The Ever After

Trylle #3.5

by Amanda Hocking

Amanda Hocking, the New York Times bestselling author of The Kanin Chronicles, returns to the magical world of the Trylle Trilogy with The Ever After, the final novel in The Omte Origins arc.

Buried memories…

Ulla Tulin has lost a month of her life. Her journey to learn who her parents are has brought her to the attention of the Älvolk sect—and a man claiming to be her father. But instead of a long lost family reunion, Ulla has forgotten her time there, and fears something terrible happened.

Sacred flower…

The Älvolk released Ulla alive for one reason only, to exchange her for a rare flower with mystical properties. Determined to break her amnesia, Ulla risks her life against a dark enchantment capable of killing her to remember the Älvolk’s secrets—to use the flower as part of an incantation that will open the bridge to Alfheim, the First City.

Blood prophecy…

But opening the bridge will unleash a menagerie of monstrous creatures upon Earth that will consume everything in their path. Knowing she may lose Pan Soriano, the love of her life, Ulla nevertheless gathers an army of Trylle to stand with her and defend humanity as well as her own kind. And it is Ulla’s very heritage that holds the key to victory.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal Romance

496 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2012

About the author

AMANDA HOCKING is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.

Several of her books have made the New York Times Bestsellers list. Her zombie series, The Hollows, has been adapted into a graphic novel by Dynamite. She has published over twenty novels, including The Kanin Chronicles, the Watersong quartet, My Blood Approves series, the Valkyrie duology, and Freeks .
For more info about her and her books, here are some other places to check out and ways to contact her:

Website: www.hockingbooks.com
Amazon Author Page: Amanda Hocking
Patreon: Amanda Hocking
Instagram: @amanda_hocking
BlueSky: AmandaHocking.bsky.social
Threads: @amanda_hocking
YouTube: aehocking
Facebook: Amanda Hocking Fans
Etsy: Hocking Books by Amanda
TikTok: @amanda_hocking
Goodreads: Amanda Hocking
Spotify : Amanda Hocking

Reviews

[Azbaqiyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more of this series..

Seriously...this trilogy really make me hangover and over again.

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Ever After, Ulla, Pan, Dagny, and Elof have returned after being held captive, and none can remember their month of captivity. As Ulla and her friends try to regain their memories, they continue to uncover a plot that involves her parents, a mythical city, a mysterious and dangerous secret society, and mythological children’s stories. Ulla’s journey is long, complex, and dangerous, and the consequences of failing are severe. The Ever After is the most action-packed and exciting of the trilogy, and the unexpected twists left me shocked, devastated, and delighted.

I know I said it in my last review, but Hocking’s skill in creating vivid and immersive worlds bears repeating. The Omte Origins is a complex story with many layers, and Hocking weaves the story together as seamlessly and masterfully as she does the rest of the Trylle world. The characters, mythology, literature, languages, culture, and more are all dynamically developed and fascinating. I continue to be amazed at Hocking’s storytelling ability.

I loved the slow-building romance between Ulla and Pan. Their relationship is strong and deep, built on friendship, respect, trust, and admiration. Plus, they have great chemistry. I loved watching their connection grow throughout the first two books, and Hocking takes it to the next level in this one.

I also adored the protagonist, Ulla. Ulla is not a warrior. She’s not beautiful. She’s a little chubby, and she is the epitome of a hero. She is searching for herself, for a sense of where she came from and what happened to her and her family, but she finds out so much more than that. Ulla discovers things that can shake the foundation of the Trylle world. I love her determination, strength, perseverance, loyalty, and kindness. People gravitate to her because she is a good person and a true friend. She’s also the reason some of my favorite characters from Trylle and Kanin Chronicles (the first and second series in the Trylle world) make an appearance in this series.

You don’t need to read Trylle and Kanin Chronicles, but if you did, it’s fascinating to see how all of the characters and stories connect and merge in this epic conclusion. Wendy, Loki, Finn, Brynne, Tove, and so many other beloved characters return to help Ulla, Pan, and their friends in their quest. It is awesome and heartbreaking, and I didn’t want the story to end. Thanks so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

https://onebookmore.com/2020/12/28/ar...

[Kelly (Diva Booknerd) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ullaakuut Tulin has returned home, held captivate by the Älvolk and although she scarcely remembers her ordeal, is experiencing the trauma of being tortured. Ulla, her friends and colleagues from the Merellä metropolis searched for the First City, a mythical city beyond the bridge that connects the realms between Ulla's world and those of the ancients.

