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Morpheus Road #3
The Blood
The riveting conclusion to a thrilling trilogy from New York Times bestselling master of suspense D. J. MacHale.
From Marshall’s mysterious experiences in The Light to Cooper’s haunting perspective in The Black, the questions have intensified along with the action. And now it is time for answers: A final showdown is in order between best friends Marshall and Cooper and the terrifying villain Damon, who’s more determined than ever to break down the walls between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Marshall is forced to make a brave and shocking choice when the battle is on the line, and he and Cooper might be rewarded with help from someone quite unexpected….
As the gripping trilogy heads toward resolution, shocks and surprises await at the end of the long and winding Morpheous Road.
From Marshall’s mysterious experiences in The Light to Cooper’s haunting perspective in The Black, the questions have intensified along with the action. And now it is time for answers: A final showdown is in order between best friends Marshall and Cooper and the terrifying villain Damon, who’s more determined than ever to break down the walls between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Marshall is forced to make a brave and shocking choice when the battle is on the line, and he and Cooper might be rewarded with help from someone quite unexpected….
As the gripping trilogy heads toward resolution, shocks and surprises await at the end of the long and winding Morpheous Road.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2012
41 people are currently reading
1134 people want to read
About the author
D.J. MacHale
96 books2,342 followersD.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving sports trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse...in between playing football and running track. D.J. then attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director, making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC Afterschool Specials. After moving to Los Angeles, he made the fulltime switch from informational films, to entertainment. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years. He wrote and directed many of the episodes including the CableAce nominated The Tale of Cutter's Treasure starring Charles S. Dutton. He was nominated for a Gemini award for directing The Tale of the Dangerous Soup starring Neve Campbell.
D.J. also wrote and directed the movie Tower of Terror for ABC's Wonderful World of Disney which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series Chris Cross was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids series Flight 29 Down for which he writes all the episodes and directs several. His work on Flight 29 Down has earned him both Writers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America award nominations.
Other notable writing credits include the classic ABC Afterschool Special titled Seasonal Differences; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
In print, D.J. has co-written the book The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.
The book series: Pendragon - Journal of an Adventure through Time and Space marks D.J.'s first turn as a novelist. He plans for this series of Young Adult adventures to span a total of 10 books.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are a Golden Retriever, Maggie; and a Kitten, Kaboodle.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving sports trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse...in between playing football and running track. D.J. then attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director, making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC Afterschool Specials. After moving to Los Angeles, he made the fulltime switch from informational films, to entertainment. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years. He wrote and directed many of the episodes including the CableAce nominated The Tale of Cutter's Treasure starring Charles S. Dutton. He was nominated for a Gemini award for directing The Tale of the Dangerous Soup starring Neve Campbell.
D.J. also wrote and directed the movie Tower of Terror for ABC's Wonderful World of Disney which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series Chris Cross was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids series Flight 29 Down for which he writes all the episodes and directs several. His work on Flight 29 Down has earned him both Writers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America award nominations.
Other notable writing credits include the classic ABC Afterschool Special titled Seasonal Differences; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
In print, D.J. has co-written the book The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.
The book series: Pendragon - Journal of an Adventure through Time and Space marks D.J.'s first turn as a novelist. He plans for this series of Young Adult adventures to span a total of 10 books.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are a Golden Retriever, Maggie; and a Kitten, Kaboodle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
May 9, 2012
As always, D. J. MacHale was written a satisfying conclusion to a series. Okay, so maybe this book lacked the utter OH-MY-GOODNESS-WHAT-IN-HALLA-JUST-HAPPENED, Oh-that's-adorable!, I-DON'T-UNDERSTAND-THIS-AT-ALL-BUT-I-LOVE-IT-ANYWAY....NO-WAIT-IT'S-PERFECT!* awesomeness of the Pendragon series ending (can you tell I like it? Just a little?). But overall, I enjoyed this series as a whole.
I loved where the character development went with this book. Both Marsh and Cooper are fully fleshed-out, three dimensional characters. They have a friendship that you can't help but cheer for, but they also argue like real people.
The plot definitely took twists I wasn't expecting. Especially with Damon. I won't spoil it, but I have to say, MacHale had me worried for a while there, because with that sort of twist, there are just way too many places to go wrong. Fortunately, though, it was pulled off nicely. It worked, and was unexpected.
This book has some surprises for loyal Pendragon readers. First and foremost is the appearance Uncle Press. That made me really happy.
