Mundie Moms

Friday, January 8, 2016

ENDURE by Sara B. Larson / Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway


Hello & welcome to the last stop in the ENDURE blog tour. I'm so thrilled to share my review for the last book in Sara B. Laron's DEFY series. It's always bitter sweet when a series I love comes to an end. This is the perfect ending for this series. If you've not yet picked up Defy, or Ignite, I highly recommend that you do! You can read my review for Defyhere and my review for Ignite, here

ABOUT THE BOOK




By: Sara B. Larson
Published by: Scholastic Press
Released on: December 29th, 2015
Series: Defy #3
Rating: 4 stars - I Really Enjoyed It
Purchase it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
Add it to: Goodreads
* I received an arc of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review
The remarkable third novel in Sara B. Larson's bestselling Defy series!
At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.
When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers, and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?
Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy, that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page.
What a fantastic ending to a series I have completely fallen in love with. It's one of those endings that given all that has happened in the series, and in this book, is heartbreaking, yet hopeful all rolled together. It's one that broke my heart and then mended it back together. Everything that has happened in the series prior to Endure, lead up to what happens in this book. 

I have loved watching the relationship between Alexa and Damian grow into what it is now. Their love for each other, their country, and their belief in what they're about to do, is enduring. It's an amazing strength these two have. It's one that also tests their faith in each other, for what the other one is about to do. One of the things I've always admired about the two of them, is they have never forced the other to be someone they're not. They've always supported each other, and allowed each other to make their own choices, even if it is painful to let them make it. Individually, these two have grown up so much, and have become the leaders I imagined they always would be. Especially Damain. 

Damian is a character who's really surprised me the most in this series. He's not all the same character I first met in Defy. I have loved getting to see the real him in Ignite, and now in Endure. He's become a King who embraces his people, his land, and his soon to be Queen, and in the process he's worked so hard to right all the horrible things his father has done. I love the way he loves Alexa. It definitely takes a strong person to love Alexa, and allow her to do what she's always done, but others before herself. There's a scene between the two of them, that really allowed me to get a glimpse of how hard it is for Damian to allow the person he loves, to risk her lives for others and put herself in grave danger.

Alexa is a character I have admired since the first page of Defy. She has endured so much in this series, and it's only made her more defiant, and stronger. She has always put others before herself, and she continues to do so in Endure. All through out the series we've heard of the horrors out of the kingdom of Dansiian, and wow, is this a brutal kingdom. Despite the odds against her, Alexa gives little to no thought about what lies ahead for her, when she heads there and risks her own life to save that of someone she cares about. What she has to go through, and endure here, broke my heart. No matter how horrible her circumstances are, or how painful they are, she never loses hope or faith in what she's doing. She has always put those she loves before herself, and this time around it comes at a high cost. *cue the crying*

It's always bitter sweet when a series I love comes to an end. It's hard to say goodbye, when you're still wanting more. This series has become one of my favorites. I have loved watching the characters in this series grow into the characters they are now. I've enjoyed getting to see more of the world in which they're apart of. I've loved the romance, the action, magic, danger and everything else that's made up mesmerizing world, and brought it to life. I've enjoyed the twists and turns and trying to figure out what's going to happen next. I've loved that Sara kept me on my toes through out the series with her unpredictable plot line, and well crafted twists. I'm not yet ready to say goodbye to this series. 

While I feel that ENDURE is the perfect ending for this series, there are two things that I wanted more of from it. I really missed not having more Alexa and Damain scenes together. While there are some, they spend more time apart than together. I get why, but still. Thankfully, even when they're not physically together, they're both very much present in the story. Through out the series, I have loved their scenes together, and really missed getting more of them. Lets 's honest, there could have had a whole chapter with just the two of them, and I'd probably still beg for more. 

The other thing was the ending itself. It felt a little rushed. Don't get me wrong, I loved the epilogue (even if it left me hoping for one more book), however I felt the big battle and the actual end of the story was a little bit rushed. It ended right after the battle ended. Battle scenes like that always leaving me wanting a little bit more. Not from the battle itself, but seeing the characters after the battle is over. That battle had me really worried for a bit. Thankfully there's a very hopeful epilogue. *sigh* I loved a certain scene it (I'm keeping it spoiler free).

Overall, I really enjoyed ENDURE. There really wasn't a more fitting end to all that has happened in this series. Oh my heart strings. Sara really knows how to pull them, and break them, and then put them back together. If you've not yet picked up Defy, or Ignite, I highly recommend that you do! You can read my review for Defyhere and my review for Ignite, here



About The Author


Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy DEFY, and the sequels IGNITE and ENDURE. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband and their three children. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day (while mourning the demise of naptime) and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction. 

Find Sara online at Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Blog


ENTER TO WIN


3 winners will receive a finished copy of ENDURE. US Only.




Tour Schedule

12/28/2015- Fiction FareReview
12/29/2015- Dark Faerie TalesInterview
12/30/2015- A Backwards StoryReview
12/31/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy ReadsGuest Post
1/1/2016- The Book CellarReview

1/4/2016- Supernatural SnarkInterview
1/5/2016- Novel Novice - Guest Post
1/6/2016- Page Turners BlogReview
1/7/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Interview
1/8/2016- Mundie MomsReview


ABOUT THE SERIES 



By: Sara B Larson
Published by: Scholastic
Released on: January 7th, 2014
Series: Defy #1
Purchase it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
Add it to: Goodreads

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?






By: Sara B Larson
Published by: Scholastic Press
Released on: December 30th, 2014
Series: Defy #2
Purchase it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
Add it to: Goodreads


Murder, kidnapping, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.


Alexa continues to harbor a secret love for the newly crowned King Damian, yet she remains by his side as his guard and ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people. However, when a new threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on the once friendly nation of Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. Once again the fate of her country hangs in the balance. Will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

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