Title: The Descent
Author: Alma Katsu
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: January 2014
Genre: Adult Fiction/Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book Three
Synopsis can be found here.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Review:
Lanore, Lanore, Lanore.
If you read my blog, then you know I’m a big fan of this series. There’s darkness, blood, sex and revenge. There’s hate and love and rage. And so I had high hopes for this final installment to the trilogy.
Lanore has sought after Adair, to the ends of the Earth, to a mysterious island. There she finds him with some… um, company. She must ask him for his help, to save her beloved Jonathan from the Queen of the Underworld. And only he can help her. But at what cost will Lanore go to save Jonathan? And by the end, is Jonathan really the one she wants to save?
I love Adair. Yes, he is rather evil. But he is still the most complex and interesting of the characters in the series. As we follow Lanore’s quest into the Underworld to find Jonathan, the story flips to Adair’s time spent on Earth while she is gone. His character has shown the most dramatic shift, the larges growth and the most compassion. And really, this story is Adair’s story because we finally find out where he is from and what his dark history is. I loved it.
Lanore is still selfish. She makes my eyes roll, but she also has grown quite a bit. At least she is trying hard to be a better person, now on this mission to save her childhood love. And through her journey, she makes peace with those she loves. And maybe realizes what we all knew all along? That Jonathan isn’t the right guy for her? <gasp!>
There are a couple of strange tangents woven into the story, such as Adair’s house guests and their ulterior motives. And while they didn’t bother me, I felt like they took away the focus from Adair and Lenore’s journey. Without giving too much away, I would have loved to see more of Adair in the Underworld. Katsu has crafted a truly grotesque and disturbing Underworld, filled with barbaric demons and a dark overtone of madness and sexual deviance. I love each of her worlds in her novels. Adair’s past is such a cool twist, I was genuinely pleased and surprised when that was revealed. Wow. Didn’t see that coming, but now that you mention it- makes sense!
That brings us to the end. While I did enjoy the ending, and was somewhat satisfied, I’m not sure if I really believed the last few pages. What happens is maybe a little too neat and clean for me, given the obstacles Adair and Lanore have to overcome. But in the end, I’m happy with the trilogy. The series is strong and dark and I’ll be happy to enter Katsu’s world again soon.
Rating 7 Would Recommend
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.
This sounds like an interesting series. I am sad to hear that the last few pages were a bit disappointing.
The rest of the series totally makes up for it though! I think it’s a little too harsh/edgy for some people but I thought it was wild!
See, I just got Divergent as a gift for Christmas by one of my fellow coworkers and I haven’t read any of them. So now that I’ve read your review, this will be a must read during my Christmas down time!
i like how you did this book i need new way to do the book review s when i do them