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The Power of Five #5
Oblivion
Having escaped from Hong Kong, the Five Gatekeepers - Matt, Pedro, Scott, Jamie and Scarlett - are scattered in a hostile and dangerous world. As they struggle to re-group and plan their next move, the malevolent King of the Old Ones gathers his forces in Oblivion: a desolate landscape where the last survivors of humanity must fight the ultimate battle.
668 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2012
379 people are currently reading
6351 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Horowitz
345 books20.9k followersAnthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 677 reviews
August 13, 2017
4.75
If you are looking for a fantasy series that will creep you the heck out, look no further.
A very satisfying conclusion. 'Oblivion' is the fifth and final book in the Power of Five series, which is a 'middle-grade'/young adult fantasy series by Anthony Horowitz. It follows the five Gatekeepers in their quest to defeat the Old Ones.
Reading this book and finding out where the story ends, it's quite surprising to think this all began with the events of 'Raven's Gate'. So much happens in this 670 paged epic conclusion that it's hard to find where to begin with this review.
First of all I'm going to comment on a few aspects of this book without spoiling any of the plot. This book is split into sections and each section is told from each of the five in turn. While that was very interesting and I think it added more depth to each of the characters as well as the overall story since we received so much detail, I did wish that the 'story so far' almost wasn't refreshed over and over with each new perspective. I think once would have been enough rather than five times and maybe it would have cut fifty extra pages from the length of this novel. Nonetheless, I wouldn't say I was ever 'bored' while reading any part of this book.
The character development in this book was very well done, in my opinion. Obviously, Matt's character growth was very clear (and quite sad if I'm honest) but particularly the characters Scott and Pedro, who were never a main focus in the series before now, were better explored and I feel like we got to know them properly in this installment. I understood Scott a lot better and I really got to like Pedro as a character and I think he's my favourite, after Matt of course. It all began with Matt and therefore I feel a sense of loyalty which compels me to pay more attention to him as a character.
I think this book was paced perfectly, as I previously mentioned, never a dull moment. I knocked that 0.25 stars off just because of the repetitive reminders of the story so far, or else this concluding book is a overall winner for me.
Now for the spoilers...
(Only continue reading this is you have read the entire Power of Five series, to avoid being spoiled on the plot for this book and some of the previous books as well.)
As I already mentioned, this book is so eventful that it's difficult to break it down but I'll try and I'll do it chronologically.
Holly narrates this book overall in first person perspective, which is new. We begin with Jamie falling through the door in a church somewhere in the Northwest of England. I found it really interesting that the story took place ten years into the future and that each of the different countries that the five found themselves in had become dystopian lands. Holly's hometown appeared to become a weird community sort of thing where nothing could happen without a meeting being called and everyone had a role to play and they played it to survive. The rest of England was split into impoverished almost zombie like survivors of a nuclear attack and better-fed cannibalistic survivors.
The next of the five that we see is Scarlet who traveled to Egypt with Richard. This was my least favourite of the individual story lines before the five re-united, maybe because Scarlet escaped her predicament fairly easily.
Perhaps the most relevant, but definitely the most entertaining (for me) of said individual story lines was that of Scott and Pedro. As well as being dramatic, this part of the book was quite funny to me particularly the way that Scott seems to dislike Pedro and underestimate him, calling him 'stick insect' and thinking he knows not about it, when all the while Pedro understands exactly what Scott calls him but chooses not to comment/retaliate because he realises that Scott still isn't mentally stable. Scott's instability was a huge worry throughout this book, and even since the third book because it definitely foreshadows that something is about to go terribly wrong at his hands. (which is does)
Matt and Lohan playing the game of sell and steal was really clever and entertaining for me... The fact that Lohan was thinking about abandoning Matt after Matt was keeping them alive thus far really displayed the lack of loyalty he has.
The bit where Scott got someone to break Pedro's finger in order to help himself was really harsh. Also Pedro's trek through the sewers was difficult to read! Poor Pedro.
Throughout this series, we learn that killing any of the five would do no good because their other form would appear and complete the circle in their stead. Knowing this, the Old Ones decide to keep all of the five alive but weak in order to prevent the circle ever completing. That being their aim, and these being the same old ones that were defeated 10000 years ago due to Jamie's sudden appearance following Sapling's death, spells quite obviously to me that they should have just targeted Jamie all along and kill him in order to prevent the circle from ever being complete, since Jamie's other form, Sapling, was already dead. Despite being the 'Old' Ones, they aren't very wise.
I had a feeling that Richard would end up turning the knife on Matt ever since we learn that the knife would be Richard's curse or whatever it was. Matt's death was definitely one thing that really hit home since the story begins with just Matt so, despite there being five protagonists, it feels like Matt's story but he doesn't survive. It was much worse knowing that he read his fate in the Library as well. (This is where his character developed most and like I mentioned before, I found it quite sad for said reasons.)
Scott's death was also quite surprising since I had barely recovered from Matt's death ten pages ago, however it was a bit of a parallel with the old Matt sending Sapling to be sacrificed, leaving Flint as a lone twin and the present-day Matt letting Scott know his time would come, again leaving Jamie as a lone twin. It worked out in the end though as Jamie and Flint united.
Overall, I was very satisfied with this book, and I'm so glad that I decided to read this series. Anthony Horowitz does it again.
If you are looking for a fantasy series that will creep you the heck out, look no further.
A very satisfying conclusion. 'Oblivion' is the fifth and final book in the Power of Five series, which is a 'middle-grade'/young adult fantasy series by Anthony Horowitz. It follows the five Gatekeepers in their quest to defeat the Old Ones.
Reading this book and finding out where the story ends, it's quite surprising to think this all began with the events of 'Raven's Gate'. So much happens in this 670 paged epic conclusion that it's hard to find where to begin with this review.
First of all I'm going to comment on a few aspects of this book without spoiling any of the plot. This book is split into sections and each section is told from each of the five in turn. While that was very interesting and I think it added more depth to each of the characters as well as the overall story since we received so much detail, I did wish that the 'story so far' almost wasn't refreshed over and over with each new perspective. I think once would have been enough rather than five times and maybe it would have cut fifty extra pages from the length of this novel. Nonetheless, I wouldn't say I was ever 'bored' while reading any part of this book.
The character development in this book was very well done, in my opinion. Obviously, Matt's character growth was very clear (and quite sad if I'm honest) but particularly the characters Scott and Pedro, who were never a main focus in the series before now, were better explored and I feel like we got to know them properly in this installment. I understood Scott a lot better and I really got to like Pedro as a character and I think he's my favourite, after Matt of course. It all began with Matt and therefore I feel a sense of loyalty which compels me to pay more attention to him as a character.
I think this book was paced perfectly, as I previously mentioned, never a dull moment. I knocked that 0.25 stars off just because of the repetitive reminders of the story so far, or else this concluding book is a overall winner for me.
Now for the spoilers...
(Only continue reading this is you have read the entire Power of Five series, to avoid being spoiled on the plot for this book and some of the previous books as well.)
As I already mentioned, this book is so eventful that it's difficult to break it down but I'll try and I'll do it chronologically.
