The Morrigan's Curse

Eighth Day #3

by Dianne K. Salerni

In this third and final book in the series that VOYA recommends “for fans of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter,” the war over the Eighth Day continues—and there’s more at stake than ever before.

The battle between Kin and Transitioners that’s been brewing for centuries has come to a head. The sinister Kin have captured Addie Emrys, Evangeline’s sister and the Merlin descendant who will allow them to reverse the Eighth Day Spell and free themselves. Addie, who doesn’t realize the full consequences of her cooperation, is helping the Kin because they let her use her magic—something Evangeline never did—and the feeling of power running through her veins is impossible to resist.

Meanwhile, Riley, Evangeline, and Jax craft a plan to rescue Addie from her captors. But the Kin’s unstoppable magic, plus the fact that Addie may not go willingly, force Riley to reconsider whether saving Addie is worth sacrificing everyone who lives in the seven-day week. Jax won’t accept letting Evangeline’s sister be used as a pawn, so he risks it all in a secret mission of his own. With the Morrigan pushing both sides of the war toward annihilation, Addie must decide with whom to stand, while Jax, Riley, and Evangeline confront the possibility of losing Addie to save the world.

Adventure, action, and magic collide to create an unforgettable conclusion to the trilogy that Kirkus called “an inspired series.”

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Magic, Childrens, Adventure, Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2016

About the author

DIANNE K. SALERNI, a former fifth grade teacher, is the author of YA and MG novels.

Her upcoming dark MG fantasy, THE CARREFOUR CURSE, explores gothic themes in a story Publisher's Weekly calls "genre-bending" in a starred review.

The EIGHTH DAY fantasy series follows the adventures of Jax Aubrey, who discovers a secret day between Wednesday and Thursday. ELEANOR, ALICE, & THE ROOSEVELT GHOSTS portrays an alternate historical reality where ghosts are known to be real and threaten the future of a famous family. JADIE IN FIVE DIMENSIONS is an adventure in geometry, physics, and conspiracy theories.

Reviews

[Crystal Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to this book for a while. The second book in the series was so awesome, that I just couldn't wait. I started reading it out loud to my kids, because that's how we've done the entire series, but about 6 chapters in, we came to a stand still. The action doesn't pick up as quickly in this one as in the others. That's partially because the action is stretched between an additional view point character, and it takes some time to get invested in her. That said, I did eventually invest.

The book hit its pace about half way through for me. Things intensify, motives come into place, and character begin to take very active approaches to their roles.

In the end, I was happy with the way it played out.

Content warning: some violence.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe closer to a 2.5.

As far as a series goes that is based on Arthurian legends, the real Arthurian parts have been a little buried until now. And, unfortunately, that's the best thing I can say about this book. The premise regarding an "Eighth Day" and a parallel universe is kind of exhausted, so now the big Arthurian twists come into play and make an appearance to liven things up, and it never quite gets to the excitement level I was hoping for.

Overall, especially in comparison to the previous books, this just felt like a flat way to end a story that could have had more in the way of action, adventure, and intrigue. It's unfortunate.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Salerni STILL can't write a book without a dollop of misogyny. Billy emails a copy of the childhood journal written by Jax's dead father to Jax and initially tries to show compassion during such an emotionally-charged event:
"I didn't want to forward it to you without telling you that I'm here for you, dude." Billy made a face. "That sounded girly, didn't it?"
"Yup."
You'd expect something like that from a book written 10+ yrs ago, not from 2016. It just shows that women are as susceptible to these sorts of biases against women as are men. Yet another book that quietly undermines 'feminine' qualities as being weak and inappropriate for men.

If we set that aside, it's a fun young adult story with a King Arthur & Merlin twist. I've enjoyed this creative series and would recommend it for kids, as long as you teach them to look for the sexist assumptions that stories are often built upon.

[Tamara Nelson-Fromm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending was great and now I want like 50 more adventures with Jax and co. So goooood.

24/9/2015: I'm excited for this but really Jax, going off on your own again?

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eighth Day series  
If you haven't read The Eighth Day, stop reading and see my review. This may give away details of the first book.
 
I loved this series. Unknown to "normals," there is an eighth day between Wednesday and Thursday called Grunsday. The people that know about this day are descended from King Arthur, Merlin and others from that time. Some of them are "transitioners" who are able to live in normal days as well as Grunsday. Some are "kin" and are stuck only living on Grunsday. Merlin created the eighth day to trap the kin and Merlin's descendants are the ones keeping the magic of Grunsday alive. There are only two descendants of Merlin left and everyone wants to protect or control them.
 
That's the basic idea, without giving anything away from the second and third books. Basically, if you like fantasy or adventure, read this series. I loved it!!

