Forgiven

The Demon Trappers #3

by Jana Oliver

Riley has made a bargain with Heaven, and now they've come to collect.

Lucifer's finest are ruling the streets and it seems that Armageddon might be even closer than Riley imagined. But with her soul and her heart in play it's all she can do to keep herself alive, let alone save the world. Riley's not afraid of kicking some major demon butt, but when it comes to a battle between Heaven and Hell, she might need a little help...

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Demons, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Angels, Romance

354 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Jana Oliver is an international and Amazon bestselling author who lives in Portugal.

Her novels have won numerous awards, including the Prism Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Supense as well as the National Readers' Choice Award.

Her books include The Demon Trappers Series and Briar Rose (Young Adult), time travel/historical mystery (The Time Rovers Series) and paranormal romance (Tangled Souls).

She is co-author of Socially Engaged: The Author's Guide to Social media, written with Tyra Burton.

She is happiest when she's researching urban legends, peering at old maps and adding to her growing collection of port and Portuguese wines.

Reviews

[Caity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Beck,
i realize now what a completely BLIND woman i have been. Silly, little me- thinking about Simon or that bitch of an angel. I should have seen that you are PERFECT and always there!
So, please- let's have cute, little blue-eyed babies together
Love,
Riley

[Booknut 101 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My summary:
Riley: Kickass Heroine With a Backbone
Simon: Total Jackass with a capital 'j'
Beck: *sighs* Gods gift to women
Ori: Semi jackass
Mort: Such a sweetheart
Peter: BFF for life
Ayden: Makes me wish I had a witch buddy
Simi: BFF for life with coffee on the side
Justine: ************************ witch. There are no words to describe her - none of them can convey how stupid she is. Her and Simon should get together and have a 'we are such jackasses' party.

On a happy note: My life is complete!
(Translation: BECK KISSED RILEY!!!! YAY!!! OMG BECK IS JUST SO HOT, AND NOW I'M RANTING BUT I DON'T CARE BECAUSE HE IS SO CUTE!!!! Oh, and Beck's southern drawl? Totally adorable.

Now that I've finished ranting, I am now sad seeing that the next book is not out. :( I will now have to daydream and obsess about Beck for AGES until I get my hands on it and I don't know if I can handle that much obsessive fangirling!

[Lindvall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not think that this cover lives up to the standard set by the two previous books. It failed the test.

4.5 review coming (very soon, hopefully)

[Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read is 2012

Thank-you to Pan Macmillian Australia for providing me with a copy to read and review!

Find my review and others like it on my blog here: http://rachybee-the-rest-is-still-unw...


Forgiven, the third book in The Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver proves to be the best in the series so far with its blend of on your seat action, constant excitement, unparallel friendship and tantalizing romance!

If you’ve read any of my previous Demon Trapper reviews, you’ll be well aware that I love this series. I do; I really do. Jana Oliver’s dystopian world is one I love getting lost in. It’s raw and gritty and Oliver’s exceptional storytelling never fails to captivate me with each and every book. And Forgiven was no exception! This book showcases everything I love about this series and brings it to a whole new level as the stakes are raised and more than just lives are on the line. Told in dual perspectives, it’s fantastic trading back and forth between main characters Riley and Beck to get different views on the events within the book.

I was so thrilled with Riley in this book. After the events of the last book, she really embraces her mistakes and learns from them, growing throughout the course of Forgiven. Oliver writes her so easily emphasisable, that even when I want to shake some sense into her, I want to give her a cuddle too. I liked that she acknowledged her mistakes and that she took responsibility for the majority of them. There's a lot she has to make up for and I honestly felt that her actions in this book were here first steps towards that. Riley is truly growing into a strong leading lady; one that fights for the ones she loves and what she thinks is right. She’s embracing the trapper way of life, but she’s also her own person and it’s wonderful to follow her throughout the series!

As far as male leads go, Denver Beck is one of my favourites. He’s so raw and rough around the edges, but that strength and tenderness to him that we see during the series never fails to steal my heart. I love Beck; I soooo do! He’s such a sweetie, really he is. I think the fact that he has so many flaws and that he’s truly vulnerable and in no way perfect make him the fantastic character that he is. He often makes mistakes and his mouth runs off on him, especially where Riley’s concerned, and this leads to a lot of problems for him, but at his heart he’s such an incredibly good guy. You can see he wants to do right by Riley and her father and the Trappers Guild that have given him the life he leads. In Forgiven he has a lot of issues to work through and it was so endearing watching him do so; it made him so human.

I loved the relationship development between Riley and Beck throughout this book. I admit it seems like two steps forward, one step back with them, but for the most part they really grew together in Forgiven. One of the things I love about the relationship between the two of them is it feels real to me. They’re in no way perfect and they make their fair share of mistakes but when it really matters they’re there for one another. You just know there’s nothing they wouldn’t do to protect the other. Not only is that, but the sexual tension and connection between them is on fire in this book. It’s electric but tinged with so much sweetness and even though Oliver had me wanting to shout in frustration over how things end for them in this chapter of the series, I’m truly hopeful for them in the last book.

Weaving together some incredible fight sequences with magic, demons and tinges of humour, all the characters I’ve comes to love in this series are back! The demon presence in Georgia brings more of the church’s hunters to town and as they work alongside the trappers we love, the race to stop Armageddon is on in a non-stop action packed ride that will not disappoint you with its brilliance. Oliver leaves us all with unsolved questions and a cliff-hanger that has you wanting more. I’m desperate for the fourth and final book, Foretold and am anticipating one hell of an ending!

[★Ruth★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been over 2 years since I read the previous installment in this series and it took me a while to get back in the swing of things.
The first half I didn't feel like much was happening & was getting a bit bored.

But then all of a sudden things really took off and lots of questions set up in the previous books got answered and an awful lot got wrapped up. It really could have been the end of the series. But apparently there is more to come. Not sure how I feel about that though I am curious about Beck and his back ground...why can't these crazy kids just get it together!
AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH So frustrating!

Anywho,I will continue on, if only for Beck.

[Ferdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - Some spoilers

In the second book we left off with Riley running from the demon hunters and seeking refuge with the necromancer, Mort and her reanimated dad. The demon hunters suspected Riley of aligning with Hell and took a very angry Beck into their custody in lieu of Riley.
In Forgiven, Riley naturally has to face a lot of challenges - she has to convince the demon hunters her loyalty doesn't lie with Hell, save her dad's body and soul, keep her promise to Heaven, go to school, investigate the fake holy water, cope with Ori's betrayl and on top of everything else she has to deal with Beck. Riley handles everything beautifully - she never gives up, no matter what's thrown at her. Riley stays strong, determined and loyal..she survives difficult situations but still acts like a normal 17 year old.
Her friendship with Peter is a welcome change from the usual YA guy&girl best friend trope - neither have unrequited feelings for the other, they genuinely love and support one another as friends. I liked how Peter helped Riley with investigating the holy water scam.. he's a smart, fun, and caring friend..I'm hoping that Peter gets with Simi - Riley's coffee shop friend - in the next book.
Riley's relationship with her dad is also written well, the sacrifices they're both willing to make for the other was sweet and hearbreaking.
Beck also has a lot to contend with - he's dealing with the demon hunters, his feelings for Riley and Justine digging up his past.
I had a lot of mixed feelings for Beck in this one. He's unfairly harsh to Riley for losing her virginity and makes her feel like she's done something wrong. He even thinks and expects that she should have waited until she was 18 to sleep with him. He lost a lot points for that, he expected Riley to remain chaste whilst he slept with Justine and a load of other girls. I hated him for thinking that it was ok for him to sleep around but when Riley sleeps with someone just once she's automatically selfish, easy and tainted. Riley does eventually set Beck straight..that was the best scene by far, I think Beck redeemed himself slightly but I would have liked Riley to make him suffer some more for his double standards and holier than thou attitude.
Riley & Beck's relationship does evolve and even though Beck was a douche for a lot of the book, he's still a good guy. I've never been a fan of the older guy/teenage girl romances because I never quite believe in their HEA as the couple are never shown as equals..it might be written that they are in some cheesy dialogue between the two but it's never actually shown. Thankfully Riley and Beck both start to change, understand and accept each other.. so when fingers crossed they do get their HEA it will be believable.
Simon only had a small part but when he was in it he was still insufferable and self righteous. I hope Riley doesn't forgive him for treating her so poorly - he doesn't deserve it. Harper also had a small role, he was as cantakerous as ever but I do admit I find him addressing Riley as Brat really funny. Stewart the scottish trapper was awesome - he stood by Riley and welcomed her into his home..I want Riley to stay with Stewart instead of on her own..he would be a good guardian to her.
I was quite underwhelmed with the confrontation between the angels/Lucifer and the part Riley played. I couldn't quite believe that Riley's uninspired argument with Michael was firstly what was needed to stop the war between Heaven/Hell and secondly that the nonesense she was saying actually had any effect on the angels. I mean was Riley's little speech all that was needed to stop armageddon.. I really can't get my round why Heaven needed her to stop armageddon because anyone could have stood in her place.
What I particularly liked was how we weren't kept in the dark with what was going on with Hell/the demons, the holy water/demon trafficking and Paul's reanimation. When I found out there was going to be a fourth book I was afraid that the storylines would be drawn out but most of the story arcs since the first book were wrapped up nicely. I'm really eager for the fourth book because it looks like Beck's past will be revealed in more detail and I'd like to know what happened to Ori and if Riley's sacrifice will cause any trouble for her.

[Alisi ☆ wants to read too many books ☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just so horrible. Terrible. I'm stunned. It took me like a week to read when the others took a day (and only because I forced myself to finish it last night.) Where do you even begin?

Well, the first half of this book is all in service of getting Beck and Riley together, and it was HORRIBLE. Not because I simply hate the couple but the author didn't actually get them together so much. It was more like everyone telling Riley she needed to be with Beck and her finally agreeing around 40%. Oh, and beating her up about Ori.

Ori is this fallen angel of seduction (that's his thing) who seduces Riley -- Riley is in a very vulnerable place: her dad died making her an orphan, lots of demons crashed a meeting and killing many trappers, her father's body was stolen, people think she had something to do with it all, her then boyfriend (who almost died but she got an angel to save) decides she's working for Lucifer, etc. etc. Of course she's going to fall for Ori.

But everyone around her is just telling her to be with Beck. Like, people who've NEVER SPOKEN to him tell her she should be with Beck. Her literal BFF, who has only seen Beck ONCE, at her father funeral, is mad at her for having sex with Ori because of Beck. He asks her how she could do that to Beck. Like, what? Beck and her aren't in a relationship. Her BFF knows how the two are together -- why is he taking up Beck's side?

It's like this for the whole first half. Everyone, EVERYONE, telling her to be with Beck. No actual relationship building -- oh no! That would be *drumroll* toooooo easy. Let's have the world convince her.

And she does. Then we get like the most cliche list of things that you can imagine. Oh, suddenly Beck has a fluffy bunneh that hadn't been mentioned up til now (one that he saved from an ex who wanted him to release it into the wild.) Oh, suddenly he has gold flecks in his eyes and she liked that. Oh, suddenly she's charmed at all their photo's in his house. Oh, there they are, on a roof looking at the stars.

That's like 10% and then we get on with it and it's all anti climatic. She basically rants at the angels and no more armegeddon. Wow...

JFC. Why do authors ruin perfectly decent worlds and story ideas to service insufferable romances? When did it become one or the other? Who knew you could lace romance and plot together? FML I'm glad I only have the first three. No need to torture myself further.

[Tyler-rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have very emotional feelings about this book! Specifically the relationship between Beck and Riley, and the ending! I literally just finished the book and ranted to my boyfriend (it included a lot of swearing and well swearing). Safe to say, I'm not a fan of the ending. But that's not, just to clarify, because it's crap. It's because it's a cliffhanger and I don't like where it is heading.

The book itself was actually kind of intense during a lot of the chapters due to what Riley is going through with her dad, Heaven, Hell, Beck, Mort, Ozy, Stewart and everyone else. She's really having a tough time, and everything seems to be piling on top of her. Despite this, it was an amazing story. As a lot went on in the book I thought I'd get confused, but everything was linked. I still hate Ori, and always will. Just like I still hate Simon, and always will.

