The Rising

So is this the last one in this series? if so I am totally going to miss nadia and jack. One of my favorite authors and if you have not read any of Ms. Armstrong's book, you don't know what you are missing.

This series had an awesome story line ... but how is it spread into 3 books at $11 each as opposed to the one book is beyond me. The 'end of story cliff hangers' were more like end of paragraph teasers. Very frustrating. Not sure if I'll bother with this author again, as her other 'series' were formatted the same - pretty sure there are authors out there whose publishers don't insult my intelligence, and feel the need to squeeze every dollar out of me. :)

My expectations were here ------> (My expectations)

The book was here ------┐
│ I was hoping for more of the same, I guess, and Ms. Armstrong changed
│ it up on me. I don't want to spoil anything so that's why my review is so vague
↓ and unhelpful, sorry. Just note, I like kick-but Nadia with mystery, action, and drama.
(The book)

I loved the Nadia Stafford Series, but as with many series, authors get tired and cop out on the final book in the series. I had high hopes that this would be different. Surely Kelley Armstrong wouldn't crap out too, but alas, she has done the same as Richelle Meade, Kim Harrison, and the like. If you enjoyed this series, don't read this book. It won't give you "closure" on the series, it will just piss you off.

3.5 stars

I'm glad to see that the Nadia Stafford books got a proper ending. I only wished this book was paced a little bit faster. I was riveted until about 60% of the way through when I started to get a little confused on the plot. Then I just started to not care at all about them catching the villain.

I believe that this book really could be read as a standalone (although I always recommend reading the other books before), because it had been a while since I read the other books in this series and I had no problem following along; not once did I need to refer to the previous books to understand what was going on. So kudos to Armstrong for that :)

I don't remember Jack talking as stiltedly in the other books, maybe it's just been a while. With the way his character talked, it reminded me a bit of the male interests in all of the Kristen Ashley novels. Despite his stilted talk, the dialogue between Nadia and Jack were probably my favorite part about this book. Whether it was figuring things out, a friendly conversation, or more, the character chemistry between the two of them was awesome.

Anyways, if you need a break from reality and want to read an engaging book with a flawed but awesome female character, this is the book for you

This was a great conclusion to this endearing series that was more conspiracy and chasing than actual stakes. That said, it was still a lot of fun to read and learn more about what was going on behind in the scenes in an effort to take down the Cabals looking to keep them prisoner. This brought out a plethora of danger, surprise, and emotion. The characters continued to be strong and smart, acting like real people facing a real problem and not creating unnecessary drama. Unless they were named Sam. As far as the romance goes, maybe it's just me, but I felt it was a little out of the blue. I'm not saying I didn't buy it or even think it was sweet and mature, but maybe I missed the clues. It still turned out to be super sweet. That was a good counter to the ways things turned out as a whole in the epilogue. Now that it's concluded, there are things that happened in the previous book that make a little more sense, not just regarding the romance but also regarding Serena's death as well. I went into this series blind and was pleasantly surprised by almost everything I read. Perfect for anyone looking for an easy, fun read this summer!

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:

Wild Justice was an incredible conclusion to a wonderful crime drama series, and worth the wait (even though it sucked to have to...). :)

Our heroine, Nadia Stafford, is a former police officer turned assassin. She also owns and runs a wilderness lodge in Canada. She is independent, tough as nails, and a little quirky. Her moral code is a little different than most assassins, wherein... she has one. She generally only takes jobs that border on vigilantism, righting a wrong where justice wasn't served as it should have been. Her past built her that way, and instead of turning inward, she uses her dark sides to 'help others, while using her double life to live the way she's always wanted.

Wild Justice starts out with a bang. There is a job that goes awry, and it messes with Nadia's head a bit. After this, Kelley fully immerses us in a whirlwind of revelation, mystery, character growth, action, drama, emotion and heat. We learn that things we suspected in previous books about Nadia's past are correct (and even worse than we had imagined), we learn more about the mysterious Jack, the clandestine society that has been courting Nadia is revealed and its true colors are shown, the persons responsible for Nadia's tragic past are heavily involved in the storyline and make for some gripping page time, Jack and Nadia finally stop dancing around the inevitable, and it's all tied up nicely with a bunch of action, drama, and intrigue.

I was very pleased with the conclusion of the series. It felt 'real' to me, and was true to the characters - nothing seemed forced or hurried. Kudos to Kelley for giving us NADIA STAFFORD fans what we had been waiting and hoping for. Still (and probably forever) a Kelley Armstrong fangirl!

After the events of "The Calling", Maya, Daniel and Corey are in Vancouver on the run. They try to track down help and end up accidentally in contact with Ashton "Ash", Maya's brother. They run around some more, then decide the best way to get help is to drag back the kids from Darkest Powers, in between going to visit her grandmother (for no reason), going to their funeral (amounts to nothing), getting captured, escaping and on and on and so forth.

At this point, I'm sure people are thinking that I just hate read this trilogy. I did not. I actually liked Darkest Powers. I liked Armstrong. But when I started reading "The Gathering", I was astounded at how paper-thin the plot was. How forced the character interactions were. How lame the romance was. And it never got better than what I saw in "The Gathering". Now that I've finished the trilogy, I don't know whether to laugh maniacally or burst into tears.

I was never a fan of the characters; I thought they were all pretty meh. Sure, I appreciate how Maya is way more independent than, say, Bella Swan or most other YA "heroines". But this book doesn't endear me more to any of the characters we've supposedly gotten to know better. All the characters seem to be variations of "snarky teen". Maya...Rafe...Corey...Hayley...Ashton. Oh god, Ashton! What an obnoxious p@#$%. I hated how he was so overprotective and creepy for a sister he just barely met. Stop policing Maya's actions, a-hole. What characters aren't "snarky teens" are just so boring: Daniel. Nicole. Even the reappearance of the Darkest Powers kids can't save the book (and if you are reading to see them: don't), as they seem to be merely caricatures of their former selves. (But even as caricatures, they are STILL better than the characters created for this trilogy.)

What was more obnoxious somehow than the characters themselves was how in this book, Armstrong gave up on Team Rafe and decided to have every character try to promote Team Daniel. Numerous times, from every character, we are told how intimate and close Maya and Daniel are, how they aren't friends, how they read as dating, "Hey, get your boyfriend off me - what do you mean he's not your boyfriend?" - and I'm just tilting my head in bewilderment. I never once read any sort of sexual chemistry between Maya and Daniel, and furthermore, why the flying frak do they have to be romantic partners in the first place? Why is it when a woman shows concern for a male friend, it has to be a romantic relationship? (This is not to say I was Team Rafe, BTW, just that I buy Team Rafe more than Team Daniel.)

But this "show don't tell" is pretty much systematic problem of the entire trilogy. Nothing is learned organically; no one investigates; the information just falls into people's laps like a cat who vomits on you. Need to have Corey find out about his superpower? He does it offscreen and then when there's no action, dumps all the information on Daniel and Maya. Need to fill the audience in on the Darkest Powers events? Infodump from Calvin Antone and Maya relating what she read from the convenient data the author gave her.

Then we have the constant movement, the constant action, as if Armstrong is trying desperately to hide the fact that there isn't enough story to necessitate a 3-book, 300+ page long series. I love action as much as the next girl, but geez, a good 3/4 of the events could have been omitted (such as the romp to visit Maya's grandma), and nothing would have been lost. For instance, the diversion to Grandma's house gave us nothing. They sneak to her house, meet her, learn nothing, meet no new people, get chased back to the mainland. All it does is stretch out the book so it could fill the page quota. That is all.

But the cherry of sorts on this pile of elephant excrement is the absolute crap ending. I can't detail how awful and painful it is, as it would probably be spoilery, but suffice to say: we spend 3 books building to this moment and end up almost exactly where we started. The negotations last one paragraph, and everything is suddenly hunky dory - except for that threat of another trilogy to wrap up what should have been wrapped up here. Meaning, I basically spent all the money on 3 books and the time reading for NOTHING.

No wonder people hate reading! No wonder people only read a book when they are on a plane - I would give up on reading if all I was doing was tuning into one massive infodump after another, with boring characters, forced interactions, endless action scenes, capped off by an ending that made the entire trilogy pointless. Hell, I'm so dejected at the end of this trilogy, I'm halfway to quitting reading myself. And I've basically been reading since second grade.

A while back, I read a book, Arclight, that kinda broke me and my love of reading. It wasn't "terrible", but it was just all the various things about reading that I despised that I kinda wanted to quit reading forever.

This book is worse than that. It's worse, because it was pointless. It's worse, because it tries to conceal its problems with plot and characters with endless action and chase sequences. It's worse because it sets up one relationship with actual chemistry but then uses its characters to TELL us how amazing another one - a virtually platonic one - is.

It's worse because after reading this book, I don't know that I can go back and read any of Armstrong's books.

