Shadows in the Silence

Angelfire #3

by Courtney Allison Moulton

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.

Genres: Angels, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Demons

469 pages, Hardcover

First published January 29, 2013

About the author

Courtney Allison Moulton lives in rural Michigan with her family, horse, donkey, and a flock of spoiled sheep. When she isn't studying ancient civilizations or writing about magic and monsters, she's busy with farm chores. Her debut novel ANGELFIRE was published when she was just 24 years old.

For more information about Courtney, visit her online at www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com.

Reviews

[Courtney Allison Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even begin to explain how I feel about ending this story. I'm so overjoyed with the finale and the ways in which my characters grew. Not everyone gets their happy ending, but the little things that make you smile or happy cry make the broken hearts hurt a little less. I had a lot of fun writing most of this book, but much of it was written as I wiped away tears. Thanks for being there with me from the beginning to the end and loving my reapers as much as I do. I can't wait to share Shadows with you.

I love you guys. It's been amazing.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

What. What!!!!

What an awesome way to end this series.

Actual Rating: 4.5 (please don't hurt me)

I'm not going to even try to explain what this book is about/what happened in this book because frankly, I suck at it, and also, there was way too much madness going on to even attempt to list all of it. If you've read & loved the first two books like I did, you'd understand.

Just to be a debby downer, the one thing I wasn't a total fan of was the dialogue at some points. It would get kind of .. for lack of a better word, cheesy. Not that that's a huge deal, but it did bother me. It wasn't throughout the entire book, though! Just at some points, I'd be reading it and I'd be all "Do people actually talk like that?". It was mostly between Will and Ellie. All that gushy gushy love stuff. But anyway.

Holy shishkabobs there was never a dull moment in this book. Something crazy was always happening. It was jam packed with action and suspense. And man, that ending. Even if the whole first 3/4 of the book was painfully boring (which it wasn't), the ending would have made up for it. I can't say anything about or I'll literally spoil everything, but let's just say it was craaaaaaaazy.

So to end this review I'll just say that if you want a series that's stuffed with romance, heartbreak, action, suspense, characters that feel like real people, and exceptional writing, read this. You'll love it. I promise.

So, farewell Angelfire! It was a crazy and wild ride while it lasted. Thanks for the good times. (That creepily sounds like I'm breaking up with the book)

Bravo, Moulton! You rock. Thanks for such a marrrrvelous series.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awwww, I cannot believe it's over! Such a great ending.

It was funny. Seriously, this book put me into so many giggle-fits. I'm totally on Team Waffles!

It was sad. Honestly, what else do you expect? This is a war, people. An epic battle. Of course somebody's going to die. This hurts my heart, but it's inevitable.

It was freaking kickass! So much fighting and fierce awesomeness. This was one exciting stack of pages. ;)

It was sweet. Not just with Ellie and Will, but with all the characters. I'm really going to miss these guys. I heart them so hard.

CADAN. I love Cadan the best. I don't care what happened in this book--Cadan is so mine. Even if we're planewrecked on an island, Courtney. I CLAIM HIM. MINEMINEMINE!!!

This was such a sweet ending. AHHH, I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I'm sad it's over, but I completely approve of how it ended. Good job, my new author friend. I LOVE YOU FOR THIS. <3