Holly narrates this book overall in first person perspective, which is new. We begin with Jamie falling through the door in a church somewhere in the Northwest of England. I found it really interesting that the story took place ten years into the future and that each of the different countries that the five found themselves in had become dystopian lands. Holly's hometown appeared to become a weird community sort of thing where nothing could happen without a meeting being called and everyone had a role to play and they played it to survive. The rest of England was split into impoverished almost zombie like survivors of a nuclear attack and better-fed cannibalistic survivors.
The next of the five that we see is Scarlet who traveled to Egypt with Richard. This was my least favourite of the individual story lines before the five re-united, maybe because Scarlet escaped her predicament fairly easily.
Perhaps the most relevant, but definitely the most entertaining (for me) of said individual story lines was that of Scott and Pedro. As well as being dramatic, this part of the book was quite funny to me particularly the way that Scott seems to dislike Pedro and underestimate him, calling him 'stick insect' and thinking he knows not about it, when all the while Pedro understands exactly what Scott calls him but chooses not to comment/retaliate because he realises that Scott still isn't mentally stable. Scott's instability was a huge worry throughout this book, and even since the third book because it definitely foreshadows that something is about to go terribly wrong at his hands. (which is does)
Matt and Lohan playing the game of sell and steal was really clever and entertaining for me... The fact that Lohan was thinking about abandoning Matt after Matt was keeping them alive thus far really displayed the lack of loyalty he has.
The bit where Scott got someone to break Pedro's finger in order to help himself was really harsh. Also Pedro's trek through the sewers was difficult to read! Poor Pedro.
Throughout this series, we learn that killing any of the five would do no good because their other form would appear and complete the circle in their stead. Knowing this, the Old Ones decide to keep all of the five alive but weak in order to prevent the circle ever completing. That being their aim, and these being the same old ones that were defeated 10000 years ago due to Jamie's sudden appearance following Sapling's death, spells quite obviously to me that they should have just targeted Jamie all along and kill him in order to prevent the circle from ever being complete, since Jamie's other form, Sapling, was already dead. Despite being the 'Old' Ones, they aren't very wise.
I had a feeling that Richard would end up turning the knife on Matt ever since we learn that the knife would be Richard's curse or whatever it was. Matt's death was definitely one thing that really hit home since the story begins with just Matt so, despite there being five protagonists, it feels like Matt's story but he doesn't survive. It was much worse knowing that he read his fate in the Library as well. (This is where his character developed most and like I mentioned before, I found it quite sad for said reasons.)
Scott's death was also quite surprising since I had barely recovered from Matt's death ten pages ago, however it was a bit of a parallel with the old Matt sending Sapling to be sacrificed, leaving Flint as a lone twin and the present-day Matt letting Scott know his time would come, again leaving Jamie as a lone twin. It worked out in the end though as Jamie and Flint united.
Overall, I was very satisfied with this book, and I'm so glad that I decided to read this series. Anthony Horowitz does it again.
July 7, 2013
I remember a while ago Anthony Horowitz said that this last book was going to have 100,000 words, because it was going to be epic. I think when he actually started it he said, "damn, this is not gonna work. Ok, let's reach my word count goal by repeating everything as many times as possible! yeah, good idea! Aren't I a genius?!"
I'm not kidding, in the fourth book Necropolis, the 5 were forced to enter one of the doors really fast because there was a typhoon, and they were about to die, but they didn't think of a destination in particular they wanted to go, so they ended up scattered around the world. throughout this book there are about 8 different points of view, and he needed to repeat this for every single one of them! like the first time wasn't enough. it was so annoying. Not to mention the thousands of times he said that the only hope for the world and humanity was that the 5 were together again, and the battle was about to begin... oh yeah, I'm so excited, can you repeat that again so I can be mindblown again? what about a hundred more times!
So, the 5 ended around the world, and Matt told them in the dream world that they needed to go to Antarctica because there was going to be the, oh so awaited, final battle. So, there are some nice adventures of them trying to survive, and go to Antarctica.
By the final pages, the events started to rush, like the author was pressured to finish already... or perhaps after repeating so much, he realized he only had like 5000 words left to reach his goal...
There were some good scenes in this book. but overall, I don't think those scenes make up for this too much repetition.
I don't think I will be reading any more books by this author. I also started reading the Alex Rider series, and dropped it after book 3. Yeah, no more Horowitz for me.
______________________________________________
Wow!
I can't believe it's finally gonna come out!!
This is one of my favorite series ( one of the first i started reading) and i was hooked with it since i started reading the first book, and couldn't help but go immediately to the library and read the rest of the books right away!!
I was so sad to know that the last book wasn't even written yet by the time i was over... but now, we even have a name and an expected publication date!!!!!!!!!
I'm SO EXCITED!
The final battle!!
...I thought this book was gonna be named "The Old Ones" but "Oblivion" doesn't sound bad...
He says one of the five is not gonna make it... i hope it's not Pedro... I don't know why, but i like that guy... hopefully it will be Scarlet muahahahaha, I don't like her...
I CAN'T WAIT!!!
I'm not kidding, in the fourth book Necropolis, the 5 were forced to enter one of the doors really fast because there was a typhoon, and they were about to die, but they didn't think of a destination in particular they wanted to go, so they ended up scattered around the world. throughout this book there are about 8 different points of view, and he needed to repeat this for every single one of them! like the first time wasn't enough. it was so annoying. Not to mention the thousands of times he said that the only hope for the world and humanity was that the 5 were together again, and the battle was about to begin... oh yeah, I'm so excited, can you repeat that again so I can be mindblown again? what about a hundred more times!
So, the 5 ended around the world, and Matt told them in the dream world that they needed to go to Antarctica because there was going to be the, oh so awaited, final battle. So, there are some nice adventures of them trying to survive, and go to Antarctica.
By the final pages, the events started to rush, like the author was pressured to finish already... or perhaps after repeating so much, he realized he only had like 5000 words left to reach his goal...
There were some good scenes in this book. but overall, I don't think those scenes make up for this too much repetition.
I don't think I will be reading any more books by this author. I also started reading the Alex Rider series, and dropped it after book 3. Yeah, no more Horowitz for me.
______________________________________________
Wow!
I can't believe it's finally gonna come out!!
This is one of my favorite series ( one of the first i started reading) and i was hooked with it since i started reading the first book, and couldn't help but go immediately to the library and read the rest of the books right away!!
I was so sad to know that the last book wasn't even written yet by the time i was over... but now, we even have a name and an expected publication date!!!!!!!!!
I'm SO EXCITED!
The final battle!!
...I thought this book was gonna be named "The Old Ones" but "Oblivion" doesn't sound bad...
He says one of the five is not gonna make it... i hope it's not Pedro... I don't know why, but i like that guy... hopefully it will be Scarlet muahahahaha, I don't like her...
I CAN'T WAIT!!!
August 6, 2018
This book was the final book in "The Power of five" series, and as it was supposed to be the grand finale, I was hoping for a grand crescendo. Instead, I'm left feeling a tad flat and dissatisfied.
I picked up this entire series from a book sale, as I'd heard good stuff in regards to the author, and the front covers looked intriguing. To be honest, the entire series has been a little hit and miss with me.
For one, Oblivion was too long, around 200 pages too long, and the repetition quite honestly drove me mad. It was like, with every point of view, with each different character, the same old lines had to be repeated. It was tiresome and greatly unnecessary.
