Ascent

Return of the Elves #7

by Bethany Adams

A lost prince

Between years surviving on the streets and an ill-advised stint with Kien's group of half-blood fae, Fen has seen his fair share of darkness. Sure, he helped capture Kien and put an end to the trouble he caused, but his actions contributed to one of the greatest upheavals of all--the return of magic to Earth. Now Fen's mother has named him the heir to the Unseelie throne, and he has discovered he has two mates he is unworthy to claim.

A deadly healer

The daughter of a Seelie artisan and a human woman, Maddy can't find anyone among her father's people willing to teach her to heal without causing harm. But finally, she has hope--a healer on Moranaia has agreed to help her. The problem? Maddy will have to travel to their world, leaving her girlfriend Anna unprotected on Earth. For the return of magic has awakened Anna's latent water abilities, and the temptation of the nearby river could prove too much without Maddy near.

A canny enemy

When a slip of the tongue reveals that Fen could share a mate bond with both Maddy and Anna, all three must come to terms with their insecurities--and quickly. The poison they believed eradicated has appeared again, and Meren, the traitorous Seelie noble who had once worked with Kien, has returned from hiding. Together, Anna, Fen, and Maddy might be able to defeat the rising threat. But first, they must conquer their pasts.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Romance, Elves, Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

419 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2020

About the author

Ever since finding a copy of The Hero and the Crown in her elementary school library, Bethany has loved fantasy. After subjecting her friends to stories scrawled in notebooks during study breaks all through high school, she decided to pursue an English degree at Middle Tennessee State University. When not writing or wrangling her two small children, Bethany enjoys reading, photography, and video games.

CURRENTLY WRITING: Solace, book 8 of The Return of the Elves. Status: In editing

Reviews

[June Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, now I've read 7 books in this series and I want to say that the 'magic' has gone for me. This story began with a great premise and the first couple of books played out that way. I really enjoyed the main characters...and I really miss them. They have disappeared pretty much from the story. I get that some characters play leading rolls and each book defines a different part of the story, however, some of the main ones need to stay in the forefront. Now it feels like a different series altogether.

The last, I want to say, 3 books. All of the sudden it is just sex. Everyone seems to be finding their 'soulbounds' everywhere and instantly connecting. I would believe as Elves, there would be a deeper pull than simply how 'hot' they are. I didn't mind the first few hook-ups, and I especially liked Dria and Vek. But this one now with Fen, Maddy and Anna...yes, 3 of them. And the sex is explicit and seems to be the only driving force for them. And there's this instant, 'let's do this'. I want something deeper. I want the 'soulbound' to be a whole lot more Elf like. I mean it's definitely okay to bring in the physical attraction, but geez...what happened to my magic elves in another dimension? And the violence, the darkness and 'blood' elves. Why? Why with the fangs? Couldn't there be a different way to use blood? But more importantly, and for the love of god...can these elevated magical beings say 'fuck' enough? I mean seriously. I know that some of them lived on earth and maybe picked up these habits, but enough.
And I'm totally lost on who Merin is. I'm not following the story of the other name he calls himself, it's just a bit confusing to me, especially since there are so very many characters and relationships to keep clear.
Also, the cell phones and video games, it just takes some of the mystery out of the story. Elves wondering around magical gateways with their phones...?
I am attached to some of these characters and I want to see how this all ends. It just feels like the author maybe either got bored with her original direction, or decided that bringing in a more 'modern' take on things and adding the over abundance of sex was the only way to keep readers interested. I don't know. But the series changed dramatically in flavor. I'm waiting for the next book because I simply need to see where this all goes. However, it really is becoming a bit of a challenge for me to do so.

[Marci · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not very enjoyable. I don’t care about the things many other unfavorable reviews said about the cursing, or other such things. This installment was not very interesting, and unnecessarily long. These three main characters are simply bland, their dialogue was juvenile and overall unappealing. It has nothing to do with the triad/polyamorous relationship, but even the way that came together was uncomfortable because they sounded so young. I’m also not buying these very young (for the Fae world), uneducated, mostly-grew-up-amongst-humans-and-know-very-little-of-this-world, but lo and behold they save the day. They also ascended to ranks and titles in these eons old cultures. I mean, Maren has been waiting to take his place for centuries, Fen has been alive like 23 years!?! It was too much to believe the way it was told.

Ugh, if you have some newbie waltz in and save the day for everyone, make the characters more interesting and let us see them in their goodness more than we did.

I want to know what happens so I’ll continue, I just didn’t like this. More like 1.5-stars.

[Lucinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of book 7

I did not like this book because there seen to be more sex than action. It seemed like the author didn't have enough action for awhile book so she added more sex. It was disappointing.

