Lights (Flicker #3)

Lee Capren’s life is complicated. She’s in love with a boy whose heart she broke to protect him, her home is wrecked—and she and her friends have just been arrested for practicing magic illegally.

With the evidence stacked against them, they’re given a choice: serve the Seattle Guild as apprentices, or serve time in prison. The decision seems simple, but the consequences will be greater than anyone can imagine.

Navigating Seattle’s magical scene is tough enough, even before the Summer King requests Lee as his emissary to the Winter Court—a request she can’t refuse. Suddenly, she’s entangled in a conflict brewing between two ancient powers. But there’s more to this faerie feud than meets the eye—and signs point to a shadow from Filo’s past.

The coming storm will destroy all that Lee holds dear, unless she sacrifices everything to stop it.

*May Contain Spoilers*

The trilogy of Flicker, by Kaye Thornbrugh, ends with Lights. It has been a journey full of love and hate, joy and pain, friends and family. This final installment begins with Lee, Jason, Alice, and Filo being tried by the Seattle Guild. After what happened in the second book, with the cursed island, they all stand trial to determine their fate after being labeled as illegally practicing magicians. Lucky for them, for us, and for the world, they're taken on as apprentices. 

Flicker was always Filo's home and now that it's gone, Filo has a lot to learn about how the world really works. He grows so much in this novel, for the better, that readers who have been with him since the beginning will feel overjoyed at his progress. Filo was a tangle of fear, apprehension, and servitude. With the help of his friends and some experience with the world outside of his shop, Filo learns that it's okay to trust and it's okay to love. This trilogy has revolved around Filo even though Lee was the spark setting everything in motion from the beginning. 

Lee has also grown so much over the last three novels. She surprised me with her fierce loyalty and sincere courage in this last book. As they say, it all comes down to this, and Lee fought harder than ever before to save her friends. It's in this book that Lee realizes that she has a family, even if it isn't the one she was born into. This has been something Lee struggled with consistently and readers will be happy to witness her revelation. The love story between Lee and Nasser also continues in this installment, adding a sweet side plot that evokes feelings of understanding and acceptance.

My favorite part in this novel was the reveal of Filo's sister. Filo was stolen by Neman and Morgan as a young child and barely remembers his life before them. But fates works in funny ways for Filo, and he is reunited with Dierdre. Though it's a rocky relationship lacking trust, readers will revel in this part of the storyline. 

The plot of Lights is based strongly on the Fearie Courts. After being accepted as apprentices at the Seattle Guild, a war begins brewing between the Summer Court and the Winter Court. Lee and Filo are requested as emissaries due to Lee's past with Umbriel, the Summer King. They're sent to negotiate a peace treaty, but things are not as they first appear. The Kings are not acting like themselves and refuse to listen to reason while the Guild Council refuses to listen to Lee and Filo. With the human world on the line, Lee, Filo, Jason, Alice, and Nasser must figure out what is really going on and stop it before the fight between the Courts bleeds over into their world with destruction and chaos. 

From the moment I first finished Flicker, I've been enthralled with the story of Lee, Filo, Nasser, Jason, and Alice. It's been a wonderful journey and I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy, fearies, and magic. 

Rating: 4.5/5Cups

Start from the beginning:

     

Books 1 and 2 of the Flicker Series

The Fulfillment - Blog Tour

Synopsis:
Layla’s world tumbles out of control when she discovers the truth of her parentage and realizes the Prophecy—the one she upended her entire life to defend—is incomplete. When her new friends share the entire Prophecy, the revelations contained within it alter her destiny and challenge everything she and Wil believe in. Now, she must confront the Outlander queen to save the Ethereal kingdom while grappling with this new reality.

Tortured and imprisoned, Nash accepts his fate and offers the First Ones the one thing he has left to give: his life. In a desperate attempt to save the people he loves most, he surrenders himself to the Outlander queen and a destiny darker than he could have ever dreamed possible.

