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halfbloodcity's review against another edition
5.0
"It turns out that she's the only one I can trust to watch my back.”
"I rub Raffe's arm to let him know it's me and take the sword out of his hand."
juniperspolyphony's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-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
4.5
lucy346's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
maddie_orart's review against another edition
4.0
Full review posted on Of Reading and Random Things
It’s always sad for me to see a series I like come to an end, and Penryn and the End of Days is no different. This series took me on one hell of a ride on an emotional roller coaster and I enjoyed every minute of it.
End of Days, just like the rest of the series, is action packed from start to finish. There is never a dull moment, and the monsters are scarier than ever. This book brings plenty of new characters, monsters, and places and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. I really had a hard time trying to stop reading.
I know this series is supposed to be 5 books long, but I’m glad it ended here. Not because I don’t like it, but because I think it’s great the way it is. I think this series had a nice pace, it never felt rushed and it never felt so slow that it became boring. I think that if it had been 5 books long, it would have a lot of fillers that would make it too wordy just so it can be stretched to fill all five books.
I actually struggled with either giving this book 3 or 4 stars, but towards the end, End of Days had a few moments that really tugged at my heartstrings. I love it when people come together not because they have to, but because they want to. I really believe that people are capable of that and I just think that it was really well done. So that tipped the scales toward 4 stars!
In the end, I’m really sad that this series is over. The second and third book didn’t really top Angelfall in my opinion, but the series as a whole is definitely taking a spot on my ‘favorite series’ shelf. I really enjoyed the story, I think it’s a great take on angels, especially since it was ‘the next big thing’ back then, and the characters made me fall in love with the series even more. I can definitely see myself revisiting Penryn and the End of Days in the future.
It’s always sad for me to see a series I like come to an end, and Penryn and the End of Days is no different. This series took me on one hell of a ride on an emotional roller coaster and I enjoyed every minute of it.
End of Days, just like the rest of the series, is action packed from start to finish. There is never a dull moment, and the monsters are scarier than ever. This book brings plenty of new characters, monsters, and places and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. I really had a hard time trying to stop reading.
I know this series is supposed to be 5 books long, but I’m glad it ended here. Not because I don’t like it, but because I think it’s great the way it is. I think this series had a nice pace, it never felt rushed and it never felt so slow that it became boring. I think that if it had been 5 books long, it would have a lot of fillers that would make it too wordy just so it can be stretched to fill all five books.
I actually struggled with either giving this book 3 or 4 stars, but towards the end, End of Days had a few moments that really tugged at my heartstrings. I love it when people come together not because they have to, but because they want to. I really believe that people are capable of that and I just think that it was really well done. So that tipped the scales toward 4 stars!
In the end, I’m really sad that this series is over. The second and third book didn’t really top Angelfall in my opinion, but the series as a whole is definitely taking a spot on my ‘favorite series’ shelf. I really enjoyed the story, I think it’s a great take on angels, especially since it was ‘the next big thing’ back then, and the characters made me fall in love with the series even more. I can definitely see myself revisiting Penryn and the End of Days in the future.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
2.0
You know the phrase, ’’I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.’’ It usually comes from a parent when their child has behaved badly. That line bothers me because it’s often obviously a lie. You can tell that the parent wants to rip their hair out, but are trying to stay calm. That is how I feel right now. I could go ahead and hide my frustration like a parent would. The truth is, I’m extremely disappointed and mad. My most anticipated release of the year flopped.
Before this conclusion I claimed Penryn and the end of days as my favorite series without hesitation. It’s simply one of the best in the young adult genre. Our main character Penryn is one of the most real, kickass but vulnerable characters I’ve seen. The family dynamics are brilliant and make this story more than your average survival trilogy.
What disappointed me about End of Days is that it transformed into something I have witnessed too many times: a PNR/dystopia hybrid with a lukewarm plot, pacing that dragged and characters you couldn't care for. This is not what this series is to me. It is dangerously addictive, well-written and emotional. It has more depth and despair than so many other books in the genre, so I’m sad because this conclusion lacked everything that made the first two amazing.
Let's do a round of expectations versus reality, shall we?
Expectation: An exciting plot and breathtaking pacing, a real page-turner.
Reality: The plot of End of Days is far too weak to fill an entire book, and it felt like reading a very long novella. One of the main story lines revolves around angel politics, which I couldn’t care less for. Whereas the other books had a buildup that made it impossible to put them down, the pacing seemed very slow here and I kept waiting for it to pick up. Hello, we don't have much left of the series, give me your best shot!