[Keefe Sencen · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Not Five Stars Because of the Ending]
A few things I have to say;
1. I NEED MORE! It feels so unfinished! Another book or series about these characters PLEASE!!
2. Jax you idiot.
3. Don't fall from thin air with a knife wound in your back right in front of the girl you secretly like. Listen to me, it's not impressive.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nooooo, I don't want this series to end. Ever!!
The characters are so dear to me!!! ;___;

[cEe beE · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way to end the series. With a fizzle. I hope there won’t be a fourth book, because the ending seemed unresolved and at this point, don’t really care for most of the characters.

Won’t bother with a review. I’m unmotivated by disappointment.

[Nick Pes]

------ SPOILERS INCLUDED ------

With tension building up, Jax has no other option but to enter he Lyr house. But suprise suprise when Jax gets found, and the Lyrs are on alert. Will they be able to defeat the Lyrs with the help of the Dulacs, Morgans, and more allies, or is the power of weather stronger than Jax's will to win?

This book was SUPER! I can't believe the series ended ;( This book was violent, but not too bad. I reccomend for 5-8th graders.

[Susan Swiderski · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so the adventures continue. An abundance of exposition and backstory got this book off to a bit of a slow start for me, and I had some difficulty keeping all of the characters straight initially, but the story itself continues to be riveting... and I'm ready for more.

Not only does this book... and this series... abound with adventure, intrigue and a smattering of history and humor, but it also reveals something about human nature. Even if those humans DO belong to families with indelible ties to the days of King Arthur, and have magical abilities that boggle the mind. Some are just as plagued with greed, jealousy, and a thirst for power as many mere mortals. Others also embody honor, kindness, and self-sacrifice. Will some of them continue to be trapped in the Eighth Day... or will the Eighth Day cease to exist, and their destructive powers be unleashed on the unsuspecting world? Its fate, and the fate of the world, may depend on a single young girl. Is she capable of making the right decision? Will she?

And after the big battle, is this the end of it? For our sake, let's hope not. Let's hope there will be many more books to come in this series. Highly recommended to young readers. And, um, old readers, too. Like me.

[Laurie]

This third book in THE EIGHTH DAY series is just as fast-paced and exciting as the other two. Great, complex characters and a fascinating magical world. I love the blend of Arthurian legends and modern-day settings. This series is PERFECT for middle school fantasy readers, and all three books are equally excellent. The books are pitched for ages 8-12, but they're just as compelling for 13 and even 14-year-old readers as for younger middle schoolers. They've been a huge hit at the middle school where I teach, where a couple of high-achieving eighth graders were so excited this third book came out that they borrowed and sped through my copy before I got a chance to read it myself and I noticed two sixth graders reading it when I walked by their independent reading time last week. A definite must-have for middle school libraries.

[Akoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this third installment of the Eighth Day series, Kin and Transitioners go to war. One group wanting to preserve the Eighth day, the other wanting to break the spell.
Allegiances and loyalties are tested, people got hurt and some died. I was not disappointed at all by this book. However this being a third book in a series I can't say much without spoilers.
The author's writing is fantastic as usual, along with her plot and character development.
I hope to one day attend a writing class of hers.

If you've enjoyed the first two books and enjoyed them you will most likely enjoy this one as well.

[rhea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

in comparison to books 1 & 2, the action in this one takes some time to pick up pace. but i was so glad to finally meet addie & learn about her role in this whole world. the ending was bittersweet and contentful since everyone got what they deserved(Griffyn, Bran, Uncle Finn...).

however... the romance subplots?? not it. i really wish the author hadn't added them because they were so unnecessary and a bit off-putting. other than that, it was an amazing ending to a series :")

gonna miss jax & his crew so so much <333

[Lori Galaske · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a fun ride, but by the end of book three, I had hopes for a more dramatic change in the kin/transitioner world. At the end of The Morrigan's Curse, the kin are sent back to their imprisonment in Oeth Anoeth, and the eighth day is preserved. Things go back to the way they were when the story opens in the first book. Disappointing.

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't stand well on its own, but will look into starting the series from the beginning eventually.

[christine ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5*

I Am Feeling Emotions That I Cannot Describe

[Stephanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as absolutely fabulous as the first two, but still a solid ending. I wouldn't mind a whole 'nother trilogy, perhaps with Tegan as the main character?

[Dawsey Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, but it is set up for a sequel that will never come, which was very disappointing.

