Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: April 2010, HarperCollins Publishers
Hardcover, 391 pages
Book source: Purchased from Amazon.com
Synopsis
My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal.
But normal is one thing I'm not.
For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf.
Not normal.
My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently.
Definitely not normal.
And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.
As far away from normal as it gets.
My Thoughts
I finished this book up a couple of nights ago and my first thought was about the mixed feelings I had towards this third installment of the Darkest Powers series. On the one hand, I am curious to find out where the story is going. (And yes, I said, "going". More on that later...) On the other hand, the first, oh probably, two thirds of the book seemed to focus primarily on Chloe and what boy she was going to pick, Simon or Derek. I had already realized from the second book that she had some serious leanings towards Derek so I really wish she could have figured it out a little faster. That way, there could have been greater focus on the meat of the story: what the Edison Group has done, genetically modifying supernatural children and their powers. Instead it felt like the entire point was the budding romance between Chloe and Derek. Hence, the mixed feelings. I do enjoy a bit of romance, but when there are other serious issues that need some attention it is frustrating to wait so long to read about their progress and/or resolution.
Unfortunately because the plot of the book was not advanced as much as I would have expected, I did not feel this book lived up to its predecessor, The Awakening, which I really thought might be taking the series to a new level. Events certainly got moving in the last third of the book, but everything was crammed in to so few pages that everything just felt rushed in order to finish this book. Don't get me wrong--the last several chapters were certainly page-turners and I still want to know what is going to happen, but I sincerely hope the pacing and focus on developing the major plot-line is addressed in the next book. One thing I have enjoyed is relatively good character development with each book, and Armstrong certainly doesn't disappoint with The Reckoning.
For anyone expecting this book to completely wrap up the story and answer all of your questions, don't get your hopes up too high. Everything I have seen refers to the Darkest Powers as being a trilogy, but I don't see how there would not be another book to continue the story, with all the loose ends I see dangling out there. If there isn't another book, I must say The Reckoning provides a very unsatisfying conclusion to the trilogy. And if there is indeed a fourth book coming out, I have every intention of continuing the series to see what happens to Chloe and her friends.
My Rating:
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I really enjoyed The Reckoning, but as you said in your review, I also feel that this should be more than just a trilogy for the main purpose of tying up lose ends with the Edison group. I feel like there was some missing to the conclusion of what was going to happen there. Either way I fully enjoyed the series but would appreciate another book.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this one more than its predecessor, but I have to agree with you : I wish there would have been more on the Edison Group, and less about the romance (which was, yes, predictable a bit!). Still, I really enjoyed it! Great review :)
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