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I dare you not to cry

The Last Hope is utter perfection.

I said it. Prove me wrong!

Life/living has a cost. We all know it. Most choose to ignore it. On a planet where you are guaranteed the knowledge of the end of your life, that cost is celebrated. Grief isn't necessary. Loss is expected.

The Last Hope is proof that love conquers all. Parental love. Unconditional friendship. Coupling. The message written in the words of this novel (and this duet) are worth clutching. They are worth holding onto. They are The Last Hope.

I have recently been dabbling into the sci-fi genre and decided to give The Raging Ones Duology a read, and I must admit The Last Hope was a page turner! After weeks of being detained by the enemy, an unlikely stranger offers Court, Franny, and Mykal a way out but insists them on a quest to save humanity.

"It’s better to be cautious. To be alert. To be maddeningly strict and survive than to be starry-eyed in love and perish."

The trio face many challenges along the way, and the twists and turns that this book has took me by surprise.

The Last Hope is a journey of survival and an epic tale of love and loss. Being the conclusion to The Raging Ones I'm sad to see these brave characters go, but bitter sweet that they got the HEA they deserve.

I read the first book and I wasn't a fan, but I wanted to read the ending. I have to tell you, this book is a bit better than the first one. It does pick up where book one left off, and adds a new MC. That was kind of interesting. I felt like the authors gave the MC's more depth in this book. I did like the twists, as that is usually a good thing. There's more emotion in this story than the prior one, but you have to read both books to get the entire story.

Thanks to NetGalley for my digital copy of this book.
This review is my own and contains what I thought about this book. Positive reviews are not required.

Krista and Becca Ritchie have masterfully blended sci-fi and romance in this book, the second installment of this entertaining duology. All the feels in outer space. This is a duology and the first book “The Raging Ones” should definitely be read first. The focus of this book is on the beloved trio from the first book Franny, Court, and Mykal. Imprisoned on an enemy starship with their “last hope” being a baby. There are also some new characters that added a bit of a splash, but honestly I enjoyed my time spent with the trio.

I don’t generally read sci-fi but this was a lot of fun! There was just the perfect amount of world building to keep it interesting, but I was never confused or overwhelmed with it. The characters were all well-developed, engaging, and likable (well most of them). The story was swiftly and perfectly paste, never a dull moment. The Romance was sweet and satisfying. This book was out of my comfort zone, out of this world, and showed me the stars. I’m really looking forward to what this writing duo has in store for us next.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish it and will not be rating or reviewing it at this time. If I do finish in the future, I will leave my review on Amazon, as well as my social sites, then.

This was a really fantastic read! After the ending of the previous book, I just wanted to know what the heck was going on, and this book definitely delivered, it is a duology, so things wrapped up fairly nicely in this book! Loved the story it told!

I loved how much the world was expanded upon in this book. We were given bits and pieces before, but they finally left the planet, and then had all those reveals. This book we got to visit another planet, learn about humanity's culture and history. Oh, and we found out why they were on the planet that they were on.

There was a lot going on in this book. The above new information, the characters relationships (loved that Franny got a love interest, and how important that turned out to be to the plot) as well as the question to find the infant who holds so much power to help them.

But oh, man, that ending? When we found out how everything worked out? That was just fantastic, a little heartbreaking, but totally worth the time invested to go on this journey. I loved where it ended, for the characters to have that peace!

This was a really fantastic read, and I can't wait to see what Krista and Becca Ritchie come up with next, separately or together!

When we last saw Franny, Court & Mykal, I was dying to know where their adventure would had them ending up! The Raging Ones ended on a cliffhanger that had me dying to know what would happen next.

This book really had us diving further into each of the main characters - of which I was so happy because I felt like we needed more Franny than we got in The Raging Ones.

