Ascend

Goodreads Synopsis:

Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them? The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end. Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.

Ascend by Amanda Hocking
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I got this book in the mail and read it right out of the box. I finished it later that day and was left feeling...unimpressed. It was better written than the other two books in the series and I was glad to see that growth in Amanda Hocking. She added more character development, she gave the main characters more complicated thoughts, and she made the story more interesting. I was genuinely attached to Tove and Loki throughout most of the book. I cared about their well being and their feelings. That is a step in the right direction for Hocking.

Unfortunately, there were still a lot of problems with the book. I'll never say this again, but she over-developed her characters. She took them from 0 to 60 in about two sentences. These characters that we new next to nothing about from the previous two books were suddenly bombarding us with emotions and complexities. It was too much at too late in the game. Wendy's mother suddenly was soft and caring and loving. Even in the face of death, it just didn't seem true to the previously developed character. She dropped a lifetime's worth of behavior overnight. I just don't buy that. Loki was beating us across the face with how sensitive he had become. Wendy spent the entire book being a martyr and whining about how everything was her fault. Finn popped in an out and was completely uninteresting. Willa did a complete 180 and was no longer pompous and condescending. Everything was coming unhinged very quickly.

I also took issue with the fact that everybody was coupling down. The story very much went for the happily ever after effect. It made sure to tell us that everything wasn't perfect but it was still nauseating how everyone was madly in love and on the right track to happiness. It was a nice opportunity for a realistic point of view and Hocking breezed right by it with fluff and flare and teenaged pregnancy. Finn finds the love of his life, Matt and Willa, Tove and Bain, and of course Wendy and Loki. The kingdoms are united, the bad guys are dead, there is no more conflict. Now Wendy has to take on the task of convincing everybody that people are equal and can marry who they want. If only that were Obama's only problem.

The climax of the book was another problem. She doesn't know how to maximize on suspense. The climax of the book lasted for about two pages. I was appalled. So much build up and then it was just over. That is a reoccurring theme from the other books in the series. The rise and fall just doesn't exist. She improved a bit. Adding in conflict and cleanup earlier in the book made it more interesting. But the whole point of the story is that Wendy has to kill her father. When she goes to do that, you would expect that process to take longer to unfold than the details of their travel to his palace. Such is not the case. It was frustrating and disappointing.

I'm glad that I read the series. The story was an interesting idea. They were short reads that made for a nice distraction. Amanda Hocking has a long ways to go on the path to becoming and truly great author and I can't wait to see how she continues to grow.

View all my reviews