The Only

Endling #3

by Katherine Applegate

The thrilling conclusion to the epic middle grade fantasy trilogy from Katherine Applegate, the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Award-winning author of The One and Only Ivan (now a major motion picture!), The One and Only Bob, Wishtree, and Crenshaw!

In the beginning, Byx's original quest was to discover if there were more of her kind, or if she was destined to become an endling--the last dairne alive. She did indeed find more dairnes, and along the way she also created allies among other creatures in her world, including humans, felivets, raptidons, and wobbyks.

But Byx and her new friends soon learned that it wasn't just dairnes in jeopardy of extinction, but that everyone was at risk. With the world in unprecedented danger, Byx must rally creatures of all kinds to lead a revolution.

Katherine Applegate's Endling series has so far earned a collective five starred reviews, and each of the prior books has debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. She once again delivers an action-packed middle grade fantasy with a unique setting, enthralling characters, and gripping adventure that is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan, Brian Jacques, and Tui T. Sutherland.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Audiobook, Young Adult, Adventure, Childrens

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2021

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.

Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).

She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).

Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).

With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)

Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.

Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.

Reviews

[Jaiden Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Language: Clean
Violence: Fighting, people dying, nothing too graphic.
Magic: Definitely got more as the series went on. One person uses incoherent words to keep someone from dying, not weird really. There was a weird scene with a cursed forest that honestly didn't even go with tue book at all and was just freaky. Bones hung in the trees and there was a weird guy who was just a head who talked in riddle who was cursed, it was just weird, thus 4 stars.
Honestly didn't like this one as much as the others😔 first one I LOVED, second one was really good, and this one kinda a let down but still good. I loved Gambler even though he wasn't in much *sigh*. Renzo as always was fantastic, but also not in it much😥 I loved Khara in this one!💖 very humble but still awesome! Tobble wasn't as great without Gambler's sarcasm but I still love that little loyal guy!🥰 and Byx...Geeze, she really needs a confidence buster, I loved her in the first 2 books, very realistic that she did have selfdout and it was like 'yeah, I relate!' 6 successful missions later and she still self doubting, like seriously? I really thought that concluded in book 2?🤷‍♀️ like I get it, but not even a little confidence after all your successful missions and the title of hero? Seriously, girl, find a new problem🤦‍♀️
Also, where was Dog? He was in the beginning and Renzo left him with Gambler but then he like disappeared? Was there a sad death scene I missed or did I just scip some sentences where he in it? Did Gambler eat him or something? Ik confused?🤨 please if you know what happened to Dog let me know...lol...
But, aside from those complaints I really enjoyed this book! Khara and Renzo!💖 I love them! I mean really, 'The Lady and the Thief' how can you not love these two?🥰 Gambler was awesome! I loved the adventures and everything!!!! So well done! This was so fun and easy to read! AMAZING characters and dialogue and writing👏👏👏💖💖💖🥰🥰🥰 I LOVED THIS WHOLE SERIES!!!!! WHAT A GREAT READ!
10+

[Fiebre Lectora · Rating 3 out of 5]

En un principio, la misión de Bex fue descubrir si estaba sola o aún quedaban más miembros de su especie, los dairnes. Y aunque terminó encontrando a otros como ella, e hizo nuevos amigos y aliados entre las otras especies, se dio cuenta de que no solamente los dairnes estaban en peligro de extinción, sino que todos, animales y humanos, corrían el mismo riesgo si los gobernantes llevaban a cabo sus planes. Así, Bex deberá reunir a criaturas de todas las especies para liderar la revolución, y enfrentarse a una amenaza sin precedentes.

Una vez más, ha resultado una historia emocionante y entretenida, con un mensaje muy claro de paz, de unión e igualdad entre las personas y también para con la naturaleza y el resto de seres vivos, lo importante del diálogo, y lo parecidos que somos todos en realidad, aunque aparentemente no lo parezca.

Así, nos encontramos aquí con mucha acción, y mucha aventura, pero aunque pueda sorprender, lo cierto es que se me ha hecho algo más pesado que los otros volúmenes, no sentía que me estuviese narrando escenas demasiado interesantes, y en ese sentido, excepto por el desenlace y la batalla final, para la que se están preparando durante toda la novela, forjando alianzas y tramando el plan, ha sido algo más plano y no tan emocionante.

