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New World #3
Inferno
Worlds collide in the third and final installment of the gripping New World Series by Bestselling Author Jennifer Wilson.
Returning to discover their home engulfed in the flames of Tribal war, Phoenix, Mouse and Triven find themselves facing the impossible. A civil war has consumed the city of Tartarus, but with The Wall coming down in sixteen days, they have been given the impossible task of uniting the Tribes to face Fandrin’s army. Can Phoenix unite the murderous clans she has spent her life evading or will they turn on her before the real battle has begun?
Returning to discover their home engulfed in the flames of Tribal war, Phoenix, Mouse and Triven find themselves facing the impossible. A civil war has consumed the city of Tartarus, but with The Wall coming down in sixteen days, they have been given the impossible task of uniting the Tribes to face Fandrin’s army. Can Phoenix unite the murderous clans she has spent her life evading or will they turn on her before the real battle has begun?
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
30 people are currently reading
1256 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Wilson
5 books276 followers When Jennifer is not writing, she is enjoying life in Colorado, rock climbing, camping, exploring new foods, playing with her golden retriever, Duke, and sharing her life with her wonderful husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
February 20, 2019
So bittersweet- this journey with Phoenix has been terrifying, wonderful and exhilarating. Thank you to all those who rode this rollercoaster with us. We love you!
November 27, 2018
Loved the story! However, editing missed out on quite a few repeated words and spelling errors which annoyed me so much I had to lower my score from 5 to 4 stars
September 17, 2017
Five glorious stars!! This book was everything I love in a conclusion. I only have one dislike, so I'll get my rant about that out of the way first.
THE FUCKING TYPOS AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS!! Jesus fucking Christ. I read this book in about four days FOR FUN and I found an absurd amount of errors. For a while now, I've been folding the bottom of pages when I find something in a book that doesn't seem right or is a blatant editing mistake. I folded 61 page bottoms in this book. SIXTY ONE. It's fucking appalling that a (presumably) PAID editor could miss that much. I think the most infuriating one was in the acknowledgments; Wilson wrote a heartfelt thank you to her parents for allowing her to "peruse" her dreams!?! COME ON!!!! That's a simple typo that should be caught and corrected without a second thought. SERIOUSLY CAN OF TOMES PAY ME?!?! WILSON?! I'm here for you, girl. Fire your editor. Holy fuck.
MOVING ON. Quickly and with purpose.
I loved this book.
LOVED.
LET ME LIST THINGS FOR YOU:
• Phoenix. Again. She is one of my favorite main characters ever. She is flawed and real and exactly the type of character I love reading about. When her little found family was still intact at the end of the book, I was actually happy. Phoenix has suffered so much, and fought so hard, that she truly deserves some sort of happiness at the end of it all.
• The pacing/timing. Aside from the amazing characters, realistic pacing was the best part of this entire trilogy. In this type of dystopian world, there's usually a large-scale battle at the end of the last book. Some people die, usually no one you care about, and after the MC heroically kills/subdues/takes out the Bad Guy, there's a small chapter about how everyone lived happily ever after. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE. Characters you know and love die throughout the series, especially in this book. And there is no "final battle" - it's a war. It takes time. I appreciate that. In the real world, wars can go on for years, and it always takes time to pull out troops and bring them home. Not everyone survives. Everyone comes out of it changed. I hate seeing cocky characters swaggering about, hiding all their internal damage, just so they can Save The World or whatever it is they need to do. Of course I want the "good guys" to win! But not everything is black and white, and certainly nothing about war is straightforward. Phoenix and her allies suffer, fight, die, move forward, and STRUGGLE. It's so raw and so real. I love it.
• Diversity and all the different kinds of rep. (I have lots to say about this).
- Readers are really pushing for more diversity, it seems, and most authors attempt to accommodate this. Unfortunately, most fail miserably, and it ends up being insulting at best.
- (While Chaol is over in SJM's Tower of Dawn being broody, insufferable, and drowning in self-pity, Wilson's characters are adapting and healing slowly. Yeah yeah, we all know Chaol will be healed with MAGIC and LOVE and cringe-worthy sexual encounters. Idk about anyone else, but I don't want to read that shit. It's a chore. I read 15% of that book and I can probably tell you exactly how it ends. BUT I DIGRESS.)
- Ryker loses his leg in battle and goes through some serious anger issues. He feels useless - to the rebellion, the war, the cause, and the new world they're trying to create. He doesn't know how to handle the change. He doesn't know how to lead the same way he used to when he is no longer mobile. It's not like they can just hit up their local Tower of magical healers and ask to regrow his leg or something. (Because poor Chaol can't have sex the same way he used to -____- #alltheranting)
- While this world has a sort of magical healing serum, it's more for efficiency than healing. It seems to speed up the hearing process, causing wounds to close and scab over to staunch the bleeding and mend the person enough to keep fighting. I loved seeing Ryker and Archer learning to use their prosthetic limbs and they tried and failed and tried again to function as they once had. It was a realistic, triumphant thing to read about.
- Skin color, eye color, hair color, body shapes and sizes, height differences, slight frames, strong muscles, different sexualities, found families... This trilogy has so much flawless integration. Mouse uses sign language. Archer and Teya have dark skin. Mae and Inessa, Grenald and Otto are same-sex couples. Archer has one hand (for most of the series). It's all important rep because it's not used as something to appease readers. Instead, it's used to show how everyone's differences have shaped why they are who they are and who they will become. Sure, Archer had dark skin and is missing one hand. But what's important is how she lost her hand and how her response to that shaped her into who she is now. I loved toward the end when Archer and Teya are fighting together. While they're not going to repair their relationship, they both believe they're fighting for a better life and are willing to put aside their differences. It was great to see Archer go from not wanting anything to do with the Wraiths in the beginning to working and fighting side by side with her mother/their leader! Such incredible character growth.
