Member Reviews
I thought this was a fantastic end to this trilogy. It was action packed, occasionally unpredictable, and longer than I thought it would be. While some of the character development was a touch convoluted (change came about quickly with little provocation), it was mostly easy to follow and personalities were well=established. The ending was realistically optimistic, by which I mean that it was certainly not "Happily Ever After" for everyone. Most characters experienced loss and grief. I was pleased with the ending to the trilogy. The end tied it up nicely, but I could see it being open enough for another spin-off series. I wouldn't be disappointed at all if that were to come about.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy of this e-book for review.
THE EVER AFTER is the final book in the YA fantasy Omte Origins series, and it goes out with a bang. At the beginning of the book, we join Ulla on a plane that she cannot remember getting onto and at a time that is later than the last she remembers. As for what happened during her missing month, she knows that it must have been important, and the hints of memories she gets suggests that horrific things were done to her and her companions.
As Ulla tries to put together her missing memories from that month, she and her friends must learn quickly - as they soon begin to learn that the fate of the world may depend on their memories and action on those.
What I loved: This world is fascinating with trolls, magic, and connections to other worlds. Ulla is on a quest to figure out who she is and why she was abandoned as an infant - and the answers have been anything but forthcoming. She was led to a man who claims to be her and other trolls' father, leaving many dead in his wake. Her quest for family and belonging is understandable and the questions that arise during this search lead her to reevaluate the importance of blood vs found family. I found these themes intriguing, though they are definitely overshadowed by the mysteries of the missing memories.
The plot moved really quickly at first as we puzzle through the sparse memories with Ulla. The end switches gears a bit, but I really enjoyed the first parts of the book and the search for memories and family. I also really loved that the conclusion surprised me with its reveals about this world at large.
What left me wanting more: The latter part of the book suddenly changes points-of-view to give other characters' perspectives, and I found this a bit jarring to keep switching perspectives, and it took me out of the story a bit. There were also some leaps made in terms of the plot that were at times hard to go with the flow, as they created a lot of questions, but they were necessary for the story - I would have liked a bit more explanation around certain things so that I could understand why particular characters did what they did/switched gears at times. The romance also felt lackluster to me, but it was a background plot by quite a bit, so this did not bother me as much.
Final verdict: Overall, THE EVER AFTER is an intriguing conclusion to the Omte Origins trilogy. With mystery, action, and found family, this series is perfect for fans of YA fantasy and Hocking's earlier books.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The Ever After is the third and final installment to The Omte Origins series by Amanda Hocking and the ending to her Trylle universe series as a whole.
The first two books in The Omte Origins series were solid. Interesting story lines that while there always seem to be questions needing to be answered you cared for the characters and were invested in their journey. At the end of book 2 our main characters those their memories of a chunk of a chunk of their journey. Therefore, going into book 3 you know there will be some back tracking and struggle as they try to regain that lost time. I'm not sure what happened but somehow about 40 percent of the beginning of this book drags and feels like a lot of nothing happens. For me, it didn't really pick up until the second half of the book. It could have benefited from losing a good 100 pages of the 500 that make up The Ever After.
The end of the book contains an enormous battle scene its intense and thrilling. As a long reader of this world from the first series I was excited for her to bring main characters form the previous trilogies to help fight in this epic battle. We are even given POV from these characters which gave me a warm feeling. Yet if you're not familiar with them , since this series can technically be read on its own, you won't have any feelings of nostalgia and it will sort of feel chaotic with the jumping around of point of views.
In the end The Ever After wasn't quite what I wanted or was expected for the final book in a trilogy and final book for a universe. I will still always love all of the series in the trylle universe but I'm sad to say this last installment will be remembered with a bit of disappointment.
Thank you so much to Wednesday Books via NetGalley for the eARC of The Ever After in exchange for an honest review!
I think, despite this being able to stand alone as a trilogy, that reading the entire Trylle universe will make this a more interesting closure. I had so many questions throughout the series and things that I knew were Easter Eggs and Valentines to the long term readers, and I felt like I was missing out on those things.
That said, I really do find Hocking's writing, readable enough that I wouldn't hesitate to go back and read them. She has a straightforward way of explaining things and doesn't keep her characters tangled up in circles, or in the past. Too much.