I don't read to hate books; I don't write reviews to hate on books or authors. I write the above out of frustration and despair. Most of the books I was so sure I'd love, I seem to end up feeling "meh" about or hating. And who wants to do any hobby that they hate?

Please excuse me while I go cry into my pillow.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

Ms. Armstrong sure knows how to drive a person absolutely crazy! Throughout the book I was just waiting for a certain something (wink wink) to happen. I was over 3/4 of the way done, and I was almost freaking out that it was never going to happen. So, at that point, I naturally could not put the book down and probably looked like a reading maniac (yes, don't judge me). But, then it did happen and now I am for certain that The Rising is my absolute favorite of Armstrong's Darkness Rising Series!

So, if you have read the Darkest Powers Series, this novel is where the characters you love from the series come into play. It is also mentioned that there is a large werewolf pack and I'm kind of wondering if that is also a crossover from another of Armstrong's series? However, I don't really know, so I may have to read more books written by Ms. Armstrong. What a sacrifice...not! I would definitely read more of her books! The Rising had me chomping at the bit to get to the end of the book; I just couldn't wait to find out the ending!

This was a series full of suspense, and I absolutely loved it! I pretty much loved everything about it, the characters, the scenery, the action, etc. (really I could go on and on!). If you haven't read anything from Kelley Armstrong, get a move on it!

It’s been almost five years since the release of the last book in the series and I wondered how easy this was going to be to pick up after all this time. Not difficult at all. There’s enough back story to jog your memory without overloading the book and I believe it would be easy for someone new to the series to enjoy it without being lost.

Nadia Stafford, former police officer, barely makes a living owning a lodge in the Canadian wilderness. What keeps her afloat is the few side jobs she does a year as an assassin. When a job goes sour on a very emotional level, Jack, her assassin mentor, is there with something new to focus on, and she’s not sure she wants it. The man who got away with raping and killing her cousin twenty years ago has been found and with it comes a great deal of emotional baggage and a lot to be learned about what really took place.

There is plenty of action and this time assassins are coming after Nadia while she, Jack, Quinn and Evelyn search for the truth and the person trying to kill her. If I recall correctly, this story differs from the others in the level of emotions Nadia experiences, as well as sexual tension. We finally learn Jack’s story.

The only thing that I dislike about the story is Jack’s way of speaking. I realize this is part of his character, but I find his two to three word sentences choppy and uncomfortable to read. I do like him as a character—we are given a lot of good reasons to like him--but his speech patterns make the story somewhat uncomfortable for me.

I give the book 4 stars for the story, what takes place and how what Nadia experiences makes me feel, but only 3 stars for my enjoyment of it overall.

Read as an ARC via Library Thing.

This book was just amazing! I always love getting back into a familiar story, and one I really enjoy being in, at that. I've been highly anticipating this one and it did not disappoint! I'm just really sad that it's over :(

The story was just great! There's something about the stories Kelley writes about teenagers with supernatural powers running away from evil people that I just absolutely love! Okay, I know what that something is: Action! And tons of it! In fact, The Rising started off with fast paced action the sucked me in and would not let me go until the story was told! I also loved the fact the despite the situation Maya and her friends were in, I swear, I was laughing like every other page! I love books with humor :)

And then the characters... so many diverse characters and we even get to see some new ones! But even though we have SO many characters, it is not overwhelming, and that is nice!

Ash, oh my gods, love! Under all that jerk-like exterior he really is a sweet guy. And then there's Daniel... I ADORE Daniel! I like Rafe okay, but I am totally Team Daniel! He is just the sweetest, and as you may know, I have a soft spot for sweet guys ;) THe one character that really ended up surprising me was Antone. I seriously HATED the guy... the vil bastard! But after this book... I don't know what to think. I wont say I like him, but my perspective on him has certainly changed. Oh and don't even get me started on the fact the the Darkest Powers crew is BACK!! Eeeep! I was very excited to read this book, specifically for this reason! It was just amazing seeing these old characters we know and love interact with the new characters we've become fond of. I seriously love cross-overs like this :)

I thought the ending was satisfactory and yet unusual. You'd never guess how this will end! And in a way I wasn't a big fan of this final decision. I kept wondering if there wasn't another way, but... I don't know. The ending was just too convenient.

Oh, and did I mention that little dash of Greek mythology? Because HECK YES! I love this series to start with so this was just a plus! I really love this world and I am SO sad that it's over! I will miss it! And if you have not started on this series, GET TO IT! :)

Maya and her friends are still running for their lives after they discovered that everything they knew and had thought was true was a lie. Their whole upbringing a lie and that they were all part of an experiment to try and resurrect six extinct supernatural creatures. Now that most of their powers have come at full play, they are being hunted down to be experimented on. With most of their group being captured in Book #2 it just leaves Maya, Daniel and Corey to fend for themselves, so they run off to Vancouver to find some answers . However what they find though is something more interesting - they discover Maya's twin brother Ashton . Can Ashton help them or is he too running for his life ? Can Maya and her friends find help before it's too late or is there no hope for them of ever living a normal life again especially when circumstances change and Maya finds herself captured and taken to the compound where the rest of her friends are being held captive. This was a good ending to the series and one of the things that near the ending surprised me was the introduction to a whole new cast of characters , these characters were new to the Darkness Rising series but if you are a big fan of Kelley Armstrong's different series - then the characters and what they can do will be very familiar to you. So , readers prepare to find yourself immersed into not only the Darkness Rising series but also her Summoning Series as we are reunited with Chloe, Liz , Derek, Simon and Kitt. Also what I loved and didn't notice before until she combined the series was that Liz and Maya have the same surname of "Delaney".

I really loved the ending of The Darkness Rising series and enjoyed how Kelley had joined both her teen series together in the end with a crossover.

If you have read The Summoning series and love Supernatural/Paranormal Teen Fiction - then check out Kelley Armstrong's The Darkness Rising Series today.

2.5

Ash was just the sort of character this series needed, someone sarcastic, attractive, powerful, with some edginess, and a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He is the perfect counterbalance to Maya's proud fierceness, and interacts with her in a natural brotherly way complete with fighting and hilarious disagreements.

The only redeeming moments belong to the sizzling flirtations, and mounting sexual tensions between characters that will constantly leave you with a smile on your face and a glowing sense of satisfaction.

CONS:

I had such high hopes for this book, I expected crazy action scenes, danger, and a lot more magic considering the supernatural elements but surprisingly this book was severely lacking in all of those departments. For a series that is based on scientific experiments connected with the revival of extinct mythological creatures, it felt like more of a teenage drama with half-hearted attempts at supernatural. Adrenaline should have pumped, the speed should have been fueled with uncertainty and fear for their lives but honestly, the whole story was slow, boring, and not at all what I anticipated. Sure there were a lot of dire circumstances, narrow escapes, and even shootings yet somehow the story felt like a series of telling with little description and the pace was not up to speed with the action scenes. I spent more than half of the book hoping something would happen that made me sit on the edge of my seat, gripping the edges of the book for dear life, and I was just so underwhelmed.

The story didn't have a climax. It went in circles with a bunch of nothing much happening. The plot didn't really fluctuate and there were no surprises.

The end was bland and deeply unsatisfying.

As the conclusion to the trilogy, The Rising fell flat and lost some of it's earlier magic in the earlier books.

Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult

Vancouver, British Columbia

Maya and her friends are getting desperate. They are being hunted by two Cabals, the powerful St. Clouds and another rival group. They are also running out of places to hide.

They have a name of someone who just might be able to help them by giving them answers they desperately need. Answers like why they are so very valuable in the first place. Also why their supernatural powers seem to be getting increasingly out of control.

What Maya is not prepared for are the truths that she finds waiting for her. Also whether she likes it or not she needs to face some demons from her past if she has any hope of having a future and moving on with her life. Maya is finding out that she can’t keep running forever.

This is a great way to finish a trilogy that has proven to be fun and a roller coaster ride. Readers will be sad to see the end of the trilogy but will find it was definitely worth reading. The reader gets to see how the characters grow through the adversity they are forced to deal with while trying to get their lives back. The action never stops and keeps the story moving at a very fast pace. It will also have readers hoping for more about the characters set maybe father down the line to see just what happens when the characters get a little older. This proved to be a very fun trilogy that will have readers re-reading them just to revisit some fantastic characters. This is a must read.

Third and final book in the Nadia Stafford thriller series about a female hitwoman.

My Take
No, no, no, no, no, nooooooo. I don't want this to be the end!! I love this series!! Besides, what about the Contrapasso??? Now that Armstrong has let this particular cat out of the bag, she can't leave it there… Okay, so I'm whining. I like this series! How often do you get a story, let alone a series, about a contract killer who's a woman?