The Omte Origins series has been a whirlwind adventure, a gentle romance, unlikely and tentative friendships and alliances and I've loved every moment. The reader is first introduced to Ulla as a somewhat naive and unsuspecting young woman. She knows little about the world beyond her village and her kindness and inquisitive nature is completely endearing. Throughout the series, Ulla embarks on a journey to find her family, abandoned as an infant with an elderly couple to raise. Along the way, Ulla begins to rely upon her found family, namely Dagny and Pan and although is determined to search for her parents, it soon becomes apparent that all hell is on the verge of breaking loose and Ulla will find herself faced with impossible decisions, while struggling to remember her capture.

One of my favourite aspects of the series are the reoccurring characters from series' set within the Trylle kingdoms, the series can be read as a standalone but the familiar faces are wonderful. Wendy and Finn from the original Trylle Trilogy and Bryn and Ridley from the brilliant Kanin Chronicles. Each series featuring strong and fearless female characters in positions of power and authority. Although each typically fall in love, these are heroines who don't need a male character to complete them, they're their own saviours.

In the Omte Origins series, we hear more about the origins of the trolls and their Scandinavian heritage, their history tightly woven among the Viking folklore. The mythology and legends of children's fairytales coming to life was beautiful and I hope it might lead the way to future series' set within this magical world.

It's been quite a while since a series has captivated me so entirely and that's one of my favourite aspects of Amanda Hocking's writing. They're entertaining, mesmerising reads. Being back in the Trylle world was lovely and although the Omte Origins series features an entirely new community of troll, characters and storylines, it was comforting to be back in a world I was familiar with. The Ever After, the final Omte Origins instalment is wonderfully adventurous, a beautiful exploration of folklore and culture, of lost cities and found family.

[Permanently_Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the conclusion to the Trylle series and final book in the Omte Origins trilogy. Hocking delivered in this final novel with answers to nagging questions and an epic battle of beasts and troll. This series had a solid beginning that lagged a little in the middle for me. However, the character connections and world building were strong throughout and the ending was action packed.

I love how Hocking keeps true to all of the characters she presents throughout the books. Weaving them in and out of the plot as she goes. Building the reader connection with each one. The world building had a unique depth though I do feel I should have read the other series before this one to get a better understanding of some nuances.

Overall, I can tell that this was a branch off of a main series. A revisit to something more. Though I enjoyed my first dive into this world I do feel I would’ve liked it more if I had started with the Trylle series books. I recommend those getting to know Hocking to begin with Trylle and move to Omte.

Lastly, I read the first two books in this trilogy and listened to the final book. Occasionally reading when I couldn’t access the audiobook. I definitely enjoyed listening more than physically reading this time around. Therese Plummer had a beautiful narrative voice that fit Ulla and brought more feeling and excitement to the pages than my imagination was mustering. I’ll be going back to listen to the first two books later in the year and start the original Trylle books. Hopefully, Plummer is the voice for those as well.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the advanced copies in exchange for an honest review. Now to tackle the rest of Hocking’s novels.

True rating 3.5/5.

[Pearl Angeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this happily ever after short story between Wendy and Loki. I could not ask for a better ending. :)

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I received an arc from NetGalley for an honest review]

The Ever After is the third and final installment to The Omte Origins series by Amanda Hocking and the ending to her Trylle universe series as a whole.

The first two books in The Omte Origins series were solid. Interesting story lines that while there always seem to be questions needing to be answered you cared for the characters and were invested in their journey. At the end of book 2 our main characters those their memories of a chunk of a chunk of their journey. Therefore, going into book 3 you know there will be some back tracking and struggle as they try to regain that lost time. I'm not sure what happened but somehow about 40 percent of the beginning of this book drags and feels like a lot of nothing happens. For me, it didn't really pick up until the second half of the book. It could have benefited from losing a good 100 pages of the 500 that make up The Ever After.

The end of the book contains an enormous battle scene its intense and thrilling. As a long reader of this world from the first series I was excited for her to bring main characters form the previous trilogies to help fight in this epic battle. We are even given POV from these characters which gave me a warm feeling. Yet if you're not familiar with them , since this series can technically be read on its own, you won't have any feelings of nostalgia and it will sort of feel chaotic with the jumping around of point of views.

::Next Paragraph is slightly spoilery so feel free to skip""
Last but not least, Amanda Hocking has made the decision to kill off a motherf*cking main character from a previous trilogy. Why ?!?!?! This lead went through their own journey to get their happy, and then you bring them back in this one to give them the axe. Not Cool. Shortly after that devastating scene the battle ends and that's it. Readers a given a paragraph for each character of "where they are now" and Ulla and Pan are heading off to start their own Ever After.

In the end The Ever After wasn't quite what I wanted or was expected for the final book in a trilogy and final book for a universe. I will still always love all of the series in the trylle universe but I'm sad to say this last installment will be remembered with a bit of disappointment.