About this book particularly - I felt like the first 75% was slow.... Then everything just started coming down like a very fact-laden avalanche. I think the reveals could have been spaced out throughout the book...somehow.
What I would really like to do is hold off on blogging this book, even though I have #1 on my blog, and start reading from the beginning .. And then end up here again.
I like the characters and world enough to do that and I hope the publisher won't hold that choice against me! I will post to Amazon and goodreads for sure, on Instagram around pub fate for sure, but I want to hold off on the blog. Will come back with those links ❤
2.5/5 stars. This was such a disappointing end to a fun series! The last book felt so disconnected from the other two books in the trilogy, and it felt very off. I wasn't invested in the romance, and I was barely invested in the characters. There were so many familial reveals in the book, that by the end I felt like everyone was related, and it was so unnecessary. The reveals were lackluster and nothing about Ulla finding out who her parents were was really wrapped up. Overall, very disappointing, and I don't think I'll be going back to read the Kane Chronicles series.
In this final book it al fell flat for me I know that the whole point was for Ulla to discover her parentage. The first two books were very interesting and I was really interested. Not sure what it is with this third book but it seemed more like I was being told what was happening in a very scientific way rather then a story being woven from the facts ulla uncovers. It just did not my interest as strongly as the first two book did.
A great conclusion to a great series. This series has been a part of my life for a few years now, and I loved seeing it get such an amazing ending. There were so many truths finally shown, and we really learned a lot throughout this book. I might have cried actual tears during this one and especially when it ended, but it was worth it. This was so good, and I’m so glad I had the pleasure of reading this series!
Beautiful world building; rich story telling. A slow build for about 2/3 of the book but well written and engaging. A wonderful adventure that draws the reader in; exciting build with a satisfying ending. A great read. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Ulla finds herself returning home on a plane with a month’s worth of memories missing. She remembers finding her father, but everything after that is surrounded by a haze. She quickly learns that her friends have also lost this time when they returned from the same trip separately. When Ulla thinks she has found a sister, a new adventure is begun, but will she find any answers this time? As the few truths she has are turned on their head, what else will Ulla discover about her past?
The Ever After is the third and final book in The Omte Origins trilogy. This spin-off of the Trylle series gave a lot of closure, but also makes me sad to have no more adventures in this fantastic world. Hocking’s world-building gave her access to unlimited storylines and these adventures were fun and exciting. The Omte Origins can be enjoyed on its own, but this third installment must be read after the first two books. The Ever After is a great fantasy adventure that was well worth the wait.
Great book. This author writes such exciting books full of adventure and excitement!
I can’t wait to see what she writes next!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I LOVED this book.
It's time Ulla finally got the answers so she needs/deserves. First, by figuring out how to uncover the concealed memories. Finn picks her up when she arrives back home. He and his family welcome her back home and help her to figure everything out. Finn gets her someone who can help to recover some memories and together they figure out why a children's book is so important.
Ulla, Pan and the rest of the crew won't stop until things come to light. Ulla's sister finally comes back into the picture and bring some friends with her. Friends who happen to match the same folks listed in the children's book and happen to know about her mother.
As we get to the end, the pace and risks pick up. They finally made it to their destination, just not soon enough. With the help of friends and all the troll kingdoms, it may not be enough. Monsters were released and lives will be lost, especially those who are dear to us.
When the dust settles and the first bridge is taken care of, the calm can start to set in. Not only does Ulla get answers and a surprise, but she gets to start a new life with Pan in the human world.
I'm sad to see this series end, it's the first series I've picked by up Amanda, and she gave it a wonderful ending.
4.75
Wow, what a way to finish a series. And not just a series, but a universe! I started reading from this world in 2015 when Frostfire came out and I'm telling you, I have enjoyed every minute of it!
This conclusion was fantastic. We were able to learn so many things about the troll world and how everything connected together. I was very happy with how everything ended with one GIANT exclusion.
That character death. You know which one I'm talking about. I was NOT ready for that and I am not here for it. They were done dirty and I REFUSE to accept it. Nope, it didn't happen. DIDN'T HAPPEN.
