67. The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Reckoning by Kelly Armstrong (US) - (Canada)
Darkest Powers, Book 3

Pages: 391 pages
Ages: 14+
Finished: Apr. 20, 2010
First Published: Apr. 6, 2010
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Genre: YA, paranormal, fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

After four hours on the run, I was finally safe, tucked into bed and enjoying the deep dreamless sleep of the dead ... until the dead decided they'd really rather have me awake.

Acquired: Received a review copy from Random House Canada.

Reason for Reading: Next and final book in the trilogy.

Summary: The four supernatural teens finally arrive at a safe house only it may not be as safe as it seems. In this concluding book of the trilogy they prepare for the final showdown with The Edison Group and try to rescue those who are still in their clutches.

Comments: One can't give much information on what happens in this conclusion as it is all so dependent on the previous books with everything finally all coming together. What I can tell you is that it is a brilliant, satisfying conclusion! A fast-paced read with plenty of reveals and shockers throughout. While Ms. Armstrong has kept the high octane action fore and centre, she has also managed to fully develop Derek, Simon, Tori and Chloe's characters and relationships. They have all changed so much from the characters we first met in "The Summoning".

This is one of the best supernatural YA trilogies I've read in some years. The Reckoning is a worthy conclusion that fans will appreciate having had the wait. The ending is quite interesting. Leaving us with a complete, finite finish and yet also leaving a few dangling threads and foreshadowing the upcoming future of the characters. This leaves the reader satisfied that the story is over, yet also leaves room for one to hope we may yet see these characters again. Which brings us to Kelley's next YA book due out next spring, "The Gathering". A visit to the author's website reveals it described as continuing the series while giving the current characters "a well-deserved break". From this I could envision this series continuing on indefinitely as sets of trilogies which really makes me excited.

Now if I could only find the time to start her adult series, which is set in the same world!