• Mouse! Sweet little Mouse. I loved seeing her grow and change throughout the series. The first time we meet her, she's running for her life and needs to be rescued. Then we see her lead a group into The Sanctuary, the very place and people from which she initially ran. She's still fairly innocent, and still often sleeps underneath a bed instead of on it, but she's growing and changing. She's becoming more confident in herself - her knowledge and her skills. In the last book, she's defying Phoenix and Triven, sneaking out to do what she thinks is right for her, not what other people tell her she should be doing. She trains endlessly, learning to fight, and when the moment to kill her awful brother arrives, she doesn't hesitate. She feels remorse, of course, and holds him while he dies, but her resolve never falters. The ability to speak out loud has been returned to her, but she's traumatized by killing her brother (obv) and chooses to fall back on sign language, hardly speaking at all. While it may seem like a step back for her character, I think it's a step forward. Just because you have the ability to do something doesn't mean you have to do it. Everything is a choice. I liked the part when it's said that following orders is a choice, and sometimes, a way to hide. To commit atrocities in the name of a monster under the protection of saying you were just following orders. Mouse chooses her own path and deals with the fallout in her own way. It says a lot about Phoenix and Triven as parents that they don't try to push her into talking again or trying to teach her to be "normal". They're understanding and kind, just as Mouse has always been with them. It's so sweet. I adore Mouse!
• Okay, Triven. Time to talk about your stupid warm self, haha. I never liked Triven. I still don't, honestly. But I like that Phoenix stays with him throughout the trilogy. He becomes her found family, like Mouse, and she clings to them both desperately. I liked that Triven always wanted to protect Phoenix, but at the same time, understood when she wanted to be involved on the front lines. Instead of forcing her to stay somewhere "safe", he accompanies her so they can reassure each other and watch each other's backs. It works. And I'm glad Phoenix has him. I just really don't like him as a character. BUT. I have to say. He's the only one I didn't like aside from Veyron (who was interesting but shady and meh), so I can't really even complain about him.
• Arden!! Oh my goodness. Until he said the thing about people never forgiving him, I had no idea he was the Subversive's traitor. When Rising started, I thought for sure he'd be Phoenix's love interest. Thrown together in a cell seemingly by circumstance usually equals love in YA, haha. But he wasn't in the second book much, and I kind of assumed he was dead. Which was sad! I thought his character was interesting. Even though he betrayed his friends, he felt remorse. It seemed more a product of the world in which he was raised (join or die, kill or be killed) than any true malicious/evil intent. AND I liked that the traitor was someone close to Phoenix. Someone she trusted.
• Most of the twists, actually... I didn't see much coming!! I had no idea what would happen throughout this book in particular, which is something I LOVE! I read a lot and a lot of YA. Things become predictable. The only thing I saw coming was Sedia being Maddox's brother. Even then, it was only because she seemed cold and mentioned something about her brother, and Phoenix and Triven discuss it about a page later. So it wasn't any great revelation or prediction on my part. *shrug* I like being wrong though! I like that I kind of shipped Phoenix with Arden and that I didn't guess he was the traitor.
• Grenald and Otto!!!! Oh my goodness. As soon as Grenald stepped forward angrily at that meeting, I was like YESSSS WHO IS THIS?! I tend to like characters that seem extra douchey at first but then out to be decent humans. I like that Grenald didn't doften toward Phoenix because of what she said or what she grieved in or anything like that. It was because she saved the person he loved. In this crazy world where allies then on each other all the time, it felt like such a solid alliance. Such a good way to gain someone's trust. I am NOT an emotional reader - I very rarely cry or even feel sadness. But when Otto is hunched over Grenald's body with a knife sticking out of his back, and he's saying "I go where you go" OMG I got so teary I had to stop reading for a minute. Such an achingly beautiful moment. It also reminded me that Mouse's favorite word is together, and it made me terrified the three of them wouldn't all make it out of that building alive.
• Characters I cared about died!! Arden! Grenald and Otto! Doc Porters! Maribel! Arstid! Lots of other people with names I remembered and recognized and ugh it was so sad. But so fitting.
• Sedia was delightful! She was def unstable, but it also seemed like an act of necessity? I liked that she and Phoenix became friends in the new world. She was so upset that Maddox sacrificed his life for her and she knew almost nothing about him. Befriending his sister and listening to her stories about him seems like a really nice way to honor his life and his sacrifice.
• The ending was so well done! I loved that not everything is resolved and tied up neatly. Inessa survived but is severely changed, and still can't go back to her old life even a year later. I liked that Teya turned out to be a decent (and super badass) person. When Phoenix entrusted her with Mouse's care...and Teya said Phoenix had saved BOTH her daughters and she would protect Phoenix's daughter with her own life...another beautiful moment. Not only for recognizing Mouse as Phoenix's daughter, but also for doing something so human in the middle of a chaotic war! I love that Mouse still needs time to heal. That Phoenix and Triven can't have children of their own creation but are overjoyed about having Mouse. That Tribesmen are invited to The Sanctuary to start a new life if they choose. That old rivalries still exist and mistrust is still common but everyone is trying and rebuilding. I especially loved that the epilogue was a year later and everyone was still so damaged from the aftermath of the war. It was everything I love in a series conclusion. I'm so sad it's over, but I've enjoyed learning about Phoenix and her world! I can't wait to read Wilson's next book(s). Hopefully complete with a better proofreader lol
THE FUCKING TYPOS AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS!! Jesus fucking Christ. I read this book in about four days FOR FUN and I found an absurd amount of errors. For a while now, I've been folding the bottom of pages when I find something in a book that doesn't seem right or is a blatant editing mistake. I folded 61 page bottoms in this book. SIXTY ONE. It's fucking appalling that a (presumably) PAID editor could miss that much. I think the most infuriating one was in the acknowledgments; Wilson wrote a heartfelt thank you to her parents for allowing her to "peruse" her dreams!?! COME ON!!!! That's a simple typo that should be caught and corrected without a second thought. SERIOUSLY CAN OF TOMES PAY ME?!?! WILSON?! I'm here for you, girl. Fire your editor. Holy fuck.
MOVING ON. Quickly and with purpose.
I loved this book.
LOVED.