As for the plot, I feel that Horowitz had lost his way really. Some of it didn't flow from one part to the next, and some of the random destinations where the characters ended up, with no explanation why, were just incredibly ridiculous. Nearing the end of the book, events took a dramatic turn, and it was like the author needed to cram the last part of the story in a few final chapters. It was rushed, and that is very obvious to whoever is reading it.
There were some intriguing scenes in the book, but unfortunately, that isn't enough to make up for the tedious repetition and the confusing plot. To be honest, I don't think I'll be reading anymore from you Mr Horowitz!
I picked up this entire series from a book sale, as I'd heard good stuff in regards to the author, and the front covers looked intriguing. To be honest, the entire series has been a little hit and miss with me.
For one, Oblivion was too long, around 200 pages too long, and the repetition quite honestly drove me mad. It was like, with every point of view, with each different character, the same old lines had to be repeated. It was tiresome and greatly unnecessary.
As for the plot, I feel that Horowitz had lost his way really. Some of it didn't flow from one part to the next, and some of the random destinations where the characters ended up, with no explanation why, were just incredibly ridiculous. Nearing the end of the book, events took a dramatic turn, and it was like the author needed to cram the last part of the story in a few final chapters. It was rushed, and that is very obvious to whoever is reading it.
There were some intriguing scenes in the book, but unfortunately, that isn't enough to make up for the tedious repetition and the confusing plot. To be honest, I don't think I'll be reading anymore from you Mr Horowitz!
April 24, 2017
This book took me by surprise. I decided to read it to finish off the series, and I wasn't particularly excited about it. I remember finding the previous 4 novels ok, but certainly nothing special. This final book struck a chord with me though, and I found myself remembering how much I had loved other Horowitz books as a child.
The series as a whole revolves around 5 teenagers, who have mystical powers, and who must come together to defeat the evil Gods, the Old Ones. What sets this apart from many similar young adult novel is Horowitz's talent for writing believable characters. For example, this novel introduces Holly in its opening pages, and before the chapter is over, we are just as invested in her as the other characters we have been following throughout the series. Matt, Richard, Jamie and Scarlett remain compelling characters, and I enjoyed watching their misadventures around the globe.
I truly found this book unputdownable, and would recommend the series as a whole to any fan of this genre.
The series as a whole revolves around 5 teenagers, who have mystical powers, and who must come together to defeat the evil Gods, the Old Ones. What sets this apart from many similar young adult novel is Horowitz's talent for writing believable characters. For example, this novel introduces Holly in its opening pages, and before the chapter is over, we are just as invested in her as the other characters we have been following throughout the series. Matt, Richard, Jamie and Scarlett remain compelling characters, and I enjoyed watching their misadventures around the globe.
I truly found this book unputdownable, and would recommend the series as a whole to any fan of this genre.
December 19, 2012
This book deserves six stars. It was just awesome. I absolutely hated the ending but someone needed to die... Anyway, besides that fact it was amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2015
OMG FINALLY
February 10, 2013
Update:
It was amazing. Totally worth the wait:)
FINALLY!!! I've been waiting for this for years, didn't think it was ever gonna come out! :D
It was amazing. Totally worth the wait:)
FINALLY!!! I've been waiting for this for years, didn't think it was ever gonna come out! :D
January 1, 2013
Three words to describe Oblivion: Best Book Ever
It took Anthony Horowitz four years to finally publish the book but it was well worth the wait the book surpassed my expectations!
I was a little confused when I started reading the book because I only sort of remembered the previous book's plot, but after the third chapter my brain was flooded with the memory of the previous books.
Although Oblivion is not actually my favourite book in the Power of Five series, in my opinion the best book in the series was the first one Ravens Gate.
I liked the new character Holly but I was a bit disappointed about the lack of romance between her and Jamie even though I know that the series is not supposed to be romantic.
I will not give away to much about the book because I can't bear to spoil it for you people deciding whether to read it or not, but there is death, a lot of death and sacrifice. Also I started to hate Scott a lot more in this book but by the end I liked him just as much as I used to and I was really impressed with him.
I was a little disappointed with the envoi though but I loved the rest of the book so I will overlook it and I will recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, long horror story and to those who enjoyed the previous books. Don't give this one a skip!
I think Anothony Horowitz deserves a round of applause
It took Anthony Horowitz four years to finally publish the book but it was well worth the wait the book surpassed my expectations!
I was a little confused when I started reading the book because I only sort of remembered the previous book's plot, but after the third chapter my brain was flooded with the memory of the previous books.
Although Oblivion is not actually my favourite book in the Power of Five series, in my opinion the best book in the series was the first one Ravens Gate.
I liked the new character Holly but I was a bit disappointed about the lack of romance between her and Jamie even though I know that the series is not supposed to be romantic.
I will not give away to much about the book because I can't bear to spoil it for you people deciding whether to read it or not, but there is death, a lot of death and sacrifice. Also I started to hate Scott a lot more in this book but by the end I liked him just as much as I used to and I was really impressed with him.
I was a little disappointed with the envoi though but I loved the rest of the book so I will overlook it and I will recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, long horror story and to those who enjoyed the previous books. Don't give this one a skip!
I think Anothony Horowitz deserves a round of applause
November 5, 2012
I've waited five years for this novel to come out.
FIVE YEARS! IN AZKABAN!
***
Perfect.
Narnia'd?
FIVE YEARS! IN AZKABAN!
***
Perfect.
Narnia'd?
July 27, 2015
Ahh man this was an epic conclusion to the series!
Kinda sad that it's over now, but it was wrapped up so well!
More people need to read this series.
Paul did a great job of narrating it as I listened to it on Audible.
I can't believe I have now finished this beast of a book! xD
If you want a series with adventure and action as well as amazing suspense and mystery, then you need to try this series.
I completely recommend it.
Kinda sad that it's over now, but it was wrapped up so well!
More people need to read this series.
Paul did a great job of narrating it as I listened to it on Audible.
I can't believe I have now finished this beast of a book! xD
If you want a series with adventure and action as well as amazing suspense and mystery, then you need to try this series.
I completely recommend it.
October 21, 2013
It was amazing. As soon as I started reading the book, I couldn't stop. Even though I told myself I should take a break, do some homework, step away from the distractions, I just couldn't. From the first sentence, this book had me, and I couldn't tear myself away.
So why did I only give it 4 stars instead of five?
SPOILER ALERT
Well, it's very simple really. I just felt it was so...surreal. I mean, when I first started reading these books, they were very relatable. All the children were children. They acted just like any other teenagers in ya books. But then you come to this book and suddenly they are no longer children. They are adults trapped in the bodies of children. No actually, it's more than that, they just all matured and wisened up. They've become more, like, godlike and wise or something and in this book, everything just turns serious and thousand times darker. And I'm just trying to decide whether that's a good thing or bad thing. Because I mean, on one hand, these children were never really children to begin with so it was inevitable that they had to wisen up and start acting as they should, but on the other hand it just made the book so much less believable in relation to the emotional and character-al side of things. You know?
I'm also very surprised that there is absolutely no romance. At all. And I've never really noticed this before but when authors write romance into their books, that gives the book a certain amount of credibility. It also sort of makes the characters more....human. Do you know what I mean? But I suppose maybe the total lack of romance was deliberate to emphasis the bleakness of the world coming our way or something. So anyway, my point is, even though I was fully expecting a bit of holly and Jamie romance and scarlet and matt romance, I guess it just never was going to be...