Wil, tormented by the consequences of his choices, realizes he may never be able to uphold his end of the Prophecy. His mistake casts a deep, foreboding shadow over his kingdom and those he loves, while its ripples threaten to shatter both the Prophecy and everything he and his family have sworn to protect.

In this epic conclusion, lives are lost, kingdoms clash, friendships are tested, and love and fate collide.

Review (Contains Spoilers):
As they say, it all comes down to this. Erin Rhew wraps up her trilogy with The Fulfillment, where everything is finally revealed. While the world waits for all out war, they hope for peace between the three nations: the Ethereals, the Vangards, and the Outlanders.

As the prophecy comes to fruition, each character plays their destined role. Two important women join Layla, Nash, and Wil as they follow their faith in the First Ones. Layla, believed to be The Fulfillment, with her purple eyes and Vangard strength, is struggling with heartache through most of the book. She's accidentally betrayed by Wil and struggles to keep her focus. Though she is undoubtedly brave, courageous, and dutiful, readers see her jealous side. After the revealed betrayal, Wil spends most of the book feeling guilty, almost to the point of annoyance. He was tricked, plain and simple. Yet, it came with complicated consequences. Regardless, Wil is the most understanding character and overly forgiving. His personality is honorable as is his loyalty. The main connection he has with readers will come from their sympathy and understanding. Nash shares his brother's loyalty and honor but his strength and fortuitous nature shine brighter. Readers will have a deep respect for Nash and his desire to save those he cares about. Mia and Zarina are the two characters to take their place beside the others. Though I did not like or trust Mia in the second book, she sort of wins me over in this final act. She was incredibly deceptive but with a good cause. Overlooking that, Mia is a brave, courageous, and steady character that fits in nicely with the others. Zarina, once discovered, quickly becomes the key to the entire prophecy. I liked the story's twist with Zarina and the slippery understanding of the prophecy. She's incredibly brave and hopeful, giving the book it's chance for a happy ending.

The plot of this final installment has two main points: defeat the Outlander Queen and stop King Vance. With hope, the main characters join together to defeat Queen Cataleen. When they all learn of an innocent woman trapped within the evil dictator, they revise their plan to kill her. It's discovered that there is more to the prophecy than they first thought. United, though some on rocky relationships, the destined characters extract the Queen from her host body and banish her to the afterlife. Yet, there is still the war hungry King Vance to defeat. Through heart wrenching losses, Vance and his army are defeated and finally, the world has a chance at peace, and The Fulfillment series has a happy, though bittersweet, ending. I enjoyed this final book, but there was one main downfall. Sadly, I found the writing style repetitive with blanket statements instead of the detail I wanted. The storyline seems oriented toward young adults (I'm thinking 16 to 25) but the word usage and bland sentence structure doesn't support that. Don't get me wrong, not every sentence is like that, but when reading fantasy series I enjoy poetic prose with surprising analogies. I wasn't satisfied. So while I enjoyed the story, it fell short of my expectations when I didn't take to the style.

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Meet the Author:
Erin Rhew is an editor, a running coach, and the author of The Fulfillment Series. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."
A Southern girl by blood and birth, Erin now lives in a rainy pocket of the Pacific Northwest with the amazingly talented (and totally handsome) writer Deek Rhew and their “overly fluffy,” patient-as-a-saint writing assistant, a tabby cat named Trinity. She and Deek enjoy reading aloud to one another, running, lifting, boxing, eating chocolate, and writing side-by-side.  

Twitter / Facebook / Website / Goodreads

     

Standing (Waterblaze Trilogy #1)

In a future where two tyrants hold the world in an iron grip, humanity is about to meet its doom. An empathetic girl from the past is called to action by a group of technologically advanced mermaids. An apocalypse is coming.

Along with fellow time traveler, Force, she is sent to the future as the last hope for humanity. The stakes are high, the odds against her. Can she overcome her fears and step into her destiny? Can she lead a people to victory who lost hope long ago?