[Siobhan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ever After is a handful of pages giving you an insight into the after of the Trylle trilogy. I had great difficulty working through the trilogy, but as I brought the complete trilogy in a single book, which contained the short stories, I decided to give it all a read. The main books I found difficult, but the short stories I found even harder.

The first short story, The Vittra Attacks, was the best of the three. It was a one-point-five-star rating. The second short story, One Day: Three Ways, was hard for me to work through. It was a one-star rating. The third short story, Ever After, was the most painful of the bunch. It also received a one-star rating, yet it was an even weaker one-star rating that One Day: Three Ways.

For me, Ever After felt forced. It was a few pages where it pushed in details of what life was like a year on. A year where everyone suddenly seemed to change, where we’re simply given a ‘this is where they are at’ with a heavy dose of ‘explaining why the relationships played out the way they did’.

I never came to like the characters throughout the main series, and this one failed to win me over. Sure, if you enjoyed the series, you’ll probably have fun with this extra. If, like myself, you weren’t a fan of the series I’d certainly recommend avoiding this one.

[Kai (CuriousCompass) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

Wow. I'm totally stunned. I laughed, I cried, I threw the book down in disbelief. This is the finale in a nine-book series, so what can you expect?

First of all, this book has caused a bit of a ruckus and a divide in the fandom due to a certain major character death. I don't want to spoil that in my review, but can I just say that...somebody's life and story is not negated or erased because they die. Life ends. We are all finite creatures who die, regardless of whether we 'earned' our happy ending. It's a reminder to enjoy moments as they come, they aren't tallied up and returned to you at the end of your life because you feel you've earned a long peaceful, quiet end of life. Sometimes people die young. Their souls, values, history, and the impact they had on others isn't erased because they died.

I also think, in books, it's always the major characters who take the most risks, it's the soldiers and heroes who leap into battle and come up with hasty plans and face off with the ultimate evil, but it's somehow always them with the biggest plot armor, escaping death and riding off into the sunset for a happy ending while the side characters are the ones who die. I understand why side characters often serve as canon fodder, and there's plenty of that in the epic battle here, too, but realistically, in this world, it is often the people who take the most risks, and the most dangerous risks at that, who are more likely to die. The deaths and losses within this final book felt realistic for a battle of this scale, where the odds were so skewed against our heroes and the dangers faced were so large.

Like I said, I don't want to spoil it, which is why more spoiler-y stuff will be contained/hidden at the ending. I will say the character who died is LITERALLY MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THE WHOLE SERIES/FRANCHISE/WORLD. Of course I am heartbroken. I cried through the last three chapters of this book. But I can't imagine rating it one star and saying it retroactively ruined the other books and the series just because that person died, or claim their life and story never mattered because they died. They were a total fucking hero who went out the right way, and the novel paid tribute to them properly after, if you ask me.

It's hard ending a series, let alone one this long-running and beloved by many hardcore fans who reread the books over and over. Especially when you're aiming to change or reframe large parts of the world into a new context forever and hint at a different kind of future for said world.

People are saying Hocking 'ruined' this world for them by stripping away everything that makes the tribes special and making them 'essentially human' but that's been the point from the start, from the very first book of the Trylle Trilogy Wendy was pointing out how arbitrary and idiotic the racism of the trolls was; they considered themselves above humans even though little separates them from us, and they kidnap our kids and raise them in their own households, while allowing their own kids to be raised in ours. The troll superiority complex was always just magical racism perpetuated by their monarchy and upper-class. And dismantling it or calling it out had been a large focus of all of these books. To complain about seeing a continuation of that theme here seems foolish to me. But some readers fell for that racist superiority complex too, and bought into the idea that the trolls are 'special' and that it's their few differences that make them so, even though we've seen inside Wendy, Ulla, and Bryn's heads and know they're as human as we are in thought, emotion, etc.

I genuinely love how everything came together at the end. The truth is no ending Hocking could provide could avoid feeling bittersweet and sad, because I love this world and wish I could keep inhabiting it and checking in on it forever. But all good things come to an end. Does that mean it didn't matter, the journey along the way and the years of investment in characters, stories, themes, and worlds? No. Books and book series end, and so do human lives, and the lives of fictional characters. That doesn't destroy, ruin, or negate their meaning. I genuinely think some of the same people hating on this novel for these particular reasons, are likely people who struggle to accept endings or change in general. It can be uncomfortable and harsh, but it reminds us of the worth and beauty of things and why they matter.

Many old characters return in this novel for our final hurrah, and we even are introduced to a new one: Tove's sister Sunniva. During the original trilogy her existence was mentioned, but she was off being a changeling, and now we finally see her returned, a bit grown up, and ready to help out in the big battle to end all battles.

