Valkyrie Brynn Aksel is ready for some downtime. But when an urgent warning arrives from Asgard, heralding the death of a beloved god and the dawn of Ragnarok--the not-so-mythological end of days--it becomes clear there's no rest for the gods . . . not when future of the realms is on the line.
Goddess of Love Freya Sk�nsten can't shake the darkness that's clung to her since her Helheim imprisonment. An unsanctioned romantic connection with a mortal is the only thing keeping her in the light, but Freya's vow to the Norns prevents her from fully uniting with her perfekt match. When Hel returns to finish what she started, Freya must decide how much she's ready to sacrifice to save the family she loves . . . and whether she's willing to give up everything for the worlds she's sworn to protect.
With the forces of darkness aligning to destroy the realms, it's clear more than just Love hangs in the balance. Ragnarok has arrived. And it's shaping up to be the perfekt storm.
Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (where she became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and studied Shakespeare in Europe… where she became overly fond of McVitie's cookies.
Her Scandinavian heritage and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired her YA Norse fantasy series' (Viking Academy, Ære Saga, Elsker Saga, and Alfheim Academy). And her deep love of a galaxy far, far away led to her writing children's books for the Star Wars franchise. As an experienced IP writer, she's written multiple books published by Disney-Lucasfilm Press and its licensees, and looks to expand into additional beloved IP projects.
When she's not creating stories, S.T. dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.
This is a nice addition to the series and hopefully we will have more stories to come. The fact that two characters from the Elsker series, Gunnar and Inga, made an appearance makes me hope that both “families” will get together for more adventures.
What was fun about this book was that you see it from two different perspectives, Brynn and Freya. There is a lot of action in this story and you get to be inside of Freya’s head which helps you understand her better and what she went through in her life. I loved how this family is made up not by blood but by very tight bonds that they forced and they are there for each other no matter what. This story is mostly about Freya, the Goddess of Love, so love becomes the centerpiece. The ending was very emotional. This series has been a really fun one to read.
Perfekt Match is the perfekt finale for the Aere saga, with the crew's typical epic action escalating to realms-wide Ragnarok-level war, humor to balance, and romance to tie it all up--especially when the Norse Goddess of Love is involved! As with other S.T. Bende books, the crew reminds the reader about their own life--things to appreciate and enjoy and aspire to and have AEre for--while still being an energetic, magical, mythical, exciting whirlwind. The new dual POV in this book, as compared to the single in predecessors, gives a full view of the action and growth of all the characters (and incorporation of new), with one side from more of a down-to-Midgard view and the other more of a fantastical-Asgardian view. I won't say more than the ending made me sigh with completeness. It's true, I'm a Norse myth nerd, but regardless of that, this book really managed to round out the series, wrapping up all the plot lines and life lines, while simultaneously keeping the reader on their toes and their heart beating from emotion as well as twists and turns! Bende has outdone herself. One of my favorites!
So it is finally here, i have this last book in the Aere saga in my hands. I didn’t know what to expect except for Ragnarok, and see the other side of the battle not shown in the Elsker saga. I must confess I was not a fan of Freya, while I liked her in the previous books, I had problems to warm up with her in this one. She was too weak for me, too far from the Goddess of love and the head of the Valkyries I pictured. And her romance was to quickly built, felt rushed and lacked of depth. While Mia and Tyr’s relationship needed months to blossom to a true love, just few days and Bim Bam Boum, she is in love with a man she disliked from some gossips she had received about him. I’m glad the story was narrated from two points of view, I liked Brynn, she evolved a lot during this time, able to stand by her « boss ». Even if I know that as an human she brings few interests in the last part of the fight, I would have preferred to see the plot from Mia’s side as she is my favorite character with Tyr. But the ending fight was simply epic, the author did an awesome job with this titanesque battle. The conclusion was very satisfying considering Mia’s way of dealing with life and her goals, plus Brynn and Henrik get an awesome resolution and I was happy to see again Gunnar and Inga from Elsker series. In all, a good final installment , each one of the protagonists gets its right reward. Right after finishing this read, I jumped on my kindle shelves and reread Ull and Kristia’s story I very so adored.
This last book in the series is a brilliant and satisfying end to the story. The humor, adversity, camaraderie, loss, romance and adventure are both nerve wrenching and thrilling. I love the developments in Freya’s life and how her friends are will to do all they can to help her. The love, loyalty and friendship between the characters is excellent and the battles have you on the edge of your seat. This a truly gratifying end to a brilliant series but I do hope the author will give us more stories of these characters as there are stories that could be told. I received an early copy of this book. This in no way influenced my my review, all opinions expressed are sorely my own.
