What do you think?
Rate this book
Heart of Dread #3
Golden
The action-packed finale to the Heart of Dread series
In this epic conclusion to the trilogy, Nat and Wes go on a journey to find the Rift, save the source of magic and defeat the Drau, the pirates, and the RSA—but at a great sacrifice. Wes is dying, and as he's rotting the Drau will let the rot "cleanse" the source of magic, dooming Wes forever. Nat and Wes discover that the source of the magic lies in the Drakon—the key to the Blue, the protector, the soul of the world. But in order to close the Rift, a great sacrifice is needed. In the words of the sylphs, death is life, and now the worlds can be reborn again.
In this epic conclusion to the trilogy, Nat and Wes go on a journey to find the Rift, save the source of magic and defeat the Drau, the pirates, and the RSA—but at a great sacrifice. Wes is dying, and as he's rotting the Drau will let the rot "cleanse" the source of magic, dooming Wes forever. Nat and Wes discover that the source of the magic lies in the Drakon—the key to the Blue, the protector, the soul of the world. But in order to close the Rift, a great sacrifice is needed. In the words of the sylphs, death is life, and now the worlds can be reborn again.
284 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2016
62 people are currently reading
3913 people want to read
About the author
Melissa de la Cruz
187 books15.9k followersMelissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
April 21, 2021
Golden is the conclusion of Melissa de la Cruz’s Heart of Dread series, a book I read out of obligation. I finished reading the series because I bought all three of them, and was able to complete them in under forty-eight hours, but I wasn’t invested in them in the way I had hoped I would be. Regarding my enjoyment of this particular book, it was my least favourite of the series – the others I considered a two-point-five-star rating, but I couldn’t with this one.
The series had potential, there was the possibility of a wonderful dystopian-fantasy hybrid, but the series never reached the point I had expected it to. Everything was glossed over, things were rather predictable, and nothing really grabbed my attention. This was especially true in this final book. I wanted something big to happen, I wanted everything to come together well, but it played out in the same fashion as the prior books – things happened, but it was never really anything we experienced on a deep level.
For those who enjoyed the series, I’m sure they would enjoy the way this one came together. It was something a bit different to the norm, and I’m sure fans will enjoy it. But, as I said, I wasn’t invested in this series at all – I finished it because I owned the books.
Whether or not I will read another Melissa de la Cruz book remains to be seen. The Heart of Dread series has not left the best of impressions on me, so I’m somewhat dubious about picking up any more of her books. Maybe something will convince me, but I will not be going out of my way.
The series had potential, there was the possibility of a wonderful dystopian-fantasy hybrid, but the series never reached the point I had expected it to. Everything was glossed over, things were rather predictable, and nothing really grabbed my attention. This was especially true in this final book. I wanted something big to happen, I wanted everything to come together well, but it played out in the same fashion as the prior books – things happened, but it was never really anything we experienced on a deep level.
For those who enjoyed the series, I’m sure they would enjoy the way this one came together. It was something a bit different to the norm, and I’m sure fans will enjoy it. But, as I said, I wasn’t invested in this series at all – I finished it because I owned the books.
Whether or not I will read another Melissa de la Cruz book remains to be seen. The Heart of Dread series has not left the best of impressions on me, so I’m somewhat dubious about picking up any more of her books. Maybe something will convince me, but I will not be going out of my way.
April 29, 2019
Fantastic ending- I was worried there for a second though. : ) I read this whole series back to back this weekend because once you start reading it, you just want to keep on going.
Want to read
February 2, 2015If this book isn't released/updated sooner this year I will go mad. I thought everything was going to end well but oh no... cliff hanger :(
December 31, 2017
So I was planning on giving this book 4 stars but then the ending was rough lol. 3.5 is my rating. It all just felt very “and now everything is perfect k bye”
This book was short and sweet. It kept my attention the whole time and I’m glad to be over with the series. I wasn’t a fan of the first blue bloods by Melissa but decided to give this series a shot, I loved this series way more but the ending was disappointing.
This book was short and sweet. It kept my attention the whole time and I’m glad to be over with the series. I wasn’t a fan of the first blue bloods by Melissa but decided to give this series a shot, I loved this series way more but the ending was disappointing.
March 21, 2019
This is a triology so it is done, thank goodness, I am not a fan of fantasy, sci-fi or dystopian novels in general but I needed a book for Nevada and Frozen fit the bill sorta but not really. It is set in New Kandy which is a future look at Las Vegas as the world is thus into a frozen tundra. I enjoyed Stolen until it went well into fantasy with dragons, portals and other things I didnt quite understand.