And what a battle it was! It dragged on for like nine or ten chapters or more, but it never actually FELT like a drag. It was intense, exciting, visually stunning, and kind of horrific. The monsters were so cool and after all of the build-up of what a threat they were, it was cool to see them actually being as dangerous as they were hyped up to be. The heroes were really facing off against the biggest threat yet, and work was put into showing it with every creature they faced off with. Seeing Wendy, Loki, Finn, Tove, and Brynn fight their way across the battlefield working together and with new characters from this trilogy was incredible! Every other moment something took my breath away.

I absolutely loved returning to Fulatrask multiple times during this book, however it was insanely frustrating watching Ulla and Pan fuck up talking to Queen Bodil. Ulla should've been smart enough to give her more information than she did, and present the threat more realistically. They did nothing to sell her on the idea that this would be a world-ending event and left it open enough to interpretation that I kind of saw her reasoning in not wanting to help them much. And the way Ulla strong-armed her will definitely cause her to be bitter towards Ulla in the future.

I adored Rikky's return even though it wasn't all smooth sailing! I was still glad she was included and was able to help out as much as she did in the final battle. I should have seen her medic skills coming in handy after her working at a clinic and taking care of injured animals was mentioned repeatedly in the previous book and a couple times in this one, but I was thinking of her less as a worthy ally or useful asset and more as part of the romance drama, but she broke out of that bubble and really came through. What a badass.

Ulla and Pan had a lot of sweet romance in this book, and although it wasn't as epic as previous romances in the series I do think they make a really adorable couple. They deserve to be happy after all the shit they had to experience just because they tried to do their jobs and/or do a couple ancestry tests.

SPOILERS AHEAD. It doesn't look like my spoiler tags are working on mobile, only desktop. So stop here to avoid spoiling yourself, for reals.

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Alright, it's time for some spoiler stuff, so if you haven't read all three trilogies, avoid this section and don't reveal these. I am just as shocked and saddened as anybody by Bryn dying. She was my favorite of all three heroines from this franchise and I was SHOOK during that whole scene. Her death is brutal, and badass, and it had been literally and figuratively hovering over her head throughout that entire scene. Losing her broke my heart, and the scene where Ridley visits Ulla in the epilogue was further heartbreak. I cried like a bitch. But that scene is also proof that Bryn's death doesn't undo or negate her life. Even in death, she took care of those she loved and protected them, and ensured their futures. She did that with her death and she ensured she'd continue doing it after. She died a true heroes death. For what it's worth Word of God from the author dictates that she's reunited with Konstantin in Valhalla. I'm sure Ember is there too. I might need to write some fucking fanfiction about that to cope with this trauma.

At the end of the day Bryn was a hardcore warrior, soldier, hero. She couldn't sit out a fight and couldn't turn her back on this one, for sure. She avenged Jem-Kruk, she stopped her father and his evil cult, and she was able to say goodbye to her parents and loved ones before dying. She died to give Ulla and Dagny time to save the entire world, and she saved how many lives before that? Bryn dying doesn't undo her life in any way, and I found the epilogue to be a fitting tribute to her by showing her true nature one final time and reassuring us that although death is sad and painful, this IS the kind of death Bryn would choose. It was a good death for her. And she witnessed somebody else experience the same death earlier in the battle and thought with relief that at least it was a quick way for him to go.

I would contrast this death to Tris's death in Allegiant, where that sacrifice felt stupid, forced, and kind of frustrating to me personally, this one was the opposite. It hit home, it worked, and felt like a way to honor the character, not insult or hurt or legacy or fans. It cements my love for her because it represents exactly who she was.

As far as other deaths in the battle; Jem-Kruk's was heartbreaking, but he had closure about his brother at least. And Illaria's bitch-ass finally got what she deserved, but damn, she killed Minnie in a far too brutal way before they finally took her ass out. RIP Minnie, we hardly knew ye before a psychopath fed your face to a giant spider.

I can't help but be sad it's all over, happy I got to experience it at all, equal parts excited and scared for future rereads with this added story and knowledge and context. I JUST reread the Kanin Chronicles but rereading them in the future one day is gonna kill me knowing what I know now, but instead of robbing it of worth I think it will make it that much more valuable, and yes, maybe painful, but most stories worth telling involve a little pain and may just invoke some too. That's their power.

Well played Amanda Hocking, thank you for making me shriek in disbelief and cry like a little bitch. I'm going to go and nurse my hurt feelings now, and I would be 100% okay with another trilogy about all the dead characters having an adventure in Valhalla. Or a short story about them at least greeting each other and being happy.