I also have to point one thing out.This is random and has no significance in this review, but I find it amusing, so let's go into English teacher mode for a minute. You are given a quote, and must draw a conclusion. Here's mine.
Quote: "The spirit called Brennus stood hunched over, his back twisted into an unnatural hump. Though he stood on two feet he could easily reach down to walk on all fours. Tangled grey hair fell over his shoulders...His skin was shriveled and brown, looking more like a dried leather shoe than human flesh....His feet were bare and filthy, his toenails clawlike. As grotesque as he looked, he appeared frail, as if a slight breeze would knock him over."
Annie's Conclusion: Brennus is Gollum.
(And while I'm at it, there's Samwise. Let's all take a minute and either meditate silently or fangirl-squeal about this wonderful character. He's awesome, you have to admit. One of my all-time favorites. Him and Murtagh might just have to fight it out for my top spot, if Sapphira Adi or Loor don't come in and steal it in the meantime.)
Okay, this review is all over the place and quite unfocused. Sorry 'bout that. Overall, all you need to get from this review is that I really enjoyed this book, and the series as a whole. The character development was good, the plot was awesome, the premise was unique. Awesome series. Definitely recommended, especially for Pendragon fans. Or fans of "real" paranormal, or fans of ghost stories.
*To explain this a little: The end of The Soldiers of Halla, the tenth and final Pendragon book, is intense. At first, you're raving mad, thinking "How could MacHale let it end this way?" But then you keep reading, and it's all better. Then you read the final chapter and you're supremely confused, with extreme feelings of deja vu. You want to throw the book at the wall because you're so confused. But then you read the last chapter again. You realize it mirrors the first chapter of the first Pendragon book. You actually understand what in Halla just happened. You realize that it is utterly brilliant. You either a) cry tears of sadness 'cause it's over and tears of joy because it was awesome or b) sit there and stare at a wall for half an hour because the ending blew your mind.
Read even more reviews at http://anniesepicblog.blogspot.com/.
I loved where the character development went with this book. Both Marsh and Cooper are fully fleshed-out, three dimensional characters. They have a friendship that you can't help but cheer for, but they also argue like real people.
The plot definitely took twists I wasn't expecting. Especially with Damon. I won't spoil it, but I have to say, MacHale had me worried for a while there, because with that sort of twist, there are just way too many places to go wrong. Fortunately, though, it was pulled off nicely. It worked, and was unexpected.
This book has some surprises for loyal Pendragon readers. First and foremost is the appearance Uncle Press. That made me really happy.
I also have to point one thing out.This is random and has no significance in this review, but I find it amusing, so let's go into English teacher mode for a minute. You are given a quote, and must draw a conclusion. Here's mine.
Quote: "The spirit called Brennus stood hunched over, his back twisted into an unnatural hump. Though he stood on two feet he could easily reach down to walk on all fours. Tangled grey hair fell over his shoulders...His skin was shriveled and brown, looking more like a dried leather shoe than human flesh....His feet were bare and filthy, his toenails clawlike. As grotesque as he looked, he appeared frail, as if a slight breeze would knock him over."
Annie's Conclusion: Brennus is Gollum.
(And while I'm at it, there's Samwise. Let's all take a minute and either meditate silently or fangirl-squeal about this wonderful character. He's awesome, you have to admit. One of my all-time favorites. Him and Murtagh might just have to fight it out for my top spot, if Sapphira Adi or Loor don't come in and steal it in the meantime.)
Okay, this review is all over the place and quite unfocused. Sorry 'bout that. Overall, all you need to get from this review is that I really enjoyed this book, and the series as a whole. The character development was good, the plot was awesome, the premise was unique. Awesome series. Definitely recommended, especially for Pendragon fans. Or fans of "real" paranormal, or fans of ghost stories.
*To explain this a little: The end of The Soldiers of Halla, the tenth and final Pendragon book, is intense. At first, you're raving mad, thinking "How could MacHale let it end this way?" But then you keep reading, and it's all better. Then you read the final chapter and you're supremely confused, with extreme feelings of deja vu. You want to throw the book at the wall because you're so confused. But then you read the last chapter again. You realize it mirrors the first chapter of the first Pendragon book. You actually understand what in Halla just happened. You realize that it is utterly brilliant. You either a) cry tears of sadness 'cause it's over and tears of joy because it was awesome or b) sit there and stare at a wall for half an hour because the ending blew your mind.
Read even more reviews at http://anniesepicblog.blogspot.com/.