In this novel things get bizarre and I lost all connection to this series.
In this novel things get bizarre and I lost all connection to this series.
April 11, 2016
{My thoughts} – Once again we get the pleasure of the current book picking up where the last one had left off. So much happened in the last book. I suppose we can do a slight recount of the important things. We learned what really happened the night that Wes’s sister Eliza had been taken from their home all those years ago. We learned who Elia really was and that Wes and Nat were a lot more alike then we had originally thought.
Nat is going through a rough time trying to get her drakon back from Eliza. Eliza took the drakon and now Nat is having problems trying to hold onto the bond that she and her drakon have learned to depend on. Without the bound they she does not have the drakon sight and without that she feels lost, she is even more lost without her drakon’s thoughts in her head telling her what to do or reassuring her when things get iffy.
In the last book Wes and Nat and the crew were all thrown into a place where they were to be hunted by normal people. They were to be slaughtered. They were to be destroyed because they were different. They survived it all only to be attacked by Wes’s sister and then some old pals that they thought were dead. They survived it all only to watch all those that they had recued be executed before their very eyes. All that to them while out on the boat in the water appeared to be for nothing.
Wes and his crew weren’t left with much choice they had to go back into the city they were fleeing in order to hope for survival from the attack. They had to try and save as many of the marked as they could and try and stop them all from dying. They had to do something. They had no choice but to risk it all and hope for a good ending. While they were there Wes kept hearing things in his head and he kept pushing it away, eventually he gave in and they learned it was the Queen from The Blue. She portaled to where they were in an attempt to save them but not all of them, she said Nat wasn’t welcome. That Nat wasn’t a protector, that she was a pretender and that she wasn’t allowed back into The Blue.
Of course that didn’t go over well with Wes and he fought against the Queen and the Queen’s magic and he prevailed but at a cost. The Blue was left vulnerable and was being attacked by the RSA and the Queen was no where to be found. Wes had to go outside the portal to find her and drag her back and when he did she refused to help. Since the Queen wouldn’t help the only way to defeat the enemy was for Nat to call upon her darakonfire and she did, again it was at a cost. What happens next?
There was so much going on in this book that I was pulled into it from start to finish. There was so much adventure and battle and conflict and resolve. It all went hand and hand with each other so nicely. I enjoyed reading it and learning all the new things that there was to learn. I enjoyed the twists and the turns of the story. I some what wish that it hadn’t have come to end, that this wasn’t the end of the series. I feel that that could be more to the story and with the way the book ended there was definitely and opening left where the authors could have continued the story or started a new spin off series maybe, I don’t know for sure, I am sad to see it end though. I managed to fall in love with the characters and when that happens and the series ends it leaves you with a feeling of loss and right now I am feeling that feeling, I know it’s over but honestly I don’t want to accept that it is.
Nat is going through a rough time trying to get her drakon back from Eliza. Eliza took the drakon and now Nat is having problems trying to hold onto the bond that she and her drakon have learned to depend on. Without the bound they she does not have the drakon sight and without that she feels lost, she is even more lost without her drakon’s thoughts in her head telling her what to do or reassuring her when things get iffy.
In the last book Wes and Nat and the crew were all thrown into a place where they were to be hunted by normal people. They were to be slaughtered. They were to be destroyed because they were different. They survived it all only to be attacked by Wes’s sister and then some old pals that they thought were dead. They survived it all only to watch all those that they had recued be executed before their very eyes. All that to them while out on the boat in the water appeared to be for nothing.
Wes and his crew weren’t left with much choice they had to go back into the city they were fleeing in order to hope for survival from the attack. They had to try and save as many of the marked as they could and try and stop them all from dying. They had to do something. They had no choice but to risk it all and hope for a good ending. While they were there Wes kept hearing things in his head and he kept pushing it away, eventually he gave in and they learned it was the Queen from The Blue. She portaled to where they were in an attempt to save them but not all of them, she said Nat wasn’t welcome. That Nat wasn’t a protector, that she was a pretender and that she wasn’t allowed back into The Blue.
Of course that didn’t go over well with Wes and he fought against the Queen and the Queen’s magic and he prevailed but at a cost. The Blue was left vulnerable and was being attacked by the RSA and the Queen was no where to be found. Wes had to go outside the portal to find her and drag her back and when he did she refused to help. Since the Queen wouldn’t help the only way to defeat the enemy was for Nat to call upon her darakonfire and she did, again it was at a cost. What happens next?