*May Contain Spoilers*

China Dennington debuts her writing with the first book in the Waterblaze Trilogy, Standing. When Gale suddenly learns of her enhanced DNA and time traveling capabilities, it's an unexpected chance to save the world. 

Gale is the main character of this first installment. She's a young girl who has always been drawn to the ocean while also terrified of it. Turns out, her DNA has the ability to adapt to underwater living and traveling through time. Surprisingly, Gale did not freak out or question any of this new information. Gale is also an empath, so she knew the people sharing this information with her were truthful. But still, I think the girl deserves some time to freak out a little bit. I know I would if the fate of the entire world rested on my shoulders. Even though this is fantasy/science fiction, it made her character a little harder to believe. Merpeople, time travel, futuristic rulers dooming earth - I'm totally on board. Love it. But, I want to believe in the main character and she seemed to lack some depth. 

The storyline begins with Gale attempting to save her little sister from drowning in the ocean. A cruel joke, the Merpeople tricked Gale into entering the ocean so that her DNA would be activated. Once activated, Gale is able to access her powers of surviving under water and traveling through time (something that all merpeople are capable of). In the future, the leader of the merpeople sent a message back in time to warn them of the world's destruction. Gale teams up with Force, another DNA enhanced human, in hopes of saving the world. The plot is well laid out and I enjoyed the action. But I wanted more details in the story. Dennington seems to 'tell' with her writing, rather than 'show.' I wanted to bear witness, feel the emotions, the action, the hope teetering on the edge of oblivion. Standing was a nice, quick, easy, and enjoyable read. Impressive for a young writer and good for a young audience. Though I wish the book would have been developed a little further with deeper character connections. 

Rating: 2/5 Cups

Mortal Heart

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has...

*May Contain Spoilers*

Robin LaFevers ends the His Fair Assassin trilogy with Mortal Heart. It's time for Annith's story, a young girl who has appeared in both prior books. She's always lived at the convent and no one knows the story of her parents or her innate talents. But the time has come to reveal all secrets and atone for all crimes. 

Annith knows nothing of her own history. She was raised by Mortain's own, trained to be an assassin like her sisters. She's loyal, incredibly skilled, respectful, and tired of walking on eggshells. Due to her upbringing, Annith always tries to keep everyone around her happy. As a child, she was punished frequently for making simple mistakes or because the convent's headmistress desired it. Thus, Annith grew up to be pliable and obedient. Readers will sympathize with Annith and understand why she wishes to escape the convent. Throughout the novel, more and more of Annith's history is revealed and readers will become closer to her as she learns more about herself. Annith's non-judgmental ways and persistence, as well as her unfaltering hope and innocent heart, will undoubtedly win readers over. 

The plot continues to focus on Brittany and the Duchess Anne. Annith's story overlaps with the previous two books, but continues past the adventure of Sybella and Beast. Annith travels to confront the Abbess and meets up with the Hellequin riders and Arduinnites along the way. When she finally reaches the Abbess, Ismae, Sybella, and the Duchess, the French have invaded and are closing in with no help coming to save the country of Brittany. I'm no history buff, but this fictionalized version makes it all quite intriguing to me. LaFevers has intricately altered the timeline and the facts but has kept the main story line consistent with actual events. The whole plot is highly entertaining and the writing style is detailed, focused, and a study of itself. Viewpoints, understanding, and beliefs are malleable as the story evolves and it's an quite an enjoyable ride. If only it would never end... 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

     

Sever

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

*Contains Spoilers*

Illusions and lies are revealed for what they really are in Sever, the final book in the Chemical Garden trilogy, by Lauren DeStefano. Rhine discovers unlikely friends in her former husband, Cecily, and Uncle Reed. She escapes the medicated clutches of Vaughn once again and continues her search for Rowan amid a sea of heartbreaking events. 