S. T Bende has done it again with this gripping conclusion to the Aere Saga. Do not start this unless you have uninterrupted time as once you begin you will be unable to put this beauty down. I was literally at the edge of my seat in anticipation wondering what was going to happen as all hell broke loss. It was lovely seeing some old friends from other books and series.
This was truly the Perfekt ending to this amazing series.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review from the author
Yass I love this ending so much ugh! I loved that Freya got better I loved everything about Brynn. I'm so want to hug Forse and the author really needs to write a crossover book like yesterday.
4.5 stars. Perfekt Match was an amazing ending to a very entertaining series. The only reason that I didn’t give it a full 5 stars was that the romance didn’t seem as natural in this book as it did in the previous ones.
Plot: As the gang awaits the arrival Mia’s brother Jason, they learn that Ragnarok has begun. Everyone has a role to play, but Freya – still suffering the effects of her imprisonment in Helheim – doubts she can perform her duties as Goddess of Love, much less be an effective leader to the Valkyries.
Characters: It's so hard to say something critical of such a wonderful book, but to me, Freya wasn’t quite as intriguing as the other heroines, and Jason didn’t have much of a personality at all. Fortunately, Perfekt Match showed how all the characters dealt with the potential end of the world, and I love reading about Mia and Tyr, Brynn and Henrik, and Elsa and Forse.
Writing: S.T. Bende is an incredible writer. She does an incredible job of combining mythology and imagery and helping readers visualize the worlds she writes about. At the same time, she ensures that there is non-stop action, a little humor, and a lot of romance. With those things come a ton of violence, some cursing (a lot of it in Swedish), and lots of sexual tension (nothing graphic), so if the book were a movie, I’d probably rate it a PG or PG-13.
Bottom Line: Freya and Jason may not have been my Perfekt Match, but the book was still amazing. It’s got something for everyone … action, drama, camaraderie, humor, romance…. The list goes on and on. As a series finale, it ties everything up perfektly; I think most readers are going to love seeing how each of the characters’ relationships have progressed. I’m kind of sad that their stories are over (for now), but I’m dying to find out what Bende has in store for us next.
S.T. Bende concluded this saga in a lovely manner that tied up all lose ends perfectly. The action and plot developments were non-stop!
This go around, we get to experience the perspectives of Brynn and Freya. These two badass ladies were a great duo to spearhead this story. Brynn is so light hearted and whimsical, and her personality is paired well with Freya, who is fierce and down to earth. Unfortunately, Freya is having a rough go of it in this fourth book. Now that she has been rescued from Hel after spending a length of time as her prisoner, Freya has not been the same. There is a darkness in her that's holding her back. However, after a certain someone comes into her life, she is at last willing and able to find a way to keep the darkness at bay. Just on time too; Ragnarok is on their doorstep.
Perfekt Match brought with it all of the beloved characters that we've grown with throughout the saga. It was fantastic to see all of these couples come together and do life (and battle) together. And believe me, there was no shortage of battles this time. It was interesting to read about Ragnarok from the other side of the story with different characters. I love how Bende interweaves them all into one epic Norse universe! What I would give to be surrounded by what sounds like a plethora of gorgeous men lol! By the time the ending hit, all of the wonderful things you had hoped for as a reader came to fruition, and brought with it all the feels.
I would definitely recommend you continue your journey with this series and pick up Perfekt Match! And if you haven't started the saga yet, then most definitely get your hands on these books!
I have to say that this was not my favorite book of the series. That being said, the rest of the series does set a high standard and I did like more character development on all my favorites. I liked that the story was narrated from multiple points of view but maintained the continuum of the story. What I didn't like was that Ragnaraok was built up for the first three books as this end all war and I feel like it was too easily won and not enough of the last book really encompassed the war. Not that I want endless battle scenes but for the most extreme war of all wars, I felt like they just kinda breezed through it. We saw the battle our crew was in and then it was like we clapped our hands and all the rest of the battles were just done. I also thought that the romance for Freya, while I liked who she got, was too rushed and predictable. There wasn't the normal amount of build up for the relationship that I'm used to with this author. All in all, I loved the outcome for everyone, just felt like maybe this was two books jammed into one just to finish the series.
4☆☆☆☆ Perfekt Match by S T BENDE YA, fantasy, m/f warrior, war, magic ,romance, hea.
