quirkylitlover's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
losetimereading's review
3.0
I thought this was a great ending but I wasn't shocked by what happened, unlike the first two books. Review to come.
****
This entire series has been one big shocker, from what the actual book is about (definitely not contemporary thriller like I initially thought) to who was guilty and participating in the events. So needless to say I couldn’t wait to find out what was actually going on in Juniper Landing!
The thing I noticed the most about Endless was that it wasn’t as focused on the characters as the previous books, which makes sense seeing what happened in the previous two books. I went into this with plot, plot, plot in my mind and Kate Brian definitely delivered on that. We already seen the characters, and more prominently Rory, develop in the previous books so it was nice to settle into a final book where we were already comfortable with the characters. Well, I use comfortable loosely because I was certainly still suspicious this time around as well. There are a few new characters introduced, but for the most part, it’s the same group as Shadowlands and Hereafter. There are two new people who are introduced, the Tse twins, and holy smokes they gave me the creeps! I was on edge whenever they were around … Kate Brian really does a great job with building creepy and suspicious people!
When I said that I wasn’t shocked that Tristan was the one involved in the shenanigans on the island in my review for Here After, I really wasn’t shocked at the time. Then within about 20 pages into Endless, I really started to believe that perhaps we were tricked into thinking it was Tristan in the last book and he really wasn’t the guilty party. This mood carries on throughout the course of the novel and I was equal parts torn with wanting him to be innocent because him and Rory, and wanting him to be guilty because I couldn’t believe that we were tricked like that at the end of Hereafter!
I found the pacing of Endless a bit slow. I thought that at times the story dragged on, and things could have progressed quite a bit faster than they did. Other than that the plot was there, the element of suspicion was still there, and also a few twists just like the other books in the series.
One thing that I had to comment on, and I just found kind of disjointed and unneccessary, was the odd love triangle that happened in Endless. Tristan, Julian and Rory? It was just weird and didn’t really fit the theme of the book for me. It wasn’t BAD, and I can see how it could have happened as Rory was needing someone to be there for her, but just… odd.
Sadly, I figured out who was behind all of the nasty happenings on the island pretty early on. Well, I won’t say I figured it out exactly, I just guessed and held onto that guess to the end and it turned out I was right. I was pretty disappointed that after a series that really kept me on my toes, suspicion-wise, that aspect turned out to be pretty lackluster for me. NOW… the ending was perfect for me. Just perfect, I love how it was wrapped up very well and how everything turned out. Obviously I won’t give away anymore than that, but there are certain things that happen at the end that just warmed my little heart!
Although Endless wasn’t my favorite of the series and despite my issues with the pacing and the ‘big reveal’, I still definitely recommend this book and most certainly the entire series. It’s an interesting, edge-of-your-seat, unique read and from the beginning to the end of the trilogy, I was completely invested.
****
This entire series has been one big shocker, from what the actual book is about (definitely not contemporary thriller like I initially thought) to who was guilty and participating in the events. So needless to say I couldn’t wait to find out what was actually going on in Juniper Landing!
The thing I noticed the most about Endless was that it wasn’t as focused on the characters as the previous books, which makes sense seeing what happened in the previous two books. I went into this with plot, plot, plot in my mind and Kate Brian definitely delivered on that. We already seen the characters, and more prominently Rory, develop in the previous books so it was nice to settle into a final book where we were already comfortable with the characters. Well, I use comfortable loosely because I was certainly still suspicious this time around as well. There are a few new characters introduced, but for the most part, it’s the same group as Shadowlands and Hereafter. There are two new people who are introduced, the Tse twins, and holy smokes they gave me the creeps! I was on edge whenever they were around … Kate Brian really does a great job with building creepy and suspicious people!
When I said that I wasn’t shocked that Tristan was the one involved in the shenanigans on the island in my review for Here After, I really wasn’t shocked at the time. Then within about 20 pages into Endless, I really started to believe that perhaps we were tricked into thinking it was Tristan in the last book and he really wasn’t the guilty party. This mood carries on throughout the course of the novel and I was equal parts torn with wanting him to be innocent because him and Rory, and wanting him to be guilty because I couldn’t believe that we were tricked like that at the end of Hereafter!
