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Widdershins Adventures #4
Covenant's End
Widdershins Covenant's End (5 CDs)
271 pages, Hardcover
First published February 3, 2015
16 people are currently reading
1135 people want to read
About the author
Ari Marmell
101 books436 followersWhen Ari Marmell has free time left over between feeding cats and posting on social media, he writes a little bit. His work includes novels, short stories, role-playing games, and video games, all of which he enjoyed in lieu of school work when growing up. He’s the author of the Mick Oberon gangland/urban fantasy series, the Widdershins YA fantasy series, and many others, with publishers such as Del Rey, Titan Books, Pyr Books, Wizards of the Coast, and now Omnium Gatherum.
Ari currently resides in Austin, Texas. He lives in a clutter that has a moderate amount of apartment in it, along with George—his wife—and the aforementioned cats, who probably want something.
Ari currently resides in Austin, Texas. He lives in a clutter that has a moderate amount of apartment in it, along with George—his wife—and the aforementioned cats, who probably want something.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
February 17, 2015
3.5 stars, rounding UP, cuz I did enjoy this series overall.
It was a good finale. Not mindblowing awesome or anything, but definitely good enough for me. The ending was pretty emotional but something that absolutely had to happen, I think. I’m not the type to cry over books but if I was, I probably would have shed a tear or two.
I was VERY happy to be back in Davillon and with our supporting cast. It had become blaringly apparent from book 3 that Widdershins canNOT carry a whole book by herself. Her interactions with her friends -- characters who I had grown to love over the course of the first couple books -- were a huge reason why I enjoyed this series so much and it would've been seriously lacking without them.
On the downside, I did get a bit bored here and there. There was a shitload of discussing things, and my mind wandered a bit after awhile during some of those parts. But that’s not to say there was no excitement in this book -- on the contrary, the last quarter of the book was pretty thrilling (in particular, I really loved how chapter 18 was written -- very cool).
But probably the biggest negative for me in this book was that, although it hadn’t bothered me in the other books, I got irritated as shit over Widdershins’s ‘swearing’. It stopped being cute a long time ago. And it was way too excessive – seriously, WAY TOO EXCESSIVE. Maybe this seems like a stupid thing to get worked up over, but really, it was REALLY distracting to me. Distracting and irritating. If I did a word count search for "figs" and "hens", I know I won't be happy with what I come up with. I feel like I have to say “FUCK” twice as much as normal in real life now just to make up for this.
I took a peek at some of Marmell’s other books, and I may try them. Gotta give an author props for doing something that I didn’t think I’d ever recover from. (BIG spoiler, please don’t click if you haven’t read these books) Ballsy. Very ballsy. I LIKE it.
Oh, but Marmell? I can’t believe you did THIS to me:
ANYWAY, like I said, I enjoyed this series overall. As far as YA fantasy adventure stories go, this is definitely one of the better ones. I can see how Widdershins's type of humor may not be for everyone (it slowly began grating on even me as the series went on), and I do wish I had seen more growth in her character in this last book (we got a little, but I wanted more), but I will always love her for being a really refreshing YA heroine, one who had an incredible, moving bond with someone who was not just some hot dude. Like I said, refreshing.
It was a good finale. Not mindblowing awesome or anything, but definitely good enough for me. The ending was pretty emotional but something that absolutely had to happen, I think. I’m not the type to cry over books but if I was, I probably would have shed a tear or two.
I was VERY happy to be back in Davillon and with our supporting cast. It had become blaringly apparent from book 3 that Widdershins canNOT carry a whole book by herself. Her interactions with her friends -- characters who I had grown to love over the course of the first couple books -- were a huge reason why I enjoyed this series so much and it would've been seriously lacking without them.
On the downside, I did get a bit bored here and there. There was a shitload of discussing things, and my mind wandered a bit after awhile during some of those parts. But that’s not to say there was no excitement in this book -- on the contrary, the last quarter of the book was pretty thrilling (in particular, I really loved how chapter 18 was written -- very cool).
But probably the biggest negative for me in this book was that, although it hadn’t bothered me in the other books, I got irritated as shit over Widdershins’s ‘swearing’. It stopped being cute a long time ago. And it was way too excessive – seriously, WAY TOO EXCESSIVE. Maybe this seems like a stupid thing to get worked up over, but really, it was REALLY distracting to me. Distracting and irritating. If I did a word count search for "figs" and "hens", I know I won't be happy with what I come up with. I feel like I have to say “FUCK” twice as much as normal in real life now just to make up for this.
I took a peek at some of Marmell’s other books, and I may try them. Gotta give an author props for doing something that I didn’t think I’d ever recover from. (BIG spoiler, please don’t click if you haven’t read these books) Ballsy. Very ballsy. I LIKE it.
Oh, but Marmell? I can’t believe you did THIS to me:
ANYWAY, like I said, I enjoyed this series overall. As far as YA fantasy adventure stories go, this is definitely one of the better ones. I can see how Widdershins's type of humor may not be for everyone (it slowly began grating on even me as the series went on), and I do wish I had seen more growth in her character in this last book (we got a little, but I wanted more), but I will always love her for being a really refreshing YA heroine, one who had an incredible, moving bond with someone who was not just some hot dude. Like I said, refreshing.
February 16, 2015
3.5 stars - Spoilers
-The first chapter was nice and creepy, the chapters after that weren't quite as good though. It took too long for the story to properly kick in and for Shins to reconnect with her friends and find out what was going on while she'd been away. Once the story picked up though I really enjoyed it. Overall, it was better than the last book which was mostly filler with the whole random plot/new characters/setting.
-Really liked Shins returning home to her friends, she was at her most entertaining around them. When Shins and Olgun were on their own or with random new characters (like the last book) I wasn't as engrossed in the story. I much preferred Shins when she was interacting with Renard and co, the banter she had with them was great.
-I kind of found it frustrating reading Shins's many one sided conversations with Olgun. At times it was hard to follow their banter because Shins was the only one talking, so their entire conversation pretty much had to be deduced just from what Shins was saying.
Shins also came across as unnecessarily shouty and snappy whenever she was interacting with Olgun, I think it was because of all the exclamation marks used.
Even though Shins/Olgun's relationship was sweet, it was also quite boring as well, I didn't find them two together all that interesting. Shins was far more lively and fun when she was around her other friends.
-Loved the secondary characters, except for Robin, she was irritating. Renard, Igraine, Faustine, Paschal and Evrard were all great though.
-Robin was so whiny and spoilt. Her being mad at Shins for running away and blaming her for causing her injury was well out of order. Shins wasn't responsible for Robin's welfare (no matter what Robin thought). And it wasn't actually Shins's fault that Lisette hurt her, Lisette's actions were her own and Robin shouldn't have expected Shins to always be there for her. Also, Robin seemed to forget all the pain, grief and loss Shins suffered, everything was all about her.. Never mind Shins, she didn't care about her state of mind at all. Shins didn't leave her home and friends for the fun it, she left because she was an utter mess and the only way she could get her life back together was by leaving. For all Robin was berating Shins for being selfish and in the wrong, she didn't once look at her own selfishness for expecting Shins to always be there for her. No-one should expect that from anyone else unless it's a child/parent situation. Shins didn't owe Robin anything, also she was allowed to grieve for the loved ones she lost in her own bloody way. Robin was a wanker to want Shins to be at her beck and call 24/7 and to never make mistakes or be weak. The cow.
-HATED Lisette, she was a good villain though. I liked that she was a proper threat to Shins, and that it was never obvious if Shins would beat her or not.
-Liked the world, the fantasy/magic system with all the different gods was well written.
-Didn't like the excessive use of italics, it kind of came across as condescending at times. Also, hated all the exclamation marks used, especially when Shins was conversing with Olgun.. It made Shins seem irritable and mean.
-What happened to Evrard? Did he die? Also, was he getting feelings for Shins or something? Not sure, but I think it might have been hinted at.
It was annoying how his character just disappeared, there's leaving things open ended then there's just leaving things unfinished. Yea, I wasn't impressed with Evrard's fate being left up in the air, especially because I became so attached to his character and his antagonistic and hilarious relationship with Shins.
-Did Renard end up admitting his feelings to Shins or not? I really wanted to see him admit what he felt for her, even if she rejected him. I wanted some closure since Renard's unrequited feelings for Shins was introduced so long ago. Robin got closure, so why not Renard?
-I was happy that Olgun/Shins separated. They both needed to live their own lives and not be so parasitic and dependant on each other.
-The writing was a bit hit and miss at times. Some longer sentences didn't flow very well, especially when it came to action scenes and Shins's dialogue with Olgun.
-Loved Julien and Margeurite's little cameos. It was so depressing but in a good way.
-One of the better YA fantasy series. There was a solid plot, great friendships and characters, and best of all no sappy romances or love triangles or wishy-washy heroines that took over the story.
Recommended to anyone who wants to read a YA series with a mostly decent heroine and no ridiculous romances.
-The first chapter was nice and creepy, the chapters after that weren't quite as good though. It took too long for the story to properly kick in and for Shins to reconnect with her friends and find out what was going on while she'd been away. Once the story picked up though I really enjoyed it. Overall, it was better than the last book which was mostly filler with the whole random plot/new characters/setting.
-Really liked Shins returning home to her friends, she was at her most entertaining around them. When Shins and Olgun were on their own or with random new characters (like the last book) I wasn't as engrossed in the story. I much preferred Shins when she was interacting with Renard and co, the banter she had with them was great.
-I kind of found it frustrating reading Shins's many one sided conversations with Olgun. At times it was hard to follow their banter because Shins was the only one talking, so their entire conversation pretty much had to be deduced just from what Shins was saying.
Shins also came across as unnecessarily shouty and snappy whenever she was interacting with Olgun, I think it was because of all the exclamation marks used.
Even though Shins/Olgun's relationship was sweet, it was also quite boring as well, I didn't find them two together all that interesting. Shins was far more lively and fun when she was around her other friends.
-Loved the secondary characters, except for Robin, she was irritating. Renard, Igraine, Faustine, Paschal and Evrard were all great though.