Seriously I'm content to know that our living characters are living happily ever after, for now, and that in all likelihood, Bryn and Konstantin have been reunited in some form of happy, safe afterlife, but I still want to end this review by saying a genuine Rest In Peace to Bryn Aven: she was a total badass and she saved everyone.

[Madison Faucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loki is like the fictional man we all want in real life and that’s all I have to say on this

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book: The Ever After
Read By: Soft Cover
Author: Amanda Hocking
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Recommend: Yes
Spice:🌶️️
< b>Age recommendation: 16-30+ Years
My feelings:


I enjoyed the Trylle series, and was looking forward to reading this one. I wanted to go back int to he world and see where everyone had ended up:) The world I entered was completely different then the first. At first I found ti hard to get into. But as I went along I found I didn't mind it.
Book 3 delivered it all. All the questions i had from the first 2 were finally answered. I was getting frustrated with this series as there wasn't enough action for me. But bam here it all is:)
Highly recommend!

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Did not care for this at all. It was all to romancy for my liking and too much 'happy families'. I could have done without reading this.

[Beth Tabler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in The Omte Origins, Ever After, brings to a close the exciting series staring Ullaakuut "Ulla" Tulin. While the previous novels in the series had a lighter tone, Ever After delves into Ulla's experiences as she was held captive by the Älvolk and its traumatic effects on her psyche.

In this final story, Ulla and her friends from her time in Merella search for the mythical first city and the bridge that connects the realms. The Omte Origins series is just that, the origins of the Omte people talked about in her Trylle series. If you are familiar with the Omte series of books and the rich history that Amanda Hocking created. One of the aspects that I enjoyed in the original series was taking the idea of a troll and turning it on its ear.

Trolls have always been depicted as dirty and scary creatures, a la Harry Potter. Instead, the history of the troll people is much more complicated, nodding to both Scandanavian and Norse people. The original series touches on some of the mythos, but I am glad that Hocking took the time and detailing of this series to flesh out the ideas.

The Omte Origins story follows a naive Ulla, as she first comes to Merella for education and a chance to research her family find who abandoned her. Even with everything Ulla has been through, she has an endearing kindness that permeates her interactions with people. This draws people to her. In the previous two books, Ulla meets Dagny and Pan. Both become very important in her life but in different ways. Dagny becomes a surly sister and Pan a love interest. This basis of family helps give Ulla the stability to seek her missing family and find out what really happened.

Ever After is a super fun conclusion to the series. It is both heartfelt and action-packed, which is par for the course for Hocking's books. They are always a good mashup. Check out this series and all of the Trylle books.

[Bec (Aussie Book Dragon) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review first appeared on my Instagram, @booktineus



The Good Things
+ Final book in the Omte Origins series, a NA Urban Fantasy series.

+ My favourite of the three books, and also the biggest. This plot is what I was waiting for in the previous books, with more lore, action, and answers. And the plot gets moving straight away.

+ It had some great twists and revelations I didn't expect!

+ I feel like fans of the Trylle world will especially enjoy the last part of the book when characters from the previous trilogies play a big part.

+ Continued to enjoy the characters and their interactions.

+ The love triangle I was worried would insert itself into the book never developed!

+ It was good overall. Wraps up everything well.

The Not-So-Good Things
- As much as I enjoyed this overall, I have mixed feelings. Not because it was bad, but because I feel like it could have been more.

- We get answers for everything, but a lot of it comes at the end when things wrap up abruptly after a brief explanation. There were also a few mighty convenient "this just feels right, I know this is what I have to do" plot solutions.

- Never really cared about the romance. It was alright but eh. Also there is one brief sex scene which I didn't expect (I mean, it's new adult, but I thought it would be a fade to black).

- In the final part there were some POV changes that I initially found jarring, especially since they weren't part of the previous books or the start of this book.

TLDR;
Overall this was a good conclusion to the Omte Origins and Trylle world. It was my favourite of the three, but it still felt like it never quite lived up to its full potential. Still a fun and easy to read series though.

[Jess - The Hexed Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75

Wow, what a way to finish a series. And not just a series, but a universe! I started reading from this world in 2015 when Frostfire came out and I'm telling you, I have enjoyed every minute of it!

This conclusion was fantastic. We were able to learn so many things about the troll world and how everything connected together. I was very happy with how everything ended with one GIANT exclusion.

That character death. You know which one I'm talking about. I was NOT ready for that and I am not here for it. They were done dirty and I REFUSE to accept it. Nope, it didn't happen. DIDN'T HAPPEN.
Though they did go out in style and doing something they 100% would do a million times over even knowing what the outcome would have been. It was very true to character, just not to my emotions.