Yep, so that's it really. Those were the only issues I had with the book.
Also, even though the novel kind of ended on a happy note, I still feel extremely sad that not all of the five made it. Especially Matt. I liked him. And I guess I sort of feel that the ending should have been a little sadder.
Still absolutely LOVED the book though.
SPOILER FINISHED
So if you're thinking of reading this book GO FOR IT. It's amazing.
Happy reading!
So why did I only give it 4 stars instead of five?
SPOILER ALERT
Well, it's very simple really. I just felt it was so...surreal. I mean, when I first started reading these books, they were very relatable. All the children were children. They acted just like any other teenagers in ya books. But then you come to this book and suddenly they are no longer children. They are adults trapped in the bodies of children. No actually, it's more than that, they just all matured and wisened up. They've become more, like, godlike and wise or something and in this book, everything just turns serious and thousand times darker. And I'm just trying to decide whether that's a good thing or bad thing. Because I mean, on one hand, these children were never really children to begin with so it was inevitable that they had to wisen up and start acting as they should, but on the other hand it just made the book so much less believable in relation to the emotional and character-al side of things. You know?
I'm also very surprised that there is absolutely no romance. At all. And I've never really noticed this before but when authors write romance into their books, that gives the book a certain amount of credibility. It also sort of makes the characters more....human. Do you know what I mean? But I suppose maybe the total lack of romance was deliberate to emphasis the bleakness of the world coming our way or something. So anyway, my point is, even though I was fully expecting a bit of holly and Jamie romance and scarlet and matt romance, I guess it just never was going to be...
Yep, so that's it really. Those were the only issues I had with the book.
Also, even though the novel kind of ended on a happy note, I still feel extremely sad that not all of the five made it. Especially Matt. I liked him. And I guess I sort of feel that the ending should have been a little sadder.
Still absolutely LOVED the book though.
SPOILER FINISHED
So if you're thinking of reading this book GO FOR IT. It's amazing.
Happy reading!
April 15, 2013
I am beaming! I started this series on August 1st 2005 with Ravens Gate and it was my favorite book ever at the time I think I read it every night for a year until the sequel came out and after Necropolis which is book 4 was released on October the 30th in 2008 I have been dying to read this and after 4 long years the last book is finally out. I have been waiting since I was 10 years old- 7 years ago to find out how it will all end and now, finally, I know!
Some of you may love the ending some of you may hate it. I love it. Yes lives were lost, more importantly Matt died. But did he really? NO. Him and Flint are one of the same just different times. Matt IS Matt. And they all end up in the dream world anyways. I think it was genius how it played out.
Scott really redeemed himself. I could never hate him or blame him because he was totured, had his memory wiped and was manipulated and wrongly influenced by his enemies. They broke him and he could never fully move past that. In the end for a moment he was strong enough to do the right thing and I could say he sacrificed himself but really he came back didn't-he just as his self from 10000 years ago.
They are immortal, none of them could ever die because they just come back whether as Flint or Scott. It doesn't matter they are all the same people. So I don't feel like I lost anyone.
I am so glad however that Richard survived. I saw no point of Holly but she was OK. I like that when they die they too will go to the dreamworld. They will all be reunited. It was the perfect ending to the perfect series.
Thank you MR HOROWITZ for creating what truly is the most fascinating and the bestest series I have ever read. It was the first series I ever read and I will re-read it until my books wear out and I have to buy them again, and again. I will never forget it because it is unforgettable. This series takes you on an adventure that you can't pull away from.
If anyone has not read these books, I pity you. Because until you do you do not know the true meaning of an amazing story, you are missing out!
Some of you may love the ending some of you may hate it. I love it. Yes lives were lost, more importantly Matt died. But did he really? NO. Him and Flint are one of the same just different times. Matt IS Matt. And they all end up in the dream world anyways. I think it was genius how it played out.
Scott really redeemed himself. I could never hate him or blame him because he was totured, had his memory wiped and was manipulated and wrongly influenced by his enemies. They broke him and he could never fully move past that. In the end for a moment he was strong enough to do the right thing and I could say he sacrificed himself but really he came back didn't-he just as his self from 10000 years ago.
They are immortal, none of them could ever die because they just come back whether as Flint or Scott. It doesn't matter they are all the same people. So I don't feel like I lost anyone.
I am so glad however that Richard survived. I saw no point of Holly but she was OK. I like that when they die they too will go to the dreamworld. They will all be reunited. It was the perfect ending to the perfect series.
Thank you MR HOROWITZ for creating what truly is the most fascinating and the bestest series I have ever read. It was the first series I ever read and I will re-read it until my books wear out and I have to buy them again, and again. I will never forget it because it is unforgettable. This series takes you on an adventure that you can't pull away from.
If anyone has not read these books, I pity you. Because until you do you do not know the true meaning of an amazing story, you are missing out!
November 30, 2013
It is hard for me to give this a fair rating. I started reading this series as a boy, back before it was updated, retitled, and re-released several years ago. For an ending I waited more than two decades for it was... not great. Unsatisfying would be the best way I can put it. There was so much build up and not a lot of payoff. Kind of like finding a present the shape of a bike under your tree and then finding out your crazy aunt tied a bunch of socks together in the shape of a pike and shellacked it to be "artistic."
May 16, 2013
This review has to begin with a recap of my thoughts on this series back in 2008. Trust me, it's important to the rest of this review. In middle school, I read
Raven's Gate
. I loved it--I thought it was creepy. I went right ahead with Evil Star, which felt totally different but better than its prequel, and also PEDRO (I may or may not have had a huge crush on Pedro in middle school. True story. But come on, guys--isn't he adorable?).
Nightrise
was up to par, and
Necropolis
equally awesome.
And then I hit a wall. The fifth and final book--at the time, I didn't even know a title--wasn't out. So I waited. And waited. And waited. I waited for four years until the 2012 release (and then some since my library took forever to get it).
It makes me wonder. Why were the first four published in succession ('05, '06, '07, '08), but there was a lull until 2012? This article says a tiny bit, but not much. It always makes me suspicious when this kind of thing happens with any series.
Honestly, I wish the book could have come out in 2009, or even 2010. I would have enjoyed it so much more back then. Now, though, the book drags a few problems with it, and some of them are on my end. The first problem is that, well, I haven't read this series since '08. This distance never does good things for my enjoyment of a series finale.
The second problem is that my tastes have changed. I'm less likely to give a good rating now than I was three or even two years ago. If I had read this a few years ago, there's a good chance I would have loved it like the rest of the series.
It's also quite possible that, no matter when I had read any of these books, Oblivion just isn't on the same level as the first four. Three/four-ish years can be a long time for any author to take a break from a series. Maybe that's an explanation.
There was also a bit of genre shift, and that threw me. The first books were all very paranormal/urban fantasy. At the end of the fourth book, though, the characters are thrown ten years into the future. Suddenly, the story becomes more of a dystopia than anything else. That bothered me, and I never could get used to it.