There was so much going on in this book that I was pulled into it from start to finish. There was so much adventure and battle and conflict and resolve. It all went hand and hand with each other so nicely. I enjoyed reading it and learning all the new things that there was to learn. I enjoyed the twists and the turns of the story. I some what wish that it hadn’t have come to end, that this wasn’t the end of the series. I feel that that could be more to the story and with the way the book ended there was definitely and opening left where the authors could have continued the story or started a new spin off series maybe, I don’t know for sure, I am sad to see it end though. I managed to fall in love with the characters and when that happens and the series ends it leaves you with a feeling of loss and right now I am feeling that feeling, I know it’s over but honestly I don’t want to accept that it is.
February 8, 2018
This is the strangest combination of dystopian sci-fi and fantasy that I've ever read. Soldiers shooting bullets at flying sylphs with swords? Too weird.
Golden is a great conclusion to the series. Lots of action and a huge amount of loss with regard to characters and war. The ending is a little strange and felt a bit tacked on, but fit with the overall theme and worked in a general sense.
This is a situation where the first two books in the series are available as audiobooks and this last one is not. It's truly a shame, since the narrators Phoebe Strole and Dan Bittner (who did the first two books) are so good. Shame on the publishers for dropping the ball. This would have been amazing on audio.
Golden is a great conclusion to the series. Lots of action and a huge amount of loss with regard to characters and war. The ending is a little strange and felt a bit tacked on, but fit with the overall theme and worked in a general sense.
This is a situation where the first two books in the series are available as audiobooks and this last one is not. It's truly a shame, since the narrators Phoebe Strole and Dan Bittner (who did the first two books) are so good. Shame on the publishers for dropping the ball. This would have been amazing on audio.
April 19, 2016
I feel like I finished reading this book out of obligation. I read the first two and enjoyed them well enough and this was more of the same, but I really wasn't that into it. As I continued on I got into the plot and I can see the how this would be a worthy finale. However, I just finished reading the first two books of Red Queen and THAT is a way to write a magical dystopian world.
So, I mean, this was fun and it moved along. There was a lot of a action. The characters are hot and amusing. But, in the end, this series was just a meh for me.
So, I mean, this was fun and it moved along. There was a lot of a action. The characters are hot and amusing. But, in the end, this series was just a meh for me.
April 28, 2016
Ahh this book was soo good, the best book in the series! It was fast paced, exciting, action packed and had so many feels! It was the perfect ending to the series, I just wish it was a little bit longer :(
March 10, 2016
This Book is Literally getting me reading it 24/7! I love the story and I can't believe I can read it under 24 hours
April 18, 2016
I wanted to like this so very much. I had been eagerly awaiting it's release (even through the torturous push back in publication date). I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. But it fell far short of my hopes and dreams. All the whys and wherefores of the reasons for my dream crushing are related to lots of spoilers, so most of my review part will be hidden in a spoiler warning. Proceed at your own risk. But first, a summary. (Or as much of a summary as possible without giving things away.)
Ok, so this picks up right where book two left off. Wes is dying in Nat's arms of a wound inflicted by the dreaded RSA. Nat has lost her dragon to the cruel Eliza Wesson. The world is dissolving in an environmental disaster, and the RSA wants to spread that to the Blue while also ridding the world of any and all magical peoples. Nat, Wes, and gang are trying to preserve the Blue and renew the world with a cryptic set of tasks given to Nat by her mentor Faix. And they struggle to do those final tasks while also holding off the RSA and Eliza in this book.
I was hoping for some more awesome dragon fight scenes, a dramatic conclusion and a bunch of wows in how de la Cruz & Johnston dreamed up ways for Nat & gang to succeed in saving the world. Sadly, I was very much not wowed. The plot relies way, way, way too heavily on deus ex machina. I was so disappointed. Want details? You asked for it.
Notes on content: A handful of swear words. There is one sex scene, not graphically detailed but not a nothing/fade to off page either. (That was another disappointment. The rest of the series has just had some kissing, and now they pull out more mature content. It's a pet peeve when a series start off on a moderate level of content for several books and then ups the maturity level in later books. And it's not like the characters are aging years or anything, the entire series happens within a matter of days.) Several battles with lots of fatalities on page from gun shots, knife wounds, etc. Some wounds a bit described. Some characters smoke.