I found the pacing of Endless a bit slow. I thought that at times the story dragged on, and things could have progressed quite a bit faster than they did. Other than that the plot was there, the element of suspicion was still there, and also a few twists just like the other books in the series.
One thing that I had to comment on, and I just found kind of disjointed and unneccessary, was the odd love triangle that happened in Endless. Tristan, Julian and Rory? It was just weird and didn’t really fit the theme of the book for me. It wasn’t BAD, and I can see how it could have happened as Rory was needing someone to be there for her, but just… odd.
Sadly, I figured out who was behind all of the nasty happenings on the island pretty early on. Well, I won’t say I figured it out exactly, I just guessed and held onto that guess to the end and it turned out I was right. I was pretty disappointed that after a series that really kept me on my toes, suspicion-wise, that aspect turned out to be pretty lackluster for me. NOW… the ending was perfect for me. Just perfect, I love how it was wrapped up very well and how everything turned out. Obviously I won’t give away anymore than that, but there are certain things that happen at the end that just warmed my little heart!
Although Endless wasn’t my favorite of the series and despite my issues with the pacing and the ‘big reveal’, I still definitely recommend this book and most certainly the entire series. It’s an interesting, edge-of-your-seat, unique read and from the beginning to the end of the trilogy, I was completely invested.
honeyjanvier's review
3.0
loved the first two but this one fell kinda flat:( kinda wished rory choose joaquin in the end, they had so much chemistry
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review
3.0
We pick up where Hereafter left off with Tristan and Naida missing. Rory is confused as ever. Why would they flee if they weren't guilty? How could Tristan have betrayed her so badly? Will she ever get get father out of the Shadowlands? The island is crazier than ever... no one is being ushered in fear they will go to the wrong place, but this is throwing the balance of Juniper Island into whack. The weather is in a constant stormy/foggy state and people are sick and hurt and acting weird. The Lifers need to find Tristan and Nadia and restore order before the balance tips too far and everyone is sent to Oblivion.
My Thoughts:
This was not my favorite series ender. Sigh... no, not at all. This series is so disconjointed, it felt like I read 2 separate series instead of one. The first book I LOVED!!! It was thrilling, exciting, and super-suprising. The second book was okay, but the insta-love with Rory and Tristan got to me. And this one was kind of boring and very R.L. Stine-ish.
We have Rory, Joaquin, and the rest of the island frantically searching for the 2 rogue Lifers. The mayor has halted all usherings in fear that more good people will go to the Shadowlands and bad people will wind up in the Light. Until the tainted coin situation can be taken care of, nothing can happen. Unfortunately, this is disturbing the balance of the island, and also causing major overcrowding. Rory, of course, feels hurt and betrayed by Tristan because she thought they were "soulmates".
The rest of the book is generally them running around after red herrings and trying to figure out how to get the island back to its' peaceful state. One thing I did like was the atmosphere the author created here. I liked how creepy the island became with the weather and the psycho bad people running around. I just wasn't enthralled with the same focus for the entire book. There is also a love triangle in this book that didn't work for me. With the insta-love carrying over from the second book, I of course found myself on the wrong side of the triangle (I'm not a big love-at-fist-sight kind of gal, sorry).
The ending wraps everything up. No big questions left unanswered... and yet, I just didn't like the ending. I'm all about a HEA, but not when they're TOO perfect and things are glossed over. Plus I figured out who the bad person was WAY early, so that killed the suspense leading up to this rosey, happy ending. Also there were some complicated things going on that sort of just worked out without really being explained how or why. There was too much build up for the book to end with one easy swoop the way it did. I know this review sounds kind of down... but that's how I felt after finishing this. The series started out so strong, and I just expected that to carry through. I would still recommend trying these books though. The first book is excellent and you might like the love story a lot better than I did. Plus the concept of the series is pretty unique.
OVERALL: Not the strongest series ender. Insta-love + Love Triangle = Not a good thing. It was nice to find out what the heck was going on, but I didn't buy the HEA or the love story. I would still rec the series because the first 2 books were good, and this 3rd book isn't bad.... it just wasn't as strong.