-Robin was so whiny and spoilt. Her being mad at Shins for running away and blaming her for causing her injury was well out of order. Shins wasn't responsible for Robin's welfare (no matter what Robin thought). And it wasn't actually Shins's fault that Lisette hurt her, Lisette's actions were her own and Robin shouldn't have expected Shins to always be there for her. Also, Robin seemed to forget all the pain, grief and loss Shins suffered, everything was all about her.. Never mind Shins, she didn't care about her state of mind at all. Shins didn't leave her home and friends for the fun it, she left because she was an utter mess and the only way she could get her life back together was by leaving. For all Robin was berating Shins for being selfish and in the wrong, she didn't once look at her own selfishness for expecting Shins to always be there for her. No-one should expect that from anyone else unless it's a child/parent situation. Shins didn't owe Robin anything, also she was allowed to grieve for the loved ones she lost in her own bloody way. Robin was a wanker to want Shins to be at her beck and call 24/7 and to never make mistakes or be weak. The cow.
-HATED Lisette, she was a good villain though. I liked that she was a proper threat to Shins, and that it was never obvious if Shins would beat her or not.
-Liked the world, the fantasy/magic system with all the different gods was well written.
-Didn't like the excessive use of italics, it kind of came across as condescending at times. Also, hated all the exclamation marks used, especially when Shins was conversing with Olgun.. It made Shins seem irritable and mean.
-What happened to Evrard? Did he die? Also, was he getting feelings for Shins or something? Not sure, but I think it might have been hinted at.
It was annoying how his character just disappeared, there's leaving things open ended then there's just leaving things unfinished. Yea, I wasn't impressed with Evrard's fate being left up in the air, especially because I became so attached to his character and his antagonistic and hilarious relationship with Shins.
-Did Renard end up admitting his feelings to Shins or not? I really wanted to see him admit what he felt for her, even if she rejected him. I wanted some closure since Renard's unrequited feelings for Shins was introduced so long ago. Robin got closure, so why not Renard?
-I was happy that Olgun/Shins separated. They both needed to live their own lives and not be so parasitic and dependant on each other.
-The writing was a bit hit and miss at times. Some longer sentences didn't flow very well, especially when it came to action scenes and Shins's dialogue with Olgun.
-Loved Julien and Margeurite's little cameos. It was so depressing but in a good way.
-One of the better YA fantasy series. There was a solid plot, great friendships and characters, and best of all no sappy romances or love triangles or wishy-washy heroines that took over the story.
Recommended to anyone who wants to read a YA series with a mostly decent heroine and no ridiculous romances.
January 23, 2015
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/23/c...
Updated: US/Canada Giveaway of ALL 4 BOOKS of the Widdershins Adventure series, ends 1/31/15, details here: http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/23/c...
And so with Covenant’s End, the Widdershins Adventures series draws to a close. I’m not sure how I feel right now. I want to gush, I want to cry. Needless to say, these books have been a tumultuous emotional rollercoaster ride ever since the very beginning. I’m no stranger to how author Ari Marmell likes to keep his readers on their toes when it comes to this series, so I know I should have been prepared for the way it ended. Still, I can’t help it, both my mind and heart are still struggling to digest this cocktail of bittersweet melancholy.
If you can, try read these books in order starting from book one, Thief’s Covenant. I think you’ll get the most impact out of the series this way, not to mention the stories get better and better with each installment. That said my favorite is still the second book, False Covenant, because it was the one that made me wake up and realize how special this series is. There are so many things to highlight here: the fact that these books are technically classified as Young Adult, yet are unlike any YA I’ve ever read (in a good way!); the fact that there is great mix between the light and dark, with plenty of humor balanced with some grim and heavy themes; the fact that we have an extraordinary premise based around the partnership between our protagonist and her own “personal god”; and of course, the fact that Marmell is utterly fearless when it comes to doing what’s right for his story – even if it means putting the heroine and her friends through the wringer. As someone who has become so invested in these characters, some of the plot twists can be downright hard and shocking for me to read, but in the end I enjoy the unpredictability.
The previous book, Lost Covenant, saw Widdershins on her sojourn in Lourveux after she made the choice to run away from Davillon rather than stay and put her loved ones at risk. This fourth and final book of the series sees the return of the prodigal thief, once she finally realized the foolishness of her decision. Accompanying her as always is the all-but-forgotten minor deity Olgun, hitching a ride in the head of his only worshiper.
However, coming home was not at all like what Widdershins had expected. Her old faction the Finder’s Guild isn’t anything at all like it used to be, and the whole of Davillon seems on edge, bracing for something terrible to happen. The truth, Widdershins discovers, is worse than she had imagined. It seems her arch nemesis Lisette has returned as well, but she is far more than just the crazy and embittered rival thief we remember. Lisette (still crazy and embittered) now also has the dark powers of an ancient supernatural evil behind her, and Widdershins finds herself outmatched. In the face of this new threat, Widdershins will need to mend old friendships and forge new ones if she’s going to have any chance at all to save the city and defeat her enemy once and for all.
Now this – THIS — is the Widdershins I know and love. After everything she’s endured, I could understand her decision to say good bye to her home and her friends, leaving all the painful memories behind her. But at her very core, she’s a fighter. And I’m very glad she’s finally gotten control over grief, enough to make her way back to Davillon for Covenant’s End. I’m also relieved her sense of humor survived largely unscathed, probably due in no small part to Olgun, who keeps her engaged in witty banter (that we can only hear one side of, which frequently makes it even more outrageous and funny).
The highlight of this novel was definitely the relationship between the heroine and her god, which has come a long way since the first book. It’s clear now that Olgun is more than just a helpful partner-in-crime and a source of humorous dialogue, and Widdershins is realizing too that he’s a huge part of her life. I’m at a loss for words to describe a friendship that’s so unique, but somehow Ari Marmell manages it here swimmingly. The danger and tension of the new threat in this novel brought out the sheer depth of Widdershins and Olgun’s love for one another, and I felt it profoundly.
Which, I should point out, didn’t make reading the ending any easier. Still, contrary to what Mr. Marmell writes in his Author’s Afterword, no, I don’t hate him right now. I’m not going to go into details because there will be no spoilers from me, but all I’ll say is that I’m heartbroken but not unhappy with the way things ended. In fact, I’m actually quite pleased. I think long-time readers of the series have known for a while that there are important questions that need to be answered, and situations that need to be resolved. The author is probably right believing that not everyone will like the ending, but personally I’m satisfied with the direction he decided to take. That and I’d already braced myself for it, knowing from experience that this series isn’t always sunshine and unicorns.
So, I guess this is good bye, Widdershins Adventures. Marmell has said that he would be open to writing more books set in this world and hasn’t ruled out more Widdershins stories if the fancy strikes him, but it is the end for this “Covenant Cycle”. Even if there are future Widdershins books, they will be very different – and you’ll understand why if you read this.
Sigh. Endings are always tough but I agree with the need to move on. I just know I’ll miss this series for sure, and of course, those gorgeous covers too.
Updated: US/Canada Giveaway of ALL 4 BOOKS of the Widdershins Adventure series, ends 1/31/15, details here: http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/01/23/c...
And so with Covenant’s End, the Widdershins Adventures series draws to a close. I’m not sure how I feel right now. I want to gush, I want to cry. Needless to say, these books have been a tumultuous emotional rollercoaster ride ever since the very beginning. I’m no stranger to how author Ari Marmell likes to keep his readers on their toes when it comes to this series, so I know I should have been prepared for the way it ended. Still, I can’t help it, both my mind and heart are still struggling to digest this cocktail of bittersweet melancholy.
If you can, try read these books in order starting from book one, Thief’s Covenant. I think you’ll get the most impact out of the series this way, not to mention the stories get better and better with each installment. That said my favorite is still the second book, False Covenant, because it was the one that made me wake up and realize how special this series is. There are so many things to highlight here: the fact that these books are technically classified as Young Adult, yet are unlike any YA I’ve ever read (in a good way!); the fact that there is great mix between the light and dark, with plenty of humor balanced with some grim and heavy themes; the fact that we have an extraordinary premise based around the partnership between our protagonist and her own “personal god”; and of course, the fact that Marmell is utterly fearless when it comes to doing what’s right for his story – even if it means putting the heroine and her friends through the wringer. As someone who has become so invested in these characters, some of the plot twists can be downright hard and shocking for me to read, but in the end I enjoy the unpredictability.
The previous book, Lost Covenant, saw Widdershins on her sojourn in Lourveux after she made the choice to run away from Davillon rather than stay and put her loved ones at risk. This fourth and final book of the series sees the return of the prodigal thief, once she finally realized the foolishness of her decision. Accompanying her as always is the all-but-forgotten minor deity Olgun, hitching a ride in the head of his only worshiper.
However, coming home was not at all like what Widdershins had expected. Her old faction the Finder’s Guild isn’t anything at all like it used to be, and the whole of Davillon seems on edge, bracing for something terrible to happen. The truth, Widdershins discovers, is worse than she had imagined. It seems her arch nemesis Lisette has returned as well, but she is far more than just the crazy and embittered rival thief we remember. Lisette (still crazy and embittered) now also has the dark powers of an ancient supernatural evil behind her, and Widdershins finds herself outmatched. In the face of this new threat, Widdershins will need to mend old friendships and forge new ones if she’s going to have any chance at all to save the city and defeat her enemy once and for all.
Now this – THIS — is the Widdershins I know and love. After everything she’s endured, I could understand her decision to say good bye to her home and her friends, leaving all the painful memories behind her. But at her very core, she’s a fighter. And I’m very glad she’s finally gotten control over grief, enough to make her way back to Davillon for Covenant’s End. I’m also relieved her sense of humor survived largely unscathed, probably due in no small part to Olgun, who keeps her engaged in witty banter (that we can only hear one side of, which frequently makes it even more outrageous and funny).
The highlight of this novel was definitely the relationship between the heroine and her god, which has come a long way since the first book. It’s clear now that Olgun is more than just a helpful partner-in-crime and a source of humorous dialogue, and Widdershins is realizing too that he’s a huge part of her life. I’m at a loss for words to describe a friendship that’s so unique, but somehow Ari Marmell manages it here swimmingly. The danger and tension of the new threat in this novel brought out the sheer depth of Widdershins and Olgun’s love for one another, and I felt it profoundly.