Ok, so this picks up right where book two left off. Wes is dying in Nat's arms of a wound inflicted by the dreaded RSA. Nat has lost her dragon to the cruel Eliza Wesson. The world is dissolving in an environmental disaster, and the RSA wants to spread that to the Blue while also ridding the world of any and all magical peoples. Nat, Wes, and gang are trying to preserve the Blue and renew the world with a cryptic set of tasks given to Nat by her mentor Faix. And they struggle to do those final tasks while also holding off the RSA and Eliza in this book.
I was hoping for some more awesome dragon fight scenes, a dramatic conclusion and a bunch of wows in how de la Cruz & Johnston dreamed up ways for Nat & gang to succeed in saving the world. Sadly, I was very much not wowed. The plot relies way, way, way too heavily on deus ex machina. I was so disappointed. Want details? You asked for it.
Notes on content: A handful of swear words. There is one sex scene, not graphically detailed but not a nothing/fade to off page either. (That was another disappointment. The rest of the series has just had some kissing, and now they pull out more mature content. It's a pet peeve when a series start off on a moderate level of content for several books and then ups the maturity level in later books. And it's not like the characters are aging years or anything, the entire series happens within a matter of days.) Several battles with lots of fatalities on page from gun shots, knife wounds, etc. Some wounds a bit described. Some characters smoke.
August 11, 2016
This review is also posted at http://readingnookandcranny.blogspot....
She was the drakon. Its heart of dread. And now she was an immense, churning, howling ball of flame.
For a series routed in dragons, I gotta say, there was a severe lack of dragons in this final installment to the series. And when the dragons - sorry, 'drakons' - are reintroduced, it is not what you would expect and doesn't last for very long. Disappointing, as the dragons were about the one thing I liked about this series, which didn't leave much in the way for enjoyment in this last installment.
The writing is so juvenile at times that it's laughable. As the substitution of the word 'freeze' for curse words is really frakking (heh) irritating. Take this passage for example:
Godfreezeit... he was freezing dying... motherfreezer... Nat... Nat... where are you...
Case and point on both mentioned above.
Golden feels more like a romance than anything else, but there is no chemistry between Nat and Wes to speak of, so the plot has no grounds on which to stand. And while they have quite a few enemies to deal with, we go through three major fights in the last third of the novel, all sandwiched in together. It feels rushed, and there's no real action or suspense behind the prose to keep readers hooked.
While I think die hard fans of Melissa de la Cruz and the series will enjoy this conclusion, I've still yet to be impressed with anything she's written so far.
She was the drakon. Its heart of dread. And now she was an immense, churning, howling ball of flame.
For a series routed in dragons, I gotta say, there was a severe lack of dragons in this final installment to the series. And when the dragons - sorry, 'drakons' - are reintroduced, it is not what you would expect and doesn't last for very long. Disappointing, as the dragons were about the one thing I liked about this series, which didn't leave much in the way for enjoyment in this last installment.
The writing is so juvenile at times that it's laughable. As the substitution of the word 'freeze' for curse words is really frakking (heh) irritating. Take this passage for example:
Godfreezeit... he was freezing dying... motherfreezer... Nat... Nat... where are you...
Case and point on both mentioned above.
Golden feels more like a romance than anything else, but there is no chemistry between Nat and Wes to speak of, so the plot has no grounds on which to stand. And while they have quite a few enemies to deal with, we go through three major fights in the last third of the novel, all sandwiched in together. It feels rushed, and there's no real action or suspense behind the prose to keep readers hooked.
While I think die hard fans of Melissa de la Cruz and the series will enjoy this conclusion, I've still yet to be impressed with anything she's written so far.
January 28, 2018
I loved this book so much even if it had its moments when I just wanted it to end but things that were in the story made up for all that I still ended up loving it. I really loved the characters even more they just were so well written I still loved the romance even though it had its ups and downs but even after that I enjoyed the romance.I loved the story it was well written even if there were a few things I did not like but those were developed where it was not bad and I stilled liked the story in the end. The plot moved along at a pretty good pace it had its ups and downs but it was still well written and I still ended up loving the story very much. So overall I loved the story even with its faults.
Want to read
December 7, 2015Head over to the HEA blog to see the cover reveal and some questions from Melissa and Michael!
http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/20...
INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA
Tell us about the covers for the series! Did you have any say? How much do you love them!
Melissa: We absolutely love our covers! The artist, Steve Stone, has done many classic fantasy novel covers, and we were so honored Penguin chose him for our covers. We are very engaged with our cover concepts, and work with our publisher to figure out the best image to represent our book. We feel very lucky that Penguin is so receptive to our ideas.
Can you give readers a tidbit or a small spoiler for Golden?
http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/20...
INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA
Tell us about the covers for the series! Did you have any say? How much do you love them!
Melissa: We absolutely love our covers! The artist, Steve Stone, has done many classic fantasy novel covers, and we were so honored Penguin chose him for our covers. We are very engaged with our cover concepts, and work with our publisher to figure out the best image to represent our book. We feel very lucky that Penguin is so receptive to our ideas.
Can you give readers a tidbit or a small spoiler for Golden?
August 1, 2016
This was a nice conclusion to the series. It was fast paced and kept my attention. I mention that because book 2 was a little on the slower side. Nat and Wes spend the book trying to defeat the many bad guys throughout the book. She is then left with one of the biggest decisions of her life. Thankfully it all worked out in the end because one thing I hate most is a unhappily ever after.
July 10, 2016
I really enjoyed but I have two issues;
1) My copy does not have coloured edges, where my copies of the first two books do. Frozen has blue page edges and Stolen has red page edges my copy of Golden does not.
2) It was too short, I was expecting a large book or at least the same number of pages as Frozen the first book, instead Golden is the thinnest book out of the three.
1) My copy does not have coloured edges, where my copies of the first two books do. Frozen has blue page edges and Stolen has red page edges my copy of Golden does not.
2) It was too short, I was expecting a large book or at least the same number of pages as Frozen the first book, instead Golden is the thinnest book out of the three.
July 9, 2016
This book was one of those books that sum up the past novels and bring tears to your eyes. It makes you feel complete and strangely happy. It's mad me feel sad because geez I really want another one but I couldn't be more thrilled by the way it ended! I loved all of the books and characters. I'm so happy for Wes and Nat by the end of this novel. My heart is warmed ❤️
March 23, 2018
I think the book is interesting but hard to follow. The story doesn’t make sense but I give props on diction and imagery and personification. I think Nat and Wes are an adorable couple and it has some comedy. The fact that instead of including curse words she uses things like “ice hole “ and stuff that made me laugh a lot.
April 20, 2016
This book felt rushed. I don't know why, but the first half felt like things were happening too fast.
That being said, this was a great finale to the series. The very last chapter was the best way to wrap up.
That being said, this was a great finale to the series. The very last chapter was the best way to wrap up.
November 27, 2016
I understand why the ending is the way it is, but I don't know if I'm a fan.
January 24, 2018
That MotherFREEZER Ending!!
What an ICE-HOLE!!!!
FREEZE YOU book !!
What an ICE-HOLE!!!!
FREEZE YOU book !!
May 30, 2021
Book 3 in the series and does a great job concluding the story.
April 13, 2018
“Golden” the third book in the “Heart of Dread” trilogy opens with Nat, Wes and their friends escaping the ruined towers of El Dorado only to have the portal to Vallonis remain open after they enter. With the city of Apis falling in flames, its warriors littering the battlefield only the devastation of the "Flame" can drive off the military and avoid total defeat.
When the dust settles Nat and Wes decide the only hope for the crumbling worlds lies in finding and voicing the healing spell in the codex in the Grey Tower which will cost an ultimate sacrifice. But with her thread to her drakon frayed by the illusion of the imposter/murderer on his back, her flame weakened Nat gambles on Faix’s dragon only to learn a deadly secret and to have to use Wes’s power to topple Eliza and confront Avo Hubik before the spell can bring rebirth.
Set in a world filled with an eternal winter, ice, darkness and death Nat and Wes face an impossible decision that puts their love and hope to the test. Fast-paced and action-packed the story heats up as Nat learns of one failure to heal the world and the merciless nemesis it’s unleashed while Wes faces the pain of his past, unable to save his sister who is determined to destroy the Grey Tower and the world’s redemption that lies within. Intensity and suspense mount as friends are attacked and killed, and Wes and Nat recognizing their fear face a challenge that could mean life or death for their worlds.
The characters breathe life into the story with their complexity and humanness as they pick up the final challenge. Nat crazed after the loss of her drakon and feeling like a monster after using her power is filled with fear, doubt and confusion becoming preoccupied and indifferent with Wes who's strong, sensible, and empathetic, his humor and love winning her back from the darkness that invades her soul. Although their love seems indomitable it is severely tested as they begin accepting the losses each face.
I liked “Golden” although a bit anti-climatic after the last two novels. Yet younger adults will certainly enjoy this series.