September 10, 2012
Marshall Seaver is just like any other teenager in his hometown of Stony Brook. Except for the fact that he has only 1 parent, the fact his best friend just died in a boating "accident", and the fact that Marshall Seaver is being haunted by a ghost from the time of Alexander the Great. So, you know, it's a pretty much normal life. Anyways, in the first two books of the trilogy, Marshall learns about what happens after you die- you go into a place called the Black which is essentially a waiting room to find out what your eternity will end up to be- the good or the bad. Spirits in the Black have a chance to change their fate if their life wasn't so good. Some of those spirits, such as Damon of Epirus, decide to make both lifes bad. He travels throughout the Black, kiling spirits (which is impossible unless you have a special sword. Spirits can't die- they only feel pain) and making chaos wherever he goes to rally followers to achieve his one goal- destroying the Morpheus Road so he can live again. The things that stand in his way- Marshall Seaver and his dead best friend- Cooper Foley.
This book is awesome- it just makes me wish there was another one. another cool fact about it- it relates to another book by the same author- the Pendragon. Throughout the book, characters in those books appear, and it makes the book seem all the more cool. Also, you can tell from D.J. Machale's writing style that he intends to creep out the readers. In some parts he uses imagery to make the setting seem much scarier. Like there is a warehouse scene, and he makes it creepy by adding the fact it is dark, there is the faint whine of a generator, etc.
Throughout the Blood, there are many characters that are cool and intriguing. Marshall- Cooper Foley's best friend and one of the main people who try to stop Damon. Cooper Foley- Marsh's best friend and he tries to stop Damon. Damon- the main villain in the story and tries to destroy the Morpheus Road. Sydney Foley- Cooper brother and helps Marsh in the light(the alive world) Ree Seaver- Marsh's mom who helps in the fight in the Black. Brennus- an evil spirit in the Blood (underworld) who tries to destroy Solara (heaven) Riagen- Brennus good brother who has an evil turn.
There are lots of good passages in this amazing 5-star book, but my favorite is at the epic battle scene. "The moment was broken by the sound of a horn. A signal. Press and Ree ran up to join Marsh and Coop at the mouth of the Threshold. They stood together to look out over the valley. 'What was that?' Coop asked. 'The call to battle,' Ree answered. 'Something's about to happen.' 'So who's attacking?' Marsh asked. 'Damon or Brennus?' The answer came seconds later. At the opposite end of the valley, several hundred yards beyond where the Guardians were ready to make their stand, the air in the middle of the gorge began to ripple and move. 'Whoever it is,' Marsh said. 'They're coming.'"(MacHale 221)
This book is amazing has depth and is awesome from start to finish. I believe every should read this book.Personally, there is so much meaning beyond what is says in the pages. The main one-never give up on yourself and ideas. This is because to win it all, they have to do what seems impossible. i believe everyone should read this book- it's just that good. However, you might wanna start with the first two...
This book is awesome- it just makes me wish there was another one. another cool fact about it- it relates to another book by the same author- the Pendragon. Throughout the book, characters in those books appear, and it makes the book seem all the more cool. Also, you can tell from D.J. Machale's writing style that he intends to creep out the readers. In some parts he uses imagery to make the setting seem much scarier. Like there is a warehouse scene, and he makes it creepy by adding the fact it is dark, there is the faint whine of a generator, etc.
Throughout the Blood, there are many characters that are cool and intriguing. Marshall- Cooper Foley's best friend and one of the main people who try to stop Damon. Cooper Foley- Marsh's best friend and he tries to stop Damon. Damon- the main villain in the story and tries to destroy the Morpheus Road. Sydney Foley- Cooper brother and helps Marsh in the light(the alive world) Ree Seaver- Marsh's mom who helps in the fight in the Black. Brennus- an evil spirit in the Blood (underworld) who tries to destroy Solara (heaven) Riagen- Brennus good brother who has an evil turn.
There are lots of good passages in this amazing 5-star book, but my favorite is at the epic battle scene. "The moment was broken by the sound of a horn. A signal. Press and Ree ran up to join Marsh and Coop at the mouth of the Threshold. They stood together to look out over the valley. 'What was that?' Coop asked. 'The call to battle,' Ree answered. 'Something's about to happen.' 'So who's attacking?' Marsh asked. 'Damon or Brennus?' The answer came seconds later. At the opposite end of the valley, several hundred yards beyond where the Guardians were ready to make their stand, the air in the middle of the gorge began to ripple and move. 'Whoever it is,' Marsh said. 'They're coming.'"(MacHale 221)
This book is amazing has depth and is awesome from start to finish. I believe every should read this book.Personally, there is so much meaning beyond what is says in the pages. The main one-never give up on yourself and ideas. This is because to win it all, they have to do what seems impossible. i believe everyone should read this book- it's just that good. However, you might wanna start with the first two...