LET ME LIST THINGS FOR YOU:
• Phoenix. Again. She is one of my favorite main characters ever. She is flawed and real and exactly the type of character I love reading about. When her little found family was still intact at the end of the book, I was actually happy. Phoenix has suffered so much, and fought so hard, that she truly deserves some sort of happiness at the end of it all.
• The pacing/timing. Aside from the amazing characters, realistic pacing was the best part of this entire trilogy. In this type of dystopian world, there's usually a large-scale battle at the end of the last book. Some people die, usually no one you care about, and after the MC heroically kills/subdues/takes out the Bad Guy, there's a small chapter about how everyone lived happily ever after. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE. Characters you know and love die throughout the series, especially in this book. And there is no "final battle" - it's a war. It takes time. I appreciate that. In the real world, wars can go on for years, and it always takes time to pull out troops and bring them home. Not everyone survives. Everyone comes out of it changed. I hate seeing cocky characters swaggering about, hiding all their internal damage, just so they can Save The World or whatever it is they need to do. Of course I want the "good guys" to win! But not everything is black and white, and certainly nothing about war is straightforward. Phoenix and her allies suffer, fight, die, move forward, and STRUGGLE. It's so raw and so real. I love it.
• Diversity and all the different kinds of rep. (I have lots to say about this).
- Readers are really pushing for more diversity, it seems, and most authors attempt to accommodate this. Unfortunately, most fail miserably, and it ends up being insulting at best.
- (While Chaol is over in SJM's Tower of Dawn being broody, insufferable, and drowning in self-pity, Wilson's characters are adapting and healing slowly. Yeah yeah, we all know Chaol will be healed with MAGIC and LOVE and cringe-worthy sexual encounters. Idk about anyone else, but I don't want to read that shit. It's a chore. I read 15% of that book and I can probably tell you exactly how it ends. BUT I DIGRESS.)
- Ryker loses his leg in battle and goes through some serious anger issues. He feels useless - to the rebellion, the war, the cause, and the new world they're trying to create. He doesn't know how to handle the change. He doesn't know how to lead the same way he used to when he is no longer mobile. It's not like they can just hit up their local Tower of magical healers and ask to regrow his leg or something. (Because poor Chaol can't have sex the same way he used to -____- #alltheranting)
- While this world has a sort of magical healing serum, it's more for efficiency than healing. It seems to speed up the hearing process, causing wounds to close and scab over to staunch the bleeding and mend the person enough to keep fighting. I loved seeing Ryker and Archer learning to use their prosthetic limbs and they tried and failed and tried again to function as they once had. It was a realistic, triumphant thing to read about.
- Skin color, eye color, hair color, body shapes and sizes, height differences, slight frames, strong muscles, different sexualities, found families... This trilogy has so much flawless integration. Mouse uses sign language. Archer and Teya have dark skin. Mae and Inessa, Grenald and Otto are same-sex couples. Archer has one hand (for most of the series). It's all important rep because it's not used as something to appease readers. Instead, it's used to show how everyone's differences have shaped why they are who they are and who they will become. Sure, Archer had dark skin and is missing one hand. But what's important is how she lost her hand and how her response to that shaped her into who she is now. I loved toward the end when Archer and Teya are fighting together. While they're not going to repair their relationship, they both believe they're fighting for a better life and are willing to put aside their differences. It was great to see Archer go from not wanting anything to do with the Wraiths in the beginning to working and fighting side by side with her mother/their leader! Such incredible character growth.
• Mouse! Sweet little Mouse. I loved seeing her grow and change throughout the series. The first time we meet her, she's running for her life and needs to be rescued. Then we see her lead a group into The Sanctuary, the very place and people from which she initially ran. She's still fairly innocent, and still often sleeps underneath a bed instead of on it, but she's growing and changing. She's becoming more confident in herself - her knowledge and her skills. In the last book, she's defying Phoenix and Triven, sneaking out to do what she thinks is right for her, not what other people tell her she should be doing. She trains endlessly, learning to fight, and when the moment to kill her awful brother arrives, she doesn't hesitate. She feels remorse, of course, and holds him while he dies, but her resolve never falters. The ability to speak out loud has been returned to her, but she's traumatized by killing her brother (obv) and chooses to fall back on sign language, hardly speaking at all. While it may seem like a step back for her character, I think it's a step forward. Just because you have the ability to do something doesn't mean you have to do it. Everything is a choice. I liked the part when it's said that following orders is a choice, and sometimes, a way to hide. To commit atrocities in the name of a monster under the protection of saying you were just following orders. Mouse chooses her own path and deals with the fallout in her own way. It says a lot about Phoenix and Triven as parents that they don't try to push her into talking again or trying to teach her to be "normal". They're understanding and kind, just as Mouse has always been with them. It's so sweet. I adore Mouse!
• Okay, Triven. Time to talk about your stupid warm self, haha. I never liked Triven. I still don't, honestly. But I like that Phoenix stays with him throughout the trilogy. He becomes her found family, like Mouse, and she clings to them both desperately. I liked that Triven always wanted to protect Phoenix, but at the same time, understood when she wanted to be involved on the front lines. Instead of forcing her to stay somewhere "safe", he accompanies her so they can reassure each other and watch each other's backs. It works. And I'm glad Phoenix has him. I just really don't like him as a character. BUT. I have to say. He's the only one I didn't like aside from Veyron (who was interesting but shady and meh), so I can't really even complain about him.
• Arden!! Oh my goodness. Until he said the thing about people never forgiving him, I had no idea he was the Subversive's traitor. When Rising started, I thought for sure he'd be Phoenix's love interest. Thrown together in a cell seemingly by circumstance usually equals love in YA, haha. But he wasn't in the second book much, and I kind of assumed he was dead. Which was sad! I thought his character was interesting. Even though he betrayed his friends, he felt remorse. It seemed more a product of the world in which he was raised (join or die, kill or be killed) than any true malicious/evil intent. AND I liked that the traitor was someone close to Phoenix. Someone she trusted.
• Most of the twists, actually... I didn't see much coming!! I had no idea what would happen throughout this book in particular, which is something I LOVE! I read a lot and a lot of YA. Things become predictable. The only thing I saw coming was Sedia being Maddox's brother. Even then, it was only because she seemed cold and mentioned something about her brother, and Phoenix and Triven discuss it about a page later. So it wasn't any great revelation or prediction on my part. *shrug* I like being wrong though! I like that I kind of shipped Phoenix with Arden and that I didn't guess he was the traitor.
