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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
sobbbbinnggg at the end of this series. after reading all the books over years and years, this ending is so cathartic. We finally get a conclusion to every character, and loose ends are tied up.
**Spoilers**
I was anxiously awaiting the final battle, and it did not disappoint. Zara and Richter's strength by this point was incredible and it takes everyone to battle them. I was disappointed in the crew with how weak they seem. If Zara and richter grew to be so strong, why did tarch peeter out so quickly? Why did Gabe go after the copter when she hadn't taken a hit yet? And when joules was hit, I thought it meant he had a direct hit on Zara, not the other way around. These things devastated me!
And then comes the death of Death. This is the point I started openly crying reading the book! He made it all the way through defeating Zara, and then the copter or whatever backfired on him? His note to Evie explaining the chink in his armor was so tragic and so well written!
When Evie turns on all her powers and truly becomes the red witch: YES! this is another moment that has been building for so long! She is pure devastation. This part kind of reminded me of what it is like to be depressed, and felt like symbolism for that. Do you let it completely overwhelm you and take over and sink into this dark feeling? Or do you look to those you love and pull yourself out of it? When they all started spinning and repopulating the earth, this felt like so much hope.
Her getting to live another 60 years with Jack... With kids and grandkids... beautiful. I had a feeling they would return to Haven and go back to where it all began, and this did not disappoint!
Ivy/Evie reincarnated - I'm so glad we got this ending! I was really hoping we'd get this ending and get an answer to what happens in the next life.
Matthew's last sacrifice... Omg. I started to wonder if he would let Evie live her whole life and decide to be the last winner himself. But when it actually came time and he was seconds away from his own death and had to spend hundreds of years suffering? Heartbreaking.
And the very last chapter?
I. Choose. Both.
Get it girl!!!
A couple of lingering questions I have:
1. There was a moment where Jack and Kentarch are talking in the bunker after Jack has a call with one of the potentials. Tarch says the upcoming fight is a "battle to end all battles" and then he solved a puzzle and was going to think about it a little more. What is this puzzle? I don't know if we ever got an answer
2. In the final battle, Death said there was something that was bothering him in the back of his mind that he had put off thinking about. What was that about? Was it about the incoming snow storms? I wasn't sure
3. Finally, what happened to all of the characters now? Why were they reincarnated if there won't be another battle? Are these reincarnates going to just live their mortal life and then nothing happens after that? Or will these characters be reincarnated every few hundred years and get to experience one another just as mortals?
Absolutely love this series and I'll miss reading it so much. I feel so connected to these characters and the ending was so so so perfect.
**Spoilers**
I was anxiously awaiting the final battle, and it did not disappoint. Zara and Richter's strength by this point was incredible and it takes everyone to battle them. I was disappointed in the crew with how weak they seem. If Zara and richter grew to be so strong, why did tarch peeter out so quickly? Why did Gabe go after the copter when she hadn't taken a hit yet? And when joules was hit, I thought it meant he had a direct hit on Zara, not the other way around. These things devastated me!
And then comes the death of Death. This is the point I started openly crying reading the book! He made it all the way through defeating Zara, and then the copter or whatever backfired on him? His note to Evie explaining the chink in his armor was so tragic and so well written!
When Evie turns on all her powers and truly becomes the red witch: YES! this is another moment that has been building for so long! She is pure devastation. This part kind of reminded me of what it is like to be depressed, and felt like symbolism for that. Do you let it completely overwhelm you and take over and sink into this dark feeling? Or do you look to those you love and pull yourself out of it? When they all started spinning and repopulating the earth, this felt like so much hope.
Her getting to live another 60 years with Jack... With kids and grandkids... beautiful. I had a feeling they would return to Haven and go back to where it all began, and this did not disappoint!
Ivy/Evie reincarnated - I'm so glad we got this ending! I was really hoping we'd get this ending and get an answer to what happens in the next life.
Matthew's last sacrifice... Omg. I started to wonder if he would let Evie live her whole life and decide to be the last winner himself. But when it actually came time and he was seconds away from his own death and had to spend hundreds of years suffering? Heartbreaking.
And the very last chapter?
I. Choose. Both.
Get it girl!!!
A couple of lingering questions I have:
1. There was a moment where Jack and Kentarch are talking in the bunker after Jack has a call with one of the potentials. Tarch says the upcoming fight is a "battle to end all battles" and then he solved a puzzle and was going to think about it a little more. What is this puzzle? I don't know if we ever got an answer
2. In the final battle, Death said there was something that was bothering him in the back of his mind that he had put off thinking about. What was that about? Was it about the incoming snow storms? I wasn't sure
3. Finally, what happened to all of the characters now? Why were they reincarnated if there won't be another battle? Are these reincarnates going to just live their mortal life and then nothing happens after that? Or will these characters be reincarnated every few hundred years and get to experience one another just as mortals?