Reseña completa: http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

   Just because Byx has found more dairnes – she really wasn’t the endling! – does not mean her adventures have ended. Far from it. For that looming war is imminent, and Khara needs the help only Byx can provide: as ambassador to bring allies to Khara’s side and plan for the Army of Peace she is raising to prevent the Murdano and Kazar Sg’drit from engaging in active war. If Byx thought being the last of her species was hard, well, that was a walk in the park compared to traveling new lands and dangers to convince others to join the Lady’s peaceful cause.
    I can tell I’m going to need to re-read this series, now that I know where to put my expectations for how things unfold – as they didn’t go where I thought/hoped they would, and took a rather different path. This final book is much slimmer than the first two, and is much more delineated in its parts: part one is Byx as ambassador to the natites, part two is Byx as ambassador to the wobbyks, and the third part is the culmination of Byx and Khara’s efforts to avoid all-out war between the Murdano and Kazar Sg’drit. The imagination involved in the envisioning of the inhabitants of Nedarra and the various places Byx travels to/through continue to be excellent, and we see in Khara’s plans some of the themes that Applegate has been using in her latest middle grade novels (peace, care for all animals, the value of life, etc.) put into action. There’s also a very real sense of danger for the well-being of characters, as characters have died before, and so it can happen again. No one comes out unscathed, shall we say. So overall there’s a nice balance of good action, brilliant imagery of the world and its creatures, and peaceful courses of action paired with tense and dangerous situations to keep the pages turning. It really is a fabulous world, and I still find myself wanting to know more about how it works, and how the different pieces fit together.
    Now to get a little nit-picky. As the plot switch to focus on the war instead of the search for dairnes felt a bit clunky to me, so too did the justification for Byx to become Khara’s ambassador. It was a bit like the story needed to keep Byx as a key player – after all, the trilogy started out being about her – but it wasn’t sure how to smoothly integrate her into a war-time role when she’s only about eleven, the runt of her litter, curious but unwise in the ways of the world until recently, and is mostly known for her ability to differentiate truth from lies. Having Byx as ambassador does make sense from such points of view as she is ostensibly the last dairne known generally to exist, or at least the most well-known, and because she can separate truth from lies. Sending her to the natites made far less sense than going to the wobbyks, but in neither did it really feel to me as though she was truly the only one for the job. It felt more like she was the available and convenient one for the job, as everyone else in their group had more urgent duties to attend to. Byx could be spared to travel and do other things, whereas Gambler and Renzo for example could not so easily.
   On the themes, it felt like themes which were introduced or mentioned in the first books didn’t really…evolve from then to now. Or even almost back-pedaled a little. This even though circumstances certainly changed, and so did how the characters acted. Such as when Khara reassures Byx that she can never let them down (see quotes below), using very similar words to how Byx had reassured Khara of the same in book 2, without even making an allusion to it. I know characters can’t always be expected to remember things as well as a reader, but something like that, something big, I would have thought so. Not so much a theme, but an observation: Khara is fourteen, going on fifteen (yes, I had to go back to book 1 to look up their ages, as for some reason I was still pegging Khara as closer to 12/13 with the way she emphasizes her young girl side to manipulate situations to get others to give her half a chance to prove herself), and she freely acknowledged with apparent disapproval given her sour face that girls her age are “Old enough to marry, and then some” (book 1, page 87). And sure enough, in this