• Grenald and Otto!!!! Oh my goodness. As soon as Grenald stepped forward angrily at that meeting, I was like YESSSS WHO IS THIS?! I tend to like characters that seem extra douchey at first but then out to be decent humans. I like that Grenald didn't doften toward Phoenix because of what she said or what she grieved in or anything like that. It was because she saved the person he loved. In this crazy world where allies then on each other all the time, it felt like such a solid alliance. Such a good way to gain someone's trust. I am NOT an emotional reader - I very rarely cry or even feel sadness. But when Otto is hunched over Grenald's body with a knife sticking out of his back, and he's saying "I go where you go" OMG I got so teary I had to stop reading for a minute. Such an achingly beautiful moment. It also reminded me that Mouse's favorite word is together, and it made me terrified the three of them wouldn't all make it out of that building alive.
• Characters I cared about died!! Arden! Grenald and Otto! Doc Porters! Maribel! Arstid! Lots of other people with names I remembered and recognized and ugh it was so sad. But so fitting.
• Sedia was delightful! She was def unstable, but it also seemed like an act of necessity? I liked that she and Phoenix became friends in the new world. She was so upset that Maddox sacrificed his life for her and she knew almost nothing about him. Befriending his sister and listening to her stories about him seems like a really nice way to honor his life and his sacrifice.
• The ending was so well done! I loved that not everything is resolved and tied up neatly. Inessa survived but is severely changed, and still can't go back to her old life even a year later. I liked that Teya turned out to be a decent (and super badass) person. When Phoenix entrusted her with Mouse's care...and Teya said Phoenix had saved BOTH her daughters and she would protect Phoenix's daughter with her own life...another beautiful moment. Not only for recognizing Mouse as Phoenix's daughter, but also for doing something so human in the middle of a chaotic war! I love that Mouse still needs time to heal. That Phoenix and Triven can't have children of their own creation but are overjoyed about having Mouse. That Tribesmen are invited to The Sanctuary to start a new life if they choose. That old rivalries still exist and mistrust is still common but everyone is trying and rebuilding. I especially loved that the epilogue was a year later and everyone was still so damaged from the aftermath of the war. It was everything I love in a series conclusion. I'm so sad it's over, but I've enjoyed learning about Phoenix and her world! I can't wait to read Wilson's next book(s). Hopefully complete with a better proofreader lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2021
Inferno is the final book in the New World series, an exciting ya dystopian series I'd totally recommend for fans of the genre!
This final book was again a fast and exciting read. The pages kept turning themselves and it was easy to dive into this world and get lost in it. I really enjoyed this book!
The plot seems well thought out, everything leads to the big final battle. Lots of things are going on, and quite some characters die. The author pulls no punches in this one! The whole series is quite dark and savage at times (for ya), but that's what I liked about it.
We meet all the characters we know already again in this book and also get to know quite some more. There's diversity among the characters, including disability rep, and they all felt believable.
I also like the idea with the tribes, and I loved learning more about them in this book!
Well, as in the previous books, Phoenix sometimes felt a bit too badass to be true, but I could overlook that. It's a harsh world and only the strong survive.
What I couldn't overlook, unfortunately, were the editing errors. I know those things happen from time to time, but there were really too many for my liking. Sometimes it were mere spelling errors, but sometimes whole words were missing, and because I stumbled over those mistakes too often I can't give a higher rating.
But in the end, New World Inferno was a really good book. We got action, we got tears, we got family. It was an appropriate conclusion for the trilogy and I'd really recommend it to fans of the good old ya dystopia - because even though there are hints of other genres, like post apocalypse and a little romance, that's what it is in the end: a solid, enjoyable ya dystopia.
This final book was again a fast and exciting read. The pages kept turning themselves and it was easy to dive into this world and get lost in it. I really enjoyed this book!
The plot seems well thought out, everything leads to the big final battle. Lots of things are going on, and quite some characters die. The author pulls no punches in this one! The whole series is quite dark and savage at times (for ya), but that's what I liked about it.
We meet all the characters we know already again in this book and also get to know quite some more. There's diversity among the characters, including disability rep, and they all felt believable.
I also like the idea with the tribes, and I loved learning more about them in this book!
Well, as in the previous books, Phoenix sometimes felt a bit too badass to be true, but I could overlook that. It's a harsh world and only the strong survive.
What I couldn't overlook, unfortunately, were the editing errors. I know those things happen from time to time, but there were really too many for my liking. Sometimes it were mere spelling errors, but sometimes whole words were missing, and because I stumbled over those mistakes too often I can't give a higher rating.
But in the end, New World Inferno was a really good book. We got action, we got tears, we got family. It was an appropriate conclusion for the trilogy and I'd really recommend it to fans of the good old ya dystopia - because even though there are hints of other genres, like post apocalypse and a little romance, that's what it is in the end: a solid, enjoyable ya dystopia.
December 23, 2024
Will reread at some point in the future...
July 2, 2019
Inferno brings the gritty dystopian New World series to an end, as the worlds we have been exposed to in the first two books clash into a war that will change the world as everyone knows it. Inferno has some good character interactions and an interesting world, but it was a bit of a slog to actually get to the good parts.
I really like seeing Phoenix at the peak of her development here, especially as she’s in both familiar and unfamiliar territory in Tartarus. She’s owning who she is, though she has a lot of doubts about herself and still battling her demons. I like her interactions with Archer definitely, as the two clash quite a bit on their home turf. I also love Triven and Mouse developing and growing as well. Though I was surprised about some of the other characters, mostly nice surprises. Like the other two books, it felt like some of the supporting characters faded into the background, and I had to recall events in other books in order to figure them out. I felt that if I took a longer break between novels, this would have made said issues worse.
The world building was a bit better here, combining the settings from Rising and Ashes, to create a foreboding, dark world at war, with a lot of new futuristic elements introduced, but was still spotty at points. The prose was a bit choppy as well, which made it a bit hard to follow along and took me out of the story.