POV shifts are quite common in this series, and it's normal to see the story from any of the Five's POV, plus some other side characters. Oblivion introduced us to Holly, which was fine, except her narration was all in first person. Now, I've only read one series that successfully switched off from first person to third. Just one. And in Oblivion, it didn't really work. There were so many third person chapters that the random first person here and there was distracting and annoying. Also, I wanted to hear more from Jamie's side of things, but every time his storyline was featured, Holly was narrating. I'm not even sure what Holly's purpose in the story was--she didn't do anything except tag along with Jamie.
And yet, this book still managed to keep itself out of two- and three-stardom. Though it took a long, long time to get there, the climax was exciting and intense. I saw the beginnings of a cool dynamic between the five Gatekeepers (though more would have been awesome). I loved the relationship between Matt and Richard, and how it developed since the first book. The reappearance of the past versions of some of the Five was a nice touch, and brought things full circle.
Overall, my likes and dislikes balance out, making this an okay book. Again, I'm not sure if my tastes have changed and this series isn't as good as I remember, or if there's a serious drop in awesomeness between the fourth book and this one. Either way, three stars.
Similar Books: It features an ensemble of teens saving the world from an ancient power like The Lost Hero, has some paranormal elements that remind me of The Light, and it feels a bit like the Pendragon series.
And then I hit a wall. The fifth and final book--at the time, I didn't even know a title--wasn't out. So I waited. And waited. And waited. I waited for four years until the 2012 release (and then some since my library took forever to get it).
It makes me wonder. Why were the first four published in succession ('05, '06, '07, '08), but there was a lull until 2012? This article says a tiny bit, but not much. It always makes me suspicious when this kind of thing happens with any series.
Honestly, I wish the book could have come out in 2009, or even 2010. I would have enjoyed it so much more back then. Now, though, the book drags a few problems with it, and some of them are on my end. The first problem is that, well, I haven't read this series since '08. This distance never does good things for my enjoyment of a series finale.
The second problem is that my tastes have changed. I'm less likely to give a good rating now than I was three or even two years ago. If I had read this a few years ago, there's a good chance I would have loved it like the rest of the series.
It's also quite possible that, no matter when I had read any of these books, Oblivion just isn't on the same level as the first four. Three/four-ish years can be a long time for any author to take a break from a series. Maybe that's an explanation.
There was also a bit of genre shift, and that threw me. The first books were all very paranormal/urban fantasy. At the end of the fourth book, though, the characters are thrown ten years into the future. Suddenly, the story becomes more of a dystopia than anything else. That bothered me, and I never could get used to it.
POV shifts are quite common in this series, and it's normal to see the story from any of the Five's POV, plus some other side characters. Oblivion introduced us to Holly, which was fine, except her narration was all in first person. Now, I've only read one series that successfully switched off from first person to third. Just one. And in Oblivion, it didn't really work. There were so many third person chapters that the random first person here and there was distracting and annoying. Also, I wanted to hear more from Jamie's side of things, but every time his storyline was featured, Holly was narrating. I'm not even sure what Holly's purpose in the story was--she didn't do anything except tag along with Jamie.
And yet, this book still managed to keep itself out of two- and three-stardom. Though it took a long, long time to get there, the climax was exciting and intense. I saw the beginnings of a cool dynamic between the five Gatekeepers (though more would have been awesome). I loved the relationship between Matt and Richard, and how it developed since the first book. The reappearance of the past versions of some of the Five was a nice touch, and brought things full circle.
Overall, my likes and dislikes balance out, making this an okay book. Again, I'm not sure if my tastes have changed and this series isn't as good as I remember, or if there's a serious drop in awesomeness between the fourth book and this one. Either way, three stars.
Similar Books: It features an ensemble of teens saving the world from an ancient power like The Lost Hero, has some paranormal elements that remind me of The Light, and it feels a bit like the Pendragon series.
December 28, 2022
Overall Rating : B
"To the Five."
This is all I will say about this book. It ruined me.
"To the Five."
This is all I will say about this book. It ruined me.
June 28, 2018
I'm still too wrapped up in the world to write a proper review. Not that I'm very good at that anyways. I definitely enjoyed this book; although, it had a few things I didn't like. I don't know what it is, but sometimes you just finish a book and feel satisfied and know that you loved it and don't want to knit pick it to death. I didn't love the ending, but I'm not sure I ever do in books like this. I always want to kids who save the world to grow up and live an amazing life with all their friends, like in Harry Potter, but most books don't end like that... Maybe authors think it's too cliche or not realistic enough; although, nothing else in the book is very realistic so... Idk point being I loved this book regardless of its faults and recommend the series wholeheartedly.
January 3, 2024
This one is FINALLY over. It was extremely long, so tedious and every single chapter gave a recap of not just this book but the whole series. There was alot of buildup and the million vantage points became annoying.
So why did I give it 5/5? The ending. It made up for all the complaints I had with the novel. Yes, it was a grind to read through this but you get rewarded well if you manage it. It was truly an epic end to an epic saga and the way it comes together is a pleasure. Maybe because it's the final part of a 5 part series, I got slightly emotional when it ended. The last 10 days (since I first picked up Raven's Gate) have definitely been a spectacular journey.
So why did I give it 5/5? The ending. It made up for all the complaints I had with the novel. Yes, it was a grind to read through this but you get rewarded well if you manage it. It was truly an epic end to an epic saga and the way it comes together is a pleasure. Maybe because it's the final part of a 5 part series, I got slightly emotional when it ended. The last 10 days (since I first picked up Raven's Gate) have definitely been a spectacular journey.
June 3, 2013
I actually haven't read the four earlier books, but even so I was really annoyed with this book.It's like - after all you have gone through to complete the series it finishes with a DEAD END.Literally.
Anthony Horowitz has a delightful habit of leaving the reader frustratingly annoyed with the vague and unfair ending of his books. First disappointing everyone with the ending of Alex Rider series and now this! I was like
Now about this book, it was kinda monotonous and I got really impatient waiting for the ending, also the book altogether was a grim one ,no humour or any other emotion except seriousness and extreme depression.(and some scenes were actually a bit disgusting)
Also I hoped that something would happen between Holly and Jamie, but disappointment here too....
CONCLUSION:This book is a rather grim conclusion of the Power of Five series.The 3 stars is for the writing style and the cover of the book.(dunno if this really counts)
Anthony Horowitz has a delightful habit of leaving the reader frustratingly annoyed with the vague and unfair ending of his books. First disappointing everyone with the ending of Alex Rider series and now this! I was like
Now about this book, it was kinda monotonous and I got really impatient waiting for the ending, also the book altogether was a grim one ,no humour or any other emotion except seriousness and extreme depression.(and some scenes were actually a bit disgusting)
Also I hoped that something would happen between Holly and Jamie, but disappointment here too....
CONCLUSION:This book is a rather grim conclusion of the Power of Five series.The 3 stars is for the writing style and the cover of the book.(dunno if this really counts)
February 22, 2021
This was a reread (i first read it 8 years ago) and this time i listened to it on audiobook! The narrator was brilliant and was great at doing different accents, and boy did this book have many (british, american, australian, italian, asian, spanish?). I grew up in primary school reading the first 4 books in this series, then first read this (book 5) right after finishing high school, and loved the conclusion to this story. After rereading Oblivion, i have even greater appreciation for Anthony Horowitz's writing style, and although I'm only now realising how anti-climactic the ending kind of was, this book and series still holds a special place in my heart.
