The Internationally Best-Selling Imdalind Series comes to a close in this long awaited heart-pounding conclusion.
For centuries the war that has raged within magic has ripped the world apart. Fought between Skȓítek and Trpaslík; killing father and son, and destroying a fragile balance between mortal and magic.
For centuries everyone has been awaiting the Silnỳ, searching for the girl who was prophesized. The girl with power strong enough to defeat the evil that plagued the world, and bring the war to an end.
For centuries, everyone was wrong.
The Silnỳ was not what they had been told, the promises of future distorted by a sight that was tarnished. The evil was not what they had expected, not what they had been fighting against. Instead it was hidden amongst them; plotting, waiting for their time to strike.
And it did. With fire and blade the hidden evil took it’s place upon a throne of blood. The evil has shown itself and now only one person can save them all.
But with Sights that are no longer infallible and armies that are abandoning their king – it is no longer clear who that person is, or even if they have the courage to stand up to the evil and face their end.
Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then on stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn’t found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.
This is the hardest review to write. I was mad, totally angry. And then I read the last sentence of the book. And now.... I don't know. I would really like to throw something.
A day later and I'm still pissed.
Ok, last word on this. My daughter finished it a couple of days ago and her words were: "I was not emotionally prepared for the ending of this book!"
I finished reading Crown of Cinders by Rebecca Ethington about 24 hours ago and needed time to be able to write a coherent review. I was a blubbering mess by the end of the book. I started reading The Imdalind Series almost 3 years ago and this conclusion lived up to my expectations, surprised me, and reminded me why I fell in love with the series to begin with. The longest book in the series at 433 pages it is worth every word, every minute, and the sleepless night. Please note I will do my best to not spoil this book, however if you have not read the previous books in The Imdalind Series there may be spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
Crown of Cinders picks up immediately where it left off with my least favorite characters, Sain and Ovailia. The evil Sain is capable of….*shudder* I honestly wasn’t expecting it. I was in shock! How could this meek and mild man, Joclyn’s father(?!), become the man everyone feared? And I do mean EVERYONE!!! The Trpasliks, Ovailia, Edmund, Ilyan, they all fear him and for good reason. I couldn’t begin to guess his motives, his need for ultimate power that in the end could destroy magic itself.
Joclyn and Ilyan are not doing much better. They are facing the anger of their people, people they’ve sworn to protect are turning on them, infected by Sain’s words. They believed him that Joclyn will destroy them. They think she killed the Chosen, not that she saved them from Ovailia and Sain. While Ilyan tries to calm them, Joclyn continues to learn about her newly awakened powers and how she can stop Sain. Joclyn has come almost full circle to the girl she once was in Kiss of Fire. She’s confident, brave, smart. She takes no crap and can kick your butt in heartbeat.
Ryland…oh my heart breaks for him. The events of this series have not been kind to my once favorite character but the author brings him full circle. We see glimpses of Jos’s best friend, we see his battle scars, the torment in his own head, and we see him overcome it all. I think fans of the series will be happy with how Rebecca Ethington handles this character.
Wyn is my favorite character. She’s spunky and loyal. Yes she struggles, we saw that in Dawn of Ash but she overcome it. Despite all the odds against her, Wyn fights and wins. Her love for Joclyn, her loyalty to Ilyan, her confusion over Thom…all of these things make her so relatable and real.
Then there’re Jaromir and Mira. Umm….seriously didn’t see them coming. I fell in love with Jaromir in Dawn of Ash as Ryland took him under his wing, teaching him to use his magic and come to terms with losing everything. Then enters Mira, his twin he thought dead. Mira is Edmund’s new Cail and seriously she’s scary powerful. She’s a wild card that will keep you guessing whose side she is really on until the end.
This is the final book in the series and there are many loose ends to tie up which the author does nicely. It’s obvious to readers of the series that each character was well-thought out, each twist and turn of the plot planned for this ending. It was perfect! The author expands on the history of magic, the four Firsts, and the myth surrounding the Silny. I could not have asked for more! And the final battle….*sobs* have tissues handy!!!
Overall Crown of Cinders is perfect! It alternates POV among Sain, Ovailia, Jaromir, Ryland, Ilyan, Wyn and Joclyn so the reader gets the full picture, creating dramatic irony and suspense as the reader knows what the characters do not. For true fans of the series, you will be satisfied as The Imdalind Series comes to a close. It is heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and a HEA is not guaranteed but trust me when I say it is perfect.
