End of Days – Book Review

Penryn & the End of Days #3

Published Date: May 12, 2015

Publishing Co.: Skyscape

Pages: 344

Synopsis to Goodreads.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

My reviews of the first two books in the series: Angelfall & World After

These books are so breezy and fun to read it’s unbelievable. It may be a strange thing to say about a series that continues to be pretty dark in content and brutally violent, but that’s just how this girl rolls.

The big showdown is coming. A showdown among the angels themselves to establish a leader and then a showdown between angels and what is left of humanity. Some of the answers to Raffe and Penryn’s problems can only be found in Hell. (What a vibrant and torturous description of Hell it was. It was my favorite part of the book.)

There is a price on Penryn’s head placed there by Uriel, the angel trying desperately to bring about the End of Days. Surviving an apocalypse is hard, it only gets worse when the prize for capturing you is safety from the angels. Stack on top of that, relationship problems. Really, this is where the story loses a ½ star for me. The struggle of the will they or won’t they be together is real, and I could totally get down with it, except that suddenly, fierce warrior Penryn, seems to like the idea of Raffe taking care of her. Providing her with food and protection befitting a queen. And really, that’s not the type of girl Penryn has played out to be until this installment. She’s been perfectly capable of surviving, killing, defending herself and her family. Raffe has up until now, always stepped in when the odds were against her making it out on her own. Suddenly, she needs be a pampered princess? I get that fighting to survive every day probably gets old real fast, and spending the rest of your days curled up in a cabin while your man brings you home dinner and takes care of any danger sounds like a mighty grand idea. But it’s only grand in theory. Penryn doesn’t seem like the kind of girl to sit around and let everyone else do things for her and quite frankly, that’s what I adored about her.

Plus, doesn’t that mean if they’re together that Raffe will eventually suffer for eternity in Hell? (Seems like an unfair trade.) There’s really not an answer to that since it’s never really solved what the fuck happened to God or the Messenger Michael and if their stances on the Daughters of Men has changed.

So, you know, a few questions left unanswered. Ultimately though, I read this book in two sittings because there was still so much action, adventure, and cunning humans to keep me glued to it. One of the best YA fantasy series I’ve read, despite a mediocre middle book and a character shift that bummed me out a little.

Angelfall – Book Review

5 out of 5 stars

I went into this book not expecting much based on the summary and was sucker punched in the solar plexus.

Surprised at how damn good it was to say the least.

Not only is this teenage girl, Penryn, trying to survive an apocalypse but she’s doing so while taking care of her paralyzed sister and psychotic mother.

As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate (sometimes only cat food) she comes across battling angels. Oh, and angels are apparently the cause of the apocalypse, but we don’t learn how or why in this book. Anyway, back to the facts. She comes across battling angels and feels that the one losing is at an unfair advantage, you know because the other guys cut off his wings obviously and it’s three against one after all. Penryn tosses him his sword that fell away sometime during said battle. He promptly kicks two out of three asses and Penryn is rewarded for her help by the third angel stealing off with her little sister.
Though stunned by the turn in events, she formulates a plan. Kidnap the unconscious, wingless angel because he must know where the angels take children. This is where the bloody good ruthlessness kicks in. Penryn holds his severed wings hostage to get him to help her.

It works.

Henceforth, they roam together across a ravaged land, dodging angels and the street gangs who sell angel parts in a weird kind of black market. This book was surprisingly fucking brutal. I mean, I was impressed. I had the mind frame to write down examples but I was so sucked into this book that I just couldn’t pause long enough, except for those stupid life things that get in the way, like sleeping, eating and work. (Really tired of your crap sleep cycle. Stop interrupting books.)

This is a post apocalyptic world, why sugar coat it? But so many authors do and that is why I appreciate this book so much.