Which, I should point out, didn’t make reading the ending any easier. Still, contrary to what Mr. Marmell writes in his Author’s Afterword, no, I don’t hate him right now. I’m not going to go into details because there will be no spoilers from me, but all I’ll say is that I’m heartbroken but not unhappy with the way things ended. In fact, I’m actually quite pleased. I think long-time readers of the series have known for a while that there are important questions that need to be answered, and situations that need to be resolved. The author is probably right believing that not everyone will like the ending, but personally I’m satisfied with the direction he decided to take. That and I’d already braced myself for it, knowing from experience that this series isn’t always sunshine and unicorns.
So, I guess this is good bye, Widdershins Adventures. Marmell has said that he would be open to writing more books set in this world and hasn’t ruled out more Widdershins stories if the fancy strikes him, but it is the end for this “Covenant Cycle”. Even if there are future Widdershins books, they will be very different – and you’ll understand why if you read this.
Sigh. Endings are always tough but I agree with the need to move on. I just know I’ll miss this series for sure, and of course, those gorgeous covers too.
zzz-books-not-for-me
January 27, 2016Read on December 28, 2015
In the end, I enjoyed the first book immensely, the second book was alright, the third was disappointing and the last one... it's not bad, but I still feel like I had to force myself to finish it.
As a whole my main problem was that I never saw Widdershins or Olgan grow as characters, they are challenged alright, but never enough to see a consistent change in their personality. The last book is definitely more action-packed than the third, and we do get a good conclusion for everyone, but I somehow didn't really care for anyone by that time... Just not my personal cup of tea. Moving on.
In the end, I enjoyed the first book immensely, the second book was alright, the third was disappointing and the last one... it's not bad, but I still feel like I had to force myself to finish it.
As a whole my main problem was that I never saw Widdershins or Olgan grow as characters, they are challenged alright, but never enough to see a consistent change in their personality. The last book is definitely more action-packed than the third, and we do get a good conclusion for everyone, but I somehow didn't really care for anyone by that time... Just not my personal cup of tea. Moving on.
December 12, 2018
A nice little end to a nice little series.
World: The world building is solid, there are a lot of pieces that Marmell has built from the previous books and this being the last it all comes back and it’s a wonderful thing when all these pieces are here one last time. There is still lapses and lack of depth to the world building but there is enough there for readers to understand what’s happening. Once again the magic system seems wishy washy and this time we get the Fae...yeah when did this happen?
Story: I did not really like the last book cause and this book addresses that, I like that about Marmell. The coming back of Shins to the city is needed and seeing all the rest of the cast was also a welcome. I liked the interaction and the fallout and all that banter and chemistry stuff I’ve liked about this series since the start and it’s all here. This last arc is interesting as it calls back all the way to the first book of the series and there is a full circle here. Sure, the villain is still kinda meh but the adventure and the fun of the last couple of books is here and then there is the emotional end to the series with the stuff which I won’t talk about here. The end is satisfying, it’s expected and I liked that Marmell let readers feel these emotions instead of just rushing to the end.
Characters: Shins is a fun character, she’s a staple of the genre but her sense of personality and banter is great and it makes her stand out. The rest of her friends are also great and this being the last book we get a lot more of them and it’s a welcome thing. The villain is still meh but I do appreciate the way this is full circle and gives the finale a bit more weight to the story.
I liked this series, it was not perfect but Shins is a wonderful character to read.
Onward to the next book!
World: The world building is solid, there are a lot of pieces that Marmell has built from the previous books and this being the last it all comes back and it’s a wonderful thing when all these pieces are here one last time. There is still lapses and lack of depth to the world building but there is enough there for readers to understand what’s happening. Once again the magic system seems wishy washy and this time we get the Fae...yeah when did this happen?
Story: I did not really like the last book cause and this book addresses that, I like that about Marmell. The coming back of Shins to the city is needed and seeing all the rest of the cast was also a welcome. I liked the interaction and the fallout and all that banter and chemistry stuff I’ve liked about this series since the start and it’s all here. This last arc is interesting as it calls back all the way to the first book of the series and there is a full circle here. Sure, the villain is still kinda meh but the adventure and the fun of the last couple of books is here and then there is the emotional end to the series with the stuff which I won’t talk about here. The end is satisfying, it’s expected and I liked that Marmell let readers feel these emotions instead of just rushing to the end.
Characters: Shins is a fun character, she’s a staple of the genre but her sense of personality and banter is great and it makes her stand out. The rest of her friends are also great and this being the last book we get a lot more of them and it’s a welcome thing. The villain is still meh but I do appreciate the way this is full circle and gives the finale a bit more weight to the story.
I liked this series, it was not perfect but Shins is a wonderful character to read.
Onward to the next book!
June 8, 2015
OMG. OMG. OMG.
So this is the end, and I'll miss Shins and Olgun, and Renard and all the others so much (but not you, Lisette, not you!).
I loved the Author's Latest Words, I loved that he, too, loved Shins and Olgun and I loved the end. Yes, it's hard to say goodbye to this two, because they're so faboulos, so awsome, so awww *_* and so funny that's very very hard, but it was the right time and the right thing to do. And the end was so perfect! It hurts, that's true, but it's the right thing for Shins and Olgun, so it's ok.
Thank you, Mr. Marmell, for the series and for these characters, they're the best!
So this is the end, and I'll miss Shins and Olgun, and Renard and all the others so much (but not you, Lisette, not you!).
I loved the Author's Latest Words, I loved that he, too, loved Shins and Olgun and I loved the end. Yes, it's hard to say goodbye to this two, because they're so faboulos, so awsome, so awww *_* and so funny that's very very hard, but it was the right time and the right thing to do. And the end was so perfect! It hurts, that's true, but it's the right thing for Shins and Olgun, so it's ok.
Thank you, Mr. Marmell, for the series and for these characters, they're the best!
February 10, 2015
Welcome to the review of Marmell's Covenant's End or *heavy breathing, wide eyes, drooling saliva* A Fan Girl's One Of The Most Anticipated Releases Liek Evaaa *dies of happiness and agony*. That is pretty much what this review is going to be about. Let me just say one thing before I start - I got this book Saturday morning, squealed like a banshee and ran around stroking the book, stormed upstairs and finished the damn thing the same night. Did I mention I cried myself to bed? Great! Now that we got the obvious out of the way, hop on the ride.
The Story: 4/5 stars
I guess this is the end (well it is..). The end of the ride. Finite la commedia (or something). This is the grand finale and had my heart racing throughout the last 50-60 pages with the final battles, you could say. How do I even begin describing the plot without hyperventilating, Marmell?! *l'flip d'laptop* (as you can tell, I am very good at French..that was meant to be sarcastic....meh, French people will get it...probably).
Marmell begins the story with how the entire story will run - kill the fluff as soon as you can. With such a creepy and terrifying friggin' prologue, you know shiz is getting real serious as soon as you start the book. And the fast pace doesn't end there! We are quickly thrown to our favourite duo - bratty Shins and cheeky Olgz bruh (I should stop this...I'm probably scaring people by this point). Not only does Shins smell something suspicious with the monster hyperactivity, but also with her being one of the most wanted people around things are ought to get...interesting. Was Marmell kidding with monster hyperactivity? Well if you thought he was, he is sure to prove you wrong and is all set to remind you of what the Widdershins series is all about - blood, humour and action.
Reaching Davillon took a while but you're finally brought back to the city you know and love..only to find it not quite the same and not quite lovable anymore. Chaos has come again (eeey, Shakespeare reference...yeah, you're laughing) and Widdershins is in the heart of it. After a rather...unpleasant welcome back gift left in Widdershins's apartment, I'm not sure of what to expect from this author. That was definitely...an interesting yet very creepy way to drive the plot forward.
After some melodrama, out of which I only cared about the part that Renard was in fact alive (meh, screw Robin), Widdershins gets a beating of a lifetime after being overconfident. As much as I like the story....this was one of the parts which seemed rather....shady. There was no way Shins could have survived that and even Marmell himself wrote that Olgun was also out of juice so...how did that little miracle occur or did I miss something? To be quite honest, Marmell's transition from some scenes to others seemed a bit confusing at times, but I'll get to that in the Writer's Technique section.
The web of evilness (yes, it's a word..I think) is more tangled than at first believed and..at times I have to admit Marmell lost me. Some things were not clearly explained, which was a real shame. You were just left scratching your head, shrugging and carrying on at times. That seemed a little bit sloppy on Marmell's side, especially knowing what good of a writer he is, especially when handling plot, plot twists and intrigue.
Well at least you would find out that the main antagonists are not Iruoch but...his creepy cousins and uncles? Or something? It wasn't cleared up too much...or explained who they were..but...yeah?
The story (I must admit) went downhill a bit from there on until it picked up its pace again in the final action and confrontation. The whole confession of true identity..really didn't seem as important as it should have been. It was just a big meh, I guess. I'm pretty sure it should have been more exciting than how I read it but...yeah. And Marmell once again half-arsed some of the transition scenes.
Now the final pages and the action. Now this was what the series was all about and where Marmell shined. Not only did the action transit and kept going, it had painfully felt high stakes. I honestly thought that Shins was going to die in the end. Marmell really built it up like that until he just had to bring in the plot twist which...seemed forced, to say the least. Oh it was a miracle alright but...but....what the hell, man?! How it was resolved was definitely not how I imagined it!
And of course...the final wrap up...can only be described this way:
An ending which will tear your soul apart (although obviously you would have had to read all the previous books in order to understand the deep connection) and you will enjoy it. A perfect ending in some terms, inconclusive in others; satisfying yet leaving you wanting more. A suitable finale for a great series ~ #my amazon review 2015
Pretty much! The ending was just....so imperfectly perfect. What Marmell had to do was obvious since the beginning of the series. We all knew it was coming but...but...it still made the ending sad nonetheless.
The Characters: 5/5 stars
Love these guys. Honestly, love 'em. Well..most of them anyway.
Widdershins: The lovable, crazy protagonist. She's back as awesome as ever. Although...at times she seems more childish than she should have been after the progress of the last 3 books. Her maturity does show once in a while though, which is a good sign since it shows Marmell did not forget. She's still a pretty cool character, even if dense at times. I was conflicted with how she was left forever alone in the end but...I guess it was too soon to move on. My only hope lies in her appearing with someone *coughRenardcoughcough* as a cameo in Marmell's possible future books set in the same universe.
