowly and simmer in the world that the author has created, but The Struggle finds itself in an almost awkward position. Being part of such an epic world, established by previous novels that are chockfull of action and faster pacing, The Struggle cannot help but fall flat. The story does progress in a linear fashion to keep the plot moving along, but it moves so slowly it feels as if a large portion of the novel is at a stand still. It also doesn’t help when some of the action takes place outside of Seth and Josie’s perspectives.

Due to the slower pace, the reader is able to spend more time with the other characters from the previous novels, namely Alex and Aiden. Anytime spent with Alex and Aiden is time well spent. They have such a commanding presence within each scene because of how badass they are and their back-story. This commanding presence does overshadow Josie significantly within this novel because of her particular arc and personality. Josie is just as badass as Alex, but in different ways. Josie is a lot more of a relatable character because she’s only been recently thrust into this world, so as I reader I was better able to identify with her over Alex. Josie’s more reserved nature coupled with fierce loyalty makes for a compelling character regardless of the situation she finds herself in.


Seth is an interesting character in that he's unique because of the events in the Covenant series. Seth is an alpha male who is always willing and able to thrown down whenever he’s confronted or annoyed. These types of male characters are always interesting to read because they’re full of witty remarks and their transition of alpha male to slightly less alpha male with emotions is a thrilling ride. However, Seth in The Struggle is the same Seth from The Return and the Covenant series. I was expecting him to develop and learn from his mistakes, considering he repeats them throughout the novel, but up until the last few pages he still makes the same choices.

In spite of the slower pace, the plot with the Titans and Apollo is fleshed out remarkably. Armentrout does a fantastic job of keeping their goal shrouded in mystery while introducing upcoming key players on both sides of the battle. The plot that has to be untangled in the next novel has me waiting on the edge of my seat impatiently because of all the cause and effect that The Struggle sets up. Armentrout has created an interesting pattern for the characters’ actions. Based on what’s hinted at, there are a lot of consequences yet to be dolled out with more on the horizon.

Armentrout’s writing style is flawless. Her ability to write believable quick-witted dialogue that flows easily from one character to the next is second to none. There were times I was laughing out loud, in public, at the exchanges between characters. I also enjoyed all the pop culture references hidden within the text. You know you’re reading a Jennifer L. Armentrout book when Supernatural and The Walking Dead are casually dropped in a conversation.



Overall, The Struggle is a decent novel in the series. It suffers from second book syndrome because of the lack of balance between progressing the story at a steady pace versus setting up key plot points for the next book. I am still greatly anticipating the next novel because these are some of my all-time favorite characters and the upcoming fight against the Titans and Gods will be too delicious to pass up.

**I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I didn't know there is more than three books in this series??? I am officially excited.

Secondly, this was so much better than the second book. It was not as heavy on the romance as the second, which I really liked. Less is more in my opinion. Josie also behaved much more realistically and that I liked because in the second one she was all over Seth and being way too overprotective. And the twists and turns were so good that I read it in two days. Definitely a big improvement in this series.
adventurous tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

"Loving him meant that I knew from the first moment that I fell for Seth that he was complicated – that loving him wouldn’t be easy. Loving him…Well, it meant that I was willing to fight for him."

This is definitely the most emotional book in the series, for now, I still have to read the last one.
This volume is about struggle and truth, about acceptance and collaboration, because only together they will succeed. This volume isn't centered too much around Seth and Josie, it is more centered around their fight against the titans and I really like that, because I was afraid I'll get bored with them if I'd only read about them.

I also liked that the characters we've met in the second volume were very much present here and they were much more important than they were in the second book.

Overall, I really really enjoyed this one, I even liked it more than the second volume and it made me so excited for the next one.
Honestly... so many things to be excited for.
Like... JOSIE IS PREGNANT OMFGG
Seth's reaction made me weak in the knees.
description

Re-read 2/9/19

Original read 12/8/17

Oh my. If you've read this then you know why I'm absolutely dying right now.

What am I to do with my life until the next book comes out? Why why whyyyyyyyyyy

I don’t even know where to begin to describe the wondrous journey that was this book. As I’ve come to expect from any JLA books, The Strugglewas emotional, unique and captivating. It’s impossible to not get caught in her books and then stuck until you’ve finished it. Armentrout just has this thing in her writing that you can’t put your finger on, that makes any book a magical read, that thing that makes a book go from “amazing” to “how-do-I-get-back-to-life-after-this?” And I suppose I shouldn’t still be surprised every time I pick up a book by her and then notice a day later that I’m finished, but I am. I feel like Armentrout is spoiling me with her good writing.

   Let’s start with Josie.

   I loved Josie from the start, but in The Struggle, she’s more come to terms with what she is, and more importantly, she’s learned how to use her powers, and in that, has become more secure in that and a lot more badass. Not to mention stubborn. I’ve loved watching her grow through these books, and this book wasn’t any exception. I also loved how she was determined to find Seth, to fight for him, even when everyone else was telling her it was pointless. It warmed my heart, because while I didn’t ship Seth with Alex, I always loved him, and wanted for him to find someone else.

   Seth… *sigh*

I’ve always loved Seth. Well, except from in the last three books in The Covenant series, but I do love him. And after what he did for Alex and Aiden in the end of Sentinel, all was forgiven and I was back to just wanting to hug him (or kiss him). I love his sarcasm, that he’s totally badass and protective, but can also be really sweet with Josie. Basically, he’s just swoon-worthy. And I’ve loved seeing how much he’s grown, not only in this series, but The Covenant, as well. Yeah, he’s made a lot of mistakes, but he learned from them and grew.

   The plot was a bit slower than the other books.

   Usually, when reading Fantasy, I want a fast plot, but the thing with The Struggle is that I didn’t mind it, because there is so much focus on the characters, on character development, that it still hooks the reader. And it felt like it was perfect for right now; everything that happened needed to happen, and the things that didn’t happen yet just didn’t need to happen right now. If anything, it just made the wait for the last book feel so much longer. And also, the plot twists keep you on your toes throughout.

   The writing is absolutely magical.

   I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Armentrout knows how to write. There is good writing, and then there is this. It doesn’t matter what genre she writes, the writing always has that little extra that makes the book feel oh-so real and impossible to put down. I can’t put my finger on it, but it makes the reading experience so much better.

   So, to sum it up, The Struggle is the perfect continuation to the series, and makes it nearly impossible to wait for the final book. With swoon-worthy romance, heart-stopping plot twists and magical writing, it will take you on a journey you’ll never forget. 
nikaleighreads's profile picture

nikaleighreads's review

4.0
adventurous dark fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Seth.


No other words are needed.