Thursday, February 25, 2016

Review: Forest of Ruin by Kelley Armstrong


Forest of Ruin by Kelley Armstrong
Book Three of the Age of Legends series
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC borrowed (thanks, Liza!)

Summary (from Goodreads):

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes the breathtaking conclusion to the Age of Legends trilogy, perfect for fans of Graceling and Game of Thrones.

The empire rests on the edge of a knife, and sisters Ashyn and Moria are the handle and the blade. Desperate to outmaneuver the evil Alvar Kitsune, whose hold on the people grows stronger every day, Emperor Tatsu begs Moria to put aside past grievances and ally with Gavril—at least long enough to make an attempt on Alvar’s life. Meanwhile, reunited with her long-lost grandfather, Ashyn discovers that she is the key to a ritual that could reawaken an ancient dragon and turn the tide of the coming battle in their favor.

But with lies and betrayal lurking around every corner, Ashyn and Moria will have to decide once and for all where their allegiances are. And it may not be where their hearts would lead them....

In this breathtaking final book in her epic trilogy the Age of Legends, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong blends fantasy, action, and romance to give readers the unforgettable ending they’ve been waiting for.

What I Liked:

First, I'd like to thank Liza for letting me borrow her ARC. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book early, especially since it was not on Edelweiss. Thank you, Liza!

What a great conclusion to an amazing series! I loved Sea of Shadows, and really enjoyed Empire of Night, and this third book was a lovely addition and finale to the series. I'm sad to let go of the series, but at the same time, it ended so well, so it's hard to be sad!

Usually I summarize the book in my own words, like the Goodreads synopsis, but I'm afraid to do that and spoil something! I'm always hesitant with conclusion novels. But, this book picks up where the second book left off. Moria is with Gavril, and they are fleeing, but then they are caught by no ordinary highwaymen. Tyrus was separated from them. Meanwhile, Ashyn and Ronan are with someone who knows Ashyn - her grandfather - and needs her help. All the while, the war continues, and the empire is more threatened than ever by Alvar Kitsune's sorcery. Nothing is as it seems, and not everyone will survive...

I adore this series so much. Can you tell? Usually I don't like dual perspectives with two sisters, because I tend to develop a dislike for one sister. This book is written in third-person, alternating between Moria and Ashyn's POVs (they aren't together in any scenes until close to the climax of the book, so it makes sense to have both of their perspectives). Throughout this series, I have really liked both sisters. Ashyn is more quiet and calm and rational, and Moria is more blunt and impulsive and feisty. Both girls are incredibly strong and intelligent and develop immensely, from the start of the series to the end.

And so do our men! Tyrus, prince and bastard son of the emperor, has changed a lot from the beginning of the series. He is much more assertive and emperor-y, unafraid to defy his father or give orders. Ronan also undergoes really well-written character development; he's a thief looking to restore his family's warrior caste. But he has never left Ashyn, and has always protected her as best as he could. He is one of the most noble and honest (literary) thieves I know!

And finally, Gavril. Gavril is probably the most important character in this novel, and the one that changes the most. He plays an incredibly significant role in this book, and I personally think we can dub this as "his book", of the three books in the series. He is totally worth redeeming, and we come to understand some of his decisions. No excuse, but explanations.

I'll mention the romance - thank you, Armstrong, for never putting a whiff of love triangle in this series. We have two linear romances - Moria and Tyrus, Ashyn and Ronan, and honestly, the romances are barely there. Moria and Tyrus's relationship is more obvious because they have a physical aspect to it (especially in this book!), but Ashyn and Ronan have a more subtle relationship. Ashyn keeps pushing him away because she doesn't want him to give up his future and his siblings, for her. But their relationship is sweet to watch. Tyrus and Moria's relationship is fire and ice.

There are DRAGONS in this book! As one would expect, given this lovely cover. I loved the dragon that we get to see the most! But I also liked that the dragons were not a deus ex machina device. They did not solve all the problems or make the war go away. Which is good!

There were other supernatural magical creatures in this book, but terrible scary ones. I like how unique Armstrong builds anything magic-related, in this series.

The ending of this book is exactly how I like my trilogy endings - resolute, wrapped up, satisfyingly good, but not too perfect. Both sisters get a "happy ending" that fits each of them - take that as you will. I liked the ending a lot! And the book in general.

What I Did Not Like:

I can't think of anything specific! This book isn't getting five stars from me BUT it is a really great conclusion novel (and book in general)!