Okay. I'd like to start off by saying that I loved reading this series. It has rightfully so become one of my all time favorites and a series I recommend to anyone who asks what to read next. I think that if I wasn't expecting such a certain "feel" to this wrap up of 7 books and had such high hopes for the characters I'd grown to love to have happy conclusions, I would have loved this book more. But to me it just felt off.
Ever since I saw Ilyan creeping in the corner watching Joclyn at school and the first time he sang to her, called her mi lasko, I fell head over heels for him. But the Ilyan that I loved for the first handful of books was missing here....again. He changed in the last two books and honestly felt like he was just thrown in as an after thought. He was sporadic and just uncharacteristic somehow to the Ilyan we had grown to know and love. His personality was wrong, doing things he would never do, and he was around inconsistently. Creepy Mira got more page time then him!!!! I just wanted Ilyan back. I wanted him to take charge as king. Show that formidable strength he was known to possess. I wanted the way he always was with Joclyn back. I wanted more of that magnetic love I craved between them. I wanted some romance to balance out all the blood and death! But unfortunately I didn't get it. I wanted inside his head like Scorched Treachery. There was only a short chapter in his point of view in the last 100 pages or so. If I got my way I would have liked it to be a duel POV with Jos and Ilyan.
One of my biggest gripes was that I was overly informed in unnecessary places and then left complety in the dark in others. Usually where it mattered. This book desperately needed editing. I thought maybe it was just me having crazy high expectations, but after looking at other reviews, I discovered it wasn't just me.
*SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* *SPOILERS* I skipped through every chapter told by Sain, Ovailia, and Mira's point of view. I quite honestly couldn't stomach them. All they left me with was annoyance and unanswered questions. What was Ovailia's endgame? What did she "need" Ilyan for? What the hell really happened to her? Who was Damek? My biggest horror of this conclusion was finding out Joclyn's past. Why would we find out who Jos REALLY was, have that amazing, big reveal, then nothing? I wanted Sain to know who she was. I wanted to see how everyone reacted. I wanted to see how Wyn felt about her best friend being her grandmother's mother essentially. How did Jos accept this new found part of herself? Something. But it was completely forgotten.
Now....to the end.....I feel physical pain from this ending...
A fellow reviewer wrote: "We literally went from 'everyone is dead' to *15 years later in Southern France everyone is living in a mansion*" Seriously!!!! WHAT THE HELL??? We didn't even get an explanation on how the hell anyone got there!!! Maybe her point was to just leave it up to the imagination, but I'm too invested with these people. I wanted to know how long it took to find the house, how long Jos was dead, what Thom and Wyns wedding was like, if their people we still at a solid 23 or if the deserters crawled back begging for forgiveness...hell....I want to know what they eat for dinner. At this point I was was scared and getting a wee bit angry. Then....The last page came and I read it. I smiled and teared up a bit...my cuties were together at last....my heart could feel light once again....but then I flipped the page expecting more beauty only to find.....NOTHING. I stared blindly for a while then contemplated throwing my reader across the room. I could not believe that after ALL we've been through that I would be left with a one liner ending. I think I had a small breakdown as I hysterically started flipping through the acknowledgements looking for a prologue. They were separated for 15 years and I couldn't get a little reunion??? A kiss? A we live happily in our house on the beach in Southern France with our cute little blonde children??? A Touha?? Nothing???? WHY!!?
This was a beautiful story that had me hooked from the very beginning. Though I may not be completely happy with this book in particular, I believe that it is still a wonderful read. Rebecca is a great author, though I think she missed the mark a bit on this one and is in need of an editor, respectably. Or to write a novella perhaps?
Highly anticipated this release. Finally, finally the conclusion to my beloved Imaland story. Yet I had a hard time reading this book. All the twists and turns just didn't fit with the previous books. Some were good others unbelievable. Just not my favorite of the series.
I have been with this series from the beginning. I have sat and waited year after year for every book to come out, and they only seemed to be getting worse and worse. But I stuck with it, hoping that all my time waiting will pay off. It didn't. This series started off with so much potential, everyone believed that it was going to be great. It wasn't, and I am so disappointed. After all we have been through, this is how you choose to end it. Really? I'm so sad and hurt, I don't even know what to do with myself. After all Joclyn and Ilyan had to go through, and that's how you end it. Could you really think of nothing better? I hurt.
I really liked the series, but the last 2 books fell flat for me. The last chapter didn't explain much, and left holes. Even some death scenes didn't have an emotional pull to them. They definitely didn't pull me enough to really think that was the end for that character. It did have a happily ever after, but didn't feel that natural. I do like Rebecca's work, but book 6 & 7 didn't really do it for me.