When the dust settles Nat and Wes decide the only hope for the crumbling worlds lies in finding and voicing the healing spell in the codex in the Grey Tower which will cost an ultimate sacrifice. But with her thread to her drakon frayed by the illusion of the imposter/murderer on his back, her flame weakened Nat gambles on Faix’s dragon only to learn a deadly secret and to have to use Wes’s power to topple Eliza and confront Avo Hubik before the spell can bring rebirth.
Set in a world filled with an eternal winter, ice, darkness and death Nat and Wes face an impossible decision that puts their love and hope to the test. Fast-paced and action-packed the story heats up as Nat learns of one failure to heal the world and the merciless nemesis it’s unleashed while Wes faces the pain of his past, unable to save his sister who is determined to destroy the Grey Tower and the world’s redemption that lies within. Intensity and suspense mount as friends are attacked and killed, and Wes and Nat recognizing their fear face a challenge that could mean life or death for their worlds.
The characters breathe life into the story with their complexity and humanness as they pick up the final challenge. Nat crazed after the loss of her drakon and feeling like a monster after using her power is filled with fear, doubt and confusion becoming preoccupied and indifferent with Wes who's strong, sensible, and empathetic, his humor and love winning her back from the darkness that invades her soul. Although their love seems indomitable it is severely tested as they begin accepting the losses each face.
I liked “Golden” although a bit anti-climatic after the last two novels. Yet younger adults will certainly enjoy this series.
June 8, 2016
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession
Golden continued and finished the long journey started back in Frozen. While it was enjoyable, unfortunately just like in the first two books, I felt rather disjointed from the story and characters. There was plenty going on and really high stakes/intense scenes, and yet I felt held apart. There was a lot of telling rather than showing throughout and I felt some of the shocking events were just glossed over too quickly. I had hoped things would pick up and I would grow more attached. But even after reading the last two books back to back, I just didn't feel very invested in the outcome. Don't get me wrong, the plot was intriguing enough that I wanted to know how everything turned out. It just wasn't emotionally invested, only curious. It just a shame as I felt like there was so much unrealized potential here, but perhaps it's just me and my tastes and others will be sucked right in.
Disjointed issues aside, I enjoyed seeing the progression of the characters in this series, as well as the romance. Nat and Wes both grew a lot and learned what it really meant to sacrifice and fight for what they believe in. They came a long way from the start, and when you combine that with the very unique and interesting world, it made for an enjoyable read overall.
Fans of the series will be happy with the final book in the Heart of Dread series as GOLDEN is an action packed read from start to finish with an enjoyable conclusion. If it weren't for the disconnect, I'd have rated this one excellent, but in the end it was an overall decent read.
Golden continued and finished the long journey started back in Frozen. While it was enjoyable, unfortunately just like in the first two books, I felt rather disjointed from the story and characters. There was plenty going on and really high stakes/intense scenes, and yet I felt held apart. There was a lot of telling rather than showing throughout and I felt some of the shocking events were just glossed over too quickly. I had hoped things would pick up and I would grow more attached. But even after reading the last two books back to back, I just didn't feel very invested in the outcome. Don't get me wrong, the plot was intriguing enough that I wanted to know how everything turned out. It just wasn't emotionally invested, only curious. It just a shame as I felt like there was so much unrealized potential here, but perhaps it's just me and my tastes and others will be sucked right in.
Disjointed issues aside, I enjoyed seeing the progression of the characters in this series, as well as the romance. Nat and Wes both grew a lot and learned what it really meant to sacrifice and fight for what they believe in. They came a long way from the start, and when you combine that with the very unique and interesting world, it made for an enjoyable read overall.
Fans of the series will be happy with the final book in the Heart of Dread series as GOLDEN is an action packed read from start to finish with an enjoyable conclusion. If it weren't for the disconnect, I'd have rated this one excellent, but in the end it was an overall decent read.
August 28, 2017
Well, believe it or not, this one was even worse for me than the first two... Didn't think it was possible. I cannot fully formulate my ideas on this book due to the huge amount of things I don't like. Besides, I will just get aggravated. To see my thoughts on the series so far, see the reviews I posted for the previous books (spoiler alert: I didn't like them).
I had the same issues with this book as I did with the others, as well as a few more things. First of all, this book has an overwhelming amount of typos. I understand seeing the occasional error in books, but this one seemed like no one even bothered editing it.
I'm tired of complaining and being negative about these books. I don't like them, they let me down, and I thought they'd improve, but they didn't. The end.
I had the same issues with this book as I did with the others, as well as a few more things. First of all, this book has an overwhelming amount of typos. I understand seeing the occasional error in books, but this one seemed like no one even bothered editing it.
