Friday, December 28, 2012

Review: Foretold

FORETOLD
Demon Trappers #4
Jana Oliver
Paranormal Young Adult
352 pages
St. Martin's Griffin
Available Now
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Now that Riley’s managed to (just barely) fend off Armageddon, everything’s changed. Well . . . most things. After their passionate kiss before the big battle in the cemetery, Beck is back to treating her like a little girl, as if nothing ever happened. While she’d love to just tell him off and move on, Riley vowed to take care of Beck the way he’s taken care of her since her father’s death—but she’s about to get a whole lot more than she bargained for. When she’s commissioned to go with Beck to his hometown and help him care for his dying mother, they stumble too close to a dark and murderous secret, one that Beck fears will drive Riley away from him forever. As chaos breaks loose, Riley may be Beck's only hope for redemption . . . and survival.

Meanwhile, up in Atlanta, it’s quickly becoming clear that Heaven may have won a battle, but the war is far from over. Riley and Beck face a stormy future, as Lucifer's ex-right-hand-man, Sartael, proves himself to be more resilient than anyone thought. He has Atlanta in his grip and is about to begin a brutal war with the prince of Hell. As the seconds tick down toward a final confrontation, it's up to Riley and the man she loves to finally defeat their old enemy, or lose everything they've fought for.


MY THOUGHTS
Foretold brings Riley’s journey full circle; what she finds within herself and in her feelings for Beck finally beginning to eclipse what she’s so brutally lost along the way, wrapping this series up in beautifully satisfying fashion. This final installment is essentially separated into two parts, the first half uncovering Beck’s dark and troubled past while the second half focuses on angelic politics as one of the Fallen finally makes his play for the throne of Hell, but Ms. Oliver skillfully ties the two separate threads together through Riley and Beck’s personal relationship, thereby ensuring we’re given a cohesive and thoroughly addictive story.

The first half of this tale is a true joy to read even as the pain in Beck’s past tugs at our heartstrings, granting us the glimpses of what’s molded the man we’ve come to love into the man he is; something we’ve longed for from the moment we met him and knew his attitude toward Riley was a defense mechanism protecting a vulnerable soul. It’s our time with him in small-town Georgia where memories are long and grudges run deep that allows us fully understand the fear that so often drives Beck’s reactions to Riley, a revelation that adds a stunning depth to their relationship in the second half of the book and makes us reevaluate their every interaction up until that point.

Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of this final installment is the continued growth of both Beck and Riley, the giant steps forward they made in Forgiven only lengthening in stride in Foretold, the channels of communication something both give much needed time and attention to opening. While Riley and Beck both have secrets from the other, they don’t keep them hidden for long, sparing us the drawn-out tension and inevitable drama when all is revealed and instead opting to put their trust – a truly momentous gesture for each of them – in the other’s hands in the hope their problems will find a long-awaited champion ready to tackle whatever is laid at their feet. Finally, we see the two of them together as a team; inseparable and fortified by honesty, love, and respect, and standing strong hand in hand even as Atlanta faces her darkest night yet.

Foretold is nothing short of a stunning conclusion to the Demon Trapper series, touching on every wish we have for Riley and Beck and seeing that they come true in the gritty, fiery, and thrilling style we’ve come to expect from these books. Fans of this series will absolutely want to cancel any plans for their day when they decide to crack Foretold’s spine, as there is no putting it down once Riley and Beck have them back in their clutches.

Rating: 4.5/5

30 comments:

  1. I only skimmed your review because I haven't read the series. But I do have the first book and since you like them so much I really need to get busy reading it. Especially if the series is now over. I don't have to wait for more books. I'm glad it has a good conclusion!

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    1. The first book I had a little trouble with Riley, but she grows so much over the course of the series - it's really fun to see how much she matures:)

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  2. Yes, I loved this one SO much, too, Jenny! The UK edition came out months ago and I was lucky enough to get an arc so it's been a while, but I was SO very happy with where we left Riley and Beck. You're right, they had their problems but they opened to each other quickly, and this wasn't angsty at all. :)
    Wonderful review, my dear.

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    1. YAY!!! I was so worried they would hold on to their secrets and I'd have all sorts of stress about it, but they didn't and I loved that:)

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  3. I love a good conclusion to a series :D So many times it just falls flat in the end

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    1. True. I couldn't have been happier with how things turned out:)

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  4. I've only read the first book in this series and while I didn't love it, I liked it enough that I'm probably going to read the sequels at some point. It sounds as if the characters do grow a lot which is always satisfying. And, I love that they don't keep secrets for long for the sake of creating drama.