Olgun: If he wasn't a god....I would have him and Shins instead of her and Renard OTP any day...or I guess shipping since Marmell seems keen to leave Shins miserable (bully). But ermahgerd I actually loved Olgun in this last instalment. Yes, he was as awesome as always and humorous, but there was more! He really developed as a not-quite-present character! And in a good way too! His deep care for Shins was really radiating in this book, making the ending all the more bittersweet.
Renard (oh you knew he was coming next no matter what!): Yes. He isn't too much of a main character. But I love this guy. He's just so awesome. His little monologue in the end also really kicked me in the feels. Poor fella! He really needed a hug. Although what happened to him in the end is a mystery...just where on earth did he disappear to?! I want answers!
Robin and that other chick...erm...Faustine was the name!: This where 'most of them anyway' part comes in. I couldn't care less about these two. I never cared about Robin in the first place so why would I care about her and Faustine now? Robin was quite literally useless and Faustine...she just...didn't have enough space for development to grow on me?
Antagonists: There were quite a few. To be quite honest...I thought until the near end that there were 3 and not 4 fae which Lisette got her hands on... It really was a shame that Marmell did not go into as much antagonist-building and go full on out with them as he did with Iruoch (which was a work of pure genius..well...maybe a hyperbole but nonetheless you get the idea. I don't get impressed that often). The whole things which binded them really was confusing. It was true, as some character in the book pointed out - fae were never that loyal to each other anyway, so why would they avenge their creepy uncle Iruoch? I just felt that Marmell didn't explain this as well as he could have...I really wanted some more intrigue and plot twists in this area... Like..oh I don't know! Shins or Olgun being tied to some bigger scheme/prophesy/origin than believed. Maybe Shins being some sort of special descendant or..well anything! Something more special! There was a lot of missed potential, in my opinion.
The rest: Yeah. They were there. Is that enough of an explanation? No? Well...there were just so many characters which could have shined more if given the chance. Evrard just vanished in the end..which I thought was a shame since he kinda grew on me in this book.
Writer's Technique: 4/5 stars
I wish I could give ol' Ari a boost on this rating but to be honest, as mentioned before, he really slacked off at quite a few points. The most obvious were the transitions. Sometimes I had to re-read a paragraph as I didn't realise what was fully going on and that the character was already in another place. It seemed a but out of character for Marmell to do that (see what I did there?....oh shush..). His writing is great, hands down but...it seemed as though he was a bit unfocused in some parts. I'm not sure whether this is a side-effect of writing Mick Oberon book or whatever but...something was missing. Something wasn't quite right at times. Same goes with the plot. Some of the things just seemed not completely or well enough explained. I was surprised at how I was a bit confused at times or how close I was to confusion. Something didn't go too well for Marmell on that aspect. I think it was just that Marmell seems to have tried to focus on so many things in such a short amount of space, especially while trying to end the series. I think the last time I experienced a similar transition confusion was in the 2nd book when Julien was....erm...well...oh you already know from my previous review his fate. Well..that! I had to also re-read that part a few times before understanding what just happened. This waver of narration seems to me stemming from Marmell's waver of confidence or emotion. It's as though he is unsure how exactly to approach the topic or the next scene. At least he tried, I guess?
Despite my complaining, humour really worked well despite this dark setting. And if there is a field Marmell manages to excel in, it is definitely darkness. He knows how to set out the mood and is not afraid to ruin a few lives with his pen's stab of doom. The bravery is admirable and rewarding as it works well.
Overall: the predictable 5/5 stars!
This was nonetheless a great ending to an awesome series. Can you really blame me for giving it such a rating? ..okay so you probably could but shh!
The story, despite Marmell's few confusing transitions, is quite well wrapped up. Not all loose ends are tied but doesn't that leave room for potential future stories? Am I rite? Huh? Who's with me? No? ...Bah!
To summarise:
All in all this series is a really good pastime. It is entertaining and is just an emotional rollercoaster through and through. Nobody is spared. NOBODY.
And that is all! Thanks for reading and do excuse me as I once again go and cry myself to sleep after having to remember the ending again.
Original review: Covenant's End Review on my Book Fox blog
April 17, 2015
Bazı kitaplar bittiğinde geride pek iz bırakmaz. Widdershin'in macerasının son romanı Covenant's End bittiğinde çok güçlü bir yankı bıraktı. Serinin ilk romanından sonuncuya geçen yıllar etkisini azaltmadı. Widdershin'in çektiklerini Olgun'u ve buruk hallerini derinden hissettim. Başka türlü bitemezdi ve böyle olacağı belliydi, gene de gözüm yaşardı. Ari Marmell çok iyi bir yazar, takip edin ve okuyun.
February 19, 2015
The nitty-gritty: A bittersweet ending to a much-loved series.
“Of all the plans you’ve ever hatched,” Igraine growled, peering around the shadowy street corner at their startlingly well-lit destination, “this one is inarguably one of the most Widdershins.”
“Oh. Well, thank you!”
“That wasn’t a compliment!”
“You think not?” Shins sniffed. “Shows what you know. Nobody plans the way I do!”
“Now that, I agree with.”
You might be asking this question: “Tammy, why did you decide to read Covenant’s End when you haven’t read the first three books??” That’s a great question, and I wish I had a good answer! However, despite the fact that I have not read the previous books in the series, I had a damn fine time with this one, and it only served to whet my appetite for Widdershins’ earlier adventures. Marmell has created one hell of a character with Widdershins. I simply adored her, and I’ve added her to my “all-time favorite characters list.”
The story wasn’t all smooth sailing, because obviously I’ve missed out on some important world building—like the story of how Shins and Olgun came to be together—but it wasn’t that difficult to read between the lines and at least understand enough to keep the story flowing. Several of the relationships between characters aren’t explained at all (and why should they be?), but Marmell is such a good writer that even during those moments I was able to grasp most of what was going on.
For those of you who are new to the series, Widdershins (“Shins” for short) has a god named Olgun living inside her head. They communicate telepathically and supposedly no one knows about Olgun (Although I’m not quite clear about that. I think some people might know.) Olgun is able to enhance Shins’ physical abilities and more or less turn her into a superhero of sorts, by allowing her jump extra high or cling to the sides of tall buildings. Together they really kick butt, but they do it with a unique sense of humor, which is one of the reasons I loved them so much.
When Covenant’s End begins, Shins and Olgun are returning to Shins’ home town of Davillon, after the events at the end of Lost Covenant. Shins' friends are mad at her for leaving them—she’s been gone almost a year—and she’s going to have to work hard to get back on their good side. But Davillon needs her now, more than ever. Shins’ enemy Lisette has also returned to Davillon, this time with some very intimidating supernatural powers under her belt. Lisette is primed to take over the city, and she’s got some very scary and nasty creatures to help her in that quest. Shins has her work cut out for her, trying to defeat Lisette and keep the city from fracturing even more than it already has.
As I mentioned before, Shins is quite the character. She has her own brand of swearing, which I found charming. She says things like, “Holy horsebubbles!” and “Oh, for pastry’s sake!” and “Oh, goose muffins!” I’m not sure if this was for the sake of the younger audience who these books are intended for, but whatever the reason behind it, it was just one more thing I loved about Shins.
Even though I missed the way these relationships developed during the first three books, it was very clear that these characters have strong feelings for each other. Shins’ best friend Robin, who has been gravely injured by Lisette, is still hurting from Shins’ disappearance and has replaced Shin with a girl named Faustine. There was a bit of unrequited love going on between Shins and Robin, which broke my heart. I’m sure the first three books add lots of character development that will make this relationship even more poignant.
Other relationships, like the one between Shins and Renard, gave me a glimpse of something special, but there wasn’t enough of them together in this book to really satisfy my curiosity. All of the characters, though, are brought to vivid life with Marmell’s dazzling dialog and witty sense of humor. Shins and Olgun steal the show, however, with their constant banter and teasing. It’s hard to imagine how an author could pull off such a feat as writing great dialog between two people when one of them doesn’t even speak! But he manages to do just that, and I found myself laughing out loud many times during this story.
Near the end, Shins and Olgun are forced to make a terrible decision that will affect both of them, which is where the “bittersweet” part of the story comes in. I loved the way Marmell incorporates the religious beliefs of this society into what ultimately happens between the two characters. I’m looking forward to going back and catching up on the world-building I missed, because I know these scenes will make much more sense to me.
I didn’t talk much about the plot of Covenant’s End, but I figure if you haven’t started this series yet, you’ll thank me later for not spoiling the story. And by the way, if you are an adult reader and you’re shaking your head because these are young adult books, I can safely tell you that this is one of those rare series that works well for any age group.
So take it from me, someone who apparently likes to do things backwards, pick up a copy of Thief’s Covenant (Book #1) if you haven’t started this series yet, and get ready for a rollicking good time.
Big thanks to Pyr Books for supplying a review copy! Quote above was taken from a review copy and may differ in the final version of the book.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
“Of all the plans you’ve ever hatched,” Igraine growled, peering around the shadowy street corner at their startlingly well-lit destination, “this one is inarguably one of the most Widdershins.”
“Oh. Well, thank you!”
“That wasn’t a compliment!”
“You think not?” Shins sniffed. “Shows what you know. Nobody plans the way I do!”
“Now that, I agree with.”
You might be asking this question: “Tammy, why did you decide to read Covenant’s End when you haven’t read the first three books??” That’s a great question, and I wish I had a good answer! However, despite the fact that I have not read the previous books in the series, I had a damn fine time with this one, and it only served to whet my appetite for Widdershins’ earlier adventures. Marmell has created one hell of a character with Widdershins. I simply adored her, and I’ve added her to my “all-time favorite characters list.”
The story wasn’t all smooth sailing, because obviously I’ve missed out on some important world building—like the story of how Shins and Olgun came to be together—but it wasn’t that difficult to read between the lines and at least understand enough to keep the story flowing. Several of the relationships between characters aren’t explained at all (and why should they be?), but Marmell is such a good writer that even during those moments I was able to grasp most of what was going on.
For those of you who are new to the series, Widdershins (“Shins” for short) has a god named Olgun living inside her head. They communicate telepathically and supposedly no one knows about Olgun (Although I’m not quite clear about that. I think some people might know.) Olgun is able to enhance Shins’ physical abilities and more or less turn her into a superhero of sorts, by allowing her jump extra high or cling to the sides of tall buildings. Together they really kick butt, but they do it with a unique sense of humor, which is one of the reasons I loved them so much.