Wild Justice is a story you simply can't stop and put down. It's like the rest of this series, and not at all what you would expect from Armstrong, although it does bear the hallmark of her excellent writing abilities. Then there are those twists she introduces. God knows I was clueless, refusing to believe for pages until Armstrong led me along her path of clues!


It's kinda too bad that Nadia has a moral streak, as the trigger event hits really hard and simply gets worse when Jack shows up with an unexpected "gift". It'll be a rough trip down memory lane, but worth it for the truth that emerges. It's that initial truth, about a serial bad guy who could'a, should'a, been taken down at the start that hurts the most.

It's amazing how very careful Jack is with Nadia—and it makes me want to go back to the beginning with Exit Strategy , 1, and re-explore how we first learn about Jack mentoring Nadia. Was Jack's telegraph-style of speech there, and I simply missed it? Was the basis for the camaraderie between Nadia and Jack laid there as well? I know I wouldn't mind a re-read.

It's a slow dance Armstrong has us waltzing through with its close steps and suggestive moves, its careful building to its unexpectedly expected result. And still Armstrong continues to twist and turn, using Quinn and his regrets, Nadia reacting in the guy role, and Jack the timid one. Armstrong had me wallowing in indecision, but eventually Nadia's choice, her explanations, rang true, and I had to admire her reasoning. Dang, Armstrong's good!

Wow, we get Jack's background, and it's much rougher than I had expected. Makes me feel bad for the guy.

Okay, hitman humor. The superior, first-rate versus the third-rate, and it's just sad. There's something to be said for reading, and these two should have read their Nadia Stafford books *shakes her head with very little regret*. Although, Jack, Nadia, and Quinn had their own snafus…!

That scene after the fancy dinner...smokin'! Even if there was some nasty fall-out. If you're interested in relationship alternatives, a different way of approaching one, do read Wild Justice.

Oh, it's a little scary how clueless Nadia is, and yet, why would she think anything else?

It's a good ending. One that leaves an opening for more, although I'm not sure that's not just me being hopeful…

The Story
A hit goes bad, and Nadia zones out, the bad result triggering her memories of the murder of her young cousin two decades ago.

Memories that seem so appropriate when Jack hands his "gift" to her. It should be so easy…

The Characters
Nadia Stafford, a.k.a., Dee, is an ex-cop who runs a wilderness lodge northeast of Toronto when she's not under contract. Emma and Owen Walden are the cook and all-round handyman who handle things when she's gone. Scout is the dog Jack gave her last spring. Neil is a cousin who was a newbie on the force those 20 years ago along with fellow cops, Myron Young and cousin Pete. Dr. Foster was the good-intentioned family physician.

Jack, in truth John Daly, is Nadia's mentor; Evelyn is Jack's mentor and middleman. Felix is a hitman friend who's into the toys. Quinn, a.k.a., the Boy Scout, is a Virginia-based U.S. marshal who moonlights as a vigilante hitman. He's also Dee's ex-boyfriend these days.

Amy is Nadia's twenty-year-dead, naive cousin; Uncle Eddie was Amy's father and a cop. Drew Aldrich is the man who killed her, and his premium defense team included Lawrence Webb and Sebastian Koss, who is now a big-time victim's advocate. Shannon Broadhurst was a victim, one who realizes, now, the truth of the situation.

Paul Tomassini, nephew to a New York mafia don, is Dee's exclusive middleman. Roland, another middleman, runs third-rate hitmen, like Mark Lewiston. Duncan is another middleman, very professional, and a good friend of Evelyn's.

Alan Wilde is a hit. Rose Wilde is his timid wife while Hannah is their three-year-old. David Miller, a.k.a., James Emery, is a fake cop in Newport who's living in Cleveland.

The Contrapasso Fellowship is an urban legend among cops and hitmen, a "club composed of former judges, lawyers, and law-enforcement officers who hire assassins to right judicial wrongs." Henry Bryant is hiding in the Contrapasso. Diaz is another member.

The Cover
The cover has a soft black background with a partial view of Nadia in a too-big khaki trenchcoat, holding a really big gun. A very determined-looking lady.

The title is a combination of what occurs within the boards and is definitely a Wild Justice.

Ms. Armstrong sure knows how to drive a person absolutely crazy! Throughout the book I was just waiting for a certain something (wink wink) to happen. I was over 3/4 of the way done, and I was almost freaking out that it was never going to happen. So, at that point, I naturally could not put the book down and probably looked like a reading maniac (yes, don't judge me). But, then it did happen and now I am for certain that The Rising is my absolute favorite of Armstrong's Darkness Rising Series!

So, if you have read the Darkest Powers Series, this novel is where the characters you love from the series come into play. It is also mentioned that there is a large werewolf pack and I'm kind of wondering if that is also a crossover from another of Armstrong's series? However, I don't really know, so I may have to read more books written by Ms. Armstrong. What a sacrifice...not! I would definitely read more of her books! The Rising had me chomping at the bit to get to the end of the book; I just couldn't wait to find out the ending!

This was a series full of suspense, and I absolutely loved it! I pretty much loved everything about it, the characters, the scenery, the action, etc. (really I could go on and on!). If you haven't read anything from Kelley Armstrong, get a move on it!

It’s been almost five years since the release of the last book in the series and I wondered how easy this was going to be to pick up after all this time. Not difficult at all. There’s enough back story to jog your memory without overloading the book and I believe it would be easy for someone new to the series to enjoy it without being lost.

Nadia Stafford, former police officer, barely makes a living owning a lodge in the Canadian wilderness. What keeps her afloat is the few side jobs she does a year as an assassin. When a job goes sour on a very emotional level, Jack, her assassin mentor, is there with something new to focus on, and she’s not sure she wants it. The man who got away with raping and killing her cousin twenty years ago has been found and with it comes a great deal of emotional baggage and a lot to be learned about what really took place.

There is plenty of action and this time assassins are coming after Nadia while she, Jack, Quinn and Evelyn search for the truth and the person trying to kill her. If I recall correctly, this story differs from the others in the level of emotions Nadia experiences, as well as sexual tension. We finally learn Jack’s story.

The only thing that I dislike about the story is Jack’s way of speaking. I realize this is part of his character, but I find his two to three word sentences choppy and uncomfortable to read. I do like him as a character—we are given a lot of good reasons to like him--but his speech patterns make the story somewhat uncomfortable for me.

I give the book 4 stars for the story, what takes place and how what Nadia experiences makes me feel, but only 3 stars for my enjoyment of it overall.

Read as an ARC via Library Thing.

This book was just amazing! I always love getting back into a familiar story, and one I really enjoy being in, at that. I've been highly anticipating this one and it did not disappoint! I'm just really sad that it's over :(

The story was just great! There's something about the stories Kelley writes about teenagers with supernatural powers running away from evil people that I just absolutely love! Okay, I know what that something is: Action! And tons of it! In fact, The Rising started off with fast paced action the sucked me in and would not let me go until the story was told! I also loved the fact the despite the situation Maya and her friends were in, I swear, I was laughing like every other page! I love books with humor :)

And then the characters... so many diverse characters and we even get to see some new ones! But even though we have SO many characters, it is not overwhelming, and that is nice!

Ash, oh my gods, love! Under all that jerk-like exterior he really is a sweet guy. And then there's Daniel... I ADORE Daniel! I like Rafe okay, but I am totally Team Daniel! He is just the sweetest, and as you may know, I have a soft spot for sweet guys ;) THe one character that really ended up surprising me was Antone. I seriously HATED the guy... the vil bastard! But after this book... I don't know what to think. I wont say I like him, but my perspective on him has certainly changed. Oh and don't even get me started on the fact the the Darkest Powers crew is BACK!! Eeeep! I was very excited to read this book, specifically for this reason! It was just amazing seeing these old characters we know and love interact with the new characters we've become fond of. I seriously love cross-overs like this :)

I thought the ending was satisfactory and yet unusual. You'd never guess how this will end! And in a way I wasn't a big fan of this final decision. I kept wondering if there wasn't another way, but... I don't know. The ending was just too convenient.

Oh, and did I mention that little dash of Greek mythology? Because HECK YES! I love this series to start with so this was just a plus! I really love this world and I am SO sad that it's over! I will miss it! And if you have not started on this series, GET TO IT! :)

Maya and her friends are still running for their lives after they discovered that everything they knew and had thought was true was a lie. Their whole upbringing a lie and that they were all part of an experiment to try and resurrect six extinct supernatural creatures. Now that most of their powers have come at full play, they are being hunted down to be experimented on. With most of their group being captured in Book #2 it just leaves Maya, Daniel and Corey to fend for themselves, so they run off to Vancouver to find some answers . However what they find though is something more interesting - they discover Maya's twin brother Ashton . Can Ashton help them or is he too running for his life ? Can Maya and her friends find help before it's too late or is there no hope for them of ever living a normal life again especially when circumstances change and Maya finds herself captured and taken to the compound where the rest of her friends are being held captive. This was a good ending to the series and one of the things that near the ending surprised me was the introduction to a whole new cast of characters , these characters were new to the Darkness Rising series but if you are a big fan of Kelley Armstrong's different series - then the characters and what they can do will be very familiar to you. So , readers prepare to find yourself immersed into not only the Darkness Rising series but also her Summoning Series as we are reunited with Chloe, Liz , Derek, Simon and Kitt. Also what I loved and didn't notice before until she combined the series was that Liz and Maya have the same surname of "Delaney".