This is the final book in the Aere/Perfekt Box set, so most things are wrapped up here, with a lead-in to the Elskar series at the very end. All the preparation the characters have done over the previous episodes has led up to this book and the final showdown of Ragnarok. In amongst all this, the antidote for Fraya's heart sickness appears and a forbidden romance is smooshed in between all the last minute preparations, strategy sessions, and keeping it all hidden from "the human". Of course the Villains start first. Then all Ragnarok breaks loose. The Asguardians aren't picky and use a combination of ancient weapons, Hi Tech, even magic, but the final win and loss goes to love. There is a lot of story crammed between these pages. So set aside some time, because it will be hard to put down until the end.
I'm sticking with five stars for this final installment of the AEre Saga even though there were a couple of glossed-over points towards the end. First, Fenrir escaped but ended up dead; no real clarification on that. The same goes for the capture of Loki. Considering he was supposed to be the ultimate villain in all this and responsible for Ragnarok, a little more detail might have been in order. Nevertheless.....
The Saga as a whole is immensely readable and grabbed my attention almost from Book 1, Page 1. I shall be moving on to the next series ASAP. Perhaps that clarification I spoke of will be forthcoming in there somewhere.
I think the overall pairings of Tyr's team members were perfekt - homage where homage is due - and the ending was incorporated extremely well. Of course, I DO hope we get to explore some more of the relationship between Freya & Jason. A match made in - well - Asgard? Gotta love it! Thanks S.T.
The Perfekt Match was the Perfekt end to the series. I loved it. I laughed. I cried. I bit my nails in fear. I was scared for our favourite characters but I had hope that love would triumph and win through. The book is told from a dual POV, but I won't spoil anything by saying which two characters it is. We get to see Ragnarok from different view points and that was great. Ragnarok was really nail biting stuff, I was so worried for what was going to happen but I also enjoyed learning more about the myths. Overall it was a fantastic book. I'm still hoping that the story is not completely over for team War and that there will be a book in the future where team Winter and team War will meet, as that would be epic. S.T. Bende has cemented with this book why she's one of my all time favourite authors and I can't wait to read what she'll bring us next.
. S.T. Bende has done it again in this Amazing conclusion to the Aere Saga-Perfekt Match. Everything seems to be working out perfectly for Brynn she's got her perfekt match and She got her commander and friend back from the depths of Helheim. Since Freya's return from her stay in the underworld she seems to be struggling with her duties as the Love goddess and the commander of the valkeries and with Ragnarock upon them will she be able to step up to the task at hand or will she have to step aside as the goddess of love and the valkeries commander with the help of her friends and her favorite mortal can she break the grip that Hel has on her heart. And help turn the odds of Ragnarock in Asgards favor.
A perfekt ending of an amazing series. S.T. Bende did a fabulous job with the last book of the Aere Saga, “Perfekt Match”. In this story there is a dual POV told by the amazing Valkyrie Captain Brynn and the Goddess of Love – Freya. I really enjoyed this dual POV and it was a fun way to learn the story from both characters. Freya is currently battling an illness that has affected her ability to share love. The realms are being affected and all Hel breaks loose as Ragnarok begins. Brynn really steps up and helps during this battle while Freya digs into herself and finds the strength to let go of the past and work on bringing her love back to share with all and maybe some for herself. I really enjoyed the direction S.T. Bende took with Freya’s story and overcoming her struggles. It was a magical ending of the series and I quite enjoyed reading it.
Ragnarok is here let the war of the worlds begin. I fell in love with all these characters from book one Perfekt Order when Tyr and Mia got together. Then we had Brynn and Henrik in Perfekt Control and Elsa and Forse in Perfekt Balance. Finally we have Freya's the Goddess of Love's story it is equal parts heartbreak and happiness. Light and Dark, Love and Lose, Sadness and Happiness, Action and Adventure. I really loved that Freya fell for Mia's brother Jason i can't say anything else because I don't want o spoil this ending for anyone wanting to read this book, but I will say this it was phenomenal this family of Gods and goddesses with their mortals it the Perfekt set of books to read.
Perfekt Match was everything I was hoping for in the finale of the series and more. It was wonderful to see how our heroes dealt with Ragnarok and how their own personal relationships (romantic, friendship, and family) have developed and grown. The development of personal relationships in this series has certainly been one of its strongest points and well used to drive plot development. Bravo to S.T. Bende for finishing this series on a high note. I am going to miss our Norse crew so much, I am only hoping we may see a spin off or another series in the future! (ARC received in exchange for an honest review)
This book was so much fun to read. All the characters have returned for the final book of the series. The story takes you on a wild ride and at times I wasn't sure which way the story would turn. Great is hysterical and sad at the same time, her past and job hinders her in some ways and creates some major obstacles for her. When all Hel breaks loose who will survive and such side will win. I loved the ending it was a Perfect Match (pun intended) the story keeps you on your toes and not one to be missed.