I found myself slogging through the book due to the choppy prose and major pacing issues. While a lot of things were happening in the story, as a good chunk of it was recruiting people for the war, it felt like nothing happened and I was bored and considered dropping the book. The plot was “rinse and repeat” for a good chunk of the story. Not a lot seemed to change until about 2/3rds of the way through, when the action finally changes focus to the actual goal. Also, I found that there wasn’t enough down time in between big action, which took me out of it a lot. There’s quite a few plot twists (though the revelation of the traitor in the penultimate chapter seemed like a letdown since I had little clue about the characters involved), and I do like the cliffhangers at the end of the chapters. The climax was fairly dark and intense, with an ending I was okay with, which felt like a relief in itself.
I know this series has it’s fans, but despite the interesting elements, I found myself sad about how much potential was left on the table.
I really like seeing Phoenix at the peak of her development here, especially as she’s in both familiar and unfamiliar territory in Tartarus. She’s owning who she is, though she has a lot of doubts about herself and still battling her demons. I like her interactions with Archer definitely, as the two clash quite a bit on their home turf. I also love Triven and Mouse developing and growing as well. Though I was surprised about some of the other characters, mostly nice surprises. Like the other two books, it felt like some of the supporting characters faded into the background, and I had to recall events in other books in order to figure them out. I felt that if I took a longer break between novels, this would have made said issues worse.
The world building was a bit better here, combining the settings from Rising and Ashes, to create a foreboding, dark world at war, with a lot of new futuristic elements introduced, but was still spotty at points. The prose was a bit choppy as well, which made it a bit hard to follow along and took me out of the story.
I found myself slogging through the book due to the choppy prose and major pacing issues. While a lot of things were happening in the story, as a good chunk of it was recruiting people for the war, it felt like nothing happened and I was bored and considered dropping the book. The plot was “rinse and repeat” for a good chunk of the story. Not a lot seemed to change until about 2/3rds of the way through, when the action finally changes focus to the actual goal. Also, I found that there wasn’t enough down time in between big action, which took me out of it a lot. There’s quite a few plot twists (though the revelation of the traitor in the penultimate chapter seemed like a letdown since I had little clue about the characters involved), and I do like the cliffhangers at the end of the chapters. The climax was fairly dark and intense, with an ending I was okay with, which felt like a relief in itself.
I know this series has it’s fans, but despite the interesting elements, I found myself sad about how much potential was left on the table.
March 6, 2018
This is bitter sweet, I'm happy and sad that I finished reading this amazing dystopian trilogy. Phoenix is the strongest character that I have known thus far from a book. I bit my nails during this book, it is packed with action. Also, it made me cry and get frustrated. The writing is really good, the plot is great and the ending, I didn't expect! That was shocking... I really loved this amazing book. I strongly recommend it. It deserves 5/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.
June 12, 2018
This was probably the weakest book in the trilogy and the only reason I finished it was to give an ending to the series. I didn't find that there was much character development in this, and the final battle lasted much too long in my opinion.
September 17, 2017
AMAZING. SHOW STOPPING. WONDERFUL.
GO READ THIS SERIES. GO DO IT. RIGHT NOW.
GO READ THIS SERIES. GO DO IT. RIGHT NOW.
November 30, 2017
3.5 stars
October 14, 2017
Whoa that was a hell of a ride. ..
I really loved this series and the raw realness of the characters.
The editing errors in this book were rather annoying, and... the traitor didn't really make sense to me.... BUT a very well written book/series that I highly enjoyed. I am at peace with this conclusion :)
I really loved this series and the raw realness of the characters.
The editing errors in this book were rather annoying, and... the traitor didn't really make sense to me.... BUT a very well written book/series that I highly enjoyed. I am at peace with this conclusion :)
April 28, 2021
Now THAT is how you end a series! So much build up for this big epic war and I got a big epic war!!! Nobody stopped to take time to focus on stupid romance plots. We had more important things to do over here!!! Such a great series!
January 12, 2025
this book is so well thought out for a YA dystopian book. like whattt. I am pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable this book was. it’s almost annoying when a book is good because then I can’t make fun of it in my reviews :(
October 12, 2017
This series destroyed my heart and soul. It's bittersweet to say goodbye to my journey with Phoenix..
Excuse me while I go sob hysterically in the corner.
Excuse me while I go sob hysterically in the corner.
October 14, 2018
An absolute masterpiece ending to The New World trilogy. This book will absolutely hit you in the feels. The New World trilogy has officially moved up to my favorite dystopian series, surpassing The Hunger Games.
April 27, 2018
Took me a while to finish with school and all. I was hooked on the first book that I finished on one sitting but the 3rd seemed to drag out for me. it was like watching a series filled with fillers but I can understand why. bittersweet in the end and felt like I was rereading the hunger games series, each series with its own merits and faults but this love triangle of her protecting Triven and protecting mouse was getting irritating in some aspects. I get it, you need to protect them and it's your drive for revenge but let's move on already sort of thing.
April 9, 2020
To anyone wondering whether this series is consistent in quality, characters, world, drama, action and shocking dystopian twists I say this: yes. Yes it is. Unlike many mainstream YA dystopians that started out great in book one, rehashed the formula for book two, then flounder to tie everything up in book three while staying true to the story, this series felt coherent, consistent, and overall enjoyable. You feel that itch for another Hunger Games but worry the genre won't deliver? Try this. It'll be right up your street.
This grand finale sees Phoenix and her found family caught in the war started by Sanctuary rebels as they try to unite the Tribes of Tartarus to fight their common enemy: The Minister. It takes the gritty world outside of The Wall we saw in New World Rising and smashes it into the ordered dictatorial dystopia Phoenix experienced first hand in New World Ashes with dire consequences for all.