Though they did go out in style and doing something they 100% would do a million times over even knowing what the outcome would have been. It was very true to character, just not to my emotions.
Outside of that, there was a moment here where I was like "I'm sorry, you just did what?!?!" There's a POV switch at about 75% in, which is crazy because that's just NOT done. But it made so much sense for the story overall. For the SERIES overall. And I'm talking all 9 books, not just these three.
Overall, I'm really happy with the way Amanda chose to end this and I'm so happy that the ARC Gods at Netgalley and Wednesday books were kind enough to grant me ALL THREE of these books (as well as the Valkyrie duology previously!) to read early.
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the concluding book in The Omte Origins series and I was happy to see some of the questions I had in the first two books answered. Besides that I really struggled through this book. It jumped around a lot and I had a hard time deciphering what was taking place. I also felt like it was pretty slow moving throughout the book until the ending when there was the epic fight. The epic fight was just too confusing and I had to keep looking back to who was talking.
I really like this author so I would definitely read her books again. I just didn't click with this series.
The Ever After by Amanda Hocking concludes the Omte Origins trilogy, and I am not entirely certain how I feel about it.
On one hand, various revelations were finally brought to light, and I was glad to have those things cleared up. On the other hand, I felt that many aspects of the trilogy and the troll universe in general were left undefined, and if this was supposed to be the final of all these books by Hocking, it left a lot to be desired.
Furthermore, the pacing of this book was off for me. I spent probably the first 65-70% waiting and WAITING for something worthwhile to happen, and when the storyline finally picked up, it frankly turned into an avalanche of jumbled action scenes and info dumping. It felt like too much in too little time.
Then the thing that bothered me most: the death of a particular character, whom I won't mention by name for spoiler reasons. It just seemed completely nonsensical. Seriously. I saw no purpose in having it done, and it was brushed over very quickly and relatively easily, as if it wasn't really that big of a deal.
I seriously considered rating this as 2 stars, but the writing wasn't terrible and I did want to finish out the trilogy. I didn't get the closure I was hoping for though.
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
After the last book ending in such a cliffhanger with the whole group in a cell, waiting to have their memories wiped of their visit to Sweden and the First City, I couldn't wait to get a hold of the last book so that I could finally get some answers with the mystery of Ulla's origins and where Eliana was since there had been no luck finding her in the second book.
There are many twists and turns in this book and what I thought was fact turned out not to be. Ulla travels (with Pan and other friends) to several cities and places to try to find the truth and recover the memories (that she keeps getting intriguing flashes of) that had been cruelly taken from her. Fairy tales become truth and there is a faction trying to get to a mythical (or not so much anymore) kingdom. two thirds of the book build it up slowly (I wanted it to hurry up) but the last third has non stop action as Ulla and friends try to save the world from otherworldly monsters and that makes for an exciting finish!
I liked this book and this trilogy.
I found this book interesting. At times, however, I found myself feeling lost. There was a glossary at the back of the book which was very helpful. I enjoyed the heritage journey that Ulla goes through. It took me longer to read than normal, but that was due to needing to check the glossary etc. I did enjoy it.
What a wonderful new addition to the Trylle series. This book is the final novel in The Omte Origins and it wrapped up quite nicely. Thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.
The Trylle series has been near and dear to my heart since I was a freshman in high school, and to see it come to a close was bittersweet. I feel that this final trilogy moved a bit more slowly than the original Trylle trilogy, but I still enjoyed this book and found it easy to root for the heroine.
This was another really great read from Amanda Hocking! The adventure continues for Ulla in this book. Her search for answers about herself and her family finally comes to an end and you learn so much more about the troll universe! Hocking has always done a wonderful job creating unique and interesting places and people, and in this book she does not disappoint!
I was given this eARC by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. First off I didn’t realize this was a book 3 until after I started it. That being said, I have to go back and read the others! Hocking weaves a beautiful story. I wasn’t a huge fan of the amnesia storyline in the beginning but that’s mostly due to me being confused hahah. Anyway, even though at first I didn’t know what was going on, once I got into it I was hooked. The fairytale aspect is always a plus.