book it becomes clear that she has begun to return Renzo’s feelings towards her. What was surprising, though, was how it is pretty heavily implied after the war is over that the big “event” will be her marriage to Renzo, so she’ll be barely fifteen, and the epilogue confirms that must have happened. Given her attitude towards being of a marrying age, and despite the norm it seems to be in this fantasy world, it seemed surprising that Applegate would have them marry so quickly instead of even waiting a few years. Or, heck, even one year. I got the feeling that maybe it was forgotten that Khara was only 14 at the beginning, and that maybe she sort of “became” a sixteen-year-old at least, like maybe…her age was forgotten by the time this book was written. Oh and what happened to Khara’s mom, anyways? We never did learn beyond how her dad told her she was essentially purposefully left behind, or even of her dad’s fate beyond the implication that he was nearing death as it was. Not to mention the events with Gambler and Naleese at the very end – it seemed pretty vaguely laid out in the final stand-off, and neither fleshed out nor remotely hinted-at prior. Basically, I was left as confused as Byx about Gambler’s motives and actions, and what it meant for the larger picture.
   Then there’s the position of wobbyks in the world, seen as a second-class species to the governing species just because they can’t do theurgy and even though they can speak. I thought the situation of the wobbyks would have been perfect for giving a little more depth to the argument about just because one group can do one thing and another can’t, doesn’t mean the second group is less worthy of x, y, or z rights. I would have thought one of the most obvious arguments to make for the case of wobbyk’s rights would be that they can speak and express themselves to others, not to mention their family structures, building abilities, fishing skills, and culture and customs. There’s so much more to support giving equal rights to wobbyks than just (simply put) the example of Tobble’s role in Byx and Khara’s journeys and how they came to get to know him and become friends. Basically, the justification put forth for why wobbyks should be treated as equals instead of food (dare I say, especially considering their reproduction rate! On par with rabbits!) ended up being based much more on the vague structure that just because he can talk and was a valuable friend and ally, than anything deeper. I couldn’t help but feel that the justifications they were using for wobbyks could have been pretty easily applied to pretty much every living creature, and thus leans towards a sort of vegetarian-is-the-way-to-go for everyone mentality.
    Given the shortness of this final book, I also fear that maybe sales for the first two weren’t really where the publisher wanted to be. In addition to the slips and seeming omissions detailed above and in the below commentary section, this was also the only book which did not have the map of the world on the inside front and back covers. Which, considering just how far-ranging Byx’s travels are in this book alone, not to mention the movements of the Army of Peace, was a real loss, as I kept wanting to flip to a map and couldn’t unless I pulled out one of the first two books.
   Despite all my gripes, I did enjoy The Only and the Endling series. Now that I know better where to pin my expectations, I’m sure a second read-through of the series will put it in a more favorable light overall. But at this time, I can’t help but feel a little let down with how it all went, and wish that it had gone just a little differently. While there is a great amount of imagination in the inhabitants of this world – I loved every new creature we met! – so much was left open, vague, or brought up then forgotten (see: Gaziko’s Ezkutak), that it felt incomplete and a little slapped together with a bow to end things. I think it could be better by not shifting the plot to focus on the looming war between the Murdano and Kazar Sg’drit for one, re-focusing it on the search for dairnes and what their discoveries mean for the world, and a better addressing of the worthiness of “second-class” species like wobbyks, to name a few areas. I guess this is where you’d say fanfiction comes in, hm?