I really loved the ending of The Darkness Rising series and enjoyed how Kelley had joined both her teen series together in the end with a crossover.

If you have read The Summoning series and love Supernatural/Paranormal Teen Fiction - then check out Kelley Armstrong's The Darkness Rising Series today.

2.5

Ash was just the sort of character this series needed, someone sarcastic, attractive, powerful, with some edginess, and a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He is the perfect counterbalance to Maya's proud fierceness, and interacts with her in a natural brotherly way complete with fighting and hilarious disagreements.

The only redeeming moments belong to the sizzling flirtations, and mounting sexual tensions between characters that will constantly leave you with a smile on your face and a glowing sense of satisfaction.

CONS:

I had such high hopes for this book, I expected crazy action scenes, danger, and a lot more magic considering the supernatural elements but surprisingly this book was severely lacking in all of those departments. For a series that is based on scientific experiments connected with the revival of extinct mythological creatures, it felt like more of a teenage drama with half-hearted attempts at supernatural. Adrenaline should have pumped, the speed should have been fueled with uncertainty and fear for their lives but honestly, the whole story was slow, boring, and not at all what I anticipated. Sure there were a lot of dire circumstances, narrow escapes, and even shootings yet somehow the story felt like a series of telling with little description and the pace was not up to speed with the action scenes. I spent more than half of the book hoping something would happen that made me sit on the edge of my seat, gripping the edges of the book for dear life, and I was just so underwhelmed.

The story didn't have a climax. It went in circles with a bunch of nothing much happening. The plot didn't really fluctuate and there were no surprises.

The end was bland and deeply unsatisfying.

As the conclusion to the trilogy, The Rising fell flat and lost some of it's earlier magic in the earlier books.

Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult

Vancouver, British Columbia

Maya and her friends are getting desperate. They are being hunted by two Cabals, the powerful St. Clouds and another rival group. They are also running out of places to hide.

They have a name of someone who just might be able to help them by giving them answers they desperately need. Answers like why they are so very valuable in the first place. Also why their supernatural powers seem to be getting increasingly out of control.

What Maya is not prepared for are the truths that she finds waiting for her. Also whether she likes it or not she needs to face some demons from her past if she has any hope of having a future and moving on with her life. Maya is finding out that she can’t keep running forever.

This is a great way to finish a trilogy that has proven to be fun and a roller coaster ride. Readers will be sad to see the end of the trilogy but will find it was definitely worth reading. The reader gets to see how the characters grow through the adversity they are forced to deal with while trying to get their lives back. The action never stops and keeps the story moving at a very fast pace. It will also have readers hoping for more about the characters set maybe father down the line to see just what happens when the characters get a little older. This proved to be a very fun trilogy that will have readers re-reading them just to revisit some fantastic characters. This is a must read.

Third and final book in the Nadia Stafford thriller series about a female hitwoman.

My Take
No, no, no, no, no, nooooooo. I don't want this to be the end!! I love this series!! Besides, what about the Contrapasso??? Now that Armstrong has let this particular cat out of the bag, she can't leave it there… Okay, so I'm whining. I like this series! How often do you get a story, let alone a series, about a contract killer who's a woman?

Wild Justice is a story you simply can't stop and put down. It's like the rest of this series, and not at all what you would expect from Armstrong, although it does bear the hallmark of her excellent writing abilities. Then there are those twists she introduces. God knows I was clueless, refusing to believe for pages until Armstrong led me along her path of clues!


It's kinda too bad that Nadia has a moral streak, as the trigger event hits really hard and simply gets worse when Jack shows up with an unexpected "gift". It'll be a rough trip down memory lane, but worth it for the truth that emerges. It's that initial truth, about a serial bad guy who could'a, should'a, been taken down at the start that hurts the most.

It's amazing how very careful Jack is with Nadia—and it makes me want to go back to the beginning with Exit Strategy , 1, and re-explore how we first learn about Jack mentoring Nadia. Was Jack's telegraph-style of speech there, and I simply missed it? Was the basis for the camaraderie between Nadia and Jack laid there as well? I know I wouldn't mind a re-read.

It's a slow dance Armstrong has us waltzing through with its close steps and suggestive moves, its careful building to its unexpectedly expected result. And still Armstrong continues to twist and turn, using Quinn and his regrets, Nadia reacting in the guy role, and Jack the timid one. Armstrong had me wallowing in indecision, but eventually Nadia's choice, her explanations, rang true, and I had to admire her reasoning. Dang, Armstrong's good!

Wow, we get Jack's background, and it's much rougher than I had expected. Makes me feel bad for the guy.

Okay, hitman humor. The superior, first-rate versus the third-rate, and it's just sad. There's something to be said for reading, and these two should have read their Nadia Stafford books *shakes her head with very little regret*. Although, Jack, Nadia, and Quinn had their own snafus…!

That scene after the fancy dinner...smokin'! Even if there was some nasty fall-out. If you're interested in relationship alternatives, a different way of approaching one, do read Wild Justice.

Oh, it's a little scary how clueless Nadia is, and yet, why would she think anything else?

It's a good ending. One that leaves an opening for more, although I'm not sure that's not just me being hopeful…

The Story
A hit goes bad, and Nadia zones out, the bad result triggering her memories of the murder of her young cousin two decades ago.

Memories that seem so appropriate when Jack hands his "gift" to her. It should be so easy…

The Characters
Nadia Stafford, a.k.a., Dee, is an ex-cop who runs a wilderness lodge northeast of Toronto when she's not under contract. Emma and Owen Walden are the cook and all-round handyman who handle things when she's gone. Scout is the dog Jack gave her last spring. Neil is a cousin who was a newbie on the force those 20 years ago along with fellow cops, Myron Young and cousin Pete. Dr. Foster was the good-intentioned family physician.

Jack, in truth John Daly, is Nadia's mentor; Evelyn is Jack's mentor and middleman. Felix is a hitman friend who's into the toys. Quinn, a.k.a., the Boy Scout, is a Virginia-based U.S. marshal who moonlights as a vigilante hitman. He's also Dee's ex-boyfriend these days.

Amy is Nadia's twenty-year-dead, naive cousin; Uncle Eddie was Amy's father and a cop. Drew Aldrich is the man who killed her, and his premium defense team included Lawrence Webb and Sebastian Koss, who is now a big-time victim's advocate. Shannon Broadhurst was a victim, one who realizes, now, the truth of the situation.

Paul Tomassini, nephew to a New York mafia don, is Dee's exclusive middleman. Roland, another middleman, runs third-rate hitmen, like Mark Lewiston. Duncan is another middleman, very professional, and a good friend of Evelyn's.

Alan Wilde is a hit. Rose Wilde is his timid wife while Hannah is their three-year-old. David Miller, a.k.a., James Emery, is a fake cop in Newport who's living in Cleveland.

The Contrapasso Fellowship is an urban legend among cops and hitmen, a "club composed of former judges, lawyers, and law-enforcement officers who hire assassins to right judicial wrongs." Henry Bryant is hiding in the Contrapasso. Diaz is another member.

The Cover
The cover has a soft black background with a partial view of Nadia in a too-big khaki trenchcoat, holding a really big gun. A very determined-looking lady.

The title is a combination of what occurs within the boards and is definitely a Wild Justice.

I really enjoyed this concluding book to the Nadia Stafford series. I found the writing engaging. I especially liked the dialog between Nadia and Jack. I also enjoyed watching them finally take a chance on having a relationship. I found it amusing that two contract killers who faced physical danger all the time would be so fearful of taking emotional risks.

When the story begins, Nadia is in a tough place mentally. She has just broken up with fellow contract killer Quinn because they had different expectations for their relationship. She is feeling guilty that she might have led him on. She is also facing professional difficulties because she didn't kill the man she was hired to kill and shortly later he kills his wife, wounds his infant daughter and kills himself. Nadia passed on the hit because the wife and daughter were there and she wasn't willing to kill him in front of them. Now she is feeling guilty because they died or were injured because she didn't take the shot.

Her mentor Jack comes to see her with a gift. He has located Drew Aldritch - the man she believes killed her cousin twenty years earlier but who was acquitted at the trial. Nadia was there at the isolated cabin at the time but managed to escape and run for help. She feels guilty that she didn't do anything to save her cousin. She has had nightmare about the whole thing for years. They are especially bad when she gets in another situation where her actions cause harm to an innocent. Drew Aldritch has changed his name a few times but hasn't changed his ways with young girls. Jack thinks that Nadia will feel better if she kills him herself but Nadia is more in favor of turning him in to law enforcement.