I'll post a full review closer to the release date.

~~~

The Angelfire trilogy. It is so weird to see this one come to an end. I remember when the first book came out! Goodness. It was before I became a blogger, but after I decided I'd let books rule my life. Either way, I'd never given much though to this trilogy ending. No more Will, no more Ellie, no more...no more...no more CADAN. (I'm going to cry for days for that one, guys.)

Anyways, back to the point. This book. The ending of a very kickass trilogy. Well, if you MUST know...this was such an amazing way to end the trilogy!!!!!!!

Goodness gracious, this book was badass. I laughed (a lot), cried (why must people DIE?!?!), slapped things (I'd rather not specify WHAT, because then y'all may not like me anymore...hehehe--I'm totally kidding. Kind of.), punched things, threw things, yelled things (TEAM WAFFLES!), and so on. I think you get my point. This book was a bunch of feels. Because, you know, I may not have said this, but this was the ending to a trilogy. And it was badass. So yeah.

Courtney's writing makes me smile, just like always. I don't even know WHAT it is about her writing, but it just feels different to me, and I like it. A lot. Like, a lot a lot. Pulls me in and keeps me reading. Even if I don't want to. Yeah. THAT great. ;)

Character Rundown:
Ellie: Ellie's been through a lot in this trilogy, and I must say: I liked her more and more with each book and she grew into a character I could actually stand. Um, yeah, I wasn't her biggest fan in the beginning. But now, she's all right. Completely fierce. I suggest you watch yourself when in her presence.

Will: Awww, Will!!!! He is so incredinly sweet, I just want to hug the snap out of him. I love how stable and just plain supportive he was. If he were real, I'd totally be first in line to be his BFF. He's just so cute! Love this boy.

Cadan: While I love Will, Cadan is the boy that has me in this trilogy. Gosh, I ADORE this boy. He makes me laugh and he cares. He cares so much, I can't even. He is sooooo mine. I love how we've grown to trust him more and more throughout these books. We can depend on him now! Did you hear me? DEPEND on him. TRUST him. We can, we can! Ahhh, this boy <3

Plot. We were focused on what was going to happen, which I seriously liked because I actually KNEW what was going on! A lot of the time, I'm slow with figuring out just what the heck the characters are doing or trying to accomplish, but in this book? Not a problem. I get it, guys! WOOT! Another thing. This is a WAR. We all know what happens when at war, yes? The D word? Because it does happen, no matter how much we wish it wouldn't. In this very book. It happens. *sad face*

Sweets. Well, first and foremost (for me, anyway), we have Cadan. Who, as I said, CARES. And we see him caring and cooperating and I am so happy our relationship with him has grown to this point. And then there is Will. Oh, Will. I've already told y'all that will is so sweet. This guy is such a sweetheart. Him and Ellie together...it just works. So well. I can't imagine these two actually being with someone else. Just doesn't blend in my brain.

The ending. Ohhhh, guys, the feels. The feels the feels the feels. It's over! But I think Courtney gave us a darn good ending. I closed the book feeling all satisfied and a little teary-eyed. SO MUCH happened--in this book, in this TRILOGY--but Courtney wrapped it all up in such a wonderful way.

Overall, Courtney Allison Moulton did a supremely GREAT job on this book and therefore, she rocks. Seriously. She rocks my socks off. BARE FEET RIGHT NOW, Y'ALL. If you've read the first two books in this trilogy and are feeling kind of meh about the whole thing, I suggest you most definitely read the last installment. It's an ending worth reading. And if you read the first two books and think they're the best thing ever? I say the same thing. Most definitely a trilogy worth reading, right here.

GAH! I just can't believe it's over. AHHHHH!

But seriously. Read it.

You can find more from me on my blog: Just a Booklover

[Ferdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers

Meh. Didn't find the story or the characters engaging.
The whole plot consisted of Ellie and co trying to find different people/things:

1. Ellie and Cadan try to locate the Grigori angel, Antares.. So that Antares can heal Will… Who for some silly reason was on death's door at the end of the previous book. Why bother with a cliffhanger like that when it's so bloody obvious Will's not going to be killed off?? It's just a cheap and lazy way to get readers to buy the next book.
Anyway, whilst Ellie tried to find Antares, she naturally moaned, cried, whinged and complained about every single little thing especially her pwecious Will… it wasn't fun to read.

2. Next, Ellie was desperate to find some Grimoire of some sort as it contained a deus ex machinas type spell that would make her powerful enough to kill Samael, Lilith and the gang. It was predictable and dull.

3. Ellie and co also travelled around to find a nephil, a ring and a bunch of different angelic reapers… it was all so unimaginative and simple. There was no tension, twists or genuine drama… And I don't find good vs evil plots all that interesting when all that's needed for good to win is magical weapons/spells/people… it doesn't make for exciting reading.

-Ellie was hugely unlikeable. She was useless for a good portion of the book — there were a number of times where she just stood, watched and kindly described innocent humans being killed… you know instead of actually taking action and using her super speshul snowflake powers to protect them. Ugh.
Her rudeness was another turn off — she was rude to Cadan for no good reason. And worst of all she called a grieving girl a bitch because the girl deigned to blame Ellie for her friends dying. Ellie for some reason thought she had a right to be pissed even though it was actually her fault that the girl's friends were killed. The only bitch was Ellie.

-I wasn't impressed with Ellie's reaction when she met one of her descendants from a past life. She didn't feel any emotion or wonder at discovering her great great whatever grandchildren. She didn't even think about all the kids she had in the past or what became of them. Did they all live long happy lives? Ellie didn't give a shit. It was sad how little she cared about them — the only emotion she showed in regard to having been a mother was her being upset that Will must have found it hard to watch her have a husband and family. It just showed that she had the depth of a puddle. Where was her regret at not seeing her children grow up? Where was her need to find out what happened to them? Where was her joy at finding her children's children? Nowhere. It was all about Will.

-Why was Cadan in love with Ellie? I guess I could understand Will's love for her since he'd worked with her over centuries and had probably gotten used to her like you do a pair of old slippers but Cadan didn't even know Ellie and when he did meet her, she was nothing but shrill and bitchy to him. So why did he love her?

-Why did Ellie keep referring to Ethan as Ethan Stone. Every other sentence was Ethan Stone this and Ethan Stone that… Why did I need to keep 'hearing' his full name instead of just his first name?? It wasn't like they were any other Ethan's around!

All in all, I wasn't entertained. The plot was boring, Ellie was bland, the romance was cliched and the side characters were flat. Not good.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The appeal of Angelfire and, really, the reason why this series gets such high marks in my book, can be summed up by the following simple analogy:

TWILIGHT:VAMPIRE ACADEMY

any of FALLEN; HUSH, HUSH; or UNEARTHLY:ANGELFIRE

I'm tired of being tricked into reading paranormal after paranormal - vampire, angel, or otherwise - where the first half or two thirds of the book is nothing but overwrought angsting and love triangle setup, with really no plot until the bit of action tacked on in the last two or three chapters just so there's nominally something paranormal related, so a book with a kickass heroine, actual, threatening villains, and a plot that's all angel related from the first page to the last all exactly as advertised is, umm, refreshingly honest? Action packed and interesting? Actually good? All of the above?

Anyway, yeah, I liked Angelfire even though it didn't have the depth it could've had, I thought Wings of the Wicked was much improved if a bit uneven, and Shadows in the Silence continues to kick ass and take no prisoners. I'm not demonic reaper slayer Ellie's biggest fan; I thought she was a bit too bland in the first book, too whiny in the second - particularly with the stuff between her and her father, even though there's a reason for that, and too shrill at the beginning of this one - the way she's described as acting is kind of bad, but despite her flaws, I like what she's doing. She's off saving the world and Will's life with Cadan and it's not one of those obnoxious will they or won't they situations that other angel books will spend six or seven chapters going into in excruciatingly bad detail - one slap takes care of that - so the focus is entirely on finding a cure for Will and then stopping Sammael and Lilith from bring on the apocalypse. And along the way, there are swords to the chest, swords to the neck, swords to the ... well, yeah, there's hardly a dull moment as usual. Yet even still, Ellie's not written as a robotic character - the badass Preliator fighting off the demonic reapers - I've said before one of the strengths of this series is that Courtney Allison Moulton knows how to balance action and character development, and Ellie having to channel Gabriel to save the world while possibly sacrificing her own humanity certainly qualifies as a great angle to her character.