Quotes and commentary:
    I found while reading this that there were a few slips – of continuity, of world-building, of who knew what, that sort of thing – that I feel might be attributed to the time between books, or not having a solid series bible to refer to, or having too many projects during and in between the publication of the Endling series. Whatever the reason, I noticed them, having read these books in quick succession.

   Maxyn, my fellow dairne, sat next to me. When we’d discovered his tiny, fragile colony of dairnes still alive […] – page 17 – Except, they found Maxyn alone with his father Elexor. They were the only two left of what had been their small colony on Tarok (book 2, page 176)

    “I’m relieved it went well,” I said. “I was so afraid I’d let you—all of us—down.”
   “That, my friend, will never happen.” Khara clapped me on the back.” – page 84 – This echoes, in reverse, when Byx reassured Khara that she could never let them down, even if she failed at something (book 2, page 146). So I’m a bit surprised that there wasn’t some sort of nod to that by Khara in some way. Whether it be her saying something like “A wise young dairne once told me that I could never let those who rely on me down, even if I failed” or “I have faith in you, just as you had faith in me when I doubted myself.”

    “Oh!” I exclaimed, but quietly, so that only Tobble and Gambler heard me.
    “I believe,” Tobble said, looking at Gambler, “that Byx just figured something out.”
   Gambler nodded. “I believe you’re right.”
   Both of them seemed amused. Clearly I was the last to see what was obvious, now that I thought about it: the Lady and the thief were in love. – page 97 – Except, Byx already knew this, or at least she knew how Renzo felt about Khara, along with Gambler and Tobble: “Poor Khara actually did not know why Renzo followed her. His feelings seemed plain enough to me, and to Gambler and Tobble as well, I suspected—and we weren’t even human.” (Book 2, page 218) Now, Byx could be surprised to realize that Khara had realized she was falling in love with Renzo, given how much time Byx had spent away from them as of late. But then this passage should have been done differently, to better reflect specifically what Byx realizes.

   “I don’t think you can stop being scared, Maxyn. I don’t think that’s what it means to be brave. I think being brave means being afraid and still doing what you must do.”
   Even, I added silently, if it means abandoning your childhood self. Even if it means becoming someone cold and calculating. Someone capable of rationalizing brutality in the service of a greater good. – page 103

   “[T]he greatest mercy is the one you show to your enemy.[”] – page 184-185

   [“…] where we studied philosophy and astronomy.” – page 193 – Well, it’s definitely possible, but Gambler had said he studied mathematics before. I remember because it struck me, so I’ll see about finding the passage in the previous books. -- Yes, in book 2, page 45, Gambler says that mathematics “was one of [his] areas of study on the Isle of Scholars.” Side note: in searching for this, I went through book 1 too, where I came across Gambler saying what was known about Dreyland: “We know—I should say we believe—that it contains other governing species. And there are many creations of evil theurgy: monsters, golems, creatures of ice that move like men. […] It’s said that a wizard rules Dreyland.” (book 1, page 351) Now, for something this big and different from what actually ends up being the case (the rogue felivet), I would have assumed Byx would hear the lie. Based on the meeting with Naleese and how Gambler proceeds to act, there’s a disconnect, and I doubt Gambler was that misinformed about Dreyland. Like maybe Ms. Applegate had one thing in mind when she started, but by the time she got to actually filling out the Dreyland aspect of events, she went a completely different route.

   “Well, General,” Khara said with a crooked smile, “we’re out of sane ideas. Madness is all we have left.”- page 207 – For those who have read Animorphs, this reminds me exactly of “Ram the Blade Ship.” You know the scene. And the way this book went, I felt more and more like Khara was a blend of Cassie and Jake’s strengths, the ultimate goal in pretty perfect peaceful leadership.

   [Khara said, “It’s good to be afraid when you’re riding into danger. Fear keeps you sharp. It helps you stay alive.”
   “But you ignore your fear,” I protested.
   “Never. Fear’s the little fairy sitting on your shoulder whispering ‘take care’ into your ear. Courage isn’t fearlessness. Fear’s your faithful friend, Byx, so long as you don’t make one great mistake.”
   “Mistake?”
   Khara reined Victory in just a little. […] “Never let yourself be afraid of being afraid.” – page 214-215

[Wouter van Noort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we please have a fourth book? And a fifth? And and and?
This series is so damn good, I can't get over the bond that you feel with its characters,
It's really Narnian like, the short chapters make it a really easy read, and the suspense that you get from this feels really good. I'm afraid this was The Last(get it) book about Byx, Tobble, and their friends, gonna miss these guys!

[Pinchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a perfect ending volume for the trilogy. I love this series so incredibly much. The writing style is perfect, the descriptions and the events are perfection. I've never read anything so incredibly heartwarming, the best friendship ever... I love this friendship and this book so much <3

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice happy ending to the series.

[Clarabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Définitivement conquise par la richesse de cette série ! Ce dernier tome, qui clôt l'incroyable épopée de Byx, me comble de joie.

Pour rappel, Byx est la dernière survivante de son clan (les dairnes). C'est une petite créature peureuse et traumatisée mais qui a énormément appris au cours de son voyage en rencontrant des amis dévoués.

Dans ce troisième tome, on sent la guerre approcher, on assiste aux dernières tentatives de diplomatie pour écarter les drames, on a le cœur qui bat la chamade aux côtés de nos jeunes héros qui remuent ciel et terre. C'est palpitant et également poignant.

