stb2012's review against another edition
4.0
This book was my favorite out of the trilogy. So much happened in this book! Loved seeing Allison and Ethan's relationship grow. They are so cute together! That was a perfect ending to a great series!
momwithareadingproblem's review against another edition
5.0
WARNING: If you have not read the previous books in this series, there will be unavoidable spoilers in this review...Proceed at your own risk...
A Place Beyond by [a:Laura Howard|6653788|Laura Howard|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1356495647p2/6653788.jpg] is the conclusion to her series the Danaan Trilogy and picks up shortly after the end of book two. Allison is lost, her father is dead, her mother can never be cured, and her grandfather is sick. The only light she has is that she is not in this alone. She has Ethan, who loves her. She supposedly has the Fair Folk, but who of them can she truly trust? Someone let Aoife out...who? And are they really on her side? Can she defeat Aoife and save her family before it is too late?
Strong Heroine
Allison is one of my favorite characters and let me tell you why. She is strong when she doesn't think she is. She's caring when she'd rather not be. She loves with all her being even when she's afraid of getting hurt. Her progression throughout this series has been from an independent young woman who is distrustful of new people to a young woman who realizes it's okay to depend on someone and let others take care of you. It's an important step in her character's life and one that many of us need to learn.
Ethan is incredibly sweet, loving, and not the jock that started out in this series. He cares for Allison and will not leave her. It's this dedication to her despite all the oddness that surrounds her that I love. He tells her he will never leave her and she better not ever leave him. :::swoon:::
The Danaan have gotten more and more mysterious as the series goes on and I'm here to tell you that does not change! Allison is questioning every thing she's been told about them and everything she herself has witnessed. Ultimately she must decide who is trustworthy and make a plan.
Concluding Plots
There's really not much I can say about the plot without revealing major spoilers. So I'm intentionally going to be vague...sorry not sorry ;) The main plot of this story is catching and defeating Aoife. It's been the theme for the series but as this is the last book it is the heart of the story. Aoife is responsible for so much death and destruction that the Danaan have sided with Allison to defeat her once and for all.
However in a really sick twist of fate, Aoife blackmails Allison to spy on the Danaan for her. Not knowing what to do she follows along with Aoife's plan, sick at what she is doing to her friends and feeling a bit distrustful as Aoife's confessions ring true.
The plot has many twists and turns and Allison finds herself in danger more than once. A devastating death (which I found totally unnecessary Mrs. Howard) brings Allison's character to her lowest point and the reader as well ;)
My Conclusion
Overall the series as a whole is great! This final installment does a wonderful job of answering all questions and giving the characters their HEA. However I'll admit to being a tad disappointed. It felt rushed in spots and the story itself could've been drawn out with more detail. But that is my own criticism, not wanting the series to end! If you enjoy urban fantasy, fairy stories, and have enjoyed the series thus far, I highly suggest you finish with this one.
A Place Beyond by [a:Laura Howard|6653788|Laura Howard|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1356495647p2/6653788.jpg] is the conclusion to her series the Danaan Trilogy and picks up shortly after the end of book two. Allison is lost, her father is dead, her mother can never be cured, and her grandfather is sick. The only light she has is that she is not in this alone. She has Ethan, who loves her. She supposedly has the Fair Folk, but who of them can she truly trust? Someone let Aoife out...who? And are they really on her side? Can she defeat Aoife and save her family before it is too late?
Strong Heroine
Allison is one of my favorite characters and let me tell you why. She is strong when she doesn't think she is. She's caring when she'd rather not be. She loves with all her being even when she's afraid of getting hurt. Her progression throughout this series has been from an independent young woman who is distrustful of new people to a young woman who realizes it's okay to depend on someone and let others take care of you. It's an important step in her character's life and one that many of us need to learn.
Ethan is incredibly sweet, loving, and not the jock that started out in this series. He cares for Allison and will not leave her. It's this dedication to her despite all the oddness that surrounds her that I love. He tells her he will never leave her and she better not ever leave him. :::swoon:::
The Danaan have gotten more and more mysterious as the series goes on and I'm here to tell you that does not change! Allison is questioning every thing she's been told about them and everything she herself has witnessed. Ultimately she must decide who is trustworthy and make a plan.