When Covenant’s End begins, Shins and Olgun are returning to Shins’ home town of Davillon, after the events at the end of Lost Covenant. Shins' friends are mad at her for leaving them—she’s been gone almost a year—and she’s going to have to work hard to get back on their good side. But Davillon needs her now, more than ever. Shins’ enemy Lisette has also returned to Davillon, this time with some very intimidating supernatural powers under her belt. Lisette is primed to take over the city, and she’s got some very scary and nasty creatures to help her in that quest. Shins has her work cut out for her, trying to defeat Lisette and keep the city from fracturing even more than it already has.
As I mentioned before, Shins is quite the character. She has her own brand of swearing, which I found charming. She says things like, “Holy horsebubbles!” and “Oh, for pastry’s sake!” and “Oh, goose muffins!” I’m not sure if this was for the sake of the younger audience who these books are intended for, but whatever the reason behind it, it was just one more thing I loved about Shins.
Even though I missed the way these relationships developed during the first three books, it was very clear that these characters have strong feelings for each other. Shins’ best friend Robin, who has been gravely injured by Lisette, is still hurting from Shins’ disappearance and has replaced Shin with a girl named Faustine. There was a bit of unrequited love going on between Shins and Robin, which broke my heart. I’m sure the first three books add lots of character development that will make this relationship even more poignant.
Other relationships, like the one between Shins and Renard, gave me a glimpse of something special, but there wasn’t enough of them together in this book to really satisfy my curiosity. All of the characters, though, are brought to vivid life with Marmell’s dazzling dialog and witty sense of humor. Shins and Olgun steal the show, however, with their constant banter and teasing. It’s hard to imagine how an author could pull off such a feat as writing great dialog between two people when one of them doesn’t even speak! But he manages to do just that, and I found myself laughing out loud many times during this story.
Near the end, Shins and Olgun are forced to make a terrible decision that will affect both of them, which is where the “bittersweet” part of the story comes in. I loved the way Marmell incorporates the religious beliefs of this society into what ultimately happens between the two characters. I’m looking forward to going back and catching up on the world-building I missed, because I know these scenes will make much more sense to me.
I didn’t talk much about the plot of Covenant’s End, but I figure if you haven’t started this series yet, you’ll thank me later for not spoiling the story. And by the way, if you are an adult reader and you’re shaking your head because these are young adult books, I can safely tell you that this is one of those rare series that works well for any age group.
So take it from me, someone who apparently likes to do things backwards, pick up a copy of Thief’s Covenant (Book #1) if you haven’t started this series yet, and get ready for a rollicking good time.
Big thanks to Pyr Books for supplying a review copy! Quote above was taken from a review copy and may differ in the final version of the book.
This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.
October 14, 2017
I'm overall happy how things finished with Olgun and Whiddershin's, but I still WANT MORE OF THIS WORLD!!! Well mostly Whiddershin's and Evrard interactions/ what happened to Evrard now because he's so interesting.
October 23, 2023
That was nice, definitely more like what I remember from this series. I also really liked the ending, thought it was very fitting.
May 20, 2015
Covenant's End is the fourth and final book in the Widdershins Adventures by Ari Marmell. These are young adult books, although I didn't know this when I bought the first book. I can see why they're classified as YA, although I don't think that's a label they should necessarily be stuck with. I enjoyed them all (even if I felt that one of them wasn't quite in line with the other three).
The premise of this final book is that Widdershins is returning to Davillon, after fleeing (and yes, she finally admits that she fled) and spending some time away from "home." She thinks it's going to be grand coming home, meeting up with old friends, and picking up her life where she left off. But while she's been gone, some of her old enemies have banded together and made a few unnatural allies, and they've been waiting for her return. Even before she reaches the city, Widdernshins realizes that she isn't going to receive the homecoming she thought . . . and that her friends are in as much danger as she is.
This was a great final chapter in Widdershins' adventures. She needed to return home again, not just because of the threads hinting of it in earlier books, but because she needed to face herself and what had happened to her in the city. As Ari Marmell states himself, she needed to grow up. She thought she'd left the city after a previous adventure because it would be safer for her friends, but she really simply fled. Because of fear, because of the deaths of some of her friends, brought about by her own actions, and because she wasn't ready to face those emotions and that responsibility. But after her time away (which is the book that I don't feel fits the general thread of the series; sort of an odd man out), she's had enough time to realize that she's been lying to herself about why she left and she's now ready to face the truth.
And this is why I feel these books are so good. The main character is what carries you through them. You genuinely like Widdershins and are more than willing to go along with her adventures because of who she is, who she wants to be, and her overall spunk and fighting spirit. The books would not have worked so well without her. I don't think they would have worked at all. It's her--and her relationship with her omnipresent god as a sidekick--that keeps the books moving and keeps you reading. The world itself is more or less a basic fantasy world--medieval in nature. The supernatural elements that make it fantasy are classic as well; fae creatures with vicious natures and hideous powers. It's Widdershins that firmly roots the reader into the books. It's her uniqueness that keeps you reading.
This book brings the series to an obvious conclusion and rounds out the series well. All of the elements of the first two books return, along with all of the Widdershins friends, the elements set up in the previous books coming together in a nice plot. Would I have liked to have seen more Widdershins' books in the future? Yes. Would it have been wise to continues the series beyond these books? No. This is where the series should end. Taking it any further would have been dragging a dead body behind the horse.
So, a nice, pleasant little series that I encourage everyone to read. You'll enjoy the world, you'll enjoy the plots, you'll enjoy the rather dark supernatural creatures Widdershins is forced to face (for most of the books), and more importantly you'll enjoy Widdershins herself.
The premise of this final book is that Widdershins is returning to Davillon, after fleeing (and yes, she finally admits that she fled) and spending some time away from "home." She thinks it's going to be grand coming home, meeting up with old friends, and picking up her life where she left off. But while she's been gone, some of her old enemies have banded together and made a few unnatural allies, and they've been waiting for her return. Even before she reaches the city, Widdernshins realizes that she isn't going to receive the homecoming she thought . . . and that her friends are in as much danger as she is.
This was a great final chapter in Widdershins' adventures. She needed to return home again, not just because of the threads hinting of it in earlier books, but because she needed to face herself and what had happened to her in the city. As Ari Marmell states himself, she needed to grow up. She thought she'd left the city after a previous adventure because it would be safer for her friends, but she really simply fled. Because of fear, because of the deaths of some of her friends, brought about by her own actions, and because she wasn't ready to face those emotions and that responsibility. But after her time away (which is the book that I don't feel fits the general thread of the series; sort of an odd man out), she's had enough time to realize that she's been lying to herself about why she left and she's now ready to face the truth.
And this is why I feel these books are so good. The main character is what carries you through them. You genuinely like Widdershins and are more than willing to go along with her adventures because of who she is, who she wants to be, and her overall spunk and fighting spirit. The books would not have worked so well without her. I don't think they would have worked at all. It's her--and her relationship with her omnipresent god as a sidekick--that keeps the books moving and keeps you reading. The world itself is more or less a basic fantasy world--medieval in nature. The supernatural elements that make it fantasy are classic as well; fae creatures with vicious natures and hideous powers. It's Widdershins that firmly roots the reader into the books. It's her uniqueness that keeps you reading.
This book brings the series to an obvious conclusion and rounds out the series well. All of the elements of the first two books return, along with all of the Widdershins friends, the elements set up in the previous books coming together in a nice plot. Would I have liked to have seen more Widdershins' books in the future? Yes. Would it have been wise to continues the series beyond these books? No. This is where the series should end. Taking it any further would have been dragging a dead body behind the horse.
So, a nice, pleasant little series that I encourage everyone to read. You'll enjoy the world, you'll enjoy the plots, you'll enjoy the rather dark supernatural creatures Widdershins is forced to face (for most of the books), and more importantly you'll enjoy Widdershins herself.
January 31, 2015
Just go ahead and smash my heart on the rocks, Ari. SMASH IT ON THE ROCKS. As much as LOST COVENANT was my least favorite of the series COVENANT’S END redeems every issue I had with it, every bad thing I had to say, and ended up destroying me a little.
It really went back to it’s brutal roots and no one was left unscathed in the horror that was happening in Davillon. The wit and pithy writing was still there, as were the yes? statements but they were few and far between and much more to my liking. Marmell has a habit of making me laugh out loud with some of this observations and associations and that did not fall short here. COVENANT’S END made me love the series all over again.
Robin was back and I really do love Evrard a little more in all his disgruntled and begrudging help he gave. Everything came together in the end, even people who were biting at each others’ backs sucked up their differences as a means to help defeat Lisette and the over-the-top crazy she became. I don’t think the supernatural elements were as big in this book as they’ve been in the past but they were dastardly enough that little more than passing mentions did enough to implant their beings in my brain. They were gruesome and they’ll stay with me for a while yet.
And Olgun? No. Just . . . no. I can’t. THE WOUND IS TOO RAW.
That’s all you’ll get on that.
A fantastic end to a series. It left me wanting but only in a way that I craved more of the writing, more of the world, more of the characters. The story is finished, the plot that’s been building for four books has been wrapped up nicely. It would be neat to see where they all go from here but it’s not a necessity. They live. That’s enough for now. I’m just glad I have other books of Marmell’s to read because I really do love his writing style.
I know this review isn’t as substantial as some of my others but four books into a series can get rather redundant from a review perspective and without giving anything away I don’t have much else to say. I’m just going to go over here with some tissues and a bottle of wine and I would appreciate being left alone right now because I am DAMAGED.
5
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It really went back to it’s brutal roots and no one was left unscathed in the horror that was happening in Davillon. The wit and pithy writing was still there, as were the yes? statements but they were few and far between and much more to my liking. Marmell has a habit of making me laugh out loud with some of this observations and associations and that did not fall short here. COVENANT’S END made me love the series all over again.
Robin was back and I really do love Evrard a little more in all his disgruntled and begrudging help he gave. Everything came together in the end, even people who were biting at each others’ backs sucked up their differences as a means to help defeat Lisette and the over-the-top crazy she became. I don’t think the supernatural elements were as big in this book as they’ve been in the past but they were dastardly enough that little more than passing mentions did enough to implant their beings in my brain. They were gruesome and they’ll stay with me for a while yet.