J'ai adoré le dénouement. C'était très fort. Comme un voyage dans le passé pour apporter des solutions au futur. L'histoire a vraiment montré des trésors de tendresse, de loyauté, d'amitié et de sacrifice sans trop forcer la dose.

C'était PARFAIT.

[₊‧ ୨୧mollie_ anneliese⸆⸉(kai azer’s version)₊‧ ୨୧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⋆.ೃ࿔My Review⋆.ೃ࿔

♾\5 ★★★★★

I. Cannot. Express. My. Love. For. This. Book.

I actually can't.

This book gives me all the good feels.

I cry every time at the beautiful ending, the romance between Khara and Renzo (Khenzo;), the sadness of the situation, all of it.

Katherine, listen up: THIS NEEDS TO BE A MOVIE. OR SHOW. IDC WHAT BUT IT NEEDS TO BE ON A SCREEN. THIS WOULD MAKE THE BEST MOVIE ISTG

*breathes* OK. I cannot think of one thing I don't like about this book. I'm gonna go to bed tonight crying because I'm so DEPRESSED that it's over.

BEST BELIEVE I'M GONNA REREAD THIS SERIES IN 2024

I wish I could write a longer review but I really can't think of words to describe my absolute love for this book. <3333333333

I have one word: Khenzo

THEY ARE MY ROMAN EMPIRE, LIKE, RIGHT UP THERE WITH PERCABETH

Katherine, listen up again: MAKE ANOTHER INSTALLMENT TO THIS SERIES! IDC IF ITS A SHORT STORY, A MOVIE, ANOTHER WHOLE BOOK, IDC. BUT I NEED MORE.

The whole story is wonderful. The romance between Khara and Renzo is all I live for tbh. It's just perfect. The moments when I want to cry for Byx, and, ofc, during Khenzo moments, and when I want to cry just because I finished it. It is all worth it.

I can't choose a favorite character, either. I love Renzo, (My new book bf, if Percy doesn't work out;), Khara is literally who I want to be, Byx is strong, Tobble is, well, Tobble, need I say any less ;D, and gambler is just plain cool.

Here is my Pinterest board for one of the best Fantasy series of ALL TIME >>>> https://www.pinterest.com/mollieannel...

Time to say goodbye to this book, and put it back on my bookshelf until 2024 XD

Thank you for reading my review and following my journey with my favorite series <33

~Mollie

[Andrea Frazee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 audiobook and book

[Kevin Mcdonough · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Katherine Applegate. She writes simply for a middle grade audience, but there is still poetry in her words. Her books are a pleasure to read.

I have been pushing this trilogy to our readers; I have to say, I was a bit disappointed with this apparently last book of the trilogy. It all just sort of ended. There were themes of trust and family and respect for other species, but they were just put out there, not deeply explored. I love the characters, and in this book we meet some lovely Natites, but wanted more sacrifice, or morality, or cosmic significance. There isn’t enough to talk about.

[Critter · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the ending of this series was satisfying, it just lacked the emotional impacts that the previous books had. There was still lots of emotion, but much of it happened in the last couple of pages. The majority of the book felt rushed and there was a lot of ground that was covered. The themes of the previous two books also felt more developed and emotional. I have loved this series from the beginning, but this final book has just felt a bit bland to me.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great ending to the series! I had completely forgotten about the series until I found this book at a bookshop, and I was so excited! I really love this series a lot, and it was such a great book!

[Michal · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful! Wonderful ending of a fantastic series.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really can't get enough of these beloved characters, so this was a treat. Lots of quotes to savor about bravery/courage. Positive messages about governing fair, representation and involvement of all citizens, peace, even though there was a good amount of war in this book (the "army of peace" sometimes had to engage in war to stop the war).

I admire Applegate's bravery in portraying war violence realistically in a way that most middle grade authors avoid. It's like the topic of taking life, in self defense even, is the ultimate taboo. I highly recommend this series to upper elementary/middle school avid readers who enjoy fantasy.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying ending to the series. My kids (10, 10, 12) and I all enjoyed this trilogy.