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    1. I had some trouble with the first book too Z! Stick with the series though, each book gets better, and book 3 and 4 I think were both brilliant:)

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  5. As Candance, I kind of skipped parts of your review, because I plan on taking this series on in 2013 *fingers crossed I will*. I'm happy you loved it so much, because it gives me hope I'll end up enjoying this series as well. Ooh, and the cover is probably my favorite out of all the installments from the Demon Trappers series. I've heard so many great thing about these books and I'm excited to give it a go:)

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    1. I LOVE this cover, it's my favorite as well:) I got off to a rocky start with the first book, but I thoroughly enjoyed the remaining three in this series!

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  6. I agree with what you've said, Jenny! Beck and Riley go through so much growth! I loved this book, it was such a bittersweet read. This series is one of my faves, so it was sad leaving the characters and world behind.

    Great review! <3

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    1. I'm sad it's over too, but I was thrilled with how it wrapped up. Totally satisfied:)

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  7. OMG Jenny , Really ? It was that Good????? I read the first book and liked it but never got a chance to pick up the other books. Now that the last one is finally out I should go back to this series. Especially since you loved it so much. I was a big fan of Beck , so ... Yeah!! Sounds awesome !!!

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    1. YES DANNY! I honestly had no plans to continue the series after the first book (I liked it well enough, I just wasn't so wowed that I was counting the days to book 2) but I got book 3 for review so I went back and bought 2 and read them together - LOVED. Then I was dying for this book and it was everything I'd hoped for:)

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  8. OK, so I still haven't started this series although I promise I've been meaning to because I know how much Maja loved it. I'm glad to hear that this series is still going very strong for you. You know how much I love characters who grow and a good romance that's based on trust and respect, so it seems like I need to get to it sooner!
    Beautiful review as always, Jenny! :)

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    1. So much growth throughout this series Nick! I had a hard time with some of Riley's behavior in book 1, but she won me over in subsequent books and just kept getting stronger. I loved her by the end of the series:)

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  9. I love when a final book REALLY fulfills all your expectations and ties everything up beautifully. Jenny, I still have this first book on my shelf. I'm thinking this might be a series I need to read, especially since the ending is awesome!!

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  10. How have I not picked this series up yet?
    Happy reading,
    Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  11. I really have no excuse for why I haven't read this series. I mean, I even own the first book. I think I started it at one point, but then set it aside (no idea why). All my blogger friends rave about this series ...

    Clearly I need to give it another go, Jenny! :)

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  12. I've heard SO much about this series and I am so glad the ending was so strong! I really do need to check it out, especially since you praise it so highly, Jenny! Amazing review! :)

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  13. I know you had issues with the first book, Jenny, but it does look like each book gets better as the series goes along. I'm thrilled that the conclusion met your expectations and left the characters in a good spot. I'll have to try this series someday, especially now that it's complete.

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  14. I haven't read this series..and i have no idea why..since the worldbuilding and characters sound wonderful and right up my alley. I will search out book one. So glad you are loving this and wonderful review!

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  15. OMG! OMG! This book is out! Where the hell have I been! AGHHHHHHH! I so need to buy this book now! Geez! I love this series and can not believe I did not stay up to date!

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  16. I didn't continue with this series but I'm glad you got the ending you wanted and that Beck and Riley seem like a good fit. So glad you enjoyed the last book so much!

    Heather

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  17. I keep seeing positive reviews of this, and now that I've discovered that urban fantasy may actually be my cup of tea, I highly anticipate reading this series! Your glowing reviews always convince me, Jenny. :)

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  18. I still haven't read any book form this series but I see really good reviews for them. I must pick them up soon! :) Thanks! I hope I'll enjoy them as much as you :)

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  19. It actually sucks that this is the FIRST time i hear about this series, so thanks for sharing this!! Also, it sounds very interesting, and for the final book to be this awesome, thats always a bonus! Great review!
    - Farah @ MajiBookshelf

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  20. I haven't started this series, but I've certainly heard quite a lot of great things about it! I'm glad you liked the series and the conclusion, Jenny. :) I hate when the concluding installment doesn't do the series justice, but that's obviously not the case with this one! I'm glad. :) Fabulous review, Jenny!

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  21. Great review. This is another one of those series I really would like to start.

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