Unfortunately, while they are watching Drew, someone gets there first and kills him. Worse than that, someone has hired hit men to kill Nadia - perhaps because Drew Aldritch recognized her. Jack and Nadia have to figure out who is trying to kill her. Quinn gets involved in the case too which is incredibly awkward for Nadia who has finally started a relationship with Jack after years of missed signals.

Complicating things even further is that Nadia recalls things about the time of her cousin's death that she had completely blocked out of her memory. Things that her family had known and Jack had guessed but which Nadia had repressed. Dealing with those new memories rocks her world.

This story was excellent. I can't wait to get a keeper copy for my bookshelf.

Nadia and Jack go after the one person that Nadia was never able to bring to justice. Along the way, lots of revelations and secrets are revealed about both Nadia's and Jack's past, and other various loose ends are tied up.

I had given up hope of this series ever concluding so I hadn't noticed that this book came out 2 yrs ago... I had to re-read the first 2 books as a refresher and I have to admit, I was fully expecting this book to suck. I figured the characters wouldn't be themselves after all this time. I'm glad I was wrong. This book fit perfectly into the series and it ended it in a really satisfying way (though i wouldn't mind if Armstrong wanted to write more). Jack and Nadia's clumsy relationship skills still had me cringing with embarrassment for them but they FINALLY took the plunge this time! I love their awkwardness.

I gave it four stars because it's not my favorite series and never has been, but I definitely thought it was just as good-if not better, than the first 2 books.

The final novel in the Darkness Rising series begins with Maya and her friends being in the middle of a battle between two rival Cabals over who gets to take ownership of this unique group of supernaturals and no one knows who is safe to trust or who is dangerous to them. Maya realizes that she can't fit everyone into the good or evil categories as easily as she likes, as most of her captors and acquaintances lie somewhere in the middle. As her friends look to her for leadership, Maya will be faced with some tough decisions and compromises she never thought she would make.

While this novel was entertaining enough, it never really grabbed me as it seemed just more of the chasing and running that is present in every other novel in the Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising seres. Maya was a likeable enough character, but I feel her skin walker side wasn't explored quite as much as it could have been, along with all the mysterious changes going along with her beginning to shift. The way that the Cabals acted in this series was much different than in the Darkest Powers series and that bothered me a little as it is inconsistent between the two. I didn't really feel it was necessary to bring in characters from the first series either, as the two groups and their situations were very different. Overall, an ok read.

Third and last in the Darkness Rising urban fantasy for Young Adults. The series has revolved around a small group of friends who were betrayed by a long-running conspiracy. Based in British Columbia in Canada.

It is loosely associated with Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series in that the cabals are involved and does follow the Darkest Powers series.

My Take
Whew...there was no lack of action, drama, or tension in this one. And I really hate that Armstrong has ended this. Although...I do wonder if it's merely the end of this particular trilogy. Maya's plan to use the cabals seems to be setting us up for a new series.

This story was both irritating and fascinating. I loved the action, drama, and tension with all the chases, captures, and escapes. I also loved Maya's reactions to the ego-ridden Cabal guys. I mean, what did they expect? Why on earth would they imagine any of the kids would be polite to them?? OR help them...get real. I did not love Maya's stupid behaviors. Her insistence on attending the funeral. The lame "capture" to "save" Ash. The clumsy love triangle.

Oh, please "you forced us to tranquilize you"?? I hate it when the bad guys use this line.

I don't like Ash, but he and the boys make perfect sense about Maya staying away from the funeral. And she's acting like a stupid bint by forcing it. I just want to smack her!

The initial capture event was just too stiff with such obvious clues. My eyeballs rolled so much that I gave myself a headache from getting so dizzy.

Maya makes an excellent point with Mattias Nast that people joining the military do some from choice. Unlike the kids.

Go, Maya! "I don't do compliant."

Okay, yes, I'm bloodthirsty. I'm all in favor of the death penalty. I know that punishing someone by killing them won't bring back the person they killed, but it does ensure that they will never kill anyone else.

Ash has a very practical, rather terrifying approach to life: "the good guys have ideals, the bad guys win."

The Story
The truth of Salmon Creek has been sinking in, and the kids are dismayed at the lies and their own worries about much their parents knew. It's a catch-22, but Maya desperately wants her parents back. And because of what's happening to Annie. Then a totally unexpected relative catches up with her.

And that's not all that catches up with Maya. Love, truth, other experiments...cabals...eek...

The Characters
Maya Delaney is a skin-walker along with Rafe and Annie. Kenjii is Maya's German shepherd. Rick Delaney is her adoptive father. She has been best friends with Daniel Bianchi, a benandanti--a demon-hunter, since kindergarten. Corey Carling is the one most likely to be goofing off, although he does suffer horribly from headaches.

Rafe Martinez was sent in to Salmon Creek to spy for the cabals, but he double-crossed them when he fell in love. Annie is his sister, and he's desperate to find help for her.

The rest of the kids include Hayley Morris (xana), Sam Russo, and Nicole (xana), the one who killed Maya's best friend and Daniel's girlfriend, Serena (see The Gathering (Darkness Rising, #1)). Brendan Hajek is at the funeral with his mother, Dr. Hajek.

Mrs. Tillson is the widow of the mayor (see The Calling (Darkness Rising, #2)); Nicole is her daughter and Sam is her niece. Chief Carling is Corey's mom; his brother Travis is with her. Mr. Bianchi is Daniel's father, and his older brothers are with him.

Cyril Mitchell, used to work for the Edison Group, and he's an emergency contact number Maya got from another skin-walker. Sylvia Mitchell is his bitter daughter. Ashton is Maya's twin brother.

The Genesis Project (from the Darkest Powers series)
Derek Bae is a scary, off-the-charts-smart werewolf, Kit Bae is his adoptive dad, and Simon is Kit's son; Chloe is a necromancer and Dr. Lauren Fellows is her aunt; Victoria (Tori) is a witch; and, Liz Delaney was one of the experiments until she "died".

Rachelle Rodgers, a fire half-demon, is one of the new kids who shows up.

Men who work for the Nast cabal include:
The trigger-happy Moreno. Calvin Antone is Maya's biological father. Mattias Nast is the CEO's nephew and incredibly clueless. Sean Nast is probably their best hope (Savannah just turned twenty at the end of this story). Dr. Maggie Inglis was head of the lab at Salmon Creek with a series of secrets. Dr. Wiley is another medical doctor.

Bill Wilson is the city idiot.

Project Phoenix, based in Salmon Creek, was a genetic experiment to resurrect extinct, supernatural types. Project Genesis was about experimenting with supernatural children as guinea pigs. Cabals are corporations of witches and supernaturals, each at war with the other: the St. Clouds had founded Salmon Creek and the Project; the Nasts thought the kids were valuable commodities; the Cortezes are considered the most powerful--the one to which Lucas Cortez is heir; and, the Boyds are the smallest.

Xana are a "kind of Spanish mermaid-siren cross"; sileni have visions and charm; skin-walkers change into animals and have healing powers; and, benandanti are the demon-hunters with the power of persuasion.

The Cover
The cover is dark with a close-up of Maya's head and shoulders--her head is turned toward us while her eyes look over her shoulders, shoulders that are in profile. A beautiful girl with long, dark, wavy hair wearing a silver and pearl drop earring.

The title is a salute to their escape and their successes in The Rising.

With this book, I feel as if the Otherworld books really are at an end. WAAH! I know that Kelley may do more novellas but I don't believe there are any full length books planned and while this book wraps up most of the loose ends in this series and the related YA series, Darkest Powers, the ending is also open-ended enough to leave the possibility of future stories. Please, Kelley, please? PLEASE! The ending is not too open-ended, there's a resolution, and it's a Happy For Now, not a definitive Happy Ending.

I should probably back up and start over. "The Rising" starts right after the end of the second book. Maya, Corey and Daniel are free; Hayley, Rafe, Annie, Sam and Nicole have been captured by a Cabal. Maya, Corey and Daniel are trying to rescue their friends, reunite with their families and avoid the Cabals. Things don't go according to plan. In fact they make mistakes, some poor decisions, and at one point I was ready to smack Maya for being so stubborn and single-minded and for her poor choices. I got frustrated with some of the bad decisions she and the others made in the first half of the book but I reminded myself that they were after all teenagers and their lives prior to these events had been pretty cushy. They may have been book smart but they weren't street smart. Fortunately they hook up with another teen, Ash, who is street smart and is disgusted with some of their decisions. With his appearance, the action, and tension, really picks up. Later, the kids meet up with the kids and adults from Project Genesis from the Darkest Powers trilogy. I really enjoyed seeing their interactions and their opinions of each other. Seeing Maya change over the books and become aware of her tendency to be judgmental and becoming a little less so was also wonderful. The relationships between Maya, Daniel, Corey, Rafe and Ash were beautifully, realistically done and added to the story, gave it depth. The ending, as I said, is a Happy For Now, with a door left open for more stories in the future for any or all of the characters in the two YA series. I wasn't sure how Kelley was going to pull off any sort of happy ending but she did it and while it's not perfect, Maya and the others had to accept compromises, it's a good ending for them and for us the readers.

