Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I wish there were half stars. Bc this is more of a 3.5-4. I really really enjoyed the book. The whole series. It is hard to put down the story pulls you along so coaxingly. There were a few character threads that were not undone and plot lines that were not connected or discovered. Johansen noted that in the authors notes; I am not sure if it was on purpose or due to timing. I really did enjoy the ending. Its one of those that works so well but you kind of hate it all the same. It is kind of like the good and evil that all of the characters were constantly dealing with. That being said the ending was a bit rushed where as other diversions that weren't essential to the story were drawn out. Favorite part of this book would be the morality of the Red Queen. I really like relationship that grew between Kelsea the Crimson Queen. One of my least favorite parts of the book was her demise. I like how it happened but what good came from her death; what information did is provide. I'd have hoped that more could have been pulled out of there interactions besides a fear of the orphan. It would have been cool to see a team up. Another thing that I didn't really like was how Kelsea kept saying she no longer feared the queen of spades/the other stone but inevitably she would regress and loose her control to it. Then again the theme of the book was about constantly trying to be better while acknowledging that perfection is not easily obtainable if ever. I really did enjoy the book.
2.75 stars
What. Just. Happened.
What a disappointment. I am so sad because the first two books are so good! I don't know what happened with this one. I was bored through most of it.
THEN THAT ENDING.
Just don't talk about the ending. It didn't happen.
What. Just. Happened.
What a disappointment. I am so sad because the first two books are so good! I don't know what happened with this one. I was bored through most of it.
THEN THAT ENDING.
Just don't talk about the ending. It didn't happen.
I was really anxious to read the last book in this trilogy because I didn’t know how it was going to end. I had a million ideas about which way the story would go, but not knowing the fate of the characters was not fun. I’m not a big fan of time jumping books or dual timelines, but Erika Johansen does a phenomenal job with her story/character building! All of the characters captivated me quickly. You never knew what roll the character would play, but it was easy to set aside my worry over another new voice and trust where EJ was taking me.
About 3/4 of the way through the book, when Row takes Katie into the woods and everything is finally about to go down (at least for Katie) is when things get weird and maddening for me.
***SPOILERS***
I really don’t understand why Row and Katie have sex. It was quick and hot, but very unexpected. Maybe it’s when his intense supernatural sexual attraction started that we saw in the previous book, but it was random and seemed very out of character for Katie. If it was about the time she followed him out her window I would believe it, but it makes me think she had no character growth! Did you not learn when he left you for that monster?!
I was expecting Johnathan and Katie to get down with it, but not the time or the place EJ!! I mean in a freaking cell when you know you’re probably going to die?! That was pretty much their reasoning and I didn’t like it! Sure it’s believable, but it was super awkward.
I was completely blindsided that Row was William Tear’s son! I suspected it since Row was so jealous of the Tear’s, but pushed that thought aside because of William Tear’s character! How could someone so good (supposedly) do something so shameful?! Row is bad, but instead of trying to right that wrong you leave your pregnant wife to go on a suicide mission? I wanted to throw my book at the wall!!
That ending!! I understand why EJ ended it how she did, but I HATED it!! I was happy the utopia finally came to pass, but for how long?! The jewels are sitting in a case in a world with no Guard for goodness sake! Eventually another Row Finn will be born and who will be there then?! Not Kelsea or Mace or Hall or Ewen or Dyer or the Fetch—the list goes on!! The jewels had so much power, why couldn’t she solve the problems in her own time? Or...something, I don’t know, I’m just left feeling incomplete by that ending and I don’t like it.
Overall I really liked this trilogy. I don’t think I’ll ever reread it due to the ending, but maybe with time I’ll change my mind.
About 3/4 of the way through the book, when Row takes Katie into the woods and everything is finally about to go down (at least for Katie) is when things get weird and maddening for me.
