Wonderful conclusion to this creative and fast-paced middle grade fantasy series!
921292
This is the fifth and final book in the Five Kingdoms series.  This was an excellent conclusion to this series.

Most of the time in this book is spent in Creon, the fifth world, where time travelers live.  We do get to visit most of the kingdoms again and all of our beloved characters play a role in finishing off the evil torevor.

We also finally get to meet Elegance, the last sister, and track down her elusive power.

I really enjoyed this and felt like it wrapped up the series nicely.  The book keeps you guessing right up until the end and is very fast-paced.  The ending was well done as well, if a bit bittersweet.

Overall this was an amazing conclusion to this very creative middle grade fantasy series.  I enjoyed how fast-paced the story was and how much adventure there was.  The story keeps you guessing and the characters are wonderfully done as well.  Highly recommend this whole series to those who enjoy middle grade adventure fantasy.
95755
FAERIE AFTER is the concluding volume in the BONES OF FAERIE trilogy, and if you haven't read the first two books (BONES OF FAERIE & FAERIE WINTER), you should definitely check them out before tackling this one, because your reading experience will be all the richer from knowing the history of the characters and their backgrounds and relationships.

Liza is anticipating the birth of her sister, when she is confronted with a mysterious crumbling that erases the world bit by bit. Liza suspects it is tied somehow to the Faerie realm. After the War between the humans and the fey, both camps have long been in survival mode. The Fey suffer from "Fire Fever," a kind of radiation sickness, and their magical weapons have left plants and trees seeking human blood and bone, while wild things like owls and hawks carry poison in their talons. It is a harsh world that Liza inhabits, where magic is distrusted, and yet all children born after the War carry the seeds of magic.

This new threat will test Liza's loyalties and stretch her to the limit. Liza has always distrusted the Faerie folk, with good reason. And yet, to mend both worlds, Liza will have to set aside that distrust, and use her summoning magic in new ways.

Some of the themes Janni Lee Simner explores are how far you would go to save a friend, even if he or she doesn't want to be saved; the realities of the aftermath of war; the price of love; sacrifice and the harsh reality of loss.

If you like your heroines strong and your fantasies dark, with no easy solutions, you will enjoy the satisfying conclusion to this post-apocalyptic series.
1147076
The Grimoire Saga is an incredible fantasy series, this final book included! Almost all of this final story revolves around the preparation for the final battle against the Stele and its allies, as well as the battle itself. There's plenty of drama, betrayal, and action, along with further development of the relationships between characters. There are characters you will love to hate and characters you will just love. I especially liked how the relationship between Kara and Braeden continued to change and grow. Yet again, as I got further into the story and the action, I found it nearly impossible to put the book down. In the end, I felt like this book provided a satisfying conclusion to the series that allowed me to know what happened to each of the major characters after the war and let me imagine how they will go on with their lives.

I highly recommend the Grimoire Saga (starting with Lichgates) for readers that enjoy creative world building in exciting fantasy stories.

* I received an electronic ARC of this book from the author for an honest review.
1722866
The Colors of Change was the first fantasy novel I'd read in a long, long, time. I'm happy to say I found the story to be engaging in every way. The characters were memorable and complex. Even in this world filled with dwarfs, fairies, giants, and magical mad scientists, teens still wrestle with crushes and homework and bullies.

When Jake passes through a magical portal from his world into this alternate reality, he brings with him some relics of his life--like an iPod he can't remember how to work. His brief flashes of memories of a life with cars and electricity--and a mom who loves him--take a back seat to the more pressing problems of the mad scientist who wants his "magic" from the other world.

The interesting thing is, Jake's got magical powers in his new world, too. As he learns to use his talent, he doesn't realize he may be called upon to use it in a life-and-death struggle against the most evil force in the realm.

This book is the first in a trilogy. Highly recommend for middle school and up!
3061959
The Winners Kiss, the final book in Marie Rutkoskis Winners Trilogy, is an emotional and riveting conclusion to one of my favorite fantasy series. Rutkoskis protagonist Kestrel has always been one of my favorite lead characters. She embodies strengths we don't typically focus on when we speak of strong female characters. She isn't a warrior, though shes been raised among them; she has no desire to fight, though her country of Valoria prizes itself on its battle-ready philosophy; and she has continually been drawn to the Herrani culture, though shes been taught that as a conquered nation they are beneath her. Her greatest strength is her capacity to strategize, to outwit and outmaneuver her opponent. But shes learned that she cant win every mental battle, that despite her intelligence, sometimes experience outweighs a crafty move. Kestrel has had her entire world ripped out from under her, shes used others and been used herself. At the end of the second book, Kestrel is betrayed by someone close to her and given into the hands of Valorias nefarious emperor. The Kestrel of this novel is not the same Kestrel from the first two books. Shes been betrayed, broken and left completely abandoned. She has been unmade and remade into a woman who, despite the evil done to her, is stronger and more determined than ever. She makes choices that may surprise some readers, but she still remains that stubborn, intelligent girl we met in the first book.