I liked Nathaniel and his presence is sorely missed, so I'm not sure if I'm the best judge of whether the supporting characters work out, but I do think Ellie and Will's dynamic with the whole her saving him and then him being unable to save her from becoming Gabriel situation is really what makes most of the story work (even if the scene with Michael after his warning to Will in the last book was really really cheesy), so much so I don't think the epilogue could've ended this series any better than it did. I'm a little disappointed with Cadan because he started out in the first book as the stereotypical bad guy with possibly more to him and he really got some interesting development in the second book and the short story A Dance with Darkness, but I just got the feeling here Moulton didn't really know what to do with him and Ellie now that he's officially switched sides so there was something missing to his development and he missed a lot of the conflict that could've been, except for one fake out right before the climatical showdown, but the stuff with him and Will being half brothers makes up for it, sort of, I guess. Otherwise, the new characters are really put to good use, I didn't expect to see Antares again after Ellie's quest to cure Will or Ronan for that matter, didn't expect Azrael to really do anything either, but they make cameos in just the right places to make things interesting. Plus, the supporting gang is more or less back, Kate rocks the best friend role for the third book in a row and did that really just happen to Landon? Ummm. Yeah.

Best of all though is, compared to most angel books, the actual plot is fairly well paced. Ellie goes from resolving the cliffhanger from the last book with Will being poisoned to finishing off the loose villain plot thread with Merodach to figuring out the clues to beating Sammael and Lilith, and all of it is tied together with action and character development and angel mythology and historical intrigue that it really flows. The pacing is almost absurdly fast, going from haunted Belgian castles to mysterious underground Syrian ruins to a showdown in Israel in a span of a few chapters that at times leaves me with a billion questions like 'I'd think people would freak out more from seeing an angel flying around Jerusalem...' or 'Those mercenaries fighting with Ellie at Armageddon are going to be like on every news channel at the end of this...' whereas the actual book is kind of dismissive of the climax besides focusing on Ellie and Will, but I'm still distracted by the awesome fight scenes, including one in the middle of a highway between Ellie and Merodach, and the final showdown against Sammael that I'm really letting all the loose ends about the effects of Armageddon on the world basically slide. Something for a spinoff series maybe? Since Lucifer is still around?

I don’t think I’ll ever accept Gabriel being a girl, but these books are so action packed and intense that I’m more than willing to overlook that and all the other flaws I’ve called out. Shadows in the Silence ends the series at just the right place that I think will satisfy any fan of the series.

[Nandanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

[image error]


Are. You. Serious.? 2013?!?!?!?!?!?!?! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT IS? 2012 JUST STARTED! Grrr....



After that beautiful ending with Will dying, you are making me die by waiting for this! Please God, tell me that this is WRONG! That it is some type of typo. I knew that the second book came out in February, but can't the third come out in like December? Or like January of next year? Please don't let it be some time in November of 2013, I'll kill myself!









..................................................................................................

OMG!!!!! I AM CRYING BECAUSE THAT ENDING WAS SOOOOO PERFECT!!!! :)

[Beatriz Lins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in awe. This is one of the best closures I have ever read. I... I just don't know what to say. This book is fucking brilliant. It's emotional, it's tense, it's heart-breaking, and it makes you feels a thousand different things while reading it. Ellie and Will have come so far, and this installment has truly proved me that. The ending of this book is sensational.

Courtney Allison Moulton, you've just become one of my favorite authors of all times.

Final review:

I don't know whether to cry or jump in joy. Angelfire is one of my favorite series (trilogies, actually) and to know that Shadows in the Silence was the last book is pretty heartbreaking. However, I'm happy with the way things ended. Courtney Allison Moulton just proved herself yet again as a magnificent writer. I might not make justice to her work, but I'll sure as hell try.

In this installment, things are a lot darker than before. Nathaniel is dead, Ellie's parents are dead, and she has nobody except Will to rely on. You can feel how much this fight against Hell has worn Ellie out. She's exhausted. And now, to make things even worse, Will has been poisoned by a reaper poison, and it's up to her to look for a cure with Cadan's assistance.

I should probably start this review by saying that I loved Cadan in this novel. He was everything Ellie needed him to be, and the fact that he was helping her, that he was in love with her, but a love triangle was never even mentioned made things a lot more comforting. Yes, I felt sorry for Cadan a lot of times, but I was relieved that Mrs. Moulton didn't go down that route. Instead, she tried to explore Cadan's character a lot more deeply, and with that, she raised a very disturbing question: Are all demonic reapers really bad?

And that, my friends, is one of the reasons I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. In Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked, we saw the demonic as horrendous creatures, who only tried to harm humans and aid Bastian. And now... with Cadan, everything has changed. It's like my point of view changed right along with Ellie's, and that is extraordinary. I was loving Cadan and rooting for him before I even knew what was going on.

It was crazy!

And you know what else was crazy? Will. Yes, you've heard me right. Will was just a crazy character in Shadows in the Silence. As Ellie got closer to the end of the war, and began to realize that the only way to stop Bastin was to call upon her archangel power (and loose herself in the process) Will began to scare me. He said some things that screamed "co-dependent Twilight-y relationship", and I admit I panicked. However - and thankfully - Mrs. Moulton also didn't go down that route. As morbid as this may sound, I actually understood Will's position in the matter. If Ellie died and never came back, he would be destroyed. His soul would be destroyed, and he'd never be the same again - but not because of some ridiculous insta-love (yes, Edward, I'm looking right at ya), but because he'd known Ellie for five hundred years. For five hundred years, he had devoted his entire life to the simple task of protecting and serving her - and loving her. If Ellie were to just die, part of him would die with her. And I found that incredibly endearing. And a little disturbing, but like I said, it made sense.

As the action scenes and the dialogues got more and more intense, it became obvious the fact that the end of the war was near. And boy, let me tell you, the final battle was just incredible. I'm not saying this because I was deeply invested in the characters, I'm telling you this because it's the absolute truth. The ending of this novel is intense. It's full of pain, agony, love, heartbreak, loss, and most of all, sacrifice. It's perfect. Characters die, blood is spilled, but by the time you finish reading this incredible series, you just get the sense that it's over, and that it's okay. Because after such a huge climax, you're ready to let these characters go.

Courtney Allison Moulton is a sensational writer, and I'm so glad I decided to pick Angelfire up two years ago. I'm glad I took the time to devour this trilogy - otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Will, I wouldn't have grown to love Ellie and root for her so much, and I wouldn't have become so invested in the secondary characters - Cadan, Nathaniel, Eva, even Bastian. If you're wondering if Shadows in the Silence is a good ending to this trilogy, rest assured: It is. Just pick it up and read it. What the hell are you waiting for?

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so as this was the finale to what has been undoubtedly an amazing series expectations were high.

I loved many parts of this book.

I loved that no matter what, Ellie ALWAYS stayed loyal to Will. Even though he bored me and I much preferred and loved Cadan (sorry guys) she would never cheat on Will- that is love.
I think it's the first time a heroin hasn't cheated and done something they later regretted. It was refreshing.

Even when Cadan was all like "I know your his, but please, one kiss. That's all I ask before I give you up forever."
Ellie admirably said "If I'm his, then I can't kiss you. I won't. Not even once."