Beck, why must you be so stubborn! Okay, seriously. Read these books and I promise you, you'll fall in love with Beck. Not that you should let your partner catch onto this ;) (if mine found out I was in love with another fictional character ;) He might stop buying me books!)

But basically Beck goes through a very tough time also and unfortunately because he is so damn stubborn this tears him and Riley apart. Again. Just! As they sorted everything.

No spoilers or anything in this review, so I can't go into any more detail, despite the fact that I'd love to.

The plot is gripping and intense. The characters are well thought out, and are only growing with each novel. The ending, I'm still not pleased, but it was great none the less.

Overall, this is another success for Jana Oliver!

I'm really impressed with Forgiven, and I'm happy to give it the rating of 5 stars!

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Sigh* I do wish this series would stop trying to mess everything up.

I loved the first book. I adored it. I would marry it given the chance. Then the second one came along, it was alright in most respects and brilliant in one way, but it just wasn't as good as the first. Now we have this one, and it could be great but it goes out of its way to try and ruin itself.

If you're familiar with the series you'll know the plot, but I'll give a quick recap for those who aren't. It's near future and the economy has continued its downward spiral, fuel costs so much that people have to put solar panels on their cars. Oh, and demons are on the loose. I like the setting, it works very well and I never have to try hard to suspend my disbelief because it's so well written. In some ways the city is one of the best characters of the series.

The characters are all likeable, even (most of) the demon hunters who were built up in the previous book to be a bunch of dicks. This was a good move, the hunters could easily have descended into cliche if Oliver tried to make them as unpleasant as they'd been built up to be. I mean, yeah, they do some pretty unpleasant things, but the people themselves are alright.

Beck is still my favourite character, partially because he has a huge poster of Taylor Swift on his bedroom wall, and partially because he's cool and was given an interesting problem and is actually trying to beat it rather than wallow in it like so many characters in so many books. Riley is still her usual self, which is to say stubborn as a mule but still likeable enough, and the supporting characters are still as well written as they were in the previous books.

I know, I know, I gave the book three stars and so far the review has been entirely positive, so what's wrong with the book? Well, the last fifty pages makes me want to hurl the book into a shredder or perhaps a volcano, that's what wrong with it.

Firstly, the big confrontation. It's half past the apocalypse and Demons, trappers and hunters all throw down in a cemetery. When said like that it sounds f-ing awesome doesn't it! Well Oliver dropped the ball. Big time. Maybe it's because YA is not the only thing I read and I've been spoiled by the likes of Lee Child, but Oliver has written us the blandest action sequence ever. It could have been so epic, the plucky demon trappers vs. the hordes of hell, but it's just not. How it all gets resolved is a pile of arse as well, but that's more a problem with YA on the whole than this book in particular. I call it Voldermort Syndrome. You know at the end of the last Harry Potter, it's Potter against the Dark Lord and Potter wins due to a technicality? Well something like that happens here. The thing Riley has to do that's built up as impossible over the course of the book is achieved too easily. It's the problem all authors face when their protagonists are seventeen and they face the army of hell/the Dark Lord/the aliens from the planet Zog.

The second reason the book makes me want to burn it in the last fifty pages is what happens right at the very end. Beck goes all Edward Cullen on us. Beck, my favourite character, goes emo on us. This guy faced down an Archdemon for crying out loud he shouldn't be taking pointers from the Edward Cullen book of how to be an unlikable jackass.

The last few page of this book are so blisteringly idiotic that I felt like my IQ was dropping just by touching the paper the stupid words were written on.

That was a lot of bile wasn't it? Don't let it put you off, the book is still good and still very much worth your time, and if you are in the book's target audience (13-17 and probably female) then you'll love it. It's only because I'm an unpleasable twenty something that I got annoyed at the last pages. Even if you aren't in the book's target demographic then it's worth a read. The Demon Trapper's world is one of the most original on the YA market at the moment, the characters are several cuts above average, and the plot is solid. Just try not to hate Beck for being such a moron on the last few pages.

[Amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgiven aka Höllenflüstern ist der dritte und damit vorletzte Band (EDIT: 2015 ist noch ein Band "nachgeschoben" worden... -.-) der Die Dämonenfängerin-Reihe um die gute Riley. Der Armageddon rückt näher, die Welt neigt sich dem Ende zu und mittendrin: Riley, die nicht nur darum kämpft die Welt zu retten, sondern auch darum, dass man ihr ihre Fehler vergibt... Mir fiel das noch immer schwer, aber so lagsam kommt's. Band zwei fand ich ganz ganz enttäuschend, wenn ich ehrlich bin. Das Problem dabei war, dass Riley nicht sie selbst war. Sie wirkte, als hätte man sie durch ein naives, kleines Mädchen ausgetauscht, das nichts mit der Riley aus Band eins gemein hatte. Ich wüschte ich könnte sagen, dass sie hier wieder VOLLKOMMEN die Alte ist, aber das war sie nicht. Sie war auch bei weitem nicht so schlimm wie in Band zwei, aber auch nicht wieder normal. Beck war noch immer toll, das Buch war wieder spannend, es hatte eben noch immer ein klein wenig von den Schwächen, die Band zwei hatte, aber ich würde sagen: Die Reihe ist auf dem Weg der Besserung und ich setze all meine Hoffnungen in Band vier!

[Eileen_1225 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, MY...!!! -> It's only one thing I can say about this story (it's a comment also to Forsaken and Forbidden).

At start... many, many kisses from Poland!

I'm absolute Team Beck, even if he's sometimes stubborn and blind. But... who cares, if he's cute and lovely like he is?:) He's my favourite book hero ever.

Dear Jana, please, please, please: don't let Riley choose Ori or someone else (Peter for example, who I really like, really, but he just doesn't "fit").
I'll cry all month (maybe a year too, it's possible) if you do this. I understand, this relationship is difficult, but I hope that love can win. Please? I have a bad feeling that something will happen in 4'th part of your story. With Beck of course. Don't do this. He hurt has hurt a lot. Give him some happiness.

