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Monday, May 4, 2015

Review: End of Days by Susan Ee


End of Days by Susan Ee
Book Three of the Penryn & the End of Days series
Publisher: Skyscape
Publication Date: May 12, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

What I Liked:

I almost feel bad about getting to read this book early. I didn't have to suffer and wait like the rest of you at all. I read Angelfall in March, and World After in March (2015), and now I've read End of Days, in early May! I'm not bragging because there's nothing to brag about - I had no desire to read this series, to be honest. My bloggy friend Pili kept nudging me towards the series, and when the first two were made available on NetGalley in March, I jumped at the chance to binge-read the series!

So, just like Angelfall (which was technically my February Pili-Pushed book), and World After (which was my March Pili-Pushed book), End of Days is my May Pili-Pushed book! To see all of my reviews of Pili-Pushed books, click on the "Pili-Pushed" tag at the bottom of my blog!

In this "explosive conclusion" to the quite popular trilogy that has been torturing most of you all for three years, Penryn and Raffe must deal with an entirely new threat to the world - or several of them. The angels following Uriel are bent on killing humans, and Uriel and his scientists have constructed a new horror to unleash on humans. But there's also something that will threaten angels too - angels that don't support Uriel's mission to become Messenger. Penryn fights for her family's safety, as well as for all the humans around her. Raffe struggles to find a doctor to sew back his wings - so he can take on Uriel once and for all.

I struggled a bit with World After - it was predictable for me, and kind of stagnant. I liked Angelfall though. This book was redemption! It could have easily gone south, but I enjoyed it, and I'm glad. Wouldn't it be so disappointing if a book you've been waiting to read for years was terrible? I haven't been waiting for years (it hasn't even been months for me), but I know a lot of you have been waiting for years.

One thing that I really noticed and I was quite pleased about was the romance. FINALLY, the romance takes off from where it was in Angelfall and World After. One of my complaints in my review of World After was that I didn't like how the romance wasn't really addressed. It was just kind of barely there, and the author didn't do much with it. In this book, the romance is very much addressed. Raffe and Penryn push and pull each other, and at first it seems like things aren't going anywhere yet again. But it's clear that while Raffe wants to respect the laws of the angels, he cares about Penryn. And we know how Penryn feels about Raffe.

I think this book is the least creepy of the three, which is weird, considering where Penryn and Raffe have to go for help, and the new creatures that are unleashed by Uriel. But I wasn't as scared or creeped out by this book was I was with the other two book. Good thing or bad thing, take that as you may.

Penryn and Raffe find themselves descending into this type of Hell to get help against Uriel. Literally my favorite part of the book, to be honest. The people they're trying to find are HILARIOUS. I'm trying not to give too much away, but I really loved this part of the book and must point that out!

We continue to see Penryn grow in this book. She has to make difficult decisions just like in the last two books, especially when it comes to Raffe. Paige also grows up in this novel, and her role in the story is critical. Penryn's mother is still wacky, and we don't get any answers about her and her shenanigans at all (disappointing). Raffe is a very prominent part of this book, and even he undergoes character development, despite being a fairly static character.

I already mentioned the romance - it was my favorite aspect of the book. The chemistry between Raffe and Penryn has always been there, throughout each book. In this book, we get a little more than just chemistry and sparks. I absolutely love that Ee takes what Raffe and Penryn have to another level, despite both of them still in denial about what's between them. You will be very satisfied with the romance!

You'll be satisfied with the ending in general! It's a great ending, with sacrifices and bittersweet aspects and an overall good feeling. There is something that HAS to happen at the end of the book, and I know it bothered one person who has also already the book; the thing is, that thing HAD to happened. And it makes the story that much more better, that much more real. The ending is not cookie cutter perfect, but it fits the series like a glove. It's a good one, I promise! In all aspects.

What I Did Not Like:

The one thing that still irks me is that I still don't understand Penryn's mother! There are no answers provided, in terms of why she is the way she is! Maybe the author just wants us to think that she is crazy and it's a helpful kind of crazy? I don't know. It's open to interpretation!

Would I Recommend It:

In any case, I would absolutely recommend this book! It's a very good end to the series, quite possibly my favorite of the three. After been slightly disappointed by World After, I can safely say that I am content with the series, after reading this book!

Rating:

4 stars. I'm glad peer pressure got to me and I finally read this book! It was worth every page, and I am certain that, for everyone else, it is worth waiting years to read.


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

My reviews of: Angelfall | World After

13 comments:

  1. Sends the evil eye your way

    LOL! That's funny you got to binge read a series that was pushed on you. It does feel like ages since I read World After but luckily B&N got this early, so I ordered it and hopefully will get it by the end of the week. Looking forward to seeing how things get wrapped up, though I can't remember what happened in the last one. Some things are starting to come back vaguely but hopefully that will change once I start this one!

    Very nice review! Dying to know what this ending is like now!

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    1. LOL. Thank you! Haha. I hope you get to read it slightly early, Jessica! Crossing my fingers that you will love this one. Thank you!

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  2. I am one of those people waiting for years to read this book! I read Angelfall when it wasn't popular already.
    Anyway, I'm happy you got the chance to read this book early, I loved to read your review and know that it'll worth the wait! Can't wait to read it!

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    1. Good! Definitely binge-read the series, if you're interested! I personally think it was a smart idea ;D Thank you so much!

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  3. Good for Pili for pushing it on you! So glad to hear you enjoyed the series overall~ I've only read Angelfall so far but loved it so looking forward to getting to the next two books :D

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    1. Right?! She rocks! I hope you love the rest of the series, Eileen :)

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  4. YAY!! *fist pump* I'm so glad that you loved this one!! And that makes me even more excited to finally get my hands in my preorder already!!

    Great review but dammit, no answers as to why Penryn's mum has some insights?? GRRRR!!

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    1. Not too long to go! And NOPE. Ugh. That was one thing that has bothered me all series! Ahhh!

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  5. Ha, Penryn's mom is indeed crazy.

    Found your link on Carole's linky and I actually just added the same link! Ha. I'm doing a giveaway as well if you want to win a paperback copy :). It was actually my least favorite of the 3 but I still liked it.

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    1. LOL. Given that I already have an ARC and a paperback copy... thanks but no thanks!

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  6. Yesss. So happy that you are loving the romance in this book sweetie :D Now I'm more excited about reading all three books sometime soon, lol :) Gorgeous review Alyssa. <3 So so happy that you mostly loved this final book :D YAY for that. Thank you for sharing about it. <3

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    1. YAY! I hope you enjoy this one when you read it! The romance was definitely a really positive aspect of this book, fear not. You're very welcome!

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  7. Well, I read this review after reading the series.

    Penryn's mom is schitzophrenic, it is stated in the first parts of the Angelfall (book 1), one of the reason her husband left her. And according to the behavior she shows, they're exactly the symptoms of schitzophrenia :) I think readers who have dad encounters with schitzophrenic would also understand even without it being stated just as I have felt and thought through reading the series.

    I enjoyed the whole series too but I feel like the ending didn't fit well, like it was written without much thought or written in a hurry. I just feel like it deserves more 'bang' factor just like how the other two books ended. Either too tragic or too happy to make the roller coaster ride consistent. It left me hanging in the air with frustration like a roller coaster's sloppy final loop ride T^T

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