March 29, 2013
From the author of the Pendragon series, D.J. MacHale, comes this amazing trilogy that ends with The Blood. This book really wrapped up everything that you needed to know about this series. It left no questions unanswered. I really loved it because it really feels like you're apart of the experience of the difficulties they have to go through in the final installation of the Morpheus Road trilogy. Would recommend. Very good.
March 24, 2013
I HATED IT! THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS INTRESTING! WROST BOOK OF THE SERIES! THE ONLY GOOD BOOK WAS THE FIRST ONE ( THE LIGHT) OVERALL I WOULD RATE IT 3-10 SO YEAH!
April 20, 2017
The switch to the third person narrative for this installment took away all of MacHale's charm as an author. There were so many plot twists that it just started to feel like he was pulling the story out of his but. I hated that Damon turned good with absolutely no metamorphosis or character development, or at least not enough to make the ending believable. This book was far too long. I have no problem with tomes, but I need the story to keep my attention for the entire time. This just couldn't do that. It got to the point where I was dreading reading it because it was so boring and convoluted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2013
My Review For All Three Books:
THERE ARE SPOILERS.
I absolutely LOVED this series! My friend recommended it to me, and at first I was skeptical, but later I began to get into the books.
THE LIGHT:
The first book. I really connected to Marsh, since I'm a bit of a nerd too (more fantasy than sci-fi) and I totally get being attracted to books/enterprises that in high school would be considered "childish" (i.e. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Lord of the Rings, etc.). I didn't really connect to Cooper, since my first impression of him was a troublemaking, selfish bully and player that was a fake friend to Marsh. Even when Cooper *SPOILER ALERT* died, I didn't really care since I didn't feel anything towards him. In fact, when Marsh suddenly began to describe how Cooper always did so much for Marsh, and was such a good friend, I was thrown off. Even the grief Marsh feels over Cooper's death puzzled me, since it seemed to me that Cooper was a jerk. But, nevertheless, I enjoyed the book. The scariness was just right! I couldn't read the book at night, since I have such a vivid imagination, or take a shower at night either after reading a certain scene but it wasn't TOO scary where I had to stop reading it.
The most shocking thing in this book: *SPOILER ALERT* Sydney ending up with Marsh.
THE BLACK:
The second book. LOVED IT! I connected to Cooper, and actually fell in love with his character. :D I think because I got to see what he actually is like, I no longer thought of him as a bully or a jerk or a fake friend. :) And the tenderness and love he feels towards *SPOILER ALERT* Maggie Salinger is just so cute and I loved Cooper even more for that! Cooper kinda reminds me of Percy Jackson in a way, with his sense of humor and his sweetness, and his courage. When Cooper goes to see his dead body, I found myself morbidly fascinated for some weird reason...maybe it's just me. Also, I wanted to bring Damon back to life, and then kill him all over again. What an evil little dude!! The most shocking thing in the whole book was Cooper meeting *SPOILER ALERT* Theresa Seaver. I guess I should've been expecting that, but whatever! :D
THE BLOOD:
Just as great as the first two books, but filled with more twists and more "WHAAAAT?!?" moments. The two things that almost gave me a heart attack was when *SPOILER ALERT* the book opened with the lines "Sydney Foley was about to die" and when Marsh jumped through the Rift, killing himself. I sat there shocked for a few minutes, and then I was like "WHAT ABOUT SYDNEY, YOU IDIOT?!?!?" Fortunately, Sydney didn't die, however Marsh was in the Black for sometime. The biggest twist of the story, I think, was when *SPOILER ALERT* Damon joined Marsh's side. But, I think part of me saw it coming. At the end, I was bawling my eyes out because it was so sad and so heartbreaking both with what happens to Cooper's love, and what happens between Marsh and Cooper. An amazing book, and I HIGHLY recommend this trilogy to you!
THERE ARE SPOILERS.
I absolutely LOVED this series! My friend recommended it to me, and at first I was skeptical, but later I began to get into the books.