As I read this book it truly did not fail me in any way. I smiled, laughed some but I cried quite a bit. I hate to see the series end but the author did an amazing job and deserves 10 stars if I could give them!
Looking at the list of books for this series it is pretty easy to discover that this isn't the last book in this series, though it does end a certain story arc. There are lots of pretty fantastic and well thought out stories in this book. It does seem as though a bit too much is left open for such a critical ending. Still I'm excited to continue reading the series with the last two books.
Characters: This series that began with only Joclyn as its narrator has grown and ballooned into this fantastic multi-narrated epic. I'm trying to find a way to fully articulate how phenomenal each point of view is. This author doesn't hold back and gives her readers an inside look into all the key players of this series. Even if there's a character that doesn't get a POV chapter, you still get a fantastic and comprehensive look into their personality and character from multiple other points of view. I really don't want to go into specific storylines, since I'm afraid if I start talking I'll accidently spoil something, but what I will say is that when I first picked up this series I did not see it ending up here, these characters have grown and changed so much since when they first were introduced and certain characters have had their true colors finally revealed and thrown my entire view of this story out of whack. Now it's finally come to a close and I can still say that this author still delivers some of the most layered and complicated characters I've ever read.
Romance: So honestly while there is still a good amount of romance in this book, some of which is actually integral to the overall plot, I was still conflicted on whether or not I should even include this section. Joclyn and Ilyan are a great couple, but once couples reach a certain point, at least to me, they start to get boring. I still love the way these two characters offset and compliment each other, but when there aren't exciting and bold new developments to go through it's hard to still be invested. Ryland's romance does play a rather large role in the story and where he ends up, I don't want to say too much because of spoilers, but it's an interesting storyline, to say the least. Of course, there's still the issue of Thom's coma and Wyn doing anything she can to find a way to break it, but I feel if I talk any more about that it's going into a spoilery place too. Let's just say that there is romance in this book, the tried and true stuff is still as strong as it was before and the new or renewed stuff is actually pretty compelling and I was very satisfied by it.
World-Building: You would think that after six books of intense world building and twists that almost redefine what this world is that this author would just sit back and play with her world instead of introducing new stuff. That being said, I'm happy she keeps building this world. Now, the revelations in this world aren't quite as exciting as some of the things we learned in Dawn of Ash, but they're just as twisted and maybe even more awesome. In addition to new revelations in this world, we also get to see more of it. This series namesake is the birthplace of all its magic. The wells of Imdalind, and while I believe we've seen part of Imdalind before, there's something that we never got to see, something that is, let's just say, jaw-dropping.
Predictability: This is an author that does not play by the rules. I've said this before in my reviews of previous installments in this series, but most series follow a basic formula. It's something that gives the reader a bit of insurance that everything will turn out okay, and usually, by the final book, you have a good idea of where all the characters will end up. Rebecca doesn't follow formulas like that, and because of that you never truly know what's going to happen. That sort of anarchic writing leads to some fantastic, if not utterly heart crushing twists that you'll never see coming. Sometimes it means that really fantastic and unimaginable things can happen. There is still some element of foreshadowing so you aren't making your way through completely blind, but there were a few times when I needed to take a break because of certain things that happened (it took me nearly a month to finish this book.)
Ending: The ending to this book what indescribable. The "final battle" was not what I expected at all, mostly because it wasn't one battle. Without spoiling too much, and hopefully nothing important, I will say that each major character had a trial or demon that they had to face and seeing that happen over the last chapters of this book was incredible. There was a great amount of action, world-shattering revelations, and heart melting moments. Then came the final chapter, which is an epilogue of sorts. My main problem with this is that between the final two chapters there seems to be a disconnect, and granted I read the ending on the ARC that the author provided me so maybe something changed in the final draft, but I felt like I was missing a chunk. There was a lot that had to be inferred and while some of it was easy some of it just felt more confusing. Then there was the thing at the end that while I'm sure I have some basic understanding of what happened, some more concrete confirmation would have been nice.
Rating:
As series finales go, this one did not disappoint. Other than a disconnected epilogue, which by itself was mostly marvelous, I have no complaints about this finale. This author made bold and exciting moves in this final installment and when I was reading I was incredibly engrossed in the story.
Between a 3 and a 3.5. I think the events from Dawn of Ash and Crown of Cinder probably could have been combined into one book. Since they were drawn out, both books seem a little slow at points.
Plot: At the end of Dawn of Ash, Sain not only made everyone doubt Joclyn’s abilities, but also overthrew Edmund. Things went from bad to worse when Mira, the girl from Joclyn’s visions, arrived to reunite with her brother Jarromir.