Oh, and I like Stewart and Mort too. Simon... totally sucks!

Jana - you are great writer, I'm looking forward to buy a copy of "Forgiven" on UK Amazon.com.
I can truly tell that at the moment you are my favourite YA author.

Looking forward to a 4th part of your wonderful story!

Well done,

Eve from Poland

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was is so much better than the first two. So much action, romance and a battle between good and evil with Riley, literally, in the middle.

I need to read Foretold asap. I finally got my copy of The Indigo Spell in the post today, but I think it will have to wait. I need to find out what happens with poor Beck. My heart is breaking for him :(

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Не планировала я сразу браться за третью книгу, но наткнулась на ЛП в контакте и решила, а чем черт не шутит почитаю. Сразу скажу, если хотите насладиться приключениями Райли И Бэка НЕ ЧИТАЙТЕ ЛП, он ужасен.
Третья книга, как и вторая часть этой серии очень динамичная, смешная. Легкое и приятное чтение.

[Tilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So so so good. Love this series. Looking forward to the next book 😁

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a long time Demon Trappers fan, like I am, you’re probably dying to get your hands on ‘Forgiven’, especially with the way ‘Forbidden’ (DT#2) ended. This book will take you on a wild ride of emotions; anger, sadness, giddy happiness, and lastly shock, especially with the way it ended. And amazing book that I still can’t believe I’ve finished already, because I feel like it should have lasted longer than it did, but I was so desperate to get to the end that it was over too fast. Although, I’m so glad I had the time to read it all in one go, because you really can’t put it down.

‘Forgiven’ picks up exactly where we left off: Riley shocked to see her father animated again and Beck angry at Ms. Blackthorne, but equally pissed off at the Demon Hunters who are currently forcing him to lying in the dirt. It’s a bit awesome having the books that run over into each other this way. The situations the characters are in are definitely not awesome, a little shocking at times, but I love the idea that there is no massive break between books; days we’ve missed, weeks without knowing what the main characters have been up to. You feel like you’re getting every moment of the story. I love it.

So much was going on in this book; so much that had to be resolved. It’s hard to take a breath with all the action and trouble that pops up on every page. Firstly, the Demon Hunters. They’re still in Atlanta and still causing trouble for the Trappers, but you learn to love them a bit more in ‘Forgiven’. Captain Salvatore has some genuinely awesome moments in this book and I kind of hope we’re not done with the Hunters just yet, because I’d hate to lose some of our main characters for the last book. Next, there’s Riley’s involvement with both the Angels and Lucifer. I was a little worried about what this would do to Riley, bringing up Simon and Ori memories, the reasons for being tied to both sides of the immortal war. But she seemed to handle most of it pretty well, even having Ori in her head for part of the novel.

Finally, we have the Fake Holy Water issue. This is probably the only part of the book that made me a little sad. I was desperate to find out what was up with the faulty Holy Water, it’s been on Riley’s brain for so long and even got Peter wrapped up in the mystery (which is awesome, because I love Peter). But I was a little disappointed in the way it was played out. There’s a pretty strong focus in the beginning of the book with Riley and Peter. Then Beck and the Trappers take control and we miss out of seeing that part of the story unless in passing conversations. With the way Riley and Beck’s POVs change, I thought we’d get to see more of it. But that doesn’t change my opinion of the book, because I loved every moment of it. And in the end, the Holy Water issue wasn’t the biggest complication Riley and Beck had to face, so it was necessary for the story to have it become a lesser issue.

It’s not all doom and gloom within ‘Forgiven’, although there is plenty of that considering what Riley and Beck have to face. The pop culture references throughout the book helped bring a few giggles to the story, including a Lord of the Rings mention that had me laughing out loud on the bus, which was a bit awkward.

There were times where I thought Jana was speaking specifically to me. I guess this happens when you talk to authors online; the conversations you have about the book turn out to be random lines within the story. I had to smile when Riley asks about celibate Demon Hunters, when Ayden’s age is confirmed and when Beck’s gold-flecked eyes are mentioned.

And my ever growing obsession with Beck and Riley and their potential relationship grew to new levels; in ways I didn’t think were possible. I still wanted to knock some sense into Beck occasionally for his association with Justine aka. the Stick Chick; especially when he was all upset at missing out on a chance to be with Riley instead. But my love for all that is Beck and Riley – and all they can be when working together – and my need for more of them was definitely satisfied. I can’t get enough of these two.

The ending: Oh.My.Goodness! I’m still so shocked, and yet, oddly hopeful. I���m worried about the consequences of Riley’s choices towards the end of the novel, but I really feel like everything will work out for the best. That doesn’t mean I’m not DYING for ‘Foretold’. I really hope August gets here quickly. Don’t know how I’ll survive the wait, probably through endless discussions about 'Forgiven'.

Fantastic book, Jana. I adored it.

5/5 stars

[Kerry-Ann (A Bookish Redhead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved a paperback copy from the publisher for review.

When you talk about your favourite book you could talk for countless hours about it. But when I talk about The Demon Trappers people look at me worriedly! (in a good way of course) because you could say I'm a little bit attached (obsessed) with The Demon Trappers Series.

It is perfectly normal to date a fictional character don't worry Beck agrees with me (as he has no choice and ISN'T REAL) and as much I love Riley she just . . . isn't going there with my Backwoods boy! Got it? :) (Keep me happy eh?)

The start of my review is sounding like a crazed obsessed girl overly attached to a book and that's not me (so me) honestly I am not attached even ask my sister cause I woke her up in the early hours of the morning and accidentally flung the book in the air getting excited about it and she told me to tell her near the whole story (I didn't shut up and forced her to listen) and she said my eyes were practically glowing. (Good thing right?)



She doesn't know I woke her up as I told her she was dreaming but you'll keep that a secret right?? My sister was so interested in them I was like YAY! I recruited a member to read The Demon Trappers although when she asked if she could read my copy of Forsaken . . . well . . . in return she got a look that said "touch my Demon Trapper books and your life depends on it" type of look. (see told you I'm not obsessed)

Jana Oliver is an amazing talented author who writes extraordinary stories capturing the minds of her readers making them beg for more.!