[Laura Iriarte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though I like reading a series within a different world and I like that they continue the narrative with focus on new characters with previous characters popping up - but this has been my least favorite relationship. 😣 I have started the next book/audio.

[Paperbacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ascent has been a book that I have been really looking forward to, Fen finally gets his turn in the spotlight and considering his journey up to this point there was certainly a lot to love. We find out more about Fen's life before, and during his time with Kien which really served to endear him even more to me.  The main thing that struck me about Ascent was that it had a such a different feel to earlier books, more of the action takes place on Earth which led to a bit more of a contemporary vibe, it also had a more relaxed story giving the characters a much needed breather from the huge battle of Awakening. As heavily indicated from previous books, Fen has the potential to be bonded with both Maddy and Anna, and this is dealt with in a quite beautiful way. As I mentioned before, the book has a more relaxed feel and this is mainly down to this coupling and the time taken to get it right. The way they take the time to communicate, give each other space to consider and consent was fantastic. This is a real testament to Bethany Adam's writing skill as this Polyamory coupling could have been awkward and clumsy.

Aside from this element though there is still plenty going on and actually thinking back on it there are a number of new threads within Ascent which pave the way for future books. There are a some new characters introduced from Maddy and Anna's families, and also we get to meet some of those impacted by the release of magic on Earth - they all have great potential and also assist with back story, I'm interested to see where new discoveries take us, mainly in relation to Anna and the new elemental introduction of those who have an affinity with water.

Fen though really is the shining star, he embraces his naming of heir with brilliant awkwardness and more than a little Earth inspired attitude. His time in the Unseelie court is wonderful fantasy though, his interactions with his mother and the pomp of court life are both serious and snarky, but the trio settle in well. I really loved how their coupling really complimented their powers and their situation with Meren forced them to be creative with how they used them - I can't say much more about that though.

I really enjoyed this return to the world and the series continues to be consistently amazing, I think Fen may have over taken Kai in my affections though!

[Leda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting way of proving that collaboration is sometimes necessary to lend a hand.

[Aizlynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the Audible version of the book.

This book is recommended for readers 18+ due to adult content.

This is my least favorite of the series. The plot is still moving well and it remains interesting. I guess I didn't buy the relationship. I don't have anything again polyam relationships, but this one never seemed to gel. By the end of the book, even after going through hardships and things that should have brought them together, Fen still felt like the odd man out. Anna and Maddy have more history, I get it. But for a group of fated mates, he still felt more like the sperm donor than an integral member. It made me really sad for him.

[Heather Downs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the other books in this series and would have enjoyed this one, but the use of the F word in about every other sentence was annoying. The other books had an occasional swear word but for some reason the characters in this book swore more then high school students.
I love how she combines three races of fae and the characters but it just got tedious to read and seek the the meaning of sentences through the swearing. Not sure I will be finishing the series which is unfortunate because I’m already 7 books in and invested in the characters.

[Kim Lowery · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should I give it one star for being unreadable?

Mostly agree with all the bad reviews. Except I’ll add: this felt so forced. So so very forced. The author backed herself into a corner with the two women in a committed relationship and each preferring women, so poor Fen - full of self doubt - had to horn his way in. I guess they really only need one peen for sperm though. I’m not sure. It was too boring to finish.

Apart from the hero, who deserved much better, the first few hundred pages are incredibly boring. The only scene with life was the couple from the previous installment playing a video game.

Did someone else write this book?

It is so far removed from the first book - in tone, style, plot balance, world creation, mythology - which I recommended to a few friends based on the clean factor. Now I’m so embarrassed I did that. It’s like this one was written by a completely different author.

I really hate it when a promising series devolves into crap. But this is crap. And while I’m not a fan of FFM, I have hundreds of trio books on my shelf. This one is just awful. They are all always tired. And that’s been true for a while in this series. How the author feels creeping in? They are all run down energizer bunnies. Fen sleeps over on the women’s couch - which is evidently the only place two women can kiss - and it’s just so boring. The scene before that where Maddy “scans” some random witch person? Also boring. The entire last 100+ pages I read could have been edited completely out.

I might scroll for the continuing story arc. Maybe not. I’m afraid to see who gets the next book. Probably some minor character of little intrigue like the witches. Blech.

ETA: no minor characters. The grumpy old healer gets the next one. Then the bird like non human dragon woman. So I guess I’m done with this series. Too bad she couldn’t bring back the first few couples for the series end. They were great. Going from over 9k reviews for the first book to just under 900 in 7 books should tell you something. Don’t believe the high star reviews.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites so far. I'd been looking forward to getting to this book. I'm not poly, am way too monogamous to be poly, but I love the idea of it nonetheless. I don't see poly books ever, I could just not be looking in the right place, but I was excited to see a new kind of relationship explored.