At the end of the second book, Rhine is caught by Vaughn and being tortured, once again, in the name of science. The reader/character connection is at its highest point because we don't want to lose the main character. Those feelings of worry, fear, and hope for survival carry over into the beginning of book three. When Rhine makes it to a safe place and resumes her plans to find her brother, readers are right beside her every step of the way. But when tragedies strike, one after another, it's hard to stay optimistic about the end of this book. Hope slightly wavers when it's revealed that Rowan has been working with Dr. Ashby the entire time Rhine has been missing. Rhine was a likeable character, and the novel's point of view made it easy to understand her perspective, but Rowan's right. She's too empathetic. Her empathy and understanding for even the villainous character made me feel as if my opinions were wrong and misplaced. Can't say she isn't loyal, though. She overflows with it. 

The plot of Sever begins with Rhine trapped in the basement. When she tries to surgically extract her tracking device with a piece of glass, Cecily and Linden find her and rush her to the hospital. Here Linden is introduced to his father's misdeeds. Linden promises safety in the form of his Uncle Reed, who is nothing like Vaughn. When the radio reveals that Rowan is bombing labs relatively nearby, Rhine insists that if she can reach him then she can stop him. But their reunion isn't what she's hoped for as she learns of Vaughn's hold over her twin. And then the illusions fall away, or so it would seen. Vaughn takes Rhine and Rowan to Hawaii, where the virus never existed and tells them that he has succeeded in making a cure which has already been administered to them. A promise lingers that Vaughn will watch over them every day at their home in Florida. That is, until he's shot and killed. Now, can I please ask, why didn't someone do that earlier? It would have saved everyone a lot of time. 

I had to finish the trilogy. I'm not the type of reader to just leave something undone like that, but it wasn't my favorite series. Wither was exceptional. Fever was creepy. Sever was a slap in the face. I enjoyed the plot; I liked the characters. However, the writing style became a bit repetitive after three books of Rhine's internal monologue. I guess what bothers me the most is that Rhine could never get out of Vaughn's grasp, Madame ended up playing more of a role than just a scarlet district carnival director (I did not like her), and then through all of this tragedy everything is suddenly tied up in a neat little bow after Vaughn is shot. A book with so many messy situations should be a little messy at the end of the day or else the ending rings hollow. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

     

Ruin and Rising

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Dare I say that this final book in The Grisha trilogy was exactly what I wanted? In my eyes, Ruin and Rising, by Leigh Bardugo, had it all: light and darkness, love and hate, power and peasants, life and death, a winning side and a losing side. I'm surprised that I'm this happy with the ending but I can't imagine this series ending any other way. 

Alina was badly injured in the end of the second book and she was taken underground by the Apparat with her faithful followers, the Soldat Sol. While healing, her true friends concoct a diversion to replace the Apparat's power with Alina's and, in succeeding, they escape the White Cathedral. As Alina struggles to use her power in the darkness of the underground, readers will re-solidify their bond with her. Through this and the journey to find the firebird, Alina realizes that she has to be able to trust and rely on those around her. With this lesson learned, readers will be able to feel that Alina isn't holding back anymore. She's in this war one hundred percent and will walk into battle knowing that she helped everyone she could. 

The plot of this installment was almost unbelievable in its amazement. After escaping the White Cathedral, Alina and Mal (along with their invaluable team) set off to find Nikolai, who is rumored to have escaped the Little Palace in the attack. With success, they are carted off to the mountains and hidden atop peaks where they can prepare to track the firebird, the believed third amplifier for Alina. When the Darkling attacks the mountain, Alina and Mal barely make it out alive and there are many casualties. Then the hunt for the firebird begins as the Darkling prepares to widen the Shadow Fold. With a time limit and the lives of the world in her hands, Alina must face down the Darkling once and for all. And this time, there's no running away. 