[Genres and Journals *Tia* · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Endling series is a fun middle grade fantasy series that has a lot of heart. I love the found family aspect of the series and I love the characters especially Byx and Tobble. This was definitely an adventure story that seemed to be leading to a full on war which stands to reason that there would be a lot of bloodshed in this conclusion. And while I’m sure it would have been a lot more intense in an adult novel, it was still pretty violent. Personally, I think 12 and over could handle it. Under 12, I would just proceed with caution- only you know how much your child can handle!

[Willemijn jufwillemijnopallstars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lang gewacht op deze epische afsluiting van het verhaal. Byx en haar vrienden moeten het opnemen tegen wezens die ik liever niet zou tegen komen. Insecten ter grootte van olifanten of andere wezens die angstaanjagend beschreven worden.

Byx en haar vrienden doen er vooral alles aan om de oorlog te voorkomen, helaas gaat dit niet zonder gevechten. Wat ik wel vind, is dat de weg naar de gevechten toe lang beschreven wordt en dat de gevechten zelf kort beschreven zijn. Voor kinderen zal dat wel fijn zijn, maar ik was toch ook wel geïnteresseerd in meer.

De personages in dit boek heb ik in mijn hart gesloten. Ze zijn allemaal zo lief en behulpzaam naar elkaar. Toch blijven de ‘slechteriken’ hun streken behouden. Dat komt vrij realistisch over en betekent dat mensen en dieren ook kunnen veranderen.

Dit boek is niet los te lezen, wat vrij logisch is als laatste deel in een trilogie. Ik moest goed in het verhaal komen, want vooral de eerste hoofdstukken werd er vrij weinig herhaald.

Of ik tevreden was over het einde? Zeker. Alle mensen, dieren en wezens hebben hun juiste einde gekregen. Iedereen die ooit begonnen is aan deze trilogie, raad ik toch wel aan om deze af te lezen. De drie boeken samen vormen een heel groot avontuur.

Al met al heb ik genoten van deze trilogie. De spanning, maar ook het avontuur zorgde ervoor dat ik maar door bleef lezen. De personages zijn om op te vreten, oké niet allemaal, maar echt. Zoals er al getipt wordt, houd je van avonturen zoals de Grijze Jager en Warrior Cats? Dan is deze trilogie ook wel wat voor jou.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this is the first of Applegate's books that has left me feeling disappointed.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Endling series. The second book left me a little bit frustrated and with some questions gnawing at me about major plot loopholes. I mostly read this last book because I wanted to see if those loopholes were addressed.

The loopholes were not addressed. So much of this series hangs on the ability of the main character's species to detect lies, making them valuable to have on hand in negotiations, until you realize that this species is also capable of lying.....so they can LIE about whether or not they detected a lie....which renders them just as suspect in negotiations as anyone else. It really bothered me that this was never discussed; it was as if it never occurred to anyone else in the book.

Even if that hadn't been an issue, I was turned off by most of the plot of this book. Byx and her friends are part of the "Army of Peace" which is a group of armed folks determined to fight to prevent two other major factions from fighting. This just made me roll my eyes. This is a young adult book, so it shouldn't count as a spoiler to reveal that the Army of Peace of course prevails, but it isn't by being clever or good or anything like that....it comes down to who had the better weapon. I realize that this is practical and the way wars are typically won, but it made the story boring to me. This is a fantasy novel; I wanted the fight to be a little more interesting.

[Jenna D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, sweeping, darker than your average middle grade novel... The Endling series should hopefully endure for many years as a fantasy classic for readers young and old. Byx and her companions travel far to end a war to end all wars. Is peace something that can truly be obtained? Along with a lasting unity between all species? Though a few turns of events left me scratching my head, and I was missing the accompanying map that was present in earlier books, I cannot for the life of me recall a contemporary children’s fantasy series that I have enjoyed quite as much as Endling. (May I also recommend the audio book? Such a stellar reading/narration.)

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would rate it higher than a five if I could. My daughter and I have enjoyed this delightful series together. We were both sad to see it come to an end as we had both grown to live the characters. What a well crafted book series - where a mom and 9yo can both enjoy it.