Outside of that, there was a moment here where I was like "I'm sorry, you just did what?!?!" There's a POV switch at about 75% in, which is crazy because that's just NOT done. But it made so much sense for the story overall. For the SERIES overall. And I'm talking all 9 books, not just these three.

Overall, I'm really happy with the way Amanda chose to end this and I'm so happy that the ARC Gods at Netgalley and Wednesday books were kind enough to grant me ALL THREE of these books (as well as the Valkyrie duology previously!) to read early.

[Daphne · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I thought book 3 wrapped things up pretty well, this short story was such a goody bonus.

We see everyone after Wendy has been queen for a year and half. They've been making progress of bringing about changes, although it's acknowledged that it'll still take more time. Everyone is practically paired off- Will and Matt, Bain and Tove, Finn and Mia, Rhys and Rhiannon, and of course, Wendy and Loki. Even Garrett and Aunt Maggie make an appearance (although they aren't together or anything like that), along with Duncan. I loved seeing how everyone was doing after the events of book 3, and it was sweet to read of how in love Wendy and Loki are, happy with their son, Oliver. It's all very touching and extremely domestic with positivity stressed on family and its importance, along with friends.

[Toya (thereadingchemist) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I think that this series started off really well, it definitely lost steam from book to book.

I’m glad that we finally learn about Ulla’s parental heritage and the strange circumstances surrounding her, I can’t say that I was really pulled in by The Ever After at any point.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I did enjoy seeing some of my old favorites from Hocking’s previous books.

Oh...and there are way too many damn spiders in this series. Just saying.

Overall, for the diehard Hocking fans, the series is definitely worth a read since this is really the first time that you get insight into the Omte tribe, but it wasn’t a favorite in comparison to the others.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

[Monkeyface · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler alert........ This book ruined all of the books in this world.






Bryn is killed... Why there're plenty of people you could have sacrificed? Danny, elof, Finn, sumi, elianna, noomi, etc. Why would you kill the main character of one of the trilogies? I love your books I've read them countless times. They are my happy place and you ruined it. How am I supposed to read about Bryn and be happy she survived the kannin war and ended up with ridley when you killed her. I won't be reading any more of your books. This was a poor choice that ruined your other series. I just want to know why?
Also we never find out about bekk and her baby, does she know it's a heart defect, did they meet the other sister. This book had so many unanswered questions yet it was still wrapped up horribly.

[K Whatsherface · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has felt slower then the other trylle books. But overall I've enjoyed it. I can't believe how grow up Wendy is compared to when we met her. Smallish spoiler. Closer to the end of the book the shifts between the povs of Wendy and Bryn as well as Ulla. Part of me wants to say more but I don't want to give anything away. This really does feel like the end of the trylle saga. You don't have to read the first 2 series before this but. I highly recommend doing it because without them you'll feel like your missing something. Not enough to not understand whats going on but enough to know your missing information

[Shaye Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! Wendy and Loki celebrating their son Oliver's first birthday! This was the ultimate epilogue to this series. Honestly it made me love it even more. I was so glad to see everyone's happy endings , with Willa and Matt going strong, Tove and Bain together, and Finn and Mia married. Maggie showed up, along with Rhys and Rhiannon, and it was just the perfect reunion for this group of characters. Loved it and wish it would've lasted longer.

[Amory · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I had a nickel for everytime a young adult fantasy romance series I liked in middle school ended with the 18 year old protagonist getting married and pregnant, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.

[Euridice · Rating 4 out of 5]

un poco tierna la historia, la verdad no esperaba este final.