As the series closes, I know I'm going to miss it. From the first prologue this series has enthralled me. Through the discovery of Alina's power, to the revelation about the Darkling's real goal, into the love story between Alina and Mal, and across the world on constant journeys to find the next necessity: it seems to have been more than a lifetime. The Grisha series is one that echoes, calling to its readers as it reverberates through time. I know one day I'll see the series on my bookshelf and feel the need to re-read it. And it will be just as magnificent as it was the first time through. 

Rating: 5/5 Cups

     

Dreams of Gods and Monsters

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Laini Taylor ends her epic trilogy with Dreams of Gods and Monsters, satisfying readers while staying true to her narrative and understanding character obligations. As threats blossom and hope ails from fear, Karou finds a way to lead the Chimaera into battle with Seraphs by their side while Akiva believes that he can convince his Misbegotten group of warriors to aim their swords at those who dare to belittle them. 

At the beginning of this final installment, Karou is badly broken. She's bruised, riddled with heart ache, and her hands are stained with blood. Readers will immediately empathize with all that she has done to save her people. She's a character to be respected. Karou has never been the girl to turn away and she stays true to the demands and needs of her fellow people, disregarding how they've treated her. The longing for a better world and her role in attempting to make one will reach out to the readers. 

After learning so much about Akiva in the second book, readers won't be surprised that he still has a few secrets. The twist: he doesn't know them either. Akiva is a man filled with love, hope, and loyalty who is troubled with despair, loneliness, and loss. If readers haven't fallen for him already, this Seraph will undoubtedly win their hearts within the pages of this last book. 

The most fun part about this novel is the surprising characters who become key components in the survival of Eretz. Ziri is hiding inside Thiago's body, pretending to be the White Wolf so that his Chimaera warriors will follow him to stand beside the Seraphs. Liraz, badass sister of Akiva, who has killed more beasts than she wants to count, moody Misbegotten with a taste for revenge, shows a new side of herself letting readers see beneath her mask to form a bond with her. And Eliza Jones -- a simple girl who has hidden in plain sight for most of her life denying her true abilities but suffering from them nonetheless. She is the most surprising character and readers will definitely enjoy her revelation. 

The plot of the novel follows Karou, Ziri, and Akiva, among others, who create a plan to defeat Jael and bring a chance for peace to Eretz. With Jael trying to garner weapons of mass destruction from the human world, Akiva and Karou must convince their races that fighting together is the only hope for a future. Though it seems to be a powder keg waiting for a spark, the alliance is difficultly made and the fight for a future begins with many opportunities where everything could fall apart. 

Dreams of Gods and Monsters is everything I wanted in the end of the trilogy. It was a messy ending with an echo of truth and believability. Taylor's writing style held on to its poetic nature and presented the story in beautiful analogies and creative descriptions. I dare say I wasn't disappointed at all. Though I struggled with the wait for happiness,  right beside all of the main characters. 

Rating: 5/5 Cups

     

Wander Dust

Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories.

Unexplainable Premonitions… catapult her to other cities.

The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her.

And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Michelle Warren reveals the biggest secret in history with her novel, Wander Dust, that time travel does and has existed for centuries. As the main character discovers she can time travel, her entire world changes - for better and worse. 

Sera Parrish is a sixteen year old girl who craves the attention of her father. She demands that attention by acting out, unknowingly starting on a journey that will unravel her reality. As readers get to know Sera they learn that her needs are the same as their own. She wants stability, a closer family, and to be loved. Readers will connect with Sera based on her simplistic and relatable desires while they sit front seat on the roller coaster she rides. 

The plot of the novel focuses on Sera's new found ability to time travel, though she's naive on what exactly time travel means and how she does it. Wander Dust also revolves around Sera's deceased mother who passed down the genetic trait. If Sera can travel through time then she can find her mother and even possibly save her. This first book in the Seraphina Parrish Trilogy creates the path to Sera's mother, if only Sera has the will and can find the knowledge to follow it to the end. Recommended for young adult readers and those who love fantasy. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

  

Wander Dust