Arin has undergone his own transformation. In the second book, he was torn between leading his people and trying to understand Kestrels betrayal, but at the beginning of the final installment, he has committed himself fully to the cause. With Valoria on his doorstep, Arin has formed an alliance with the nation of Dacra. He knows the risk, that the queen may take Herran for her own when all is said and done, but his determination to defeat Valoria and take back what was once lost outweights this risk. I feel that this novel gives the most insight into who Arin is and how the collapse of Herran and the injustices done to his people are echoed in every decision he makes. There is a ruthlessness in Arin that we haven't seen before, it propels him forward and sometimes gives way to a scary kind of recklessness. He also deals with the unwanted adoration of his fellow Herrani, who believe that Arin has been blessed by the gods themselves. His relationship with the Dacra prince Roshar is equal parts frustrating and rewarding. Roshar understand the politics of leading a nation and pushes Arin to embrace his role. Of all the minor characters, Roshar is by far my favorite and he probably deserves a novel of his own.

Both Arin and Kestrel have faced difficult decisions throughout this series; theyve continually been torn between each other and their respective nations. Ive always found that their characters, despite their difference in opinion on various subjects, compliment each other so well. Theres always been mutual respect and equality. Theres a give-and-take aspect to their relationship that doesnt feel like one is giving more than the other. One of the underlying issues between the two is Kestrels privileged life as a Valorian, which comes at the expense of the Arins people. Kestrel has grown up in an environment that made it easy to ignore Valorias wrongdoings. Arin has never had such a privilege, he has lived everyday with the knowledge of the horrors committed against the Herrani. They taunt him, bring him shame as well as courage. Kestrels journey makes it impossible for her to make excuses for her people, she learns to accept her own role in ignoring what was happening around her and it is for this reason that she presses forward.

The Winners Kiss is a gratifying conclusion to a beautifully written series. Rutkoski continues to develop her characters, challenging their capacity to remain true to themselves in the midst of adversity and it will be a long while before I recover fully from reading it.
839983
Lou Anders concludes his THRONES & BONES trilogy for middle graders with Skyborn, which follows Frostborn and Nightborn.
Skyborn begins as our three young heroes have just lost one of the Horns of Osius which are able to control wyverns and dragons. To free these creatures from the empire that controls them, they must travel to Thica to find and destroy the horn.

Our heroes couldn't be more different from each other. Karn is the human son of a well-to-do farmer. His family expects him to take over the farm, but Karn is more interested in strategy games. Thianna is a half-giantess from the frozen northern lands. She has been bullied all her life because she is of mixed races and looks different from the rest of the frost giants. Desstra, a dark elf who was not ruthless enough to pass her final exam to become an elite soldier, is now an outcast from her society. These three unlikely allies will team up with even more unlikely allies to try to bring down the Thiccan Empire and save the dragons and wyverns from slavery.

Thica is a matriarchy with a culture similar to our mideast cultures (they eat a lot of spanakopita and the book even contains a recipe for that tasty treat). The Thican dynasty keeps power by using the horn to enslave the dragons and wyverns who help them keep control over the entire continent. When Thianna realizes this, she is greatly disturbed to realize that she is genetically related to bullies. She hates bullies! The matriarchy will try to tempt her into joining them, as is her birthright. Can Thianna resist the allure of power and the royal lifestyle? Meanwhile Karna and Desstra will have their own unique challenges, as will other characters who will join them such as the minotaur prince and the cowardly dryad.
Thrones and Bones by Lou AndersSimilar to the previous books, Skyborn is nonstop adventure and its full of strange sights such as a minotaurs riding scorpions through a labyrinth city. Our spunky sarcastic heroes meet automatons, dwarves, a mega-hydra, a sphinx (which of course asks riddles), an Arachne (eek), and other sorts of oddities. I found this aspect of the book to be a little jumbled and chaotic, but kids will probably love it and at least they will learn a lot.

There are some really sweet spots in this story such as when Thianna meets the dragon who carried her mother to the land of the frost giants in the opening scene of the first book in the trilogy. A theme throughout is the idea that travelling and meeting different types of people broadens the mind. Young readers will be challenged to realize that their own heritage and customs are not superior to others.
As a parent, I can whole-heartedly recommend this trilogy to middle graders and young adults. The action is fast-paced and exciting, the characters are loveable, kids will learn quite a bit about different civilizations and about mythical creatures, and the story extols the virtues of friendship, diversity, teamwork, kindness, and mercy.

The audio versions of the THRONES & BONES trilogy are terrific. They are produced by Listening Library, are each around 9 hours long, and are read aloud by Fabio Tassone. This would be a good trilogy to listen to together as a family.

Originally posted at FanLit.
4421406
I found this tale to be an exciting foray into fantasy. It is my opinion that it will be best appreciated by middle-graders to young high school age. The writing is reminiscent of Madeline L'Engle, and the adventure is non-stop. The kids had one dangerous quest after another. Some of the monster violence would be very exciting to kids in the 10-13 age range, bordering on the gruesome, but not overdoing it. A well-done fantasy that any gender reader would enjoy, but especially ages 9-14. Again, this is my recommendation; I don't know what age group the author was aiming for. I wish this series had come along when I was reading the Wrinkle in Time series, Chronicles of Narnia and Anne McAffrey as a girl. I would have loved this book back then! I plan on having my 9/10 year old read this to get his opinion, but I'm guessing he'll love it.
3147992
This is the third and final book in the Frontier Magic series by Wrede.  This has been a great series, it is very deliberately paced but I really enjoy the characters and world.  This book is a very satisfying conclusion to the series.

When the threat of the Medusa lizards became apparent in the last book it is decided that someone needs to go on an expedition to explore the Far West and figure out what is driving the Medusa lizards into the settlements.  Eff, Lan, William, Professor Torgeson, Wash, and Professor Ochiba are all asked to participate in the expedition.  They are hoping to discover new magical creatures, learn more about the magical creatures they already know about, and hopefully find the cause for all of these magical animals migrating east.

As with previous books in the series the pacing is a bit slow and the story takes a bit to get started.  This is more a day to day telling of the events in Eff's life than a complex epic story.  I do really enjoy watching Professor Torgeson and Eff as they catalogue a ton of new magical animals and discuss new theories.  I like the scientific aspect of their travels (even if most of it is the made up science of magic).

I enjoyed this reimagined Wild West.  I love that for the most part the people work together without bias.  There are women professors, a woman Army Sergeant, and many races and skin colors all working together.  Its a world I would love to visit.

Eff has grown a lot from the first book.  She is more confident in her skills.  Her main contribution is her ability to look at all types of magic and use them together.  She just has a very different way of looking at things from everyone else.  This is the first book where she has to also seriously deal with some romantic issues.

Lan has also changed quite a bit throughout the series.  He is no longer just concerned about power, but wants to learn new things and figure out how to do something great.

All of the other characters are wonderful, interesting, and engaging to read about.  Their journey through the Far West is a good one.  The plot is well done and brings together a number of elements from the previous two books nicely.

I had two complaints with this book.  The first is it takes absolutely forever to get to the expedition to the Far West in the book.  The second is that when they discover the problems they are able to bandage it but not actually fix it.  This made the ending feel a bit rushed and incomplete.  There is an Epilogue that did a good job of tying up some of these unresolved issues, but again it just felt very dense and rushed.  It was odd considering the deliberate pace of the rest of the book.

Overall I enjoyed the way this wrapped up this series and I enjoyed this series overall.  This is one of the few series where I kept thinking I would love to visit this world and travel with these characters!  I enjoyed the world, the engaging characters, and the fascinating magical animals.  My only complaint really is pacing...it takes forever to get the story moving and then the ending is incredibly rushed.
720269
I loved everything about this series, and I highly recommend it!  Cole's silly antics and and colorful thoughts kept everything more lighthearted during even the most difficult and unhappy moments.  He was, by far, my favorite character.  The passionate relationship between Rena and Wallace was an added bonus.  This series, and especially this last book, was full of action, adventure and danger along with love and romance.  It was a perfect ending to the series!  Thank you, Carry Butler, for a truly fantastic read!
4407
In this second installment, Calcaterra manages to take the young Makarria, now a queen with unfathomable magical powers, and confront her with obstacles that immediately humanize her and leave her vulnerable. These challenges, along with a myriad other plot twists, make for an exciting ride as Makarria and her companions struggle to stabilize the realm.

The reading is fast-paced and full of intrigue, with the same harsh world depicted through vivid and fluid prose as Dreamwielder. A great follow-up for this YA fantasy series!
4901837
THE BLOOD GUARD was an interesting and engaging middle grade fantasy that begins a new trilogy. Ronan Truelove finds his world shaken up when his mother picks him up from school one day and then takes off on a high speed chase. She soon sends Ronan to meet with someone who will take care of him in Washington DC before going off to engage the enemy.

Ronan finds himself immersed in the world of a Blood Guard which protects Pures from the Bend Sinister whose goal is to eliminate all the Pures and bring about a new world order. He learns that his mother is a member of that Blood Guard and that all the weird lessons and after-school activities that she has enrolled him in are part of his advanced training to possibly join the Blood Guard himself.

First of all, Ronan has to elude Ms. Hand and her evil minions and find his way to Washington. He does manage to catch a train where he meets Jack Dawkins and Greta Susterman. Jack is also a member of the Blood Guard and is a unique and entertaining character. He provides a lot of the humor in the story with his irreverent attitude. He is more or less immortal but also a pickpocket and smart-mouthed fellow. Greta is a former schoolmate of Ronan's. She is also smart-mouthed and, in her own words, a little boastful. She is also excellent at picking locks which comes in very handy.

The story is filled with action and derring do and all sorts of humor. They have lots of adventures as they try to elude the bad guys, find Ronan's missing parents and find Greta's missing father too. Beyond that, they have to find a way to stop the Bend Sinister from using their new invention to steal the souls of the Pure. If the Bend Sinister can trap the souls, the souls can't reincarnate after death and maintain the balance of the 36 Pures who keep life on Earth safe.

Ronan was a great main character. He was smart and creative and brave. I really liked Greta too. I can't wait to read more of their adventures as they try to defeat the Bend Sinister in books two and three of this trilogy.
2383548
This series has been such a fun one to read. I love the main characters and the relationships that they have. There have been some rocky roads between Connor, Lexa and Melanie, but they work through the many ups and downs. This third and final book in the trilogy is full of action and many exciting things. As I read it, I thought of many of my students that would love to read this book.
It was great to see the ways the teen's powers manifested in Luminescence. I also loved to see how they grew into their powers. I also liked the idea that their powers were even more effective when they combined them together. This was a strong message about working together.  The system of light and dark in this world is so creative! I like the way that Braden describes so easily for any reader to understand.

Speaking of ages, this book/series is a wonderful one to read together as a family. I'm always looking for books that I can enjoy reading with my 16 year old and my almost 12 year old. I do recommend that you read the first two books in the series first.

The ending of this trilogy fills you with so much emotion. There are parts where you laugh, scream and cry. There is the lesson of making sacrifices for friends and family. This theme is one that will let you have a good talk with your kids. I recommend that you read through the discussion questions too. You always know you've read a good book when you feel fulfilled when finished. That's exactly what happened at the end of Luminescence. I'm excited to read what will come next from this talented author.

Read more of my reviews at www.whynotbecauseisaidso,blogspot.com
3105579
This is the final book in The Books of Beginning series and ties up the story nicely.  There is a lot of action and dimensional travel.  I ended up enjoying it a lot.

Emma, Kate, and Michael need to get the third and final Book of Beginning, The Book of Death, before the Dire Magnus does.  However, the getting of the third book is left largely to Emma; only she can journey to the Land of the Dead and retrieve The Book of Death.  Additionally the three siblings have found out that The Books of Beginning are tearing the world apart and there is only one way to save the world; first the Dire Magnus much be defeated and then the Books must be destroyed.

This was a well done conclusion to this series.  There is a lot of action and adventure.  The book changes point of view a lot, alternating between Emma, Kate, Gabriel, and Michael.  We also finally get to meet our Emma, Kate, and Michaels parents.

Strangely I don't have a ton to say about this book.  I really enjoyed watching Emma journey to the Land of the Dead.  I continue to enjoy the tension between Kate and Rafe (the Dire Magnus).  I loved some of the scenes with Wilhelmina (the elf princess Michael has a crush on) fighting as a dragon.