THE LIGHT:
The first book. I really connected to Marsh, since I'm a bit of a nerd too (more fantasy than sci-fi) and I totally get being attracted to books/enterprises that in high school would be considered "childish" (i.e. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Lord of the Rings, etc.). I didn't really connect to Cooper, since my first impression of him was a troublemaking, selfish bully and player that was a fake friend to Marsh. Even when Cooper *SPOILER ALERT* died, I didn't really care since I didn't feel anything towards him. In fact, when Marsh suddenly began to describe how Cooper always did so much for Marsh, and was such a good friend, I was thrown off. Even the grief Marsh feels over Cooper's death puzzled me, since it seemed to me that Cooper was a jerk. But, nevertheless, I enjoyed the book. The scariness was just right! I couldn't read the book at night, since I have such a vivid imagination, or take a shower at night either after reading a certain scene but it wasn't TOO scary where I had to stop reading it.
The most shocking thing in this book: *SPOILER ALERT* Sydney ending up with Marsh.
THE BLACK:
The second book. LOVED IT! I connected to Cooper, and actually fell in love with his character. :D I think because I got to see what he actually is like, I no longer thought of him as a bully or a jerk or a fake friend. :) And the tenderness and love he feels towards *SPOILER ALERT* Maggie Salinger is just so cute and I loved Cooper even more for that! Cooper kinda reminds me of Percy Jackson in a way, with his sense of humor and his sweetness, and his courage. When Cooper goes to see his dead body, I found myself morbidly fascinated for some weird reason...maybe it's just me. Also, I wanted to bring Damon back to life, and then kill him all over again. What an evil little dude!! The most shocking thing in the whole book was Cooper meeting *SPOILER ALERT* Theresa Seaver. I guess I should've been expecting that, but whatever! :D
THE BLOOD:
Just as great as the first two books, but filled with more twists and more "WHAAAAT?!?" moments. The two things that almost gave me a heart attack was when *SPOILER ALERT* the book opened with the lines "Sydney Foley was about to die" and when Marsh jumped through the Rift, killing himself. I sat there shocked for a few minutes, and then I was like "WHAT ABOUT SYDNEY, YOU IDIOT?!?!?" Fortunately, Sydney didn't die, however Marsh was in the Black for sometime. The biggest twist of the story, I think, was when *SPOILER ALERT* Damon joined Marsh's side. But, I think part of me saw it coming. At the end, I was bawling my eyes out because it was so sad and so heartbreaking both with what happens to Cooper's love, and what happens between Marsh and Cooper. An amazing book, and I HIGHLY recommend this trilogy to you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2014
When I started this book, it had been roughly a year since I had read "The Black". And within those 365 days I've read tons of books. I became a seriously obsessive reader. My views on themes and novels and symbolism and writing style and voice had matured. So when I read the first hundred or so pages of this book, I was somewhat disappointed in the over usage of words like "Dude", etc. But I seriously believe if I had read this book last year, or even a few months ago, I wouldn't really have minded.
What seriously bothered me about the characters was how quickly they threw morality and humanity away. I found it a bit ironic to be honest. I mean, here you have a couple overly badass teenagers who risked their lives to defend the Morpheus Road and to preserve humanity. Meanwhile, they are going around destroying spirits with their spirit-killing-all-powerful magical swords—completely ending their existence. I understand that these actions were kind of justified, and they'd lost tons of 'good' spirits to the same fate, but still.
The character development of particularly Marsh and Damon is great. They transform, but maybe a bit more than what would be realistic. Or at least maybe a bit too quickly, but it's still great. I especially liked when Marsh decided to trust Damon, and decided that he wasn't evil, but was merely twisted by his motives.
Aside from that, this book was awesome. As far on concluding novels go, this seriously did the trilogy justice. I'll be honest and say I skimmed it, though. Mainly because I was on a deadline to finish it. But even so, I felt the feelings.
I MEAN OH MY GOSH COOPER AND MAGGIE THOUGH I WAS SO SAD WHEN SHE LEFT HIM TO GO TO SOLARA EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A GOOD THING AND THEN COOPER TOLD MARSH TO LIVE FOR BOTH OF THEM OH MY GOSH.
My love for Cooper Foley will never cease.
What seriously bothered me about the characters was how quickly they threw morality and humanity away. I found it a bit ironic to be honest. I mean, here you have a couple overly badass teenagers who risked their lives to defend the Morpheus Road and to preserve humanity. Meanwhile, they are going around destroying spirits with their spirit-killing-all-powerful magical swords—completely ending their existence. I understand that these actions were kind of justified, and they'd lost tons of 'good' spirits to the same fate, but still.