[Wesley R · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book The Morrigan's Curse by Dianne K. Salerni was one of my favorite books I have read all year. Its theme of how loyalty isn’t a good thing is simply fantastic. The reason why The author wants the reader to know this is so people realize the damage promises/oaths can do. This is shown throughout this book by how many oaths and promises are made and 99% of these bonds made people do evil things such as Evangeline’s oath of loyalty to Griffyn which made Evageline do some very bad things such as helping the kin. The Morrigan’s Curse is the third book in this series. This series is about an eight day period in which a race of people, the kin, is trapped in and about these transitioners that travel between the two timelines. Anything that happens in the eight day happens in the seven day timeline in a split second. In this book a dangerous kin family, the Lyrrs have been released from an ancient prison and this family can control the weather. Almost immediately they get their hands on Addie, A Emrys' heir which is Merlin’s bloodline which created the eighth day. With Addies power they may be able to break the eighth day spell realizing them. Meanwhile The main character Jax and his liege who is also a Emrys will do anything they can to stop the spell from being broken. This book as you can tell is fantasy based on the King Aurther legends. I personally really liked this book. It was fast paced and diverse. My favorite thing about it was how diverse the characters are. For example there is this character called the Morrigan which is a force of being with three bodys, the girl of crows, the washer woman, and the old crane. Each one of these body’s mean a different thing. The girl of crows gather combatants and drive them to their doom, The washer woman washes the shirts of the dead before they die and the old crane changes the destiny of key figures. All of these characters are completely unique and super cool which is what I really like about this book. Reading this book was a real roller coaster of emotions showing how one point one of the characters was dying and the next they figured something out and the mood changes so quickly which I really like. I really like this book and I would recommend this to middle school students who like fantasy and fast paced books. The reason why I would recommend this to middle school students is because some of the scenes are kind of gory including when someone got stabbed and multiple people died and just would be better for older kids.

[Braydon Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Riley was kneeling beside Jax, holding Evangeline. Her eyelids fluttered but didn’t open, and she looked as bad as Jax felt.” (Salerni 18) The book I read was “The Morrigan’s Curse” by Dianne K. Salerni. The book is about Jax and his friends who are trying to stop the evil Kin. They need to save Addie Emrys who is the daughter of Merlin who is capable of destroying the eighth day which is where the Kin live. This is difficult because Addie thinks they don’t exist and knows no other people. I loved this book and series and would recommend it to people who like fantasy and action books.

I loved this book because it had lots of action and excitement. “Addie threw both hands out, and the carpet burst into blue flames that leaped four feet into the air.” (Salerni 187) This is only one example of the many in this book. This action helps hold your attention and makes the book interesting. It is mostly different types of fighting like magical and hand-to-hand.

This book also had great descriptive words. “Droplets of water struck her skin, but the sudden prickle of gooseflesh had nothing to do with the cold seaspray.” (Salerni 2) This is only one of the hundreds the author uses in her books. The descriptive words help add excitement and realism to the books. These words help you connect with the characters. They also help add immersion and make you feel apart of the book. The author does an amazing job of this throughout the whole book.

The amount of history in this book makes it really cool. In the book, it talks about how Riley, a main protagonist, is a descendant of King Arthur. This shows how they use myths and other things that adds to the number of interesting things in the book. Like how Addie and Evangeline are descendants of Merlin. All of the other characters are also somehow connected to another person.

I recommend this book. It was one of my favorite books of all time. I recommend it if you like fantasy. Also, if you like action and adventure this is for you. It has great story elements and it was a series so the book can go into more detail. Overall I give this book a ninety-nine out of one-hundred.

[Adri · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, the positives: Evangeline's characterization was great this time around. I definitely felt she was more "whole" in this book as opposed to simply being an extension of Riley or Jax. Her devotion to her sister, while implied in the previous books, really allowed her to shine, and her being impulsive was a really neat addition to her character. Tegan was awesome, as always, but she shone immensely here. Her family and their decisions throughout the story really get the reader rethinking on what being "honorable" means. As with the previous books, the more I learn about the Grunsday details, the more I'm interested, and Tegan being the Donovan leader was super cool.

The negatives: Was the least compelling book of the series to me. Dragged out way too much. Some loose ends at the book's conclusion were fine, but what really struck me as odd was that THIS was the ending. Considering that most of the major characters have already undergone their developments, there wasn't much to do with them, so the book had to rely a lot on external action, which is fine, but it fell flat. On the topic of "loose ends", the Morrigan as a concept was executed terribly. Like most of the book, it fell horribly flat. She's supposed to be this mastermind of chaos, only to fail simply because because a 13-year-old decides to rebel... very unsatisfying way to end that conflict with her. It led up to nothing. I fail to see a purpose she serves in the story that works well and effectively in the story, other than maybe her altering Addie's talent. On top of that, it really felt like there was no point in making Lesley a host for the Morrigan other than shock factor. I understand why the Morrigan needs a host, but I just don't think it works well within the story the way it was handled. I also didn't particularly like Bran and Addie's relationship. It wanted to be a negative sort of fatherly bond, but it was too inconsistent to really be as impactful as it could've been.