Concluding Plots
There's really not much I can say about the plot without revealing major spoilers. So I'm intentionally going to be vague...sorry not sorry ;) The main plot of this story is catching and defeating Aoife. It's been the theme for the series but as this is the last book it is the heart of the story. Aoife is responsible for so much death and destruction that the Danaan have sided with Allison to defeat her once and for all.
However in a really sick twist of fate, Aoife blackmails Allison to spy on the Danaan for her. Not knowing what to do she follows along with Aoife's plan, sick at what she is doing to her friends and feeling a bit distrustful as Aoife's confessions ring true.
The plot has many twists and turns and Allison finds herself in danger more than once. A devastating death (which I found totally unnecessary Mrs. Howard) brings Allison's character to her lowest point and the reader as well ;)
My Conclusion
Overall the series as a whole is great! This final installment does a wonderful job of answering all questions and giving the characters their HEA. However I'll admit to being a tad disappointed. It felt rushed in spots and the story itself could've been drawn out with more detail. But that is my own criticism, not wanting the series to end! If you enjoy urban fantasy, fairy stories, and have enjoyed the series thus far, I highly suggest you finish with this one.
storieswithsoul's review against another edition
5.0
This book is really good. I have loved first two books and this one was even better. This month I have been lucky enough to read some of the best fantasy books including this one. I loved the whole story and the way characters are developed. Also I loved the way writer has portrayed emotions and feelings, readers can't help but feel all of them along with the main characters of the book. Its true that fantasy is my preffered genre but even if it weren't i'm sure I'd still have loved these books. All three books have been good and I very much enjoyed reading them.
hannahsophialin's review against another edition
3.0
I fully enjoyed the last few months of reading the first two books in the Danaan trilogy – The Forgotten Ones and Stone of Destiny. After reading the second book, I was extremely excited to read the final book in the trilogy just to see what Laura Howard had in mind for some of my favorite characters of the summer – emphasis on some – because I was hoping for something huge, spectacular, and out of this world. Of course, I have high expectations for the last books of a series. You guys are special (read: reallyyyy special)!
Oh, and The Forgotten Ones did land in one of my best reads of 2014.
Sadly, A Place Beyond suffered a little bit of what I call "Last Book Syndrome," in which compared to the prior books, the last book didn't exceed my expectations. Let me repeat: The last books are special. Simply because most of the time, I rarely get to the last book of the series, reason or no reason.
There are probably a few reasons why Laura Howard's ending to her debut series didn't exactly meet up to my expectations:
First, I feel as though A Place Beyond is questioning all of the Danaans' loyalties and where it lies – are the characters on the same side, or are the characters puppets and there's a puppeteer behind the scenes (aside from the author, who actually created the world) playing all the characters? It seems to particularly question royalty, especially Saoirse.
Second, the ENDING (aka final battle). Third, the villain. I'm putting both reasons together – in a way – because they go interchangeably.
If anything, I find the ending pretty important. It's the final battle! Who shall prevail?!?!?! All fans are sitting at the edge of their seats, flipping the pages, waiting to see what the author would throw at them next, anticipating the next move. Drama! Hooray! We all love drama in a way.
But in A Place Beyond, the villain gives up. Typical "NOOOOO." Roar.
The villain agrees to break the curse she had on Allison's mother and father – it's been there since The Forgotten Ones. There doesn't seem to be a bit of a fight. Again, I point to the villain giving up. It's like Aoife readily agreed – if she was going to give up, why even bother in the first place? Or maybe I'm just one of those weirdos who think you should go down fighting. It's funny, honestly. I have this tendency to ask for a draw sometimes in a chess match at a tournament, but I choose not to in the end.
Which is precisely why I'm probably currently one of the worst chess players in my state (I'm not the competitive type – competitive hardly goes well). And I honestly don't care too much because I'm too busy being scholarly to study chess. School, work and books are my priorities. Obviously, blogging is part of it.