I'm tired of complaining and being negative about these books. I don't like them, they let me down, and I thought they'd improve, but they didn't. The end.
January 23, 2018
Ug! I just couldn’t finish it! I really tried, but reading it was giving me a head ache. I mentioned that the other ones were written in a juvenile style, but it wasn’t just that in this one. The repeated emotional build up to nothing and the plot and ug- I feel bad not finishing a book but I honestly didn’t think this one was written well. Which kills me to say because I know I would die if someone said that about one of my books.
May 24, 2016
The first two books in this trilogy really weren't very good, but I was still intrigued enough to finish the series.
Honestly, this was a pretty decent book, especially in comparison to the other two. It was pretty short but it was action-packed, and the ending was fantastic.
I'm still not sure I'd recommend this series to anyone, but I'm not disappointed that I read it.
Honestly, this was a pretty decent book, especially in comparison to the other two. It was pretty short but it was action-packed, and the ending was fantastic.
I'm still not sure I'd recommend this series to anyone, but I'm not disappointed that I read it.
August 6, 2017
Third book in the series starts off where the last one ends. All the main characters who still live are back. The action is immediate. which works. It wasn't quite as good as the second or first book. The plot was okay but overall some of it was just a little outside the realm of believibility.
The 'enemy' had an almost endless supply of weapons, people and resources so it would seem, except in this world much of the population had been lost to the giant freeze and overall ruined state of the world that's described in the first 2 books, so where did all this endless supply of troops and weapons come from? With such limited resources it didn't make much sense. Also the main enemy- the RSA was seemingly hellbent on destroying a place where many resources including food would be abundant. Their logic for destroying the place and burning it, and blowing everything up made no sense. They reminded me of those endless zombie enemies that keep appearing no matter how many are killed. Also how the enemy got all this intel and new what was going on didn't make much sense with their limited communication. So one whole portion of the book where the Blue is being attacked because of the rift with an endless supply of weapons and soldiers suddenly appearing and knowing where to attack in a city that was already in shambles, filled with rubble and being destroyed made no sense.
Nat, one of the main characters became a little tiresome with her doom and gloom mentality. The whole motivation of the Queen didn't make much sense either. It wasn't really spelled out and we don't really have any idea why she suddenly decided to make some decisions that were good or bad- was she always just nutty? and why would people follow her- there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason why some halfway intelligent people would agree with the way she ruled.
The ending is okay but a little too deus ex machina. There's no rhyme or reason really as to why there was a 'reset' button or how everything was 'reset'. Does it mean some characters who aren't mentioned in the end are actually suddenly back alive too? Overall the ending was rather unexplained I suppose is the best way to put it though some semblance of an explanation is attempted. The overarching plot kind of puttered out into this ending. It was almost as if the authors weren't sure how to end it or what to do with the overreaching plot, but they didn't want it to be too depressing so they just created this random happy ending that didn't seem to have much rhyme or reason other than Nat was a good girl and did what needed to be done.
The 'enemy' had an almost endless supply of weapons, people and resources so it would seem, except in this world much of the population had been lost to the giant freeze and overall ruined state of the world that's described in the first 2 books, so where did all this endless supply of troops and weapons come from? With such limited resources it didn't make much sense. Also the main enemy- the RSA was seemingly hellbent on destroying a place where many resources including food would be abundant. Their logic for destroying the place and burning it, and blowing everything up made no sense. They reminded me of those endless zombie enemies that keep appearing no matter how many are killed. Also how the enemy got all this intel and new what was going on didn't make much sense with their limited communication. So one whole portion of the book where the Blue is being attacked because of the rift with an endless supply of weapons and soldiers suddenly appearing and knowing where to attack in a city that was already in shambles, filled with rubble and being destroyed made no sense.
Nat, one of the main characters became a little tiresome with her doom and gloom mentality. The whole motivation of the Queen didn't make much sense either. It wasn't really spelled out and we don't really have any idea why she suddenly decided to make some decisions that were good or bad- was she always just nutty? and why would people follow her- there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason why some halfway intelligent people would agree with the way she ruled.
The ending is okay but a little too deus ex machina. There's no rhyme or reason really as to why there was a 'reset' button or how everything was 'reset'. Does it mean some characters who aren't mentioned in the end are actually suddenly back alive too? Overall the ending was rather unexplained I suppose is the best way to put it though some semblance of an explanation is attempted. The overarching plot kind of puttered out into this ending. It was almost as if the authors weren't sure how to end it or what to do with the overreaching plot, but they didn't want it to be too depressing so they just created this random happy ending that didn't seem to have much rhyme or reason other than Nat was a good girl and did what needed to be done.