And when he insisted she warned him. "Cadan, I am going to slap you." And when his lips brushed hers you can imagine what she did.



OUCH.
Even though I badly wanted her to give into him, it made me laugh when she carried out her threat! It was admirable, she was fair and she didn't hurt him- she would have given him false hope if she had kissed him. Now he could move on and be certain that nothing was going to happen. She spared his feelings in the long run.

I loved the war- the great battle.



It seemed fitting and provided a fulfilling ending.

I loved it when Ellie ascended and became her true self- Gabriel. It was great to see her embrace her power and be the strong person she was. No longer hindered by her mortal shell.



I loved the new side of her- getting to know her for all of her and not just Ellie. Gabriel was an awesome character.

I also loved Azrael, Antares- who was the cardinal lord that bargained her freedom with Ellie and who eventually fought with her to kill the demonic Hellspawn and Michael- her brother. I would have liked to have read and got to know them more/better.

What I disliked:

There was only one major aspect of this that did not bode well with me. Will's epilogue.

I mean there was this whole Ellie had to sacrifice herself in order to embrace her archangel self and wield the hallowed glaive- Azrael's staff that he used to imprison Sammael in order to finally kill Sammael. Which is what happens and Ellie dies peacefully in his arms but no before whispering to him that she'd return to him. I took this to mean in the heavens or maybe just some sentimental words that they both needed to hear- to have hope. But then in Will's epilogue she returns as an angel. The last line in this books is "Her smile became something that was very human and held a thousand secrets."

That just leaves me with a thousand questions… questions I can summarise into one. How? How is she alive and how has she returned to Earth?
Let me know your theories/interpretations. But I just can't believe the author left us dangling. It's driving mr crazy. I screamed when I saw that she was just leaving this ending as it is and for it to be up to our creative imaginations.

Nevertheless it was a good book, the ending has ruined it for me a little though. I like a full closure not an "open book".

[Valia Lind · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh.....SO. MANY. FEELS!!!!!!!! I can't even..... THIS SERIES = EPIC!!!

Posted on: http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.com

I can’t believe I’m writing a review for the last book in the Angelfire series. I have the most bittersweet feelings about this. If you’ve been following me for a while you know my love for Courtney’s writing and these particular characters.
Shadows in the Silence picks up where Wings of the Wicked left off. If you’ve read my review of Wings of the Wicked you know how many feels I had for that book. There was SO MUCH going on. It broke my heart, it really did. Ellie is on a mission to find a cure for Will and she goes to one person she knows will be able to help, Cadan. Ellie will stop at nothing to save the one she loves, even dealing with forces of the evil. But is Cadan really evil? In order to save the world, Ellie will have to push herself beyond anything she could’ve imagined. Is she strong enough?
Guys, I don’t even know where to start. I’m so conflicted about this review because I want to say so much but at the same time I can’t.

I loved this book to pieces. Ellie stands as one of my favorite heroines in young adult literature right now. She’s strong and fierce. Real and emotional. She’s every girl and yet she’s not. I think Courtney created a persona that inspires and really pushes you beyond the norm.
Will. *le sigh* I can’t even talk about this boy without swooning. He’s everything a girl needs. Strong, capable, a hopeless romantic. I just want to hug him to pieces. I loved watching Ellie and Will together, their relationship so sweet and real. They are so not your typical YA couple. You should’ve heard Courtney and I discuss this particular topic *snickers*

I have the utmost love for this series and these characters. I adored Cadan, Katie, Marcus and every other character Courtney penned on that paper. Seriously, it’s hard to pick just one thing that I enjoyed about this series. I can’t wait to see what Courtney will come up with next. I recommend these books to anyone who loves good writing coupled with a strong breathtaking romance and action that keeps you on the corner of your seat. You did well Courtney, you did well!

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect ending to a great paranormal romance series. Great wrap up, tension, and plot twists. The romance was a good SIDE dish, (not the main part of the story) and good butt kicking action. Good characters- really enjoyed getting to know Cadan! I really can't say much! The ending was perfect in every way possible. :) I'm still kind of speechless.... (As you can obviously tell by my horrendous sentence structures etc.)

Shadows in the Silence: Great book, wraps up an awesome trilogy, and The Angelfire series is a great paranormal series you should not miss out.


********
Pre-review:

Update: IS THAT THE TITLE?!?!?!?!

AND THE COVER?!?!!?!??!

COME FASTER 2013!!!




No way. 2013. NO. WE COULD ALL BE DEAD BY THEN. I NEED THIS NOW. YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US HANGING LIKE THIS, IT'S NOT FAIR.


Someone has GOT to had this book to me ASAP, cause, believe me, I'm ready to kill for this book. LITERALLY. The ending to Wings of the Wicked? O.O

* screams in frustration, running off like a wild women untamed*

[Cyp]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO why must the Angelfire trilogy books release one year after each other? Seriously, why? WHY ?

[AttWaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so very disappointed.
I need time to clear my head and write a proper review.

Okay, so it has been almost 4 days since I read it, and you know that feeling that lingers on after you've finished a really good book, well I am not feeling it.

The first book of the series was really good. I loved it.
The second was okay.
The third is terrible.

I did read it with interest but my interest kept decreasing gradually and by the end I was like "meh, she'll end up alive

Nothing major happened. The type of couple Will and Ellie were- these types of couples don't exist. They would apologize to each other on matters in which I would find the other one (who is being apologized to) the over reacting one.


So many people died and there was no emotion in those parts. When someone dies, our world stops for two minutes, long enough for us to accept the fact. The deaths in this book didn't have emotion or feeling or even purpose (if you know what I mean). Everyone knew Ellie was gonna end up alive and yet the author decided to make it more obvious than it already was. And the way she came back to Earth... OMG! How can anyone write such a bad ending when it could have been a great one.


It was lame.
If I were to re read this series, I would probably only read the first book.
I would conclude by writing that this book had text and content and had a story and plot with twists but it was devoid of feeling and emotions.

HOWEVER I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT I AM HEAD OVER HEELS OVER CARDAN!!!!
heart_eyes

[~Tina~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a series! I loved every single book, I can't even begin to express how much fun I had in this world.
The first book, Angelfire, was a good intro into the world of Angels and reapers with a promise of romance to come. The second book, Wings of the Wicked, was jammed with action packed entertainment but it also focuses and polishes the romance off beautifully, which the sap in me still cheers for. As for the final book, Shadows in the Silence, it has an amazing amount of angelic lore, epic battles and blazing romance, giving the fans the perfect conclusion to a much beloved series and one that will be very much missed.

At the end of Wings of the Wicked, Bastian may have been finally defeated by an unlikely ally, but celebration is far from reach. We learn that Bastian was just a pawn and that Merodach is the one who is after the Preliator soul. And Will was in the way. He was bitten by a Rikken and is rapidly dying. Ellie, in a mad attempt goes to Cadan to summon a Grigori in hopes to save her Guardian's life. The time has come. Ellie must find a way to stop Sammael and Lilith plan to wreak havoc in the human world and unleashing hell's demonic reapers once and for all. But in all battles, sacrifice must be made, lives lost and hearts broken. Who will make it out alive?

When it comes to the last book in a series, I always get so nervous since I have all these hopes with the way I want it to end. I'm happy say that I had nothing to be nervous about. I can't think of a more perfect ending for a series.
Courtney Alison Moulton is such a fantastic writer. I loved how she owned this entire series and giving us something shinny and new in Angel lore. Her imagination, creativity and devotion crackles with passion and energy. Her vision for these characters are well plotted and well developed. They have achieved book after book to spark intrigue, fascination and sympathy. They love with raw intensity, fight with fire in their veins and make the readers fall in love with each of them instantly. These books made me smile, made me sad, made my heart stop and stole my breath to many times to count. It has everything I love about being a reader and escaping my reality. However, I do have one littletiny non-issue. The very ending to that epilogue? I loved it, don't' get me wrong, but I wish Molton would have shed some light (or more of it) on the how's and why's of it all. I'm thinking- novella please/soon/thank-you;)