The character development of particularly Marsh and Damon is great. They transform, but maybe a bit more than what would be realistic. Or at least maybe a bit too quickly, but it's still great. I especially liked when Marsh decided to trust Damon, and decided that he wasn't evil, but was merely twisted by his motives.
Aside from that, this book was awesome. As far on concluding novels go, this seriously did the trilogy justice. I'll be honest and say I skimmed it, though. Mainly because I was on a deadline to finish it. But even so, I felt the feelings.
I MEAN OH MY GOSH COOPER AND MAGGIE THOUGH I WAS SO SAD WHEN SHE LEFT HIM TO GO TO SOLARA EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A GOOD THING AND THEN COOPER TOLD MARSH TO LIVE FOR BOTH OF THEM OH MY GOSH.
My love for Cooper Foley will never cease.
April 18, 2012
In The Blood, the third and final book in the Morpheus Road series, the wall that separates our world and the dead is in jeopardy of being torn down. Author D.J. MacHale takes us to Marshall and Cooper’s final confrontation with the very scary villain Damon. There is so much that happens in this book that it is really hard to explain without spoiling anything.
The path for Marsh and Coop to Damon is not a lovely road. All of the questions that were set forth in The Light and The Dark boils down to this finale and the answers we all have been dying to know are revealed. And are they ever revealed! One revelation is so over the top that it leaves your face eyes-wide and mouth open all the way to the floor because it was there from the very beginning.
The writing style of D.J. MacHale is unmatched. He is in total control with every word splattered across a page. The story is full of details and descriptions that the book acts like a projector and you see all of what’s happening before your eyes. Let’s not forget how D.J. knows exactly when to pull the rug right off from under your feet. He is a master of spooks, chills, thrills, and shock.
Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that you wish it could continue? That is how I felt about Morpheus Road. The finale answered many questions that baffled readers from the beginning. The ending was a satisfying finish. I loved how D.J. MacHale takes elements from Morpheus Road and linked them with another book. If you know your D.J. MacHale stuff, you know what I mean. I cannot wait for his next project. I know it will be a sure hit…MacHale has proven it time after time. The Blood is by far my best read of 2012.
The path for Marsh and Coop to Damon is not a lovely road. All of the questions that were set forth in The Light and The Dark boils down to this finale and the answers we all have been dying to know are revealed. And are they ever revealed! One revelation is so over the top that it leaves your face eyes-wide and mouth open all the way to the floor because it was there from the very beginning.
The writing style of D.J. MacHale is unmatched. He is in total control with every word splattered across a page. The story is full of details and descriptions that the book acts like a projector and you see all of what’s happening before your eyes. Let’s not forget how D.J. knows exactly when to pull the rug right off from under your feet. He is a master of spooks, chills, thrills, and shock.
Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that you wish it could continue? That is how I felt about Morpheus Road. The finale answered many questions that baffled readers from the beginning. The ending was a satisfying finish. I loved how D.J. MacHale takes elements from Morpheus Road and linked them with another book. If you know your D.J. MacHale stuff, you know what I mean. I cannot wait for his next project. I know it will be a sure hit…MacHale has proven it time after time. The Blood is by far my best read of 2012.
January 30, 2016
I loved The Blood. I really liked that even though throughout the book Evil seemed two steps ahead of Good, Good won in the end. I liked that the last hope for the Good side was the original Bad. I loved that in the end, most of the souls (people?) who had fought for the Good side got to move on to Solara. I liked that this book explained the good side of the Morpheus Road, whereas The Dark explained the bad side. By the end of the three books (trilogy, whatever) you had a good idea of the entire world. I liked that the world wasn't thrown on you all at once, and new aspects were introduced as they became important. Until you need to know about the afterlife all you know is Cooper is dead. Once you get Cooper's story, you learn about the place for Evil spirits, The Blood (h,e,double hockey sticks). Once the role of villain has been shifted to Brenus, you learn of the other end. The place for good spirits, Solara. I also liked the character arcs of this book. The characters all grow up in their own ways. Most of the characters have a view that was changed because of the events of the book. But, my favorite part of this book was Marsh's decision to walk through the rift, and then the watchers granting him permission to go back the the Light. I was not excited about him walking through the rift at first, but as the book progressed Marsh needed to be "dead" for everything to work out as it eventually did. I really enjoyed the afterward at the end. It left somethings up to you, but also wrapped all the characters story's up. I absolutely loved The Blood and would definitely recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2013
I have been reading books from Machale for quite a while now. It started with the pendragon series (Which I would seriously recommend), then I heard of a new series he was writing. Morpheus road. I loved this series. It had connections to the original Pendragon series, and it was always exciting. The main characters were being terrified and constnatly in the face of death. It was a pleasure to see the way they developed. This book was written in a way that as soon as I started reading, I HAD to keep reading to find out what happened next. I could picture the scenes in the book quite well from all the description he gave. It was enough description to paint the image in your head without getting dragged out. The book had a nice pacing that didn't feel rushed. The story of the morpheus road was very interesting, While I don't know them right now, I am sure there are many well thought out and deep meanings in this series. I expect many to pertain to the idea behind the cycle of life and death, and the idea of the afterlife. The universe this series sets up is amazing, the author could write millions of stories about it since it covers all of time and the life of every human being basically. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am looking forward to any books Machale may put out in the future.