[♥Booknerdswift♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bryn.... :(

[S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly if this had been its own trilogy in a completely different world setting it might have worked better for me. The author was trying to build a world that she had already created and didn't need to expand in such a big way and the result was that it fell short.
This book floundered in the beginning as Ulla tried to figure out what to do. Not only was she as a character lost but so was the story. The characters themselves were interesting, they just weren't written in a way that utilised their full potential. Ulla isn't conventionally attractive (at least in her opinion), she's plus size and not perfect but she is strong willed and loyal. Unfortunately for her the fact that she never has any idea of what to do despite being the main character makes this a little hard to read, especially if the author was trying to lay down clues for later in the story. Wendy, the original main character from the Trylle trilogy, was suddenly portrayed as weaker than she actually is. Most of for Brynn, the main character from the Kanin chronicles, this story diminished her original story and efforts to prove herself during her own trilogy. The author's attempt to connect her to this trilogy and Ulla ended up making it a story more about Brynn than Ulla in the first half of the book until she suddenly disappears until the final battle at the end. Her death was pointless and didn't further the plot or add anything to the story other than shock value. In fact she was made to seem weak in the final battle as well when she tried to attack the wyrm and her sword only bounced off its scales. It's head was right next to her, as if she wouldn't have thought to try stabbing it in the most vulnerable spot possible, the eye!
Mastare Amalie was suspicious for no reason in the end. She was supposed to come off as someone who was super interested in the history that Ulla was, apparently, unearthing but instead she came off creepy. Also there was no build up or explanation for the Korva being an Alvolk, it would make more sense for Amalie to be the "inside person".
Why was Finn in every trilogy? Why was he always the connecting factor? It was cool for his sister to be in the Kanin chronicles but this was a bit much. Surely there can be another way to get in contact with Queen Wendy? The update on the characters was kind of cool at first but then the random connection of Hannah's grandfather being Jemkruk's brother felt really forced and like a desperate attempt to explain the way time works differently across the bridge. Also it was a way to dump off Sumi and Jemkruk in Forening until the final battle without them actually having to do anything.
And ew! What was the point of adding in that Jemkruk apparently loved Ulla's mother, especially after he'd been flirting with Ulla? His death also added nothing to the story . His character barely served a purpose other than to conventiently appear at random times to explain the plot.
Rikky, Pan's ex, honestly deserved better than to have Pan as her ex. There was no reason to have a scene where she yells at Pan because he didn't tell her about liking Ulla other than to create drama. Drama can be good but not when it doesn't add anything to the story. She was right about him being a coward though.
Pan's character however became more ridiculous as the story went on because he only existed to BE the love interest to Ulla. He had a personality in book 1 but it vanished the second he and Ulla started become an "unofficial thing". He kisses her, or tries to, in every scene they're in regardless of how she's feeling which feels uncomfortable to read when she's tired and by all means doesn't seem to want to do something like kissing in that moment. Not only that bu he mostly repeats himself about "starting and finishing the journey together". That's it. I genuinely cannot get over how short their sex scene was either. Now, I'm not saying that I want a full on show or anything but this felt very uniform. Ulla did this, he did that and done. At least they used protection I guess. Why bother including it when they were such a barely there, on and off couple the whole time? Plus, at the end when he decides to travel the world with Ulla (and her extremely convenient and honestly ridiculous amount of Will money from Brynn that solves all of Ulla's money problems) its so out of character because his whole thing was the Inhemsk program and just because apparently the history of trolls is different to what they all thought it was doesn't mean there aren't still fractured and displaced families out there! It was also a little weird that both Ulla to be unacknowledged and long lost children of royalty; royalty that apparently doesn't even matter anymore, and they just happen to "fall in love".
The alternating points of view at the end was clearly for dramatic effect for the battle. If there were going to be alternating POVs at all it should've been throughout the entire book and possibly the entire trilogy. It might've added more depth to it.
I don't like that all it took to kill the wyrm was a "flaming" dagger to the eye that only Ulla could do. It was so anticlimactic and made Brynn's death feel silly. The "plan" that Ulla had for killing it wasn't even a plan and the whole song line "The suns set in the green sky when the good morning becomes the violent night" did not make sense. The line did not serve a purpose or lead into the battle or plan to kill the wyrm or anything. It was never explained or made relevant other than being an annoying song stuck in Ulla's head to represent the fact that her memories were gone. And oh yeah wtf was with the spiders being in her memories? Like why would the Ogonen manipulate her later memories when they wanted her to figure out what was going on?
That being said, the trolls would still be trolls. Why would they think they aren't trolls anymore? They literally have a lab dedicated to studying the blood and genealogy of trolls and it is explicitly stated that their blood is different from humans (because they are apparently Alfar) even when human blood has been mixed in. They are still different. There are 9 books here that explicitly state that the trolls are different enough from humans that they need to hide.

This trilogy ultimately diminishes the lore of the previous 2 trilogies and essentially turns it all into a story of colonisation since they stole their powers, trapped and abused the Ogonen for hundreds of years. The first 2 trilogies did NOT lead into this one and it essentially diminished the original lore and characters. I'm just going to enjoy the first 2 trilogies and I know that I won't be reading this one again.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ends the series very nicely.

[Veronica LaRoche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love getting more of these characters stories especially what everyone has been up too. I love this series and can’t wait too read more of Amanda’s books.

[˚₊‧☾ space case ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Marielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leuk extraatje na de epiloog van deel 3

[Ama · Rating 2 out of 5]

**I received this book from netgalley in exchange for a review**

This review will serve as my break-up review to Amanda Hocking. I have read six whole books of hers at this point, and I did not enjoy myself. It’s not her, it’s me. I really just didn’t vibe with the world, the dialogue, or the characters.

After the grand finale of book 2, I really thought we were finally going to jump straight into plot. Unfortunately, we did not... Once again there’s a too-long, uneventful opening. And once again, not a single interesting thing happens until around 60%.