Reading these books back to back makes me feel more attached to these character more somehow. I loved every single one of them. I loved their personalities, their connections, the bonds they have with one another, their journey, their purpose and what they each brought into this epic story.
Ellie is such a fierce character, one that I was so proud of. She been through so much in this long journey and while she may be fated as an Archangel, her humanity made her beautiful. She never gave up, she never let go, even at her worst she fought till the bitter end for the ones she loves.
Will owned this entire series for me. He owned my heart. I've never seen such devotion and loyalty in a character before. He has fought beside Ellie, protecting her for five hundred years and loving her for just as long. His inner turmoil with himself between what is right and wrong and what he wants was a pull and push dizzying experience, but it was truly something to see these two hearts finally come together as one. When they're together, no matter the scene, it's those moments I held on to a little bit longer.
I've always had a soft spot for Cadan, but I think I like him even more in this book. I enjoyed what he brought into this story and what he meant for these characters. I never really felt there was much of a 'love triangle' here, so I never thought of him as much as a threat to Ellie and Will, but he had his wicked moments and still made me smile.

Bottom line, Shadows of Silence is a heart pounding ending that fans will stand up and cheer for. I could gush about this book all day, but I simple couldn't love a series more. I'm so sad to see it end but I'm excited for the possibilities of more to come from Moulton. She is an amazing talent and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Till then, I have these amazing books to come back to when ever I'm in the mood for kickass characters with badass skills that make me light up happy. Brilliantly done!

[Lisseth (Read-a-holicZ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Originally on Read-A-holicZ, HERE!**

Okay I will NOT LIE, when i got the ARC in the mail I was literally like this...

I had JUST finished reading Wings of the Wicked, and OMG that ending was KILLER! So I needed this like a mad woman. @_@

The story starts out right where WINGS OF THE WICKED ENDED, with Ellie going to Caden for help. One of the BEST things that I LOVED about this book we get to see another side of him.

A more human, kind and very much DIFFERENT one than his father. We learn so many little things that it made me LOVE him more, plus every time he's with Ellie he's sweet and DANG IT I SO wanted to hug him!

Ellie is completely baffled by this side she only glimpsed in the previous book. She is also on an a MISSION to save Will. So she and Caden embark on a "road trip" of sorts to find a cure for Will. Which was FULL of LOL, and touching moments! =)

Ellie is also surprised by someone in her family knowing what she is. She also breaks some laws and, unfortunately, suffers more losses. In this book she's also VERY fierce and very much the archangel Gabrielle!

Oh don't forget there is a HUGE supernatural baddie on the lose that she still has to stop! And a HUGE battle ensues. I also liked that some brotherly ties were mended ;) I mean the revelations on Will were shocking but it just made the book that mush MORE interesting.

Then THE ENDING . Oh lord! Tears, tears, and oh so much emotion! I did NOT expect that, i mean i KNEW eventually it would happen. BUT I WASN'T Prepared!!! Courtney had me like this one moment...

and then this...

THERE was an EPILOGUE!! In Will's POV, FINALLY! It was emotional and i LOVED that it was his POV. but then I got to the last few pages and i was like...

Overall, this book was INTENSE, FILLED WITH EMOTION, ACTION, AND in my opinion a GREAT WAY TO END THIS TRILOGY! I loved this book x 100! Can't wait to buy my own copy (since this was a traveling ARC) If you are a fan of the series then YOU WILL LOVE this book! 5/5 AMAZING STARS!

[Tee loves Kyle Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so where to start with this review. As you all know this is the last book in the series and I am seriously bummed because I loved Will and Ellie's story. Plus as some of you know I love Cadan. He is the man with a master plan. It took me a day to start reading this book because I did not want to read the ending. I did not want it to end. I kept thinking Lord what is going to happen to Ellie and Will.

In Shadows in the Silence we pick up right where we left off in Wings of the Wicked. Will is dying slowly and Ellie is willing to sell her soul to the devil to get him back. She is willing to do or say anything to get her guardian back. Ellie knows of one person who can help her and she goes right to him. When she shows up at Cadan's door step he is shocked at seeing her and then when she asks for his help he is equally stunned by her request. Cadan loves Ellie and will give her anything she wants or needs so he agrees to help her out and get the cure for her guardian Will.

What Ellie and Cadan did not figure on is that Lilith and Sammael are plotting at each turn. They want to end the world and rid the world of Ellie the archangel. But Ellie and Cadan are not going down without a fight. In the EPIC ending to an EPIC series Ellie and Cadan will have to fight to the end to get a cure for Will and Ellie will have to fight like mad to save the world and rid it of the demonic veer that threaten to over rule the world.

Will Ellie be able to restore and save Will? What will happen to Will? What will happen to Cadan? Will Ellie and Will get together? Man all these questions are answered and more and the ending was just perfect but I need more of these guys! I will miss them so much Courtney.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow. Wow. In love. Courtney does it again with the final book in the Angelfire series. She steps up her game and finished it with a bang. This book could not have been better, there is so much going on that you will be on an emotional roller coaster . You just feel so much, and you feel like you know the characters well enough to be their friends.

In this book Ellie is simply amazing. There has never been a more well written strong character than her. She has come so far from book one, that I cannot believe it. I feel like a proud best friend, with how far she has come. She has quite the journey ahead of her and she will do whatever it takes to save and protect the one she loves. She is so selfless, she is thinking of everyone but herself, she is going to give it all up and yeah she will miss Will but she knows that this is her job. She was meant to do this, to bring this horrible evil to an end.

While they are getting ready for war, many things are happening. Ellie loses someone she loves dearly and t nearly brings her down. She kind of spirals into a depression but she keeps strong,it makes her stronger. I don't know how to explain how amazing she is in this book. Then there is Will, their love couldn't be more pure, but there is consequences. They are willing to risk it all to feel what they have felt for years. Her friends will go to war to do what they have to do and stand by Ellie through anything.

In the end you will find out who wins, who falls and can there be a happy ever after? You will have to read and see. All I know is Courtney has kept us readers happy and every book has been better than the last.

[mariebearxx]

No. NO! 2013? Please tell me i'm hallucinating and it's not 2013 i'm seeing on my screen.
*screams in front of computer*

Yeah. Screaming's the only thing i can do now. And cry.

Really, 2013?? You have got to be kidding me.

--------update 6/7/12--------------

OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD!!

That cover rocks! I mean, IT'S FREAKING GORGEOUS!!


Oh, dear Ellie, please, please save my dearest Will!
i'll sell my soul to a demon if i have to!

SAVE HIMMMMM!!!!!
:))))

Wait, is that the final title?

[Teresa Mary Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Reviews Here: Readers Live A Thousand Lives

THIS. BOOK. WILL. KILL. YOU. Fans of the Angelfire series, be warned. This book will rock you to the core, but it is oh so good. I loved every little letter that made up every word in every sentence within the pages of this book. I do not think Courtney Allison Moulton could have wrapped this series up any better. From beginning to end I was hooked. This book turned me into an emotional wreck, but those are the books that always end up being my favorites.

Ellie continues to be one of my favorite heroines. She is kickass and strong and nothing ever keeps her down for long. She has to overcome so many different obstacles and she does each and every time. No matter what is thrown at her, I never doubt her ability to persevere. Ellie is a character that is faced with incredibly tough choices, but she always thinks about the greater good and always strives to make the right choice. Some of the choices she makes are not the best for her, but she does it anyway.