My Blog:
My Thoughts:
This was not my favorite series ender. Sigh... no, not at all. This series is so disconjointed, it felt like I read 2 separate series instead of one. The first book I LOVED!!! It was thrilling, exciting, and super-suprising. The second book was okay, but the insta-love with Rory and Tristan got to me. And this one was kind of boring and very R.L. Stine-ish.
We have Rory, Joaquin, and the rest of the island frantically searching for the 2 rogue Lifers. The mayor has halted all usherings in fear that more good people will go to the Shadowlands and bad people will wind up in the Light. Until the tainted coin situation can be taken care of, nothing can happen. Unfortunately, this is disturbing the balance of the island, and also causing major overcrowding. Rory, of course, feels hurt and betrayed by Tristan because she thought they were "soulmates".
The rest of the book is generally them running around after red herrings and trying to figure out how to get the island back to its' peaceful state. One thing I did like was the atmosphere the author created here. I liked how creepy the island became with the weather and the psycho bad people running around. I just wasn't enthralled with the same focus for the entire book. There is also a love triangle in this book that didn't work for me. With the insta-love carrying over from the second book, I of course found myself on the wrong side of the triangle (I'm not a big love-at-fist-sight kind of gal, sorry).
The ending wraps everything up. No big questions left unanswered... and yet, I just didn't like the ending. I'm all about a HEA, but not when they're TOO perfect and things are glossed over. Plus I figured out who the bad person was WAY early, so that killed the suspense leading up to this rosey, happy ending. Also there were some complicated things going on that sort of just worked out without really being explained how or why. There was too much build up for the book to end with one easy swoop the way it did. I know this review sounds kind of down... but that's how I felt after finishing this. The series started out so strong, and I just expected that to carry through. I would still recommend trying these books though. The first book is excellent and you might like the love story a lot better than I did. Plus the concept of the series is pretty unique.
OVERALL: Not the strongest series ender. Insta-love + Love Triangle = Not a good thing. It was nice to find out what the heck was going on, but I didn't buy the HEA or the love story. I would still rec the series because the first 2 books were good, and this 3rd book isn't bad.... it just wasn't as strong.
My Blog:
bpaul02's review
4.0
I am a big fan of the Shadowlands trilogy. I think all three were an enjoyable read. All three had an interesting twist and it was exciting to uncover.
However, I feel Endless didn't have the same punch as the last two.
******SPOILERS*******
First off Rorys mission from the ending of Here After throughout Endless was saving her family & others from the Shadowlands. She accomplishes this and even gets to see her family.
But then she throws it away to stay with Tristan. She wanted Darcy to be a lifer because she didn't want to be without her in Here After but all of a sudden at the end of End Less she throws it away for Tristan.
I also don't agree with the fact that she chose Tristan. Their relationship felt rushed and not genuine. They hardly know eachother and yet they love eachother. No, just no.
With Joaquin it was genuine, he always wanted to be honest with her when Tristan wanted to keep things from her. He stood by her side when things went to shit while Tristan became closed off and unwilling to accept that things could be a different way. Joaquin also protected her when Tristan kept his distance & when he was on the run. Ugh. Come on Kate Brian! The hand holding for comfort, the heat from grazing knees, the library and the beach kisses!!! Joaquin & Rory should of been forever. He mattered to her and her to him.
Honestly, I was expecting her to realize she belong to Joaquin and run after him. They reunite in the library tower and she declares her undying love. I guess fan fiction might have to make it happen.
I also feel Tristan should have been the bad guy in the end. He was so easily trusted after getting his head bashed that it could of been a setup to finish the job. He could of had Nadia killed because she caught him in the act. So then he kidnapped her so she couldn't tell. Pete being his henchmen took care of her and helped him get back in.
Missed opportunities.
Also, didn't get a reunion with Aaron, disappointed about that.
Other than these few things I really did like the book.
However, I feel Endless didn't have the same punch as the last two.
******SPOILERS*******
First off Rorys mission from the ending of Here After throughout Endless was saving her family & others from the Shadowlands. She accomplishes this and even gets to see her family.