But I repeat (for like the third time): the villain basically gives up. I would have loved to see her trapped in a fey globe again if you ask me – are there stronger ones out there? After making Aoife break the geis first, of course.
Oh, and Aoife's so nonchalant about sacrificing herself. It's total irony, guys. Just complete irony. Now that I think about it, the villain is so bad, it's good. Not to be so critical or anything – I'm absolutely peachy.
But hey, I still enjoyed A Place Beyond while it lasted. That's all that matters, right? No, A Place Beyond wasn't a great end to a trilogy, but it was a happy read (read: Ever After by Chloe Miles is just one of those happy reads I'm talking about). A quick read that gave me a break from the essays and projects I had earlier this month (yeah, yeah. I have more things to worry about in December. 8th graders, stop complaining so much. I worry about your future in three years). And really, I needed a good, quick read.
-------------------
Review copy provided by the author for the blog tour
Original Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at Bookwyrming Thoughts
Oh, and The Forgotten Ones did land in one of my best reads of 2014.
Sadly, A Place Beyond suffered a little bit of what I call "Last Book Syndrome," in which compared to the prior books, the last book didn't exceed my expectations. Let me repeat: The last books are special. Simply because most of the time, I rarely get to the last book of the series, reason or no reason.
There are probably a few reasons why Laura Howard's ending to her debut series didn't exactly meet up to my expectations:
First, I feel as though A Place Beyond is questioning all of the Danaans' loyalties and where it lies – are the characters on the same side, or are the characters puppets and there's a puppeteer behind the scenes (aside from the author, who actually created the world) playing all the characters? It seems to particularly question royalty, especially Saoirse.
Second, the ENDING (aka final battle). Third, the villain. I'm putting both reasons together – in a way – because they go interchangeably.
If anything, I find the ending pretty important. It's the final battle! Who shall prevail?!?!?! All fans are sitting at the edge of their seats, flipping the pages, waiting to see what the author would throw at them next, anticipating the next move. Drama! Hooray! We all love drama in a way.
But in A Place Beyond, the villain gives up. Typical "NOOOOO." Roar.
The villain agrees to break the curse she had on Allison's mother and father – it's been there since The Forgotten Ones. There doesn't seem to be a bit of a fight. Again, I point to the villain giving up. It's like Aoife readily agreed – if she was going to give up, why even bother in the first place? Or maybe I'm just one of those weirdos who think you should go down fighting. It's funny, honestly. I have this tendency to ask for a draw sometimes in a chess match at a tournament, but I choose not to in the end.
Which is precisely why I'm probably currently one of the worst chess players in my state (I'm not the competitive type – competitive hardly goes well). And I honestly don't care too much because I'm too busy being scholarly to study chess. School, work and books are my priorities. Obviously, blogging is part of it.
But I repeat (for like the third time): the villain basically gives up. I would have loved to see her trapped in a fey globe again if you ask me – are there stronger ones out there? After making Aoife break the geis first, of course.
Oh, and Aoife's so nonchalant about sacrificing herself. It's total irony, guys. Just complete irony. Now that I think about it, the villain is so bad, it's good. Not to be so critical or anything – I'm absolutely peachy.
But hey, I still enjoyed A Place Beyond while it lasted. That's all that matters, right? No, A Place Beyond wasn't a great end to a trilogy, but it was a happy read (read: Ever After by Chloe Miles is just one of those happy reads I'm talking about). A quick read that gave me a break from the essays and projects I had earlier this month (yeah, yeah. I have more things to worry about in December. 8th graders, stop complaining so much. I worry about your future in three years). And really, I needed a good, quick read.
-------------------
Review copy provided by the author for the blog tour
Original Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Original Review posted at Bookwyrming Thoughts
libraryjen's review against another edition
3.0
I read this trilogy as part of my family's summer reading challenge. It was decent as brain candy - a twist on fairies interacting with our world. A relaxing Sunday afternoon read but nothing to write home about.
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