Absolutely love this series and I'll miss reading it so much. I feel so connected to these characters and the ending was so so so perfect.
Kresley Cole you finally did it. You finished the series ive been waiting since 2019 to finish! And. It. Was. Worth. It!!! I genuinely expected to be disappointed in any ending to this series, but no. Im satisfied and at peace. Pat yourself on the back Mrs. Cole. I forgive you for your delay and applaud your ability to bring a series to its conclusion gracefully.
I don’t have the mental capacity to write a full review right now. I have never cried so much in a book. This was perfection.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Yes
The ending left me feeling unfulfilled for a series that I really liked.
Right. In. The. Gut.
I am… ughhh I am BEYOND speechless! The emotional rollercoaster I just stepped off of still has me reeling. I know people say it all the time, but this final installment WAS WORTH THE WAIT. Every time I thought the story would go one way, Kresley threw in a curveball I didn’t see coming and it smacked me silly. I ugly cried. I felt my soul cry. I had to put it down to try and deal with what I read only to snatch it back up and tearfully read through— if you’ve read any of Kresley’s stories before you KNOW exactly what I am talking about. Kresley, thank you for giving us this fantastical end.
I am… ughhh I am BEYOND speechless! The emotional rollercoaster I just stepped off of still has me reeling. I know people say it all the time, but this final installment WAS WORTH THE WAIT. Every time I thought the story would go one way, Kresley threw in a curveball I didn’t see coming and it smacked me silly. I ugly cried. I felt my soul cry. I had to put it down to try and deal with what I read only to snatch it back up and tearfully read through— if you’ve read any of Kresley’s stories before you KNOW exactly what I am talking about. Kresley, thank you for giving us this fantastical end.
Good ending to the series. I cried - in several places. It was inevitable some would perish, so I was expecting to be a bit emotional seeing as I spent several books with these characters. Hard to say good-bye.
Still - Evie’s badda$$ powers took way too long to show up. I got a little tired of her never being able to unleash her Empress power until the very, very, very end. Sigh
Still - Evie’s badda$$ powers took way too long to show up. I got a little tired of her never being able to unleash her Empress power until the very, very, very end. Sigh
I didn’t have high hopes. It was too many years since the book was suppose to be released.
It took me awhile to get through the first 50%. A few things kind of confused me. Like they could all of a sudden text on the sat phones when they never mentioned they could before but it was cute seeing their interactions that way.
Anyone who was team Jack or team Aric I think got a HEA. Though I do feel like she did Aric dirty with his “ending”. His letters to Evie and Jack had me crying.
I was not expecting at all to have cried so hard during a couple scenes. I think because it’s been so many years I was fully invested.
“I wasn’t the only one; my baby looked for him around every corner. And weirdly, Tee always woke at two in the morning, his arms eagerly raised. Each time Aric didn’t appear, Tee would cry.”
“Besides, an Empress belongs in Haven.”
“Woman, you got my heart. If you die, it goes with you. What good am I without it?”
He dug into his pocket, pulling free the red ribbon. He tried to hand it to me. “For Domīnija.”
It took me awhile to get through the first 50%. A few things kind of confused me. Like they could all of a sudden text on the sat phones when they never mentioned they could before but it was cute seeing their interactions that way.
Anyone who was team Jack or team Aric I think got a HEA. Though I do feel like she did Aric dirty with his “ending”. His letters to Evie and Jack had me crying.
I was not expecting at all to have cried so hard during a couple scenes. I think because it’s been so many years I was fully invested.
“I wasn’t the only one; my baby looked for him around every corner. And weirdly, Tee always woke at two in the morning, his arms eagerly raised. Each time Aric didn’t appear, Tee would cry.”
“Besides, an Empress belongs in Haven.”
“Woman, you got my heart. If you die, it goes with you. What good am I without it?”
He dug into his pocket, pulling free the red ribbon. He tried to hand it to me. “For Domīnija.”
adventurous
dark
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kresley, you mad lad, you pulled it off!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Get ready for an epic ride! Kresley Cole's From
the grave not only delivers a thrilling conclusion
to the Arcana Chronicles but also answers the
lingering questions that have kept readers on
the edge of their seats for five years. Kresley
beautifully wraps up the series as Empress
Evie faces the Emperor and Fortune. This is a
tale filled with so much emotion, twists, and
shocking discoveries. The wait was worth it
brace yourself for a gripping and deeply
satisfying finale.
the grave not only delivers a thrilling conclusion
to the Arcana Chronicles but also answers the
lingering questions that have kept readers on
the edge of their seats for five years. Kresley
beautifully wraps up the series as Empress
Evie faces the Emperor and Fortune. This is a
tale filled with so much emotion, twists, and
shocking discoveries. The wait was worth it
brace yourself for a gripping and deeply
satisfying finale.