This book has a lot more Cadan, and I was surprisingly okay with that, which I did not think I would be. His character is very different from when we first met him and I truly enjoyed watching his character change. His character truly fascinates me and I loved the journey his character took. Cadan shows that what you are does not define you, and you can choose to better yourself.

Now you are probably thinking; “Teresa, aren’t you a crazy Will fan? Why did this review not start off with all sorts of Will rambling?” Well about that… Will is left in a very precarious position at the end of Wings of the Wicked and well I simply refuse to let anyone know what happens to him one way or another. You can suffer like I did while reading. I spent a lot of time dying to know what was going to happen to Will one way or the other. I will say this, what you do see of Will is swoony.

As I said before, Shadows in the Silence is a great story and it will make your heart hurt. You will truly feel for the characters and become heavily invested in their story. The book will constantly break your heart and it seems as if the poor characters simply cannot catch a break. It seems as if they go from one tragedy to the next. The book will tear you down, only to lift you back up again. I am pretty sure the pages of the book are stained with my tears. I cried so much; I don’t mean I shed a tear, I mean full on hysterical crying until I couldn’t see any more tears. I had worries because I read this book right after Finale (sometimes after I read a favorite, the next book pales in comparison), but my worry was misplaced. I loved Shadows in the Silence just as much as I thought I would. I loved taking the journey with these characters and seeing Ellie’s story come to a conclusion.

My absolute favorite thing about this book is that CAM did not take the easy way out. Sacrifices are made and not everyone comes out of this story happy on the other side. She shows that a war like this is not easy and simple; sometimes there are drastic consequences. CAM shows that sometimes sacrifice is necessary for the greater good and that if the person is strong enough, that sacrifice could benefit numerous others. I know this sounds preachy, but this book really does show that, simply by not giving every character a happily ever after. I hate to compare books to Harry Potter, but I am going to with this one, at least in terms of this one aspect. Both authors recognized that when a war like this occurs, some characters will be lost along the way and that things are not always easy. The loss of these characters makes you appreciate the outcome all the more and it makes the situation believable (as much as a paranormal story is ever believable.)

To sum it all up, I seriously loved this book and I cannot wait to go back and live it all over again. I am torn because I love the way the series turned out, but now I am devastated that I do not have another book to look forward to. Thankfully we have Madeline and Bastian’s story to look forward to. CAM did a fabulous job wrapping up this series and I look forward to anything she has in store for us in the future. One last thing, I am totally on Team Waffles!

[Book Whales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted @ Book Whales

I love this series so much and knowing that this book is the last, make me sad. I adore Courtney Moulton. Her ability to make the readers feel attach to her characters is astonishing. Again, this book surpasses my expectation. -A grand remarkable conclusion indeed.

The story took place where Wings of the Wicked had left. A war has erupted and the legions of hell are there to destroy the world, leaving Ellie a huge responsibility. She must save Will, and that means she needs Cadan’s help. Together, they find a cure to save Will from his impending death. Will Ellie be able to save her ever loyal guardian? Will she able to save humanity as well? Read this book to find out.

The world-building is unbelievable. The reason why I love this series is the world Courtney created. I love being immersed in a world where Angels and Devils exist. I like the gothic, dark and pulsating theme. It is like no other. How she describes the fight scenes, always leaves me in awe. I savored every pages of this book. There were no monotonous moments. Everything is energetic mixed with some comical scenes that will make you smile and increased your heart rate.

The characters became more mature in this book. We get to know them so much better. It’s like a puzzle where you get to have all the pieces together. You get to know them wholly. Also, every emotion were felt which made them connectable and believable. In this book, Cadan became my favorite character. Until now, I’m still caught between Will and Cadan. Both boys are different but lovable at the same time. But Cadan became my ultimate choice here. I admire his courage to defy his father. How he choose his heart over his mind and for being selfless. Yep, I want him so bad. My second favorite is Ellie. She matured so much in this book. She’s tougher, strong-minded and goal oriented. Lastly, the ever devoted Will never fails to give me a tooth ache. He’s sweet, intelligent and spirited. Those trio is unquestionably memorable. I will miss them

The love-angle is great! Who will Ellie choose? I must say, there are lots of heartwarming and knee melting experiences in the book. The Cadan moments and Will episodes will make every girl die happily.

Overall, this book is a marvelous conclusion to the series. I am in need of another book from this author.

I give this 5 blazing Whales.

Rating:

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I was absolutely blown away by the first two books in this trilogy, I expected this one to be mindblowingly awesome. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in that regard.

~THE BAD~
1) For one thing, the plot moved way too slowly for most of the book. There was just so little action and asskickery in this book compared to the first two that I was bored throughout most of it.
2)Also, there was rarely, if ever, a moment when I was taken by surprise. The story was just so predictable and even a little cliché at times.
3) The minor characters were way underdeveloped. They rarely showed up, and when they did, they were there for a couple of lines.
4) I know this is me being nitpicky, but where the hell do these people get the money for all those plane tickets and hotel rooms that they need every other day. None of them work, so where are they getting this money from? Just a thought.

~THE GOOD~
1) There were a couple of pretty badass fight scenes interspersed throughout the book that kept my attention pretty well. If there's one thing Moulton knows how to do, it's how to write a kickass fight scene. The final showdown between the forces of good and evil did not disappoint me.
2) ELLIE. She is a fantastic, strong girl and I loved seeing her transformation from whiny, spoiled little rich girl in the first book to powerful, confident warrior in this book. She is one of my favorite YA heroines of all time.
3) I loved the romance between Ellie and Will. It felt so pure, so natural, so real. There was more than just desire and romantic love between them. There was real friendship, respect, and trust, as well.
4) The only side characters that I loved and that got some decent page time were Cadan and Ethan Stone. Cadan was just the sweetest thing. Though he was in love with Ellie, eventually he realizes that he can't have her. I don't think he ever got over his romantic feelings for her, but he respected her choice to just be friends. He was extremely loyal and he really cared about Ellie. Ethan was hilarious. He added a lot of comic relief to a pretty dark story. What was great about him, though, was that he was also a valuable and helpful ally to Ellie and her friends.

All in all, I liked this book. I was just expecting a little more out of it.

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[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always sad to see a beloved series, and the Angelfire series is no exception. Ever since I opened up the first book, I have been obsessed with Ellie, Will, and the rest of the gang. The last installment was a fast paced, action filled story. There was friendship, romance and mystery.

After the cliffhanger at the end of Wings of the Wicked, I would have given my left arm to get my hands on Shadows in the Silence. I NEEDED to know if Will, one of my favorite YA guys was going to be ok.

Ellie has always been an awesome heroine, but in this one, she was total kick ass. She really came into her own, and the end totally blew me away. Sad, sweet, Will has always been a favorite and my heart broke for him in this one. I just love how protective he is of Ellie, and how selfless he is when it comes to her. To top off this amazing set of characters was Caden. I have been intrigued by him since we first met him, and I loved getting to know him even better. Despite his past, he really is such a good natured guy, and really is trying to get away from the evil things he has done.

I would have liked a little more explanation at the ending. Maybe an epilogue for the epilogue? That was my one real complaint. Other then that, this is a wonderful series, that I highly recommend. It is so much more then an angel series!

[Apen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really I just wanted the serie to end, I didn't like Ellie at all although in this last book she was a bit more torelable.