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book, if you've read Sea of Shadows and Empire of Night, or if you've started the series but never continued. It's also a great series to binge-read, no love triangles or painful cliffhangers or cruelties. If you're a YA high fantasy fan, give this series a try!

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. I'm really pleased with this series and I'm glad I kept going and was able to finish it (not that I was expecting not to do so). I didn't like Armstrong's Darkest Powers series, but I really enjoyed this Age of Legends trilogy!


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

24 comments:

  1. I haven't read anything by this author, but I have a couple of her books in my TBR including her adult mystery ones. This sounds like a great series though and I love that the characters all grow. And wohoo for linear romances!
    Who can resist dragons?? I'm looking forward to reading it now! :)
    Lovely review, Alyssa! I'm glad this was a good series ending for you!

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    1. I had read her Darkest Powers series YEARS ago but wasn't a fan (love triangle, lol). This series is so much better!

      I hope you enjoy it, Nick! Thank you. <3

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  2. Woowhoo! Now that the series is all published I will be reading it as soon as the school year is over! Love that it wraps up with questions answered. Plus, I adore dragons.

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    1. Binge-reading this series is a great idea, Angela! I hope you love it. =)

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  3. I have read some Armstrong novels and love her work, but have yet to read this one. Great review and that cover makes me want to start now. Dragons...YAY!
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. I adore this series! I can't recommend her Darkest Powers series and haven't read anything beyond this series and that one. But I loved this series!

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  4. Great review!! I like Her books, but I still have many left to read. I haven't even started this series yet. It looks really good though and I'm glad to see you liked the conclusion! :)

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    1. She has written so many! I highly recommend this trilogy. Thank you, Erin. :D

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  5. I still haven't read this series, but boy! how I love the covers! I'm glad you enjoyed this conclusion! I might read it soon.

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    1. AREN'T THEY GORGEOUS?! I love them so! Thank you, Lis. <3

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  6. DRAGONS :D Eeee. I love that, lol. Gorgeous review Alyssa. <3 So glad you liked this book a lot sweet girl. It do seem pretty amazing :) I must read book one soon. YAY for good romances :) And no triangle. <3 That is the best. Sounds so good. Sigh. Thank you for sharing your thoughts sweetie :)

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    1. I have a feeling that you would enjoy this series, Carina! Just make sure you sit down and binge-read them, it'll make the cliffhangers less painful. :D

      Thank you!

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  7. OOoh nice! I LOVE Kelley's books! I think the only series of hers that I didn't love completely was her Nadia Stafford (adult) series and that was a contemporary action/mystery kind of read. It was good, but I didn't love it like all her other books!

    I am really racking my brain trying to remember the details of this one! I want to say I've both books as ARCs, I know I read the second one as such, but I cannot remember what happened last go around! Would you say there's good "recapping" going on in the beginning? I usually need a little of that to get my memory going again! LOL! It's the curse of the reader to not remember all the details to all the books! That's why I cannot play trivia games! LOL!

    Great review!! Cannot wait to read this one!

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    1. Wow! You are a real fan! I think Armstrong does a good job with recapping - I didn't remember much from Empire of Night besides the ending (it was crazy!). Armstrong recaps well and she also writes this book in such a way that you don't quite need to remember things from the previous books.

      Thank you, Jessica!

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  8. Alyssa - great review. You know, I read The Summoning and just did not like it, like did not continue the series, did not like it. Have you read it? If so, would you say this is worth trying if I didn't like the Summoning? Thank you!

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    1. I mentioned that series in my review! I didn't like the Darkest Powers series, but I adored this series very much. You will like this series even if you (like me) hated the Darkest Powers books.

      You're welcome!

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    2. Awesome!!!! I will give it a shot then. Appreciate your reviews and that you always respond to my questions. :)

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    3. It's definitely worth it! And you're very welcome -- thank you for commenting. =)

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  9. YESSSS!! So happy to hear you loved this one!! I cannot wait till my copy downloads to my Kindle so I can finally read iiiit!!

    Also, ALL THE YES TO DRAGOOOONS!!!

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    1. A little over a month to go, Pili! I hope you enjoy it. =)

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  10. Kelly has too many books that I want to read, but I always find myself too caught up. I'm sure I'll get to them all eventually. Glad you enjoyed this!

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    1. She really does! I don't know how she does it. Thank you, Lekeisha! Happy reading. ^_^

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  11. Yay! I knew you'll love it Alyssa :) My review will be up this week. I adored this series as a whole, it's a great fantasy and a nice departure of Armstrong's paranormal series.

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    1. I LOVE that it's so different from her usual! I didn't like one of her paranormal series and have not returned since. ;D

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