Armstrong gives us emotional twists, some angst, some romance, betrayal, unexpected allies, plot twists and one hell of an absorbing story. I stayed up until 3:30AM finishing the book and it was worth every minute. If you haven't started this series, go buy the books now.

I borrowed this from my library.

I went into this book with super high expectations because Kelley Armstrong is my favorite author. The Rising somehow exceeded those expectations. This is one of the best books I've read all year. Armstrong takes on some difficult, yet important, social issues in the final novel of this trilogy. Additionally the plot is intense and captivating, the writing is spectacular, and the character growth is fantastic. I couldn't put this book down. The Rising reminded me why Kelley Armstrong is my favorite author.

Maya grows up a lot in this novel. She becomes self-aware and even more responsible. She is honest and open and just an all around likable character. Daniel really grew on me in this installment as well, and by the end, I absolutely loved him. Rafe surprised me... in a good way, and I am glad that Armstrong painted him in this light. Additionally, I got to see all of my favorite characters from the Darkest Powers trilogy, and it was good to see how Derek, Chloe, Simon, Tori, Kit, and Lauren are doing. Derek also grew since the last book in the Darkest Powers trilogy, and I was impressed by how he's changed. There is also a surprise cameo that I was super excited about. I don't want to spoil things, though, so I'll leave that one alone.

Armstrong surprised me with her social statements, but I was extremely pleased by them. She acknowledges and creates a dialogue about the dangers of stereotyping American Indians and First Nations peoples and illustrates how that leads to racism. Eventually, as she exemplifies, the racism leads to hateful violence against indigenous peoples. Armstrong handled this issue very gracefully and made an important contribution to the decolonizing movement without having her characters preach at people. Thank you for that, Kelley.

The plot itself isn't extremely action-packed, though there are action scenes. It is intense and will keep you on the edge of your seat, though. Armstrong handles the love triangle with grace, and things seem to work themselves out naturally. The ending itself surprised me a bit, but I like how it ended. I think the characters handled things extremely well and made terrific decisions. I was happy with how things wrapped up, even though I was sad to see the ending of this trilogy.

Overall, I'd recommend this book and trilogy to anyone who loves good books. Armstrong is a fantastic writer, and if you haven't had the pleasure of reading her work yet, then you're missing out.

Um, yes to everything that went on in this book? So much happened, as in all the coolest things ever. Whereas in The Calling, the only thing that happened was them escaping and wandering around, now they have a purpose: find the teens from Project Genesis (ahem Chloe, ahem, Derek), and get them to help them negotiate (*cough* sabotage) St. Cloud's and the Nasts for their freedom.

While it takes them awhile to get to the Project Genesis people, the anticipation isn't the only thing that drives the book. Maya meets her brother pretty early on in the book, and he's a major character in the rest of the story, but their relationship as sister/brother doesn't come easily to either character. Plus, the dreaded love triangle rears its ugly head. However, in this case, I was rooting for it to happen the entire time, because while Maya and Rafe's relationship was cute and really passionate, it wasn't what I was rooting for.

So much happens in this book that it's hard to sum up all my feelings for what went on. My favourite parts were definitely the ones when the old team arrived and were just plain awesome. Derek is SO Derek, and Chloe was sweet and awesome from the first moment, but it was really interesting to see other characters' reactions to them. While they all thought Derek was an overprotective douche, Maya's wariness around Chloe's necromancy was cool, especially when she notices Chloe talking to Liz's ghost.

They're not in Canada the whole time over the course of this book (mostly because they meet up with Project Genesis in the states), but they were around BC enough to be awesome enough for me. Maya's twin's jokes about Canada were also well-placed and original. I guess that makes sense, because Canadian's tell the best jokes about themselves haha. We're very self-deprecating.

The only . . . weird . . . thing about this book is the ending. It's not your typical ending. Not everything is resolved, and while I think it was the right thing for the characters' to achieve, I definitely think Kelley Armstrong will continue this series in some way with these characters, and new ones, to carry on what Maya and her gang accomplished.

Get ready for lots of action, mystery, and a ton of character development in this last installment of Kelley Armstrong's The Darkness Rising trilogy. I highly recommend this series to anyone interested in a new take on the paranormal genre and strong, female leads who know when to take care of themselves and when to rely on others' for help.

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

After escaping certain death, Maya, Corey and Daniel are on the run and each are further developing their own powers with mixed results. They do some investigation and find a contact that might be able to help them but it turns into a dead end. Although out of that contact, they do find Maya's twin brother, Ash. Ash turns out to be as gifted as Maya. although not a shifter, he does give them some street skills from surviving on his own in Vancouver for the last three years. The group attend the memorial service and watch their parents grieve.

So when Maya is captured soon after, it doesn't come as complete surprise. Daniel and Corey are still at large and Maya is told that there has been an accident with one of them. Rafe convinces her that anything the St. Cloud's tell her, might not be the truth. The group are reunited with other teens from Salmon Creek as well as Rafe and Annie. There, Maya plots and plans to escape again and given the opportunity, she does and meets back up with her brother to track down Corey and Daniel. There is just as much action in this installment as in the second book. YAY!

So, why did I not see this ending? Maya proves that she has the wile of a cat even though she is still young. It is wonderful to watch her grow into an adult as well as experience her first true love. While the plot of supernaturals being used as research subjects and trained into weapons, is a pretty common theme in paranormal romances, Armstrong brings a breath of fresh air into the story. Parents: there is some violence, some kissing and some language and this is best suited for teens. I adored this conclusion and now I need to go back and read the author's other series since we met some of her other characters at the end of this one.

I've really enjoyed this trilogy quite a lot. I had only read the 1st and possibly 2nd book in the Darkest Powers series but it was WAY long ago and I don't even remember them much. Once I read The Gathering though I knew this spin off series was definitely more my thing. I love the setting, the characters, the 'world' and how everything works. I found it fascinating right away.

In the first book we get familiar with Maya and her life as well as her friends and family and we're right with her when she discovers all this stuff that's going on. The next book picks up right away and is constant action with very little down time. It was very intense. This book was pretty intense as well and it was fast reading and hard to put down, but for some reason it was missing that 'spark' for me. I'm not sure what it was but I didn't feel the connection with the characters quite as much and I also wasn't feeling the romance as it started to take a turn. I wouldn't say it was terribly surprising, and I certainly didn't dislike it, but I didn't like it either (the romance, I mean). I'm just feeling neutral about it.

I am pretty satisfied with how the book wrapped up. There was a good conclusion and I'm not left hanging wondering anything, though I wouldn't mind knowing what happens with them when they grow up.

Overall it was a pretty good read but unfortunately felt like the weakest in the series to me. It may be due to forgetting stuff in the year since I read the last one, and it may be partly my mood. But it is what it is. I think I would say 3.5 stars might more accurately portray my overall feelings though.

Wow, that was a fabulous conclusion to the Darkness Rising series! It ended up pretty much exactly how I wanted to. I know many people complain about this series (especially the second book) because ALL THEY DO is hide in the woods. Well, if you weren't a fan of the second book, you probably won't be a huge fan of the third one either because a huge chunk of this book is set in the wilderness too. As for me- well they DID spend a lot of time in the forest, but I never felt like the book was dragging.

The love triangle of Maya, Daniel, and Rafe comes to a head in this third book. The relationship triangle is resolved and I am SO HAPPY with the way it was! (But I won't reveal who Maya decides to be with). I think the author was very true to who Maya is as a character by writing the ending that she did and although the book didn't go the way I expected, I was incredibly satisfied with the way it did.

The only downside to this book and series? I didn't really get to know any of the side characters as much as I wanted to. I want to know more about Haley, Corey, Sam, and the new characters introduced. I wish that the author could write a novella or something set in the future to give me closure about these characters.

All in all this was a fabulous book and the end to a very solid series. I am eager to see where this author goes next- I really enjoy her style of writing and am a fan of the stories that she creates!

I just finished this series and I will sum it up in one word "outstanding!" Outstanding characters . . . outstanding story development . . . outstanding suspense! I fell in love with Chloe and Maya as well as the supporting characters. Chloe and Maya are both strong and capable girls who also recognize the benefits of working with others. They are both great leaders and followers. I have to admit I love a story with a female lead who can kick butt, maybe because I fantasize about being in that position hehehehe.