[Lucía Cafeína · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emocionante, entretenido y, como todos los de la autora, lleno de mensajes importantísimos, sobre la paz, la igualdad, y la amistad. Ahora bien, yo creo que disfruté más de los anteriores, aunque no voy a negar que ha sido un muy buen cierre.

[Floor tussendeboeken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een mooie afsluiter van de trilogie. Het laat zien dat je niet groot hoeft te zijn om moedig te zijn en dat je verandering teweeg kan brengen als je maar in jezelf gelooft. Menig wereldleider zou nog wat van deze kinderboekenserie kunnen leren als je het mij vraagt.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this really the end? This is the third book in this series, supposedly the last book, yet I feel that the journey is far from over for some of the species in this book. It has been quite an adventure and as I read this book, the struggle became more intense and determined than it had ever been. Assigned to a mission, they knew that success was the only answer, and drawing from all sources, they gave it all they had.

I feel Byx and Tobble have come a long way from when I first met them in The Last and now, they’re responsible for gathering recruitments for the Army of Peace. The Army hopes that a peaceful agreement can be obtained amongst all the world’s species before the two most powerful groups come head-to-head and engage in war. I thought this was a lot of responsibility for these two friends to take on, considering their lack of experience and all the risk that was assigned to this task. They each had a skill but would that keep them alive?

I enjoyed this series and I would like to reread it now, that all the books have been written. I did cry reading this last book (it wasn’t when I closed the last page), it was when the two friends were with one another and their friends were close by, and that is all I am saying about that moment. This was a wonderful journey, created with great imagination and unique characters. I enjoyed the friendships that were created and how they developed. The characters encouraged one another and they believed in teamwork. I was surprised though, in this final book, at the difficult vocabulary used and the way that the author described the last scene. I thought the author used some challenging words in this book which, if you’re able to decipher words, is fine. Sometimes though, it was hard to decipher a few of those words and I had to use the dictionary. This is not a bad thing, it’s just something that caught me off guard. The final scene though, I thought it might contain too many details for some students. The confrontation that occurs gives some descripted details which to some students might be okay while to others, they would be fine with, “his xxxxx would never be the same.” A great series that I highly recommend.

“I think being brave means being afraid and still doing what you must do.”

[DieguchoSmiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"—¿Cuántas especies asombrosas han desaparecido? (...) ¿Cuánta sabiduría se ha perdido por culpa de aquellos que tienen el poder de destruir?" 🖋️

🌱 Cuando leí el primer libro me gustó bastante, pero no esperaba que la cosa fuese a evolucionar como lo ha hecho. Se ha convertido en una de mis trilogías juveniles favoritas. ✨

🌱 Si en la primera reseña comenté que la autora es experta en hacerte sentir lo que le dé la gana, lo ratifico. Usa las palabras exactas para despertar en ti lo que el libro demanda en cada momento, me he sentido dentro de la historia, recorriendo el camino con los personajes, alegrándome y preocupándome (sobre todo esto último) por ellos, y eso me encanta. Creo que el hecho de que la mayoría sean animalitos majísimos también influye. 🐶🐭🦁

🌱 Tengo un caso claro de apego emocional por con todos ellos, y creo que va a tardar en pasarse.

🌱 En los últimos meses he repetido en varias reseñas que no me gustan los libros de "viajes". Literalmente, la definición de estos tres libros es VIAJE. Viaje literal, viaje del héroe, viaje para encontrar tu lugar en el mundo, para cumplir tu destino, etc... Y me ha encantado igualmente, así que a lo mejor no odio tanto los libros de viaje como yo pensaba. 🤣

🌱 Sigo pensando que tiene un problema de tono, siendo a veces infantil, a veces juvenil y en ocasiones, con descripciones y escenas, tremendamente adulta, llegando a hacerme dudar si se lo recomendaría a un público muy joven. Pero luego veo que tiene un crítica ambiental super fuerte, relacionada sobre todo a la conservación de especies y a como los humanos damos mucho asco y nos creemos muy por encima de los animales y esas dudas se me pasan. También, no tanto el primer libro, pero si el segundo y sobre todo el tercero, habla mucho sobre la guerra, sus causas, sus consecuencias y sobre quiénes se benefician realmente de que estas ocurran. Temas difíciles de abordar, pero necesarios.