Expectation: A beautiful conclusion that wraps everything up nicely but is still a solid novel on its own.
Reality: No loose ends, but there’s some deus ex machina, a decent amount of predictability and the whole book is an anticlimax. And the very last chapter.. What was that?
The most important expectation of them all: This book will leave me an an emotional wreck and make me want to re-read the series just to experience this world again.
Reality: Is that it? Are you sure?
The biggest problem with End of Days is that it lacks any of the intensity its predecessors had. It’s not addictive, emotional or gripping. Angelfall and World After both packed such a punch; they had a certain force in them that had me completely invested in the story. It made the books hard to put down. I followed Penryn on her journey, rooting for her and laughing with her, swooning over angel boys and hurting for her. In End of Days, I felt detached from Penryn, and suddenly she was no more rememberable than your average ”chosen one” heroine without other layers ro her character.
Final verdict:
No series is flawless. There’s always that one book that is of lower quality than the others, even if the author tries to be consistent. I am always skeptical of sequels, and especially conclusions. If the author has set the bar high, I want them to keep that same quality. With this trilogy, I obviously found End of the days to be the weakest and nothing compared to the others. In short, what I missed was the emotion-filled and addictive story that Susan Ee has blown me away with before.
Now that the rave reviews have started rolling in, I wonder if maybe I’m just someone who needs to lower my expectations for conclusions. They just never live up to them.
Before this conclusion I claimed Penryn and the end of days as my favorite series without hesitation. It’s simply one of the best in the young adult genre. Our main character Penryn is one of the most real, kickass but vulnerable characters I’ve seen. The family dynamics are brilliant and make this story more than your average survival trilogy.
What disappointed me about End of Days is that it transformed into something I have witnessed too many times: a PNR/dystopia hybrid with a lukewarm plot, pacing that dragged and characters you couldn't care for. This is not what this series is to me. It is dangerously addictive, well-written and emotional. It has more depth and despair than so many other books in the genre, so I’m sad because this conclusion lacked everything that made the first two amazing.
Let's do a round of expectations versus reality, shall we?
Expectation: An exciting plot and breathtaking pacing, a real page-turner.
Reality: The plot of End of Days is far too weak to fill an entire book, and it felt like reading a very long novella. One of the main story lines revolves around angel politics, which I couldn’t care less for. Whereas the other books had a buildup that made it impossible to put them down, the pacing seemed very slow here and I kept waiting for it to pick up. Hello, we don't have much left of the series, give me your best shot!
Expectation: A beautiful conclusion that wraps everything up nicely but is still a solid novel on its own.
Reality: No loose ends, but there’s some deus ex machina, a decent amount of predictability and the whole book is an anticlimax. And the very last chapter.. What was that?
Spoiler
What about the countless people who died, the homes that were destroyed and lives shattered? It was as if things magically worked out and I question that. It will take a long time to rebuild a society, and this finale felt so surreal and inappropriate. Yes, they won the war but what the fuck, everything has been destroyed. Tell me what happens next. Allow me to be pessimistic. Nobody can really win a war. Everyone loses something, and that’s a hard blow. End of Days tried to tie everything up with a best little bow on top, which is such a contrast to the harsh dystopian world. An epilogue a few years later would’ve been perfect, but now things feel so uncertain.The most important expectation of them all: This book will leave me an an emotional wreck and make me want to re-read the series just to experience this world again.
Reality: Is that it? Are you sure?
The biggest problem with End of Days is that it lacks any of the intensity its predecessors had. It’s not addictive, emotional or gripping. Angelfall and World After both packed such a punch; they had a certain force in them that had me completely invested in the story. It made the books hard to put down. I followed Penryn on her journey, rooting for her and laughing with her, swooning over angel boys and hurting for her. In End of Days, I felt detached from Penryn, and suddenly she was no more rememberable than your average ”chosen one” heroine without other layers ro her character.
Final verdict:
No series is flawless. There’s always that one book that is of lower quality than the others, even if the author tries to be consistent. I am always skeptical of sequels, and especially conclusions. If the author has set the bar high, I want them to keep that same quality. With this trilogy, I obviously found End of the days to be the weakest and nothing compared to the others. In short, what I missed was the emotion-filled and addictive story that Susan Ee has blown me away with before.