As an adult reader I find myself attracted to teen novels to avoid the heavy sex scenes, but that doesn't mean I don't want action or a dangerous supernatural story. Hurray to Kelley Armstrong for creating a series that is enjoyable for all ages. It's extremely full of suspense, so much so that even when my eyelids became too heavy to continue to read, I dreamed about it! The first thing I did when I woke up the next morning was thank God for another day and continue reading!!

One final note . . . I've been reading sooooooooo many vampire books I'm growing absolutely tired of them. Her series offers an entire new twist for supernaturals (although of course there is really nothing completely new under the sun).

So, if you love fantasy and supernatural stories you will enjoy this series!

'The Rising' is the third book in the 'Darkness Rising' trilogy, the second YA trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. Main character Maya is a shape-shifter, and she and her supernatural friends are forced to go on the run when they realise they've been part of an experiment.

I need to start by saying Armstrong's first YA trilogy 'Darkest Powers' was what made me give the YA genre a try and I was glad I did as her YA books are as good as her adult novels. The characters were brilliant and well developed, the story was solid and action packed. The same can be said for the 'Darkness Rising' books, though I didn't get as invested in the characters until the third book this time and I can't quite put my finger on why.

With the first two books I hadn't been sure about the main character's love interest this time around but as usual Armstrong knows exactly what she's doing with this and I never should have doubted her!

**Potential Spoiler** Look away now if you want a surprise when reading 'The Rising'! The characters from the first trilogy meet up with Maya and her friends in this book! This is something I was hoping would happen and was very happy when it did.

All in all a satisfying supernatural adventure full of great characters. Fingers crossed there's more to come!

My pre-teen daughter and I have been reading this series together. She loved all three of the books. I had mixed feelings about his last one -- the end felt both too "all wrapped up" and too open-ended for me. I know that's a pretty big conflict, and I can't fully explain it without spoilers. I will say that for me, it felt like Armstrong gave the kids too little ability to really save themselves from the Cabals. The power between the two opponents of the battle was so imbalanced, there weren't many options for endings other than the one she chose. I, personally, would have liked something more exciting and less safe. I was also eager for more tie-ins to the adult Otherworld series, and I didn't get as many of those as I would have liked.

But, like I said, my daughter was very satisfied with everything. She thinks the ending is great and left just the right amount of wonder over how things will eventually go for the characters. She did say "there's not enough making out in this one", which left me snickering.

The third and final Nadia Stafford novel starts strongly with a fabulous premise. The preceding books in the trilogy don't really work for me, so WILD JUSTICE's revelatory beginning seems like a major upswing.

Until a romance stuffs it all up.

Okay, it's not the romance itself that's problematic, but rather the way it's handled.

They decide to keep it secret.

It's not like either party is seeing anyone else, but they don't want the ex to find out, in case he chucks a tantrum and won't help out at work.

And that's when my four-star expectations slipped to three. Disappointing.

Book: This is a nice ending to the trilogy. Fans of the Calling and the Gathering will love this book. Maya is back at the top of her game, and she's together with Daniel and Rafe before too long. And the romantic triangle comes back into the story. Good, we lost it somewhere in Calling and it's nice to see it reappear. The book picks up where Calling left off--Maya on the run with her gang, trying to find answers and a way to get the rest of her friends free from the cabals and find some kind of a normal life. Well, it's hard to comment too much with out giving away stuff, but let's just say that when Maya puts her mind to it, she usually accomplishes it. All of the characters get a lot more depth and substance in this story and it is enjoyable to see Maya transform into a pretty spectacular young woman, even if she does spend a lot of her shape shifting time as a cougar. What really resonates with me are (i) the secondary character, Ash, of whom I can say nothing more without spilling spoilers, and (ii) the epilogue. Lots of stories have epilogues, but this is one of the best. It really ties together remaining loose ends in a satisfying way. And, oh yeah, the triangle gets resolved -- unlike the recent Requiem debacle. I like it when the author has the courage to pick... even if it's not the choice I would pick.

Trilogy: Gathering was 4 stars for me, very good, but not quite a home run. I was less enthusiastic about Calling, which I criticized in my review as feeling too much like a "filler" book. But Rising is a home run...okay, it just made it over the wall next to Pesky's pole. Rising seals the deal for this trilogy. After Calling, I thought this story was going to crash and burn, but Rising makes this trilogy one I would highly recommend to those who like books about shape shifters, strange powers, and bad Big Brother. I also like the fact that at the end of the day, the good guys won some things, but lost others. Complete and utter victory is boring. Credit to the author for recognizing that.

I admit, I expected more from this book. I really appreciated the resolution of the story line of what happened to the cousin. I appreciated the closure. I did not appreciate the spin on Quinn. Nor did I like the hiding of relationships as if this book was about teenagers instead of people old enough to be my parents. Ok maybe Nadia and Quinn could be an older brother/sister, but Jack is definitely my Fathers age.

It was an ok resolution, but I would have definitely left off the romance or went a different direction.

This was an amazing series, I love how we got to see Nadia grow into her own. The only thing is I wish this wasn't the end. I feel like there is so much more to Nadia and Jack, and even Quinn. Nadia seemed to stumble through this book with Quinn and Jack three steps ahead of her. Yes Nadia was dealing with discoveries about her past, but still. I love Kelley Armstrong, and she is on my ALWAYS buy list, which has become a very short list, I just want her to find another series and flesh it out like she did with her otherworld series. (Okay I just want more Clay and Elena).

We got to see Nadia deal with her past and move on to her future which was nice but A LOT happened in this book, with the climactic ending feeling very rushed. I would have given this five stars if there had been an epilogue that was ten years later, allowing us to see that Nadia would still be happy and in no danger of her double life coming to life.

After the first two book in this series, this one fell short. It was anti-climatic, there were so many ways this book could have went, but the ending was just okay. It doesn't even feel like the last book in the series. There is so much I would like answered. It really feels like we were teased with their abilities but never were given a real good description of anything. What is exactly Corey's ability? Why does he get headaches? Will they be able to help him? What exactly does a Xana do? And Daniels ability. Everything is just briefly touched upon but doesn't give you anything at all. All we mostly were given was what we already saw in the first two books: running, captured, escaped, running, running, running. Nothing really new or exciting in this book.

The book starts off where the last one left off. Maya, Daniel and Corey are still on the run trying to find out away to rescue there friend that have been captured and how to get in contact with their parents. There is a new character introduced in this one, Maya's brother. And also this book ties into with the other series from Kelly Armstrong, The Darkest Powers. So, if you haven't read that series yet you might want to, to better understand the last half of this book.

Overall, a bit repetitive, boring and anti-climatic :(

I checked Wild Justice out from my local library. My absolute favorite of the trilogy, this book was perfect. I loved the humorous, clumsy romance between the two main characters Jack and Nadia, and although this is not a 'romance' novel, the relationship between the two characters as they find a balance between "work" and play is wonderful and romantic. The plot is terrific and explains so many open questions we've had over the first two books

This is the third, and sadly, the final Nadia Stafford novel. The first is Exit Strategy. I would recommend reading the books in order, but you don't have to.
I love Nadia Stafford. Ex-cop turned hit woman who only kills those who deserve to die. The final novel is Nadia;s past coming full circle. The twists in this story were good. Things one never expected to find out. The story moves smoothly, and has a good balance of action and personal. Worth the read and was worth the wait for it to be published.

I eagerly waited for the third of this series and was disappointed again. I felt like the author just didn't have enough for three books, but wrote one anyway. The adventure/ horror aspect of the series gave way to a lot of running and hiding, but without the level of suspense found in the first two novels. And the less-than-clever ending where everybody plays nice was further tainted by a romantic twist that just didn't fit. I gave the book a four-star rating simply because the author writes well, but the novel itself certainly doesn't merit above a three.

Again,another great story to round out the series of supernatural teens whose lives are impossible to not become engrossed in from the first few pages of the first book. I couldn't wait to get through each book and on to the next. As I sit here having just finished the trilogy, I realize I'm not ready to let them go and would love to be able to continue watching them grow up and see how the story really ends for them years later. Ahhh, the power of a great story by a great author is at work once again. Thank you Kelley for feeding my imagination!!!!!

Love, love, love this character and this book! I was intrigued by Nadia from the first entry in this series. The journey that the character has taken, the issues that she has had to face, and the struggle to rise above her challenges made these books so compelling for me. I am sorry that this is the conclusion of the series (Yes, I would love more) but I am thrilled that Ms. Armstrong has penned such an involving character that I cared about and hate to say goodbye to. I would recommended this series highly. I have enjoyed Ms. Armstrong's Otherworld series and love the fact that the women are kick ass and flawed. BUY THIS BOOK!

This series kept me involved and reading longer than I had planned. It is funny, exciting, dramatic, sad and loving. I plan on reading more of Kelley Armstrong's series. I hope others will read this series. I suggest you read it in order.