Why I didn't like the serie: Ellie seems selfish, she is suppoused to be an Angel, but she doesn't have a good qualitty until the end, she even lies to her mother for Gods sake. So if she is the left hand of God we simply humans are screwed.
Second, the love story was simply not believable for me. Will jst loves her and Ellie loves him too. I thought Cadan was more interesting but he is just there in love with Ellie and super loyal to her.
And third, everything was so predeactible, Will mother appearing as the relic guardian (duh) and all of the twists that were supposedly shocking, they were obvious from the begining.
Oh! and the end was just "that's it?" I mean after 3 freaking long books she just appears (like we all knew she would) and that's it, no explanation of what she is, if she is staying, what happened at sky....

In the end, I don't get all the fuss about this serie for me it was bad bad bad.

[Jennifer Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS. HAHA. I BET YOU'RE CONFUSED NOW... *EVIL FACE****

But seriously, I promise I'll warn you first.

Actual Review:

*** 3.5 stars

*sighs*

You know how a wholes series/trilogy/quartet/whatever gradually builds up over the course of the story into what's supposed to be the Ultimate Climax.

It's what we've all been waiting for.

The sticker at the end of a doctor's appointment.

The presents on Christmas morning.

The emotional boiling point.

The End.

The Finale.

*sighs*

You come to expect so much. I really expected a lot when I first started reading Shadows in the Silence. As far as I saw each book in the series kept getting better. Angelfire was okay, Wings of the Wicked was good, so was it not logical to reason that Shadows in the Silence would be great?

The book starts off literally right where Wings of The Wicked leaves off. We're talking exact moment, which I liked. After reading Wings of The Wicked, I really didn't feel like a boring retrospective recap.

First thing that got my panties in a twist:

Why was Ellie so damn mean to Cadan? Seriously! He's trying to help you, you meanie! BE NICE.



Ugh. Some people.

Not that she was wrong to slap him when he got too frisky. Ellie was all like:


Then she literally slapped the Mcshit out of him. I liked her then. For once, a women that's loyal to her man.

Mhhmm. Dat's how we roll.

The rest of the book went by in a blur of action-y romance. It was fast-paced and entertaining. There was drama, there was action. Then...

THE CLIMAX... *drumroll*

And it was SO disappointing.

After Ellie ascended and became Gabriel, it was really unclear if she was still Ellie. She spoke like Gabriel, but she was herself, supposedly. It was not well done at all and became very... confusing.

I made it all the way to the epic battle scene. The Major Event, THREE BOOKS, it took me. And it was just...

...No.



It was just, I don't know, like, severely underwhelming. The entire battle scene happened in maybe 10 pages. 10 PAGES.

Now, maybe I'm spoiled, but in books like Brisingr by Christopher Paolini, the actual battle scenes lasted a heckuva lot longer. I felt like the author suddenly got nervous about screwing up the ending and rushed through it and screwed up anyway. It was very disappointing, with too many quick, meaningless deaths and too easy of a finish-up. There were no tense will-we-make-it-or-not moments. LAME.

But I will admit that I cried like a whiny baby at "That Sad Part" at the end that I'm not going to tell you about. 'Cuz I'm embarrassed.

There's a a short epilogue from Will's POV at the end that I wish had been longer. The whole "leave the ending to the reader's imagination" thing was overused, in my opinion. We are simply left with too many unanswered questions.

In summary:

The first 3/4's are really good. Lot's of character backstory and interesting shiz like that. There were more much-needed lighthearted moments that made me smile and occasionally giggle (I know, I'm an idiot because I still giggle). My only qualm is the ending. It was rushed and very anti-climactic. That and I would have liked more of the book from Will's POV. Maybe we'll get lucky and Moulton will re-write the series from his POV. I'd read it.

- Asch's Anti-Paradigm (JennTheAwesum)

P.S. Ellie still cries too much!!

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Here's the thing I don't like about series, they END! Let me insert *series I love*, because that's be honest, there are some series that just need to end, but this isn't one of those series. I started reading this book before it was out, and I didn't finish it until recently, because in my mind if I didn't finish reading it, then the series wouldn't be over. *sigh* What a fabulous ending it was too. Courtney wrapped this series up perfectly. Sure there's still a few unanswered questions I have, but I like that. I don't want a series to be all nicely packaged up, because then it doesn't leave me wondering and carrying on the story in my head. Okay now I'm sounding crazy, but I know some of you get what I'm saying. This series ended the way it should have, with changes, heartbreak, love, A LOT of action, a war, and hope!

One of the things I liked about this book is the way Courtney wrote it. Between the moments of me sighing, crying, laughing, fist bumping the air over those kick butt action scenes and wanting to yell NO!, and I enjoyed all the little things that occur that lead up to the bigger moments. There's a few twists, and a shocking discovering I didn't even see coming. I really enjoyed this book! Given that this is the final book in the series, and with it's impending war, the theme is darker, it's a bit sad, but at the same time, there are plenty of laugh out moments that had me wiping a tear or two from my eye. I loved the humor and the oh yeah, hot moments, that were in this book. Let's just say things happen between two characters that fans have been anxiously waiting to have happen. FINALLY!

I liked that this book/series grew with it's characters. They've all grown and changed a lot since book 1, and I loved how they've all changed. I never would have imagined how things would have worked out between Ellie and Caden, and Ellie and Will from Angelfire to now, and I love what has transpired between each of them. It's not just the main characters, but those fabulous side characters who have all stepped up and changed in different ways. Two of my favorites are Kate and Marcus! They're the two friends you'd hope main characters like Ellie and Will would have. Given that this is both a character and plot driven book, at least in my mind, I loved how the two merged together. There's a lot that happens in this book, and I enjoyed seeing what every character's role was in preparing for War, and during the War. Though it stinks, some characters do die.....

Main character wise, I love how Ellie's grown into a fierce character who can thrown down and kick the crap out of any demon, while at the same time she has this other side to her that's reserved for those moments when she's with Will, and those other moments when she's sitting with her good friend Caden, and they're dishing it to each other. She stands firm in what she has to do, and despite making some hard choices, I admire her for doing what she felt was right. Will. He's definitely changed a lot, and I love the Ellie has made him see the hope that love brings with it. He's a completely different person when they're together. I LOVE how supportive he is of Ellie, even if he doesn't want her to make the choices she does, he stands by her and gives her the support she needs. Caden, well that's just say he's shocked me the most! Sure there's a part of me that loved his bad boy ways, but the Caden he is now is AWESOME! He's become that trust worthy, confident friend that Ellie needs. I love that these two act like they've been friends forever. Plus, he just says it how it is to Ellie, and he too gives her all of his support.

This series wrapped up in the most fitting way possible! I don't think it could have had a more perfect ending. Really. I'm throwing out huge props to Courtney for going through a fabulous battle. There's been one too many books I've read that have copped out a bit on the ending of a huge fight scene, but this war was well written! There's causalities of war, and a heart breaking scene, but there's also a scene that will leave you sighing, and hopefully, and just... it's good! This is definitely one of my favorite angel series. I will say there is a well written sex scene in this book. It's not a graphic one by any means, but one that was written in a very tactful way.

[Crystal ✬ Lost in Storyland · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is so, so very hard to write. I have been a huge fan of the Angelfire trilogy thus far, and I really wanted to fall madly in love with this book like with the prior two books. The battle scenes are just as epic as always, especially the final battle, and I love the characters as always. I'm also still a fan of the gory details of battle. A book where the fate of the world is at stake never has felt real to me unless there lives are lost and sacrifices are made. However, the beginning of this book threw me off, and it took me a while to get back into the story.