March 16, 2017
https://lesbouquinsdechloe.wordpress....
Δ Ne pas lire cette chronique si vous n’avez pas lu les autres tomes; cela pourrait vous spoiler.
L’intrigue continue d’avancer et l’on reprend la lecture dans une ambiance assez triste. Mais dès le départ on ne nous laisse aucun répit. L’action est au rendez-vous et ce tout au long, quand on pense que nos personnages ont enfin un moment pour souffler et ben NON C’EST REPARTI pour un tour. Les épreuves se révèlent de plus en plus difficiles pour nos personnages. De plus , c’est un tome assez tristounet surtout si vous vous êtes attaché à tous les personnages du fait de nombreuses morts.
J’étais toujours aussi heureuse de retrouver Nat et sa bande qui nous transmettent leur bonne humeur même dans les circonstances les plus tristes. Comme je le dis plus haut les épreuves que doivent affronter nos différents personnages sont de plus en plus difficiles et les choses se passent difficilement, pas toujours comme prévu et beaucoup de sacrifices sont faits. C’est un élément qui pour moi est positif dans le sens où je déteste quand les choses se passent trop facilement et que les personnages ressortent haut la main de quelque chose dont il sont censés ressortir presque agonisant, j’avoue que j’exagère un peu sur le côté agonisant. Fort heureusement, ici plus on avance dans le récit et plus on rencontre de difficultés et d’obstacles. Ce qui me semble important dans les trilogies, notamment dans le dernier tome. Je ne vais pas en dire davantage puisque vous découvrirai tout ceci de vous même.
La plume de l’auteur est toujours aussi enrichissante et plaisante à lire. Toutes les questions que j’ai pu me poser dans la totalité de la trilogie ont eu leur réponse, quant à la fin elle m’a fait frissonner, je ne pensais pas que ça se terminerait ainsi mais j’ai vraiment adoré. J’ai lu plusieurs livres de Melissa de la Cruz, et cette trilogie reste celle que j’ai préférée.
En conclusion, ce troisième tome, fût presque un coup de cœur ! Chargé d’émotions, d’humour, et de magie. J’ai vraiment adoré découvrir cette trilogie dont je n’attendais pas grand-chose au départ.
Δ Ne pas lire cette chronique si vous n’avez pas lu les autres tomes; cela pourrait vous spoiler.
L’intrigue continue d’avancer et l’on reprend la lecture dans une ambiance assez triste. Mais dès le départ on ne nous laisse aucun répit. L’action est au rendez-vous et ce tout au long, quand on pense que nos personnages ont enfin un moment pour souffler et ben NON C’EST REPARTI pour un tour. Les épreuves se révèlent de plus en plus difficiles pour nos personnages. De plus , c’est un tome assez tristounet surtout si vous vous êtes attaché à tous les personnages du fait de nombreuses morts.
J’étais toujours aussi heureuse de retrouver Nat et sa bande qui nous transmettent leur bonne humeur même dans les circonstances les plus tristes. Comme je le dis plus haut les épreuves que doivent affronter nos différents personnages sont de plus en plus difficiles et les choses se passent difficilement, pas toujours comme prévu et beaucoup de sacrifices sont faits. C’est un élément qui pour moi est positif dans le sens où je déteste quand les choses se passent trop facilement et que les personnages ressortent haut la main de quelque chose dont il sont censés ressortir presque agonisant, j’avoue que j’exagère un peu sur le côté agonisant. Fort heureusement, ici plus on avance dans le récit et plus on rencontre de difficultés et d’obstacles. Ce qui me semble important dans les trilogies, notamment dans le dernier tome. Je ne vais pas en dire davantage puisque vous découvrirai tout ceci de vous même.
La plume de l’auteur est toujours aussi enrichissante et plaisante à lire. Toutes les questions que j’ai pu me poser dans la totalité de la trilogie ont eu leur réponse, quant à la fin elle m’a fait frissonner, je ne pensais pas que ça se terminerait ainsi mais j’ai vraiment adoré. J’ai lu plusieurs livres de Melissa de la Cruz, et cette trilogie reste celle que j’ai préférée.
En conclusion, ce troisième tome, fût presque un coup de cœur ! Chargé d’émotions, d’humour, et de magie. J’ai vraiment adoré découvrir cette trilogie dont je n’attendais pas grand-chose au départ.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews