Endure

urbangirlreview - This is the third book in the series so I'm going to assume that most people reading this review have read the first two books. To the people deciding if they should read the third book in the series: why wouldn't you finish the series? Not finishing would be like eating only half a cookie. Why would anyone do that?!? I tell you - no one! Most of us when it comes to cookies or the final book of a series are like the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. What I thought of the book: To be honest, it was a disappointing conclusion to a series that started great. Most of the book was spent trying to build it to a climax which is not how a final book should be. It should be in the thick of the climax; not building it. What made it worse was that I wasn't engaged with the storyline or characters. Characters could die and I wouldn't care one bit. It felt like the author was giving us crumbs of a cookie not a gooey, chewy, M&M filled cookie. I could see the potential but it just didn't deliver.

October 1, 2015
This trilogy conclusion sends a girl warrior all over fantasyland, a trail of bodies behind her. Alas, the shoddy worldbuilding and B-movie plotting of the first two books carry over here. When the robed villain Manu de Reich os Deos]"The Right Hand of God," he claims]attacks Alexa and King Damian in the throne room, Alexa can wait no longer. Though she's a member of Damian's personal guard and his affianced bride, she can think of no better plan than disobeying her king's order: she hares off after captured Rylan (ostensibly her second love interest). She travels through a fantasyland packed with flora and fauna from South America and Asia and whose cities have African names. In the nation of Dansii, Alexa is taken captive and becomes the prisoner of King Armando, the blue-eyed maniac who rules his people with a potent combination of mad science and black sorcery. With Alexa's unwilling help, he intends to conquer the world, for he's convinced that her blood holds a powerful magic. Alexa will never survive without the parade of men and women who sacrifice themselves to help her return to Damian. She must fight after unbelievable physical suffering: days of being bled with primitive syringes while deprived of sufficient food and water on a brutally hot desert journey. A deus ex machina conclusion leaves all that sacrifice seeming sadly pointless. Aspires to paint-by-numbers quest fantasy but falls short even of that. (Fantasy. 11-13)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-In the final installment of the "Defy" trilogy (Scholastic), protagonist Alexa Hollen continues to prove herself a resilient and devoted leader. After escaping her captor, the evil sorcerer Rafe, Alexa returns to Antion, forced to leave her most loyal friend Rylan behind. The heroine is determined to go back for him. She finds herself torn because of her love for King Damian, her bond with Rylan, and the secret she holds that could destroy them. Although reluctant to let her go, Damian accepts Alexa's promise that she will return to him and sends her off with their close confidant, the sorcerer Eljin. During Alexa and Eljin's journey, they are taken captive by King Armando's army. Here he reveals his evil intentions for the future of the three kingdoms. Alexa must now find a way to save her loved ones, her kingdom, and, most of all, herself. Although the novel's pacing is sometimes slow, it doesn't affect the story's overall appeal. The main characters develop well over the course of the narrative, and the themes of love and loyalty are well woven throughout. Larson creates a dynamic female protagonist in Alexa. She is independent and strong, a protector and rescuer. Fans will be very satisfied with this final journey. VERDICT Purchase where the series is popular.-Bernice La Porta, Susan E. Wagner High School, Staten Island, NY

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