Characters: I can’t say too much about any of the characters without giving spoilers. Sain is indescribably evil, Jocyln and Ilyan seem much more distant than they have in past books, and I don’t even know what to think about Mira and Ovailia. Oddly, Ryland was my favorite character in this book. It almost seemed like he had more at stake than anyone else.
Writing: Ethington does an incredible job of making the reader feel everything the characters are feeling. She has a talent for imagery, and her language is sometimes almost poetic. There were some grammatical issues here and there, but this book seemed to have been edited better than some of the past books. Even when there are errors, the tension and anticipation is enough to drive you to continue. There were no sexual situations, but there is a little cursing and a lot of violence (some graphic). If the book were a movie, I’d probably rate it PG, maybe even a PG-13.
Bottom Line: Ethington is a wonderful, imaginative writer, and I’m really glad that I found the Imdalind series. However, if you were hoping for happily ever after like I was, you might be disappointed. Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people, and the epilogue doesn’t do much to reassure the readers. Also, I absolutely hated the cover. (Sorry, I had to get that out.)
I can't believe it, the end of what is now my favorite series! Everything that has happened, everything they have been through all leading up to this epic and saddened and exciting conclusion.
We learn that Sain has killed Edmund! I know right? I thought that was Joclyn's job? Edmund was the most powerful, well besides Joclyn...and Sain took him out in a matter of seconds, although Sain had the upper. Edmund viewed Sain as a weak creature. He and everyone else couldn't have been more wrong. I wonder what that means for the sights. For Ilyan's future.
The child that was sent to kill them all, Mira. Is definitely causing them to be on their guard at all times. She sees herself as evil and no other way. They are trying to make her believe otherwise.
It doesn't work...Mira does what she was sent to do, only to find out it was all in vain, for her master is dead.
They bury their dead and accept what is. Joclyn can't contain her sorrow and in a moment of sympathy from wyn the two women's magic combines and explodes. When the dust settles they are met with the bright blue sky and more problems. It's time to end the hell Sain has made of their life.
I'm so sad this is over...and I'm confused as to why Joclyn senses Ovalia's magic at the end. I mean I think I know, but it doesn't give a clear picture.
I am speechless.... ok not really it's actually pretty impossible for me to be speechless lol. But god....this this series has sent me through a roller coaster that's for sure. I've been following along since the beginning, waiting on baited breath for each new release (not so patiently may I add haha)...I even reread the entire series every time a new book came out. But this one...this one just had me going crazy....I had waited and waited for it and then during the sticky upsetting parts (mostly during the middle) I just had to keep putting the book down because I just couldn't deal lol. Let me just say I sobbed like a baby through a good portion of the last half of the book....so much happened that just crushed me. I was not disappointed though by the overall book or ending (ok slightly disappointed in the ending). Sain got what he deserved but I wish it could of been worse haha. I just wish I could of had a more in depth reunion at the end...maybe a short novella one day.. like a jump in the future...and maybe kids hehe hint hint. Anyways I just love this series and I even cried simply because it was over. The best series I have read in well my entire life apart from Hunger Games and Harry Potter (sorry I know Hunger Games and Imdalind are very very different but something about that series just got me).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Another amazing book! Undoubtedly. Amazed at the way old characters changed and how new characters developed. Some definite surprises in there with deaths. Curious as to how Thom came back, i wasnt sure what Mira did, did she mean to help him or did she mean to kill him? Did she just mess up? I really loved how Jocelyn`s whole "lives" story came out at the end. No typos, loved the vividly described scenes, and evil characters. Appalled by Sain for sure. Awesome battling and action scenes per usual. Ovalia's perspective was superb. I was left a bit wondering how everyone`s timelines lined up at the end. Like when Sain was defeated and Jocelyn was sacrificing herself. I would have liked to hear Ovalia`s line of thinking after what happened with Illiyan. I wish there was more to read on the characters finally having a good life. More on them being victorious and happy. Overall, great read! My very favorite book series. I'm hoping Rebecca will decide this isnt the last in the series and add another book. Please Rebeccaaaa!!!!
I love all of these books but, I truly had higher expectations for the final book. I mean Sain was insane, and all the fighting and war. I want glad to finally understand the real meaning of the Joslyn’s origin and how magic came to be, and all the sisters, but all the violence was a little over kill. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the series I did. I was so glad at the ending of the war... I really think this seri4s could of been shortened, if the violence wasn’t overwhelming.
Fast forward 15 years... I kinda understand we’re the author is going here with this, but I would of liked to have a little more instead of an ending... I don’t to want to give anything away, but I guess we will have to see what’s going on in the next book.
I enjoyed the series..