August 23, 2013
2.5 stars. If this book had ended about halfway through, I would have given it 3 or possibly even 4 stars. But things just started springing up from nowhere. The entire series has been talking about the Morpheus Road and its three parts: the Light, the Black, and the Blood. And suddenly, this fourth piece shows up and is really where things are supposed to end? And why was the Black so… lacking? This was supposed to be the uber-scary, hellish place where the eternally evil literally lived and suffered forever, and the freakiest thing that I remember was the little prison cell where the other Big Bad was stuck – and that really only gave me the creeps because I’m claustrophobic, not because it was particularly scary. The Black was a big disappointment. Also, there was a fairly cheesy (but amusing) crossover nod to MacHale’s other big series, Pendragon (of which I have read exactly one book and decided that was enough for me). I would still recommend the other two books in this series, but I don’t know that I would bother reading this one. Actually, The Light (the first book) stands really well on its own anyway.
May 7, 2020
DNF at page 188.
The problem with reading books from my childhood is that I've read better books in the years between then and now.
The moral dilemmas in this book are purely black and white. You know who's evil, who's not. And even when a main character acts like a jerk, you know it's contrived. There's also no nuance or subtlety. Everything is very much in your face.
And having chapters from the villain's viewpoint definitely weakened the story. Now we all know he's just as much a coward as anyone else.
Also the viewpoint in this book is some kind of omniscient narrator. DJ Machale is terrible at it. He needs to stick to first person POV. Really really.
I guess I'm a bit sad because I was holding on to this last bit of childhood, but I think I waited too long to get to it and it just doesn't hold any magic.
I mean, PRESS from Pendragon makes a cameo and I don't blink. I smile in nostalgia but I still want to end this journey along the Morpheus Road.
Final rating : 2 stars and a broken heart.
The problem with reading books from my childhood is that I've read better books in the years between then and now.
The moral dilemmas in this book are purely black and white. You know who's evil, who's not. And even when a main character acts like a jerk, you know it's contrived. There's also no nuance or subtlety. Everything is very much in your face.
And having chapters from the villain's viewpoint definitely weakened the story. Now we all know he's just as much a coward as anyone else.
Also the viewpoint in this book is some kind of omniscient narrator. DJ Machale is terrible at it. He needs to stick to first person POV. Really really.
I guess I'm a bit sad because I was holding on to this last bit of childhood, but I think I waited too long to get to it and it just doesn't hold any magic.
I mean, PRESS from Pendragon makes a cameo and I don't blink. I smile in nostalgia but I still want to end this journey along the Morpheus Road.
Final rating : 2 stars and a broken heart.
March 7, 2018
3.5
Not as good as the 2nd book, but still fun (and I still like it more than the first book). I definitely like Cooper more (and find him way more interesting) than Marshall but
Definitely glad I finally got around to this trilogy and it was kinda fun to read it around Halloween for the death/ghost vibes going on
Not as good as the 2nd book, but still fun (and I still like it more than the first book). I definitely like Cooper more (and find him way more interesting) than Marshall but
Definitely glad I finally got around to this trilogy and it was kinda fun to read it around Halloween for the death/ghost vibes going on
Read
November 9, 2015Terrible.
November 29, 2016
I liked this book, though there were a bunch of weird things in it. It ended really well though.