My only complaint is that the book felt really long.  I think it was paced pretty well, it just felt like it was a long read.  It was almost like two books were smooshed together in this one book.

Overall this was a great conclusion to this middle grade fantasy series.  I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the action.  I would definitely recommend this series to middle grade fantasy fans out there.  Stephens did a great job of tying everything up and I am curious to see what he writes next.
982621
I have read the first five as fast as I could get my hands on them! Terrific series with twists I have not seen before and thoroughly enjoyable! I read a lot and love a great Magical series and I was so happy to find this one! I love the characters and being an academy for magic does not mean it's a knock off of another amazing series we all loved- quite the opposite. It's original in its premise and details and leads the reader on a quest- loved it! Read them from the beginning and get ready for a fun and original series. Can't wait for the final installment coming early 2017 possibly!
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***Review posted on The Uncahrted Word blog***

Dreams of Gods & Monsters marks the third and final installment to the epic fantasy series by Laini Taylor, who proves once again that she is a remarkable author of striking prose and beautiful settings. Her characters are well-developed, especially Karou, and the relationships she builds among them are captivating and wonderfully powerful.

Mik and Zuzana prove to be one of the cutest couples in YA as their love story remains present and memorable despite being a subplot to Karou and Akivas torrid romance. They as individuals are also fun and spunky and easy to love. They aren't the only characters that shined in this book. Liraz makes strides in bettering herself and Ziri matures into a strong and capable leader while maintaining his goodness. Both Liraz and Ziri share engaging narratives as they learn to love themselves and to live with their mistakes.

As the other characters are making leaps and bounds in character development, Akiva and Karou remain fundamentally the same. The only thing that changes is their relationship, which was fractured in the previous book. I enjoyed Karou and Akivas narratives but their continuous pining and angst was shockingly bothersome as their reunion was prolonged for far too long, especially since distance was no longer a factor separating them. While I still enjoyed reading from their point of view, I couldn't help but be annoyed by how much their thoughts focused on each other rather than the deadly situation at hand.

This book is not without its themes of discrimination and coexistence, and Im very happy to see that those messages were not lost amongst the heightened angst that was rolling around in this installment. In truth, the very ending of this book was a little disappointing (and unexpected) as Karou and Akivas yearning for one another remains strong and frustratingly present until the very last page.

I thought this was a very strong conclusion; however, I have to admit that this was not the ending I expected or envisioned. The previous book was rife with tension stemming from conflicting world views, clashing cultures, and battling factions. Two races were at war with one another and there was a great amount of bloodshed and loss. It was a heavy book filled with death and violence, competing ideologies, and complicated relationships.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters didn't maintain this suspense as well as its predecessor. The plot felt stagnant and less progressive. Not much occurred between its explosive beginning and anticlimactic ending. There were a few nail-biting battles, but not a war that was expected to happen among the seraphs, the chimera, as well as the humans. The seraphs posed such a terrifying threat at the end of the last book, and yet, their intimidating presence was reduced to background noise for most of this book. They became an army of immobile warriors put up in the Vatican, waiting for something to happen. In short, the foes were boring.

Also, I wasn't much a fan of the Eliza storyline. Her chapters took me out of the experience and so, I was surprised by how important she was to the plot as a whole. I wasn't invested in her history or her role even when her true identity was revealed.

I know it sounds like I didn't like this book, but I can assure you that I did. I think I just went in with too high expectations. Dreams of Gods & Monsters is an engaging story with fantastic characters, vivid descriptions, and impressive world-building. Some subplots and characters seemed unnecessary or were wasted, but overall, this was a good conclusion to an epic romance and adventure.
2946505
I don't know that I've ever read another fantasy series with such a satisfactory ending.  Well. . . .except that I was wishing that the series wouldn't end, because I want to just keep reading about the characters!  This is my new all-time favorite series.  It's appropriate for readers of all ages, the writing is excellently done, the characters, the plot, everything about the books screams brilliance.  I'm so glad I just happened across it!  I highly recommend you pick this series up, starting with Siren's Secret.
4275154
This was a fantastic ending to a wonderful series. It is a race that is worth running, and I couldn't stop turning the pages. I honestly didn't expect what happened at the end. I couldn't see how the kids were going to come out on top, but they did and the ending was very fitting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great adventure. Be sure to check out the first two books in the Cragbridge Hall series: THE INVENTOR'S SECRET and THE AVATAR BATTLE.