It’s time to say goodbye to some series I’ve been reading! I feel a lot of series are concluding this year and while I’m always sad to say goodbye, it helps the tbr pile a little, let’s be real. Today, I’m talking about The Crown by Kiera Cass (can I laugh if books are added in the series again? But I hope she won’t do that) and Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins.
Lady Renegades (Rebel Belle #3) by Rachel Hawkins
Published: April 5th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: young adult, fantasy
Goodreads summary: Just as Harper Price starts coming to terms with her role as David Stark’s battle-ready Paladin, protector, and girlfriend—her world goes crazy all over again.
Overwhelmed by his Oracle powers, David flees Pine Grove and starts turning teenage girls into Paladins—and these young ladies seem to think that Harper is the enemy David needs protecting from. Ordinarily, Harper would be able to fight off any Paladin who comes her way, but her powers have been dwindling since David left town…which means her life is on the line yet again.
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings the fun once again in the finale of this pitch-perfect romantic paranormal comedy series.
REVIEW
I read the first two books in the series last
year and while I really enjoyed the first one, I found that the second one was
pretty much a filler. I liked this one better, but it still wasn’t as good as
Rebel Belle. In fact, my main problem was how short it was: it’s not even 300
pages long!
In my opinion, the plot isn’t one you find in finales:
it was about finding David for almost the whole book, I would have liked that
part to be shorter. I enjoyed that in the beginning, the lives of the
characters were back to normal, with summer jobs, but it didn’t last long.
Indeed, the action picked up right at the end of the first chapter and it put
me right into this world again. But after the characters left, I found the
quest to be repetitive, even though there were some action-packed scenes and
revelations. Once David was found, there were only 30 pages left or something,
which made the ending feel rushed, even if I liked it. Still, Lady Renegades was so much fun to read,
because the fantasy aspect wasn’t too heavy and the characters made me laugh.
My favourite part was clearly the characters.
In Rebel Belle, when Harper Price was
introduced, she felt like a typical Mary Sue, but then she was confronted to
tricky situations, because she acquired powers by accident. She went through a
lot during this series, but she was still so much to read about. In this instalment,
I liked that the author focused on her friendship with Bee. I even came to like
Blythe, who was more of an antagonist in the first books, because of the
decisions she made, but also her backstory. Basically, she saved the day, in
the end, when she didn’t have to. I wished we had seen more of David, he’s so
much fun to read about when he’s bickering with Harper. Also, I felt like Ryan
was left behind, because he chose not to come, and then we saw him in another
scene and that was all.
Overall, this was a good trilogy and I
liked it more than Hex Hall, Rachel Hawkins’ first trilogy. The premise was
original, but this effect only lasted in the first book. In Lady Renegades, I liked that the
characters went through so much development, but I would have liked the plot to
be more complex, because it didn’t feel like a finale. In fact, I wanted Miss Mayhen and Lady Renegades to be longer, or maybe it should have been a
duology. I think some readers won’t see the final twist coming, which made the
series end on a bittersweet note.
The Crown (The Selection #5) by Kiera Cass
Published: May 3rd 2016 by HarperTeen
Genre: young adult, dystopia, romance
Goodreads summary: Kiera Cass’s bestselling Selection series has enchanted readers from the very first page. Now the end of the journey is here, in a wonderfully romantic series finale that will sweep you off your feet.
Twenty years have passed since the events of The One, and America and Maxon’s daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own. Princess Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you... and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.
The Selection series has sold more than 3 million copies and captured the hearts of fans around the world. This swoon-worthy final installment is the happily ever after they’ve all been waiting for.
REVIEW
In this series, the books were fun and quick to
read, this one was no exception. Like so many reviewers, I had mixed feelings
about The Heir, mainly because Eadlyn
was so self-centred and arrogant. I think I liked this one slightly better, but
I found that everything that happened was convenient and a little bit rushed.
Maybe I’m wrong – I read the Heir last year – but I felt like between these two instalments,
Eadlyn drastically changed, but I liked her more this way. She went from this
spoiled little princess to a caring and open young woman. I can believe that
she had potential to become like that, but it felt sudden and that it wasn’t
the same character as in the first one. Let’s be real, I was pretty sure about
who she would pick and I was totally right, it’s not even funny when it happens…
Anyway, I liked the boys that were still in the Elite and they all deserved a
chance. There was a plot twist about one of them I didn’t see coming and I was
pleased about, though. The romance aspect is something I enjoyed in this one,
much more than in the Heir, because
Eadlyn was more open to it. However,
there is an epilogue and I felt like it was utterly useless. I found that the
last chapter was enough to wrap up the romance and that the epilogue was way
too cheesy and didn’t have a purpose.
I also felt like everything that happened was
pretty convenient, it just happened, poof. In the end, it was just a book to
make (pretty much) everything right again for Eadlyn, but it’s not life. In my opinion, this book should have been
longer, since it’s the finale of a five books long series (sort of). It should
have been a way to say goodbye to this world, but it just felt similar to the
others. It would have been time to expand the world but ha! As if. There are
some loose ends I wanted to be deepened – like Eadlyn’s twin said there were
complications about something but it was never explained.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this one, it was
quick and fun, but it doesn’t stand out among all the books I read. I liked
Eadlyn more in The Crown, because she
had character development, but it felt way too quick. I would have liked the
loose ends to be explored but Kiera Cass stayed in what should be expected.
Have you read any of these series? What do you think of them? Have you read these finales yet?
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