The book is a page turner and I did read the series in about a week, I hav two say , my favorite books were the first 2 ....
As the heartache continues, betrayals emerge and insanity takes its place. The one everyone thought was the most evil is concurred and the true villian emerges after all. I can't believe how crazy Sain ended up being. How Ovi was so power hungry to follow Sain after her father's death. Only to want it all for herself. The struggles Jos went through to find the truth about herself was mindblowing, the ending of the series was unexpected...heartbreaking...intriguing...And let's not forget about Wyn and her abilities or poor Ryland finally taking his mind back and become a mentor only to have it all crash down on him. And Ilyan, to feel his rage for his lose brought tears to my eyes. But I suppose when an author can bring their words to life, you can almost feel the emotions yourself. I was not disappointed.
This is an amazing end to a captivating series. The author created an intricate world of magic, deception, intrigue and love, that pulled you in from the beginning and kept you captive until the very last book. The action, lies, heartaches, twists and turns in this story had me on the edge of my seat, made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes. Like with all good series, you are reluctant to say goodbye to the characters you have grown to love. You have shared their fears, heartbreaks, losses and triumphs; been with them through the lies and the love. This last book weaves the various complex threads of the story into an unpredictable but amazingly satisfying end and yet you still do not want to leave this phenomenal world and its characters behind.
I had to read a couple of reviews, before writing mine because I wanted to know if it was just me, glad to find I wasn't the only one wanting more from this last book in a wonderful series.
Honestly, Sain left me confused before but his level of violence in this book was over the top. Jillian and Joclyn...where was the romance and the was the people treated her and he let them, that is not the Illyan we saw before. And why did he stop and put her down? That made no sense, the whole ending made no sense, none. What happened???? How did we end up with a hea? And if Illyan was awake two years ago why hasn't he gone to find Joclyn, yup confused and frustrated, that's how this book left me.
I love this series and this book did not disappoint. However, I do agree with others when I got to the last chapter and was like, "wait...what?" I'm a sucker for HEA so I'm thrilled to get that but I too would have liked to have known how they all ended up where they were at the end. I also am such a Jos and Ilyan fan (I would put them right next to Jamie and Claire as best book couple ever!) so I would have loved to have seen their relationship further down the road. All in all, would I recommend this book, hell yes. Ms. Ethington is a master story teller and this series has been a great ride.
This final book in the series was really good. A lot of things were brought light with Sain & Jos from other books I'd been wondering about for years. The only reason I give 4 instead of 5 stars is that I needed more details in regards to how certain things happened with Jos...it all got a bit confusing for me at one point. I liked the 15 years later portion at the end, but it just ended so abruptly. I needed more! Overall one of my favorites. Not my normal style of reading but it drew me in from book 1 and I couldn't stop!
What a ride! This book has so many things going on all at once. I love the characters and how they have grown through this series. Jocelyn and Ilians love story is so amazing and I have loved going through this series with these characters. I smiled a lot and cried some and had an incredibly hard time putting it down so I got the audio book as well so I could listen in my car
I am soooo glad this series is over. I mean, it started out so good and so strong. Right after the 4th book, it seemed to go down hill from there. I am still a bit hazy on all the parts, but, whatever. I dont even care at this point. I am so glad I go through this thing. It took me WAY too long to finish this. I must say the ending was the best part of the book. I think I should have just skipped the rest and went to the end....
Epic finale! This book is filled with crazy twists and turns. Sometimes it becomes a bit confusing with the nature of the visions shown in flashes throughout the book but completly worth it to mettle through the tough spots. Heartbreaking and invigorating at the same time. This book doesn't disappoint fans who fell in love with the first book.
The book was awesome!!!! But the ending!!! Come on!!!! I need more!!!!!! Lol. One more chapter would've been great! Novella maybe? Please? Lol Great read. I wasn't surprised how entertained and captured I was by the story. Loved the series and sad it's over.
I loved the whole series. It was a true love story that encompasses all of life minus the magical beings. A story of life, family, friendship, pain, loss, and healing.
I have read this series from day one and fell in love with the characters. I have to say that Rebecca Ethington is one of my favorite authors and when she writes it sucks you into the story.
So, I really loved this series, but the last book was disappointing. The ending was beyond disappointing. I think my favorite books in this series were the 2nd and 3rd books. I am at a loss for words as I really love this author and these characters.
No!!!! I need more!! I need a some what nice romantic happy closure :( this is breaking me!! after 7 books < / 3 !!! I couldn't get throw it as quickly as I used to :( it was sad .. so sad !! too much for my liking!! I can't believe it ended like this :(