The Last Hope, while really well written and an enjoyable read, just didn't fill me with the same excitement as its predecessor. I loved Krista & Becca's journey into sci-fi, but this book just did not leave me with the same of joy as their romance novels.
That being said, K&B have such a way of writing character-driven stories that really set them apart as authors and I really hope they continue their journey into new genres,

ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNFed at 35%. I was very interested in the book after I finished the Raging Ones and it ended on a cliff hanger. I am not sure what I wanted from this book but I could not get into it. The writing that works well for Krista and Becca's romance books does not translate to fantasy/sci-fi. I just couldn't get into the story.

While my review for The Last Hope will be spoiler free, there may be spoilers for the first book, The Raging Ones. BE WARNED!!!

“Death is uncertain. Fear seems like the only sensible emotion.”

When last we saw Court, Mykal, and Franny, they were imprisoned aboard the Romulus. They also just learned they were human, even though that word means nothing to them. A mysterious word that explains why they lived past their deathdates, but really explains nothing at all.

As in The Raging Ones, the author’s have written a fast-paced story, full of twists and turns that keep readers turning the pages. Questions from the first book are answered as even more questions are raised, and the stakes never lower for our three misfit characters.

I loved the idea of a world where deathdates were known, and how that would change the society and the culture. Adding the human twist kept the urgency up, allowing the characters to explore what death truly means. I really enjoyed that an idea they all came to terms with was suddenly changed and they had to face the unexplored consequences of this new reality.

“You were raised on a planet that treats death like a celebration. I was raised on one that treats death like despair. I can’t tell you which is worse.”

I’ll admit the romance does get a little bogged down for me. But when the action picks up, it is at breakneck speeds. Both books did a kickass job at keeping the story going in directions I couldn’t predict. While the romance made it a bit of a skim read for me, I really did love the action and overall story.

Fans of thrilling romance with a light twist of science fiction will find themselves swept away at the intensity and creativity of these characters and this world. Thank you Wednesday Books for including me on this blog tour!

Here’s the thing about Krista & Becca Ritchie — I used to be a really big fan of theirs. If you go back in my reviews archive, you’ll find reviews of every single book they’d written up until maybe two years ago. I’m not sure if my reading tastes changed or their writing changed, but this is the second book of theirs in a row that I’ve disliked.

They have a very distinctive, introspective writing style that I think lends itself pretty well to contemporary romance and not very well to fantasy. It was a little weird in The Raging Ones, but I was able to get past it. I couldn’t get past it here. The whole “I’m going to analyze everybody’s every move and what it means” thing was so tiresome. The plot barely moves. After five weeks, I was only halfway done and nothing had happened.

I saw another review that mentioned that it felt like the authors had spent all their time writing book one and then just before book two’s deadline, realized they had to write something. I agree. This is not the level of quality I expect from them, and I’m so disappointed that I had to DNF a book by authors who used to be my favorites.

Hellooo lovelies! I’m sorry I’ve been so absent recently. Ive been more social as of late and really haven’t been getting much reading done recently— which isn’t an entirely bad thing, but going from work to socializing to home most of the time can be tiring and I haven’t felt very creative recently as far as writing reviews or taking Instagram photos (though I’ve honestly tried both). It doesn’t help that the book I’m talking about today is one I wasn’t able to get through.

TYPICALLY I don’t talk about books I don’t finish, but I did talk to talk about this one. I received an advanced copy of The Last Hope by Becca and Krista Ritchie earlier this year. Now let me start off by saying that I LOVED the first book in the duology, The Raging Ones. It had such an interesting premise, the setting was right up my alley (a futuristic space academy) the characters were written so well and so flawed that I just couldn't get enough, and the ending was such a cliffhanger! It was a fun sci-fi trip that I was so hyped for the sequel.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the writing as much as I did in the first book and each character remained as well written and individualized as they were in the first book. The thing that had me hesitating and dragging my feet was that the pacing was all wrong for me.

With the cliffhanger ending of the first book, I went into The Last Hope expecting something fast paced with a lot of new characters being introduced. We DID get the new characters, however they weren’t introduced until about 40% through the book. I ended up DNFing this novel at about 52% because by that point the plot hadn’t progressed and it honesty felt very stagnant. Maybe I went into the story expecting too much because it IS a very character driven plot, but after absolutely loving the first novel it was hard to get into this one. It didn’t grab my attention like the first book did.