This book left me at a loss for words because amazing, fantastic, and wonderful are not strong enough descriptions to describe this final installment to the series. This book deftly combines favorite characters from previous books with new faces to tell a story that I was unable to put down. With the end to the series, I will miss the characters that I've grown to love. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA Paranormal Romance. The book is Perfektly written and edited. The author's attention to detail when character and world building is outstanding. Edit
This book started off kind of slow but quickly ramps up. So many of our favorite characters show up here - which is great - and lots of little loose lines are tied up. Narration switches between Brynn and Freya but chapters are labelled so things aren't confusing.
This really was a great ending to the series. Ragnarok definitely is over a little faster than I thought it would be - which is great because it doesn't drag on and there are no cliff hangers. Fair amount of action but there are some slower moments.
We have been in this ride for what seems like a long time. It started with Mia and The and branched from there. I couldn't have told you where this series was going to take us, but I'm glad I read until the end. After Freya's time with Hel, she wasn't the same person everyone knew and they were all treating her like glass. It will take a mortal, her perfekt match, and the end of the world for them to realize all she needed was love and for someone to believe in her.
Auf Freyas Geschichte habe ich mich eigentlich gefreut. Und es war durchaus auch ganz interessant und spannend, aber der Fokus lag doch etwas wenig auf Freya. Das war einerseits gut, weil ich mit ihrer Lovestory nicht so warm wurde, andererseits etwas schade, weil ich das Gefühl hatte, dass die Proragonistinnen in den ersten drei Bänden viel mehr Raum bekamen. Trotzdem gefiel mir der Fokus auf die nordische Mythologie wieder sehr und ich mochte den Reihenabschluss ganz gerne.
S. T. Bende has done it again in this thrilling conclusion to the Aere Saga. Definitely a roller coaster ride of emotions. I took my time reading as I new it was the end of this story and I didn't want to reach the end. This book was so well written as all of her stories have been. Loved to see the stories of so many of these beloved characters finished out. I definitely this was the perfekt end to a perfekt saga!!
I LOVED THIS SERIES! And Perfekt Match was the Perfekt ending!
It answered all of my most pressing questions while leaving it a bit open to the possibility of more in a third series. WHICH NEEDS TO HAPPEN! I absolutely adored everyone in this series and so don't want to say goodbye! Give me MORE!
Give me Mia meeting Kristia! And everyone from both series together and all the happily ever afters!
Read this book, read this series, and read the Elsker Saga while you're at it!
I love this book! What a great imagination, what a fun action packed ride. I totally love the characters and the worlds are so amazing. I want to be best friends with her characters and eat some of Hendricks hotcakes. I hope there are more adventures in all her series. I'll buy each and every book to read and reread. More adventures for the Alstrom sins and more Kristia, pretty please.
With Ragnarok on the horizon Brynn, Henrik, Elsa, Forse, Tyr and Mia are scrambling to help Freya recuperate from her time held prisoner in Helheim. The realms need their Goddess of Love at full force. Nothing they do is helping Freya until Mia’s brother Jason arrives for a visit. Can a mortal heal the Goddess in time? This book was amazing. It was action from start to finish with a dash of romance, betrayal and redemption.
Well this was an awesome book. It was an emotional roller coaster for sure. The author did a great job with this story, it had a great story line, easy to follow and captures the moment well. I felt this book was by far more emotional then the others. So many things come to light, however it definitely leaves you with wanting more. I still have questions how some of the other characters fair and if one of the new character introduced in the end will have his own story... This was a great read.
Book 4 in this series and the last one. Freya her story, told by her and Brynn.
Freya did still not recover from her stay with Hel. Her friends tried everything, but nothing really helps, till Jason comes along Mia her brother. But it is also time for ragnarok so with this book you are in for a good fight and a good fight for love for Freya the love god. What a group of friends they have and it is nice to see Gunnar and Inga show up too.
This was an epic conclusion to a series I fell in love with a few years ago. The Norse crew was back kicking butt again and now that its over I know I'm going to miss these characters! This book may had the pace of the others and yet I still couldn't get enough, I even slowed down so I could make it last longer!!
ST has done it again! I’ve been with her for a while reading her books, and this is one of my favorite series. I really enjoy Brynn and Freya, and all the crew! I love reading the Norse mythology and her take on it. This book took a bit to come out, but it was a great read! Pick up, and finish this series!