May 8, 2019
[2019] 5 years ago, i loved this book. and i still do. However, as i re read it, i become aware of the significant amount of repetition the point where the story was just dragging on.
[2016] Absolutely spectacular!! I marvel at how Horowitz created this series!This book completely absorbed me into the gatekeepers' world, forcing me to finish the novel within 24 hours!!!
At first, I was utterly disappointed when they all split up again. I thought, what were the points of the four previous books?However as I read Oblivion, every little piece fell into place. So much thought was put into each page, enveloping me.
[2016] Absolutely spectacular!! I marvel at how Horowitz created this series!This book completely absorbed me into the gatekeepers' world, forcing me to finish the novel within 24 hours!!!
At first, I was utterly disappointed when they all split up again. I thought, what were the points of the four previous books?However as I read Oblivion, every little piece fell into place. So much thought was put into each page, enveloping me.
Want to read
February 17, 2012About time!! It's about 7 YEARS since the first one was published!! Can't wait!!
Read
September 11, 2025This is the last book in the 'Gatekeepers' series; I think I'm putting off reading it because it’s such a big lump of a book! I know it will be good so I should just dive in, and then go to the author's other series ... he's a writing machine.
It’s so big (667 pages), partly because of the pretence that this could be a stand-alone book, so AH has to recap the history and events from books 1 to 4 . The action starts with Matt, Jamie, Scott, Pedro & Scarlett spread around the world, the fallout from the destruction of Hong Kong. No spoilers here, but Horowitz has to get all the above from Brazil, England, Italy and Egypt to Antartica for the final battle to save the world from the Old Ones. Such is the authors skill that the book feels just the right size (see above!) with twists coming thick and fast in the last few pages, metaphorically the last echoes of the doomsday clock reaching mid-night. There is a nice touch that a ‘lay’ friend of the 5, Holly, starts and ends the book (its complier/narrator?) and provides a possible hook for future book(s) as she and others visit the dreamworld that links the present day with the 10,000 year pre-history of the battle between Chaos and order. Is Horowitz saying something bigger about man destroying the planet and the power of collaboration? Maybe, but he has written a great fantasy book and series for this not-so-young adult.
It’s so big (667 pages), partly because of the pretence that this could be a stand-alone book, so AH has to recap the history and events from books 1 to 4 . The action starts with Matt, Jamie, Scott, Pedro & Scarlett spread around the world, the fallout from the destruction of Hong Kong. No spoilers here, but Horowitz has to get all the above from Brazil, England, Italy and Egypt to Antartica for the final battle to save the world from the Old Ones. Such is the authors skill that the book feels just the right size (see above!) with twists coming thick and fast in the last few pages, metaphorically the last echoes of the doomsday clock reaching mid-night. There is a nice touch that a ‘lay’ friend of the 5, Holly, starts and ends the book (its complier/narrator?) and provides a possible hook for future book(s) as she and others visit the dreamworld that links the present day with the 10,000 year pre-history of the battle between Chaos and order. Is Horowitz saying something bigger about man destroying the planet and the power of collaboration? Maybe, but he has written a great fantasy book and series for this not-so-young adult.
July 19, 2021
The 5 are once again separated after going through the door with no destination in mind. They have also been flung 10 years into the future. The old ones are at large and there aren’t many survivors. The 5 must find there way back together to defeat the old ones once and for all.
This was an action packed finale. It was also quite unpredictable. There were some shocking turns of events, especially later in the book. It was a long book but it didn’t get boring. There were 5 stories to follow so it’s understandable it’s so long. The only problems I had with this book were the amount of times things were repeated and the lack of emotion. It was almost like we kept getting little recaps throughout the book of events that had only just happened. They could’ve been cut. I enjoyed the story but there were some scenes that had the potential to be pretty emotional and they just weren’t. The feelings of the characters wasn’t delivered particularly well. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story too much and there was a good level of character development despite this. Overall, this was a satisfying finale.
This was an action packed finale. It was also quite unpredictable. There were some shocking turns of events, especially later in the book. It was a long book but it didn’t get boring. There were 5 stories to follow so it’s understandable it’s so long. The only problems I had with this book were the amount of times things were repeated and the lack of emotion. It was almost like we kept getting little recaps throughout the book of events that had only just happened. They could’ve been cut. I enjoyed the story but there were some scenes that had the potential to be pretty emotional and they just weren’t. The feelings of the characters wasn’t delivered particularly well. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story too much and there was a good level of character development despite this. Overall, this was a satisfying finale.
December 2, 2020
I almost didn't realise quite how much I was enjoying these until I finished this last one and kind of don't really know what to do with myself. Always a good sign when you finish a series and want to let it settle a bit before plunging straight into something else.
It is a little bit tropey of the fantasy genre (which if you actually are the intended audience is probably a fantastic way to get into more adult fantasy), but it's done really well, and fair play to Horowitz he does seem to absolutely nail any genre he turns his hand to.
I was also impressed as to how the series expanded their scale with book 1 feeling like it could be it's own discrete thing, all set in a small village in Yorkshire to book 5 multiple countries, time hopping, 3 different worlds etc etc. And yet they still feel like part of a set.
Glad I picked these back up again so long. I have thoroughly enjoyed my Anthony Horowitz lockdown binging.
It is a little bit tropey of the fantasy genre (which if you actually are the intended audience is probably a fantastic way to get into more adult fantasy), but it's done really well, and fair play to Horowitz he does seem to absolutely nail any genre he turns his hand to.
I was also impressed as to how the series expanded their scale with book 1 feeling like it could be it's own discrete thing, all set in a small village in Yorkshire to book 5 multiple countries, time hopping, 3 different worlds etc etc. And yet they still feel like part of a set.
Glad I picked these back up again so long. I have thoroughly enjoyed my Anthony Horowitz lockdown binging.
August 6, 2018
I hated the ending!!!
Matt dies, and he dies so painfully. He's also killed by Richard!!!??? I understand why Anthony Horowitz had to make Richard do it, but I really liked Matt as a character! I'm so sad.
Scott...... I found he was okay, it was pretty sad when he died too, but I still like Matt better.
And the fact that Anthony Horowitz brought the other Matt and Scott back from the past, they're still different people!
(Deep breath), My rant is done
Beside the fact that Matt (sniffle) died, it was a pretty good book. I would have rated it four stars if Anthony Horowitz hadn't killed Matt off(sobbing).
Overall, I enjoyed the Gatekeepers series and I sincerely hope that Anthony Horowitz writes more series for his fans(including me) to enjoy.
Matt dies, and he dies so painfully. He's also killed by Richard!!!??? I understand why Anthony Horowitz had to make Richard do it, but I really liked Matt as a character! I'm so sad.
Scott...... I found he was okay, it was pretty sad when he died too, but I still like Matt better.
And the fact that Anthony Horowitz brought the other Matt and Scott back from the past, they're still different people!
(Deep breath), My rant is done
Beside the fact that Matt (sniffle) died, it was a pretty good book. I would have rated it four stars if Anthony Horowitz hadn't killed Matt off(sobbing).