I have been waiting months till Forgiven was released and am so thrilled to have read it. It was amazing, simply magnificent. The way the author starts and stops her novels at exactly the same point makes the story more enjoyable for me to read as I know I'm not missing out on anything.

Forgiven starts at an amazing point and I think it has been the best yet in the series it was so much more adaptable and I felt there was more of an emotional pull in Forgiven.

I don't want to give away any spoilers but you will not be disappointed! I waited till the third book in the series to get what I wanted something which Jana knows I'm a little teeny tiny bit over excited about but the wait was well worth it! The scene was magically perfect. . . aww . . . :)

In forgiven Riley has changed quite abit I think! She's matured and has had to cope with many difficult choices but we see a grown up side to her which knows she is taking responsibility for her actions. Riley is an amazing character by far the best female character I have ever read about, she's awesome! :)

Beck . . . Beck . . . Beck . . . MY BECK!! :) Okey Dokey? M Y B E C K!!!! Now that's cleared up. :) Beck is even more perfect in Forgiven, he's still hot, and flirty, just amazingly mine. :) I'll agree Jana can't write me in The Demon Trappers to be with Beck :( so I'll allow if it happens for Riley to be with him . . . I won't have a problem! Honest!

Back to Beck, In Forgiven we even see a more mature side to him he's more open about himself and his feelings and we see him letting Riley in more which was so enjoying to read!

STEWART!!! :) YAY! There was more of him which was awesome I love him! He's such a good character, makes me smile when reading about him and he's so good with Riley.

Peter, Mort, and Ayden are more characters which I enjoy reading about as they bring a whole feeling to the series.

Jana Oliver truly deserves an award! She has wrote the best series in the world! Yes I said it and I mean it! Best series in the WORLD!!! Someone please give this author an award for her writing she is super amazing!!!!

The Demon Trappers Series is spectacular! :) There are so many more things I want to say! So I'm going to! But it you don't want to know then DO NOT highlight below.!!


RILEY AND BECK FINALLY KISS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!!!!! :D THEY KISSED!! IM GONA CRY WITH HAPPINESS!

The forth book in the series will be released in August . . . August . . . I'll so be able to cope right??? :O NO BECK till August!!

Sorry if this review is a little jumbled but . . . it's a demon trapper thing you'd have to read them to understand!! :D

I really don't think I want Jana to read this as she might think I'm a teensy bit mad . . . :~/

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed the first two books in this series, I hoped that Forgiven would be just as good. It didn't disappoint.

Riley Blackthorne is in a heap load of trouble. She owes favours to both Heaven and Hell, and the demon trappers are after her. Ori won't keep out of her head and somehow she needs to resolve the issue of the fake Holy Water. Normally she wouldn't mind kicking a little demon butt, but now she's more than ready to just sleep, drink some hot chocolate and spend time with her dad. Not necessarily in that order.

Something that struck me when I was reading this was how Riley had changed. While we see much of the teenager side to her that is prevalent in the other two books, there are also glimpses that show her to be older than her years and changed by her experiences. She stops rushing into situations impulsively and therefore making mistakes that way. Instead she chooses to listen more and argue less. I liked that she learned from her experiences and had become stronger. There were times when I thought that instead of complaining she didn't want to do something, she should just get on and do it becaue everyone else was doing things that they didn't want to but were necessary. But to be fair, there was definitely progress in her character, and it made her all the more relatable.

This character development didn't just hit Riley. We saw it with Beck too. After becoming increasingly frustrated in Forbidden with the stops and starts and misunderstandings between him and Riley, I was both relieved and delighted to see them make some headway. Finally he opened up some more and we got to see some touching insights. It took a lot of work for several people to open Riley's eyes and convince her that Beck did in fact love her, but then there were sweet scenes between them. His behaviour towards her changed and vice versa. All was going well...until the very end. I'm not even going to go anywhere with that.

Besides the characters, I loved all the actiony bits. These were pretty fast-paced. I'm not sure whether I should really mention this - I'm sure I already seem crazy enough as it is to those who know me - but for some reason, when it got to the battle at the end, I had the Matt Smith theme tune running through my head. Weird, I know. Maybe because it was the whole good vs evil thing. In any case, the battle scene was incredibly engaging, with even a bit of plot twist to hold our interest that much more. And the thing about the demons? Definitely an interesting idea, as well as somewhat amusing.

Overall, Forgiven more than lived up to my expectations. Before I read this I found out that there's actually a fourth one, which I am absolutely looking forward to. This book was fun and engaging, presenting us with other aspects of several characters. There was even more of Magpie! I know he's only a tiny little character, if that, but I adore him and love the connection between him and Riley. If you haven't read this yet, please do so as soon as possible. And if you haven't started the series yet...well. You're missing out, is all I can say.

A huge thank you to Sam for lending me her copy.

This review also appears on my blog.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Update:

Confession: I’m actually very upset right now. It’s odd, I know, considering how much I ADORED reading Forgiven. But that’s the problem – I’m afraid I adored this book too much that I wasn’t able to savor the reading experience. I wasn’t able to put the book down. You’d think I would’ve at least stopped to eat, or drink, or even finish my homework, but NO. Anyways, yes, I’m upset because dammit, not only does Ms Oliver know how to write a damn good book, but because she knows how to write a SHORT good book. I’m upset because I wanted more, and I hate the fact that I have to wait another year for the next one.

As always, Riley Blackthorne is freakin’ awesome. I loved that she was able to just accept some things the way they are, without having to impulsively jump in, as what she’s known for.

In the last book, I mentioned that if I had one word to describe Riley it would be “tired”. And honestly, it’s no surprise she’d feel that way considering the situation she’s currently in. In this novel, however, I’d say the one thing Riley learned would be to trust. Trust in others, and trust that, no matter what happens in her life, she’ll get through it.

It’s a shame I have nothing else to say about Riley right now because I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned and raved countless times about how she’s one of my all-time favourite female heroines, like, ever. Riley is definitely a flawed character, but there was never a time where I disliked reading about her. And that’s what I think makes a perfectly flawed character; despite their mistakes and their poor decisions and their overt arrogance, there is the growth and the experience that comes with it, which the reader has the priviledge of reading.