Ugh, can we get some praise for how well thought through the plotting is here? It feels like one story told in segments, like it was actually planned out, and I loved that about it. Phoenix and her friends grow and change and it is so satisfying to see characters with such well defined personal arcs. Even the side characters get enough airtime to be interesting (hello Archer, fancy seeing you here.) New characters became worthy additions rather than just serving as future Red Shirts (hey Tribal leaders, looking good.) The romance stays low-key; it's more about their bond rather than smooching/lusting/swooning. I loved how relationships are explored in relation to being more like a family dynamic rather than your usual hot-blooded lip-biting-fest. Phoenix's need to protect Mouse even when you know she can't is really touching, and the way it plays out feels realistic.
Now I will say this: it is a young adult series, and as such it won't be as deep as it could be. Some side characters get a bit sidelined, and the villains are pretty much bad just because that's what they do. The tone and depth is very much in the same territory as The Hunger Games. It's an intelligently written YA lite sci-fi, no more, no less.
Also a tiny editorial/personal preference nit-pick: over-use of "?!", multiple exclamation marks, and characters enunciating to denote sarcasm and such by using extended words (as in "well sooooory!"). It did bug me a little, as they seemed a little immature compared to the rest of the excellent writing.
To me, it was like reading The Hunger Games again for the first time; I expected a lot of things because I know the tropes, but it was so satisfying seeing them deployed in a new way. It's not unique or pushing the boundaries, but it's a damn fine ride. While I wavered between a 4 and 5 star rating, I went for 5 because it was such a comfort read - as in, I knew what to expect and was not disappointed one bit. That is a rare thing.
I would very much recommend this series to fans of the YA dystopian genre who want a tough heroine who's not rules by her hormones or a happy-go-lucky Mary Sue. This is an indie author to keep an eye on.
This grand finale sees Phoenix and her found family caught in the war started by Sanctuary rebels as they try to unite the Tribes of Tartarus to fight their common enemy: The Minister. It takes the gritty world outside of The Wall we saw in New World Rising and smashes it into the ordered dictatorial dystopia Phoenix experienced first hand in New World Ashes with dire consequences for all.
Ugh, can we get some praise for how well thought through the plotting is here? It feels like one story told in segments, like it was actually planned out, and I loved that about it. Phoenix and her friends grow and change and it is so satisfying to see characters with such well defined personal arcs. Even the side characters get enough airtime to be interesting (hello Archer, fancy seeing you here.) New characters became worthy additions rather than just serving as future Red Shirts (hey Tribal leaders, looking good.) The romance stays low-key; it's more about their bond rather than smooching/lusting/swooning. I loved how relationships are explored in relation to being more like a family dynamic rather than your usual hot-blooded lip-biting-fest. Phoenix's need to protect Mouse even when you know she can't is really touching, and the way it plays out feels realistic.
Now I will say this: it is a young adult series, and as such it won't be as deep as it could be. Some side characters get a bit sidelined, and the villains are pretty much bad just because that's what they do. The tone and depth is very much in the same territory as The Hunger Games. It's an intelligently written YA lite sci-fi, no more, no less.
Also a tiny editorial/personal preference nit-pick: over-use of "?!", multiple exclamation marks, and characters enunciating to denote sarcasm and such by using extended words (as in "well sooooory!"). It did bug me a little, as they seemed a little immature compared to the rest of the excellent writing.
To me, it was like reading The Hunger Games again for the first time; I expected a lot of things because I know the tropes, but it was so satisfying seeing them deployed in a new way. It's not unique or pushing the boundaries, but it's a damn fine ride. While I wavered between a 4 and 5 star rating, I went for 5 because it was such a comfort read - as in, I knew what to expect and was not disappointed one bit. That is a rare thing.
I would very much recommend this series to fans of the YA dystopian genre who want a tough heroine who's not rules by her hormones or a happy-go-lucky Mary Sue. This is an indie author to keep an eye on.
January 27, 2018
It took me awhile to write a review on this because well... that means it's over. The story is done and I'll never be able to live a normal life again. I finished this book 6 days ago and I still think about Phoenix and her story on a normal basis.
This is the third and final book in this dystopian trilogy and it has been one crazy ride from start to finish. The book starts out with Phoenix and the rest of her gang in Taciturn. She and Triven are planning to form an army to take down the sanctuary and most importantly to Phoenix, kill the monster of a minister. Since this is the last book, that is the best description I am going to give you, you just need to read this series. All you, as the reader, needs to know is that there is a war brewing and a twist after every chapter.
Phoenix has grown so much in this book. She went from only caring about herself to doing some very dangerous things to secure shelter for people she hardly knows. Phoenix thinks she is a horrible leader through the whole book, which just kills me because she is everything I would want in a leader if I was living in this broken down society. She is honest, brave, humble, strong, and smart. (Phoenix for President!) Then there is her wonderful and caring boyfriend, Triven. I just want to wrap him in a blanket to keep him safe, even though he has surely proven that he can take care of himself. He is just too good for growing up in their world and I love him for that. The reason Phoenix grows to be such an amazing person is because of the amazing people that she's surrounded by. Throughout the book, knowing that she has Mouse (little girl she basically adopts) and Triven is what really keeps Phoenix going through the books. I don't know how she could have had the mental stability to get though what she did without them. I loved the mother/daughter relationship between her and mouse because I haven't really seen that much in Dystopian novels, it was refreshingly different and beautifully done.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room, there are a lot of typos in the book. To be honest it didn't bother me too bad. I was so immersed in the story that I just kept going. No time to have a panic attack over a typo. That being said, the writing was excellent. Jennifer Wilson knows how to grab a reader and drag them into the story. The last line in this book gave me goosebumps and I cried for an hour. "It was true, death was easier, but life was worth the pain." My god! My heart! I would get this tattooed on my body, I love it.
When I first picked up this series, it was not what I expected. I knew it was a dystopian, but the fast pace and the brutality of these books was something I would never expect from a YA dystopian. I would say dystopians are usually my favorite genre and this series is now my second favorite next to the Chaos Walking series. 100% I give my recommendation on this book. Maybe don't read if you get scared or are squeamish, but it's still amazing. There was something for everyone, without being over the top and I love that. Thank you Jennifer Wilson for letting me be apart of Phoenix's world! (again Phoenix for President!)