Overall, I enjoyed the Gatekeepers series and I sincerely hope that Anthony Horowitz writes more series for his fans(including me) to enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2017
Wow. I'm crying and have been for the past half hour. I don't know why I am sobbing now. It's probably because of the painful ending. Painful but bitter sweet, in a good way. It's actually one of the few book endings that live up to standards, much better than the Alex Rider series (which has nothing on this. Absolutely nothing.) I really did like the last chapter of the book, because despite the heart break and the tears, it was well written and it did give me the closure that I needed, even if I do wish it ended differently.
THIS BOOK IS NOTHING BUT PAIN!! THE LAST TIME I READ THIS WAS FOUR YEARS AGO AND STILL I REREAD IT TOO SOON! I THOUGHT I WAS PREPERD BUT I WAS NOT! How could I be? My tattoo of the Power of Five symbol didn't hurt as much as this book. Bravo Horowitz, you are one evil man, and for that, I applauded you!
I don't know where to begin but I'll guess I'll start by saying how scary this book is. I don't mean in a horror movie/book way, but more in a 'I totally see this happening in a few years' way and I just couldn't stop thinking 'what if my family and I had to survive life the way the people in this book do?' I don't want to think about it. But Horowitz did an amazing job on portraying current threats (like Global Warming, Drug Trafficking, Corruption e.t.c) come true in an eye opening but gripping way. Sure, in the book, it's down to the Old Ones but there's also the massage of mankind is its own worst enemy, and if we, as a race, are not careful we could end up in a world that's not unlike how Horowitz portrayed. Not many authors can pull that off yet he does it perfectly. And for those who have read any of my reviews before know that I mostly avoid talking about the plot to avoid spoilers so I mostly focus on character, the fact that I am actually talking about the plot proves how much I regard this series.
To me, my biggest problem with the book is how the books are written, like, individually, they are not the best, but as a whole, the story that's told is so beautiful and unique that I just know once my poor shattered heart starts to heal, I'm going to start this experience (because that's what this series is) again. But a minor flaw is that Horowitz in this book tended to repeat himself abit about what happen in previous books, I know why he's done it, little recaps aren't that bad, but when I've just read the last few books I felt like it was a little bit of a waste of time.
Character time now! Usually I can't wait to rant about how much I love certain characters and why I love them but for this series? I can't. The wounds are still too raw. Everyone, and I mean everyone has a hard time in this book. If anything, I'd say that over all, Scarlett had it the easiest, I mean, she was only kidnapped and shot in the head (happened in the last book so it's not a spoiler :)) but then I wouldn't say that was easy.
My heart will forever go out to Matt and Richard, my two ultimate favourite people ever, we started this story with them and I'm gutted to have ended it. Their character development is something I'm never going to get over, I mean, both Richard and Matt are five years old/younger than me and I know at in their shoes I wouldn't have been able to handle it so well, if at all. Both Matt and Richard have it rough, and I'm just sad that I can't comfort any of them. What Matt and Richard experienced, especially in the second to last chapter is something I won't ever forget, no matter how hard I try. (Trust me, I tried the first time I read it)
Also Pedro, I am so proud of him! He's probably the one who's had it the hardest. Orphaned, homeless, beaten, starved, trapped in a country where he doesn't speak the langue! How he survived all that is beyond me. But he is the smartest of the five, I my opinion, I mean, Matt knows everything but it Pedro who figures out his problems, plus he learned a second langue within such a short period of time! I'm jealous. All I want for Pedro is to give him a decent meal, hot water and a comfy, safe bed for the night, is that too much to ask for? No! Yet Horowitz seems to take pleasure in depriving my poor Pedro of these things! Shame on you!
Scott, I don't know where to begin with him. So I think I'm going to leave him out, but all I am going to say is, I can emphasise with him, I may not always agree with him but I understand, so I don't blame him.
Lohan, I will never forgive you for what you were about to do in the jungle. You may have redeemed yourself, but I will never forget.
Scarlett, I enjoyed reading her point of views, I mean, she's not my favourite character but she's enjoyable and she has the best power but I wish she was a bit more active.
Jamie and Holly. I like Jamie and at times I was indifferent to Holly but overall I enjoyed her even if I didn't see the point of her character. I did feel like their sections of the book weren't the best, but they still added to the story, so I can't really complain. I know I said before that Scarlett had it the easiest, but in my opinion, in this book, it was Jamie who got off lightly.
To the Five.
THIS BOOK IS NOTHING BUT PAIN!! THE LAST TIME I READ THIS WAS FOUR YEARS AGO AND STILL I REREAD IT TOO SOON! I THOUGHT I WAS PREPERD BUT I WAS NOT! How could I be? My tattoo of the Power of Five symbol didn't hurt as much as this book. Bravo Horowitz, you are one evil man, and for that, I applauded you!
I don't know where to begin but I'll guess I'll start by saying how scary this book is. I don't mean in a horror movie/book way, but more in a 'I totally see this happening in a few years' way and I just couldn't stop thinking 'what if my family and I had to survive life the way the people in this book do?' I don't want to think about it. But Horowitz did an amazing job on portraying current threats (like Global Warming, Drug Trafficking, Corruption e.t.c) come true in an eye opening but gripping way. Sure, in the book, it's down to the Old Ones but there's also the massage of mankind is its own worst enemy, and if we, as a race, are not careful we could end up in a world that's not unlike how Horowitz portrayed. Not many authors can pull that off yet he does it perfectly. And for those who have read any of my reviews before know that I mostly avoid talking about the plot to avoid spoilers so I mostly focus on character, the fact that I am actually talking about the plot proves how much I regard this series.
To me, my biggest problem with the book is how the books are written, like, individually, they are not the best, but as a whole, the story that's told is so beautiful and unique that I just know once my poor shattered heart starts to heal, I'm going to start this experience (because that's what this series is) again. But a minor flaw is that Horowitz in this book tended to repeat himself abit about what happen in previous books, I know why he's done it, little recaps aren't that bad, but when I've just read the last few books I felt like it was a little bit of a waste of time.
Character time now! Usually I can't wait to rant about how much I love certain characters and why I love them but for this series? I can't. The wounds are still too raw. Everyone, and I mean everyone has a hard time in this book. If anything, I'd say that over all, Scarlett had it the easiest, I mean, she was only kidnapped and shot in the head (happened in the last book so it's not a spoiler :)) but then I wouldn't say that was easy.
My heart will forever go out to Matt and Richard, my two ultimate favourite people ever, we started this story with them and I'm gutted to have ended it. Their character development is something I'm never going to get over, I mean, both Richard and Matt are five years old/younger than me and I know at in their shoes I wouldn't have been able to handle it so well, if at all. Both Matt and Richard have it rough, and I'm just sad that I can't comfort any of them. What Matt and Richard experienced, especially in the second to last chapter is something I won't ever forget, no matter how hard I try. (Trust me, I tried the first time I read it)
Also Pedro, I am so proud of him! He's probably the one who's had it the hardest. Orphaned, homeless, beaten, starved, trapped in a country where he doesn't speak the langue! How he survived all that is beyond me. But he is the smartest of the five, I my opinion, I mean, Matt knows everything but it Pedro who figures out his problems, plus he learned a second langue within such a short period of time! I'm jealous. All I want for Pedro is to give him a decent meal, hot water and a comfy, safe bed for the night, is that too much to ask for? No! Yet Horowitz seems to take pleasure in depriving my poor Pedro of these things! Shame on you!