As for the plot, holy crap. There were far too many things going on on each chapter, action and drama and suspense on every scene, which made Forgiven the most fast-paced book of the series, in my opinion. Reading the novel was like swimming underwater and not being able to take a proper breath, simply because there was no time to breathe until you got to the end (my crappy attempt at an analogy).

Basically, the plot was fast and good and I did not care that it was going so fast because it was that good – at least until I actually finished the book and there was no more good left. Kudos to you, Oliver, for writing yet another brillant book.

Also, don’t think I’ve forgotten about the romance side of Riley’s story, because I haven’t. I’m just choosing to not talk about it because I DON’T HAVE THE WORDS. Seriously. Except: Team Beck, b-tches.

This is probably the most repetitive review I’ve written, but I’ll say it again: Forgiven was un-put-down-able. I’ve grown to love this series more and more as I read each book, and Forgiven was definitely not an exception. Love it, hate it, whatever you want – but don’t miss out on reading this series. Trust me.

*Review taken from http://missbookaholic.wordpress.com/2...

[Jessica Buwalda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if there is an internal war brewing in Hell?
What if Lucifer is not who we think he is, and is not the only one vying for people’s souls and rein?
What if every Angel, including the fallen, have a job to do, whether they like it or not?
This is by far the best book so far in the Demon Trappers series. Why? Many many reasons...all of them I will not give away because you need to read this book. But here is what I will tell you. Finally we get a tough Riley...who knows that she’s tough. Who steps up to bullies, takes a stand knowing the risks. Risks herself...multiple times for the greater good. She stands up to some pretty powerful creatures...now that takes some balls. She gets down to the bottom of things instead of waiting for certain things to figure themselves out. She thinks things through in the middle of danger without denying that she’s scared.
I found Riley to be a whole new person.
Jana Oliver has opened us up to the same world on the brink of Armageddon with a whole new set of matured characters that are scared, but not afraid to stand up for themselves, get the job done, and finally...finally get what they want.
This Armageddon fantasy novel has shook my world and surprisingly has made me think long and hard about Heaven and Hell.
Oliver has left me wanting more.
Good:
Riley—she knows how to kick butt and prove what side she is really on
Beck—its Beck...every time he’s mentioned in the novel I just think ‘SEXY’. Sexy southern man with a hidden past. Ouuu! Sorry a shiver just ran down my spine. He’s every girl’s dream.
Simon—Yes! You got told!
Swords—they get introduced...to everyone. It’s pretty awesome.
Stewart—That old man is interesting...I think there might be more to the ‘Grand Master’ than meets the eye.
Paul Blackthorne—You crafty secretive bugger.
Demon Hunters—I sort of like them, well some of them even though they are the Yin to the Demon Trappers Yang.
Bad:
Justine—She wasn’t written badly or unbelievable or anything. In fact this does not reflect on Jana Oliver or the book in anyway. I just want Riley to punch Justine in the face, or at least b**** slap her. Please?
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall this book was well written. There were moments that took my breath away, and moments I could have sworn the grin on my face actually made it from ear to ear. I found the intimate scene (no there are no sex scenes just ones that made my heart flutter) the way I pictured they would between the characters. As a world on the brink of destruction should be Jana Oliver has provided her readers with a gripping and captivating story and world.

View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, probably best of all three so far! I won't give away any major spoilers cause I don't want to ruin it for anyone but I did fall in love with Beck a little bit more and I have a feeling the next book is going to revolve around a lot of his problems, things from his past that are coming back to haunt him and now all that remains to be seen is whether heaven or hell had a hand in them or not? I only wonder cause of a random comment made towards Beck about his mom that may be nothing more then a taunt but may be significant to the next book for all I know! Either way a few issues were resolved, we learned new things about Beck, Harper and most everyone! I've gained a new respect and love for Peter, Mort, Ayden and surprisingly the Demon Hunters as we seen the other side to them, the human side that wasn't shown in the last book. Yes there are changes in Beck and Riley's relationship, some of those changes made me very happy but the ending wasn't quite what I'd hoped for them, though maybe the fourth book which I will be reading as soon as it's released, will give them the ending they deserve! I also want to very much hurt and maim a certain reporter! maybe shave all her hair off and dye her orange, she how she does then when her good lucks have been marred! Though Ori seems to have redeemed himself a little from the last book in this, I still hate him! I really hope he's dead though no-one knows! I also love Simon getting his comeuppance and a dressing down from an angel! He really really had it coming to him! There were a few unexpected twists in the book and at least one other character pleasantly surprised me, though he is still an ass but at least he seems to have been changed for the better at the end of the book. Really looking forward to the fourth and final book in this series and I have everything crossed for Beck and for Riley, I really do want to see those two together cause I think they'd make a great couple and an unbeatable team! I hope this is basically spoiler free but if anyone doesn't agree let me know and I'll make it a hidden review!

[Μαρία Γεωργοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? What can I say about this series? It’s getting better and better!! I absolutely loved this book! It’s not easy to write a series and every book would be a five star review but Jana Oliver is really a very talented author and she succeeded it!

This book is even more dark and powerful than the first two of the series. Many things are happening here and everything is always at stake. The most important thing in the story is that somehow all the characters change. The events from the previous books make them different. Riley seems more mature and more determined to do her best in saving the world. She learns from her mistakes and she’s trying to understand the reason behind every action. She isn’t judgmental and she recognized her faults. Nothing is easy in her life but she’s working very well under pressure as it seems! I also have to say that I really liked her friendship with Peter because it’s not usual in a YA fantasy book to have a friendship between a boy and a girl. You know, it happens in real life and it’s good to see it in a book!!!

Beck is as always the best! In this book we learn some things about him. Some good and some weird but at the end there are a lot of questions about his life. I am sure that everything will have a good explanation and I am not worried! I have to say that he was amazing in this story. I found it very sweet that he wants to be better in a lot of things and I admire him for that. He is strong and brave and he is the kind of man that a woman will be safe with him forever.