And Olgun? No. Just . . . no. I can’t. THE WOUND IS TOO RAW.
That’s all you’ll get on that.
A fantastic end to a series. It left me wanting but only in a way that I craved more of the writing, more of the world, more of the characters. The story is finished, the plot that’s been building for four books has been wrapped up nicely. It would be neat to see where they all go from here but it’s not a necessity. They live. That’s enough for now. I’m just glad I have other books of Marmell’s to read because I really do love his writing style.
I know this review isn’t as substantial as some of my others but four books into a series can get rather redundant from a review perspective and without giving anything away I don’t have much else to say. I’m just going to go over here with some tissues and a bottle of wine and I would appreciate being left alone right now because I am DAMAGED.
5
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2015
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
So Ari Marmell has decided to bring our time with Widdershins to a close. On the one hand, I understand the choice. On the other hand, I enjoy these too much to let go willingly.
It seems that the great and nasty demon that she pushed herself and her friends to -- and past -- the limit to defeat back in False Covenant had friends -- or at least family. And thanks to Widdershins old foe Lisette, they are getting closer and closer to setting up camp in Davillon (and probably the whole world, really).
Widdershins has to call on all her allies -- old, new, unwanted and not terribly wiling -- and friends, play every trick in the book (and invent a few), and be prepared to sacrifice everything just to have a fighting chance here.
Emotionally, spiritually, physically -- whatever she's gone through before is nothing compared to this. While it is very much a team effort, let's not get confused -- her name is in the series title, and she's the only one on the cover. It's Widdershins story, and the weight of this falls on her. Yet, she faces the danger with humor, aplomb and panache (and the help the deity living in her head).
For a book as dark, foreboding, bloody and so . . . final; I sure spent a lot of time smiling and chuckling. It's a quick, exciting read that checks off every tick box you might have for a finale.
---
So Ari Marmell has decided to bring our time with Widdershins to a close. On the one hand, I understand the choice. On the other hand, I enjoy these too much to let go willingly.
It seems that the great and nasty demon that she pushed herself and her friends to -- and past -- the limit to defeat back in False Covenant had friends -- or at least family. And thanks to Widdershins old foe Lisette, they are getting closer and closer to setting up camp in Davillon (and probably the whole world, really).
Widdershins has to call on all her allies -- old, new, unwanted and not terribly wiling -- and friends, play every trick in the book (and invent a few), and be prepared to sacrifice everything just to have a fighting chance here.
Emotionally, spiritually, physically -- whatever she's gone through before is nothing compared to this. While it is very much a team effort, let's not get confused -- her name is in the series title, and she's the only one on the cover. It's Widdershins story, and the weight of this falls on her. Yet, she faces the danger with humor, aplomb and panache (and the help the deity living in her head).
For a book as dark, foreboding, bloody and so . . . final; I sure spent a lot of time smiling and chuckling. It's a quick, exciting read that checks off every tick box you might have for a finale.
July 31, 2015
In this fourth installment of the Widdershins adventures, Widdershins return to Davillion after months away with hopes of reuniting with her friends and resuming her normal life. Though she has heard rumors on her journey, she is still surprised to find Davillion’s wall heavily guarded and the streets filled with soldiers. The Finders’ Guild is under new leadership and is bringing down a reign of violence on the city. Widdershins quickly discovers that her friends have been suffering in her absence, and it’s up to her to make things right.
Covenant’s End has the same mix of humor and adventure that is characteristic of the other books in the series. Marmell has created an engaging and unique world where religion and folk lore are intertwined, and both play significant roles in the drama. Widdershins can be a bit much on her own (as readers of the third book in the series will know), but thankfully here she is balanced by the supporting cast of Renard, Robin and the evil Lisette, Widdershins’ nemesis from book 1. At times it felt like there was too much discussion and too little action, but overall it was a satisfying conclusion to a well written fantasy series though readers are left hanging on a couple of plot points. Perhaps the author is leaving room for a spin off series? Highly recommended where the first three installments are popular. I recommend the entire series for high school and public library teen collections where fantasy is popular.
May 9, 2015
The end, that is always sad. But a good series has to end sometime.
Widdershin is back in the city she left. Old friends are happy, and angry to see her. Old enemies want her dead. Well Lisette wants her dead, and Lisette is such a B.
The city is in trouble in this one. Monsters outside, thieves killing and robbing inside. The noble Houses are fighting. The police are patrolling and everyone is on edge. Not to mention she is their bad list.
Widdershins kicks ass as always, but she is not indestructible and she does get hurt too. She has bad enemies, and not even Olgun can help her. Awww Olgun, I think I like him most of all. Our favorite God who talks to her as she is his only follower and if she dies, then no one will remember him. Olgun never says anything, but it's not needed, she talks to him and it's like I hear him too.
A book with a bang to end this series. Though...I want more! Yes it ended, it ended well. Everything fixed but but, I'd like more. Like what is she up to after 10 years? No good, I presume, or maybe all good. See I am curious :)
Widdershin is back in the city she left. Old friends are happy, and angry to see her. Old enemies want her dead. Well Lisette wants her dead, and Lisette is such a B.
The city is in trouble in this one. Monsters outside, thieves killing and robbing inside. The noble Houses are fighting. The police are patrolling and everyone is on edge. Not to mention she is their bad list.
Widdershins kicks ass as always, but she is not indestructible and she does get hurt too. She has bad enemies, and not even Olgun can help her. Awww Olgun, I think I like him most of all. Our favorite God who talks to her as she is his only follower and if she dies, then no one will remember him. Olgun never says anything, but it's not needed, she talks to him and it's like I hear him too.
A book with a bang to end this series. Though...I want more! Yes it ended, it ended well. Everything fixed but but, I'd like more. Like what is she up to after 10 years? No good, I presume, or maybe all good. See I am curious :)
March 13, 2015
I just finished Covenant's End, the last book (for now, according to the Afterword) in the Widdershins Adventures series. I bawled my eyes out for at least the last 25 pages, and I am still teary and sniffling. I reread Thief's Covenant, False Covenant, and Lost Covenant before reading Covenant's End, and I am pleased with an ending that does justice to Adrienne and Olgun. Covenant's End deserves every one of the 5 stars I will give it when I have recovered enough to write my review in the morning.
I cannot think about the end of this book without crying, and I finished it almost two days ago. This series is fantastic; Widdershins is an awesome, snarky, flawed young woman whose relationship to her god is humorous, heartwarming, and scary. Olgun is hilarious for a character that does not talk. Covenant's End is horrifying, funny, and bittersweet. This series should be on every fantasy lover's bookshelf, no matter their age or sex.
I cannot think about the end of this book without crying, and I finished it almost two days ago. This series is fantastic; Widdershins is an awesome, snarky, flawed young woman whose relationship to her god is humorous, heartwarming, and scary. Olgun is hilarious for a character that does not talk. Covenant's End is horrifying, funny, and bittersweet. This series should be on every fantasy lover's bookshelf, no matter their age or sex.
March 15, 2015
Thieves seem to be “in” this decade, and Ari Marmell’s Widdershins, from the COVENANT series, is one of the most popular in YA. In Covenant’s End, Widdershins returns to her home city, only to discover that there have been drastic changes while she has been away. Some are huge and affect the entire city. Some are personal, shifting the fault lines in Shins’ heart.
Shins carries a tiny god, Olgun, in her head. Olgun provides insight, but he can also boost Shins’s strength and power a bit, and provide small miracles. When the duo return to their home city of Davillon, they discover that she might not be the only one who has this kind of arrangement. Shins is up against her old rival Lisette, and Lisette has grown frighteningly powerful. To survive, and defeat Lisette, Widder... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Shins carries a tiny god, Olgun, in her head. Olgun provides insight, but he can also boost Shins’s strength and power a bit, and provide small miracles. When the duo return to their home city of Davillon, they discover that she might not be the only one who has this kind of arrangement. Shins is up against her old rival Lisette, and Lisette has grown frighteningly powerful. To survive, and defeat Lisette, Widder... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
May 16, 2015
The perfect end to an amazing series!
There are some books that have made me tear up a little, maybe cry a little, but never have I cried this much while reading a book. I mean, it took me about half an hour to read the last couple chapters because I had to keep putting the book down because I couldn't see it through my tears. I was so moved and heartbroken and I don't know if that's a good thing or not.
Widdershins is one of my favourite characters from anything I've ever read, she's so weird and broken and strong. The characters in this book, the world building, the plot, the wit, all off it... just amazing. I would hands down recommend this series.
There are some books that have made me tear up a little, maybe cry a little, but never have I cried this much while reading a book. I mean, it took me about half an hour to read the last couple chapters because I had to keep putting the book down because I couldn't see it through my tears. I was so moved and heartbroken and I don't know if that's a good thing or not.
Widdershins is one of my favourite characters from anything I've ever read, she's so weird and broken and strong. The characters in this book, the world building, the plot, the wit, all off it... just amazing. I would hands down recommend this series.
February 15, 2015
And so Shins' story is over, and I'm sad for it, but very happy to have come along on her journey.
This time around, Widdershins and her god Olgun are coming back to Davillon; and all of the threads from the previous books are finally coming together -- dark magic, evil entities, political machinations, Shins' god-enhanced acrobatic abilities, and her continued (and delightful) abuse of the English language.
I can only hope that at some point, she does manage to worm her way back onto the page, although after the events of this book, any return would have to take a very different form.
Highly recommended -- the entire series, that is.
This time around, Widdershins and her god Olgun are coming back to Davillon; and all of the threads from the previous books are finally coming together -- dark magic, evil entities, political machinations, Shins' god-enhanced acrobatic abilities, and her continued (and delightful) abuse of the English language.
I can only hope that at some point, she does manage to worm her way back onto the page, although after the events of this book, any return would have to take a very different form.
Highly recommended -- the entire series, that is.
July 20, 2018
For the first time in the series the author holds nothing back, and it shows.
Certain of her strength, she never imagined she might lose.
