#35 The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
This review has spoiler s for the first two books in the Darkest Powers Trilogy, The Summoning and The Awakening. Nothing too bad for The Reckoning.
Chloe Saunders and her friends have escaped the Edison Group and are hiding in a safe house owned by Andrew, a friend of Simon and Derek’s father. Here they hope to gain some control of their abilities and convince the adults at the house to go back and save their friend Rae, and Chloe’s Aunt Lauren. Only the adults don’t seem to take them very seriously. They’re convinced that the teens are lying about the Edison Group and their powers, or just have “overactive imaginations.” Will Chloe manage to save her friends, make peace with her necromancy, and sort out her romantic feelings involving a werewolf and his sorcerer brother?
Reading this book made me really glad that I’m not a teenager anymore. Think about it. To have gone through weeks of hell where you find out that you’re a genetic experiment, be betrayed by a good friend, and spend a week on the run where you’re being followed by gun-toting bad guys, only to have someone chalk up this experience to “an overactive imagination.” Talk about the ultimate insult. I also really found myself feeling for Chloe, who has to go through all of the supernatural drama, on top of her own confused feelings for Simon and Derek. I think that’s part of what makes Chloe such a relatable character. Despite the fact that she has to go through these traumatic events that are very out of this world, the way she emotionally reacts to everything, from first love to first zombie, feels very true to life. I really enjoyed having her as a protagonist. The other characters, Simon, Derek, and even Tori, are also quite likable this time around. Despite my misgivings about Tori in the first couple books, I found that I warmed up to her considerably in this volume.
The Reckoning, as the final book in the Darkest Powers Trilogy, does a great job of wrapping up Chloe’s story. Will Chloe ever figure out a way to use her abilities to defend herself? Will Chloe choose to be with Derek or Simon? Will they ever be free of Dr. Davidoff? All these questions are answered in a satisfying way. I particularly like the way the love triangle was handled. Both Simon and Derek are really likable guys. Although after The Awakening, I think it should be obvious who Chloe picks, but that doesn’t make her decision any easier. One thing reader may be surprised to discover is although this is the last book in Chloe’s trilogy, it’s not the last in the Darkest Powers universe. There are a few threads left dangling that will be picked up again in a follow up trilogy called Darkness Rising (first book, The Gathering), which will apparently feature a new cast of characters. I’m curious to see how Armstrong will deal with more books involving the Edision Group, without rehashing old themes and storylines.
All and all The Reckoning was a very satisfying end to the trilogy and I think the strongest volume in the series. It was consistently enjoyable from beginning to end, and I’m really happy for the time I got to spend with these characters. Bring on The Gathering!
Rating: five stars
Length: 391 pages
Source: amazon.com
Challenge: This book is part of the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge
Similar Books: This book should appeal to fans of supernatural YA lit, such as Wake by Lisa McMann ( my review), Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes ( my review), and the books of Stephenie Meyer and Annette Curtis Klause.
Other books I've read by this author: Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, Haunted, Broken, No Humans Involved, Personal Demon, Living with the Dead ( my review), Frostbitten ( my review), Men of the Otherworld ( my review),The Summoning ( my review), The Awakening ( my review), Exit Strategy ( my review), and Made to be Broken ( my review). I've also read the stand alone novella Angelic ( my review), the novella "Chaotic' from Dates from Hell, the short story "Kat" from The Eternal Kiss ( my review), and the short story "The Ungrateful Dead" from Blood Lite ( my review)
xposted to bookish , temporaryworlds , and goodreads
Chloe Saunders and her friends have escaped the Edison Group and are hiding in a safe house owned by Andrew, a friend of Simon and Derek’s father. Here they hope to gain some control of their abilities and convince the adults at the house to go back and save their friend Rae, and Chloe’s Aunt Lauren. Only the adults don’t seem to take them very seriously. They’re convinced that the teens are lying about the Edison Group and their powers, or just have “overactive imaginations.” Will Chloe manage to save her friends, make peace with her necromancy, and sort out her romantic feelings involving a werewolf and his sorcerer brother?
Reading this book made me really glad that I’m not a teenager anymore. Think about it. To have gone through weeks of hell where you find out that you’re a genetic experiment, be betrayed by a good friend, and spend a week on the run where you’re being followed by gun-toting bad guys, only to have someone chalk up this experience to “an overactive imagination.” Talk about the ultimate insult. I also really found myself feeling for Chloe, who has to go through all of the supernatural drama, on top of her own confused feelings for Simon and Derek. I think that’s part of what makes Chloe such a relatable character. Despite the fact that she has to go through these traumatic events that are very out of this world, the way she emotionally reacts to everything, from first love to first zombie, feels very true to life. I really enjoyed having her as a protagonist. The other characters, Simon, Derek, and even Tori, are also quite likable this time around. Despite my misgivings about Tori in the first couple books, I found that I warmed up to her considerably in this volume.
The Reckoning, as the final book in the Darkest Powers Trilogy, does a great job of wrapping up Chloe’s story. Will Chloe ever figure out a way to use her abilities to defend herself? Will Chloe choose to be with Derek or Simon? Will they ever be free of Dr. Davidoff? All these questions are answered in a satisfying way. I particularly like the way the love triangle was handled. Both Simon and Derek are really likable guys. Although after The Awakening, I think it should be obvious who Chloe picks, but that doesn’t make her decision any easier. One thing reader may be surprised to discover is although this is the last book in Chloe’s trilogy, it’s not the last in the Darkest Powers universe. There are a few threads left dangling that will be picked up again in a follow up trilogy called Darkness Rising (first book, The Gathering), which will apparently feature a new cast of characters. I’m curious to see how Armstrong will deal with more books involving the Edision Group, without rehashing old themes and storylines.
All and all The Reckoning was a very satisfying end to the trilogy and I think the strongest volume in the series. It was consistently enjoyable from beginning to end, and I’m really happy for the time I got to spend with these characters. Bring on The Gathering!
Rating: five stars
Length: 391 pages
Source: amazon.com
Challenge: This book is part of the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge
Similar Books: This book should appeal to fans of supernatural YA lit, such as Wake by Lisa McMann ( my review), Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes ( my review), and the books of Stephenie Meyer and Annette Curtis Klause.
Other books I've read by this author: Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, Haunted, Broken, No Humans Involved, Personal Demon, Living with the Dead ( my review), Frostbitten ( my review), Men of the Otherworld ( my review),The Summoning ( my review), The Awakening ( my review), Exit Strategy ( my review), and Made to be Broken ( my review). I've also read the stand alone novella Angelic ( my review), the novella "Chaotic' from Dates from Hell, the short story "Kat" from The Eternal Kiss ( my review), and the short story "The Ungrateful Dead" from Blood Lite ( my review)
xposted to bookish , temporaryworlds , and goodreads