Another good thing with this book is that it has very interesting secondary characters. I can’t say that I prefer one of another because everyone has something unique that I love. Also, the most important detail for me is that not always the evil is evil and the good is good. There is always a grey area and there is always a balance. The sacrifices we do for keeping this balance is what make us humans.

I loved the world-building and the plot! I have to admit that the Demon Trappers series is officially one of my favorites!

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pendulum swung the wrong way with Book 3, but I think I got most of the story I was looking for.

At the end of Soul Thief, Riley was duped and ended up owing both Heaven and Hell and the distinction between good and evil was all muddled. The holy water scam was still wreaking havoc but on its way to being cracked wide open. Hopefully. Some necro had reanimated Paul Blacktorne but it was who was pulling the strings that was the real problem. Beck got pissy and brought a reporter into the whole mess. Also, demons and some schoolwork, a Fallen angel, and Hunters v. Trappers.

So that was my checklist and everything pretty much worked itself out. At least in an “Eh, good enough” way. The ending seemed like a springboard for a fourth book that had little to do with the first three. (I thought this was the last one for the longest time.) Maybe I should read it and hope to end the series on an upswing but with less and less of what intrigued me with each book, I can’t muster the enthusiasm for it.

[Debra Elsner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading a book where the female is a kickass heroine who won't let anything stand in the way of her saving her (dead) father from the necromancer who wants to use his body, keep Beck away from playing a hero. She is stuck between owing a favor to Lucifer and to Heaven. This puts her in the crosshairs of the Vatican. I love the relationship between Beck and Riley, who has been staying away from her since he thinks he does not deserve her. The ending just left me wanting more.

[Samantha Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

EPIC!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If things in Atlanta were a mess before, they’re in total chaos now. The Vatican’s Demon Hunters still haven’t left, making life difficult for the trappers. The situation with the holy water hasn’t been resolved, continuing to put people at risk. And the number of demons congregating in the city has risen drastically, creating doubt about the trappers’ ability to do their job.

But for Riley Blackthorne things are even worse. The mistake she made has cost her far more than just her pride. It may have permanently cost her a friend when she revealed what she’d done. It has forced her to go into hiding from the Vatican as a deal she made would surely have them questioning her loyalty. And it’s put her in the middle of a war between heaven and hell that she’s not sure she can prevent.

Though she may be the only one who can. And she’ll have to figure out how to stop it. Fast. With a city already under siege from hell’s demons, time is running out. And this time its not just Atlanta that this looming battle threatens but the whole of humanity.

***

Forgiven is the heart-pounding, non-stop action-packed and absolutely enthralling third book in the Demon Trappers series by author Jana Oliver. This utterly riveting installment returns readers to an Atlanta where things are even more dire, for not only Riley but the trappers and the hunters.

With heaven and hell ready to do battle, it’s up to Riley to keep the war at bay and keep Atlanta safe from total annihilation. No small task for a Master trapper, an almost impossible task for a seventeen-year-old apprentice like herself. But with the deals she made, Riley may be the only one who can prevent Armageddon.

And with the Vatican’s Demon Hunters not sure she’s trustworthy, Simon looking to prove she’s siding with hell, Ori out of the picture and Beck practically ignoring her, she has very few people she can turn to for help. So when a new threat proves to be even more than the hunters’ and trappers’ combined forces can handle, new alliances will have to be forged in order to protect the citizens of Atlanta.

Jana Oliver does an incredible job of moving the plot forward, keeping the pace fast and exciting, the characters appealing, the story captivating and the chemistry sizzling. The world is gritty. The characters are a wonderful mix of lovable, relatable, serious, sarcastic, honorable, flawed, devious and dangerous. And the story is so incredibly addictive that readers won’t be able to put it down.

This all-consuming, tension-filled story has all the excitement of the previous installments, surprises that will keep readers anxiously anticipating each chapter, enemies that will make the Grade Five Geo-Fiends look tame by comparison, and an absolutely gripping and nail-biting build-up to an ending that will make the wait for the final book absolutely torturous.

{On the blog I gave this my 6 star off-the-menu rating}

On a personal note:

After reading Soul Thief and that incredibly jaw-dropping ending that left me on edge and unable to stop thinking about just what happened and what could possibly happen next, I was a little worried that Forgiven wouldn’t be able to keep up the momentum. Oh…there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

Unless of course you think that exciting new developments for the characters, new and even more deadly demonic threats, in your face non-stop action, moments that will break your heart and an ending that will keep you in suspense are not enough to make this third book in the series unputdownable. But for me, there was more than enough action, drama and suspense to make this one totally irresistible and all-consuming story.

The demons are scarier. And far more dangerous. Things between Riley and Beck are way more complicated than ever. I will say nothing more about that, other than it was one heck of a roller coaster ride the author put me on. The battles were so much more intense. And it all led up to something pretty major. Though I probably shouldn’t talk about that either.

I am absolutely in love with this series. I still refuse to acknowledge that the next book is the final book. I really do not want Riley’s story to come to an end. I think I’ll even miss the Klepto-Fiend.

There were quite a few happy surprises, which of course I can’t talk about, a couple of heart-stopping moments, which I also can’t ramble on about, and a battle that made me very, very nervous. Then there were a few characters that I was totally shocked to have changed my opinion about, a couple of characters that just didn’t seem to learn any of their lessons and maybe just a couple more who were so completely stubborn – but perfect for one another – that I wished I could knock some sense into them.

Yes I’m being vague. But three books into a series, especially one like this, makes it impossible to talk about what’s happening without ruining at least one of the previous books. I so wish I could be more specific. But anything and everything I want to talk about will seriously spoil not just what happens in this book but what happened in the previous one.

At least I can talk a little bit about what I love….

I love this world that Jana Oliver created for this series. It’s futuristic but not too futuristic, the characters are far from perfect but totally lovable. The demons – who no one could mistake for cute – have a rather interesting hierarchy. And the deaders are such a quirky, slightly horrific, but most definitely unique, addition.

And I love that things seem completely out of control in the Atlanta of 2018, but in the end everything just comes together so perfectly. It’s really more of a controlled chaos than total mayhem, though there is definitely some mayhem. And I love every second of it.