But then she throws it away to stay with Tristan. She wanted Darcy to be a lifer because she didn't want to be without her in Here After but all of a sudden at the end of End Less she throws it away for Tristan.
I also don't agree with the fact that she chose Tristan. Their relationship felt rushed and not genuine. They hardly know eachother and yet they love eachother. No, just no.
With Joaquin it was genuine, he always wanted to be honest with her when Tristan wanted to keep things from her. He stood by her side when things went to shit while Tristan became closed off and unwilling to accept that things could be a different way. Joaquin also protected her when Tristan kept his distance & when he was on the run. Ugh. Come on Kate Brian! The hand holding for comfort, the heat from grazing knees, the library and the beach kisses!!! Joaquin & Rory should of been forever. He mattered to her and her to him.
Honestly, I was expecting her to realize she belong to Joaquin and run after him. They reunite in the library tower and she declares her undying love. I guess fan fiction might have to make it happen.
I also feel Tristan should have been the bad guy in the end. He was so easily trusted after getting his head bashed that it could of been a setup to finish the job. He could of had Nadia killed because she caught him in the act. So then he kidnapped her so she couldn't tell. Pete being his henchmen took care of her and helped him get back in.
Missed opportunities.
Also, didn't get a reunion with Aaron, disappointed about that.
Other than these few things I really did like the book.
sbrads's review against another edition
1.0
What a stupid ending.
Also I have never experienced a more toast love interest. Flat, dry and boring. The main romance throughout the whole series was terribly done but it was extra stupid in this one.
Also I have never experienced a more toast love interest. Flat, dry and boring. The main romance throughout the whole series was terribly done but it was extra stupid in this one.
star_sapphire's review
2.0
I was really into the book series, as I'm a huge fan of Kieran Scott's/Kate Brian's writing. I really loved her So trilogy, Ex-Mas, and Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys.
So when I found out about the Shadowland trilogy, I just had to find out what it's about. As a fan of fantasy, this book pretty much caught my attention. The first book was pretty shocking with its plot twists, as it managed to keep me hooked with the series enough to read the second book.
Now, I really liked the second book. The stereotyped characters got the chance to develop, and I got to see my favorite characters (Joaquin, Bea, Lauren, Aaron... pretty much characters that were secondary) develop into fleshed-out characters. The second book's cliff-hanger was even more suspenseful than the first book, which is why I was so excited for the third book. I just wanted to see more character development from Joaquin, who instantly became my favorite after finding out so much more about him in the second book.
The romance between Rory and Tristan was pretty much weak in the first book and badly developed in the second book, which is why I was really glad that Tristan was pretty much not involved with the book.
Overall, the plot was pretty much all over the place and it was poorly developed. There is literally no character development whatsoever in this book.
I really did enjoy the new Lifer, Liam, that joined the group, but his character development was handled poorly. He was just a good character that was introduced at the wrong time (he would have probably had better character development in the second book).
I had a hard time believing the romance, just as much as I had a hard time mulling over the lack of closure the readers get.
This is the last book of the Shadowland trilogy, which is why I'm very bummed that the author doesn't even explain how Steven Nell managed to get onto Juniper Landing, a limbo area where people can only get to if they had died.
I'm also very sad that Joaquin and Rory never got a better, proper chance at a relationship because these two actually had chemistry and their relationship actually started slow and subtle from book 2 and just carried over.
I'm also very annoyed that Rory picked living on Juniper Landing to be with Tristan over her family. It's just something I couldn't see her do. There's no closure to how Steven Nell managed to get into Juniper Lading, why one of their own fellow Lifers would betray them (and convince others), why she'd pick a boy over her family, never getting to see Rory talk to Aaron one more time (and perhaps apologized for sending him off to the Shadowland, even though it wasn't her fault, it was something I could see her do), and how the Tse twins story-line is just all over the place. The author doesn't even manage to explain how the twins managed to still remember people after they've been sent on the bridge and on their way to the afterlife.
It's disappointing, but at least there's no more cliffhangers as this is the last book.
So when I found out about the Shadowland trilogy, I just had to find out what it's about. As a fan of fantasy, this book pretty much caught my attention. The first book was pretty shocking with its plot twists, as it managed to keep me hooked with the series enough to read the second book.