Once more Widdershins takes to the road, making her way back to Davillon, her home. But this is not the city she left behind. Rumors surround it, and a strange unease hovers over its streets. Desperate for answers, Widdershins hurries to a familiar haunt, eager to be reunited with familiar faces. But her joy is short lived. An old enemy has returned, visiting their wrath upon those Widdershins cares for most. But is this simply revenge, or part of a larger plan?
Questions pull readers right in, alluding to past events even as they set the stage for what’s still to come. In many ways this final installment is the culmination of everything the others have set up. Long kept secrets are finally revealed, creating a series of emotional scenes so poignant that they sometimes overshadow the main conflict. Of course no scene would be complete without Widdershins’ trademark humor. Occasionally a scene may stray into the realms of drama, or even horror, but Widdershins always manages to pull it back with her irreverent remarks. But even Widdershins herself is forced to finally confront the issues she’s been avoiding since audiences first met her in Thief’s Covenant, and while the wait has been long, those moments are some of the most satisfying in the series.
Tension continues to be a challenge for the series. Most scenes lack a strong sense of uncertainty; resolving exactly as audiences would expect. The story loves to flirt with it, cutting away just as something unexpected complicates the scene, but when the dust finally settles, the outcome is almost always exactly what one would expect, one step closer towards the big conflict that’s always looming in the background. And when it comes, it is raw and brutal and exactly what audiences have been waiting for.
Sometimes things can feel a little rushed; characters leaping to conclusions based on very little information, conflicts hurrying through their resolution instead of drawing it out. But for those who want a quick, easy adventure, the Widdershins Quartet will do nicely. It hits all the right notes while still managing to feel unique, as long as you don’t look too closely.
+Strong Characters
+Good pacing
*Somewhat “by the numbers”
*Fast/easy read
-No underlying themes or ideas
3.5/5
Certain of her strength, she never imagined she might lose.
Once more Widdershins takes to the road, making her way back to Davillon, her home. But this is not the city she left behind. Rumors surround it, and a strange unease hovers over its streets. Desperate for answers, Widdershins hurries to a familiar haunt, eager to be reunited with familiar faces. But her joy is short lived. An old enemy has returned, visiting their wrath upon those Widdershins cares for most. But is this simply revenge, or part of a larger plan?
Questions pull readers right in, alluding to past events even as they set the stage for what’s still to come. In many ways this final installment is the culmination of everything the others have set up. Long kept secrets are finally revealed, creating a series of emotional scenes so poignant that they sometimes overshadow the main conflict. Of course no scene would be complete without Widdershins’ trademark humor. Occasionally a scene may stray into the realms of drama, or even horror, but Widdershins always manages to pull it back with her irreverent remarks. But even Widdershins herself is forced to finally confront the issues she’s been avoiding since audiences first met her in Thief’s Covenant, and while the wait has been long, those moments are some of the most satisfying in the series.
Tension continues to be a challenge for the series. Most scenes lack a strong sense of uncertainty; resolving exactly as audiences would expect. The story loves to flirt with it, cutting away just as something unexpected complicates the scene, but when the dust finally settles, the outcome is almost always exactly what one would expect, one step closer towards the big conflict that’s always looming in the background. And when it comes, it is raw and brutal and exactly what audiences have been waiting for.
Sometimes things can feel a little rushed; characters leaping to conclusions based on very little information, conflicts hurrying through their resolution instead of drawing it out. But for those who want a quick, easy adventure, the Widdershins Quartet will do nicely. It hits all the right notes while still managing to feel unique, as long as you don’t look too closely.
+Strong Characters
+Good pacing
*Somewhat “by the numbers”
*Fast/easy read
-No underlying themes or ideas
3.5/5
March 16, 2018
Today's post is on Covenant's End by Ari Marmell. It is 274 pages long and is published by Pyr. It is the fourth in the Widdershin's Adventures and as such you need to have read the first three books to understand the story. The cover is white with Widdershins sitting in the center of a golden circle. The intended reader is someone who has read the first three books, likes urban historical fantasy, and unusual stories. The story is told from third person close of mostly Widdreshins but some of the other characters get their thoughts put in too. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- The thief Widdershins and her own "personal god," Olgun, return to their home city of Davillon after almost a year away. While Shins expects only to face the difficulty of making up with her friends, what she actually finds is far, far worse. Her nemesis, Lisette, has returned, and she is not alone. Lisette has made a dark pact with supernatural powers that have granted her abilities far greater than anything Widdershins and Olgun can match.
Together, Widdershins and Olgun will face enemies on both sides of the law, for Lisette's schemes have given her power in both Davillon's government and its underworld. For even a slim chance, Shins must call on both old friends--some of whom haven't yet forgiven her--and new allies.
Even with their help, Widdershins may be required to make the hardest sacrifice of her life, if she is to rid Davillon--and herself--of Lisette once and for all.
Review- I was excited and sad to read the final volume of Widdershins and Olgun's adventures. I enjoyed the first three volumes so much that I was more than a little nervous about this book. I knew that everything was going to change because of the lengths the villain is willing to go. I was so afraid that Olgun was going to die to save Widdershins' life. But I was pleased with how the book ended. Everything turned okay, not great but the ending was probably the best that we, the readers, could have hoped for. I do think that Marmell can come back to Widdershins and that is okay with me. I would like him to return to this world because it is very interesting and we see so little of it but Marmell never comes back that it okay too.
I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
From the back of the book- The thief Widdershins and her own "personal god," Olgun, return to their home city of Davillon after almost a year away. While Shins expects only to face the difficulty of making up with her friends, what she actually finds is far, far worse. Her nemesis, Lisette, has returned, and she is not alone. Lisette has made a dark pact with supernatural powers that have granted her abilities far greater than anything Widdershins and Olgun can match.
Together, Widdershins and Olgun will face enemies on both sides of the law, for Lisette's schemes have given her power in both Davillon's government and its underworld. For even a slim chance, Shins must call on both old friends--some of whom haven't yet forgiven her--and new allies.
Even with their help, Widdershins may be required to make the hardest sacrifice of her life, if she is to rid Davillon--and herself--of Lisette once and for all.
Review- I was excited and sad to read the final volume of Widdershins and Olgun's adventures. I enjoyed the first three volumes so much that I was more than a little nervous about this book. I knew that everything was going to change because of the lengths the villain is willing to go. I was so afraid that Olgun was going to die to save Widdershins' life. But I was pleased with how the book ended. Everything turned okay, not great but the ending was probably the best that we, the readers, could have hoped for. I do think that Marmell can come back to Widdershins and that is okay with me. I would like him to return to this world because it is very interesting and we see so little of it but Marmell never comes back that it okay too.
I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
July 14, 2021
3.5 stars.
This series is light hearted, funny, and ripe with personality and attitude. The characters are likeable, the world building is simple, and the villains are sturdy enough the plot can follow through. There is a ton of action, and the whole series is fairly fast-paced, which makes pausing to eat and sleep extra hard because you don't want to lose that momentum.
I love love love the main character's relationship with Olgun, her over-the-shoulder god. This dynamic duo alone makes reading this series worth it. #friendshipgoals
Even though hefty events transpire and people keep dropping dead, this book lacks a certain seriousness for your average fantasy reader. The main character is haughty and sarcastic, almost too haughty and sarcastic. She takes the intensity and suspension out of almost every situation. Her "swearing" is tiring, especially since they're swears she just makes up on the spot and nobody else in the series uses any of them.
Almost every single character is in love with her one way or another, which is super annoying, and the author has no trouble killing off his only developed side characters. so beware.
Overall, good series. Worth a read, especially if you're just dipping your toes into the genre.
This series is light hearted, funny, and ripe with personality and attitude. The characters are likeable, the world building is simple, and the villains are sturdy enough the plot can follow through. There is a ton of action, and the whole series is fairly fast-paced, which makes pausing to eat and sleep extra hard because you don't want to lose that momentum.
I love love love the main character's relationship with Olgun, her over-the-shoulder god. This dynamic duo alone makes reading this series worth it. #friendshipgoals
Even though hefty events transpire and people keep dropping dead, this book lacks a certain seriousness for your average fantasy reader. The main character is haughty and sarcastic, almost too haughty and sarcastic. She takes the intensity and suspension out of almost every situation. Her "swearing" is tiring, especially since they're swears she just makes up on the spot and nobody else in the series uses any of them.
Almost every single character is in love with her one way or another, which is super annoying, and the author has no trouble killing off his only developed side characters. so beware.
Overall, good series. Worth a read, especially if you're just dipping your toes into the genre.
February 24, 2015
originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2015...
I was torn in two when I saw that Pyr was releasing the fourth book in the Widdershins Adventure series of Ari Marmell, I both wanted and didn't want to read the book. When I started reading this series just last January 2014 and from the first book Thiefs Covenant is has won me over. And this fourth volume will sadly bring a close to the story of Widdershins/ Adrienne. It's always hard to part with an amazing series and Ari Marmell didn't make it any easier. But he wrote a very fine and utterly unexpected conclusion to the series.
What has happened so far in the series? In the first two books, the story took place in the city of Davillon and showed the young female thief Widdershins in her element, stealing and running The Flippant Witch, also there were otherworldly threat in the for of demonic presences. But things did go according to Widdershins plans and in the end of False Covenant she needed a break eventually she wound up in the city of Louvreaux but not without finding any problems their. She discovered a plot to overthrow the last bastion of the Delacroix family, one that she is closely linked to. The start of Covenant's End sees the return of Widdershins to Davillon, which is again not without any problems...
On the road home, Widdershins is confronted by the fact that there are hardly people on the road besides her. In a inn she soon finds out that strange things are haunting the travelers and scarring them witless. Everyone is afraid to travel except for a few highwaymen. In a inn she soon finds out that strange things are haunting the travelers and scarring them witless. What Widdershins learns in the inn is that monsters, unexplainable monsters, roam along the road to Davillon. If you read the first three books you know that Widdershins isn't a stranger to the supernatural. As Widdershins comes closer and closer to Davillon she feel a lingering and very eerie presence, and somewhat familiar. When Widdershins finally gets into town see discover a whole lot of problems, all problems that are owed to her actions. Where she had thought that reunion with old friends would go smooth, they are far from it. Not necessarily that her old friends despise her but more that a lot of bad things happened because of her and she wasn't there to stop them... Next to reacquainting with old friends, Widdershins also encounters old enemies. And not just an enemy, but one that caused her and her friends a lot of harm, yes, Lisette is back and she it out to get Widdershins. Luckily in her efforts Widdershins is always aided by the personal god Olgun who helps her out a hand when things get to rough, heightening her reflexes, giving her an edge here and there. But now that Widdershins has to face against not one but mutiple opponents it does remains to be answered if Widdershins isn't in to deep...