Ellie has always been a strong-willed, independent girl that will have her way or else (and it's no threat when she's deadly with two blades close at hand), so it wasn't like I didn't expect her to be as rash as always. However, she really loses it at the beginning of this book. Remember what happened at the end of book two? Now, Ellie's love for Will and the desire to save him blinds the better judgment that she should have with all the fighting experience she's accumulated and remembered from some past lives. She runs around far more recklessly than she's had in the past in a way that threatens both her life and that of Will whose life depends on her living to find the cure, and that alienated me at the beginning of the book. As much as Ellie's emotions overriding her common sense is justified, I don't think I'm a good match-up with characters letting passion override their rationality.

Things do get better when Will comes back in the picture. Those who have been a fan of Will and Ellie's steamy chemistry will swoon many times over as the two grow closer together. Their love scenes are a welcome break from the high-tension chase to find the tools necessary to defeat Sammael and Lilith. I adore seeing the two of them together; at the same time, I prefer more action and adventure in a story, and there was just a tad bit too much romance for my liking. Cadan is just as sweet as always; there is one scene where he loses control of himself, but Ellie knocks him back to his senses. I still love the guy to death and enjoyed learning more about his past. As much as I support Will + Ellie, it's heartbreaking how he has to watch the girl he loves be with another guy.

Ellie and her comrades have come so far since book one. It's been a joy watching them grow and seeing how far they've come. More friends are lost even as more comrades are gained, and Ellie must put all that she cares about on the line to save the world from the clutches of the Fallen and the demonic reapers that serve them. In the journey to the final battle, much has been sacrificed. Lives, hopes, and dreams. While this book wasn't my favorite in the series, it is still a good, solid conclusion to the Angelfire trilogy.


--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Even demons feared something. The demonic reapers had nightmares of their own, stories they told one another to terrify, a legend that haunted them in their sleep. That was me. I was Hell's nightmare."

This book was fucking EPIC. All the characters are so freaking KICK. ASS. I mean, holy shit, the action scenes and the powers and the reapers...damn...


Ellie and Will are just adorable. They definitely make it to the top 10 YA couples. The ending...good lord I was crying. They kick ass and take names together, and at the same time, they banter, cry, and tease the hell out of each other. It. Is. Beautiful.


Will brought so many emotions out of me in this book. He was drop dead sexy, then batshit fearsome, then teasing and adorable, then at the end... his reaction to Ellie turning into an archangel and dying... damn if it doesn't make you teary-eyed...


Then there's Cadan.

I have such a huge soft spot for him. He is so funny and sweet and just there for Ellie when she needs it the most. God, I love him. I wish Courtney Moulton added Cadan's reaction to seeing Ellie come back to Earth at the end.

Overall, this series was one of the best I've ever read. I'm SO glad I picked it up, it's fucking unbelievable.

"It's over."
"I am not the only lord in Hell. Others will rise to take my place. The Morningstar will crave revenge."
"Let them come."

[(;Missy.Lala;) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow that was a fantastic series!!! I love to read Angel novels because there is always a lot of historical background that just draws me in, there's also always action and a BIG BATTLE in the end, then the HEA and romance <3 I just love them, and this one was no different :) (with the outcome that is)

Summary:

"Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . ."

Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.

The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven, and this takes place the first 150 pages, so don't worry about the agony of Will in pain, it doesn't last the whole book...

She must fight for humanity.

As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel, which happens after 350 pages, literally... Basically the whole book was about Ellie and fighting for her love for Will and building up her allies for the war...

And Ellie must save herself.

Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth, and this happens after page 400 right BEFORE the war. It only took Will 6 pages to get "Gabriel" back to her Ellie self, which was good for me because I couldn't deal with her being so formal, distant, and cold to the people she grew to have deep relationships with in the past 2 novels! Good job Will!!!

So yeah, I loved the romance, action, big war, alliances, world building, writing, this series was so deep, that I'm surprised I didn't read it sooner!

I wonder what Moulton will write next...

[Eden]

I'm pretty disappointed with this last installment. The two previous books I fell absolutely in love with and read in one sitting while this has taken me days to finish. I agree with most of the three star reviews. It's just okay to me. Here are the biggest things that bothered me:

A lot of the dialogue was a bit too cheesy and the story didn't flow well like with the first two books.

Ellie's best friend, Kate, accepted Ellie's world without a lot of convincing...I would say she freaked out when she saw Marcus in his true form after the attacks at the party, for a grand total of two minutes. Not very realistic. And why would Marcus be interested in her? He lists his reasons why when he talks to her, but still...He's several hundred years old and Kate is an actual teenager, whereas Ellie, even if she is in a teenage body, has a soul that's pretty old, so that explains her connection with Will, who has been her guardian for centuries. But Marcus and Kate? Makes no sense. I know this is fiction, but it still bothers me nonetheless. Also, Kate didn't seem all that bothered that Ellie would have to die. She treated the situation like Ellie was just moving to another state.

Ellie kept bouncing back and forth between talking like a dumb teenager and a wise angel. There was no smooth transition. It just depended on who she was talking to.

There were entire passages that were info dumps that I skimmed over and they didn't even seem all that important in the end. The long battle scenes, especially towards the end, I found myself having to reread because they didn't hold my attention.

I remember being an emotional wreck after the second book, but the closer I came to the end of this one, the more I was thinking mehhhhhhh, let this be over already.

I don't know...overall the writing was mediocre. I don't know what the heck happened. It makes me wonder if I should reread those first two books I loved.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I Liked
Characters
Ellie: In the first two books I go back and forth between liking Ellie and being annoyed with her, but in this book she finally makes an all around awesome character to love and completely enjoy at every moment. She has finally fully stepped into her roll that she must play and I'm glad she did, she makes for a kickass character in this book.
Will: Still love him.
Cadan: He is a fun character, I enjoyed him in the last book and I really came to enjoy him in this book.
Action
Again, lots of great action throughout the entire book. Battles have to be fought to get to the final epic battle. Never a dull moment with wonderful heart wrenching twists still be added to the pages.
Conclusion
It ended fantastically and no characters were left safe for the final battle, I'm glad a Stephenie Meyer wasn't pulled in this book's battle. With that being said I'm also glad for the ending that we did get to read.

Didn't Like
I would have loved to read one more page at the end of the book, just a little more.
Saying Goodbye
I am sad to be saying good bye to this awesome trilogy. Thankfully though I can always reread the series when ever I want, so the goodbye isn't a final one.

Recommendation
The final book in the trilogy, either you have got to read this last book or pick up Angelfire and start the series.

[Mateja · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first picked up Angelfire, the first book in the series, I had no idea that by the final book I would be so much in love with the story and the characters. This is an example of a series that gets better and better with each installment.

Shadows in the Silence just blew my mind, it was so amazing. By the time I reached the end I was desperate for just a couple more pages so I could spend more time with these wonderful characters I've fallen in love with. While the story itself was amazing and off the charts exciting and unpredictable, it was really the characters that have stolen all my attention. Will and Ellie are one of my favorite fictional couples of all time. They fit each other so perfectly and their love and banter are really heart warming. And then there are the side characters that are just as irresistably lovable as Will and Ellie. I really enjoyed the camaraderie, this book has a strong family feel to it even if none of the characters are actually related to each other.

I could spent days naming all the things I loved about this book, but in order to keep it short I'll just say I loved absolutely everything about it, from the first page on to the last one.