I do see where some may feel the trio wasn't as equal, since the women do have more history, but ultimately, it is a new relationship, so it makes sense that it's like this to me. We're shown they are intent on getting to know each other.

I could have kept going with this book. Like, I wanted more so bad. I devoured this book. I enjoy how we switch between worlds and how people are living in them. I love how the plot is so seamless, and how we get hints of what's to come. I enjoy revisiting prior characters and seeing where they're at. But if there were more books with these three as the mains, I'd be so happy.

I don't really understand why people are upset over fictional characters who aren't wholly human which means they wouldn't have most of our customs anyway but even then, love is love, it's just a book, why is it a problem that fictonal characters love each other. Also, I've seen reviews about the sex scene. While I'd say it's the most descriptive yet of exactly what's happening, it's still tame, not at all lewd or out of nowhere. Every book has a sex scene, it's expected. And there was just one. And hey, I liked it, and I'm not here for the sex scenes.

Great book, absolutely loved it, and I'd one of my favs in the series.

Oh and, I realize why it only minority bothers me that characters, depending on gender, have the same mannerisms. The characters are so different, it's easy to tell the difference between them even with similar mannerisms.

Loved it. So good.

[Beth White · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do Unseelie Sidhe, Felshreh Blood Elf, Seelie Sidhe & Gwragedd Annwn, a Welsh Fae all have in common - half human children who are about to shake up the courts as we've always believed them to be!

I've been wracking my brain for 24 hours on the best way to do this review. I've actually written four and of them only the first paragraph remains. I promised this in 48 hours.

Seventh in the series. Not my drop dead favorite as that tender spot in my heart has been grabbed by book six about Fen's Uncle Vek. This has endeared itself because author Bethany Adams shows that Fae go through teenage angst just like we do, maybe not as early in life span yet the stressful emotions and worry about what you have done and how others look at you is a universal situation.

Fen, Anna and Maddy are all young adults in the eyes of humans and children in the eyes of Fae as they have only lived a quarter of a century. Maddy's Seelie Sidhe Fae father is over 1000 years old much to her amazement when she finds things out, Fen's Unseelie Sidhe mother is half a century and Anna's Gwragedd Annwn parent she doesn't know one wit.
So conflict between attitudes reign abound. I can't even hint at more or ruin the story with too much information.

Bethany still thrills with characters you get invested in deeply, dialogue that makes you laugh long and hard or tear up with concern. Another book that I highly recommend.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bethany has done it again! This is the seventh book of the Return of the Elves series, a series revolving around the fae world, Moranaia, earth, good and evil, magic, and romance, of course. I have read and enjoyed the entire series.

This is the story of ½ blood Unseelie prince, Fen, ½ Seelie Maddy, and Anna, who has just discovered she comes from a line of water fae. The three of them must stop their common enemy Meren, a Seelie noble who wants to take over earth. Fen, Maddy and Anna, not so accidently, discover they may be mates for each other and must come to terms with this while fighting Meren and learning to use new or newer fae abilities. This was not my favorite of the series but was a good addition and definitely worth reading. While the book can be read as a stand alone, I suggest reading the series in order as each book builds upon the prior stories and it helps to better understand the characters and current situations our protagonists find themselves in. If you enjoy faes and magical worlds centered around romance and mystery, this series is for you!

Note: There is frequent use of the F-bomb, some descriptive sexual scenes, and a polyamorous relationship. While these make sense in the context of the story lines and characters, some may find it offensive.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m an avid reader and this is the first book review I have felt moved to write. I just found this series, and I really enjoyed it at first; however, this book has been my least favorite so far. I will not be continuing the series.
The plot seems to be the same story as in the last few books and not very believable (fantasy aside, intelligent people don’t behave this way).
The excessive use of swear words seems like lazy writing to me. There are many other words to express frustration, disgust, fear, concern, elation, joy, and love. The story line seems o be trying too hard to fit into “modern” behaviors. The writing is unimaginative and trite. I also don’t enjoy reading sex scenes… The first few books handled this okay, while the last few books feel voyeuristic. I like romance, but I don’t enjoy reading the sex scenes or the crass language.

[Ally Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Bethany has delivered a story that gives us a bit of everything. Such beautifully written characters, fascinating settings and a compelling and gripping plot. I, as always when reading this series, couldn't stop reading.