Overall, the book was fine. It was an enjoyable read, but not as much as the others in the series.

[Mia Maestas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly enjoyed this series I was intrigued by the premise and it was interesting enough to keep my attention, but I cannot say that I was that invested in any of the characters.

The most investment I got was in the brotherly relationship between Jax and Riley that they developed through out this series. We finally get to see this relationship flourish in the last book just to then see them ripped apart by Riley’s decision to live in the eighth day with Evangeline. Even though Riley and Evangeline’s relationship was never really developed enough for me to be invested in them at all, or see the reason for him to give up on his only family for a girl that has shown little to no interest in him. There relationship is definitely not a serious enough relationship for him to give up his entire life and to watch his friends and family die over. This is not a fault at all on Riley’s part he is definitely my favorite character in this series but it is the authors fault for honestly giving Evangeline the personality of a blank pice of paper. She was introduced in the first book as a shy and mistrusting person and this is pretty much the only character development or personality we see from her through out the whole series. Other wise she was simply used as a device to center the plot around and move the story forward she makes few decisions and has no real stand out qualities. She doesn’t even make the decision to date Riley or participate in the decision making of Riley coming to live with her in the eighth day. She simply goes along with everything because she has no personality or character what so ever and that is just lazy writing, which is sad because other than that this was a decent story.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Morrigan's Curse by Dianne K. Salerni is part 3 of Jax’s story. When an ancient ancestry of kin break out of their prison walls inside the eighth day, they want to use Adelina Emrys to break the eighth day spell. Capturing her, they try to persuade her to, but not only are the kin at large. The Morrigan, a sign of chaos, destruction, and death, is on the loose being a really bad sign. Jax, Riley, and Evangeline won’t let the eighth day spell be broken. With their wild goose chase going on, each of them go through tough times and hard moments, not to mention all the help from the brownie holes. I would recommend this book for the lovers of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, and everyone who read the first two books in the series. With the cliffhanger, and interesting detail, all will love the story end, and how life must continue for happiness.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addie Emrys believes she is last surviving Emrys, which, in her mind and in the minds of those who have captured her, means she has the power to make or break the Eighth Day. Having gained a gift from the powerful Morrigan to see magic and to take it as her own, Addie knows deep down that the people who kidnapped her are bad guys. But she's using them to learn new magic for her own motives: as she tells Jax, why does she have to pick either side? Very action-packed and most loose ends are tied. Wouldn't mind another book in this series.

JHS/HS

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jax missed rescuing his liege lady Evangeline's sister Addie by mere minutes, allowing her to fall into the hands of the wickedest wizards on the planet. And unlike her brave and noble sister, Addie is such a hothead she might not even notice she's being used to doom humanity until it's too late. To make matters even more fraught, the Morrigan, a force of chaos and death, seems to be following Jax. Can all of Jax's friends and wits overcome the will of the Morrigan and the world's most powerful magicians? Plenty of peril and shocking turns to round out the trilogy.

[Oliver Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.2/10

finally done with this series

im not gonna lie, overall i found it quite boring for the most part and very hard for me to actually get myself to read it

i will give this book credit because it was much much better than the other two books in the trilogy

the action was much more compelling and i was able to read 270 pages in one day without passing away from boredom

i cant recommend this series because i just didn’t think it was that good but this book was better than the rest

not worth it to read the series just for this lukewarm book though

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Morrigan has forcibly inhabited Lesley Ambrose's body, and now the Girl of Crows is about to achieve what she wants most -- chaos, battle, and destruction. The battle lines are drawn, and the Transitioners and the Kin are headed for a showdown. Addie, Evangeline's little sister, is in the hands of the evil Kin leader Bran Llyr. Will he influence her to use her power to end the Eighth Day? Or will Jax be able to reach Addie before it's too late?

[Jamie Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last book is where the series begins to lose steam in my opinion, there were warning signs in the second book (very few mind you), but this is where Salerni really starts to circumvent her own systems. Characters are introduced that seem overly powerful in relation to all the others, unnecessarily so. And yet it is still a nice bow to wrap up the series, although perhaps not as elegant as I would have liked.

[MAYRA M FUENTES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I'm a mom that likes to read. I recommend the right books to my daughter who is currently in fifth grade. I enjoyed the story and researched brownies and the four treasures and was amazed to find info on them. The books are well written. The language and the story is kid friendly and Interesting.

[Erin Milham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was grinning so much at the ending: it was so perfect!
The only problem I ever had with this series is that it is based on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but takes place in America. The only mention of England is about the fortress that some of the Kin were kept in for centuries in Wales.
Apart from that, EVERYONE PLEASE READ THIS SERIES!!!