Maybe I’ll give it another try at some point, but as of right now this novel isn’t getting a rating from me. It wouldn’t be fair to the authors of the world and characters they built.

I don't know why but I didn't connect to this story as much as the first one. I don't know if it was all the extra characters or the slow pacing of the book. I was disappointed that a lot of my questions were left unanswered and I just felt like I waited over a year for this? I was underwhelmed and disappointed.

Great ending to this duology. This series proves that this writing duo can not be stopped! They write everything with such detail and it completely sucks you into their world.

The Last Hope by Krista and Becca Ritchie was a great sequel to The Raging Ones. Filled with action, sci-fi and romance. The Last Hope doesn't disappoint.

***3.75 STARS***

FULL REVIEW MAY ALSO BE VIEWED ON LAIR OF BOOKS (LINKS WILL BE ADDED WHEN REVIEW GOES LIVE ON 3/12/2020)

MY REVIEW:

Taking off right where we left off, our three main characters Court, Franny & Mykall have been captured and are accused of being humans and not Salterians. Turns out there is a huge war taking place between Earth & Saltare with Earth being at a huge disadvantage. Saltarians all know their death days from the day they are born & as such have made great strides in winning the war against Earth. The trio are rescued at the very beginning of this story by Stork, a new character in the mix who has sought them out as part of his plan. Stork holds his cards close to his chest, he's on a mission to even out the playing field between Earth & Saltare. Plotwise, The Last Hope had a lot going on with many twists & turns. Ultimately though, towards the very end it felt as if too much was thrown into the pot which made the story feel off kilter. That being said, the driving force for this book is the bond shared between Court, Mykkel, and Franny. I LIVE for character driven stories which is what made me LOVE The Raging Ones when I picked it up in 2018. Reconnecting with these characters once again makes you feel like you're experiencing a rare bond that is truly unconditional. This time around Franny gets a love interest which I was full on hoping for. If anything, I only wish we'd had more time for their relationship to be as fleshed out as Court & Mykkels. Connected by taste, touch, and smell these characters EVERYTHING is intertwined. Some steam was brought this time around as these characters explored their passions & tested boundaries.

The Audiobook experience delivered A+ performance, told by way of multiple POV's we got to experience Mykkel's accent which for me at least gave me Viking Babe VibeZ haha! Court ever the intellectual is always stuck in his head & trying to put others before his needs. Franny a Fast Tracker who has ditched a life of drugs for the connection she has with Court & Mykkel. The romance between Mykkel & Court will forever go down as one of my favorite ships. These guys are from completely different backgrounds but there's a deep tenderness in every interaction that will have you rooting for their love. I loved being back in this world but it was our new character Stork that truly gets the award for stealing the show. I LOVED Stork's sarcasm! He's someone who was dealt a crummy hand but managed to make the best of it & carries with him a deep appreciation for those who saw to his well being. It's hard to believe our story has come to an end but it was a satisfying one at the very least. This being my first experience with Krista & Becca Ritchie's books, it's safe to say I'll be looking into their backlist titles throughout the year ahead :)

This was everything I wanted in a sequel and more!

The story picks up about a month after the previous book ended, but don’t worry. We haven’t missed anything. The story was strong from the very beginning and keeps pace for the entire book. It gave me answers to all the questions I had at the end of the first book and I was left feeling satisfied at the end (which I feel is surprising, considering I’m nearly always left wanting for more).

Seriously, if you’re into sci-fi, do yourself a favor and pick up this duology. It’s so worth the read. Great characters, amazing writing, and captivating storytelling.

I cannot continue to sing Krista and Becca’s praises loudly enough. These are two incredibly talented young ladies and I LOVE their ability to tell a story, connect with their readers, and make us fall in love with their characters over and over again.

I was so excited to read this sequel!

I loved The Raging Ones when I first read it. It had so many twists at the end that I didn’t see coming. This story also had loads of twists. There are so many pieces to the puzzle of how Franny, Mykal, and Court came to be where they were. The story was very complete at the end, with no loose ends.