This is the third and final book in this dystopian trilogy and it has been one crazy ride from start to finish. The book starts out with Phoenix and the rest of her gang in Taciturn. She and Triven are planning to form an army to take down the sanctuary and most importantly to Phoenix, kill the monster of a minister. Since this is the last book, that is the best description I am going to give you, you just need to read this series. All you, as the reader, needs to know is that there is a war brewing and a twist after every chapter.
Phoenix has grown so much in this book. She went from only caring about herself to doing some very dangerous things to secure shelter for people she hardly knows. Phoenix thinks she is a horrible leader through the whole book, which just kills me because she is everything I would want in a leader if I was living in this broken down society. She is honest, brave, humble, strong, and smart. (Phoenix for President!) Then there is her wonderful and caring boyfriend, Triven. I just want to wrap him in a blanket to keep him safe, even though he has surely proven that he can take care of himself. He is just too good for growing up in their world and I love him for that. The reason Phoenix grows to be such an amazing person is because of the amazing people that she's surrounded by. Throughout the book, knowing that she has Mouse (little girl she basically adopts) and Triven is what really keeps Phoenix going through the books. I don't know how she could have had the mental stability to get though what she did without them. I loved the mother/daughter relationship between her and mouse because I haven't really seen that much in Dystopian novels, it was refreshingly different and beautifully done.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room, there are a lot of typos in the book. To be honest it didn't bother me too bad. I was so immersed in the story that I just kept going. No time to have a panic attack over a typo. That being said, the writing was excellent. Jennifer Wilson knows how to grab a reader and drag them into the story. The last line in this book gave me goosebumps and I cried for an hour. "It was true, death was easier, but life was worth the pain." My god! My heart! I would get this tattooed on my body, I love it.
When I first picked up this series, it was not what I expected. I knew it was a dystopian, but the fast pace and the brutality of these books was something I would never expect from a YA dystopian. I would say dystopians are usually my favorite genre and this series is now my second favorite next to the Chaos Walking series. 100% I give my recommendation on this book. Maybe don't read if you get scared or are squeamish, but it's still amazing. There was something for everyone, without being over the top and I love that. Thank you Jennifer Wilson for letting me be apart of Phoenix's world! (again Phoenix for President!)
October 8, 2017
First off, I am very sad that this series is over.
Second off, if I could rate just the ending it would only get one star from me.
Let's start off with the fact that Phoenix/Prea is a total badass who I 100% stand behind as a strong female character. To watch her grow throughout this series has been truly amazing and I think it shows that though she feels like loving people is a weakness, it becomes her greatest strength. Prea bears a lot of weight in this novel. Becoming the face of a revolution against your own flesh and blood I can only assume is very stressful. In addition to the fact that she seemed to be a target for anyone and everyone, she's wounded every other chapter. Girl can't catch a break.
I'll admit I was on edge the entire time, not only waiting for the war to start but trying to approach all these tribes and ally them. No thank you.
Now....how do I describe my disappointment in reading about the downfall of The Sanctuary and Fandrin. I was literally so disgusted I had to put the book down with mere pages left and walk away. I waited 400 pages for this war that ended up being one and a half battles, the loss of many of my favorite characters, and two cowardly choices.
Speaking of the loss of lives, some really crushed me, and what hurt even more is no time to mourn them was given. After all they'd been through together I guess it just seems a little heartless to me.
However, this book is so beautifully written. I appreciate all the detail Jennifer Wilson put into this book to really bring it together and make it a heartbreaking read from the first chapter of the first book to the epilogue in Inferno. I wish there was more to read in this series. I haven't been truly invested in a series like this in a long time. I definitely suggest this book for anyone and everyone. GO READ IT.
Second off, if I could rate just the ending it would only get one star from me.
Let's start off with the fact that Phoenix/Prea is a total badass who I 100% stand behind as a strong female character. To watch her grow throughout this series has been truly amazing and I think it shows that though she feels like loving people is a weakness, it becomes her greatest strength. Prea bears a lot of weight in this novel. Becoming the face of a revolution against your own flesh and blood I can only assume is very stressful. In addition to the fact that she seemed to be a target for anyone and everyone, she's wounded every other chapter. Girl can't catch a break.
I'll admit I was on edge the entire time, not only waiting for the war to start but trying to approach all these tribes and ally them. No thank you.
Now....how do I describe my disappointment in reading about the downfall of The Sanctuary and Fandrin. I was literally so disgusted I had to put the book down with mere pages left and walk away. I waited 400 pages for this war that ended up being one and a half battles, the loss of many of my favorite characters, and two cowardly choices.
Speaking of the loss of lives, some really crushed me, and what hurt even more is no time to mourn them was given. After all they'd been through together I guess it just seems a little heartless to me.
However, this book is so beautifully written. I appreciate all the detail Jennifer Wilson put into this book to really bring it together and make it a heartbreaking read from the first chapter of the first book to the epilogue in Inferno. I wish there was more to read in this series. I haven't been truly invested in a series like this in a long time. I definitely suggest this book for anyone and everyone. GO READ IT.
August 3, 2019
3.5 Stars New World Inferno was a dramatic end to the story of Phoenix. There were a lot of things that made sense about the ending. Accomplishing the plans laid out in the previous books, storming the city, uniting the tribes, lots of sneaking, dangerous situations, fighting, and action, and losing some valuable assets were all elements that brought the story to the conclusion in a well thought out fashion. I really liked the intricacy and the different approaches to uniting the tribes. That made for a really interesting part of the book. The beginning seemed a little choppy. The descriptors could have used a little more editing, especially at one point when glittering was used to describe something and then used again to describe it in the next paragraph. The flow became better after the first section when we got into the story more. The whole book is pretty gory. I don't know that all of the gruesome injuries and situations are necessary, but this is pretty consistent with the series as a whole. I didn't like the layout of the ending. Everything was building really nicely with breaking into the city, and then the explosion happens and all of a sudden it is three weeks later. It seemed like we were building to this epic ending and then everything was paused which totally broke off any epic build that was moving through the story. This made the final scenes less climactic because you didn't have this huge build up leading up to the ending. Everything resolves well in the end and where we leave off with the story makes sense. It is an entertaining world, but a few tweaks could have really made the final pages soar.