I missed Moranaia, but I enjoyed seeing other relms and the people within them. Fen is such a wonderful character, such depth, it's hard not to fall in love with him, and of course the ladies in his life.

I cannot wait to see what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charleynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ascent is a great continuation of a brilliant series each book has an in depth look into the characters story with appearances from old characters and the introduction of new characters fen’s story has been slowly building in the background of a few books and his story does not disappoint once I started I couldn’t put it down and the ending leaves you wanting more I can’t wait for the next in the series

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the next one!

I've really been enjoying this series. With fewer editing issues than most ebooks, I can more easily appreciate the characters, storylines, and plots that interweave from book to book. The languages the author intersperses throughout adds a little extra boost to the reality of the characters.

The treatment of polyamory in this book was impressively respectful.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't as into this one as the previous books. I didn't like the characters as much, and there are too many people to keep track of.
Fen is hesitant to commit to two women, fearing he will bring only bad things to the relationship. Both Maddy and Anna learn more about their magic and their heritage. The ultimate showdown with the latest villain is put off for a later book.
Typos: some minor missing words, chuck (throw) is spelled chunk.

[Annie Dox-Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

This book was awesome. I couldn't stop reading it. What I didn't expect was the bonding of 3 different elves. All three with different powers. That was amazing. The twist for me was Maddy & Anna being bisexual. Yet, they bonded with a male. Very well written. Intriguing & mysterious at the same time. I already pre-ordered Solace but have to wait until April to download. Disappointing.

[Dale S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories in this series are ok. Not great but engaging enough. The problem is the narration. There are two narrators one male and one female. But it’s not as if they train roles / they trade chapters sometimes paragraphs. So the voices are completely different for the same characters. It’s very distracting to hear the same character have a different voice in the span of just a couple of minutes.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adams delivers again!

Having read the entire series, it’s hard to wait for a new release. This was worth the wait. Anna is coming into her own, Maddy is finally getting advice on using her gift, and then there’s Fen...and there are a few new characters. We find out more about Maddy’s dad...my only problem is it ended too soon! Can’t wait for the next book!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this series by Bethany Adams by chance via Bookbub daily book deal emails, purchased on a whim and fell in love with the storytelling and characters. Wonderful character development, the pace is great and keeps you engaged the whole way through.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Beccarose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little skeptical about Fen and Maddy and Anna’s story, but it proved as engaging as the rest of the series, and story-driven, rather than everything relationship focused (though there was that element, of course). Lovely continuation of a captivating story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Samone Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A triad of sorts

Fen, Maddy and Anna are an unlikely force to be reckoned with in this new storyline. Each possessing a key component that when linked together is formidable against the antagonist, Meren. They are broken souls who find companionship, love and a new beginning in both the human and elfen world of nobility.

[Tania Blanksby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read.

The inter-dimensional saga continues, focusing on Fen as our central hero. Love, suspense, heroes and villains.
Great characters, absolutely love Vek - strong, honourable, and protective of his family. Meren continues to play out his evil plans.
Spent my week off reading this series and was sucked into another world. Can’t wait for book 8!

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the last one but still very worth the read. I would tone it down a bit with the swearing, though. I wonder what will we see next. Is it too soon for Caolte and Ara? What happened to the mind healer? He an Kezari had something going on. Will Lynia give Lial a shot? There is a new race in town. Will Torlahn find someone’s fish to her water. How intriguing.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite

I started this super excited but it look me months to finish. Anna who is gay suddenly decides she doesn’t mind sharing her girlfriend with a dude, I couldn’t get past that. The character development wasn’t there for me. Some of the storylines were confusing too. Just not my favorite.

[Mariëlle Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars to each book in this series, but this might have been my favourite thus far <3 We truly are our own worst enemy, whether human, half-human or full-blooded magical creature. I can't help but want to send these three a Brené Brown care package, with 'I thought it was just me, but it isn't' at the top.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line

To many bedroom scenes for my taste although I enjoy everything else about it. I even came across some fairly good advice. I know that it's supposedly YA but it's my favorite genre it's my escape from the world. I've already bought the next one then I'll have to wait for #9's release.

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title. (Audible Membership)

The one fey that has caused problems throughout the past months, Marion, is still causing grief.
He's attempts are seemingly thawted in ways that are luck, but on looking back on required some one to pull more out of themselves than they really felt beyond them.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this one! Taking (most) of the action to Earth, and bringing a whole new tangle of peril and politics, “Awakening” gives the spotlight to the young half-bloods. Family, history, pride and prejudice - and utterly relatable protagonists - this was a nail biter but also a bit of a refresher, reminding me that the here and now is always coloured by what went before.