Now that the rave reviews have started rolling in, I wonder if maybe I’m just someone who needs to lower my expectations for conclusions. They just never live up to them.
megselyane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bluejaybooks's review against another edition
4.0
As mentioned in my review of book one, this series is extremely addicting. I read End of Days during my final exams because I just couldn’t wait any longer. It was practically painful to pry myself away from the book and remind myself I needed to get to bed at a decent hour. Book one remains my favorite in the series.
In World After Penryn and Raffe spend too much time apart. As much as I love Penryn, who is a strong character on her own, it’s really her relationship with Raffe that brings this series to a whole other level from any paranormal romance novels I’ve read. This is not to say this book is a paranormal romance novel. While this argument could be made there is so much more to the Angelfall trilogy than the romance.
Throughout the series the two main characters, Penryn in particular, is constantly reminded of the fact that she and Raffe are on different sides of what she sees as a war between their species. I appreciated that Penryn never forgot Raffe was an angel which shows the difference between her and many young adult heroines who would drop anything, including their allegiance to humanity, for their love interests. (I don’t think this has happened yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised. If anyone can think of a YA heroine who abandoned humanity for her boyfriend I’d love to hear about it in the comments.)
While my favorite part of World After was the thrilling last several chapters, my favorite part of End of Days was the first two thirds. The ending of the series, while still good, felt rushed. This is especially true of where the story finally ended up. These are relatively short books, and I felt that with a few more chapters or maybe even one more chapter the author could have left me feeling satisfied. Instead everything at the end happened extremely quickly, and I never felt closer for certain events I never heard the end of that seem like plot holes to me.
In World After Penryn and Raffe spend too much time apart. As much as I love Penryn, who is a strong character on her own, it’s really her relationship with Raffe that brings this series to a whole other level from any paranormal romance novels I’ve read. This is not to say this book is a paranormal romance novel. While this argument could be made there is so much more to the Angelfall trilogy than the romance.
Throughout the series the two main characters, Penryn in particular, is constantly reminded of the fact that she and Raffe are on different sides of what she sees as a war between their species. I appreciated that Penryn never forgot Raffe was an angel which shows the difference between her and many young adult heroines who would drop anything, including their allegiance to humanity, for their love interests. (I don’t think this has happened yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised. If anyone can think of a YA heroine who abandoned humanity for her boyfriend I’d love to hear about it in the comments.)
While my favorite part of World After was the thrilling last several chapters, my favorite part of End of Days was the first two thirds. The ending of the series, while still good, felt rushed. This is especially true of where the story finally ended up. These are relatively short books, and I felt that with a few more chapters or maybe even one more chapter the author could have left me feeling satisfied. Instead everything at the end happened extremely quickly, and I never felt closer for certain events I never heard the end of that seem like plot holes to me.
uruseibaka's review against another edition
4.0
"This is Penryn Young, Daughter of Man, Killer of Angels."
I can't believe I've finished this trilogy. It's so beautiful and heartwarming and AHHHH I ALREADY MISS PENRYN AND RAFFE. This action-and-emotion-packed conclusion to the Penryn & the End of Days trilogy gave me this hollow feeling after reading the final chapter in a story that I have grown to love. I would give anything to get even just a short story, an epilogue to the epilogue, a peek at Penryn and Raffe's life a few years after. This was such a thrilling as well as an emotional read. Thank you, Susan Ee, for writing such an out of this world (literally and figuratively) trilogy.
I can't believe I've finished this trilogy. It's so beautiful and heartwarming and AHHHH I ALREADY MISS PENRYN AND RAFFE. This action-and-emotion-packed conclusion to the Penryn & the End of Days trilogy gave me this hollow feeling after reading the final chapter in a story that I have grown to love. I would give anything to get even just a short story, an epilogue to the epilogue, a peek at Penryn and Raffe's life a few years after. This was such a thrilling as well as an emotional read. Thank you, Susan Ee, for writing such an out of this world (literally and figuratively) trilogy.
harleyrae's review against another edition
4.0
I am very pleased with how this series came to an end. I feel like everything wrapped up nicely and i left the book feeling satisfied. As with the first two books I really enjoyed this book. This series is just so much fun overall, I would recommend this series to just about everybody. This book did have one downfall though, the beginning just wasn't as exciting as the other, it was just kind of their and not much seemed to be going all.
All in all I loved this series and I'm sad to see that its over.
All in all I loved this series and I'm sad to see that its over.