But most of all I love the main character, Riley Blackthorne. Even with the rather huge mistake she made, she is still trying hard to make things right. She hasn’t let it destroy her completely. And she is still willing to do everything she can to help out her friends. With everything she’s had to face, she is most definitely one brave, seriously kick-a** heroine.

And I can’t forget about Beck. I have loved Beck since the moment I met him. Infuriating? Yes. Adorable? That too. Over-protective? Absolutely. Hot? Oh yeah, this Backwoods Boy is definitely that. And incredibly charming. Nerve-wracking? Yes. Yes. Yes. He is the source of much of my anxiety. But I still love him.

While I would love to go on and on and on about this book, I will accidentally reveal something I shouldn’t. So before I do, I will end this by saying that Forgiven is awesome and so easy to devour in one sitting. Though I do wish it were much, much longer and that there were so many more scenes with Beck. Well, the good, torturous ones anyway….

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I always thought Armageddon was some story they dreamed up to scare kids. I never expected to be right in the middle of it.”

Like it's not enough that Riley's got to deal with Armageddon and a possible war between Heaven and Hell (not to mention the drama of her personal life), now she also has to face the hunters and their judgment and answer for her 'crimes'. I mean, come on, can't you give a girl a break?
Beck. Oh man, where do I even begin?
Just when I though they both were moving in a right direction (toward each other, of course) Beck had to go and ruin it. Why do men always feel the need to push the girl away (and always in a cruel way) out of their own fears and insecurities, and then have the gall to say they did it for the girl's own good? I'll never figure the working of their minds.
Good thing that Riley is just as stubborn as he is.

I love it how the story gets better with every book. Just makes me want to keep reading it. Which I intend to do, of course. I'm hooked, there is no way back now.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Forgiven was another great addition to a series that just keeps getting better and better. In this book, Riley is forced to deal with the consequences of fraternising with a Fallen angel. The Hunters are already convinced she’s working for Hell and if they ever found out what really happened between her and Ori, she’d be shipped off to Rome for sure. Beck is furious with Riley, she’s practically under house arrest and she still has no idea why Lucifer decided to summon her dad, let alone what kind of favour he could possibly want from her. And if things weren’t bad enough already, someone is creating zombie-like demons that can’t be killed, and they’re wreaking havoc across the city. If Riley doesn’t find out what’s going on and who’s behind it all, she won’t be able to stop Armageddon, and she’s sure as hell that Heaven won’t forgive her for going back on her promise.

Riley was as awesome as ever in this book. Even though Ori lied to her and she almost lost her soul, she didn’t let that take her over and refused to be consumed by it. She got on with her life, doing the best she could. I found it easy to connect to her – her emotions were a bit all over the place, but I think that made her quite a believable teen, and despite that she was still able to focus on the important things, like trapping and finding out what was going on with the fake holy water scam. I think Riley grew a lot in this book – she was less recklessly hot-headed and took time to think about what she was going to do next. Even when she was disobeying orders, she did it because she truly believed it was the right thing, or it was to only way to fix what was going on. I think she was learning from her mistakes and becoming a better trapper and a better fighter. After everything that had happened, no-one would have blamed her if she just wanted to give up and mope for a while, but the fact she struggled on was admirable and made her more likeable. One of the reasons I love this series is because of Riley. I like heroines that actually take action instead of watching everyone else do everything for them.

Beck, as usual, was one of the highlights of the book for me. Though maybe not the usual type I go for in YA fiction, I just think he and Riley would be so good together. He was angry at her for the first part of the book, because of what happened with Ori, and he let his jealousy get the better of him. Underneath that though, you could tell he really cared about Riley. He was worried about her, and didn’t want her to get in any more trouble. Later on, when they sort of made up, he did his best to be there for her, and I loved the way the two interacted. It was sort of like “you annoy the hell out of me, but I like you really and you’re funny” and was so great to read about. Beck’s comments about certain people made me laugh too. However, the best thing about Beck in this particular book was that we got a little glimpse into his past – and boy, was it interesting. This is why I loved the bits from his point of view so much – we got to see things about him no-one else did! We’d always been kept in the dark about Beck before he started trapping – all we ever knew was he used to be a soldier. But it turned out Beck was actually hiding something quite shady and dark. I’m so intrigued; I can’t wait to find out more about it. Whatever it is, Beck was desperate for Riley to never found out. After that ending though...well, let’s just say I am excited for book 4!

I also think I’ve grown to love Peter even more. He was so good in Forgiven, such a brilliant friend to Riley. Always there to cheer her up, or offer her advice or lend her a hand. Everyone needs a friend like Peter, really. He was so cute and awesome...ah. If only he were real! Mort was another character that I grew to like even more. He was determined to do the right thing and he was always very sweet to Riley and he made me smile. Ayden, the witch who helped Riley in the last book, was back in Forgiven too, and I really liked her. She and Mort had this great banter going on – as much as they claimed to hate each other, I think they actually got a long pretty well, and their scenes were definitely funny! Captain Salvatore, one of the Hunters, was another funny one. He seemed to be one of the only guys with a good sense of humour and was a refreshing change from all the other, serious Hunters.

The mystery of Ori was not fully resolved in Forgiven, though we did learn a lot more. Although he was turned into a statue, he could still communicate his thoughts to Riley and they were very interesting thoughts indeed. I thought Ori was a bad guy but after Forgiven, I’m not entirely sure what his motives truly were, or what will happen next. I’ll definitely be interested to find out more about him, and the other Fallen, in Fortold.

Overall, Forgiven was a brilliant follow up to Forbidden – if you liked the previous two books, then this is a must-read. The story was awesome, full of things I didn’t expect and had a lot of great action as well as mystery and suspense. Cannot recommend this series enough – with a tough heroine and an exciting plot, give it a go and you won’t be disappointed.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars.

[Tara-Jayne (♥ I Read, I Love ♥) Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel so sorry for so many characters, and there is that one character that by the end I really wanna slap her.. erghh ^_^

[Marielle Authier · Rating 5 out of 5]

****½