The ending was also open to a continuation. This series is a duology, but I would love to see what happens in their future.

This is a fun science fiction story that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Wow, what a finish to the duet. I’m not a huge reader of science fiction, but I am a huge fan of the Ritchie sisters, and they have delivered a story which is imaginative, exciting and surprising with a little bit of romance and a whole lot of heart, and I loved this one!

I was instantly caught up in the story of Court, Mykal and Franny when I read The Raging Ones. It’s a big story with a lot of world-building, and as this book is a follow on from that, I wouldn’t recommend reading this one as a standalone. It picks up immediately where the first book leaves off, and though I had forgotten a lot of the details, it didn’t take me long to get back into the story.

Our three heroes have escaped their snowy world and are about to embark on an adventure they never saw coming as they are recruited into the final stand in a long-standing war. Their mission is to travel to a far-away planet to retrieve a baby that prophesy declares will save them, and the future of their entire world in the balance.

“After all that we’ve been through, we deserve a better ending.”

They are joined in their quest by allies old and new, including the mysterious Stork, a leader in the army. Not only is he key to their mission, but he also holds the answers to the questions of their past, their bond, and their very being.

It’s a wildly exciting ride full of twists and turns and huge reveals, and I was shocked over and over again as our brave trio learn about their pasts while fighting to protect their future. It’s captivating and emotional, with strong themes of friendship and family, and there is even enough romance there to keep my die-hard-romantic heart happy.

"We are together. We are one, and we are two and then three, and finally, we have found real, everlasting peace"

The Ritchies have a talent for writing very character-driven stories. And even though this is a sci-fi adventure with all of the excitement that goes along with that, it’s still very much a character story, with some wonderful development for Court, Mykal and Franny. I loved them individually, I loved them together, and I loved the involvement of the other characters who contributed so much to the story – Stork particularly, who became a favourite from the moment he appeared on the page.

I thought this was a gorgeous read, really well told, and a very satisfying finish to the duet. I loved it.

4.5 stars.

*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*

A captivating, heart-breaking conclusion to a stunning duology that left me breathless, with tears in my eyes. Writing this review without spoiling the plot is going to be a true challenge. But also, I have finished this book hours ago and I struggle to articulate just how good it is. I started it yesterday and I dreamed out the story at night...not one dream but multiple dreams about this world. Then since I've finished the book I can't stop thinking about it. Is this what a book hangover feels like?! I can't remember the last time I have been so consumed with a plot and characters.

I think I will start off with the imagery, which is breath-taking. I loved the travel from space to different planets. From purple skies, to water worlds, to endless stars, Becca and Krista paint a vivid image that my mind can't help but recreate. And the imagery extends to the character descriptions. From gruesome scars to horrid tattoos, Franny, Courth and Mykal have been through the ringer.

This rag-tag team is inspiring, with their resilience and ability to rely on each other in moments of weakness, I couldn't help but cheer them on and hope for the best. Court and Mykal are forever a ship I will go down with. They had my heart soaring and I couldn't help but swoon. They are just perfect together, end of discussion. And Franny meets someone and as soon as this happens, I had a feeling how the plot would play out and my inkling was confirmed later on in the story.

And the secondary characters aren't to be neglected either, they all added a family dynamic and much needed support and comedic relief. The plot had captured my high fantasy loving heart. So many plot twists and turns, and when things just start to look up, danger is lurking right around the corner. The story was action packed with tender-stolen moments sprinkled throughout. I had trouble putting it down and I am having even more trouble accepting that its over.

By the half way point in the story, I was hopeful. By the 75% mark I was emotionally gutted. At some point I was sobbing so hard I had to stop reading because I couldn't make out the words. Just such a beautiful tale and while I know death is to be expected in YA fantasy...I wasn't ready. I was not prepared, and I still feel the hole in heart, d*mn fictional characters. The ending had me grinning from ear to ear. It was just a truly beautiful story, a masterpiece of epic fantasy, romance, and high-stakes. I can't wait to re-read it.