Now, I really liked the second book. The stereotyped characters got the chance to develop, and I got to see my favorite characters (Joaquin, Bea, Lauren, Aaron... pretty much characters that were secondary) develop into fleshed-out characters. The second book's cliff-hanger was even more suspenseful than the first book, which is why I was so excited for the third book. I just wanted to see more character development from Joaquin, who instantly became my favorite after finding out so much more about him in the second book.
The romance between Rory and Tristan was pretty much weak in the first book and badly developed in the second book, which is why I was really glad that Tristan was pretty much not involved with the book.
Overall, the plot was pretty much all over the place and it was poorly developed. There is literally no character development whatsoever in this book.
I really did enjoy the new Lifer, Liam, that joined the group, but his character development was handled poorly. He was just a good character that was introduced at the wrong time (he would have probably had better character development in the second book).
I had a hard time believing the romance, just as much as I had a hard time mulling over the lack of closure the readers get.
Spoiler
This is the last book of the Shadowland trilogy, which is why I'm very bummed that the author doesn't even explain how Steven Nell managed to get onto Juniper Landing, a limbo area where people can only get to if they had died.
I'm also very sad that Joaquin and Rory never got a better, proper chance at a relationship because these two actually had chemistry and their relationship actually started slow and subtle from book 2 and just carried over.
I'm also very annoyed that Rory picked living on Juniper Landing to be with Tristan over her family. It's just something I couldn't see her do. There's no closure to how Steven Nell managed to get into Juniper Lading, why one of their own fellow Lifers would betray them (and convince others), why she'd pick a boy over her family, never getting to see Rory talk to Aaron one more time (and perhaps apologized for sending him off to the Shadowland, even though it wasn't her fault, it was something I could see her do), and how the Tse twins story-line is just all over the place. The author doesn't even manage to explain how the twins managed to still remember people after they've been sent on the bridge and on their way to the afterlife.
It's disappointing, but at least there's no more cliffhangers as this is the last book.
melissasbookshelf's review
2.0
This is one of those series that started out well and I had high hopes for only to be completely disappointed in the end. The author had a great chance to break the YA mold and really throw some genuine surprises in there, but she takes the cliched way out. The villain was who I predicted in book two, but how the villain accomplished this was never explained. There were so many plot holes and non-explanations that it made my head hurt.
Here are just a few questions I had...
All in all, a disappointment especially when there was so much potential there. It was almost like the author lost steam by the third book. I can’t recommend reading this series unless you’re okay with a less than satisfactory ending.
Here are just a few questions I had...
Spoiler
1. How did Krista ever contact Stephen Nell? Why was the island so screwed up? Was it just because of the tainted coins? Where did Stephen Nell get the tainted coins? How did Stphen Nell figure out how to do all this damage when he'd only been in the Shadowlands for such a short time? Why was 18 souls the magic number? If they were innocent, why did Nadia and Tristan run away in the first place? Why did Krista have Nadia killed? Why would Rory instantly forgive Tristan when he gave her no explanation for why he ran away? Why would she sacrifice her family for a boy she only knew for a month or two? How did the mayor and Tristan not know what was happening? What about Joaquin? He was a true friend who helped Rory through some difficult times and she just casts him aside the first time Tristan looks at her even though he never explained his behavior? Ugh! There are even more plot holes/questions, but I don't want to rehash this anymore.All in all, a disappointment especially when there was so much potential there. It was almost like the author lost steam by the third book. I can’t recommend reading this series unless you’re okay with a less than satisfactory ending.
jspurlock03's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I really wanted to like this series. I loved the first book when I read it, and I will say the first book is the best out of the trilogy. There was hardly any character development in any of the characters, and the main character had a hero complex. She felt she had to solve every single problem and she was perfect and did no wrong. She also jumped to conclusions the entire series. There was an unnecessary love triangle. It was very obvious the author was stretching to keep interest. I did enjoy how I never knew what happened and Tristain is PERFECTION, but even he could not save this monstrosity of a series. I had high hopes for this trilogy, and unfortunately, it was not reached.