On thing that is a clear line in the books and which again comes to the front in Covenant's End is the development of the characters and of course most importantly that of Widdershins and Olgun. I can still remember the introduction of Widdershins and the boistrous introdcution I got from her, she was always in for a joke together with her personal god Olgun. However the events that happened in all the books have shaped her character and she has started to realize that there is a lot more to have than only fun. This comes to blossom fully in the last quarter of this book and the last pages, where Widdershin or Adrienne Satti comes to realize that you need to value friendship and family and cherish every moment you have. I was very pleased that Ari Marmell ended the story in this way, yes I admit I had a lump in my throat. One thing that I highly enjoyed reading about was the relation between Olgun and Widdershins. This all started way back and now Olgun helps Widdershins, she is the only one that believes in this deity. I liked their squabbling, they always went at each other sometimes in a pretty heightened situation, but in the end when push came to shove it all came to the same point they cannot be separated. But, yes there is a big but coming on, Ari Marmell has one major heck of plot twist to show in the end of the book. I was wow'ed and still am.
In the three previous books there was focus on many different bad guys. We have seen quite a few, but one was always there, even when Widdershins was in Louvreaux there were scenes taking place in Davillon with the focus on a specific character, I thinky ou can guess who I mean. In Covenant's End the focus is on Lisette being the bad guy. Now she has many tricks up her sleeve and besides her normal skills, she has teamed up with the powers of the supernatural dark, giving her a definite edge and making her definitely a force to be reckoned with. I hadn't expected to see this side to Lisette's character, it made up for a very great finale all combined.
It is a sad and I feel having to part with Widdershins and her friends. Ari Marmell couldn't have written a better conclusion to the series in my opinion. With each new book in the series he seems to have outdone himself but with Covenant's End he really did it. It alone is a must to read the three books leading up to Covenant's End to just see what he has in store for you. From the first moment I picked up Thiefs Covenant till the ending in Covenant's End I have had a big smile on my face, granted Widdershins has gone through a lot of personal struggles, she is also a very strong female protagonist and a very funny character, even when situations get bleak, she always finds that light point somewhere and find a bit of strength to pull through. Once again The Widdershins Adventures is an amazing series and couldn't have gotten a better conclusion than what Ari Marmell wrote in Covenant's End. I do hope that there might be more in the making for Widdershins, or should I say Adrienne Satti from now on? Highly recommended.
I was torn in two when I saw that Pyr was releasing the fourth book in the Widdershins Adventure series of Ari Marmell, I both wanted and didn't want to read the book. When I started reading this series just last January 2014 and from the first book Thiefs Covenant is has won me over. And this fourth volume will sadly bring a close to the story of Widdershins/ Adrienne. It's always hard to part with an amazing series and Ari Marmell didn't make it any easier. But he wrote a very fine and utterly unexpected conclusion to the series.
What has happened so far in the series? In the first two books, the story took place in the city of Davillon and showed the young female thief Widdershins in her element, stealing and running The Flippant Witch, also there were otherworldly threat in the for of demonic presences. But things did go according to Widdershins plans and in the end of False Covenant she needed a break eventually she wound up in the city of Louvreaux but not without finding any problems their. She discovered a plot to overthrow the last bastion of the Delacroix family, one that she is closely linked to. The start of Covenant's End sees the return of Widdershins to Davillon, which is again not without any problems...
On the road home, Widdershins is confronted by the fact that there are hardly people on the road besides her. In a inn she soon finds out that strange things are haunting the travelers and scarring them witless. Everyone is afraid to travel except for a few highwaymen. In a inn she soon finds out that strange things are haunting the travelers and scarring them witless. What Widdershins learns in the inn is that monsters, unexplainable monsters, roam along the road to Davillon. If you read the first three books you know that Widdershins isn't a stranger to the supernatural. As Widdershins comes closer and closer to Davillon she feel a lingering and very eerie presence, and somewhat familiar. When Widdershins finally gets into town see discover a whole lot of problems, all problems that are owed to her actions. Where she had thought that reunion with old friends would go smooth, they are far from it. Not necessarily that her old friends despise her but more that a lot of bad things happened because of her and she wasn't there to stop them... Next to reacquainting with old friends, Widdershins also encounters old enemies. And not just an enemy, but one that caused her and her friends a lot of harm, yes, Lisette is back and she it out to get Widdershins. Luckily in her efforts Widdershins is always aided by the personal god Olgun who helps her out a hand when things get to rough, heightening her reflexes, giving her an edge here and there. But now that Widdershins has to face against not one but mutiple opponents it does remains to be answered if Widdershins isn't in to deep...
On thing that is a clear line in the books and which again comes to the front in Covenant's End is the development of the characters and of course most importantly that of Widdershins and Olgun. I can still remember the introduction of Widdershins and the boistrous introdcution I got from her, she was always in for a joke together with her personal god Olgun. However the events that happened in all the books have shaped her character and she has started to realize that there is a lot more to have than only fun. This comes to blossom fully in the last quarter of this book and the last pages, where Widdershin or Adrienne Satti comes to realize that you need to value friendship and family and cherish every moment you have. I was very pleased that Ari Marmell ended the story in this way, yes I admit I had a lump in my throat. One thing that I highly enjoyed reading about was the relation between Olgun and Widdershins. This all started way back and now Olgun helps Widdershins, she is the only one that believes in this deity. I liked their squabbling, they always went at each other sometimes in a pretty heightened situation, but in the end when push came to shove it all came to the same point they cannot be separated. But, yes there is a big but coming on, Ari Marmell has one major heck of plot twist to show in the end of the book. I was wow'ed and still am.
In the three previous books there was focus on many different bad guys. We have seen quite a few, but one was always there, even when Widdershins was in Louvreaux there were scenes taking place in Davillon with the focus on a specific character, I thinky ou can guess who I mean. In Covenant's End the focus is on Lisette being the bad guy. Now she has many tricks up her sleeve and besides her normal skills, she has teamed up with the powers of the supernatural dark, giving her a definite edge and making her definitely a force to be reckoned with. I hadn't expected to see this side to Lisette's character, it made up for a very great finale all combined.
It is a sad and I feel having to part with Widdershins and her friends. Ari Marmell couldn't have written a better conclusion to the series in my opinion. With each new book in the series he seems to have outdone himself but with Covenant's End he really did it. It alone is a must to read the three books leading up to Covenant's End to just see what he has in store for you. From the first moment I picked up Thiefs Covenant till the ending in Covenant's End I have had a big smile on my face, granted Widdershins has gone through a lot of personal struggles, she is also a very strong female protagonist and a very funny character, even when situations get bleak, she always finds that light point somewhere and find a bit of strength to pull through. Once again The Widdershins Adventures is an amazing series and couldn't have gotten a better conclusion than what Ari Marmell wrote in Covenant's End. I do hope that there might be more in the making for Widdershins, or should I say Adrienne Satti from now on? Highly recommended.
July 30, 2018
This was a worthy denouement with its own quirks, though the flaws of the series are still present. Widdershins’ largest detractor is the stilted, on occasion, writing and humor, but here it was most improved. The plot and characters mature beautifully, though a bittersweet ending is tainted by unresolved plot lines, one minor and one… not so much.
However, what the end of the series shows is that this is a tale about growing up. Widdershins has finally come into her own, and says goodbye to some old friends, while taking the responsibility of a new life. By fully embracing her past, as she hid from it in the past novel (and, for some aspects, the whole series), she is able to take her friendships and her choices forward with a new maturity.
Her enemy Lisette, whose fingers have been pervading each story, now reveals herself fully. The ultimate villain of the series, made an enemy by a moment of trite selfishness on Widdershins’ part, is defeated by not only Widdershins’ efforts, but the combined efforts of many friends she’s made throughout the years—and, of course, Olgun.
This is a story about relying on others. While the series may be over, Widdershins has a new life ahead of her, one in which she now understands her burdens no longer have to be shouldered alone. She may still be impulsive and have no brain-to-mouth filter, but she’s developed into a grown-up young woman.
However, what the end of the series shows is that this is a tale about growing up. Widdershins has finally come into her own, and says goodbye to some old friends, while taking the responsibility of a new life. By fully embracing her past, as she hid from it in the past novel (and, for some aspects, the whole series), she is able to take her friendships and her choices forward with a new maturity.
Her enemy Lisette, whose fingers have been pervading each story, now reveals herself fully. The ultimate villain of the series, made an enemy by a moment of trite selfishness on Widdershins’ part, is defeated by not only Widdershins’ efforts, but the combined efforts of many friends she’s made throughout the years—and, of course, Olgun.
This is a story about relying on others. While the series may be over, Widdershins has a new life ahead of her, one in which she now understands her burdens no longer have to be shouldered alone. She may still be impulsive and have no brain-to-mouth filter, but she’s developed into a grown-up young woman.
March 4, 2018
The more I read this series, the more I liked it. It had a bittersweet end that felt appropriate. Not all of my questions were answered, but the author promised more books with these characters, so I am satisfied with it.
April 24, 2018
Wow! Cried like a baby... It was a heartfelt, beautiful ending. There was only one issue truly not resolved for me and something I feel should have for Shins sake. And since it wasn't I hope to read about it later in another series perhaps... This was a fantastically written series!
August 8, 2018
This final adventure is fitting in every way but somewhat disappointing as well. Not just how it ends but the entire book slows down and suffers from characters acting slightly out of character. Still, a good ending to a fun and quick series.
July 22, 2023
Loved this series and this was a truly epic finale to a great series.
This must have been a great read as I cannot think of even the slightest criticism, wow. I just hope we see Widdershins again sometime in the future
Of course I recommend the whole series. Read it - you will enjoy. I promise
This must have been a great read as I cannot think of even the slightest criticism, wow. I just hope we see Widdershins again sometime in the future
Of course I recommend the whole series. Read it - you will enjoy. I promise
August 17, 2017
This one felt like a really good ending. I enjoyed it.
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