Forest of Ruin (Age of Legends, #3)
by Kelley Armstrong
Pages: 448
Published on April 5th 2016
by HarperCollins
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: ARC Provided for Tour
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Also by this author: Sea of Shadows, Empire of Night
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes the breathtaking conclusion to the Age of Legends trilogy, perfect for fans of Graceling and Game of Thrones.
The empire rests on the edge of a knife, and sisters Ashyn and Moria are the handle and the blade. Desperate to outmaneuver the evil Alvar Kitsune, whose hold on the people grows stronger every day, Emperor Tatsu begs Moria to put aside past grievances and ally with Gavril—at least long enough to make an attempt on Alvar’s life. Meanwhile, reunited with her long-lost grandfather, Ashyn discovers that she is the key to a ritual that could reawaken an ancient dragon and turn the tide of the coming battle in their favor.
But with lies and betrayal lurking around every corner, Ashyn and Moria will have to decide once and for all where their allegiances are. And it may not be where their hearts would lead them....
In this breathtaking final book in her epic trilogy the Age of Legends, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong blends fantasy, action, and romance to give readers the unforgettable ending they’ve been waiting for.
Kelley Armstrong sure knew how to end her Age of Legend series with a BANG! I love all her other YA books, with tend to be paranormal and have to confess to liking this fantasy series a lot more. I’ve been waiting to write a review for a looonnggg time since I read Forest of Ruin back in October (lucky me!) You can see my review of Sea of Shadows and Empire of Night and you’ll see what I mean.
The previous book ended in a cliffhanger so I was eager to get my hands on Forest of Ruin (and thus my lack of restraint). This book picks up right where Empire of Night ended and finds both of our heroines in a bind. Moira being ordered to return to captivity and Ashyn lost in the forest with newly found ‘friends’. And dragons.
Can I tell you that I adore these sisters? Moira and Ashyn are strong female characters that took care of themselves, made their own mistakes, and figure things out, but also know when to ask for help. I think they have grown into their roles and their powers and are more comfortable making decisions.
Now, on to the boys! Gavril appears in this book much more and he finally realized where his alliances truly lie (and that his dad is bat s*#! crazy!) Talk about character development! I was ambivalent about Gavril for the longest time, but this time around he won me over. Prince Tyrus is a gem, he grows up to be more confident, both in politics and with Moira and his feelings of her. He’s sweet, selfless, loyal and has a very strict view of what’s wrong and right. Moira and Tyrus finally get together, and I mean in all the sense of the word. Ronan fights so hard. He fights for Ashyn, for his family, to win back his honor (caste) and his right to finally tell Ashy how he feels for her. It’s sometimes infuriating how these two dance around each other when the reader can clearly tell they are so in love.
The plot of the whole series is just engrossing. It kept me on my toes since you never know what new monster, or spirit or calamity was going to befall our heroes.
All the loose ends were wrapped up (maybe too neatly), but I love happy endings, even if it has a few compromises here and there. It might come to no surprise to you that I cried. Yep, I did. Not my fault though, it’s dear Ms. Armstrong’s fault because she did something towards the end that had me gasping (not funny, by the way!)
Overall, this was the perfect ending to a beloved series. I really liked the world building, the characters, the fantastic creatures and creepy monsters and the plot of the series. A must read for fantasy lovers.
About Kelley Armstrong
Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
Born in Puerto Rico, hola :), military wife for 22-years, and mother of three boys.I work full time doing something else that I love (sadly I don't get paid for reading!)
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Twitter: Alyssa Susanna
WHEEEEEEEE! Thank you again, Liza! This is quite possibly one of my favorite fantasy series in YA. <3 I'm glad I decided to give Sea of Shadows a shot, despite not liking Armstrong's Darkest Powers trilogy. So happy about this series!
Anyway, lovely review, Liza! 🙂
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
Twitter: Liza
Thanks Alyssa! I’ve read all her paranormal YA, but I have to admit that her fantasy series is better 🙂
Twitter: mlsimmons
I’m so excited to see how much you loved this book. I love Kelley Armstrong. I’ve really enjoyed this series. I thought this was going to be a trilogy, but wasn’t 100% sure, looks like it is. Glad it wraps up well.
Twitter: Liza
It ends up with a Bang! Loved it 🙂
Gosh I have the first two on my shelf but haven’t gotten around to reading them yet. Now that the third one is out I definitely SHOULD start. Sounds fab, what am I waiting for?! 😀
Twitter: Liza
Yes! now it’s the time to read them back to back 😉
I’m looking forward to this one! I’ve read the first two, and although it’s been awhile since I’ve read them, I do remember that I enjoyed them. Pretty excited for this one!! Lovely review. 🙂
Twitter: Liza
I hope you love it Kara! I don’t think you will be dissapointed 🙂
Twitter: The Infinite Limits of Love
Alyssa really loves this series too, so I think I’m going to have to add this to my TBR. I haven’t read anything by the author before, but I’ve heard good things about her writing! Love the sound of the characters especially.
Twitter: Liza
Hi Nick! I’ve read her paranormal YA series and I really enjoyed them, but I loved this series. Now that all the books are out, you can read the trilogy back to back.