The Last Hope was a sequel I was waiting for since finishing The Raging Ones. I was blowing away by the first book and the twist at the end of it, but this sequel didn’t really hit up with me.

The start was very promising, with the introduction of a new character, a new part of the world to explore and know, a mystery, a legend, a mission to accomplice. There was plenty of tragedy and surprises, but… while proceeding to reach the middle of the story, the plot started to lose its fascination.

The point is that, the core of the book, the mission and the legend felt completely wrong to me. I admit from now I’ll not directly put a spoiler, but I’ll definitely quote a few words that can be perceived as spoilers, so from now on read at your own danger.

In The Last Hope, the stakes are high: Earth is in danger and our protagonist must follow a not well clear legend that may save the planet from Saltarians. Stork, a new introduced character, will be their guide and trainer. If that wasn’t enough, he holds a good quantity of secrets of Court, Mykal and Franny’s life.

I’m going to say that the only part I found very interesting are two. One is finally learning the truth. Understanding a little more of the personal lore of the three main narrators was something I was craving for since quite a time. It definitely didn’t deliver something I was expecting and there were little touches that didn’t disappointed me at all.

The second is that an important discussion takes place. It’s about boundaries and what unite Court, Mykal and Franny. It’s about sharing feelings and sensations, what is right and what is wrong, what one is sacrificing for the others and when they shouldn’t, because they deserve a life of their own. I did find it very well done.

But now it’s time for the not so good parts. An important character is introduced in The Last Hope: Stork. Now… Stork is not exactly the classic bad boy you should dump in the trash as soon as you can. Yet, I don’t think that we weren’t so far away. Yes, Stork has a mission and a huge responsibility weight on him. He has secrets, he must guide the protagonists towards a last hope indeed.
At the same time, he definitely manipulates them, especially Franny, with a sort of moral blackmail, playing on her desire to know the truth. During the whole novel, feelings grows between him and Franny but half of the time, Franny attraction was often mixed with I felt to be a huge discomfort.
So, Stork have a upper hand on her, because she keeps following him for the truth, while teasing her and putting her in position that weren’t exactly relaxed. He has the habit to call her “dove”. I don’t know in which world it’s considered attractive to have a dude, who holds the knowledge of who you are, calling you by an animal name between mockery and some kind of “courtship” behaviour.
If it’s that what allocishetero girls find attractive, I’m sorry.

The other issue is about the plot. It felt just… wrong? There was need to find a solution for the novel, and write the final story of the trio, so a legend, a search, a random book about prophecies were thrown in.
In a sci-fi world, with spaceships, aliens, planets and so on, why they would believe about a prophecy written a book? When an entire species is in danger, is a prophecy by a disappeared author the solution to save it? Because I can’t believe that was the last hope for the humans. It just sounds like a big nope.
And, to add more notes on this, the explanation of why it happened felt like someone who was trying to connect plot lines and solution but throwed in some stuff that maybe was going to work out. Just… no.

Another important question is about the worldbuilding too. It’s stated that humans were shaped multiple times by wars and other catastrophic events. Reason why, now, they dress in ancient-oriented manner, featuring Roman sandals and such. First, I do think it’s a big nonsense, because why in all the cultures around the world they picked up Romans (this sound like a very white centric view) and why dress in such not protective manner against an alien species that, multiple times, it’s stated to be superior to them on many fronts.
They do have spaceships, but they dress like that, knowing their enemy are aliens that can’t die but only be incapacitated? Eh, I’m not sure this can work out for me.

And to add to all of this: in the novel we will see some old familiar faces! Too bad we won’t have the space to explore them and their really life changing decision, all the moral implications and much more…

In the end, The Last Hope was a very nice read for discovering the destiny of Franny, Court and Mykal, but for me lost a great part of the fascination and interesting I felt while reading The Raging Ones. While I could have looked over certain aspects (worldbuilding talking here), maybe in name of the secrets that were revealed and the relationship between the bonded trio, I really cannot help but feel bugged by the “magical baby factor” and how it was handled.