Scott, I don't know where to begin with him. So I think I'm going to leave him out, but all I am going to say is, I can emphasise with him, I may not always agree with him but I understand, so I don't blame him.
Lohan, I will never forgive you for what you were about to do in the jungle. You may have redeemed yourself, but I will never forget.
Scarlett, I enjoyed reading her point of views, I mean, she's not my favourite character but she's enjoyable and she has the best power but I wish she was a bit more active.
Jamie and Holly. I like Jamie and at times I was indifferent to Holly but overall I enjoyed her even if I didn't see the point of her character. I did feel like their sections of the book weren't the best, but they still added to the story, so I can't really complain. I know I said before that Scarlett had it the easiest, but in my opinion, in this book, it was Jamie who got off lightly.
To the Five.
March 12, 2018
خیلی سخت تموم شد. ولی اخرش رو خیلی خیلی دوست داشتم. برای همین 3.5 رند به چهار. حوصله ندارم زیاد بنویسم حتی.
دوقلوها رو دوست داشتم خیلی. اسکات رو مخصوصا.
دوقلوها رو دوست داشتم خیلی. اسکات رو مخصوصا.
July 2, 2016
So, to be perfectly honest, I never expected anything less than perfection from Anthony Horowitz for the final book in the series. And this was perfection. Just very very painful perfection. It's amazing - I should start by saying that. So so amazing. There is no need to re-read the whole of the series before you read this; Horowitz recaps in a few sentences here and there. Having waited about 3, maybe 4, years for this book to come out, I am so glad that it is as long, and as good, as it is. I think that I would have felt short-changed if it had been shorter. Maybe I should have picked up something from the final Alex Rider book (Scorpia Rising - if you haven't already read this series, go read now) about how painful Horowitz likes to make things. To put it briefly (and bluntly), it felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest, then being trampled on.
October 16, 2012
I've always loved Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider books, so I started reading the Power of Five. Although the first 3 books were good, they were not as great as the Alex Rider books in my POV. Yet, the 4th book was a game-changer, making the usually grim tale more poignant.
Oblivion starts with the Five being scattered across the world after they went through the door in Hong Kong. Scarlett ends up in Egypt with Richard Cole (Matt's journalist friend), Pedro & Scott are captured by the Nightrise Corp in Italy, Jaime exits into a gated society in UK and finally, Matt is on the run in Brazil with Lohan (Scarlett's bodyguard). Also, they arrive 10 years in the future where the Old Ones have already wreaked massive havoc, making the world an unrecognizable place for the Five.
The story follows different characters as the Five go through different trials to get together again in order to defeat the leader of the Old Ones (Chaos) in Oblivion, a place he chose for his final stand against the Five. To say more would be a massive giveaway.
The part that haunts me most is when Richard ends up in a boxing ring with Matt (won't say more). I actually thought of giving up on the book then & took a good 30 min break before coming back to it. Unlike Harry Potter (which is my absolute favorite), this is not a fun series with lots of laughs to dull the gruesome details. These stories are heart-rending where none of the heroes have it easy, and their struggles are constant. Maybe AH should've made these books a bit less grim - but he brings the point across with a thumping kick in the gut.
However, the last chapter was a redeemer, giving the sad sad saga of the Five an ending as happy as it was possible for them to have. All in all - the last book was a Stunning End to an Epic Tale!
Oblivion starts with the Five being scattered across the world after they went through the door in Hong Kong. Scarlett ends up in Egypt with Richard Cole (Matt's journalist friend), Pedro & Scott are captured by the Nightrise Corp in Italy, Jaime exits into a gated society in UK and finally, Matt is on the run in Brazil with Lohan (Scarlett's bodyguard). Also, they arrive 10 years in the future where the Old Ones have already wreaked massive havoc, making the world an unrecognizable place for the Five.
The story follows different characters as the Five go through different trials to get together again in order to defeat the leader of the Old Ones (Chaos) in Oblivion, a place he chose for his final stand against the Five. To say more would be a massive giveaway.
The part that haunts me most is when Richard ends up in a boxing ring with Matt (won't say more). I actually thought of giving up on the book then & took a good 30 min break before coming back to it. Unlike Harry Potter (which is my absolute favorite), this is not a fun series with lots of laughs to dull the gruesome details. These stories are heart-rending where none of the heroes have it easy, and their struggles are constant. Maybe AH should've made these books a bit less grim - but he brings the point across with a thumping kick in the gut.
However, the last chapter was a redeemer, giving the sad sad saga of the Five an ending as happy as it was possible for them to have. All in all - the last book was a Stunning End to an Epic Tale!
January 5, 2013
If you're reading this review, I assume that you've read the first four books.
While the other four books dealt with one or two of the children's POV, Oblivion is the last novel, and therefore deals with all five children. This means five different children's POVs which makes for a slightly disjointed read. If you've read the Game of Thrones series, you know what I mean.
It's more of the same story, the five children are running away from Nightrise, the evil company that has now taken over the world after the typhoon in Hong Kong. Only, the gate took them ten years into the future.
During these ten years, Nightrise has taken over everything and the world is in complete chaos
As for the book, it was depressing and follows Mr. Horowitz formula at creating the most terrible conditions for fifteen year olds. I am so sorry children, that you had to be a part of this.
The ending.
WHY WHY WHY WHY. I think Mr. Horowitz has something against happy characters. That's all I'm going to say about it.
I felt like Matt turned less and less of a main character, and more of a robot because he was so omniscient that you couldn't talk about him much without revealing a lot of what was going to happen. So some parts there, I felt like Matt completely changed characters with a ninety year old general.
Scott is a frustrating character, but I think we expected that from the beginning.
Jamie was fine, I liked Holly, the girl he was traveling with. Scarlett is the only one that cries and that annoyed me because she should have done more. And Pedro is Pedro. The power to heal makes for slightly less exciting anecdotes.
Other than that, was a good sobering series. I am not sure if I would recommend to fourteen/ fifteen year olds, but solid either way.
While the other four books dealt with one or two of the children's POV, Oblivion is the last novel, and therefore deals with all five children. This means five different children's POVs which makes for a slightly disjointed read. If you've read the Game of Thrones series, you know what I mean.
It's more of the same story, the five children are running away from Nightrise, the evil company that has now taken over the world after the typhoon in Hong Kong. Only, the gate took them ten years into the future.
During these ten years, Nightrise has taken over everything and the world is in complete chaos
As for the book, it was depressing and follows Mr. Horowitz formula at creating the most terrible conditions for fifteen year olds. I am so sorry children, that you had to be a part of this.
The ending.
WHY WHY WHY WHY. I think Mr. Horowitz has something against happy characters. That's all I'm going to say about it.
I felt like Matt turned less and less of a main character, and more of a robot because he was so omniscient that you couldn't talk about him much without revealing a lot of what was going to happen. So some parts there, I felt like Matt completely changed characters with a ninety year old general.
Scott is a frustrating character, but I think we expected that from the beginning.
Jamie was fine, I liked Holly, the girl he was traveling with. Scarlett is the only one that cries and that annoyed me because she should have done more. And Pedro is Pedro. The power to heal makes for slightly less exciting anecdotes.
Other than that, was a good sobering series. I am not sure if I would recommend to fourteen/ fifteen year olds, but solid either way.
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