February 2, 2018
In my experience reading the novel “Morpheus Road: The Blood” I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish. With this being the third novel in the trilogy, all lose ends are tied at the conclusion of the story. I started this series when I was in elementary school, and now years later, the captivating atmosphere and story which gripped me as a child continues to today. The beginning sets up the events which had been built for the past two books. A cataclysmic battle determining the fate of humanity, even past the first step of life. Towards the end, recurring themes such as destiny, the will of humanity, and life itself all engorge the reader into a world that I’ve grown to love. Endearing characters all come together at the climax of an emotional rollercoaster of events which challenge common views to what the afterlife may be. I felt such a strong connection to the characters and their struggles; through their eyes. Its narrative is compelling, its universe, riveting. This may not be a book that appeals to all people, but to those who want thought provoking questions and perspective on that which is philosophical, there could not be a better book than “Morpheus Road: The Blood”. It is absolutely worth the read. The payoff, the expansion of the world they inhabit, the minute but important details all bring together a truly Tolkien-esque “epic”. I have nothing but glowing feelings towards this wonderful book. I love books, but some of them are a chore to read. I blazed through this one because I wanted to know more. I wanted to see where the plot was going, and I craved to see what was next. If an author can do that to a reader, then he’s doing something right.
October 6, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this one. Although I enjoyed the conclusion, I thought that the book as a whole was quite slow, and the dynamic between characters was annoying at times. I really loved the first book in this series so I was interested in seeing how everything would play out, but I was underwhelmed. The story was easy to follow, and I enjoyed the plot, but it was not one of my favorites. If you read this series, I would say to read the first and then find a summary of the last two.
August 23, 2017
For a YA book, the uplifting message and character development, while somewhat predictable, don't feel stale or preachy. I was bummed that there wasn't much of Sydney in this book though, especially how the opening was framed. Overall it's a decent conclusion to a cleverly situated story, and even though I started it many years ago, the trilogy is still delightful.
October 4, 2020
What a surprising but satisfying ending! I do so love the way D.J. MacHales ends his series, granted I've only finished two and they were apparently both set in the same univers or maybe just connected ones, but still I love the message of hope and the underlying belief in the good of the human spirit.
April 30, 2023
خیلی طول کشید تا تمومش کنم ولی
جوری که به مجموعه پندراگن ربطش داده بود اصن اوووف
تا گفت پرس، همه ده کتاب از جلو چشمام رد شد و باعث شد اینجوری 🤯 بشم.
یه مقدار همه چی راحت پیش می رفت و امن
اونقدر هیجان نداشت
ولی به طور کلی خوب بود.
شاید کتاب لیاقت پنج ستاره رو نداشته باشه
ولی چون بهم حال داد پنجه رو میگیره
جوری که به مجموعه پندراگن ربطش داده بود اصن اوووف
تا گفت پرس، همه ده کتاب از جلو چشمام رد شد و باعث شد اینجوری 🤯 بشم.
یه مقدار همه چی راحت پیش می رفت و امن
اونقدر هیجان نداشت
ولی به طور کلی خوب بود.
شاید کتاب لیاقت پنج ستاره رو نداشته باشه
ولی چون بهم حال داد پنجه رو میگیره
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2025
Rating: pg +. Nonprofits, no sex. Violence. Of the ghost / spirit / underworld variety.
Recommend: a little spooky, spirit world battles. Jh and up, CC for younger readers.
This one felt like a big jump in the violence department, more killing, more vengeance.
Darker than the other two installments. But still fine for jh, I think.
Recommend: a little spooky, spirit world battles. Jh and up, CC for younger readers.
This one felt like a big jump in the violence department, more killing, more vengeance.
Darker than the other two installments. But still fine for jh, I think.
February 25, 2019
This book was not nearly as good as the other two books in the trilogy. It was still a page Turner but the plot just was not as good as I thought it would be. I hoped for a little bit better of an ending.
August 30, 2021
The third book in the series I just couldn't finish because it was just too much I feel. Personally, they lost me after the second book trying to answer every question, and I feel this is just answering more questions instead of keeping it mysterious.
March 27, 2023
The entire series is one that kept me on edge. The twists were good, some you could see coming, others you cannot. I could see this being a great movie series if they respect the books. Just like the Pendragon series.
August 30, 2024
This series should truly be read by more people!! I loved it! The story line was new and unpredictable. I know it rated for younger audiences, but as a 39 year old woman I loved this series…. Seriously wishing it would have blew up and been turned into a movie…
May 30, 2017
i havent read
June 19, 2017
Good solid finish to a good solid series. High five D.J.! This last book was not a scary book at all. This was a fun fantasy adventure. It's a good clean five star Y.A. title in my option.
June 21, 2017
Honestly...ok I'm torn. I enjoyed this series a lot but I was really bummed in to find that D had a change of heart and everyone lives happily ever after.... My son adored it.
March 6, 2018
This book was amazing! You should read this trilogy! This was a great ending to a series and I hope you give it a try!
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