✨ CONCLUSIÓN ✨
Es una trilogía de la que nunca había oído hablar, que me llamó la atención por su portada (eeem... un perro a dos patas, WTF?, con un roedor monísimo) y su sinopsis, y que al final me ha sorprendido muchísimo. Me da mucha pena que libros así sean tan desconocidos y nadie hable de ellos. 🥲

4 ⭐

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps a little more to the end of 4.5 stars, but this was actually a lot better than I expected! I didn't remember much about the first two books beyond the essentials, and I don't recall loving them overmuch, though they were good. But this book really sold itself to me! It was about the final quarter of it that was just honestly so good. The characters were great, the world suited them and the story well, and the whole finale of this series altogether was just perfect. Despite my review of the second book, I was happy with the fact that nothing really happened between Byx and Maxyn, and even in the epilogue nothing was confirmed. I can appreciate that. Seriously, the climax of this book was excellent, and it really made me decide that it deserved five stars. Very good. Would recommend.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This kind of ended with a fizzle. It just didn't do much. In fact, it was so fast, it seemed like we skimmed over huge chunks of things that could, and should have taken entire books. I think she was done in this world, done with these characters, and simply wanted it to end. I understand, it just stinks that this is how we end such a cool series.

It's been two years since the last book, but it doesn't matter, because the characters don't remember what happened either. The only important things all happen in here, and we BLITZ through it like nobody's business. In this book we meet another intelligent species (fairies), meet the wobbyks, meet the natites, travel a forbidden forest with a sentient head, meet the raptidons, and kill both opposing leaders. There simply isn't enough of a book to accomplish all of this well.

I still enjoy the story. We rise above woke culture (another reason the author gave up on the story, it wasn't woke enough to fit her style). It was fun, the characters were still interesting and still had a lot of emotion to unpack, we just don't have enough time in their world. Her environmentalism is mostly pretty bland and ignored.

This series is worth your time, it just ends poorly.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- This grand-scale and enjoyable fantasy series rides off into the sunset with the trilogy's conclusion. While the author has clearly taken inspiration from "The Lord of the Rings" and other epic series, she has also added many of her own creative elements that still keep things interesting.

I appreciate that these books have such a big heart, and that our heroes have flaws, but are always trying to do better. The ending was on the cheesy side, but at least it didn't take the extra cheesy turn I was expecting it to, so kudos to Applegate for that.

There were parts of the book that struck me as rather intense for a junior novel--there are battle scenes and descriptions of injury, so really it's a matter of individuals' age and maturity level when considering the series' appropriateness for young readers.

[GuineaPigFalconer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d probably give this book somewhere around 4.5 stars but I’m feeling generous so I’ll round up to 5! I enjoyed this last installment in the Endling trilogy; it’s short and fast paced and I read it in just one day. I’ve grown to really like these characters and I was pleased with where they all ended up (also I’m a sucker for good last lines of books and this one had a great last line!) All that said, I thought this book probably could’ve been a bit longer, as all the action tended to feel rushed at times. Still, a good series in a fascinating world, a lovable main character who goes through a lot of growth, and valuable lessons about fear, family, and bravery.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this series. The plot lines in each book seemed to get better and better in my opinion. I did enjoy the ending of this book and it felt complete.

Gambler didn't get as much time in this book as I would have liked to see, but I understand why the author wrote it the way she did.

I loved the Natites and this book included a lot of Natite interaction.

One other review I read mentioned that Renzo's dog was forgotten, and it did seem so. Halfway through he is never mentioned again.

Overall, this series was exactly what I love in a book. It has adventure, great characters, interesting elements, and a relationship written without overdoing the romance.

[Sean Stromberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world the Applegate created is captivating with unique species that rely on each other’s strengths to keep the world in balance. It’s perfect for the intended audience. I’d love if it was expanded a bit to have the depth for a young adult fiction too.

I read the first two books with my kids, but I couldn’t wait for them to finish their other books to start this one together, so I read it after they went to bed. I miss the characters now that I’m done with the series. Especially Tobble.