Almost every character has less personality than stale bread and I could not possibly care any less about what happens to them. (Dagny's back must be killing her after carrying the weight of this trilogy on her shoulders.)

As a whole, this entire trilogy fell so flat. It feels like a forced return to a successful world on Hocking’s part. There was hardly any plot, and very few moments of intensity (that weren’t actually that intense since the characters are amorphous blobs of cobbled-together told-not-shown traits). All three of these books could have been combined into one mildly compelling story. There are tons of random plot holes held together by prayers and duct tape. With every new contradiction, Hocking just throws in another random loophole to make it work. From a technical standpoint, the repeated use of words many times in a single paragraph or even the same sentence makes reading feel jagged.

The romance was technically slow-burn, but it was so underdeveloped that it still managed to give off insta-love vibes. The intimate scene later in the book was so cringey. I literally skimmed. I NEVER SKIM STEAM (if it can even be called steam).

Suddenly giving side characters POV chapters at 75% is a stylistic choice I can get behind... When it’s done right. Here, it felt so random and jarring, and not really necessarily or additive to the progression of the storyline. It might have been a nice little fan service if I had a) enjoyed the original Trylle trilogy or b) even read the Kanin trilogy. But as it was, I honestly kept forgetting who was narrating what because their voices were indistinct and the battle was raging in all of them.

The closing battle itself was weak. All three villains died too quickly and easily (in the space of about a paragraph each). I think that Hocking just doesn’t know how to write battle scenes. She tried to up the ante by cutting back and forth between POVs but this just made the story chaotic. The stakes didn’t seem high enough. Yes, the protagonists were still fighting for their lives but it should have been more of an effort, physically or emotionally, to take down the major antagonists. The major protagonist deaths were also quick/ boring. Bryn deserved better.

[Beth Tabler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in The Omte Origins, Ever After, brings to a close the exciting series staring Ullaakuut "Ulla" Tulin. While the previous novels in the series had a lighter tone, Ever After delves into Ulla's experiences as she was held captive by the Älvolk and its traumatic effects on her psyche.

In this final story, Ulla and her friends from her time in Merella search for the mythical first city and the bridge that connects the realms. The Omte Origins series is just that, the origins of the Omte people talked about in her Trylle series. If you are familiar with the Omte series of books and the rich history that Amanda Hocking created. One of the aspects that I enjoyed in the original series was taking the idea of a troll and turning it on its ear.

Trolls have always been depicted as dirty and scary creatures, a la Harry Potter. Instead, the history of the troll people is much more complicated, nodding to both Scandanavian and Norse people. The original series touches on some of the mythos, but I am glad that Hocking took the time and detailing of this series to flesh out the ideas.

The Omte Origins story follows a naive Ulla, as she first comes to Merella for education and a chance to research her family find who abandoned her. Even with everything Ulla has been through, she has an endearing kindness that permeates her interactions with people. This draws people to her. In the previous two books, Ulla meets Dagny and Pan. Both become very important in her life but in different ways. Dagny becomes a surly sister and Pan a love interest. This basis of family helps give Ulla the stability to seek her missing family and find out what really happened.

Ever After is a super fun conclusion to the series. It is both heartfelt and action-packed, which is par for the course for Hocking's books. They are always a good mashup. Check out this series and all of the Trylle books.

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ever After is an action packed concluding book to the Omte Origins Trilogy.

The book picks up where book two ends. It is easy to get into after having a long gap between book 2 and 3, all the back story is provided early on and allows the reader to be enveloped in the story once again.

It feels like such a rich folklore and magic system within the Trylle world. Amanda Hocking has a way of describing elements and creating a magic system that is enchanting.

The short chapter length keeps the book feeling punchy and fast paced. There is so much happening that the faster pace is really keeping the ball rolling. This element is crucial for The Ever After, as there is so much travelling within the pages that if the chapters were longer or the pacing slower, it would detract from the overall feel of the book.

I love how Pan and Ulla have come together finally, their relationship is sweet and honest and they complement eachother so well. That being said, their intimate scene felt awkward and uncomfortable. I don't think they needed to have a sex scene, It didn't feel necessary to the plot or their relationship. It felt like an afterthought addition.

The multiple points of view towards the end of the book are fantastic. They come at the height of the adventure and battle and allow the reader to get a better idea of what is happening. As well as the different perspectives of key characters at this crucial and final time in the trilogy.

The Ever After wraps up in such a wonderful way. Yes there are some losses that are truly heartbreaking, but it is wonderful to see Ulla finally starting her own life.

Written eloquently, with characters that we have gotten to see grow throughout the trilogy, The Ever After is the perfect final book for the Omte Origins Trilogy.