February 16, 2021
I must admit, I am “that reader” who picks a book by its cover... but this time, it paid off! I found New World Rising at a secondhand store. Once I dove in, I could not wait to get my hands on the second (and third) book! Disappointed that B&N didn’t have Jennifer Wilson’s books, I bought via Amazon and spent the next week preparing for war alongside Phoenix and Triven. I read YA fiction because that is precisely what my students read. And (side note) I happen to love a great dystopian novel that transports me to a new world filed with possibilities! Wilson has done an outstanding job creating characters on all ‘sides’ that are relatable and invoke primal emotional connections from her readers. This series will keep the reader cruising through pages in search of answers for Phoenix, for the Sanctuary, for the Tribes, and ultimately for humanity.
July 5, 2023
(Rating 2.5) —- Although so much happens in the final book of this series, there were some pacing issues. The beginning dragged, as did the planning stages when they were in safe houses. And then there were the very long actions scenes which seemed to go on for a lot longer than they needed to be.
But then it regained my attention during the middle section when we meet the different tribes and their leaders. And then we get to all the twists and reveals and betrayals, which I thought were all surprisingly good, and actually quite dark for YA, and some of them I genuinely didn’t see coming. Although, I still don’t feel the main betrayal reveal at the end made much sense, or was explained very well, but I was surprised by it so that’s something.
Overall, I feel this one was the best in the series and I thought it wrapped everything up quite well.
But then it regained my attention during the middle section when we meet the different tribes and their leaders. And then we get to all the twists and reveals and betrayals, which I thought were all surprisingly good, and actually quite dark for YA, and some of them I genuinely didn’t see coming. Although, I still don’t feel the main betrayal reveal at the end made much sense, or was explained very well, but I was surprised by it so that’s something.
Overall, I feel this one was the best in the series and I thought it wrapped everything up quite well.
January 23, 2018
After re-reading the first two books in the trilogy, New World: Rising and New World: Ashes, I finally finished this third, and greatest, of the series.
@jkwilson29 had created a new hero for the YA dystopian fan in Phoenix, the main protagonist. I really enjoyed the first two novels, but this book was more action-packed, smoothly written, and nicely paced than her previous works. My normal problem with trilogies is the author rushing the ending with no true sense of closure, Jennifer Wilson seamlessly tied this story up with a nice neat bow.
I'll miss reading about Phoenix's adventures, but maybe Mouse will grow up and have some of her own. Please, Ms Wilson?
.....
My Rating: 4.75/5 stars
@jkwilson29 had created a new hero for the YA dystopian fan in Phoenix, the main protagonist. I really enjoyed the first two novels, but this book was more action-packed, smoothly written, and nicely paced than her previous works. My normal problem with trilogies is the author rushing the ending with no true sense of closure, Jennifer Wilson seamlessly tied this story up with a nice neat bow.
I'll miss reading about Phoenix's adventures, but maybe Mouse will grow up and have some of her own. Please, Ms Wilson?
.....
My Rating: 4.75/5 stars
June 2, 2022
This was a great conclusion! This is such an underrated series. It was exactly what I’ve been looking for, action and adventure that doesn’t lean away from the gory details. I didn’t like how the mute character and two of the side characters with missing limbs were ‘cured’ especially the mute character, her being able to speak again just wasn’t necessary and left a bad taste in my mouth.
TW: war, death, mention of torture, ptsd, suicide, abuse, child deaths, mention of rape, ‘curing’ disabled people.
TW: war, death, mention of torture, ptsd, suicide, abuse, child deaths, mention of rape, ‘curing’ disabled people.
December 4, 2017
I. Am. In. Tears. Jennifer, you did it again. Inferno is a masterpiece of post apocalyptic young adult fiction. It had be laughing and crying and on the edge of my seat. As always, I loved Triven, Prea, and Mouse — their makeshift family of three is one of my favorite aspects of the series. And that ENDING — perfectly imperfect. Wonderfully realistic. I am honored to be your friend, Jen, and cannot wait to see what you write next.
September 2, 2018
Wow. Here is another proof that self published books can be even better than classical published. The New World serie reunites all the best working elements of distopian novels into a new powerful narrative. Many plot twists never leave you bored, the characters grow and die and heal and you can't forget about them when closing the book, you carry them with you for much time after reading. Do yourself a favore and read these books now!
September 20, 2024
I loved this series as a whole. Phoenix protected Mouse with such devotion, it was sweet to read. Some scenes were described savagely and gory at times. This third book was filled with war and the struggle to build alliances was evident. I didn’t connect with this part of the series as much as the other two. The ending came together quite nice. I enjoyed coming back to the dystopian genre reminding me of the fun I had reading the divergent and hunger games series.
October 11, 2017
Meh. Generic ya. 2.5 *
The betrayal plot twist was not believeable at all, the person who was the mole had no real reason to betray subversive, especially at the end when it was obvious fandrin had lost. And it was so out of character for that person, i get it, it was supposed to shock the readers, but it just didnt do it for me.
The betrayal plot twist was not believeable at all, the person who was the mole had no real reason to betray subversive, especially at the end when it was obvious fandrin had lost. And it was so out of character for that person, i get it, it was supposed to shock the readers, but it just didnt do it for me.
November 6, 2017
The Action was nail biting!
One of the best stories I’ve read since the Hunger Games. The action and the characters pulled me in so deeply I haven’t slept the last two nights. This last book did need some editing but it did not take away from the story. This series does not disappoint pick it up now.
One of the best stories I’ve read since the Hunger Games. The action and the characters pulled me in so deeply I haven’t slept the last two nights. This last book did need some editing but it did not take away from the story. This series does not disappoint pick it up now.
December 7, 2017
where do i begin. um how bout with everything. wot a heart racing conclusion to one of my favourite dystopian trilogies. jennifer wilson that was bloody brilliant. so many twists and turns!! and to finally know the traitor!! and the tribes workin together wow!!! thanks for a great series. oh and a great epilogue one of the best ive read didnt feel rushed. well done!!!
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