***SPOILERS***
I really don’t understand why Row and Katie have sex. It was quick and hot, but very unexpected. Maybe it’s when his intense supernatural sexual attraction started that we saw in the previous book, but it was random and seemed very out of character for Katie. If it was about the time she followed him out her window I would believe it, but it makes me think she had no character growth! Did you not learn when he left you for that monster?!
I was expecting Johnathan and Katie to get down with it, but not the time or the place EJ!! I mean in a freaking cell when you know you’re probably going to die?! That was pretty much their reasoning and I didn’t like it! Sure it’s believable, but it was super awkward.
I was completely blindsided that Row was William Tear’s son! I suspected it since Row was so jealous of the Tear’s, but pushed that thought aside because of William Tear’s character! How could someone so good (supposedly) do something so shameful?! Row is bad, but instead of trying to right that wrong you leave your pregnant wife to go on a suicide mission? I wanted to throw my book at the wall!!
That ending!! I understand why EJ ended it how she did, but I HATED it!! I was happy the utopia finally came to pass, but for how long?! The jewels are sitting in a case in a world with no Guard for goodness sake! Eventually another Row Finn will be born and who will be there then?! Not Kelsea or Mace or Hall or Ewen or Dyer or the Fetch—the list goes on!! The jewels had so much power, why couldn’t she solve the problems in her own time? Or...something, I don’t know, I’m just left feeling incomplete by that ending and I don’t like it.
Overall I really liked this trilogy. I don’t think I’ll ever reread it due to the ending, but maybe with time I’ll change my mind.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
This book was amazing....but the ending made me want to throw it at a wall. I knew there wasn’t going to be a real ‘happy’ ending. This series wasn’t set up for a happy ending but living in a world where no one remembers you and you’re the only one that remembers you’re other life, that’s the saddest thing ever. I wanted to scream, cry, laugh and yell at this book. That’s how great it was.
I have never felt so dissatisfied after reading a book, much less a trilogy before. I had such high hopes for this. I LOVED the first book. Somewhere along the way in the second book, I think Johansen lost her way. At times while reading the last, it seemed like she was finding herself again. And then it diverged again, to a foreign place, a terrible place, a place of raging "meh." I am not just dissatisfied, I am angry and I want my thousand pages back.
Author wanted to write a happily ever after in the worst way ever. Yeah everything (the country and all the fighting) is way better, but I hate it. I liked the book as a whole and the ending was good even if my feelings are hurt. The good of the many or whatever. Also when he chased her through the woods then, gaslit her and was like I thought you didn’t believe in magic. Dirty.
There is nothing else to say that hasn't been said. Check out most any one star rating and that's exactly how I feel. Betrayed.
There were SO MANY things that Johansen did right in the first two books of the trilogy, as well as in the beginning of the third. Strong female character? Check. Interesting secondary characters? Check! Good writing style? Check! Action, only moderate drama, character growth? Check!
And now I can't recommend it to anyone. I have a list of authors that have written a series, only to COMPLETELY throw their world out in the end. It's a cop-out ending and I don't know if I would trust reading anything else by Johansen again. Endings are just as important as the beginnings!
There were SO MANY things that Johansen did right in the first two books of the trilogy, as well as in the beginning of the third. Strong female character? Check. Interesting secondary characters? Check! Good writing style? Check! Action, only moderate drama, character growth? Check!
And now I can't recommend it to anyone. I have a list of authors that have written a series, only to COMPLETELY throw their world out in the end. It's a cop-out ending and I don't know if I would trust reading anything else by Johansen again. Endings are just as important as the beginnings!
wtf did I just read??? How how how did this series end so poorly?!? Where was my Kelsea from book 1??? I need a do over. This was going to be in my top 3 series of all time! I was recommending it to everybody!!! How, what, why...I'm just so lost and so disappointed. I'm laying here just starting at the ceiling, beyond baffled. The last chapter just....no. DEAR GOD WHY?!?!? smfh I feel like I was betrayed by an old friend.