The first two books of this series were completely awesome. They were page turners and very interesting. But the third book was such a dud. It became repetitive and boring. I think the word I would use to sum it up is ANTI-CLIMATIC. Ugh, I wish this series had a better ending. So unhappy with it..

The Good: This is how you end a series. A wonderfully real romance that satisfying with adequate buildup. Revelations from the past that make complete sense while tearing your heart out. A strong heroine showing explainable, humanizing weakness. I was sucked in from page one and couldn't do anything else with my life until I knew how it ended. And it was totally worth it.

The Bad: Now I want more Nadia!

Karen at For What It's Worth and Mary at The Book Swarm occasionally post twitter-style reviews. Karen calls hers Short and Tweet, and I am going to borrow that review style here.

Tweet Review:

I skimmed some sections that felt slower paced, and the conclusion shocked me though it did wrap it up. Still glad to have read the series.

I felt with this series of books each book was not as good as the previous book. The plot of The Rising is kids run, bad guys capture & kids escape - repeat, over and over again. I really liked The Gathering so this bums me out. Not even having the kids from The Summoning series show up towards the end could save this book for me.

Even though I'm an adult reader, I've read all of Kelley Armstrong's books and encouraged my daughters to read her YA series when they came out. After they raved about them and anxiously awaited each book, I had to read them also. If you are an Armstrong fan, you'll enjoy these books and quickly find yourself caught up in the stories. A definite recommend!

These books were absolutely. These books involve around a very unique story and the narrator is absolutely funny and amazing. The love story is also adorable. It was really thrilling. And I loved the end where they met up with the guys from the other story. I recommend them to anyone looking for some fun, science fiction and young adult reading. You won't regret it, I assure you ;)

I read the first YA trilogy, The Darkest Power and loved it. I have read Kelley Armstrong's adult works, Nadia Stafford and The Otherworld series, so I expected a certain style of tale. Especially, since this is the last book in the trilogy, Darkness Rising series, I expected a good ending.
This book had a few moments in it that kept you interested. It seemed a bit too much at times like the second book. The ending felt like a bad cop out to me. I was disappointed. Not that I expected the group to keep running for the rest of their lives, but the ending was flat and lacked imagination. This trilogy could have been one larger novel.
Bitten is the first book in the The Other world series. The Summoning is the first in the Darkest Powers. Exit Strategy is the first Nadia Stafford tale.

So much telling. There was rarely a time when I felt like I was in this story. It wasn't even like I got to watch what happened after the fact. I simply got told the entire thing. It went like this: Some dialog and then WHAM...this is what happened and then this and then that and, oh, was I telling too much? Here, have some dialog. Run, run, climb, hide. And then this and then that and, oh yeah, dialog.

Sigh.

My daughter says I'm too hard on this book series, that I'm looking for problems. I don't think so. It was a decently enjoyable story in book 1, but I probably should've left it there. Too many improbable things happen and nothing is really a surprise except how easily the characters give up after fighting throughout the past 2 books. Oh well. At least I was able to finish reading it without wanting to gouge out my eyes or throw my e-reader across the room. I'm not sure I'll try any of Ms. Armstrong's other series though.

The Good: This is how you end a series. A wonderfully real romance that satisfying with adequate buildup. Revelations from the past that make complete sense while tearing your heart out. A strong heroine showing explainable, humanizing weakness. I was sucked in from page one and couldn't do anything else with my life until I knew how it ended. And it was totally worth it.

The Bad: Now I want more Nadia!

Karen at For What It's Worth and Mary at The Book Swarm occasionally post twitter-style reviews. Karen calls hers Short and Tweet, and I am going to borrow that review style here.

Tweet Review:

I skimmed some sections that felt slower paced, and the conclusion shocked me though it did wrap it up. Still glad to have read the series.

I felt with this series of books each book was not as good as the previous book. The plot of The Rising is kids run, bad guys capture & kids escape - repeat, over and over again. I really liked The Gathering so this bums me out. Not even having the kids from The Summoning series show up towards the end could save this book for me.

Even though I'm an adult reader, I've read all of Kelley Armstrong's books and encouraged my daughters to read her YA series when they came out. After they raved about them and anxiously awaited each book, I had to read them also. If you are an Armstrong fan, you'll enjoy these books and quickly find yourself caught up in the stories. A definite recommend!

These books were absolutely. These books involve around a very unique story and the narrator is absolutely funny and amazing. The love story is also adorable. It was really thrilling. And I loved the end where they met up with the guys from the other story. I recommend them to anyone looking for some fun, science fiction and young adult reading. You won't regret it, I assure you ;)

I read the first YA trilogy, The Darkest Power and loved it. I have read Kelley Armstrong's adult works, Nadia Stafford and The Otherworld series, so I expected a certain style of tale. Especially, since this is the last book in the trilogy, Darkness Rising series, I expected a good ending.
This book had a few moments in it that kept you interested. It seemed a bit too much at times like the second book. The ending felt like a bad cop out to me. I was disappointed. Not that I expected the group to keep running for the rest of their lives, but the ending was flat and lacked imagination. This trilogy could have been one larger novel.
Bitten is the first book in the The Other world series. The Summoning is the first in the Darkest Powers. Exit Strategy is the first Nadia Stafford tale.

So much telling. There was rarely a time when I felt like I was in this story. It wasn't even like I got to watch what happened after the fact. I simply got told the entire thing. It went like this: Some dialog and then WHAM...this is what happened and then this and then that and, oh, was I telling too much? Here, have some dialog. Run, run, climb, hide. And then this and then that and, oh yeah, dialog.

Sigh.

My daughter says I'm too hard on this book series, that I'm looking for problems. I don't think so. It was a decently enjoyable story in book 1, but I probably should've left it there. Too many improbable things happen and nothing is really a surprise except how easily the characters give up after fighting throughout the past 2 books. Oh well. At least I was able to finish reading it without wanting to gouge out my eyes or throw my e-reader across the room. I'm not sure I'll try any of Ms. Armstrong's other series though.

With no spoilers, this book covered the scarring history of our heroine in a way that truly challenged her character. She came out on the other side with some peace and a well realized brighter reality. She rang true as a complex woman calling her own shots and I, for one, found her actions and reactions compelling.

*******SPOILERS AHEAD**********

I LOVE YOUR BOOKS KELLEY! I read all of the darkness powers and darkness rising books! PLEASE MAKE MORE TEEN BOOKS
I was really looking forward for the project Phoenix kids to meet up with the project genesis kids. That could have been better to be honest. However I liked Maya's character throughout the books an I fell in love with her character. I was always rooting for her! And my favorite part was maya ending up meeting her brother an having him live with her. Maya meeting her parents again was also amazing. The way everything came together and Daniel ending up with maya was perfect. Kelley, you did it again!

It's probably the weakest of armstrongs ya books. The ending is a bit unsatisfying and the romance came out of nowhere it feel like. If you've read the other books in the series though give it a read anyways.

Even though I am extremely sad to see this trilogy end, I thought this book was amazing. It tied up a lot of loose ends from both the Darkness Rising and Darkest Powers trilogies. Kelley Armstrong is an amazing writer. I can never seem to put any of her books down. I read this one in one day. I'm pleased with the way this turned out. I strongly suggest that you read these books, if you haven't yet.

the pages were messed up that it made the book bigger, the bidding is almost falling apart, and there are stickers on it! I was so happy when I got the book when I went out and got it from my mail box, but when I saw the pages I was really upset because they made it look like the book was really old!

I adore Nadia and Jack and the complex relationship they have forged between them. There is strong romantic tension mixed with action and adventure. Well-worth reading. I don't want this book to be the end of the series. I want to see more of these characters. Please, Kelley Armstrong, write another one for this series.

Kelly i dont know if you will get any of these but i absolutly LOVE THIS BOOK and i hope you dont end it hear! if you can come back a couple years from now with more i think id end up like Liz! i want to look up Badger Lake and tell my parents to move there even if the Nasts dont want me! you are an awesome author and i love the references to the Pack and then bring back Rae KILLED ME EMOTIONALLY i love Maya and Danial Corey Haley Chloe Derek Tori and I LOVE Simon!!! i love your work and these book so PLEASE ome back to them...maybe with some kids with Maya and Danial and Chloe and Derek and involving the Pack?????

This book was amazing incorporating characters from both books like that. It was intense and had me on my toes. I just wish Daniel and Maya had gotten together sooner and their relationship went into more detail. I also wish the end wasn't rushed but other than that the book was amazing. I'd recommend everyone read both series.

I have read all 6 books that are related to this series and I am sad to see it come to an end!!! Best series of books I've read in a long time! I will definitely be looking into more of Kelley Armstrongs books!

I have read all 6 books that are related to this series and I am sad to see it come to an end!!! Best series of books I've read in a long time! I will definitely be looking into more of Kelley Armstrongs books!